Ayurveda & The menstrual cycleAyurveda is widely recognised as a system of natural health care very well suited to the needs of women. Women are far more sensitive to the rhythms and cycles of nature. This makes Ayurveda the perfect solution as it is founded on the principle of harmonising the body's balance and keeping it in tune with nature.
 The menstrual cycle is a constant reminder of our connection with nature and can reveal to us both the status of our health and our relationship with ourselves. As society has changed and women's roles have diversified, the female body has also adapted. Women now experience far more menstrual cycles due to the trend of having later and fewer pregnancies. It was not too long ago that women would fall pregnant soon after their first period and breast feed their babies for as long as two years, which meant that they only had a few cycles between pregnancies.As women have gained greater freedom of choice, the awareness of the importance of menstruation to emotional and physical health has somehow been lost. Few women see periods as a potent reminder of latent creativity but regard them as a "curse", an inconvenience that must be endured monthly. Advertising encourages the use of products which offer "freedom", so life doesn't "stop" during a period. Women are encouraged to continue as "normal" rather than listen to the subtle mental and emotional changes felt through the month.
Many women experience, at some time in their lives, some form of menstrual difficulties, such as lower back pain, irregular periods, severe pain, cramps and vomiting. There are many factors that contribute to these problems such as diets that lack nourishing qualities, increased exposure to environmental pollutants, strenuous or excessive physical exercise and emotional stress.
During menstruation, a large proportion of the toxic wastes that build up in the body are flushed out. There is some evidence to suggest that it is because of this extra cleansing process that women generally live longer than men. These toxins are mobilised in the preceding weeks to menstrual flow and remain stagnant in the reproductive tissues if they are not expelled, causing localised dysfunctions such as fibroids and cysts. Ensuring your menstrual cycle is regular, pain-free and healthy not only makes being a woman a deeper and more enjoyable experience but is also the best investment in your future health. Women who menstruate with ease enjoy a far easier transition through menopause.
Easy steps to ease your cycle:
Make time and space for yourself. Could it be that period pains are just a cry from within for us to take it easy? You don't have to be incapacitated by pain to give yourself this time. Ideally minimize all your activities for the first few days of flow. If you can't do this at least try and avoid setting up stressful meetings or deadlines. Take rest but avoid actually sleeping during the daytime. Take walks rather than exercise strenuously. Let someone else do the cooking, just relax!
 Allow your mind to roam free. Go with the flow of your thoughts, don't try and force your mind into one-dimensional thinking. Be aware of your breath, working with it to keep relaxed and comfortable in your body. Modify your routine. During your days of heavy flow take only a brief warm shower. Avoid taking baths. Sexual activity is best reduced or postponed as it vitiates Vata, disrupting the downward flow. Minimize the use of tampons and always wear pads at night so that the body's waste is kept outside of the body rather than within the vaginal canal. If you suffer from constipation, taking Triphala a couple of days before the start of flow to aid the cleansing process.
Modify your diet. You are best off eating small, warm, mildly spiced and soupy meals during your period. Give your digestive system a break by avoiding fried or processed food, dairy products and meat. Exclude pumpkin, potato, mushroom, cauliflower, peas and aubergine from your diet for the week before and during flow. Remove these from your diet for a longer period if you suffer from more chronic difficulties. Also avoid anything cold as well as carbonated drinks as they aggravate Vata. Courgettes, asparagus, beetroot, fennel, leafy greens, mung beans, papaya and cucumber are beneficial. Take small amounts of grains such as basmati rice and barley. Season food with cumin, asafoetida, fenugreek, black pepper, cloves, coriander and mint. Reducing or eliminating meat from your diet would generally be very beneficial to your health and digestion. Meat is useful when the body is emaciated or weak but a vegetarian diet reduces the amount of toxins present in the gut. Some women changing to a vegetarian diet have noticed the amount of blood they pass reduces by half. Reducing caffeine and alcohol intake prior to your period and eliminating it altogether during the flow period can bring immediate relief from a host of problems. All changes should be made gradually, though, without stress or guilt. Be nice to yourself by eating nourishing foods that leave you feeling vitalised and positive in outlook.
Boost your health with herbs such as Shatavari which is renowned for its toning and nourishing action on the female reproductive organs as well as being beneficial in promoting fertility should help the elimination process. In fact everyone would benefit from taking herbs.
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