Healthy SoFlo Issue 51 - Inca Goes Above and Beyond to Provide Safe & Healthy Foods

FITNESS & BEAUTY · AUGUST 2017
CAN YOGA MAKE PERIOD
CRAMPS GO AWAY? YES!
Nearly everyone across the globe
has heard about the many
benefits of yoga, but some may
not be aware of the benefits
of practicing yoga to ease
menstrual cramps. Think about it. If yoga
has already been proven to alleviate other
symptoms, including debilitating muscle
and joint pain and pain that is caused by
any variety of chronic conditions, then, why
wouldn’t it work for the dreaded menstrual
cramps that can essentially render a woman
doubled-over in excruciating pain or leave
them unable to function properly for days, if
not weeks, at a time.
Let’s face it, for most women, whether we
want it to or not, are forced to face that
dreaded monthly visitor—the kind that you
hate to have visited, but often panic when
it doesn’t. What we dislike more are the
cramps that can sometimes accompany the
uncomfortable, inconvenient, and painful side
effect of having a functioning uterus.
Medical experts report that over eighty
percent of women suffer from period pain at
some point in their lives. For some, that pain
is short-lived and manageable. For others,
that pain is akin to labor pains.
By Alan Freeman
Yoga may be one of the very few tools that
can actually manage the negative side effects
associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle.
The days of self-medicating with ibuprofen or
other mild to severe pain medications may be
over for you. Wouldn’t you love to be able to
resume your everyday activities?
SO, HOW DOES IT WORK?
WHAT’S THE PLAN?
As yoga often does, it helps clear your
mind by employing soothing breath work.
In so doing—clearing your mind—you’re
also relieving pain and discomfort. That’s
the basic premise of yoga overall. Holding
yoga posture, specifically passive poses, for
three or more minutes give the body a deep
stretch while ‘getting in touch’ with the pain
sensors in the mind and body, thus, easing
pain symptoms.
You’ll find many websites and books pointing
to specific poses that benefit cramping.
We’ve spelled them out here to save you the
trouble of having to search.
The Child’s Pose – This is what yogis
1) have dubbed ‘the resting pose.' It
gently stretches the lower back muscles and
soothes back pain while also easing your
mind. Since menstrual pain tends to originate
in the back, this is the perfect starting stretch
for anyone suffering from cramps. As with
all poses, you should focus on a deep breath
into the back and watch the rise and fall of
that breath in your body. Kneel down. Bend
forward at the hips. Relax them and bend
forward until your torso rests on your thighs.
The Forward Fold – This pose
2) counteracts compression in your back
and abdomen. It also lengthens the spine and
stretches crucial hip muscles and promoting
circulation in your lower extremities. Stand
up straight, bend forward at the waist as far
as you can go, and hold.
The Knees to Chest Pose – This pose
3) relaxes your lower back and abdominal
muscles relieving tension and pain. You lie
on your back, fold your knees to your chest,
hold that pose with your hands holding your
knees, focus on your breathing, hold and
release.
Try these simple moves and marvel at how
quickly they can help ease period discomfort.
“YOGA MAY BE ONE OF THE VERY FEW TOOLS THAT
CAN ACTUALLY MANAGE THE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS
ASSOCIATED WITH A WOMAN’S MENSTRUAL CYCLE. THE
DAYS OF SELF-MEDICATING WITH IBUPROFEN OR OTHER
MILD TO SEVERE PAIN MEDICATIONS MAY BE OVER FOR YOU.
28 HEALTHY MAGAZINE