March is Endometriosis awareness month, so today’s yoga practice is right on time!

Endometriosis is a chronic medical condition where the tissue that lines the uterus begins growing outside of the uterus. This can cause a tremendous amount of pain and can create dysfunction of other internal organs like the ovaries, bladder, and rectum. For some women, it causes menstrual problems like prolonged bleeding and intense cramping.

Even if you’re not living with endometriosis, I think it’s safe to say that most women experience PMS symptoms to some degree, and those of us who have other chronic illnesses or pain conditions may experience significant distress during our periods. I personally have a condition called POTS, and my symptoms always flare during my period. Although this can feel incredibly frustrating, it’s important that we use this time as an opportunity to slow down and give ourselves extra love and care. I think sometimes we forget that our bodies are literally BLEEDING for days, and this process is an incredibly big deal for our bodies. It’s okay to need extra rest.

Practicing gentle yoga and meditation is one way we can care for ourselves during this time. In today’s video, I’ll show you some restorative yoga poses that help to relieve period pain, cramps and other symptoms related to menstruation or endometriosis. We do this by gently creating space in the lower back and hips.

I’ll also walk you through a healing visualization meditation and deep belly breathing to bring you additional comfort. This practice is ideal for when you are menstruating but can be practiced any time of the month you may be feeling pain in the pelvic area and low back.

In my personal practice, I have found these poses to be incredibly supportive, and I use them every time I have my period. The meditation practice I share in this video is one that I have used myself to help heal the sense of body betrayal I felt for so long during my periods. It helped me to realize that the fact that my body is still capable of menstruating is incredible. Even though this time of the month can feel painful and stressful, I know that my body is doing the best that it can to maintain equilibrium. I hope that you find this practice equally supportive.

I recommend that you use the following props to support your body during this practice: