The Best Yoga Poses for Period Cramps and PMS

You may not feel up for saying "om" during your time of the month, but with this yoga for cramps routine, you'll ease aches, bloating, and relieve stress instantly.

Yoga is a natural remedy for just about everything. It helps relieve back pain, address sleep troubles, improve energy, and release stress, according to an article published by John Hopkins Medicine. And, surprisingly, PMS (and the period cramps that come with it!) is no exception.

In fact, a small study found that menstruators who practiced yoga for an hour weekly for three months had significantly less-intense menstrual pain than those who didn't. What's more, relaxation exercises can help ease period pain while you're experiencing it, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and flowing through a simple yoga routine may just that.

Whenever you start to feel bloated, blue, achy, or in pain — and you know menstruation is to blame — try these yoga poses for period cramps and other PMS symptoms to nurture your body and get you back to feeling great. (

Child's Pose

Starting your yoga for cramps routine off with this resting pose will help you gather up your energy.

A. Kneel with knees slightly apart and crawl hands forward.

B. Keeping arms long and in front of you, allow forehead to rest on the ground.

Breathe here for 10 or more deep breaths.

Legs Up the Wall

This yoga for period cramps pose may look unconventional, but it will help you decompress and relieve stress.

A. Sit sideways next to a wall. Lie down on one side, facing away from the wall with butt touching it.

B. Using arms, lift legs up the wall as you roll over onto back. Allow arms to fall on either side of you. (Palms can face up for openness or down for an extra level of grounding.)

Breathe here for at least 10 breaths.

Locust

This yoga for cramps pose massages the abdomen and reproductive organs, helping to ease any pain you're feeling.

A. Lie facedown on the floor with big toes together.

B. Reach arms long on either side of you and use a big inhale to lift chest and feet off the ground.

Breathe here for five deep breaths.

Reclined Goddess Pose

This restorative position helps open the groin, making it a beneficial addition to your yoga for cramps flow. (These groin stretches can also help ease your post-workout soreness.)

A. Begin lying on your back. Bend knees and place feet on the ground.

B. Take feet together, knees apart, allow arms to relax on either side of you.

Breathe here for at least 10 breaths.

Seated Forward Fold

This classic yoga for period cramps move helps open the back body and massages internal organs.

A. From a seated position, extend legs long in front of you and together.

B. Keeping knees soft, take a deep breath to fill yourself with space, and use your exhale to lean forward into the space you just created. If you have a tight lower back, sit on a block or blanket.

Breathe here for at least five breaths.

Squat

While traditional squats help build muscle in the booty, this yoga for cramps pose helps open the hips and the low back.

A. From standing, heel-toe feet wide apart, pointing toes out so that hips are open. Start to soften and bend knees, releasing hips toward the ground, hovering above at whatever height feels good for you.

B. Take elbows inside of thighs, lightly pressing them out, and take hands together like a prayer at the center of chest. Try to keep spine long.

Breathe here for five to 10 deep breaths.

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