Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written.
Periods, or menstruation, are a natural part of life. During this part of your menstrual cycle, it’s normal to experience unpleasant sensations, such as cramps, tiredness and a low mood. Yoga and mindfulness can help you feel a little better.
The following yoga poses encourage blood circulation to the legs and pelvis, which can help reduce discomfort in these areas. They promote relaxation by releasing tension in the muscles, especially the back, hips, inner thighs and legs.
These poses also trigger the release of endorphins – natural chemicals that relieve pain and boost our mood.
To prepare, wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. You can use a yoga or fitness mat, or simply place a towel on the floor. Feel free to use pillows or cushions for extra support as needed. You can also listen to some relaxing music while you practise these poses.
Remember, yoga should not cause any pain. Only stretch as much as feels comfortable. Hold each pose for about five breaths. You can try for longer if it feels fine to do so.
Child’s pose
On your mat, kneel on all fours, aligning your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips – this is called the table pose. Place your feet flat on the mat, with your soles facing up. Keep your knees about hip-width apart.
Now, shift your hips back and sit on your heels, leaving as much or as little space between your knees as you want. Move your hands forward and bring your chest and head down towards the floor. Stretch your arms in front of or behind you, whatever feels best.
Cat/cow pose
Start in the table pose. Keep your hands shoulder-width apart, with your fingers facing forward. Leave a hip-width distance between your knees. Inhale while tilting your head up. As you do this, your spine will arch, and your belly will lower itself to the ground.
Then gently squeeze your shoulder blades together. This is called the cow pose. As you exhale, tuck your chin into your chest and round your spine. It should feel like you are pulling your belly button in towards your spine and rounding your shoulders forward.
This is the cat pose. Repeat the poses a few times, connecting movement with breath – cat pose as you inhale and cow pose when you exhale.
Bridge pose
Lie on your back and bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Leave a hip-width distance between your feet. Relax your arms alongside your body, palms facing down. Keeping your feet, arms, shoulders and head on the ground, tuck your pelvis and lift your hips. Press your knees forward in the direction of your feet. Hold the pose, then slowly lower your hips.
Butterfly pose
Sit on your mat and bring the soles of your feet together. Take a moment to notice how much space feels good between your feet and your body, then adjust accordingly. Your hands can rest on your feet or anywhere along your lower legs. Stay like this, or add some movement to your knees by gently moving them up and down. You can also lean forward if you wish.
Legs up the wall
Place your mat against the wall. Sit down and scoot as close to the wall as is comfortable. Then, crawl your legs up the wall until they are straight and lie back. If this feels like too deep a stretch, bend your knees, with the soles of your feet still pressed against the wall. To avoid added pressure on your spine, keep your lower back flat on the floor. Relax your arms alongside your body. To get out of this pose, bend your knees into your chest and roll to one side.
Breathing exercise
Deep breathing helps our bodies take in more oxygen, which can lead to a sense of greater well-being.
This breathing exercise can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, placing us in a state of “rest and digest”, which helps us feel calm.
Lying on your back (or in legs-up-the-wall pose), place both hands on your lower abdomen. Breathe through your nose for a count of four and then breathe out through your mouth for a count of six. Continue for at least five rounds. Notice how you feel and concentrate on that feeling.
