Best Yoga Practices for Women's Health

In comparison to men, women are more at risk of developing reproductive health issues and are twice as likely to experience mood swings, depression, and anxiety.

From menarche to childbearing age to menopause, a female body goes through lots of hormonal transitions and experiences lots of fluctuations in physical and emotional symptoms.

In women of reproductive age, these symptoms are associated with the cyclical rhythm of their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and postpartum. The symptoms include bloatedness, fatigue, breast tenderness, irritability and mood lability, etc.

On the other hand, females above 50 years of age due to menopause experience hot flashes, depression, mood swings, fatigue, indigestion, night sweating, etc.

The severity of these symptoms ranges from mild to severe to debilitating.

The most obvious solution to balance the level of hormones and help you get rid of associated negative physical and mental symptoms is yoga.

So ladies, unroll your mat and experience the amazing benefits of yoga for women.

Why Is Yoga for Women Popular?

Well, no doubt yoga is key to a healthier and happier life, for both men and women. It is the best technique to cleanse your mind and body. It involves physical poses and breathing that increase mind-body awareness, cultivate acceptance of thoughts, emotions, and sensations, and promote physical movements. Regular yoga practice stimulates the relaxation process (parasympathetic nervous system) and reduces tension and stress, helps you navigate unpleasant feelings, and boosts energy levels and mental health.

The best part of practicing yoga is that it does not make you stretch yourself unnecessarily beyond your limits. Your muscles develop flexibility and strength at their own pace.

Physical Health Benefits

Yoga offers numerous physical health benefits for women, making it a holistic practice that enhances overall well-being. One of the most notable benefits is improved flexibility and range of motion. Regular practice of yoga poses helps to stretch and lengthen muscles, which can prevent injuries and improve physical performance in daily activities.

In addition to flexibility, yoga significantly increases strength and muscle tone. Many yoga poses require you to support your body weight in new ways, including balancing on one leg or supporting yourself with your arms. This not only builds muscle but also enhances balance and coordination, which are crucial for maintaining physical health as we age.

Cardiovascular health is another area where yoga shines. While it may not seem as intense as running or cycling, yoga can still provide a good cardiovascular workout, especially styles like Vinyasa or Ashtanga yoga. These practices increase heart rate and improve circulation, reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Yoga also plays a vital role in improving immune function. The various poses and breathing exercises stimulate the lymphatic system, which helps to remove toxins from the body and boost the immune response. Better digestion is another benefit, as yoga can help alleviate symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and promote regular bowel movements.

For women, yoga is particularly beneficial in managing physical and emotional changes during different life stages, such as menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. It helps to ease menstrual cramps, reduce pregnancy-related discomfort, and alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings.

In summary, the physical health benefits of yoga for women are extensive, contributing to improved flexibility, strength, cardiovascular health, and overall well-being.

Mental Health Benefits

Yoga is not just a physical practice; it also offers profound mental health benefits that can enhance emotional well-being and resilience. One of the most significant advantages is the reduction of stress and anxiety. The combination of physical movement, breath control, and meditation helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces the body's stress response.

Regular yoga practice has been shown to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression. The mindful nature of yoga encourages a focus on the present moment, which can help to alleviate feelings of sadness and hopelessness. This mindfulness also fosters greater self-awareness, allowing women to understand their emotions better and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Enhanced emotional well-being is another key benefit. Yoga encourages self-acceptance and self-compassion, helping women to cultivate a positive relationship with themselves. This can be particularly beneficial in managing the emotional ups and downs that come with life's challenges.

Improved sleep quality is another mental health benefit of yoga. Practices such as restorative yoga and specific poses like Savasana (Corpse Pose) can help to calm the mind and prepare the body for a restful night's sleep. This is especially important for women who may experience insomnia due to stress, hormonal changes, or other factors.

Increased feelings of calm and relaxation are also common among those who practice yoga regularly. The deep breathing techniques and meditative aspects of yoga help to quiet the mind and reduce mental chatter, leading to a more peaceful state of being.

In conclusion, the mental health benefits of yoga for women are extensive, including reduced stress and anxiety, improved mood, better sleep quality, and enhanced emotional well-being.

Benefits of Yoga For Women

Some aspects of yoga are primarily for women's health support. It eases uterine contractions. The asanas performed increase the blood flow to reproductive systems and balance the level of hormones. Studies have proved that the lifespan of females who practice yoga is longer than that of non-practitioners. Learn below how yoga offers women joy, solace, and ease in their bodies.

