The pre-menstrual period can vary in both duration (from a couple of days to upto 10 days before the onset of the monthly periods), as well as in severity (negligible/ no symptoms, to anxiety, fatigue, feeling emotional/ irritable, stomach cramps, headache, bloating, aggravation of the symptoms for women who have PCOD/ PCOS, fibroids or endometriosis).

In Iyengar yoga, the practices for women's reproductive health have been defined with a great deal of nuance and sophistication, making them extremely effective. This includes the practice on the days of menstruation (the menstrual practice), the few days leading up to menstruation (pre-menstrual practice), and also a few days immediately after (post-menstrual practice).

The FREE Resources to ease PMS is in 2 parts.  FREE Resources are available to everyone without payment, and without logging in. Click on the video to play it.

• A short Introduction
• Part 1: The ‘Restful Practice (Simple) For women with moderate to severe pre-menstrual symptoms.
  This session is beginner-friendly, but some experience in asana practice is recommended.

For experienced practitioners, and for those who want to explore this practice in detail, we recommend the Short Course Pre-Menstrual Practice (Short Course; All Levels) that has THREE additional sessions, and is available for rental:

• Part 2:  The ‘Restful Practice (Advanced) For women with moderate to severe pre-menstrual symptoms. Unlike the Part 1(FREE recording), this session requires experience with upside-down asanas (inversions), and it is not suitable for beginners.  This session also uses more complex prop arrangements involving yoga chair, multiple bolsters/ blankets, or their alternatives from around your home.
• Part 3: The 'Supported Practice (Using Simple Props) - For the overall health of the reproductive system over the entire life, a pre-menstrual practice is recommended for at least a couple of days before the periods start. This recommendation is for all women, irrespective of the severity of the pre-menstrual symptoms. This session uses simple props to support.
• Part 4: The ‘Supported Practice (Using Detailed Prop-Use) - For the overall health of the reproductive system over the entire life, a pre-menstrual practice is recommended for at least a couple of days before the periods start. This recommendation is for all women, irrespective of the severity of the pre-menstrual symptoms.  This session uses props like a yoga chair, multiple bolsters/ blankets, or their alternatives from around your home

Tag words: menstrual practice pre menstrual practice reproductive health womens health womens practice