Normally, during our periods we despise our bodies for putting us through a painful, messy cycle, and we mask it with over the counter pain medication (the advils and tylenols of the world) and pints of ice cream (did somebody say Ben & Jerry’s non-Dairy?).
While this may be your natural inclination, rather than suppressing your symptoms with temporary fixes, try and use your time of the month to work with your body and soothe it, naturally. How you ask? YOGA. We know it sounds daunting since most ladies, flutter family included, would prefer to lay in bed, watch Netflix, and eat dove chocolate bars all day, we promise these poses can clear your mind, alleviate those awful period pains, and connect you with your body as opposed to rejecting it. Here are our #FlutterApproved poses to calm your monthly visitor down and make her go with the flow (pun intended):
CAMEL POSE
Improves posture and stretches the deep hip flexors while awaking the body. Yoga fun fact: camel is also known as the “heart opening” pose and increases breathing capacity, helping to relieve both anxiety and fatigue.
PIGEON POSE
Opens hips and stretches hamstrings one side at a time. Beginner’s tip: modify by keeping your back leg on the ground.
DOWN DOG
Soothes pains, improves digestion, energizes the body, stretches and strengthens the body. Beginner’s tip: if you have difficulty releasing and opening your shoulders, instead of keeping your hands on the floor, place them on yoga blocks.
LEGS UP THE WALL
Relieves backaches and cramped legs/feeties. Soothes the mind and body. Speak the language: Legs up the wall in sanskrit is viparita karani (vip-par-ee-tah car-AHN-ee).
SEATED FORWARD BEND
Stretches the hamstrings and back, alleviates period pains, and soothes headaches. Advanced variation: place a block against the soles of your feet and grip its sides with your hands.
CHILD’S POSE
Soothes cramps in the lower back region and relaxes the body. Speak the language: child’s pose in sanskrit is balasana (bah-LAHS-anna).
LOTUS POSE
Opens hips, stimulates the pelvis, abs, and back, and relieves pains. Try it: meditate in this pose for 5 minutes using a simple, yet powerful mantra like “inhale, exhale.”
FULL WHEEL
Relieves menstrual discomfort while simultaneously stretching your back, chest, and neck. Advanced variation: come up to stand from wheel and then drop back from a standing position into wheel (when first attempting this, walk your hands up or down a wall).
WRAP IT UP
So next time you are reaching for that bottle of Midol, STOP yourself and TRY one or all (go for it) of these poses. Remember, your yoga practice is for you! No one is judging you when you are moving through these poses. So if you feel silly, don’t fret. Just think about your breath and your body, and we promise you will feel relief.
Any other poses we should highlight? We LOVE feedback. Shoot us an email at [email protected] to feature your pose suggestions.
Photos shot in Soho, NYC by Stevi Sesin with Amanda Usher. Model Kate Usher.
The PMS Mixtape Volume 1
There are variety of moods one goes through when experiencing PMS - sad, angry, tired and vulnerable, just to name a few. So we’ve decided to create some playlists to match how you may be feeling. Yes, it’s The PMS Mixtape!
Instead of going with anything obvious like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” this first mix is a much more subtle collection of soothing female vocals, starting off with Jenny Hval’s beautiful ambient musings on menstruation. The vibe is tranquilo, Spanish for “Take it easy,” so put it on when you want to chill things out a bit.
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| Prep Time | 30 min |
| Servings |
bites
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Ingredients
- 1 cup cup dried apricots
- 2 tsp water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup ground pistachio
Ingredients
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Instructions
- In the food processor, add the dried apricot and blend on high until a ball forms.
- Add the water.
- Blend again. You will see the apricot paste start sticking to the sides.
- Using a spatula, transfer the apricot paste into a medium sized bowl. Add the coconut flakes to the bowl and mix until it becomes more uniform.
- In a separate small bowl, add the crushed pistachio.
- Using your hands, take some of the apricot mix and roll it in your palms until it forms a sphere. Make them as big or small as you like but try to keep them similar in size.
