Aligning with Change: Yoga’s Adaptations for Women’s Life Cycles

Tradition, Adaptation, and Practice: Honoring Women’s Bodies Across Life Stages

Yoga has always been a living tradition, evolving to meet the needs of those who practice it. In this lecture, we explore how yoga—particularly the Iyengar Yoga tradition—has adapted to support women through menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

Drawing on decades of teaching, practice, and doctoral research, Dr. Agi Wittich presents a thorough examination of how yoga has responded to women’s changing physiological needs:

• • Theoretical Foundations – How yoga philosophy and Āyurvedic principles inform adaptations for women’s bodies

• • Practical Modifications – Specific techniques and class adjustments for menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause

• • Teaching with Awareness – Strategies for creating inclusive classes that honor the diversity of women’s experiences

This lecture bridges scholarship and embodied practice, offering insights that are immediately applicable in teaching and personal practice.

Why This Matters

Understanding how yoga can support women’s bodies across life stages:

• • Allows practitioners to engage safely and deeply with their practice

• • Helps teachers offer classes that are both traditional and responsive

• • Demonstrates how yoga continues to evolve while remaining rooted in its philosophical and practical foundations

Whether you are teaching, practicing, or simply curious, this talk will deepen your understanding of yoga’s relationship to women’s bodies and life transitions.