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We will chant "Om" once. Take a deep inhale, "Om." We begin by practicing some āsanas, particularly beneficial for those with menstrual concerns. We start in Ānandāsana, lying on the back. First, relax your entire body. Relax your feet, flex your legs, relax your buttocks and hips. Relax your stomach, especially the pelvic area and buttocks. Relax your lower back, your upper back, and your chest. Relax both shoulders, arms, elbows, and wrists. Relax your neck, hands, face, and all muscles. Relax your whole body. Feel your natural breath. Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest, simply to feel your normal breath. Then, we will take a couple of full yogic breaths. This means breathing a little deeper. On the inhalation, first let your stomach rise, then your chest. During exhalation, let your chest descend, followed by your stomach. Inhale from the stomach to the chest. Exhale from the chest to the stomach. The full yogic breath is very important as it fills the lungs completely, using their full capacity. It helps you relax and harmonizes your body and mind. Take one more full yogic breath, then place your hands back on the floor. Feel your body. Feel how you have withdrawn from the external world. The first exercise is especially good for menstrual problems, and also beneficial for the lower back, constipation, and hips. We do Bhavan Muktāsana, bringing one knee to the chest. On an inhalation, bring your right knee towards your chest. Clasp your hands around the knee and press it towards your body. On the exhalation, lift your head, bringing your forehead to your knee. Inhale, slowly lower your head back. Then, bring your leg up towards the ceiling, heel pointing up. Exhale, and lower the leg back to the floor. Now with the left leg: Inhale, knee to chest. Exhale, forehead to knee. Inhale, slowly lower your head back. Bring your leg up, exhale, and lower it down slowly and consciously. Inhale, right leg to the chest again. Exhale, forehead to knee. Inhale, slowly return the sole to the floor. Exhale, stretch the leg and lower it. Continue in your own rhythm for a few more rounds. It is important to perform the exercise slowly and very consciously, which also has a positive effect on the female organs, as they are closely connected to the lower back. Very good. Relax. Take a deep breath. It is very important after each exercise to feel its effect. Feel your breath. This exercise also helps deepen your stomach breath. Breathe slowly. Move your fingers and toes and come up slowly. Roll to your side and come up onto your knees. Invite your sitting bones slightly forward. We will do Marjari, the cat pose. For Marjari, it is important to sit on the heels. If that is not possible—if your ankles hurt—you can place a pillow between your buttocks and ankles. If you have knee pain, you can also come up into a knee stand. We will begin. On an inhalation, come up onto your knees and bring your arms forward. On the exhalation, come down, place your hands under your shoulders, and arch your back. Inhale, hollow the back, lowering the stomach and lifting the head. Exhale, arch the back, bringing your chin to your chest and gently pulling in your navel. Inhale, hollow the back, looking up. Exhale, arch the back, chin to chest. Inhale and relax your stomach on the inhalation. Exhale fully, then on the next inhalation, come up again onto your knees with arms forward. Exhale, slowly come down and relax. Relax especially your stomach and shoulders. Feel the effect of this exercise; it is also very good to do in the morning for a stiff back. We will do it once more. Inhale, come up on the knees, keeping the back very straight. Exhale, come down, arch the back, chin to chest. Continue. Inhale, hollow the back, lengthening from the base of the spine to the top of the head. Exhale, arch the back. Gently pull in your stomach. On the inhalation, relax your stomach, improving blood supply to the pelvic and stomach area once more. Exhale, arch the back, then come up onto the knees. Exhale, straighten the back. This is very good for your leg muscles. Relax. Relax your stomach area, pelvic area. Relax your shoulders. Feel the effect. The whole back is becoming supple and flexible. We will proceed to the next exercise, which is a preparation for Uttānāsana. This exercise is called the half butterfly. Sit with your legs straight. Bring your right foot onto your left thigh. If this is too difficult, you can place the foot against the inside of the opposite leg, as shown, and then slowly move the knee up and down. Be careful not to exaggerate. Be mindful of your hip, knee, and ankle. Just relax the hip muscles. This is also very good for those with a tendency toward hip arthrosis. Then, bring your left arm up on an inhalation. On the exhalation, come forward and grab your toes. Relax your knee and head. Hold for a few breaths. If you cannot reach your toes, simply hold your ankle or wherever you can reach. Release, and then come back. Inhale, bring your arm up, and exhale, lower it. Relax and straighten both legs. Feel the difference between your left and right hip. Now the other leg. Place your left foot on top of the right thigh or against the inside of the thigh, and slowly move your knee up and down. Especially relax your head. You may feel a difference; it is not always that both joints feel the same—one may be more supple or stiff. Then, bring your right arm up, inhale, and on the exhalation come down. Keep your back straight as you come down, and clasp your feet or ankles, relaxing your knees. Take a few normal breaths. Be careful; if you have back problems, do not exaggerate and come back earlier. Feel the breath also in your stomach and pelvic area, then come up. Inhale, straighten the arms up. Exhale, come down and straighten your legs. Take a deep breath. Feel both hips and your pelvis now. Then we do the full butterfly. Bring the soles of your feet together, knees dropping towards the body. Hold your toes, sit as straight as possible, and move your legs gently like a butterfly's wings, staying grounded. Feel both your hips again. This is a very good preparation for meditation postures. Straighten your legs. Our next exercise is very beneficial for menstrual problems. We do Uttānāsana, a