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Relief for Fibroids

Are there poses that should be avoided if one has uterine fibroids, or poses that might help reduce uterine fibroids?

By Jaki Nett

—Mary N. Boyle, Cornish, New Hampshire

Jaki Nett's reply:

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign tumors in the female reproductive tract. They can be as small as a millet seed or large enough to fill the entire abdominal cavity. Symptoms of fibroids rarely appear before age 30 but may include painful menstruation, excessive bleeding, and abnormal mucous discharge. Tumors that press on the bladder can cause a need to urinate frequently.

Specific postures did not reduce the size of my own fibroid tumors. But working with my teachers—B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Manouso Manos—I learned how to use poses to help my body accommodate and adapt to their growth. Because fibroids can grow rapidly, your yoga practice should focus on softening and opening the abdominal area.

This does not mean letting the stomach hang out by tilting the pelvis forward or allowing the abdominals to become weak and flabby (see "Redefining Great Abs,"). Twists such as Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja's Twist) and Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose) can be beneficial, because they allow the abdominal area to be in an open position.

As fibroids grow, one's yoga practice should be changed to accommodate them. Women with large, heavy fibroids should approach yoga as if they were pregnant. For them, supported poses like Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose), Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), and Salamba Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Supported Bridge Pose) can be of great benefit.

There are women who live with fibroids and are content, those who live with them but are not content, and those who choose surgery. Practice your yoga with the guidance of your inner teacher—she will lead you to your right path.

Jaki Nett is a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor in St. Helena, California, and a faculty member of the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco. She teaches public classes in the San Francisco Bay Area and leads workshops in the United States and Europe, including specialty workshops on female issues.


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Reader Comments

lisa

I have large uterine fibroids on my left side and have found some poses to actually make them feel worse. I get sharp pains moving in and out of Virabradasana 1. Sadly, the more I practise yoga the worse the pain gets! I have a fairly strong practice, and used to practice 5-6 times a week. I now practice 3-4 times a week because I feel I need the time for the pain to subside before practicing again. I would love to hear which poses to avoid doing, and which can be therapeutic for the fibroids. Thank you! love_lisah@hotmail.com

yoko

I have a very large fiboids on my left side. I used to do lots of aerobics type of workout but switched to yoga 2 months ago simply because I've committed to healing myself. Surgery is not my option and I am working to diminish my fibroids through diet and yoga. If anyone can assist me in letting me know the yoga poses that would help my fibroids, I would very much appreciate it. YokoFukuda85@hotmail.com

Dale

I have very large fibroids [without symptoms] and have continued my yoga practice for eight years, avoiding any cobra postures when they feel tender. However, I read once where yoga may actually encourage fibroid growth because of it's healing benefits to internal organs. I would like to hear some thoughts on this theory. Thank you Yoga Journal editors and readers. missdmk@aol.com

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