Yoga is helpful to men and women but women is the pivot of family so health of a woman plays an important role to run a family routine smoothly. Women have to handle their professional and personal lives with utmost finesse. Changing lifestyle and stressful environment brought serious health issues to them,
A woman passes from four stages in her life. yoga practice can help a woman in the various challenging phases of her life. yoga is highly recommended for women in their adolescence. This period shapes the entire life time of young girls as they undergo major changes in their body and mind. regular practice of yogasanas, pranayama and meditation calm the restless, fearfull wandering and confused mind. Regular practice of yoga help them to develop a regular and healthy menstrual cycle. Practicing yoga regularly will ensure that woman develop muscular strength, avoid obesity and develop healthy reproductive organs
Women are prone to physical mental and psychological problems because of their reproductive cycle and hormonal imbalance. from the onset of puberty to the menopause, a woman’s body endures a lot of physical and mental stress. Women in their 20’s and 30’s struggles their career, household works, the period cycles, pregnancy and tiresome schedule. Yoga acts as a tonic to preparing and bearing at all the phases of life. Yoga practice is a combination of asanas, breathing techniques and meditation that uplifts the physical, emotional as well as psychological aspects of health. Yoga has been known to bring in mindfulness, self-awareness, spiritual and health benefits which includes weight loss, fitness, stamina, emotional wellness, peaceful sleep and acceptance of one’s thoughts and emotions. Integrated yoga practice which includes yoga asanas combined with breathing techniques and meditation helps to overcome emotional instability and develops the reproductive organs in a healthy way. It brings balance into their lives by culminating a habit that improves their hormonal imbalance, body strength, self-acceptance and calmness. When a women’s reproductive cycle comes to an end that period is very hard to handle specially with hormonal changes. some symptoms are shown that is fatigue, pain in whole body, hot flashes, mood swings disturbed abdominal chemicals, during this period. Yoga activates the glandular system that provides the strength to women to deal with physical, mental and psychological issues. It aids in increasing the work efficiency of the reproductive organs. It also balances the hormones, moods and inner peace to attain the quality of life.
Across the world women suffer from cardiovascular diseases, thyroid, breast cancer, polycystic ovarian diseases (PCOD), osteoporosis and depression. Incidence of stroke, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and many skin diseases are very common now a days due to their sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits. Women have to face many menstrual disorders such as Dysmenorrhea (painful cramps), Menorrhagia (heavy bleeding), Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), Oligomenorrhea (infrequent menstruation), Meno Metrorrhagia, Hypomenorrhea (light menstruation), Hypermenorrhea, Post-menopausal bleeding, break through bleeding and Premenstrual syndrome during the years between puberty and menopause.
CAUSES OF MENSTRUAL DISORDERS
- Constipation
- Obesity
- Disturbed daily routine
- Less physical activity
- Polluted atmosphere
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Uterine polyps or fibroids
- Pelvic inflammatory diseases
- Endometriosis
- Premature ovarian insufficiency
- Mental Stress and life style factors
- Unhealthy diet
- Birth control pills
- pregnancy
- Uterine cancer or cervical cancer
- Having heavy dose of Steroids or anticoagulant drugs
- Under or over active thyroid gland
- Pituitary disorders that affects hormonal imbalance
- Complications associated with pregnancy including miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy (the fertilized egg is implanted outside the uterus; within the fallopian tube)
SYMPTOMS
- A period lasting longer than seven days
- Period are less than 21 days or more than 35 days
- Severe pain during period or between periods
- An abnormal or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
- Unusually heavy bleeding or passing large clots.
- Vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods, after sex, while pregnant or after she has gone through menopause.
- If she has to change her period product every hour for several hours in a row.
- Lower Back pain or abdominal /pelvic pain
- Mood swings and irritability
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Vision changes
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Abnormal weight gain or loss.
- Unusual hair growth or hair loss
- Acne
- Infertility
- Under eye dark circle or areas of dark skin on the back of the neck
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF WOMEN’S HEALTH ISSUES THROUGH YOGA AND NATUROPATHY
Adopting healthy eating and drinking habits, regular yoga practice, and adequate sleep will help women to get their health problems under control. Regular practice of yoga reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, Helps during pregnancy and labour pain, Improves the symptoms of menopause, Reduces the risk of breast cancer and benefits for undergoing breast cancer treatment and Helps to coping with depression.
NATUROPATHY
- Mud pack on abdomen
- hip bath
- anima
- wet girdle pack twice a day with empty stomach
- dry friction bath
- have sun-bath at least 20 minutes daily at the time of sunrising.
YOGASANA
There are so many asanas like tadasana, trikonasana, padhastasana, suryanamaskar, vrikshasana, ardhmatsyendr asana, gomukhasana, paschimottanasana, vajrasana, ushtrasana, dhanurasana, bhujangasana, shalabhasana, baddha konasana, pawanmuktasana, markatasana, halasana, sarvangasana, etc.
PRANAYAMA
pranayama such as bhastrika, kapalbhati, anulom vilom, ujjai, nadishodhan, bhramri and om chanting help to manage the period cycles, bring calmness to wandering minds of the teenagers, remove toxins from body and give peace of mind.
STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES-
make sure to get enough rest practicing shavasana, deep breathing, yog-nidra and meditation on breath.
DIET AND HOME REMEDIES
- Eat healthy and digestive food with seasonal and regional fruits and vegetables.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Add soaked sesame seeds, sprouts, soaked nuts and green vegetables in your diet.
- Drink a cup of ginger tea with a dash of honey, lemon juice and turmeric either on an empty stomach in the morning or the evening.
- Consume unripe papaya juice and pineapple juice regularly for a few months as it enhances the uterine contraction that occur during periods but do not drink it during periods.
- Intake of jaggery is also good to regulate irregular periods as it helps in reducing uterine cramps.
- Turmeric with warm milk and honey is also good as it has anti inflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties that helps in reducing uterine cramps.
- Have aloe vera juice to correct your hormonal imbalance and treat menstrual irregularities, but never use aloe vera during periods.
- Add a tea-spoon of cinnamon powder to a glass of milk and consume it.
- Drink amla, lemon, ginger, spinach, carrot, tomato and beetroot juice to maintain hemoglobin in blood.
- Establish a regular routine.
- Have adequate sleep.
- Do regular yoga practice
- Manage and reduce stress by working on hobbies.
PRECAUTIONS
- Reduces exercises if you are an athlete.
- Don’t eat spicy food, fast food, junk food, fried food, processes food, dairy, bakery products.
- Avoid tea, coffee, smoking and alcohol.
- Reduce intake of sugar and salt. exercise
- During periods don’t practice yogic activites and naturopathy treatment.
CONCLUSION
The secret for women is to make yoga a part of their life as much as yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation regularly for long time. To remain healthy women should adopt some habits along with regular yoga practice. Do breakfast, have some rest in noon, don’t take stress, should not eat stale food, do not ignore their illness. Yoga practice is ideal for women at any phase of life. Regular yoga practice massages the internal organs and improves the immune system and the body’s ability to prevent and fight diseases.
Dr. Rajrani Singhal (M.A. In Preksha Meditation, Yoga & Science of Living, P.GG.Y.S., D.N.Y.S.)
(Naturopath, Yoga Expert, Corporate Trainer and Motivational Speaker )
