Question about Yoga

[alpinerabbit]

listen to your yoga instructor; this has been taught for thousands of years!

As a biologist, I see absolutely no reason why fluids should flow back into the body more during a 1-minute inversion pose than during a good night's sleep on your back. The cervix and the fallopian tubes (being the only possible openings) are tiny, there will not be significant reverse flow.
My previous yoga instructors all said not to do them during your menses, my last one dismissed it as humbug just like me.

Yoga has been tought by men for thousands of years, men who did not necessarily know a lot about anatomy......



I can do a headstand, or handstand, against the wall, it's actually quite easy. Headstand that is . Handstand is pretty hard on your wrists.
A free headstand - nah. Shoulderstand/Pincha Mayurasana is difficult for me as my shoulders are quite tight.

What I get from inversions are fake farts if I don't close my muscles "down there".

[ny biker]

I tend to agree with alpine rabbit. Just because people have believed something for a long time, that doesn't mean it's correct.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=31194

[OakLeaf]

I'd never heard of this before, but from the bit of googling I've done since you asked the question, there's really no agreement among yogi.

However, the issue as it's framed on many sites online has to do with the flow of energy, not flow of menstrual blood per se. Since yoga as a discipline deals entirely with energy flow, I'd be inclined to err on the side of caution. Is it really a big deal to skip inversions for one week each month (and instead, favor some of the poses that are recommended during menstruation)?

[alpinerabbit]

Good thing I do yoga not for realigning my "energy", but rather for strength, flexibility and relaxation.

[Chile Pepper]

Ithe issue as it's framed on many sites online has to do with the flow of energy, not flow of menstrual blood per se.

Where I used to take classes, certain types of breathing were limited during menstruation (and pregnancy), but not any positions that I remember. Like Oakleaf said, it's about the flow of energy.

[KathiCville]

Interesting variety of explanations! I've never heard the cautions about certain kinds of breathing during menstruation and pregnancy. Most of my yoga videos (mainly by Gaiam) just offer a general caution about doing inversions during periods and forward bends and twists during pregnancy. I wish I could remember where I read or heard the ebb-and-flow-of-fluid reasoning---probably in a class years ago!

[indysteel]

I had a yoga instructor that I otherwise liked who insisted on doing inversions at the end of every class. I can do and don't mind headstand, but I can't do forearm stands because of a funky elbow and handstands are okay but a little scary. Anyway, the thought of doing them each class just put me in a foul mood (which is very unyogalike) so I stopped going to her. I need to get back to my practice though.

I've done inversions while on my period, FWIW. My flow is pretty light so the thought of it goind the wrong way for all of a minute or two doesn't really bother me.

[lph]

Now if I could do headstands or handstands, and were told not to do them during my period - you bet I'd be doing them just to be obstinate