Guide for Girls on Supporting a Balanced Menstrual Pattern: Comprehensive Overview
According to Ayurveda, natural remedies and lifestyle changes can help regulate irregular menstrual cycles, ease period pain, and balance hormones through a holistic approach involving herbs, diet, hydration, yoga, and stress management.
Ayurvedic Herbs and Formulations
Several Ayurvedic herbs and formulations are known to support menstrual health. Shatavari and Ashwagandha help regulate menstrual cycles, reduce stress, and support hormonal balance, especially in conditions like PCOS. Dashmool Kwath is used to balance doshas and reduce inflammation related to hormonal imbalances. Kanchnar Guggulu is effective in shrinking ovarian cysts and balancing thyroid function, indirectly supporting menstrual regularity. Pushyanuga Churna helps manage excessive bleeding and promotes regular periods. Blends like Mentat support emotional well-being, which is crucial in hormonal health. Herbal waters such as Ajwain water for irregular periods, Sesame + jaggery water for scanty flow, Coriander seed water for heavy bleeding, and Ajwain + methi water for delayed periods are traditional prescriptions used to support menstrual health.
Dietary and Home Remedies
Consuming unripe papaya may promote uterine contractions and regularize periods. Jaggery helps boost iron, maintain hormonal balance, and reduce cramps. Turmeric, with its anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects, can help regulate cycles and ease uterine pain. Aloe Vera juice improves metabolism and may correct hormonal imbalances, aiding menstrual regularity, but should be consumed cautiously. Apple cider vinegar, especially in PCOS, may help regulate hormones and improve menstrual cycles.
Lifestyle and Mind-Body Therapies
Yoga asanas stimulating the pelvic region, such as Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), support ovarian health and reduce abdominal fat. Pranayama techniques like Anulom Vilom (alternate nostril breathing) and Kapalabhati (skull shining breath) help stabilize the nervous system, decrease stress hormones, and promote hormonal harmony. Meditation and mindfulness decrease cortisol levels, thereby reducing stress-exacerbated hormonal imbalances common in menstrual disorders and PCOS.
Additional Ayurvedic Practices
Regular water therapy with specific herbal infusions may improve blood circulation and fertility while helping to balance hormones. At least 8-10 glasses of water daily, along with coconut water and herbal teas, can help stay hydrated and reduce bloating during menstruation. Drinking herbal teas like tulsi, lavender, chamomile, and ginger can reduce anxiety and relieve period cramps naturally.
These remedies collectively address not just symptoms like irregular cycles and pain but also underlying hormonal, metabolic, and emotional imbalances in a sustainable way grounded in Ayurvedic principles. However, practitioners recommend using these under Ayurvedic supervision, especially when combining herbs, to ensure safety and effectiveness.
- Shatavari and Ashwagandha, Ayurvedic herbs, help regulate menstrual cycles, reduce stress, and support hormonal balance, particularly in conditions like PCOS.
- In the realms of diet and home remedies, consuming unripe papaya may promote uterine contractions and regularize periods, while jaggery can boost iron, maintain hormonal balance, and reduce menstrual cramps.
- Lifestyle and mind-body therapies such as yoga, meditation, and pranayama can stimulate ovarian health, stabilize the nervous system, and decrease stress hormones, promoting hormonal harmony during menstruation.
- Fitness enthusiasts may incorporate exercises like Supta Baddha Konasana, Dhanurasana, and Bhujangasana for ovarian health support and reducing abdominal fat, while Ayurvedic practices like drinking herbal teas can naturally reduce anxiety and relieve period cramps.
- To further improve health and wellness, adding Ayurvedic practices like regular water therapy, herbal infusions, and hydration techniques to one's lifestyle can help balance hormones, improve metabolism, and promote overall well-being.