Menstruation and Yoga Philosophy
“An Indian woman’s life is a veritable tight-rope walk” Geeta S. Iyengar (2019b: 4).
“Geeta-ji was quick to point out this gender-related propensity toward sensitivity was not about women only” Steinberg and Blakeney (1997: 25).
Why Talk About Menstruation in a Yoga Class?
“Please raise a hand if you’re menstruating.” Sometimes you’ll observe a newer student quizzically raise their eyebrows to the teacher asking the question. More rarely, that person may even ask at the close of the class, “Why did you ask about periods?” Then, perhaps after some time regularly attending a yoga school, students may also notice the odd times when the teacher doesn’t ask about menstruation. If relevant, the student may think, “Do I tell the teacher? When? Now, or later?” For some, these kinds of verbal disclosures in a public space are straightforward. For others, it’s not. It’s not just that across many and varied cultures bleeding and blood is still viewed through a lens of the taboo. “Why does it matter anyway?” Some people don’t know much about the whole process of a menstrual cycle, as it’s never really been explained to them (by parents, or school, etc.; meaning they pick up information ‘along the way’ in an ad hoc manner). This means that for some people they focus on ‘menstruation’ only at the time when blood is being discharged from the body. Finally, others may argue that menstruation need not change their practice: my body, my choice.
In Iyengar Yoga, menstrual sequence adjustments are made in asana practice as a given. As it’s understood that yoga and asana is ideally an everyday activity or, at the least as a regular exercise in the life of students, asking about menstruation ensures the teacher provides options for all attending. The enquiry is a sign of due consideration.
Summarised, when menstruating and doing asana, we avoid inversions (i.e. hips over the head) and unduly straining, squeezing, or gripping the abdomen and pelvic bowl region, including strong twisting and backbends. Inverted actions are counter to the body’s need to dispense bodily matter. Abstaining poses that increase abdominal tension are about not adding more targeted energy, or ‘heat,’ to areas already under increased pressure. But instead of thinking, “Menstruating means I can’t do this…,” this article is written from another perspective, and one that I hope is of interest to people beyond those who menstruate.
I think too often, menstruation is still positioned as a limiting-factor in yoga, and the genesis of this article is an exploration into that idea. By writing a bit more about menstruation, our hormones, body and yoga from a number of perspectives, I want to explore, for those who are also more curious, about how understanding something like menstruation is a yet another tool we can use to better enquire into our own human condition.
How Much Do We Know About Menstruation?
All too often, a discussion of menstruation turns into a focus on the time when you have your period. Obviously, that’s because on the days when you’re discharging blood, you have very visible and physical signal of bodily change. Bleeding is a hassle, and we’re often inculturated to down-play any side effects. Learning instead then, to recognise menstruation as a cycle can help you to actually focus on how your hormones fluctuate, how your body changes, and how you can become more attuned to adjusting your own behaviours and activities over the month, so as to not unduly stress or ‘go against’ what both your mind and body need.
To begin, let’s get the basics down:
A menstrual cycle is approximately 28 days (the range may be between 21-42 days)
The sex hormones of estrogen (also spelt oestrogen), progesterone and testosterone fluctuate over your cycle
Ovulation - the release of egg(s) - occurs around the middle of your cycle
After ovulation, progesterone levels increase to make the lining of the uterus ready for a possible pregnancy, and
When fertilisation does not occur, “the lining of the uterus breaks down and flows out through the cervix and the vagina as a menstrual period,” (Family Planning NSW Factsheet, 2018)
A period lasts for between about 3-7 days.
The important immediate caveat is that menstruation is a continuum of experience - physically, mentally, psychosocially - therefore, beyond the ‘period’ part of a menstrual cycle, people may also encounter moods and symptoms within our body that we don’t necessarily attribute to hormone variances. This can include what we might deem both ‘positive’ and/or ‘negative’ impacts, or along a continuum, in which we experience a range of occurrences, for example:
surging < > depleted energy
endurance < > fatigue
muscles moving from being flexible and feeling strong < > very tight and/or ‘dry’
lightness, firmness < > heaviness, swelling
changing sexual desire
significant mood oscillations
appetite and digestion changes
altered sleep patterns
skin conditions
headaches
And more.
