Yoga For Premenstrual Lower Back Pain, & Other PMS Symptoms
By Chris Lalor, Certified Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Certified Yoga Therapist, and Dr Stuart McGill, Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Darwin
In short: This page is a picture guide to yoga poses for the days before a period, with a restorative sequence and a standing sequence. Many women find these poses help with premenstrual lower back pain and other premenstrual symptoms. If you are very tired, skip the standing poses marked with a double asterisk and do the lying poses.
Last updated: 25 October 2026
Premenstrual fatigue, bloating, sore breasts, headaches, mood swings, insomnia, tension?
Try best of the natural remedies for premenstrual tension, & the other symptoms
Including a natural premenstrual insomnia treatment
Want to ease premenstrual lower back pain, PMT, premenstrual tension, or any of the other premenstrual symptoms? Try the best of the natural remedies for premenstrual tension, plus a top natural premenstrual insomnia treatment.
Here’s why and how you can do a range of easy yoga poses that may bring you some relief.
Every woman experiences  different symptoms leading up to menstruation.
At that stage of my life, before I started yoga, my menstrual symptoms were severe. Once I started regular yoga, they largely disappeared. For the wider picture on back pain, see yoga for back pain, including what the research says and Raj’s story.
The length of time for the premenstrual stage can vary. The severity of symptoms can also vary.
At this time, some women feel physically exhausted. Other women feel mentally and emotionally out of balance.
Lower back pain is an issue for many women during this time of the month. Many women find the sequences below help ease back pain.
Restorative and standing yoga sequences
There are two parts to the sequence of yoga poses below.
One part can be done as a restorative sequence. It will help address issues around fatigue, bloating, sore breasts, headaches, mood swings, insomnia, tension, and irritability.
The other sequence has standing poses along with restorative poses. The standing poses will help to keep the mind quiet, as well as feel “grounded” when feeling agitated.
The milder standing poses also help premenstrual-lower-back-pain.
When unable to settle and find quietness, just do the supine (lying) poses, and forward bends. This will help shift blood into the pelvic area. It will also help with stiffness in the hips. The supports used will also help  to keep the abdomen in a soft state.
These natural remedies for premenstrual tension hep in perimenopause too
Below, I’m giving you pictures of poses, with a short comment on the uses or benefits of each pose.
Both of these sequences (restorative, and more active standing poses) may also bring relief for women who are dealing with issues around perimenopause. Often as women move towards perimenopause, premenopausal symptoms worsen.
All poses are for premenstruation. Where they also help perimenopause or other situations, I have added a comment to that effect.
Reclining Poses
     Supine Bound angle pose.
2 FREE Beginner Yoga Classes & 10 HALF Off | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio
NON-Beginner HALF Price 10 Packs | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio
This pose helps relieve congestion in the pelvic area, helps with premenstrual cramps, opens the chest area, quietens the mind and calms the nerves.
Supine fish Pose
Helps opens the hip joints; reduce pelvic pain. Helps with fluid retention in the legs. Calms the mind, & quietens your nerves. Opens the chest area so it uplifts your spirits. Hold 2-3 mins each side.
Helps bloating, soreness in breasts. Very good to bring flexibility in hip joints and pelvis. Tones abdominal muscles and pelvic organs. Hold 2-3 mins each side.
 An alternative:
Supine cross leg pose
Premenstruation & Menstruation. Helps opens the hip joints; reduce pelvic pain. Helps with fluid retention in the legs. Calms the mind, & quietens your nerves. Opens the chest area so it uplifts your spirits.
Reclining Hero Pose
This pose also helps reduce premenstrual abdominal discomfort, and helps  the nervous system relax. In addition, it releases deep inner  groin muscles and opens the front of the hips. It also allows the abdomen to soften and helps the diaphragm relax.  When feeling tired it provides rest and rejuvenation.
Forward Childs Pose.
Relaxes back muscles, Help with backspin, bloating, flatulence. Aids hip flexibility. Soothes nerves & quietens mind, helping with mood swings & irritability. Hold  2- 3-mins.
               Lying down big toe 2 pose
This pose helps relieve lower back pain. It also helps relieve pelvic congestion and general discomfort in the pelvic region.
Downward Facing Dog Pose
For premenstruation  (when feeling tired or stressed). Stretches spine / releases tension in neck and shoulders, restores energy, increases circulation around breasts , helps with constipation, helps with headaches and helps supply to glands (head and throat) Hold 2-3 mins.
If feeling very tired skip the following standing poses
If you are very tired, the standing poses below, that have a double asterisk in the caption underneath them, can be skipped.
**Mountain pose
Creates physical and emotional steadiness. Tones inner thighs. Alignment also helps premenstrual-lower-back-pain.
2 FREE Beginner Yoga Classes & 10 HALF Off | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio
NON-Beginner HALF Price 10 Packs | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio
**Mountain pose-arms up
Creates physical and emotional steadiness. Lifts your spirits. Â Tones inner thighs. Also helps premenstrual lower back pain.
**Triangle Pose
Can help relieve back pain and menstrual cramps. Tones internal organs and helps digestion. Facing the wall allows organic body to soften. Quietens mind.
