A woman undergoes various hormonal changes during the period of puberty and becomes a complete woman. The period of her fertility is normally between the ages of thirteen years to about forty-five or fifty years. There are various changes in the body during this span and require immense muscular and organic strength. The onset of puberty is marked by beginning of the menstrual cycle. This is a period of rapid physical and emotional changes and the girls need a lot of support and understanding during this time. Then comes the period of adulthood, which is a time of turmoil because of the swift changes that happen at the social, emotional and mental platforms during a relatively short duration of time. This is also a stage when she bears her offsprings. Pregnancy and child birth are very strenuous tasks and require tremendous physical and emotional strength. Then the last and final stage of hormonal changes happens and the woman finally comes out of her fertility period. This is the stage of menopause and is again marked by incredible hormonal changes.

Pregnancy Yoga

There are various difficulties experienced by women during the time of menstruation. Mainly these can be categorised as pre menstrual syndrome (PMS) and dysmenorrhoea or painful periods. PMS is characterised by symptoms of irritability, depression, uncomfortable sleeping patterns, forgetfulness, pain in abdomen and back and headaches or even severe attacks of migraine. This can begin about two weeks prior to the menstrual cycle in severe cases. Generally most women feel the PMS at least one week in advance of the menstrual cycle. Most of the healthy women have a twenty-eight day cycle. This means every month there are about two to three weeks of time simply goes in the cycle of PMS and periods for most part of the life. If the woman has dysmenorrhoea it can be an additional burden as it is characterised by mild to strong cramps in the abdomen and back and legs. This can be quite a harrowing experience. Yoga can be extremely helpful in relieving the symptoms of PMS without usage of additional drugs, which invariably have some side effects or the other. There are various yoga asanas and pranayama exercises that can be done to improve these conditions. Most of the yogic asanas can be done by men and women both, until it is specifically mentioned for some genders not to attempt them. Sukhasana, Parvatasana, Dhanurasana, Matsyasana, Bhujangasana, Pavanmuktasana are some yoga asanas that are very helpful in relieving the situation of PMS. It is generally advised not to practice yoga for the initial three to four days of the periods.

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful stages of a woman's life when she bears her offspring. This is something that only a woman can do. It is not just a beautiful and unique feeling but gives a sense of unsurpassed accomplishment that remains unmatched. But the stage of pregnancy can also be ridden by various difficulties for many women. Some regular problems are lower back pain and morning sickness accompanied by curious cravings. But the more intense complications that arise can be deeply disturbing and even injurious to the unborn child. High blood pressure, liver dysfunction, constipation, asthma and sexually transmitted diseases can pose serious life threatening situations to the growth and development of the child. There are many yogic practices that can be done in the stages of pregnancy to prevent various situations. There are many yoga asanas that give internal exercise and promote muscle development so that the labour and delivery is eased out. Practicing certain yoga during pregnancy like Parvatasana, Sukhasana, Konasana, Pashmittonasana is very helpful during pregnancy. Practice of Dwipad Bhujasana can ease out situations of frequent miscarriages. Practice of Tadasana can ease out the process of labour and delivery and can benefit the pregnant woman tremendously. Also practice of pranayama keeps the vital prana in control and help in proper growth and development of the child. But it is advisable to take help from a guru if possible before attempting asanas and pranayama. If not then proper study in the subject is required to understand its ramifications during pregnancy. As a general rule it should be kept in mind that none of the yogic practices should be done with an aim to compete with anyone, leave alone with one's own self. In addition the practice of meditation and yoga nidra can be extremely beneficial to the pregnant ladies. Reducing excess weight after pregnancy to restore an attractive body image is also very necessary. For this the section on Obesity can be referred.

The last stage of the fertility span is when the woman goes through a phase where her menstruation cycle becomes irregular and finally stops. This is called the stage of menopause. This is characterised by changes in the levels of female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. It is a situation which is completely natural and happens to all women. It is necessary to understand that the life continues even after the stoppage of menstrual cycle. Many women undergo a lot of emotional changes and feelings of depression and worthlessness during menopause. There are many physical changes like vaginal dryness, drop in sexual desire, irritability, pain in back and abdomen, urinary problems, palpitations and hot flashes. These can be effectively handled with the practice of yoga asanas, pranayama, yoga nidra and meditation. Some of the helpful asanas are Sukhasana, Pada Hastanasana, Tadasana, Trikonasana, Sukhasana, Shirshasana, Nabhiyasana, Matsyasana and others. The practice of meditation can help a woman find her purpose in life for better explorations of her potential. Yoga nidra can give her complete relaxation.