- Take each sphere and roll it in the pistachios until is coated from the outside.
- Place in a bowl and enjoy!
| Cook Time | 30 min |
| Passive Time | 30 min |
| Servings |
oatmeal triangles
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Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups almond milk (or substitute nut/rice/soy milk)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Toppings:
- maple syrup
- strawberries (optional)
- walnuts (optional)
- shredded coconut (optional)
Ingredients
Toppings:
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|
Instructions
- In a medium pot, with a heavy bottom, add the water and the almond milk and bring it to a boil.
- Turn down the heat so the liquid is simmering, and add the oats, sea salt and cinnamon. Cover.
- Take an 8 inch square pan and line with parchment. Set aside for when the oats are done.
- Cook the oats for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally during the first 20 min. In the last 10 minutes you have to stir constantly so it doesn’t stick to the pot and it gets creamy.
- As soon as they are done, pour the oats into the parchment lined pan. Level it out evenly using a spoon.
- Cool for 30 minutes on the counter. Then pop in the fridge for another 30 minutes. This will allow the oatmeal to firm up and set.
- Lift the parchment out of the pan carefully and set on a cutting board. With a large smooth knife, cut into four squares, then cut those squares into triangles.
- Heat a large pan with the olive oil, once hot, add the triangles. Don’t crowd the pan and work in batches if needed.
- Cook each oatmeal triangle for 3-4 minutes per side until browned.
- Add to a serving platter and sprinkle on the strawberries, coconut & walnuts. Drizzle the maple syrup on top and enjoy while still warm.
| Servings |
skewers
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Ingredients
- 8 cups cauliflower florets (around half a cauliflower head)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 6 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro (packed)
- 2 tablespoons lime
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- salt to taste
Ingredients
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|
Instructions
- Cut the cauliflower into florets big enough to skewer.
- In a big bowl add the garlic powder, turmeric, oil and salt. Mix well.
- Add the florets to the marinade and mix well. Make sure all the florets are coated.
- Add 4-5 florets per skewer.
- To make the sauce, add the cilantro, lime, tahini and a pinch of salt to the food processor. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Heat the grill on high, and then add the skewers. Cook the cauliflower on medium heat 4-6 minutes per side.
- When done, add the skewers to a serving platter and drizzle some of the sauce lightly over using a spoon. Save the rest to serve for dipping.
Recipe Notes
If using bamboo skewers, soak them for half an hour before use so they don’t burn on the grill.
If you want to grill them inside, use a griddle or pan and add some sesame oil to prevent sticking.
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| Prep Time | 30 min |
| Cook Time | 50 min |
| Servings |
people
|
Ingredients
- 1 beet medium or large
- 1 tsp olive oil (to rub the beet with)
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2 cans chickpeas (3 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water (to be used as needed)
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wash the beets, rub with olive oil and wrap loosely but securely (so the steam doesn’t escape) in tin foil. Place in a pan in the oven and bake for around 50 min or until the beets are tender. You can gauge the doneness by sticking a fork in the beet (through the foil). If the fork goes in easily, they are done. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
- After they cool, using a knife, peel and discard the outside skin, and cut the beet into cubes.
- If you are using canned chickpeas, put them in a colander or strainer and wash them well. Make sure they are well drained.
- Place the garlic in the food processor and pulse until it is ground up. Then add the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Let the processor run for a few minutes. Occasionally, push down the chickpeas from the edges to make sure it all gets processed. This is the point to gauge how thick or loose you want the hummus. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time and let the processor run, check the consistency, and adjust with more water as needed. Once it is the consistency you like, let the processor run for a few more minutes to make it as smooth as possible.
- Finally, add the cubed beets to the food processor and blend until it is smooth again.
Recipe Notes
Even though the recipe calls for one beet, make as many as you like and reserve for Greek salads, or snacking. Add more beets to increase the flavor as you like.
We recommend adding a variety of thinly sliced vegetables instead of chips or crackers for a healthy snack.