A Conversation for Dealing with Pre-menstrual Syndrome and Period Pain
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kelli - ran 2 miles a day for 2012, aiming for the same for 2013 Started conversation Jul 25, 2002
This came from the nurse at my secondary school...
If you are having a particularly bad cramp then it helps to stretch all the relevant muscles. You do this by standing up very straight. Imagine that there is a thread running from your heels, up through your spine and out through the top of your head. Imagine that somebody is gently pulling the thread upwards so that you are stretched very tall and at the same time pull in you tummy muscles and take deep breaths in.
This really used to help! 
Oh yes, and her other advice was to take lots of regular exercise as a preventative measure.
k
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Leopardskinfynn... sexy mama Posted Sep 26, 2002
Hi there 
A yoga pose that really helps me with peiod pains is "the Cobra".
Basically you lie flat on the floor with your hands below your shoulders, palms flat on the floor.
As you breathe in, push yourself forwards from the waist (keeping your hips and legs on the floor) as if you were reaching for something with your nose, and gradually curl your spine up vertebrae by vertebrae......until your arms are nearly straight (straight if you're really supple) and your spine is curved pushing forward and arching back (does that make sense? 
).
Its important to keep your pelvis/hips on the floor, even if your arms are quite bent at the elbows.
To come out of the pose, stretch forward from the waist as you exhale and uncurl your spine vertebrae by vertebrae and come back down to the floor.
Rest with your head turned to one side, resting on your forearms (which now you put in front of /underneath your head).
To counter stretch, you could do a few "Cat" movements:
On all four's, gently suck in your belly and arch your back as you exhale, tucking your chin in to your chest. Inhale as you release your spine back to a neutral position.
The Cobra stretches out all the internal organs (including the womb), and therefore helps relieve cramps.
Here are better descriptions than mine...pictures too!
http://www.holistic-online.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_pos_cobra.htm
http://yogajournal.com/poses/471_1.cfm
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