Yoga Question

I just got a new "Yoga for Beginners" DVD and along with the expected "see your doctor before trying a new exercise program," and "pregnant women should use caution, " etc. . . . . it also included in the warnings "menstruating women should not perform inverted poses?"

What the heck?  Anyone know any reason for this?

Well, it's not just yoga that says you should see your doctor before trying a new exercise program. Partially that's just the video makers covering their behinds, but really, *especially* if you're out of shape or haven't exercised in a while, you should check with your doctor to see if there's anything wrong that might cause you to have to do something different (medications, different exercises, whatever).

Pregnant women should always use caution when exercising, and there are just some exercises that are not recommended or not practical (jogging while 9 months pregnant is not likely to be easy, for example). Certain yoga poses put a lot of pressure on your stomach area, or could lead to a fall if you're not careful...neither of those are good for pregnant women, and I'm sure that there are other reasons as well. Pregnant women should always check with their doctor about their exercise programs, especially if it's something new.....heck, even things that are ok at the beginning of pregnancy may not be good at the end of pregnancy.

As for the menstruation, that one is a little odd. I just read an article talking about how women are more likely to have ligament injuries at the end of their cycle, possibly due to hormones causing the ligaments to loosen (to allow menstruation, the cervix ligaments need to loosen). That's definitely one consideration. Part of the warning is due to tradition, and part is due to what we don't know about various medical conditions. This is a pretty good article describing some of the concerns. It's your own choice, but if you choose to do inversions, listen carefully to your body and don't do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.        

Thank you!!  I was so confused . . . I expected the typical warnings about consulting a doc and all that, but I'd never heard anything about menstruation.  Your info was very helpful, and it looks like that site you linked me to will be a great resource for a beginner like me. 

I will take my time and carefully evaluate how I feel as I am beginning my practice -- now that I know what some of the concerns are, I'll know what to watch for.  Thanks again!

Great article!  For me, the issue is discomfort.  Some of the inversions, like plough and snail, are fine--even good.  I find shoulderstand uncomfortable though.  I think it's because the energy is supposed to be lifting upward and the body light, but during menstruation I feel very heavy and earthbound.  But practicing mula bandha seems to have made a big difference:  http://www.yogajournal.com/practice/217_1.cfm

Desikachar emphasizes that the practice should serve the practitioner, not the other way around.  It's important to practice yoga in a way that isn't unpleasant.  Experiment slowly and explore your body's limits.  If you find you don't enjoy inversions during menstruation, then just skip that part of the DVD and go straight to savasana, or substitute other finishing poses -- there are lots:  http://ashtangayoga.info/asana-vinyasa/finish ing-positions/index.html