Pre-menstrual syndrome, or ‘PMS,’ has become an oft-used, catch-all descriptor for many of the negative impacts of the menstrual cycle before our period. It also has a medical definition, but here I’m talking more sociologically about how it’s entered everyday lexicon, linking the idea of changes and/or difficulties experienced to a broader discourse that menstruation is mostly ‘a problem.'
People also deal with far more negative period-related health conditions that impact on their day-to-day ability to function to their own sense of what is normal. They may experience painful sustained cramping, excessive bleeding, no period, irregular bleeding, endometriosis, and other medically-recognised issues. Many practitioners have used Iyengar Yoga to help with managing these conditions. There are excellent books and articles published by senior teachers to provide advice to people wanting to know more.
Only more recently - for example, in women’s elite sport - have we begun a newer, public dialogue about using the positive aspects of our menstrual cycle for performance (e.g. O’Halloran, 2023 and 2025). And given approximately only 5% of sport’s science research has been focused on women, we have a long, long way to go (O’Halloran, 2023).
As a continually-changing life rhythm, the menstrual cycle can also be used as an exemplar to understand just how complex human bodies are, and how we can learn to read ourselves, especially via yoga, for more unification.
More About Our Amazing Bodies
Our bodies are a myriad of interconnecting systems. And like a railway system, the better each train line works, the more effective the whole train network runs. Some systems particularly relevant to the menstrual cycle, and beyond the immediate reproductive system, are our endocrine, lymphatic and nervous systems. (There are 11 systems in the body). Our body is constantly communicating with parts of itself, attempting to best regulate function. Nerves and hormones are examples of such “communicating structures” (Hanson Lasater, 2016). Geeta Iyengar writes, “in yoga the body, and the mind are cultivated by a steady process of asana practice to prevent any impediment in their functioning” (2019a: 29).
First up, a very condensed explanation of the endocrine system. Each endocrine gland secretes hormones to target particular organs, via the blood stream, to assist in our body functioning properly (Mehta, 1994: 69). The endocrine system includes the pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, which plays a key role in ovulation. The adrenal glands, located at the top of the kidneys, can also impact menstruation for some people. Hormonal variances are a part of everyday life for all people. (Testosterone levels, for example, may change throughout the day for some people.) The use of contraception is designed to alter the menstrual cycle, and the impact on hormonal levels will depend on which form of birth control a person chooses, as well as their own physiology. The impact of hormonal changes therefore affect people differently. Regular asana practice is about working all parts of the body to ensure the health across our bodily systems. For example, another relevant case drawn out in Iyengar texts is the connection between the throat and the abdomen. When the neck is tightened our stomach can also be compressed (Parry, 1997: 22). The thyroid gland is located in our throat, and changes in our thyroid can also impact our menstruation. So beyond the ovaries (and testes) as sex glands, healthy endocrine function is best maintained with a focus across the whole body.
The lymphatic system is another critical part of our body, and therefore, our health. The lymph nodes, which are filters, are located in our groins, armpits and neck, and act as a key part of our immune response. This system also contributes to the maintenance of a healthy balance of our hormones. Both lymphatic drainage and stimulation occur in asana, and pranayama. Both activation of, and outflow from, the lymph nodes is key because hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can also impact our immune system. Regular yoga practice helps bolster our immune response for these shifts in our hormone levels. Better preparation, via regular practice, means we are more attuned to alterations of our own immune performance. Said plainly, we can monitor ourselves before a health issue becomes more pronounced, and try to mitigate longer-lasting effects. This also includes our mental wellbeing which is impacted by immune health too. “The relationship between physical and mental health may be one of the reasons many of us stick with yoga” (Chadwick, 2023: 65).
