Yoga for Endometriosis

Overview
Yoga is an ancient system of movement, breathing, and meditation developed in India. The right yoga class can provide many benefits for women with endometriosis.

What does it involve?
Yoga consists of moving your body into an array of different positions that provide stretching and various levels of challenge for strength, flexibility, and balance. Controlled breathing is another important aspect of yoga. Some yoga teachers incorporate aspects of meditation designed to reduce stress. There are many types of yoga and many different teaching styles. You may need to ask several questions before finding an appropriate class and an experienced teacher who understands what poses will work best for those with endometriosis.

You may also practice yoga at home using a book or online videos as guidance. However, if you learn yoga in a class first, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive important feedback about your poses.

Yoga is done on a special mat that prevents your hands and feet from sliding. You can purchase yoga mats at sporting goods stores or in the sporting goods section of most department stores. Some styles of yoga may necessitate the purchase of additional equipment such as blocks or belts.

Intended Outcomes
Any exercise provides health benefits and helps you feel your best. Practicing yoga may also help reduce stress and manage pain associated with endometriosis.

Results
There is no clinical evidence that practicing yoga provides benefits for women with endometriosis. However, many women report experiencing improvements in their endometriosis symptoms after doing yoga.

Constraints
Health insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of yoga classes.

Depending on where you live, it may be difficult to travel to yoga classes.