menopause. However, if menarche is delayed beyond the age of sixteen then a girl can be considered to have clinical amenorrhoea. In a previously menstruating woman, amenorrhoea is diagnosed only after an absence of menstruation for 6 months. To me, this seems an extremely generous time to allow the female body to cease one of its most fundamental functions. Once, when I was 28 years old with 2 children, I missed 3 periods in a row without being pregnant. I deduced that this was most probably due to the intense stress in my life at that time. I was concerned enough at that stage to take serious action to get myself back on track using herbs, relaxation and a big life style change. Within a month my cycle was back to normal.
   The most likely physical causes are: hormonal disruption arising from using the pill, extremely poor diet, high stress or emotional shock, and prolonged excessive exercise or sport, weight loss. Endometriosis (see following) can also be a cause. Psychological factors inhibiting ovulation and menstruation could be aversion to the menses, fear of pregnancy, haemophobia (fear of bleeding), not wanting to grow up.
   The best solution to amenorrhoea is a program of natural fertility awareness, a complete dietary overhaul, stress management, all in combination with a specifically prescribed yoga program. See Prescriptive Yoga Program – “Amenorrhoea (Absence of Periods)”, on page 2010.

	~Endometriosis~

   This disease occurs when the endometrium, the lining of the uterus that is normally discharged each cycle through the vagina, migrates via the fallopian tubes up into the abdominal cavity and attaches itself to some parts of the outside of the reproductive system. The main symptoms are heavy bleeding and pain before or at the beginning of menstruation, but some women have little or no symptoms at all. Extreme cases will cause Amenorrhoea (see above) and infertility.
   Endometriosis typically begins in the teen years but is often not diagnosed for many years due to ignorance or possibly misdiagnosis. Many young women simply put up with bad pain during menstruation because they think that that is the way it is. All the more reason for us as mothers to help our daughters understand their bodies, help to keep them healthy and active, and to be investigative of what menstrual pain

  
really means.  
   Proper diagnosis of endometriosis is done by laparoscopy (key-hole surgery). The physical causes are still not clearly understood. Some doctors are now postulating that the cramping of the uterus in common dysmenorrhoea may be what forces the endometrium up the fallopian tubes and into the abdominal cavity in the first place. Therefore it makes good sense to address dysmenorrhoea as early as possible. Treatment is usually a combination of laser surgery to cauterise the bonded sites, plus drugs to suppress ovulation and menstruation. Women with mild endometriosis are often encouraged to become pregnant to stop ovulation and menstruation for some time, but the Catch-22 situation is that sufferers often have difficulty becoming pregnant.
   Once endometriosis is diagnosed, medical treatment should be undertaken. Endometriosis also responds to herbal remedies. Yoga practices can then work in conjunction with the medical treatment to help heal the body and the mind. A major side effect of endometriosis is lack of energy, a symptom that yoga is very effective in addressing. See Prescriptive Yoga Program – “Endometriosis” on page 2014.

	~Cervical Erosion~

   Cervical Erosion is a cellular change which damages the mucus secreting crypts on the cervix. Due to the normal ageing process, as well as the after effects of human papilloma virus (genital wart virus), the mucus secreting glands break down and either secrete too much mucus (leucorrhoea) or stop secreting mucus to any detectable level. Both these outcomes make detection of fertility changes very tricky. Cervical erosion may be an indication of pre-cancerous cellular changes and can be detected during routine pap-smears. If persistent, or coupled with other cellular changes, follow up examination and treatment may be necessary. Early detection and treatment are important as CE can cause conception difficulties, especially where there is a low sperm count or poor sperm motility in the man.
   The most appropriate yoga practices for cervical erosion are the same as for leucorrhoea, with added attention to general reproductive hygiene and diet. As with any mild but chronic ailment, stress can aggravate the condition, indicating relaxation as an important part of the treatment. For specific practices see Prescriptive Yoga Program – ”Leucorrhoea”, page 2016.