Kundalini Sets During Menstruation (unrelated to the Eyesight Question)

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

It is my understanding that one should not practice Breath of Fire, nor perform

any of the inverted poses whilst menstruating. Please advise if there are

specific sets to do during this time; as most sets seem to include one or two of

these components. Also, can someone shed any light on what it means exactly to

"blow out one's navel center," including how inverted poses can hurt one during

their monthly cycle?

 

As always, your answers are most appreciated.

 

Love & Light,

mvghm

 

 

 

 

Kindest regards,MvGHM

 

 

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam mvghm,

 

I've watched you post and repost the question, and no one seems to be answering,

so I'll give it a try. There is a long-standing debate about the question of

practicing inversions during menstruation. The reasoning behind it is usually

that during that time, you don't want to reverse the downward flow of energy,

because it might stagnate instead (not a good thing). In a hatha yoga practice,

it is my opinion that if you already regularly practice inversions, and if you

*don't* feel any depletion in energy while performing them during menstruation,

you're fine.

 

The key is *really paying attention to what your body is telling you*. If you

don't have a good intuitive sense of how inversions make you feel, then *don't

do them while menstruating*. Because one's menstrual period is also a time of

cleansing and renewal, it is often a good time for more restorative, less

aggressive yoga -- so you might try viparita karani (feet-up-the-wall pose)

instead of a full-on headstand. Particularly if you have bad cramping, it is

best to focus on relaxation; I've found that some restorative poses really help

ease the pain of cramps.

 

As for KY, and breath of fire, I think the convention is that when menstruating,

your breath of fire should be less intense, less fiery, so to speak. If you are

pregnant, you should do no pumping of your stomach at all. Again, you have to

see what feels right for you during your own cycle. You might want to

completely avoid BOF for the first day or two, and use a gentler version for the

rest of your period, depending on your energy levels. As for what kriyas to do

during that time, you want to stick to things that you aren't fighting to work

your way through -- a simple spinal flexibility set will keep the energy

flowing, instead of concentrating it where you have the most going on. You

might want to check out "Sexuality and Spirituality" for some ideas. Also, I

think that Gurmukh's book has some suggestions, though it's been a while since I

paged through that.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Larissa

 

----

MHM <mvghm

Kundalini Sets During Menstruation (unrelated to the Eyesight

Question)

 

Sat Nam,

 

It is my understanding that one should not practice Breath of Fire, nor perform

any of the inverted poses whilst menstruating. Please advise if there are

specific sets to do during this time; as most sets seem to include one or two of

these components. Also, can someone shed any light on what it means exactly to

"blow out one's navel center," including how inverted poses can hurt one during

their monthly cycle?

 

As always, your answers are most appreciated.

 

Love & Light,

mvghm

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Larissa,

 

Thanks so much for getting back to me and for noticing! Much appreciated!

Yes, I did repost because there were a few people who responded with answers

relating to eyesight difficulties, which were interesting to me, but not exactly

the one I was looking for (smile). It seems as though the regular knowledgeable

moderators have been absent of late.

 

Please know that your answer on the inversions, makes complete sense, and again,

totally appreciated. I am still curious about what happens to the body should

the blood become stagnant, and where does it stagnate, the ovaries, uterus?

Also, does infection occur? If you can't answer, I'll understand. I will pick

up the book you suggested by Gurmukh.

 

Blessings to you.

 

Peace & Light,

Monika

 

Larissa Parson <larissancl wrote:

Sat Nam mvghm,

 

I've watched you post and repost the question, and no one seems to be answering,

so I'll give it a try. There is a long-standing debate about the question of

practicing inversions during menstruation. The reasoning behind it is usually