Your period isn’t something to fix. It’s a rhythm your body already understands.
With gentle yoga and a little Ayurvedic care, you can feel more grounded, less overwhelmed, and more in tune with yourself. Read on to know how.
Read time : 6 min
When you're on your period, your body is doing more than just shedding the uterine lining. It's going through a big hormonal shift. Estrogen and progesterone, your main female hormones drop to their lowest levels. This is why you may feel tired, bloated, more emotional, or just not quite like yourself. Your period isn’t a problem that needs to be fixed. It’s a natural and intelligent rhythm of your body.
That said, it doesn’t always feel easy. Cramps, mood swings, and fatigue can make these days really hard. But instead of forcing yourself to push through or ignoring what your body is asking for, there’s another way.
Yoga and Ayurveda offer something simple yet powerful gentle movement and deep rest. They invite you to slow down and care for yourself with softness, not struggle.
Why Do Yoga During Your Period?
अपानो गुदमार्गस्थः शोषणकर्षणानिलः ।
शुक्रार्तवपुरीषाणां मूत्रस्य च विसर्जकः ॥
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana 28.9
“Apana Vayu resides in the pelvic region and is responsible for downward movements. The elimination of semen, menstrual blood, feces, and urine.”
This ancient Ayurvedic verse explains why you feel so different during your period. It’s not just about hormones or cramps. It’s about energy.
According to Ayurveda, the menstrual phase is guided by Apana Vayu. The downward-moving prana responsible for all forms of release in the body. This includes elimination, menstruation, and even childbirth. When Apana flows freely, your period tends to feel smoother, lighter, and emotionally balanced. But when it’s blocked, due to stress, exhaustion, or poor digestion. It can lead to cramps, constipation, bloating, and a heavy emotional state.
To learn more about Apana Vata and how it affects your body, read our blog on Understanding Vata Dosha.
That’s why this time isn’t meant for pushing through intense yoga flows or high-energy movement. In fact, strong or effortful practices can drain your energy even further. Menstruation is your body’s built-in reset, a sacred window of natural detoxification. It’s a physical release, but also an emotional and energetic one.
Gentle yoga during your period is not about fixing your body, it’s about supporting it. Slow, grounding postures and mindful breathing help restore the natural direction of Apana. These practices soften the lower abdomen, relax the pelvic muscles, and give your nervous system space to reset.
Because in the end, what your body really needs during your period is this: space to breathe, space to soften, space to heal.
Yoga during this time supports:
▪️Circulation to the pelvic area, which can ease cramps
▪️ Calming the nervous system, to reduce stress and irritability
▪️Improved hormonal communication, through breath and body awareness
▪️ Better digestion and lymph flow, which helps with bloating and sluggishness
What Kind of Yoga Helps During Periods?
Think slow. Think soft. Think spacious.
Your period is not the time to aim for flexibility goals or burn calories. The goal is to ground, calm, and restore.
1. Supta Baddha Konasana
This pose is done lying down. You bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall apart to the sides, making a diamond shape with your legs. Use pillows under your knees for support, and rest your hands on your belly or chest. Just lie there and breathe gently. This helps open your lower belly and pelvis, eases period cramps, and brings a deep feeling of relaxation. It’s perfect for when you feel heavy, tight, or achy.
2. Marjaryasana – Bitilasana
This is a gentle movement done on your hands and knees. As you breathe in, you lift your chest and tilt your hips slightly up. As you breathe out, you round your back and let your head drop. You move back and forth with your breath like a slow wave. It helps stretch the back, release lower back pain, and gently massage your belly. This movement is calming and helps your body feel less stiff or sluggish.
3. Balasana
Also called Child’s Pose, this is like curling into a quiet ball. You sit back on your heels, fold forward, and rest your forehead on the floor or a cushion. Your arms can stretch out or relax beside you. This pose brings a deep sense of safety and calm. It helps relax your hips, release pressure in the lower back, and slow down racing thoughts. It’s especially good if you’re feeling overwhelmed or low on energy.
4. Ardha Matsyendrasana
In this seated twist, you sit with your legs in front of you, bend one knee, and gently twist your body to the side, resting your hand on your knee or behind you for support. You keep your spine tall and your breath slow. This pose helps improve digestion, reduce bloating, and ease stiffness in your lower back and waist. It also gives your belly and internal organs a soft squeeze that helps things move and flow.
5. Malasana
This is a deep squat where you bring your feet a bit wider than your hips, bend your knees, and lower yourself down like you're sitting close to the ground. You can keep your palms together in front of your heart and rest your elbows on your knees. If your heels lift up, place a rolled blanket under them. This pose opens the hips, supports the downward flow of your period, and helps relieve pelvic tension or constipation. It also feels grounding when your emotions are all over the place.
6. Viparita Karani
This is a restful pose where you lie on your back and stretch your legs up against a wall. You don’t need to force your legs straight- just find what feels easy. Your arms rest by your sides, and you breathe slowly. It’s perfect when you feel tired, dizzy, or drained. This pose helps improve circulation, cool down the body, calm anxiety, and ease leg pain or swelling. It feels like giving your body a break without needing to do anything.
7. Savasana
This is the final resting pose. You lie flat on your back, close your eyes, and simply let your body be still. You can put a cushion under your knees or a folded blanket over your belly for comfort. It might look like you’re doing nothing, but it’s one of the most powerful parts of your practice. It helps your body absorb all the benefits of the poses, resets your nervous system, and gives your mind a moment of deep rest. It’s where the healing really sinks in.
How Yoga Helps Hormonal Balance
Yoga doesn’t just fix one thing at a time. It works on your whole system, your breath, your body, your mind, and your emotions. The part of your body that manages hormones, is very sensitive to how you sleep, how you rest, and how stressed or relaxed you feel.
When you practice yoga regularly, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day, it can:
▪️Lower stress by calming your nervous system
▪️Support the healthy function of your thyroid, ovaries, and adrenal glands
▪️Help you sleep better and feel more rested
▪️Make your periods more regular and balanced
Over time, this can mean lighter bleeding, fewer mood swings or cramps, better chances of conception, and feeling more steady emotionally.
What to Avoid When You’re on Your Period
While gentle yoga is wonderful during your period, there are a few things you should skip for now, to keep your body safe and supported:
▪️Avoid upside-down poses like headstands or shoulder stands. These go against the natural downward flow of your period.
▪️Skip fast, strong flows or deep backbends. They can strain your body when it's asking for rest.
▪️Don’t hold your breath or do strong breathing techniques like Kapalabhati. Gentle, natural breathing is best right now.
▪️Most importantly, don’t ignore your tiredness. If your body is asking for rest, give it rest.
Your period isn’t just something your body goes through. It’s also an emotional and energetic time. You might feel more sensitive, more tired, or just need more space. That’s okay.
Yoga during this time isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing less, on purpose. It’s about slowing down, breathing deeply, and treating yourself with care. You don’t have to do a long practice. Even five minutes of stretching, resting, or breathing gently can help your body feel more supported. Because healing doesn’t always happen by pushing harder. Sometimes, it begins the moment you slow down and simply listen.
And if you feel ready to begin, we’ve created a simple, curated Amrutam Yoga for Period Health series, designed to guide you through easy poses, at your own pace, with all the support you need.
