Did you know that certain styles of yoga can help support hormone health if timed correctly with your cycle?
More and more attention is being paid to hormonal cycles of women (finally!) and how they change, not only from month to month but as they age. Studies are showing that women should pay attention to the intensity of exercise during the monthly cycle of their hormones.
Yoga has 8 limbs of practice and the 3rd limb - asana or physical postures - have many variations and styles of how those asanas are sequenced together. Poses can be gentle like yin and restorative styles or intense like power yoga. And of course styles that involve no poses at all like meditation.
So how do we apply styles of yoga to hormonal cycles? During monthly cycles, different hormones fluxuate during different phases. During ovulation, estrogen is higher, resulting in better stamina and recovery with higher energy levels. As the cycle moves from ovluation to the luteal phase, energy begins to drop as estrogen lowers and progesterone increases. As menstruation occurs, energy is lower as the body works to shed the uterine lining.
Therefore, a suggested cycle of yoga styles for hormonal cycles would be:
Follicular/Ovulation phases: hatha, power, yoga fused with fitness
Luteal phase: slow flow, yin
Menstruation: yin, restorative, sound healing, meditation
Happy practicing for hormonal health!
As always, consult your doctor before you begin an exercise routine. This blog is not medical advice.