Ashtanga Yoga: Embracing Our Cycles

Throughout history, spiritual and physical practices—including yoga—have been shaped within patriarchal traditions. These frameworks often overlook natural rhythms beyond the masculine, at times restricting people from engaging fully during phases like menstruation, which reinforces a separation from innate cycles of energy and well-being. This legacy can still be felt today, often pressuring us to ignore our body's cues in favour of external productivity standards.

Newen & Natalia - Goa 2020 photo by: Justyna Jaworska

Honouring our cycles allows us to nurture health, support fertility, and ease transitions through pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, injury recovery and aging. By listening to our body, we can modify our daily practice to align with life's changing demands, building stability and resilience for ourselves and those around us.

Yoga encourages self-awareness, teaching us to attune to the body's needs, from mindful movement to restorative rest, with practices that respect our shifts in energy and emotion.

For men, whose cycles are more attuned to a 24-hour rhythm, tuning in may look like pausing on moon days to rest and reset, balancing physical exertion with intentional recovery. Supporting one another's cycles—whether monthly or daily—cultivates a community that values both productivity and rest, creating space for each individual to show up authentically and sustainably.

While my experience is rooted in the female perspective, I aim to empower all humans to connect deeply with their cycles. For the LGBTQ2 community, honouring unique rhythms fosters deeper self-awareness and harmony. By showing up on the mat, we learn to recognize what we need at each moment, honouring our paths within a community that values and celebrates our differences.

Embracing the courage to rest and resisting comparison allows for essential growth, integrating times of restoration with phases of building strength and connection.

This is why the Mysore-style practice in Ashtanga yoga is so meaningful to me—it lets each person set their own pace, honouring their unique rhythm while taking ownership of their journey.

While Ashtanga tradition suggests taking the first three days off during menstruation, I believe it's more about tuning in deeply and allowing flexibility: maybe sleeping in for a day or coming to the studio to sit, breathe, or move gently if that's what your body and mind call for. This approach goes beyond a prescribed pause; it's about listening and adjusting based on each cycle and need.

Manuel & Satya - Goa 2020 photo by: Justyna Jaworska

Some days, this may mean a gentler practice; others, a vigorous one. Regardless of life stage, tuning into your rhythms creates balance and harmony, supporting each individual's journey.

Yoga teaches us to listen deeply, respecting our own cycles and rhythms so that, on and off the mat, we learn when to rest and when to engage fully. This awareness allows us to honour our individual paths, fostering a community that celebrates our unique contributions by courageously embracing our natural rhythms.

I would love to hear from you. Tell me about your personal yoga journey as you tune in to what your body needs.