Back in 2009 I trained as a yoga teacher. I absolutely loved it – yoga had helped ground me and manage my anxiety and at the time of my training my then 18 month old son ended up in Starship and was very sick – it was yoga that helped keep me together in what was one of the most stressful episodes of my life. 

Yoga has helped me with my bloating, my joint pain and morning stiffness and period cramps…and the science and research backs what I know to be true – yoga is crucial for good health both physical and mental. 

The word yoga means ‘to yoke’ or ‘bind’ which could be translated as to bring together or connect.  The original purpose of yoga was to give the mind something to focus on in order to be able to meditate – a moving meditation if you will.  It involves static poses or moving sequences, breathing techniques and meditation and one of my favourite forms of yoga is known as yoga nidra which is also known as sleep yoga and is a wonderful form of relaxation and guided meditation. Whilst it originated in India, it is hugely popular all around the world and there are many, many forms. 

 

Types of Yoga

Kundalini or Satyananda Yoga

This type of yoga uses a mix of your usual yoga postures but also includes chanting, singing, meditation, and kriyas (specific series of poses paired with breath work and chanting). Most classes start with a mantra or affirmation and includes breathing exercises,they usually start gently and then move into more challenging poses, finishing with breathing exercises and a final relaxation and meditation. Most classes won’t have music. These classes are much more spiritually based. 

Vinyasa Yoga

Vinyasa yoga is sometimes called  ‘flow yoga’  This type of yoga is about flowing sequences with more of a rhythm and using the breath in sync with the movements.  This is a great gentle yoga, that helps with stress and great for beginners or those who find sitting still challenging. 

Hatha Yoga

Hatha yoga gets its name from the Sanskrit words for sun and moon as its all about balance. This is the most common form of yoga and great for beginners and those looking for a gentler type of yoga.  Can also be a mix of static and moving poses and usually ends with a relaxation. 

Ashtanga Yoga

Ashtanga yoga is a more structured form of yoga that consists of a series of specific poses that need to be done in order. There are about 6 series in total. The idea is to master one series before you move on to the next one.  Again this is a form of yoga that usually doesn’t have music.  This is great for those who like structure. 

Yin Yoga

Yin yoga is a slower style of yoga and is sometimes known as ‘restorative’ yoga. Poses are held for a while (anywhere from 1 – 5 minutes+) and uses props such as pillows, bolsters, blankets and blocks to support the body. This is great for those looking for flexibility and stretching and needing to manage chronic stress. It’s also good for those with injuries as it’s slower paced and supportive of the joints. 

Iyengar Yoga

This focuses more on static poses and alignment and also uses props such as chairs, walls, straps, blocks, bolsters and benches. This is good for those who like detailed instruction too. Poses are usually held for a while similar to yin yoga. 

Bikram Yoga

This is a form of ‘hot yoga’ and is very similar to Ashtanga yoga in that it consists of a series of poses that need to be performed in a specific order. Each class is about 90 minutes with 26 postures and the main difference is the room is set to a temperature of between 33 – 40 degrees celsius. The heat is thought to help improve flexibility and circulation and may help with detoxification through sweating. This is a physical form of yoga. (1)

 

There are of course other forms of yoga such as aerial yoga, acroyoga, yoga with animals, HIIT type yoga.  I personally have experienced most forms of yoga and trained in Satyananda, Kundalini and Hatha and specialised in natal and kids yoga (yes that really is a thing). 

My point to all this is that there are so many forms of yoga – that it’s as much about finding the yoga that resonates with you as well as the teacher. What resonates might change according to your age, your interest, your personality and also your time of month. 

 

What the science says:

Flexibility and strength– is an important part of health, as we age our flexibility can diminish. A meta-analysis in 2019 stated that yoga improved flexibility and prevented its decline in older adults. (2) It also improved their general quality of life. Multiple studies have shown that yoga can increase muscle strength across all ages and population groups inc. women recovering from breast cancer (3-5). Flexibility and strength is increasingly important for women as we age. 