Dr Krishna Raman writes, “We live because of the energy in our nervous system. The very vital energy in the subtler layers of our body is nervine energy” (1998: 251). The nervous system is made up of the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). Further branches from the PNS also include the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), divided then into the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems. The “parasympathetic nervous system… controls activities of regeneration and assimilation,” and, indeed, keeping the nervous system functioning well is crucial for us all (Hanson Lasater, 2016). Changes in our hormones impacts our nervous system, including cognitive function, neurological conditions, mood levels, etc. Heart-rate and digestion may also be impacted. Migraines may become a feature of the menstrual cycle for some people.
This brief examination above into only three functional systems of the body demonstrates just how indispensable a good working order across our anatomy and physiology is for our health and wellbeing. As Australian Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Lynn Holt writes, “Together with the nervous system and the immune system, the endocrine system helps the body to cope with different events and stresses” (2014: 37).
Iyengar Yoga and Menstruation
Geeta Iyengar’s contribution towards, and influence on yoga practice in relation to menstruation cannot be overstated. Through a lifetime’s commitment to ensuring women - and indeed, all people - can access the benefit’s of yoga, her expert knowledge is best read directly in her own words. An excellent starting point is an article titled, The Practice of Women During the Whole Month, and I can share a copy with you. Geeta-ji herself also notes, “Guruji [BKS Iyengar] was a pioneer in introducing the regular practice of yogasanas during menstruation,” (1997: 10). The Iyengar’s’ fidelity to yoga means there is a wealth of material that covers guidance across the menstrual cycle, as well as for specific therapeutic responses to more significant menstrual disorders.
As stated, my enquiry here is also beyond asana advice. Especially after having attended the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIYMI) in Pune, India, I’m beginning to better recognise a two-sided question used in yoga and Indian Philosophy to delve more deeply into a topic. The formation of the provocation in this case is:
What Does Yoga Offer to Menstruation? What Does Menstruation Offer to Yoga?
In re-reading some of Geeta-ji's publications for this article, this time I’m more aware that although she provides advice for menstruating practitioners - she ensures yogic philosophy is always attended to, as equally:
“It is only a question of how we adapt the practice so that it brings proper balance and becomes suitable as far as the physical body and mental capacity is concerned… As far as the principles of yoga are concerned, the sincerity of approach and the application of methodology do not make a difference” (2019a: 1).
Asana undertaken across the menstrual cycle is yet another opportunity in our own metaphorical ‘scientific laboratory,’ to investigate ourselves :
“You have to organise your practice” (Iyengar, G., 2019a: 14-15).
For as long as we practice yoga, we are encouraged to take the opportunity when doing asana to ask ourselves before, during, and after: “How is my body? How is my mind? How am I?” And, by honestly making that assessment, “What can I do now for the next 90 minutes or so that provides insights for me to gain more harmony and unity between breath, body and mind?” Read this way, we are now afforded a rich and diverse opportunity:
“Try to understand your body, try to understand the mind, try to understand yourself. The basic thing is that you penetrate yogic practice. It’s a free journey from the body right up to the soul,” (Iyengar, G., 2011: 18).
It’s a profound challenge of the human condition to recognise where we’re at right now. Yoga demands we engage at this level. As Prashant Iyengar notes, “That’s a darsana. So, our system is exploration, experiencing,” (2020: 40). Yoga also provides tools to ensure we can make that assessment - and any subsequent actions/responses - with neutrality. The effort toward equilibrium is much easier to address as a mental concept, than actually do. And yet, if we make these attempts, each time we practice, each time we attend a class, another step is taken toward subjective, practical insight:
“The science of yoga consists of acquiring knowledge through observation and experimentation” (Iyengar, G., 2019a: 10).
Viewed in this way, an analysis into menstruation is a regular invitation into philosophical enquiry! And, such an approach can be extended into perimenopause < > yoga, significant life change < > yoga, anxiety < > yoga, childbirth < > yoga, etc. Many aspects of your life are available material, just waiting to be used under the methodology of yoga!
“To be constantly aware of the changes in one’s mental states is true sadhana [quest]” (Iyengar, BKS, 2022: 306).
