Is it ok to use a Mooncup in upside down postures?

This is a question we get asked more often than you might imagine. As the Mooncup collects the menstrual blood rather than absorbing it, many of you want to know what happens to it when you turn upside down (or adopt an ‘inverted posture‘- raising your pelvis above your upper body) or lie down.

You might not think you’re in the habit of turning upside down but if you do yoga, pilates or gymnastics, for example, then you probably do it fairly regularly.

The debate over inverted postures in menstruation

However, there is an ongoing debate about whether you should adopt any inverted postures during menstruation. For example, some believe that shoulder stands in yoga help to relieve period pain. Others say you should not do this posture when menstruating because of the potential for retrograde flow (back flow).

The concerns are about staying in inverted postures for quite a long time, and even then the retrograde theory is just that, a theory, it has not been shown to be true. In the end, it’s a personal decision based on your opinion. Read more in this interesting article by the Yoga Journal’s medical editor.