Menstruation"”Most women experience pain, cramps, and discomfort before the onset of menstruation and during the periods. Other symptoms include a headache, depression, discomfort, insomnia, and irritability. Regular yoga practice alleviates all these problems.
Boost sex life"”Studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine say that 12 weeks of yoga improves women's sexual drive along with enhancing the quality of their orgasms.
Pregnancy: Practicing yoga during pregnancy reduces the perception of pain during labor. It also reduces the physical discomfort that women experience during pregnancy and labor. Many females experience depressive episodes during gestation, which may lead to complications during labor, spontaneous abortion, and preeclampsia. Prenatal yoga reduces stress and depression. It reduces the risk of gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.
Postpartum health"”Motherhood is a beautiful journey, but this transition has a significant impact on relationships and work life. Due to the decreased physical activity following childbirth, women gain weight and are emotionally torn. Postpartum yoga helps you lose weight and helps you to cultivate social functioning and achieve vitality. It promotes self-efficacy and counteracts inactivity. Yoga not only helps you regain the pre-pregnancy shape easily and faster but also strengthens the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles.
Menopause"”Between 45 to 55 years of age, the female body enters the perimenopausal phase to menopause. Menopause is a cessation of ovarian function. It is the end of the female reproductive age. It is the phase when there is a marked fluctuation in estrogen and progesterone levels, and this leads to symptoms such as fatigue, night sweating, hot flashes, mood swings, loss of libido, pain, etc. These symptoms persist for many years. Yoga can effectively reduce these unwanted symptoms. The restorative postures activate the parasympathetic nervous system and improve the function of the endocrine, supporting the body in adapting to hormonal fluctuations.
Protects spine"”During pregnancy, due to increased weight or wrong posture, your spine has to tolerate heavy pain. Injury to the spinal cord makes it difficult for you to sit, stand, or walk. Try yoga poses such as flexion, extension, side bend, rotation, and axial extension to keep your spine healthy.
Improves fertility"”If you are a woman of reproductive age, but you are having problems conceiving, try yoga. Fertility yoga releases stress, balances hormones, increases ovulation, and increases intimacy and sexual stamina. Also, it increases the blood supply to reproductive organs and improves fertility.
Improves mood and makes you happy"”attaining inner peace is key to happiness. Yoga practices such as Padmasana, Gomukhasana, Dandasana, and Supta Baddha Konasana calm your mind.
Weight loss"”Struggling to lose weight and tired of trying boring diet plans and sweating in the gym? Join a yoga class and under the guidance of a certified practitioner, practice remedial yoga measures to lose weight.
Makes you social"”Yoga not only makes you mentally and physically active but also helps you to strengthen your social circle. Join yoga classes with your nearby friends and practice yoga enjoying the company of your friends. Also, you will find that through regular practice you have developed compassion, greater equanimity, and friendliness. Thus, yoga improves relationships.
Flexibility"”Men love flexible females, and it may be your choice too. Try yoga poses such as warrior pose, mountain pose, and triangle pose to attain a flexible body. Also, these asanas will lower the level of blood sugar.
Sexy butts"”Regular yoga practice can help you achieve a sexy, round, and hot butt. In just a few days, you will witness the change.
Improves the quality of sleep"”Practicing specific yoga poses an hour before going to bed unwinds and relaxes your mind.
Improves digestion"”junk, processed, spicy, and sugary food causes indigestion. Yoga prevents the accumulation of fluids that cause bloating and indigestion. It promotes bowel movements and keeps your gut healthy.
Makes your skin glow"”When you are healthy, your skin glows. Asanas such as Padmasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sarvangasana, and Dhanurasana can make your skin glow in just a few days.
Improves memory and concentration"”Padmasana yoga strengthens your focus, sharpens memory, and increases concentration.
Improves posture"”Your head is balanced over your spine. When the balance is direct, less work is required by your back muscles and neck to support it. But when you move your head forward, your muscles are strained. Poor posture causes back pain, neck pain, and joint muscle problems. To improve your posture, practice yoga.
Relieve joint pain and prevent degenerative arthritis- Every time you practice the asanas, your joints are moved through their range of motion. This squeezes the areas of cartilage that are generally not used. Joint cartilages receives nutrition. This prevents cartilage from wearing out and exposing the underlying bones.
Drains lymph nodes"”On contracting and stretching the muscles, organs move around, and drainage of lymph increases. Your lymphatic system boosts, cancerous cells are destroyed, and toxic wastes are eliminated out of the body.
Drops blood pressure"”Research shows that Savasana drops the blood pressure. So if you are suffering from high BP try it out.
Lowers the level of cortisol"”High levels of cortisol are linked with depression, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis. Yoga regulates adrenal glands and reduces the level of cortisol. From treating fertility to menstrual issues to attaining a positive body image, yoga is beneficial for women for physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Below are the best yoga poses for women to practice every day.

Hormonal Balance and Menstrual Health

Yoga is a powerful tool for achieving hormonal balance and improving menstrual health. One of the primary ways it does this is by reducing stress, which can significantly disrupt hormonal balance. The relaxation techniques and mindful breathing practices in yoga help to lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone that can interfere with the menstrual cycle.

