Month after month, the (un)expected visit from "Aunt Flo" can leave a woman annoyed or in many cases even relieved. No two women experience menstruation the same, yet the majority find it to be a nuisance at best. Some studies suggest up to 90 percent of menstruating women experience moderate to severe pain and discomfort during their period — an unavoidable nuance of the female reproductive system.

Yoga, a physical, mental, and spiritual time-tested natural technique, can suppress debilitating menstrual cramps which can interrupt the flow of normal activity for several days each month. Pain usually begins one to two days before, or when menstrual bleeding starts, and typically lasts 12 to 72 hours. It can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and even diarrhea, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

"The most common areas those who menstruate feel pain is in the lower abdomen and lower back. However, with some complex menstrual disorders, pain is often felt in the mid-abdomen, bowels and can go down the legs," De'Nicea Hilton, a doctor of Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture who specializes in holistic women's health in Temple Terrace, Fla. told Medical Daily.

Menstrual cramps can become worse the less a woman moves her body. Yoga poses, or "asanas," have the potential to relieve specific pains by by stretching out the hips and joints and reducing emotional stress that can make muscles tense and tighten.

Erin Motz, an experienced yoga teacher for 11 years and founder of the blog Bag Yogi, believes these gentle poses ease tension in the low back, reduce bloating, and loosen the hips. “A 10-minute yoga sequence in bed might just do the trick,” she told Medical Daily.

Click "View Slideshow" to see the six poses that can alleviate period pain without forcing you to get out of bed.

One-armed camel
Try these 6 yoga poses to alleviate menstrual cramps, from one-armed camel to wide child's pose. Sabrina Bachai