did you know you aren’t supposed to do yoga when you have your period?

yeah, that’s my reason for skipping it tonight. . . that and the bellyache. i knew this, that women in their menses (that’s what the video said) shouldn’t be doing the tape. but i ignored it.

but then i got to feeling so much like shit today that i thought maybe i should investigate why one shouldn’t do yoga during this special time of the month. of course i had a bit of trouble finding the information. i was convinced i had wrecked something in my uterus and was never going to have babies.

but being the smart girl that i am, i found my answer:

During the menses, the pelvic vascular bed contains more blood than at other times of the cycle. The uterine blood supply enters the uterus from the right and left sides of the pelvis. These blood vessels are located in the broad ligaments that suspend the uterus from the pelvis. The uterine arteries are thick-walled and muscular. The uterine veins are thin-walled and easily collapsed.

During inversions, the uterus is pulled towards the head by gravity, causing the broad ligaments to be stretched. This can cause stretch and partial collapse or occlusion of the thin-walled veins, while allowing the uncollapsed arteries to continue to pump in blood. Thus, more blood enters the uterus via the arteries than can be carried away by the veins. The vascular congestion that results can lead to increased menstrual bleeding.