~Teenage Fertility Hassles~

   Kate was a yoga student of mine whom I came to know very well over a number of years as she grew from teenager to young woman. An intelligent, artistic, yet physically and emotionally immature girl, her story struck me as typical of so many teenagers who, confidently believing she had already learned everything she needed to know about her sexuality, started to realise through yoga and real life events, that she really knew very little about herself.
   Kate’s story is possibly familiar to many of us in some way or another. The discomfort and irregularity of menstruation is simply endured because that’s the way it is, right? And who needs to think about ovulation anyway when so young? But the reality is that menstruation and ovulation go hand in hand, and since they are each a part of the one whole cycle, understanding all of that cycle is fundamental to good sexual health, whether sexually active or not. As Kate and many other young students have discovered, many common

teenage menstrual problems respond well to yoga and meditation practices. Other than the specific programs for particular ailments, the programs most suited to the general reproduc-tive health of young women are listed in Chapter 9 – “General Women’s Health”, page 2009.
   Ideally, children should begin yoga in their pre-pubescent years. Firstly they are taught Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutations), Nadi Shodhan Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing) and Mantra Japa Meditation. The combination of these 3 practices firstly ensures that the onset of puberty is not premature by normalising the awakening of the pituitary function. Once puberty begins, yoga ensures that the hormonal changes are gradual and in balance with the child’s emotional maturity. In addition, the body is kept supple and its mental and physical energies are kept balanced – which is very important for young women who nowadays spend a lot of time focussed on their studies. Yoga and meditation at an early age also instils an appreciation of introspection and self awareness, leaving a deeply positive legacy for adult life.

“Kate’s Story – A Hard Lesson”
 

     “Prior to learning yoga and the natural fertility awareness methods, my overall awareness of my reproductive system was quite low. Sure, I knew all the scientific stuff, such as what each part is called and its function, but I had never given any thought to how my reproductive system, or the rest of my body for that matter, worked as a whole. Nor had I ever taken into account such things as the affect my cycle had on other areas of my being.
     My mother was very secretive about such matters, and we fought a lot all through puberty and my teenage years. I got all my information about reproductive health from friends, magazines and high school biology classes. Due to my lack of body awareness, being in my head studying a lot of the time, my disinterest in sex, and my attitude to periods as being a hassle, my cycle had become a complete mess. My periods had slowed down to one every 2 months. I was actually quite proud of this! With each one I had greater and greater discomfort such that I began to dread menstruation as a time of debilitating pain. Being a virgin, and not considering sex for some time, in all the early years of menstruation I never gave a thought to when I was fertile.
     I took up yoga in a search for “something more”, not thinking it would have such effects on my whole life. After doing the yoga classes for about 4 months, my emotions, body and mind had started to improve. I certainly became more flexible in the pelvic area, more relaxed in the mind, more even in emotional ups and downs,all of which helped in improving my cycle. My periods came down to about 5 weeks with