Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting millions of women worldwide, often causing severe pain, fatigue, and disruptions to daily life. While medical treatments like surgery and hormone therapy are common, many women are considering yoga to help manage pain, inflammation, and stress. We spoke with Sarah Manning, a yoga therapist with over 30 years of experience, to learn how yoga can support women in managing endometriosis more effectively.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Have you ever wondered if there’s a natural way to manage chronic pain?
Yoga therapy adapts traditional yoga to support specific health conditions. Unlike general yoga classes at a gym, yoga therapy offers a personalised approach, targeting pain, mobility, and stress relief.
“When you experience persistent pain—whether it’s in your back, joints, or pelvis—yoga therapy helps in multiple ways,” explains Sarah. “Gentle stretches improve mobility, specific poses strengthen muscles, and breathing techniques calm the nervous system, making pain more manageable.”
Sarah’s training in yoga therapy is rooted in science. “The yoga therapy I trained in began in a Bangalore ashram, where a former NASA scientist and a Glasgow-trained doctor worked together to prove yoga’s benefits. They published a study in 1984 that showed how yoga movements, breathing, and mindfulness improved asthma symptoms. This was one of the first scientific studies confirming yoga’s impact on chronic conditions.”
Studies show that women with endometriosis who practice yoga experience reduced pain, stress, and reliance on medication.
According to Sarah, yoga is more than just physical movement—it integrates the body, mind, and spirit.
“Ancient yogic texts describe five interconnected layers of the human experience, known as koshas. Each layer affects our overall health. When we address all five layers together, healing becomes more effective and holistic,” she explains.
How Yoga Therapy Works
From a Chinese medical perspective, endometriosis is linked to blocked energy in the body. Sarah explains that a sedentary lifestyle—sitting for long hours at school, college, and work—can cause stagnation in blood and lymph flow and the body’s energy system.
“Acupuncture clears these blockages, but movement is just as important,” she says.
“The first step is relaxation. We tune into how the body feels, soften muscle tension, and explore the edges of pain,” Sarah explains.
However, true relief comes from gentle, repetitive movements done daily. Simple exercises—like pelvic tilts on hands and knees or belly dancing—help improve circulation, clear lymph congestion, and restore energy flow.
5 Yoga Practices to Support Endometriosis
Sarah prefers to work on all five layers of yoga simultaneously rather than focusing on just one at a time.
“In my classes, I’ll combine physical movement with breath control, energy flow, emotional awareness, and intuition. This holistic approach goes beyond simple stretching. It helps my students shift their mindset, balance their emotions, and deepen their connection to themselves,’ she explains.
1. The Physical Layer (Annamaya Kosha)
This layer includes the body’s muscles, bones, and organs. Specific yoga practices can help ease pain, improve circulation, and release pelvic tension.
- Restorative Poses: Poses like Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani) promote deep relaxation, release tension, and reduce subconscious muscle bracing.
- Gentle Movements: Simple motions like hip circles, pelvic tilts, and cat-cow stretches- boost blood and lymph flow, preventing stagnation.
- Yin Yoga: Holding poses for several minutes enhances connective tissue flexibility, reducing adhesions (bands of scar tissues) caused by endometriosis. Like acupuncture, Yin Yoga applies gentle pressure along energy pathways or meridians, promoting healing.
2. The Energetic Layer (Pranamaya Kosha)
This layer represents the body’s energy system-“prana” in yoga and “qi” in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Balanced energy flow is essential for overall health.
- Breathing Techniques (Pranayama): Practices like Alternate Nostril Breathing and Three-Part Breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system’s “rest and heal,” reducing stress hormones and improving oxygenation.
- Qigong (Mindful Movement): Slow, flowing movements synchronized with breath help clear energy blockages and make breathwork easier to integrate into daily life.
3. The Emotional Layer (Manomaya Kosha)
Stress and anxiety can worsen endometriosis symptoms by increasing inflammation and disrupting hormone balance. Managing emotions is key to reducing pain.
- Meditation & Mindfulness: Body scans and guided visualizations help release emotional tension and redirect healing energy.
- Heart-Opening Poses: These postures help process emotions tied to grief (Lung meridian), anger (Liver meridian), and fear (Kidney meridian).
- Yoga Nidra, or Yogic Sleep: A deep relaxation technique that helps to reset the nervous system, enhance mental clarity, and reduce chronic pain.
4. The Intellectual Layer (Vijnanamaya Kosha)
This layer involves self-awareness, learning, and personal insight to better understand endometriosis holistically.
- Self-Inquiry & Reflection: Journaling helps identify stress-related thought patterns contributing to pain.
- Education on Endometriosis: Learning about the condition from a mind-body perspective encourages proactive pain management.
- Personalised Yoga Practice: Instead of following a strict routine, tuning into your body’s needs daily fosters intuitive self-care.
5. The Spiritual Layer (Anandamaya Kosha)
This is the deepest layer of inner peace, trust, and connection beyond oneself.
- Surrender & Trust: Chronic pain often causes a disconnect from the body. Rebuilding trust in the body’s ability to heal takes time and guidance.
- Nature & Gratitude: Spending time outdoors, practicing gratitude, or engaging in spiritual rituals cultivates balance and joy.
- Community & Support: Joining yoga classes or support groups fosters a sense of belonging and shared experience.
Create a Personalised Yoga Therapy Plan
Sarah suggests these steps for women managing endometriosis:
1.Daily Gentle Movement – Just 10-15 minutes of movement can ease pelvic tension.
2.Restorative & Yin Yoga – Regular deep relaxation practices to release chronic tension.
3.Breathwork & Meditation – A consistent practice to calm the nervous system and reduce stress.
4.Emotional Processing – Journaling, therapy, or self-reflection to address emotional factors.
5.Lifestyle Adjustments – Prioritising nutrition, hydration, sleep, and time in nature for overall well-being.
Managing endometriosis with yoga requires patience, consistency, and self-compassion. By addressing all five layers, yoga therapy offers a natural approach beyond symptom relief, fostering deep healing and a renewed connection to the body.
Before starting a new yoga practice, consult your doctor and work with a yoga therapist experienced in chronic conditions. Yoga works best alongside medical treatment, proper nutrition, and rest.
Want to learn more about managing endometriosis with yoga? Contact Sarah Manning from Thrive Journey.
