Endometriosis and endo awareness month

Endometriosis support with yoga and ayurveda

This month is endometriosis awareness month. Endometriosis or endo is a painful condition affecting about “1 in 10 women and those assigned female of birth of reproductive age in the UK suffer from endometriosis” according to Endometriosis UK.

It’s a lot, and there isn’t much research, support or treatment for those affected by endometriosis. Even being diagnosed takes on average 8 years. That’s more than 8 years of painful periods, pelvic pain (anytime during the cycle), diarrhoea or constipation, pain during sex (or pelvic examinations) and just feeling at loss.

I have seen quite a few clients with endometrioses for a combination of yoga and ayurveda including pelvic steam protocols and I hear how challenging it can be. 

I wrote a bit about endometriosis in my book ‘Teaching yoga for the menstrual cycle - an ayurvedic approach’. All the “doṣas are involved and endometriosis can become a vicious circle. The cause can be of vāta origin, which can bring about pain and anxiety. This aggravates vāta even more, which then causes more pain, more anxiety and potentially continues to displace pitta and kapha, causing more endometriosis and pain. This is another reason to calm down vāta doṣa in our approach”.

And I continue in the book…

“Yoga practices for endometriosis 

There is some evidence that yoga can be useful for people with endometriosis, both reducing pelvic pain and improving quality of life. One study concluded, ‘Women said they had identified a relationship between pain management and breathing techniques (prāṇayāma) learned in yoga and that breathing increased their ability to be introspective, which relieved pain’.”

Because all the doṣas are involved we always need to tackle Vata doṣa because Vata will affect the other doṣas. Apana vayu needs to flow correctly so we don’t want to obstruct apana. Rather encourage the free flow down and out which is the natural movement of Apana Vayu. It is also the natural flow of the menstrual fluid and therefore the endometrial tissues. When experiencing endometriosis the endometrium builds up outside of the uterus so somehow apana vayu has been disturbed.

I also encourage for samana vayu, the abdomen and our digestion to work well so a bit of stimulation and warmth around the abdomen is useful too.

Practices like castor oil packs, abdominal massage or pelvic steam are all creating stimulation, warmth and flow in the area for people experiencing endometriosis.

Breathing for endometriosis 

And finally, breathe. Breathing properly can act as pain management. Not just for endometriosis pain of course. But breath awareness can help with endometriosis. Plus breathing properly affects our abdominal and pelvic organs too. The pelvic diaphragm is directly corresponding with the respiratory diaphragm - when we know how to breathe. 

I am convinced that breathing can be a remedy or at least be part of the healing path including pain management for many conditions. When we remember how to breathe, and when our body is in a condition where we can allow the breath to flow and when our minds can connect with the ease of natural spontaneous breathing.

I share more in my book ‘Teaching yoga for the menstrual cycle - an ayurvedic approach’ and in my online immersion and workshops.

If you want individualised support please contact me for a consultation here.

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