squatting pose. Stand up. This pose is especially good for women before childbirth, for irregular menstruation, or for heavy bleeding between periods. I have a small anecdote. I once met a woman who had serious problems with menstruation, losing a lot of blood between periods. I simply told her to try this exercise, which is in my yoga book and noted as very good for menstruation. I did not have big expectations, but she was very disciplined, practicing it every day, perhaps two or three times. Her problems were completely resolved. After that, I was inspired and practiced it myself. From my own experience, I can confirm it is truly helpful. How to perform this exercise? Stand straight with your feet apart, toes turned slightly outward. Clasp your fingers together. Try to keep your back as straight as possible throughout. Inhale in this position. On the exhalation, come down by bending your knees slightly. It is especially important that your knees point over your toes, not inward or outward. On the inhalation, come back up, and exhale to relax. If you have knee problems, be cautious as we move through different stages; do not go too far down. Next stage: Inhale, exhale, and come down a little further, until your hands are about knee height. Inhale, come up. Exhale, relax. Then we go to the final stage. Come completely down if possible; if not, go only as far as you can. Inhale, come up. Exhale, go down as far as possible. Inhale, come up. Exhale, relax. Relax your arms. While doing this exercise, as you go down and up, you can imagine pressing your feet into the floor. This has an extra effect on your muscles. Again, clasp your hands. Inhale, exhale down a little. Inhale, come up, pressing your feet into the floor, and feel your leg muscles. Exhale. Go down. Inhale up, press the feet. Exhale, relax. Now, inhale, exhale, and come as far down as possible for you. Inhale, come up, press the feet, and exhale. Take normal breaths. If you are more advanced or practice this often, you can stay a little longer in the positions. Again, bring your hands together. Inhale, exhale, come down a little, and hold for a few breaths. Consciously feel the muscles of your upper legs and thighs. Feel your feet on the floor. Inhale, slowly come up. Feel your legs and your pelvic floor. Exhale, relax. Inhale. Exhale down a little further and stay in this position only as long as it is comfortable. Take a few breaths. This is very good for your legs, for grounding, and for gaining stability. Inhale, come up. Exhale, relax. One more time: Inhale, exhale as far down as possible, and feel the breath in your pelvic and stomach area. Move slowly to avoid dizziness. Exhale. Bring your feet together and feel the effect of the exhalation. Next āsana: Setu Āsana, the bridge. Lie down in Daṇḍāsana. Setu Āsana is a bridge pose, also recommended during pregnancy, and very good for menstrual and lower abdominal problems. Place your feet together and your hands behind your body, fingers pointing towards your back. If this is painful for your wrists, you can try turning them slightly to make it easier, but try the standard position first. On an inhalation, lift your pelvis and slowly walk your hands back. If you have problems with your neck or pituitary gland, do not do this. You can also keep your head lifted. Exhale down, slowly lowering your buttocks to the floor, then slowly lift your head. Breathe normally. Also skip this exercise if you have significant problems with your wrists or elbows. We will do it once more. Inhale, come up. Let your head hang loosely. Breathe in this position, then exhale slowly and come down, lifting your head. Take normal breaths. We will do one more time, and then you can breathe normally in the pose for as long as it is comfortable. So, inhale, come up. Breathe normally. You can now feel your buttock muscles strengthening, along with your lower back, upper back, arm, and leg muscles. Feel the breath in your stomach, pelvic area, and throat. This is also very good for the thyroid gland. Then slowly come back. Lie in Ānandāsana on your back. Feel the effect of this exercise. Relax your arms, stomach, and chest. Especially feel your pelvic area once more. Then slowly come back to awareness. We will do one more exercise, very good for female reproductive function. It may not be specifically for menstrual problems, but it is excellent for lower abdominal issues, kidneys, and balance. Lie on your side in a straight line, feet together, with your hands stacked on top of each other. This exercise is called Hastapādāṅguṣṭhāsana, hand-to-big-toe pose on your side. On an inhalation, lift your upper leg and upper arm, keeping both straight. Inhale, come up, and grab your toes. If that is not possible, hold your ankle or knee, but keep your leg straight. Hold your breath as long as is comfortable, then exhale slowly. Bring your leg back, place your hands on top of each other, and relax. Breathe normally again. Inhale, come up, maintaining your balance. When you feel the need to exhale, bring your leg and arm back down. Place your hands on top of each other. One more time. Inhale, come up, grab the toes. Feel yourself, breathe normally a few times to feel your body in this position—the stretch in your leg, the movement in your hip. Relax your shoulder, then on the next exhalation, come down. Turn onto your back. We will do the exercise on the other side, so you need to change position. Move a little closer together, hands stacked. Inhale, bring your arm and leg up. Feel yourself in this position, then exhale and come down. On the next round, feel any difference from the other side. Inhale, come up, hold the position, and exhale down. Inhale, come up. Feel how you maintain your balance. Breathe normally. Feel yourself in this position—your hip, the lengthening of the muscles on the back of your leg. Breathe normally, then come back into Ānandāsana and lie on your back. A short relaxation. Deep inhale, exhale. Feel the effect of this exercise. Feel your lower back, hips, stomach, and your breath. One more deep inhalation and exhalation. Move your fingers and toes. Come back up onto your knees. Observe your āsana. This concludes our session, these few minutes with us, focusing on exercises for menstrual problems. We will chant "Om" once. Deep inhale, "Om."