How to honour your PCOS through your yoga practice
by Olivia Fallon
When the Body Feels Out of Rhythm
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal conditions affecting women today, yet it often leaves us feeling unheard, misunderstood, and out of sync with our bodies.
Irregular cycles, fatigue, weight fluctuations, heightened stress, and emotional shifts can feel like the body is constantly pulling us in different directions. The messaging we often hear is about “fixing” or “managing” PCOS, but what if instead we began by honouring it?
Yoga gives us that opportunity. It becomes less about control, and more about compassion. Less about striving, and more about softening.
Why Stress Matters in PCOS
One of the most overlooked factors in PCOS is the role of stress. When cortisol (our main stress hormone) is consistently elevated, it directly impacts blood sugar, ovulation, and hormone balance. For many women, this creates a cycle: stress worsens PCOS symptoms, and the symptoms themselves create more stress.
Yoga offers a way to gently step out of this loop. Through breath, mindful movement, and rest, we begin to signal to the body: you are safe. Over time, this lowers cortisol, helps balance the nervous system, and supports the delicate hormonal shifts that PCOS disrupts.
A Yoga Practice for Honouring PCOS
Rather than pushing into intense or rigid practices, PCOS calls for a yoga that is responsive, nourishing, and steadying.
- Grounding postures: Think child’s pose, supported forward folds, and gentle twists. These bring calm to the nervous system.
- Pelvic and hip-opening practices: To soften tension around the womb space and encourage circulation.
- Pranayama (breathwork): Especially alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) and belly breathing to balance stress and soothe anxiety.
- Restorative yoga & Yoga Nidra: For deep nervous system repair and to cultivate a sense of inner safety.
From Force to Flow
Living with PCOS can make us feel like our bodies are unpredictable or even “against us.” But yoga invites a different perspective. Each time we step onto the mat, we’re not asking our bodies to perform. We’re listening.
We’re creating a relationship of trust. A quiet knowing that even when the cycle feels irregular, even when symptoms flare, our bodies are not broken. They are asking for gentleness.
A Gentle Reframe
Your practice doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. It doesn’t need to be strong to be powerful. It doesn’t need to be long to be meaningful.
When we bring yoga into PCOS with compassion, something begins to shift:
- Instead of exhaustion, we feel grounded.
- Instead of frustration, we feel connected.
- Instead of being at war with our bodies, we begin to honour them.
Honouring Yourself
PCOS asks us to slow down, soften, and meet our bodies with respect. And yoga gives us the space to do just that.
So next time you step onto your mat, instead of asking what can I push through today? try asking:
✨ What would it feel like to honour myself here, just as I am?
