We are living in an era of conscious women, who want to focus equally on all aspects of their life. Women today seek balance in diet, exercise, career, relationships, travel, health & selfcare. In last few years there has been quite a surge in the awareness about women’s health specifically in feminine health, and a lot of women have adopted Yoga as a lifestyle as an important part of their body & mind selfcare. While that’s a positive trend, most women do not focus enough on these two areas upon which the feminine health relies drastically.
1. Hormonal Health
2. Pelvic Floor Health
Hormonal Health:
The entire physiology functions on the signaling of hormones. It is no fact that hormonal health can make a women feel at the top of her health or bottom of what she experiences in her body & the mind. Hormonal health is at the center of femininity, and the imbalance of important hormones for women like estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, adrenaline & testosterone are vital to keep feminine health in order. Following yoga asanas support women’s hormonal health immensely:
a) Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar): Helps by improving circulatory health and increasing the flow of oxygenation and prana in the body. This helps supply all body organs with ample blood supply to thrive and flourish.
b) Cobra (Bhujangasana): Helps stimulate and strengthen adrenals and kidneys for optimal hormonal flow.
c) Reclined Butterfly (Baddha Konasana): Helps to create opening in the pelvis and improving the flow of blood to reproductive organs
d) Bridge (Setu Bandha Asana): Helps to create stimulation in the pelvis and reproductive organs for organ strengthening.
e) Garland (Malasana): A great posture for pelvis & reproductive organs, the sites of production of estrogen & progesterone.
Pelvic Floor Health:
Your pelvic floor health matters because all reproductive organs are cased in the pelvic cavity and not having much flexibility in the pelvis zone can deeply impact the reproductive health of a woman. The pelvic floor encases the pelvic organs including reproductive organs, bowels, bladder and related muscles & ligaments. Following yogic practices can deeply support the pelvic health:
a) Mulabandha: Helps strengthen the muscles related to reproductive health. In mulabandha the connected muscles are pulled up to strengthen and improve blood supply to the reproductive organs.
b) Utkatasana (Chair Pose): Helps strengthen and align the pelvic floor. In chair pose, the pelvis is stretched when going down and lifted when coming up.
c) Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Helps lift up the perineum and supports Mulabandha, the perinium lock.
d) Locust pose (Salabhasana): Helps create a counterbalance for pelvis support by working on the glute muscles