5 Yoga Inspired Tips To Support A Healthy Female Cycle.

16 AUGUST 2022

NATASHA NICHOLAS | CLINIC DIRECTOR

4 MIN READ

Growing up I was never given much information on how best to manage that “time of the month” other than being handed a pack of painkillers and a hot water bottle and told to rest. Whilst I was given some generalised options to manage discomfort and pain, I was never really taught how best supported my body or what a healthy cycle actually looked like.

Now as an allied wellness professional, I take a special interest in helping women explore ways to support their bodies through their cycle using Yogic and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles. Trained in Yoga Therapeutics, Ayurveda, and TCM as well as being an Integrative Therapist trained in Western frameworks, I take a holistic perspective on our bodies throughout this cycle. Personally, I favour a TCM-informed Yoga lens when looking to support my body for a healthy menstrual cycle. Why ? It is simple and makes sense.

A women’s menstrual cycle is a beautiful example of the interconnection and interchanging relationship between the Yin and Yang energies of the body. From a TCM perspective, Yin energy can be described as nourishing and connects to the first part of a woman’s cycle beginning after menstruation. When yin culminates, a matured follicle triggers ovulation and this signifies the transition to the yang phase of a woman’s cycle. Yang energy is active & warm compared to its counterpart Yin and it’s the driving force behind fertilization, ovulation, and the development following ovulation. During this second half of the cycle, Yang rises and supports the transition of the released egg to the uterus. At this time, progesterone is released causing the body temperature to rise to support implantation as it enters the early development of the fertilized egg. 

Each week of a menstrual cycle, the body fluctuates between two main sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone. These variations in hormone levels affect our mood and energy levels. The main thing to remember here is that physical activity can either support or deplete the body.

Have you ever stopped to think about your choice of movement and whether or not it is best serving your body?

Let’s begin with a TCM perspective of a healthy period flow. The ideal period flow has the following characteristics:

• Little to no spotting in the days previous to starting

• 3-5 days of bleeding in total

• Day 1 of the flow is the first full day of light, moderate or heavy bleeding

• No flooding (going through a pad or super tampon in less than 2 hours)

• Very little low abdominal cramping before and during

• Very little low back pain before and during

• Very few clots or pieces of tissue in the menstrual blood

• Deep, full red blood (as opposed to brown, powdery, dark red, purplish or bright red)

• No stopping and starting of the flow

• Basal body temperature should drop from higher levels of 36.7+ down to 36.2 approximately.

If your current period does not meet most of the above characteristics, you may benefit from support for your menstrual cycle flow.

A TCM Informed Yoga approach aims to:

• encouraging strong downward movement

• moving the blood

• facilitating a smooth and thorough discharge of the menstrual flow

• removing obstructions to blood flow

• decreasing pain in the back & sacrum

• Supporting energy (Qi) to lead the blood out

• reducing lower abdomen cramping or pain

• calming the mind

with the over-arching functional goal of encouraging the complete discharge of the menstrual blood so that a new lining may grow evenly on a smooth base. The idea here is that this not only supports conditions for a healthy period flow but supports the body when trying to conceive.

Below are five TCM Yoga/ Movement Tips to support a healthy cycle and support contraception goals. The below is not intended to be taken as medical advice or offered as a medical solution to reproductive challenges and should be taken in as lifestyle interventions adjunct to any medical advice or treatment plans. 

5 Tips To Support A Healthy Cycle:

1. Week Of Your Period: Create circulation around and during menses to support shedding of the lining ( increase Qi energy of heat and movement.

This tip can seem contrary to anything you have been told before or encouraged to do. Of course, you meet yourself where you are at. This week can be a time of pain, discomfort, fatigue, and not to mention practically difficult to engage in exercise if your flow is heavy. There may be a day or more you are limited in what movement you can tolerate and creating heat using heat packs is ideal. However, you may want to add some abdominal massage or some breathing pranayams that support the body to shed the endometrial lining. An Ayurvedic option is a Castor oil heat compress, where you massage the belly with castor oil before applying a heat pack. Another option is gentle abdominal compression on a very soft and deflated (only about 20-30% air-filled) pilates ball. Laying, prone with the ball on the lower belly and just gently rolling side to side can feel soothing and support increased circulation to help shed the endometrial lining. 