Improved blood circulation is another benefit of yoga that contributes to hormonal balance. Many yoga poses, such as inversions and twists, enhance blood flow to the reproductive organs, helping to regulate menstrual cycles and alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). This increased circulation also promotes the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, supporting overall reproductive health.

Promoting relaxation is crucial for managing symptoms of PMS, such as bloating, cramps, and mood swings. Yoga encourages the release of tension in the body and mind, which can help to ease these discomforts. Specific poses, like the Reclined Butterfly Pose and Child's Pose, are particularly effective in relieving menstrual cramps and promoting relaxation.

Improved sleep quality is another benefit of yoga that can help regulate hormones. A good night's sleep is essential for maintaining hormonal balance, and yoga can help to improve sleep patterns by reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Practices such as Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation, are especially beneficial for improving sleep quality.

Increased feelings of calm and relaxation are also essential for hormonal balance. Yoga helps to create a sense of inner peace and emotional stability, which can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression that often accompany hormonal imbalances.

In summary, yoga offers numerous benefits for hormonal balance and menstrual health, including reduced stress, improved blood circulation, better sleep quality, and increased relaxation. These benefits contribute to a healthier and more balanced life for many women.

Yoga Poses For Women

Men's and women's bodies are different. Yoga, created traditionally thousands of years back, has a male body in mind, and so females should be careful about what poses to practice. Specific yoga poses may lead to physical injury or damage as they are not suitable for women. Some aspects of yoga are primarily for women's support, helping to balance hormones and ease uterine contractions. This is why we have compiled safe yoga poses for women in our article that particularly benefit female minds and bodies.

Yoga Poses For Beginners

1. Life Nerve Stretch"”This yoga pose stretches the life nerve that is going throughout the back through a sciatic nerve from the back of the heels and continues up to the neck. This stretch makes your spine flexible, also strengthens the digestive system, and helps with emotional balance. In women, life nerve stretch pose treats UTI, fatigue, muscle spasm, and cold feet. These poses are also safe and beneficial for pregnant women, helping them to manage anxiety and build strength during pregnancy.

Steps:

Sit on your right heel
Extend the left leg forward
Now bring the chest to your left thigh.
Hold this position for 2 minutes
Repeat with the other leg.

image from kriya-elevationImage

*This pose can also be done with both your legs straight forward.

Steps:

Sit on a mat with both your legs straight forward
Inhale, bend forward and try to grab your toes
Do not bend your knees.
With a deep breath, stretch your chest down to the knees and pull your toes back
Hold this position for 2-3 minutes and feel the stretch
Get back to the starting position

2. Child Pose"”This pose stretches the back, hips, and quads. It opens the hips and relieves the lower back tightness. This pose effectively calms the mind and reduces fatigue and stress. Also, it boosts digestion.

Steps:

Kneel on your mat and sit on your heels. With your knees hip-width apart and big toes touching the mat.
Lay your torso between your thighs
Now bring your forehead down to the mat
Extend both your arms straight in front of you to touch the floor with your palms.
With eyes closed, take a deep breath and stay in this position for 1-2 minutes.

Image from Shutterstock

3. Bow Pose"”Bow pose effectively expands the lungs, opens the rib cage, and increases the intake of oxygen. It also assists the function of the liver, kidney, spleen, and small intestine. If you have a curved spine, the bow pose will straighten your spine.

Steps:

Lie on the mat on your abdomen
Slowly and gently bend your knees to grab your ankles with your hand
Pretend to straighten your leg so that torso automatically rises up
Tilt your head back and bring your legs up
Hold yourself in this position for 2-3 minutes while breathing deeply through the nose.

Image from Shutterstock

4. Tree Pose"”Tree pose stretches the inner thigh and hip and strengthens the spine, legs, and core. This pose is practiced to get your mind centered when you feel your mind is scattered. This pose improves the balance.

Steps:

Stand straight with your legs and feet together and your hands on the hips.
Bend your right knee, place the sole of your right foot on the inside of the left leg, and transfer your weight to the left foot.
Press the right foot gently against your left leg.
Bring both your palms in front of your heart or raise your arms above your head with palms facing in the praying position.
Hold yourself in this position for a minute. Release the pose and then repeat on the opposite side.

Image from Shutterstock

5. Camel Pose"”Camel pose adjusts the female reproductive system. This pose reduces thigh fat, improves posture, relieves lower back pain, improves spine flexibility, opens the chest, and improves respiration. Also, this pose opens the thighs and stretches the hip flexors.