Stress management, Mood and Mental Health – yoga is well known for helping deal with the emotional rollercoasters of life. A study on the impact of yoga on depression, anxiety and stress showed that just 12 sessions of hatha yoga significantly decreased symptoms. (6)

Another trial using Iyengar yoga also showed that symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) after 12-weeks declined significantly. (7)  A literature review in 2017 concluded that studies show yoga interventions were very effective in reducing depression. (8) Yoga nidra specifically is considered beneficial for anxiety. (9) 

Cardiovascular Health –  a large study in 2019 concluded that the breathing techniques taught as part of yoga (known as pranayama) was hugely beneficial at supporting a healthy heart rate, arterial pressure and contracting of the heart and breathing rate. (10) 

Hormones and Menopause – there have been a limited amount of studies that have shown to help manage the symptoms of menopause. One small pilot study showed yoga helped reduce a range of symptoms except hot flushes whilst another 8 week study showed that yoga (specifically Salute to the Sun sequence) alongside breathing and meditation reduced hot flushes in comparison to exercise alone. (11) with other studies showing the same results. (12-13)

Sleep – there have also been studies that show that gentle yoga and meditation can increase melatonin (pur sleep hormone) and can be beneficial for insomnia or sleep problems (14) although possibly more beneficial in those without health conditions or experiencing sleep problems due to menopause. (15)

Gut and Digestive Issues – because stress can negatively impact digestion by reducing vagal nerve activity and yoga stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and therefore the vagus nerve, it has long been suggested that yoga could help with IBS symptoms. Ayurvedic medicine reports a condition called ‘Grahani’, the ancient Indian equivalent of IBS. It was treated with yoga, breathwork and meditation. (16) 

Back in 2006 a study on teenagers with IBS was undertaken where after just 4 weeks of daily ‘at home’ hatha yoga, IBS symptoms reduced significantly. Other studies have also shown benefit but more and better quality research is needed before it is recommended as a standardised treatment. (17-18) 

One interesting study showed that yoga reduces inflammation in the body which is important as inflammation drives many chronic health conditions such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  The researchers assessed inflammatory markers such as interleukin-6, C-reactive protein (n = 10), and tumor necrosis factor. These markers declined independent of the type of yoga, frequency or duration of sessions (19)…so even if you can only manage 15 minutes a day it WILL make a difference.  

 

How to use yoga to match your cycle 

Whilst there is a void of research on women and how exercise impacts us during our menstrual cycle, there has been research focused specifically on female athletes.  From these studies what is clear is that women have more energy and strength in the first half of the menstrual cycle and less in the second half – in fact exercise induced injuries may be more common in the second half. (20 – 23)

In the first half of your cycle, doing hot yoga, ashtanga, iyengar, HIIT type yoga would be beneficial but then as you move into the second phase more gentle flowing forms of yoga would be more beneficial and yin/restorative yoga would be perfect during menstruation. 

So the key to take away is that yoga, and the associated breathing techniques and meditation, is hugely beneficial for us both physically and emotionally and should be part of our weekly health practices.

    

References

1. https://yogamedicine.com/guide-types-yoga-styles
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6451238/   
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278134/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6451238/  
5. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1534735414565699
6. )https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5843960/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28296480/.
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871291/. 
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134749/
10. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0975947617303224
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18463543/
12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17336473/
13. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(06)00287-8/fulltext
14. ) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15707256/ 
15. https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02566-4
16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4438173/
17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15077462/
18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27112106/
19. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1099800418820162
20. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12959622/
21. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-022-01691-2
22. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/feb/02/the-menstrual-month-how-to-exercise-effectively-at-every-stage-of-your-cycle
23. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/jul/10/how-period-tracking-can-give-all-female-athletes-an-edge

 

Email me at admin@sarah-brenchley.com or book a free discovery call to discuss how I can help you. I offer a 1:1 sessions and various programmes on gut health, weight and menopause. Go to https://sarah-brenchley.com/links for information and free resources and join the best Facebook Group ever  – Women’s WellBeing Circle. 

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