When movement feels possible, some gentle vinyasa may also feel supportive. I personally favour grounding vinyasa flows at this time, which involve low to the ground and seated postures designed to offer gentle nourishing activity to the body, decompress lower back discomfort, and offset cramping. 

Maybe even taking a gentle walk, taking in some sunshine and nature may be supportive to creating pelvic circulation and supporting mood regulation.

2. Week after Period (Follicular Phase): Restore and Nourish to support the rebuilding of a healthy uterine lining

This follicular phase, straight after your period has ended is a time when the uterine lining is rebuilding and facilitates the follicle developing into an egg. It is a time of “building’ and in through a TCM lens is a time of restoration and nourishment. Depending on your flow, you may emerge from this period feeling depleted or relatively energetic. If you feel depleted or if you are looking to conceive, nourishing and restorative options such as Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and gentle walking are good options. Supporting your endocrine and hormonal systems by tracking your nervous system and intervening with some breathwork and mindfulness are also great options at this time. 

If conception is not a goal here, as your energy levels return, stronger yoga practices such as a Hatha Vinyasa Practice, an Ashtanga – Inspired Practice, or your regular exercise practice can be re-instated here if this routine was disrupted by your period.

3. Ovulation Phase: Spark Yang or Qi during the ovulation phase 

Your body is getting ready to prepare for the release of an egg for ovulation, and your estrogen is PEAKING. You have a rise in follicle stimulating hormone and will soon have a spike in luteinizing hormone as your body gets ready to ovulate. This means your energy is at one of its highest points in the cycle! You feel energized, vibrant, and ready for adventure. From a TCM perspective, we want to support the release and passage of a healthy egg by raising the Qu energy in the body.

I tend to favour longer, stronger practices at this time such as Hatha Vinyasa with extra rounds of Sun Salutation, or by including more strength postures; practicing an Ashtanga Primary Series, or including some Yoga Conditioning workouts in my schedule. If you favour gym work or higher intensity exercise, this is the ideal time for it! Remember though, that we are not pushing ourselves into a depleted state. We are simply capitalising and supporting the hormonal boost our body is naturally giving us.

4. 1-2 Weeks Before Period ( Luteal Phase): Strive For Balance

Movement protocols and preferences during this stage will be influenced by your contraceptive goals and through listening to your body. Progesterone takes over during this phase of your cycle. This is your cool, calm, and collected hormone. The first part of this phase might still be full of energy, so continue the movement described above if it feels good. Towards the end of the luteal phase, just before your period begins, lighter activities may be favoured if you are experiencing pre-menstrual symptoms, such as low back tension or sore breasts. This phase will be all about listening to your body! 

If you are trying to conceive, nourishing and restorative practices such as Yin Yoga or Restorative Yoga may be excellent options during this final week of the luteal phase as it supports the egg implanting and stabilising in the lining of the uterus.

5. Track and Regulate Your Nervous System

Regardless of which phase you are in, tracking and honouring where your nervous system is at any given point and intervening to restore balance is supportive of mental health and well-being, as well as helping to manage hormonal fluctuations. Therapeutic breath work, known in Yoga as Pranayama is an easy and accessible tool to help restore nervous system regulation. Some simple options are the Long Slow Breath, breathing gently through the nose followed by a gentle and longer exhale; Sama Vritti - Vedic pranayama of equal breath, where the inhale is equal to the exhale ( similar to therapeutic square breathing) and Nadi Shodona (alternate nostril breathing) which is used to calm & balance the nervous system.

A healthy female cycle is supportive of holistic well-being and supports healthy life participation. Yoga and movement that honours the natural cyclic phases of your cycle build a foundation for vitality and cultivate a sense of ease with natural transitions. Through our practice and with experience, it is possible to hone our awareness and develop skills of observation that honour and support the female body through our reproductive years and beyond.

If you would like some support in designing an exercise or yoga routine supportive of your cycle, reach out to Natasha at Three Points Clinic via info@threepointsclinic.com or call on 0408465928. We can achieve this in a single extended private session, designing a short home practice for each cycle.