Follicular Phase – Post Menstruation
The Follicular phase starts post menstruation cycle, leading up to ovulation. This phase benefits most from postures that support the ovaries to release high quality eggs. This phase also benefits from poses that encourage the development of a thick endometrial lining. We use poses that stimulate the ovaries, improve blood flow to the uterus, calm the nervous system and improve overall health and wellbeing.
Opening Meditation
Place your receptive hand on your heart, and your emissive hand over your womb and begin to visualize love from your heart flowing through your arms and hands into your womb. Begin to visualize love from your heart, flowing through your arms and hands into your womb, filling this space with light and warmth. Connect to your intention, which is to conceive and connect to your innate feminine energy and fertile body.
Say ‘Om’ three times: When we sound om together, we’re aligning body, mind and spirit. We’re aligning with the universe because it’s the sound of the universe and we’re referencing something real. ‘Om’ is a very grounding and peaceful sound. I recall once a yoga teacher saying to me, “if you simply go through life chanting Om, the very air around you will sparkle.” Isn’t that just a beautiful thought?
Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
- This breathing technique floods the body with Prana (life force energy)
- It purifies the energy channels of the body
- This technique lowers your heart rate, reduces stress and anxiety
- It restores overall calmness and harmony to the mind, and balances your system by synchronizing both hemispheres of the brain
Half Rabbit
- This pose gently massages the ovaries and your abdominal area. The belly expands with each inhalation, and draws the navel to the spine
- By looking up you stimulate the medulla oblongata (Hindbrain) responsible for controlling the body’s automatic functions (such as breathing, digestion, heart rate and blood vessel function)
Hold this pose for 1-5 minutes. If your mind wanders, focus on your breath
Cat-Cow
- Through this pose your are massaging and stimulating organs in the belly during these movements – which stretches the hips, abdomen and back
- Transition from cat to cow slowly and mindfully
- Inhale as you look up, exhale as you round your back
Repeat 5-10 times
Downward Dog
- Down dog is a gentle inversion, which reverses the action of gravity
- It allows the blood and lymph to flow in the opposite directions which brings multiple health benefits to the body and rejuvenates the soul!
Hold position for 5 breaths
Sun Salutations A
- The sequence can boost your cardiovascular health, and can improve your blood circulation
- The Sun Salutation can boost your overall health, improves digestion, helps you detox, and keeps anxiety at bay
- It promotes regular menstrual cycles
Image courtesy of www.1body1health.com
Lunge
- This pose releases the muscles in your hip flexors, and the psoas is softened
- The psoas runs directly over the ovaries
- This pose allows you to create space, increases circulation and removes built up tension from the hips and abdominal area
Hold pose for 5 breaths. Drop back knee if that feels more comfortable for you
Lunge twist
- This pose also has all the benefits of releasing through the hip flexors, as well as stimulating and massaging into the abdominal and reproductive muscles to increase circulation and health
Hold for 5 breaths drop back knee if pose feels too difficult
Warrior II
- This pose brings expansion and openness to your heart and lungs and boosts circulation while improving respiration
- The Warrior stimulates your abdominal organs
Join me again next week where I will take you through the final eight poses as well as the closing meditation. Although the Follicular Yoga Sequence has been split into two blogs over the next two weeks, all poses should be completed in sequence of one another so sixteen poses all together.
Namaste.
With Love, Light and blessings
Leigh Journey OM
Feel free to contact me any time on ferris.leigh@googlemail.com, I would love to hear from you.
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