Can I practice aerial during my period?
My answer is do what’s good for you! There is no evidence that practicing aerial yoga during menstruation is harmful, and research on exercise and menstruation alone is scarce. However, it is possible that the tight wrapping of the hammock material around the abdomen, hips and lower back increases the discomfort and pain during your period.
Period a core and abdominal muscles
More than doubts about inversions, focus on core and abs. In the first days of the period, the belly and loins may be sore, the belly “swollen” and therefore more lazy, which may result in weakening of core control, so special attention should be paid to positions that require its involvement, such as a plank, so that the belly weakened in these days does not caused us to transfer holding the position to the loins, which may result in their overload.
So my advice is – you can exercise, but with respect for your well-being and greater concentration. If you need a gentler or shorter practice time, allow yourself to do it. Communicate with the instructor during the class in case of any discomfort. There are many gentler variations which your may choose for those days.
Everyone is different! If you want to exercise, do it! If not, then no! I want to let you make your own decisions about your body.
Is inversion harmful during menstruation?
Some schools of classical yoga claim that inverting the body during menstruation is harmful. In fact, some yoga schools prohibit women from practicing yoga at all during menstruation. These schools forbid inversion during menstruation because inversion is believed to disrupt the natural movement of downward flowing energy (or apana) for healthy elimination of blood and endometrium.
Yogic energy flow aside, a quick dive into Western medicine and scientific viewpoints shows little evidence that turning over during menstruation is dangerous. Indeed, there is a phenomenon such as retrograde menstruation, but its causes are not understood. There is no evidence that reversal causes retrograde menstruation. I couldn’t find any research on aerial exercise during your period.
However, according to Ayurveda, certain yogic exercises and massaging specific points on the body, and breathing exercises, can regulate the cycle and reduce premenstrual symptoms. There are also studies that show that yoga can improve overall well-being during the luteal and menstrual phases of the menstrual cycle.
Where does this exclusion of menstruating women from yoga come from?
Abstaining from yoga during menstruation may have roots in the harsh practices of Brahmins in India, where women were considered “dirty” during their periods. While one might assume this was intended to allow menstruating women to turn inward and spend time at home during menstruation, forcing women into seclusion during menstruation is more often a patriarchal exile than a celebration of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Menstruation is a globally stigmatized phenomenon, and cultures around the world (not just in India) have developed harmful and even destructive ideas and beliefs about menstruation.