Steps

Kneel on the mat with your spine and thighs straight and knees hip-apart.
Slowly lean in the backwards direction to reach the right heel with your right hand and the left heel with the left hand. Do not overstrain your body.
Keeping thighs vertical, push hips in the forward direction
Bend your spine and head as far back as you can without straining.
Relax the muscles of the back.
Support your body equally on your arms and legs.
Arms should anchor your shoulders to maintain the back arch
Stay in this position for 1-2 minutes or as long as you are comfortable.
Return to the starting position by releasing the hand from heels
Relax and take deep breaths

Image from Shutterstock

Specific Yoga Poses For Pregnant Women

Reclined Butterfly Pose"”A woman gets so busy looking after family and home that she forgets to get enough time for herself. Reclined butterfly pose makes sure that the female nurtures herself. This pose relieves menstrual cramps and discomfort. Also, it reduces the symptoms of indigestion, insomnia, asthma, and heart diseases. Reclined butterfly pose increases the mobility of hips, calms the mind, reduces stress, and stimulates the urinary bladder and kidney meridians. Steps:
- Sit on the floor and extend both the legs
- Bring the soles of your feet close with your knees so that your legs together make a diamond shape.
- Now slowly lie on your back on the mat.
- Place your hands out to sides on your belly
- Stay in this position for 5-10 breaths
- Roll on the sides and come out of this pose using your hands to sit back.
Pigeon Pose"”Women are emotional beings. They hold emotions. Pigeon pose is a wonderful pose that engages the sacral chakra that stores a great deal of stress and emotions and opens the hip. This pose releases negative energy and feelings. It stimulates the internal organs and stretches groins and deep glutes. It relieves lower back pain, pain in the hip or buttock, and pelvic pain. This pose helps with urinary disorders and improves posture.

Steps:

Begin with dog pose. Both the palms and knees touching the floor
Extend the right leg up and back and while doing this, inhale
Bring right knee between your both palms and exhale
Slowly slide your right foot back towards the end of the mat
Lift your chest and walk the right heel to the left.
Hold this pose and breathe.

If you are ready to practice advanced poses, lower your upper body, extend your arms, let your elbows touch the ground, and lean on your forearms.
*Do not jump to pigeon pose as yoga class begins. You need to warm up the body with preparatory asanas suggested above. There are variations in this posture. Do not challenge your body and progress slowly and steadily

3. Goddess Pose"”This pose strengthens the lower body and stretches the hips. It is about letting go all frustrations of daily life and finding inner peace. This pose gives the power of energy and stimulates the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and urogenital system.

Steps:

Stand with both feet almost 3 feet apart.
Bend your elbows to the height of your shoulders and turn both palms to face each other.
Turn feet 45 degrees to the corners of the room
Exhale and bend your knees over the toes while squatting down.
Now press your hips forward, knees back and chest to the front
To keep your arms active, you may hold a ball over your head
Look straight, breathe and hold the position for 3-6 breaths
Inhale and straighten your legs. Your fingertips should reach the ceiling, and then exhale both the arms to the sides.
4. Head Stand"”The inverted body position stimulates the production of hormones. The headstand pose flushes out toxins and detoxifies the adrenal glands. This pose brings fresh energy to the brain, scalp, and face and improves the blood circulation and lymphatic system. This pose decreases the build-up of fluid in the legs, feet, and ankles and improves digestion. It strengthens the bones and muscles of arms. Leg, spine, shoulders, and tone the tissue of the abdomen and enhance the capacity of the lungs.

Steps -

First, set yourself in a child pose
Before you lift, you need to set a perfect foundation with your arms. Shift your hands up to meet them and clip them without moving your elbows.
The next step involves positioning your head correctly. You have to place your head into the clasped hands so that while you push up from the shoulders, there is not much pressure on your head.
You need to straighten both legs, lifting your butt as done in downward dog pose, and then start to walk your feet with small steps towards the head until the upper body is vertical.
Now lift your feet slowly using core and bring knees into your chest or straighten your legs in front and lift your legs up

Coming down from this pose safely is also important. Keep the core tight and slowly put your feet back to the ground and acquire the child pose carefully.

*For the beginners, we suggest the supported headstand pose. Better, do this pose under a certified yoga guide. This pose puts an extra stretch on the body and shoulders. In the absence of adequate preparation and an experienced teacher, you may injure yourself.

5. Knee to Chest Yoga Pose"”This is a gentle pose that makes you feel centered and connected. This pose eliminates body impurities through the excretory system and lungs. It is helpful in relieving menstrual cramps, bloating, and indigestion and also great to reduce the lower back pain. This pose reduces anger, overexcitement, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

Steps:

Lie on the floor and bring both your knees to the chest.
Wrap your arms around the knees
Inhale and roll the shoulders down
Exhale, and with your arms, gently squeeze and press your thighs towards the core.
Tuck the chins slightly to elongate the spine on the neck. Stay in this position for as long as you want.

A healthy soul keeps mind and body healthy, and yoga purifies your soul. Do not underestimate the importance of your health. Eat well, live actively, and practice yoga for your well-being because a healthy woman makes a healthy family.

Best Yoga Practices for Women's Health