Soothe Your Cramps and Release PMS Pain With This Peaceful Pelvic Floor Yoga Sequence

"This pose will make your abdominal muscles contract and helps to manage stress," Dr. Bartos said. "It also lengthens the spine and can help release those pelvic muscles that are spasming during your period."

• Kneel on your mat with your knees hips-width distance apart, and your big toes touching behind you. Take a deep breath in and, as you exhale, lie your torso over your thighs. Try to lengthen your neck and spine by drawing your ribs away from your tailbone and the crown of your head away from your shoulders.
• Rest your arms beside your legs, with palms facing up, or try extending your arms out in front of you.
• Stay here for five breaths.

Cat-Cow helps to contract your pelvic floor muscles, Dr. Bartos explained, "so you're actually giving your uterus a little bit of a helping hand." This pose is wonderful for releasing that pressure all through your midsection and back.

• Begin with your hands and knees on the floor. Make sure your knees are under your hips and your wrists are under your shoulders. Begin in a neutral spine position, with your back flat and your abs engaged. Take a big, deep inhale.
• On the exhale, round your spine up toward the ceiling, and imagine you're pulling your belly button up toward your spine, really engageing your abs. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and let your neck release. This is your cat-like shape.
• On your inhale, arch your back, let your belly relax, and go loose. Lift your head and tailbone up toward the sky — without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck. This is the Cow portion of the pose.
• Continue flowing back and forth from Cat Pose to Cow Pose, and connect your breath to each movement — inhale for Cow Pose, and exhale on Cat Pose.
• Repeat for 10 rounds.

"One of my favourite poses to do when I'm having cramps is Legs Up the Wall," Dr. Bartos told POPSUGAR. This pose releases the pressure on your hip bones and sacrum, the bony structure at the base of your spine, and allows them to relax. "It allows the hip bones and sacrum to relax on the floor and takes pressure off them. "It feels amazing," Dr. Bartos said. "I recommend that women do it all the time."

• Place a folded bolster, blanket, or pillow against a wall.
• Sit down as close as you can to the wall next to the blanket. Lie down on your back, place your feet on the wall with your knees bent, and scoot your body over so that your bottom and lower back are on the blanket.
• Adjust your body so that your butt is touching the wall, then place your feet straight up, resting your heels on the wall. You can keep your arms by your sides, or rest your palms underneath your head.
• Close your eyes, and allow your entire body to relax, feeling gravity pulling you down as the wall and blanket support you.
• Hold like this for several minutes or longer.

You can do Forward Fold standing or sitting on your mat, Dr. Bartos said, lengthening your spine and straightening out your hips to relieve period pain.

• Begin at the front of your mat, feet hips-width apart and hands on your hips. Inhale and reach your arms straight above you.
• As you exhale, engage your abs, and fold forward with a straight back. Tuck your chin in toward your chest, relax your shoulders, and extend the crown of the head toward the floor to create a long spine. Shift weight forward into your toes, straightening the legs as much as possible.
• Let your hands hang toward the floor or use them to cup your opposite elbows.
• Hold here for five breaths.

Do Knee-to-Chest with one leg at a time, as shown, or by pulling both up your chest. You'll get the same soothing effects as with Forward Fold.

• Lie on your back and gently bend your left knee into your chest. Clasp your hands in front of your shin and gently pull down to increase the stretch. Release any tension in your shoulders and neck.
• Keep your right leg relaxed in a comfortable position. To release the lower back even more, draw it up to your chest and wrap both arms around your knee to make a little ball with your body.
• Hold for five breaths and then repeat with the right knee bent.

Also called Seated Pose, Double Pigeon increases your flexibility and helps to balance the hormones in your body, Dr. Bartos said. You can do it as pictured, with your foot on top of your opposite knee, or sit in a simple "criss-cross applesauce" pose to make it a little easier.

• Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your left knee, and place your knee, shin, and foot on the floor so they're parallel with your pelvis. Bend your right knee, and place it on top so your knees, shins, and ankles are stacked. You'll know you're doing it right when you gaze down and see that your legs make a little triangle.
• You may find your top knee to be high up toward the ceiling. It's OK, it just means that your hips are tight, so just stay where you are and breathe.
• To make this pose more intense, place your hands in front of your shins and walk them out as far as you can, folding your chest toward your legs.
• Stay here for five breaths, slowly release, and then switch legs so your left knee is on top.