Hi,
Welcome to She'll Love Yoga and Breath.
My name is Natalie.
This practice is for your menstrual phase of your cycle,
So when you have your period,
When you're bleeding.
While you don't need it for today's practice,
It might be useful for you to have a pillow or a bolster nearby.
Let's begin in this comfortable seated position of your choice with some seated cat cows.
So with your hands on your knees,
Slowly exhale and round the back.
Then as you inhale,
Bring the gaze up.
And your chest forward.
Exhale down,
Rounding the back.
Inhale.
Chest forward,
Gaze up.
Move with your own breath.
Let's do a few more here.
Really tuning inward to what your body needs right now.
One more round.
And back to center.
And if you are sitting in a cross-legged position,
Let's change the cross of your legs.
And let's take some circles here.
So making big circles with your chest,
Forward,
Side,
Back,
And side.
Peeling out any clicks.
That you may be feeling in your body as you take these circles.
And reverse direction.
Stay with the breath.
And back to center.
Now extend your feet out straight in front of you.
We're going to do a forward fold here,
So you can keep your knees bent.
As generously bent as you'd like as you inhale up.
And fold forward.
And this is one position that it may feel comfortable for you if you have a bolster to lean on.
But again,
It's optional.
And in this position,
As your body releases.
During this phase of your menstrual cycle.
Consider what else?
You might want to release.
Maybe there's a relationship in your life that you no longer need.
Any thoughts or habits?
That are not serving you.
Really think about something that you'd like to release and let go of in this cycle.
This fresh new cycle.
See if you're holding.
Any tension in your body and see if you can soften and breathe into those spaces.
And slowly roll up.
Bringing your legs out wide.
If you're using a bolster or pillow,
You can continue using that here.
If you're without a bolster or pillow again,
That's fine.
And slowly forward fold.
And jean up the hips.
Again,
Keeping your knees as generously bent as you'd need and you'd like.
Oh.
And slowly come up All right,
Let's make our way to the tabletop position.
Stacking the wrists under the shoulders and the knees under the hips.
And now we're going to bring our right feet underneath the right shoulder,
Sorry,
The left shoulder.
For pigeon pose,
So extending your left leg straight up.
As you lower your hips and try to keep your hips square to the mat.
And you're welcome to stay here,
Or if you'd like,
You can fold forward.
And release and relax into this pose.
And slowly pushing your way up.
Into back into tabletop position.
And now bring in your left foot.
Under your right shoulder.
And straightening your right leg.
As you lower down into pigeon pose.
So again,
You're welcome to stay up here or lower the torso down,
Bringing your forehead down towards the mat.
See where you can soften.
See where you can release.
And slowly come up.
Let's make our way back.
Let's make our way to our backs now.
Hugging your knees in.
Towards your chest.
And making some circles with your knees.
Really massaging the lower back here.
And reverse direction.
Now bringing the soles of both feet to the mat.
Straightening your left leg and bringing your right knee.
Towards your chest.
And you're welcome to stay here or bring your right knee slightly out.
To the side.
And you're welcome to place your left hand onto your womb space.
As you breathe.
Back to center.
Switching sides,
Bringing your left knee in towards your chest,
Straightening the right leg.
And bringing your left knee out to the side in your right hand.
On Chairwoman's Space.
And bringing both knees.
In towards the chest.
Might choose to rock side to side.
If that feels good to you.
Or you can stay still.
Really listening to your body.
Honoring your needs.
And when you're ready,
Bring your hands to the outer edges of your feet.
And open up to happy baby.
And again,
You're welcome to find stillness or find any movement.
That feels best to you.
See where you can soften in the face.
See where you can soften in your shoulders,
In your chest,
And anywhere else in your body.
And for this final pose,
I'm really going to ask you to choose.
Whatever pose feels best for you.
So you can choose to stay in.
Shavasana,
Classic shavasana,
Or you can bring your soles of your feet together for butterfly pose.
Or if you'd like and you have a wall available to you.
You can also put your legs up on the wall.
Lights up the wall.
And with legs up the wall,
There are also other variations as well.
So however you want to put your feet.
Now this is our final pose.
You're welcome to put one hand on your womb space and one hand on your heart.
Focusing on your breath.
And focusing on the connection between your heart and your womb space.
Allowing your body to take in the effects of today's practice.
Take a moment to honor yourself and to give thanks for.
Giving yourself this time and space today.
I thank you so much for joining me.
I invite you to continue this deep rest right now on your mat.
Head over to my audio here in Insight Timer to listen to my Somatic Yoga Nidra Meditation for Menstruation,
Where my voice will continue to support your nervous system and guide your body into a state of soft,
Spacious ease.
If this yoga sequence brought relief to your body today,
Please leave a comment below to let me know how you're feeling.
I would genuinely love to connect with you in our community circle.
May you move through the rest of your day with gentle intention.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
