Menstrual cycles are a normal part of life for those that have them, but this doesn’t mean having a cycle is always easy! Mood and wellbeing can be affected throughout the month, as well as challenges like pain or fatigue that may arise during your period itself. This can often be overlooked when thinking about self-care and support.

This 6 week course will use yoga and discussion to explore how you can support yourself and engage positively with your menstrual cycle, whether you experience difficulty like period pain or PMS, or are simply curious to learn more about your body and moods. No yoga experience required, and you don’t need to be bendy!

The Royal College of Nursing says “it is critically important to wellbeing that everyone can talk comfortably about periods and menstruation, in order to better understand what is normal, and what may need further investigation. A recent study has shown that both low-intensity exercise such as yoga or high-intensity exercise such as aerobics may provide a large reduction in the intensity of period pain compared with not exercising”.

In addition to physical practices and relaxation exercises that can help, it will be a space to have open and honest conversations about periods and the menstrual cycle. The aim is for you to leave feeling more confident supporting yourself, seeking support from professionals if needed, and talking about the issue to people in general.

If you have any questions about the course, or are wondering if it’s right for you, please do get in touch with Claudia at claudia@otrbristol.org.uk.

Here are some relaxing techniques with Claudia