Tuesday 6.30p Intro — Week 29 (September 15, 2009)

Focus: Menstrual period poses.

Discussion: Pratyahara and Dharana - Stabilizing the mind
Pratyahara [PYS II.54-55; PYS III.48] and Dharana [PYS III.1] connect with the inner aspects of the citta to free it from the objects of the world and to stabilize the mind.

"The mind plays a double role: The external mind is exhibitive [faces outward] and the internal mind is inhibitive [faces inward]... as explained in the Mundaka-upanisad: Two birds sat in a tree. One picks at different fruits, but is unsatisfied with the taste. Unknowingly, it moves closer to the impassive, steady, silent, and blissful bird. Then it [gradually] loses all taste for fruit and becomes silent, like the other bird... The restless bird corresponds to the parinama citta, the emerging consciousness [subject to change]. [The silent bird] is the tranquil mind [or] divya citta [the divine consciousness, which is steady and pure].

"Before moving into another asana from Tadasana, the citta resides in the seat of the heart. As soon as you move, the steady citta turns into parinama citta [because] it alters position. [Then the mind thinks, ‘I don’t like the ‘taste’ of this pose. How long do I have to do this one until I can try another one?’ Then karma yoga has been compromised, because your actions have not been stainless; there is no jnana yoga because you haven’t learned from prakrti; and there is no bhakti yoga because you are just ‘going through the motions’ without any devotion.]”

[Source: Bruce Roger transcription notes of BKS Iyengar, The Yogic Mind, unpublished Guru Purnima 7-7-09 address. Brackets indicate explanatory edits.]


The Menstrual Sequence
In 2003, as part of a national study, 60% of Yoga St. Louis continuing students polled reported a decrease in abdominal cramps, pain, and backache since starting yoga.

Geeta S. Iyengar explains several basic underlying concepts for menstrual practice. See her text, Yoga, A Gem For Women for details.
1. Some poses promote healthy menstruation. Other poses go against nature and prevent the flow, such as inversions, arm balances, backbends, abdominal-contracting, and body-knotting poses.

Supine poses open the abdomen, relieve cramps and heavy bleeding, relax the muscles and calm the mind. Simple forward extensions help those who suffer from headache, backache, heavy bleeding, abdominal cramps and fatigue. The sitting asanas help to remove tension and stress. Supported Viparita Dandasana and Setubandha Sarvangasana help energize and stimulate the brain, chest, lungs, heart and maintain hormonal balance in the glandular system. [Source: Geeta S. Iyengar, Menstruation Questions and Answers, email to certified teachers, February, 2003.]

Mary Schatz, M.D., a former student of BKS Iyengar, explains that inversions stop the natural flow down and out of the menstrual blood, a waste product. During inversions, the uterus is pulled towards the head by gravity, stretching the broad ligaments that connect the uterus to the pelvis. This narrows the embedded veins that drain the uterus, leading to vascular congestion and subsequent increased menstrual bleeding when inversions are discontinued. [Source: Mary P. Schatz, M.D., A Woman's Balance: Inversions and Menstruation, Roots & Wings website, 1999.]

“If you do inverted poses at the time of menstruation, there will be a tendency to absorb instead of discharging. If the discharge is blocked by doing inverted poses, this may give certain coatings inside. To begin with, you may not find there is much effect, but as a result of the holding of the discharge through the effect of gravity, a coating may be formed inside, which may lead to various diseases including cysts, cancer and so on.” [Source: B.K.S. Iyengar, “The Art of Prudence”, The Tree of Yoga, p. 94]

2. Always keep the abdomen soft, and do not exert yourself during the period.

3. Abnormal cycling, duration, or flow result from actions prior to the period itself and require an alteration of practice prior to the period.
When PMS “causes the menstruation to get postponed ... backbendings work. Do Urdhva Dhanurasana, Viparita Dandasana where the pelvis opens and the adrenal glands are activated and you get the menstruation. With backbendings one stimulates ovaries and fallopian tubes.” [Source: Geeta S. Iyengar, Menopause, RIMYI, 1993. Video Transcription by Kay Parry reprinted in Victoria Yoga Centre Newsletter, May 1995]

4. Healthy, consistent menstrual cycles prevent menstrual problems during peri-menopause.

5. Post-menstrual practice starts with “straight poses” and inversions that dry out the system.
After the period use these poses for four days to dry the vagina, soothe the nerves and regain strength. “Headstand and shoulderstand, along with the variations, heal the generative organs. When you become quiet in your headstand and shoulderstand, do not go for many variations. Straight asanas keep you cool, calm, quiet and when that feeling has come, the mind gets subdued [as in] ... a kind of meditation.... After every period first practice the inversions .... headstand and shoulderstand .... Then you feel a kind of inner dryness when the bleeding is checked. Only then switch over to your normal practice.... Switching over all of a sudden to backbendings, balancings, standing poses, exerting yourself, etc. (because you) have not done ‘hard work’ for four or five days ... causes problems not when you are young, but when you lead towards menopause ... when you are forty five.”

When the Sirsasana variations with the legs in Upavistha Konasana and Baddha Konasana are done with the back against the wall, it is automatically ensured that the anal mouth goes down and the pubic plate upwards. “So when [the anal mouth] is levelized, the organic adjustments occur and the problem [hardening the abdomen, organic compression and abdominal cramps] does not reoccur.” [Source: Geeta S. Iyengar, Menopause, RIMYI, 1993. Video Transcription by Kay Parry reprinted in Victoria Yoga Centre Newsletter, May 1995]

Invocation in Swastikasana

1. Upavistha Konasana & Baddha Konasana
a. Pin the hips.

2. Paschimottanasana
a. Classic forward extension. Support head on brick or blanket.

3. Chair Pavanmuktasana
a. Sitting in a chair with legs spread, bend forward. Rest the chest on a bolster stacked on chair seat number two.
b. Adaptation for those with tight hips to allow same sense of rest in Paschimottanasana.

4. Bolster Adho Mukha Virasana
a. Bolster support under chest quiets the mind. Brick beneath sternum to elevate the spiritual heart, makes it quieter still.
b. For menstrual migraine, turn the bolster and let the head hang down to lengthen the back of the neck. Support the crown of the head with a blanket.
c. Another adaptation of Paschimottanasana.

5. Janu Sirsasana
a. Head on chair seat for less flexible students.
b. Properly bending the knee allows stress free range of motion.

6. Marichyasana I
a. Less flexible students do Paschimottanasana with head on chair seat.

7. Bolster Setubandha
a. The sitting asanas, such as Upavistha Konasana & Baddha Konasana, are usually sequenced prior to Setubandha, but omitted as they were practiced first and because of a lack of time.

8. Supta Baddha Konasana
a. Because it “helps relax and slow down the constantly throbbing vibrating organ so that minimum vital energy is consumed,” it is usually done first. Since this class focused on learning how to adapt the forward extensions, especially for menstrual headaches, it was used here as a Savasana. [Source: Geeta S. Iyengar, Menstruation Questions and Answers]