Endometriosis – How Yoga Can Help

Endometriosis – how yoga can help

What does endometriosis entail?

To understand why yoga is beneficial when you have endometriosis, you must first grasp what endometriosis is.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that looks like the uterine lining (endometrial-like tissue) grows outside of the uterus. These lesions are structurally and behaviorally distinct from the typical endometrium lost during menstruation. Because of inflammation, invasion into physiological structures, and scar tissue, endometriosis tissue can cause pain, infertility, and organ dysfunction.

Although your doctor may suspect endometriosis, you'll need surgery to confirm the diagnosis.

Many explanations have been proposed to explain endometriosis. It's most likely a mix of embryonic origin (tissue you were born with) and other genetic and environmental influences. The widely held belief that endometriosis is caused by menstrual backflow ("reflux menstruation") has been largely discredited, although it remains the foundation for many of the therapies available.

Endometriosis symptoms

Early detection can be achieved by education and awareness. This is why it's so important for you to be aware of, comprehend, and communicate your symptoms. Endometriosis can cause the following symptoms:

Periods of excruciating discomfort (pelvic pain, cramping, lower back and abdominal pain)

Ovulation pain or two weeks after your period

Your cycle may cause leg pain or neuralgia (nerve feelings).

Back discomfort and/or hip pain

With your cycle, you may experience shoulder/chest pain or shortness of breath.

Pain that occurs during or after intercourse

With your menstruation, you'll see thick blood clots (typically dark).

Constipation or urination that is painful

Extreme bleeding

Chronic pain and fatigue

Constipation and diarrhoea

Bloating

Vomiting and nausea

Urinary frequency, retention, or urgency that is unusual

Allergies and other immunological problems

Infertility and miscarriage (though many people can still have children)

What is the treatment for endometriosis?

Endometriosis can be entirely removed with surgery in rare circumstances. However, for many others, the illness is not completely eradicated. The attention changes to controlling the symptoms in these patients, as well as those where surgery is not a possibility. Hormone therapy, painkillers, and the contraceptive pill are frequently used to do this. Furthermore, or as a stand-alone method of symptom management, several lifestyle tools may make living with endometriosis simpler. Chinese herbs and acupuncture, dietary adjustments, counselling, massage, and yoga are among them.

How yoga can help with endometrial symptoms

Yoga appears to help manage endometriosis symptoms, according to research. A group of Brazilian researchers randomly assigned 40 participants with the illness to one of two groups: those who practised gentle Hatha yoga and those who went about their daily lives without it. The yoga group met twice a week for two months to practise yoga.

The two groups were compared at the end of the study. According to findings published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in January 2017, persons who practised yoga reported much decreased daily discomfort and a higher sense of well-being.

Many patients with endometriosis experience constant attacks on their nervous and immunological systems. When the body is not in a stressed fight-flight-freeze condition, it heals optimally. This is why, if you have endometriosis, yoga can be really beneficial.

Yoga can help you relax your body and reduce the intensity of your discomfort. Gentle asanas, meditation, and breathing techniques help to relax your mind, which lessens the amount of discomfort you experience. Furthermore, many yoga poses are believed to relieve stress in the abdomen and pelvis while also increasing blood flow.

However, not all yoga is beneficial.

If you're seeking for techniques to relieve endometriosis symptoms, it's important to understand that not all yoga is effective. In fact, some styles exacerbate the problem. This is especially true of more intense techniques like Ashtanga or Power yoga, which generate up a lot of heat and energy in the abdominal and pelvic area. This might cause flare-ups, particularly if you practise these styles during your period.

Slower yoga types, such as Restorative yoga, Yin yoga, and Hatha yoga, are a better fit for most persons with endometriosis. These approaches all aim to gently increase pelvic space and relaxation while also calming the mind.

Soft stomach

I've discovered a few poses (see below) that are particularly beneficial for those who are suffering from severe menstrual or pelvic pain during my years of dealing with endometriosis, as well as my experience leading workshops, retreats, one-on-one sessions, and group coaching sessions focused on hormonal health and menstrual disorders.

When you're in pain in a specific place of your body, you'll usually try to contract around it in an attempt to 'disconnect' and so feel less discomfort. That, unfortunately, does not work. Contracting and 'disconnecting' causes greater discomfort rather than less. As strange as it may seem, relaxing the tummy and breathing towards the belly helps to relieve pain.

Instead, see if you can make enough room in your gut for the breath to enter. As a result, the tummy will migrate forward with each inhale. The belly draws in with each exhalation.

Even if you don't perform any poses because you don't have the energy, are in too much pain, or for any other reason, whenever you're in discomfort, take some time to soften your belly fully. Check to see if you can relax your jaw as well, as mouth stiffness typically mirrors pelvic floor stress. The more you can relax your jaw, the more you can relax your pelvic floor.

Which yoga positions are beneficial?

So, what are the poses that are most effective in reducing endometriosis pain? This varies depending on the individual and the cycle. Focusing on grounding positions is a good concept in general. Hip openers provide for more breathing space and are therefore quite effective.

Vajrasana, Malasana, and Supta Baddha Konasana provide alleviation for most patients with endometriosis.

Kneel down and sit with your buttocks on your heels to enter this stance. (This is in contrast to Virasana, or Hero's Pose, where you sit between your heels).

The way your heels meet your buttocks in Vajrasana stimulates two acupuncture pressure points, which helps to relieve pain. Twisting very gently in this pose may help to reduce your pain even more.

Bend your knees and lower your hips into a low squat while standing with your feet wider than hip-width apart. Place a rolled-up blanket under your heels or lean against a wall to alter Malasana or Squat posture.

Menstrual cramps, endometriosis discomfort, and digestive issues can all benefit from Malasana. It enhances flexibility and circulation in the pelvic area by opening up the area.

Lie on your mat with your knees bent and the soles of your feet touching. Breathe towards your hands while placing your hands on your lower tummy.

Supta Baddha Konasana, or Reclined Butterfly Pose, serves to open the ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues that surround the hip joints by deeply relaxing the muscles in the pelvic region and inner thighs.

You can stay in any of these poses for up to ten minutes at a time. Staying longer in each posture allows you to loosen tight muscles and connective tissue in and around your abdomen and pelvis, increasing the pose and its benefits.


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