Riding the Crimson Wave
My hypothesis is that for many women our engagement with physical exercise is in spite of menstruation. Socio-culturally, we’re encouraged to minimise our periods and therefore many of our actions are not performed from a position of care, or even insight into what might be happening for us. And, knowing that something is a natural, human function doesn’t mean it’s necessarily straightforward. Despite the fact that a person menstruates about every month for approximately 40 years, or for 450 menstrual cycles over a lifetime, for those not using birth control, the particularities of when our period arrives each time is unique. This is why many women have had unconsciously drilled into their psyche patterns of behaviour that perversely encourage us to both abandon any anxiety of bleeding and to also be hyper-vigilant to slightest chance of visible human function.
For those for whom the cycle of menstruation requires active management, especially a slowing down, and/or the management of pain, it’s a regular reminder that we are indeed embodied creatures. RIYMI teacher Pavithra Hareeth writes:
“To accept things as they are … requires a special kind of courage” (2020: 69).
As our periods persist, so do we. And perhaps we may observe how the reality of living in this ever-changing cycle means a growing awareness that:
Our sense of self can’t be viewed through one static lens; recognising both our experience, and the resulting perception of events, is variable;
We don’t take for granted feeling well and strong at all times;
We’ve had to practice adjusting our yoga, meaning we have experience for alternative ways of ‘doing yoga’ for the other times when we’re going to have to modify; and
We’re being trained regularly to be physically and psychologically flexible.
I have argued that both asana practice and yoga as a philosophy (and science, and art) offer us rich insights for our daily life. This includes for those people at any point across their menstrual cycle, and for everybody else. Ultimately, it’s the choice of the person menstruating to communicate in a class situation about themselves that day. Dialogue with ourselves, and then also with the teacher, is a case worthy of enquiry for really any situation a student encounters. What motivated me to write this piece is that when you’re in a yoga class as a student, how can you work with the teacher, and most importantly, yourself, so you finish the class with more energy, not less?
Extra: Brief Asana Suggestions
Note: Menstrual sequences for home practice can be made available.
This section outlines some specific asana recommended during the period of your period:
Supine poses, like Supta Virasana, Supta Baddha Konasana, Setu Banda Sarvangasana, Supta Padangusthasana II. These poses can assist with fatigue, swelling and diarrhoea (for e.g.).
Forward bends, like Janu Sirsasana, Trianga Mukhaikada Paschimottanasana, Paschimottanasana. Extra supports can be taken so the head is resting on a bolster or chair.
Why? “Supine and forward bending asana relax and soothe the brain thereby removing fatigue and give women the strength to continue with their routine activities” (Iyengar, G., 1997: 11).
Seated poses include Virasana, Swastikasana, Baddha Konasana, Upavistha Konasana. The last two poses particularly help to make space in the pelvic bowl, offering relief to conditions over your cycle.
Standing poses recommended, especially with head-support, include Uttanasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Parsvottanasana, Prasarita Padottanasana. Students are cautioned against overworking / overdoing standing poses during menstruation; and which is often why, if taken at all, the trestle / horse is used, and/or back foot or the whole of the trunk is laid against the wall / grill. If tension is felt in the groins, poses like Ardha Chandrasana are beneficial.
Pranayama is recommended (without any retention of breath practices): “Those who have disturbed sleep during periods will benefit tremendously” (Iyengar, G., 1997: 16).
Finally, it is also highly recommended that after the bleeding has ceased, to return immediately to regular inversions of Sirsasana (headstand), Sarvangasana (shoulder-stand), Halasana and Viparita Karani. The Iyengar’s particularly advocate for the essential role inversions play in maintaining hormonal balance. “The inversions are definitely beneficial for maintaining proper blood circulation and healthy endocrine function” (Iyengar, G., 1997: 14).