**Half moon pose-with block
Keeps hip joint open, improves circulation to abdominal organs. Can have foot supported to help lower back pain.
Wide angle standing pose with blocks.Â
Lengthens the spine. Improves circulation to abdominal organs. Helps relieve lower back pain and cramps, bloating.
Half angle with chair
Rests back body, relieves back ache, quietens mind. Softens abdomen, relieves fatigue. Can do this version if tired.
Uttanasana Concave yoga asana, or Intense Forward Standing pose.
Head lifted helps reduce abdominal tension & abdominal cramps. Spine is lengthened. Helps with backache. Nourishes glands in throat. Helps circulation in neck and shoulders.
**Wide Angle Standing Pose, concave.
Tones uterus. Tones inner thighs, legs, strengthens back.
**Wide Angle Standing pose.
Non-standing poses
Supported trunk. Relaxes the abdomen, improves circulation into ovaries and uterus. Helps with low backpain, bloating. Soothes nerves, quietens mind. Relieves Fatigue. This is an alternative version that can be done.
Helps recover from fatigue, Opens chest, lungs, helps with low mood and mood swings. Releases tension in diaphragm helps deepen breathing. Improves circulation in throat( thyroid glands), adrenal glands. Helps with PMT.
Head Stand.
Invigorates whole system. Helps circulation to glands in brain & throat. Quietens mind, helps mood swings, improves concentration, brings courage and emotional stability. In addition, practise different leg variations if able. Do Cross bolsters as an alternative.
Leg variations in headstand, or an alternative to headstand
Headstand-legs in cobbler pose.
Backbend in restorative style
Supported Backbend.
Milder backbend
Cross bolsters – alternative to headstand
Wide angle seated Forward bend
Lets abdomen soften and rest. Â Reduces abdominal pain, bloating and cramping. Tones pelvic area, & inner thighs. Helps with bladder issues. Opens hips, quietens mind & relieves backpain. Reduces irritability.
Shoulderstand…
Quietens mind. Soothes nerves and brings emotional steadiness. Nourishes and balances thyroid and parathyroid in throat. Helps with constipation.
                               Supported Bridge pose.
Both premenstruation & menstruation. Revitalizing Relaxing. Tones kidneys, adrenal glands opens chest. Also soothes nerves. Reduces mood swings. Helps with headaches. Aids sleep.
Forward bends
All forward quieten the mind. For this reason, they are important for premenstrual insomnia treatment. Or for sleep issues and tension from any other cause.
                Cross legs Forward
For both premenstruation & menstruation. Quietens nerves. Relaxes back muscles, helps constipation, abdominal bloating, high blood pressure.
Cross leg seated twist-to side.
Bent knee forward bend with chair.
For both premenstruation & menstruation. Quietens nerves. Relaxes back muscles, helps constipation, abdominal bloating, menstrual cramps high blood pressure.
Relaxation to finish
The pose immediately below, so-called Legs Up The Wall, is my favourite for premenstrual insomnia treatment, or for anyone with sleep or tension issues.
Waterfall pose. Especially good for premenstrual insomnia treatmentÂ
Quietens mind. Drains lymphatic fluid for whole body, Improves circulation, helps with inflammation, hormonal balance, bloating , mood swings, sleep, anxiety.
Corpse pose
Rests body, helps reduce backpain, quietens mind, relieves fatigue, helps with moodiness & irritability.
Relief of premenstrual-lower-back-pain, & much more
I found that before my period started, and before yoga, I was like a bear with a sore head!
Over time, I suffered the full gamut of common premenstrual symptoms I’ve mentioned, including fatigue, premenstrual-lower-back-pain, bloating, sore breasts, headaches, mood swings, insomnia, tension, and irritability.
For me, yoga greatly eased these symptoms.
Fortunately, I started yoga before perimenopause, because these symptoms get worse at that stage of a woman’s life.
So I hope you find this extended set of yoga poses for premenstrual symptoms useful.
We also do many of these in the  restorative yoga classes.
These natural remedies for premenstrual tension changed my life forever.
Give yoga… which studies suggest may help with over 100 conditions… a big, or bigger, role in your life.
And if you’re new to yoga, beginner level yoga can also be started at any time. Learn more about our beginner yoga deals.
Last, here’s another blog post and video on yoga poses for period pain.
Premenstrual lower back pain and yoga: common questions
Which yoga poses suit premenstrual lower back pain?
This page shows two sequences. One is restorative, with lying poses and forward bends. The other has standing poses along with restorative poses. Poses such as Lying down big toe 2, Half angle with a chair and Corpse pose are described as helping with lower back pain.
What if I am very tired before my period?
If you are very tired, skip the standing poses marked with a double asterisk. When you cannot settle and find quietness, just do the supine (lying) poses and forward bends.
Which pose is best for premenstrual insomnia?
Chris Lalor’s favourite for premenstrual insomnia is Legs Up The Wall, also called Waterfall pose. Forward bends quieten the mind too, which is why they are important for sleep issues and tension.
How long do I hold the lying poses?
The page suggests holding several of the lying poses for 2 to 3 minutes. Each pose has a short comment on its use.
