Hers
It's been one of those days - just before your big meeting you found a run in your expensive new stockings. Your assistant misplaced the files you needed for tomorrow's deadline (or maybe you're the assistant who misplaced them). Now the man in your life just called to cancel your dinner plans - a new client suddenly arrived in town. You broke a nail hanging up on him. You don't know whether to scream or cry... and then you look at the calendar. It's two days before that time of the month. Normally you can coolly handle a myriad of small stresses but when you've got PMS all reason flies out the window. You feel bloated and uncomfortable and woe to anyone who crosses your path. But before you reach for that Hershey's chocolate bar - wait! Yoga has a solution for you.

Not every woman suffers from PMS, but those who do know how disruptive it can be. Fortunately, your hormones don't have to drive you crazy for a few days every month. There are many solutions for PMS - various herbs and supplements, or any form of cardio activity, for example. Yoga is a great means of alleviating those wretched feelings caused by PMS. Those of you who practice yoga on a frequent, regular basis probably already know this. If it's only something you do now and again, try it several times the week before menstruation (that is, if you have no medical conditions precluding yoga practice). You really do have everything to gain, and you may be surprised at how much better it makes you feel.

If PMS has you feeling physically off-kilter and you're not in the mood for any sort of physical activity whatsoever - head for a yoga class anyway! But if you're really uncomfortable, keep it low key. This may not be the time to dive into Ploughs and Headstands if they're still challenging to you. Even advanced yoga practitioners can benefit from a gentle yoga class at this time of the month. And this is an especially good time to focus on your breathing technique - few things can calm you down better than getting quiet and practicing some ujjayi breaths (inhaling slowly and deeply through the back of your throat, mouth closed, creating an echo-y sound). In their attempts to perfect their asanas, people sometimes forget to breathe properly, and that's really the whole key to yoga.

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