Extra: Menstrual Issues
This article hasn’t been about therapeutic responses to, or a medical discussion of, problematic menstrual issues. In fact, my argument has been that the more we know about what our ‘good’ and ‘healthy’ menstrual cycle looks like, then we can better understand when something isn’t going to plan. I’m obviously not a specialist either. All that said, if any of these things happen over your menstrual cycle, it’s likely a good idea to speak to a medical professional:
Sustained, heavy menstrual bleeding (i.e. the “practical definition is when there is excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with the physical, emotional, social and material quality of life,” known as menorrhagia (Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2018)
Bleeding mid-cycle
No menstrual cycle (where previously periods occurred) known as amenorrhoea, and/or or a highly-irregular menstrual patterns over time
Feeling very weak or dizzy; or short of breath and having chest pains.
A guide produced for women with disability includes what I think is excellent advice: “Recommended treatment options [for menstrual disturbances] should be the least restrictive and always in the woman’s best interests… and meet her individual needs” (Butler et al, 2010: 1). When it comes to you, menstruation and yoga, how are you going to figure out what is in your best interests?
Jackie Ruddock
Jackie Ruddock has been practising Iyengar yoga since 2008, and joined Central Yoga School in 2018. She is a certified Level 1 teacher.
References
Butler, Jenny, Burbidge, Mary, Dr., Tracy, Jane, Dr., Supporting Women: Information and Resources for General Practitioners Supporting Women with Intellectual Disabilities to Manage Their Menstruation, enter for Developmental Disability Health Victoria, Monash University, 2010.
Chadwick, Alice, ‘The Armpit Chest in Iyengar Yoga,’ Yoga Rahasya, Vol. 29, No.1 2023.
Factsheet Menstrual Cycle (Periods), Family Planning NSW, www.fpnsw.org.au, 2018.
Hanson Lasater, Judith, Yogabody: Anatomy, Kinesiology, and Asana, Shambhala, 2016.
Hareeth, Pavithra, ‘Exploring the relationship between body and mind in yoga,’ Yoga Rahasya, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2020.
‘How Periods Impact Athlete Performance’, BTN High, 2 August 2023, accessed on YouTube here. Note: Lead Image used from this source.
Holt, Lynn, ‘The health of our ego and our endocrine system,’ Yoga Rahasya, Vol. 21, No. 2, 2014.
Iyengar, BKS, Arogya Yoga: Yoga for health and well-being, Rohan Prakashan, 2022.
Iyengar, Geeta S., ‘Edited transcript of Geetaji by Michael Hollingworth during her retreat in Australia in 2010’, Yoga Rahasya, Vol. 18, No. 2, 2011.
Iyengar, Geeta S., ‘Geeta Iyengar Answers Questions on Yoga and Women,’ Yoga Rahasya Special Edition (Vol. B), Vol. 4, No. 1., 1997.
Iyengar, Geeta S. Dr., The Practice of Women During the Whole Month, Iyengar Yoga Association (UK), 2019b.
Iyengar, Geeta S., Yoga: A Gem For Women, Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., Third Edition, 2019a.
Iyengar, Geeta S., ‘Yoga for Women,’ Yoga Rahasya Special Edition (Vol. B), Vol. 4, No.1., 1997.
Iyengar, Prashant, ‘The “System” of Iyengar Yoga’, Yoga Rahasya, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2020.
Mehta, Rajvi H., ‘Our Endocrine System,’ Yoga Rahasya Special Edition (Vol. A), 1994.
O’Halloran, Kate, ‘AFLW and Women's Super League teams using the menstrual cycle to their advantage,’ ABC News online, 19 February 2025, accessed here.
O’Halloran, Kate, ‘Elite athletes are no longer ashamed of their periods — and tracking their menstrual cycles may even be a secret weapon,’ ABC News online, 11 January 2023, accessed here.
Parry, Kay, ‘Women’s Intensive: Women’s Stages and Yogasanas. Annual Day - Yoga in Action with Smt. Geeta S. Iyengar,’ Yoga Vani, September 1997 No 3. (5), 1997.
Raman, Krishna Dr., A Matter of Health: Integration of Yoga and Western Medicine for Prevention and Cure, Western Limited, 1998.
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Heavy Menstrual Bleeding, 2018.
Steinberg, Lois and Blakeney, Laurie, ‘The International Women’s Intensive Course: A report,’ Yoga Vani, September 1997 No 3. (5).