breathe · all techniques

Breathing Exercises for Period Pain

Pain relief on the hard days, steadiness through the rest.

Before you start

Breathing eases cramp pain for many people, but severe or worsening period pain is worth investigating - it is not something to breathe through indefinitely.

Techniques that are unsafe for this stage are filtered out of this page entirely, rather than listed with a warning. This is general information, not medical advice.

Daily practice

• 4-7-8 Relaxing — Deep relaxation. Inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8.
• Bhramari (Humming Bee) — Hum on a long exhale. The vibration quiets a racing mind.
• Wind-Down Ladder — Long exhales with a soft pause - a gentle descent into sleep.
• Paced Cooling Breath — Six breaths a minute - the paced breathing studied for hot flushes.

In the moment

• Cramp-Ease Breath — Slow breathing into the low belly to take the edge off period pain.

Afterwards

• Calming Breath — Extended exhale activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
• Sitali (Cooling Breath) — Inhale through a curled tongue to cool body and temper.

Other stages

Breathing Exercises for Pregnancy · Postpartum Breathing Exercises · Breathing Exercises for PCOS · Breathing Exercises for Menopause and Hot Flushes