Actually, no. Yoga has not been linked to increased fertility in any study. According to a few studies, yoga may help those trying to conceive in a roundabout way.
Reducing stress through yoga practice can help improve fertility. Studies have indicated that greater levels of cortisol in the body are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage and that women with higher levels of stress biomarkers in their saliva had a lower likelihood of becoming pregnant during ovulation than women with lower levels of stress biomarkers.
According to other studies, women undergoing in vitro fertilisation may benefit from yoga. Consistent yoga practice may enhance outcomes for women undergoing reproductive treatments. For this reason, “fertility yoga” is now being offered at several fertility centres.
What Are The Advantages Of Doing Yoga When Attempting To Conceive?
Yoga is an excellent low-impact approach to tone and tightens the body in preparation for labour and delivery. Starting and keeping a yoga practise is considerably easier before morning sickness and lethargy set in, and exercise lowers the risk of gestational diabetes and other pregnancy concerns.
Yoga is a stress-reducing exercise that may help assist pregnancy beyond its health benefits. Despite the lack of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between yoga and conception, all the evidence suggests that practice may help you conceive in other ways.
Is It Harmful To Do Yoga While Trying To Conceive?
As long as you’re practising with a trained yoga teacher, the answer is no. Yoga injuries are prevalent, so taking it slow and not pushing yourself too hard is important. Once you’ve conceived, life won’t be any more pleasant if you throw your back out in a full-wheel stance.
Also, pregnant women should exercise caution when practising prenatal yoga because of a hormone called relaxin, which helps with birth but gives a false impression of flexibility.
Advances In Yoga For Fertility
Reconnect With Your Body
Yoga is a fantastic practice for strengthening the mind-body connection. Many of us spend our days sitting at desks, thinking about our thoughts and not giving our bodies any thought. We lose touch with one another because of this. Often, we ignore our bodies’ subtle signals about what they require and how they feel.
This gap widens for women who are having trouble conceiving. It’s common to feel deceived by our bodies when they don’t comply with our wishes, leading to further alienation. Yoga can help you reconnect with yourself again. It’s a time to disconnect from the outside world and concentrate on your physical being and breathing.
Over time, we develop an awareness for and appreciation of the tiniest bodily sensations and changes. In the safe and encouraging space of yoga, we learn to synchronise our breathing with our movements, become more attuned to our body’s natural rhythms, and become more aware of our bodily sensations. One key to conceiving success is learning to tune in to and cooperate with one’s body.
Handle Your Stress And Anxiety
Work, making ends meet, and maintaining personal relationships all create stress in today’s modern society. The added stress of trying to conceive might easily push us over the edge. The domino effect of stress on our bodies and the disruption it causes to other hormones can harm our ability to conceive a child. Yoga is a fantastic tool for combating stress because it teaches us to focus on the present moment while we move.
By convincing the body it is secure, the parasympathetic nerve system is stimulated during yoga, preventing the “flight or fight” stress response. If we wish to optimise our fertility and health by maintaining a healthy hormonal balance, we should do what we can to reduce our stress response.
Improve Blood Circulation And Flow
Yoga also aids fertility by increasing blood and energy flow to the reproductive organs. Many restrict blood flow to our pelvis by sitting for long periods. In addition, a lot of us carry stress in our pelvic regions, which can limit blood circulation.
As a result of the increased hip mobility and blood flow facilitated by yoga practice, our pelvic area and reproductive organs receive the oxygenated blood and vital nutrients they require to function optimally. Infertility can result from blocked energy, or “chi,” and that blocked energy can be released by physical activity like yoga.
Hormonal Balance
The hormones your body produces, from sex to thyroid and adrenal hormones, are all controlled by the endocrine system. Hormonal disruption often spreads like a virus when even one part of the system is off. Maintaining consistent hormone levels is crucial for successful conception.
Lifestyle variables, especially stress, are the most common causes of hormone imbalance.
As was previously noted, yoga has been shown to have a positive effect on stress response.
This results in a drop in cortisol, which may help restore hormonal equilibrium. Every major endocrine gland corresponds to one of the seven chakras in the yogic Chakra system. Yoga postures that target certain body regions can positively affect the endocrine system, leading to more harmonious hormone levels.
Process Challenging Emotions
Yoga also provides a secure setting to face adversity head-on and fortify our capacity to bounce back. By forcing us to stay in an uncomfortable position for longer than we’d prefer, we learn to accept pain as a temporary part of the process. This is an important ability for the conception phase and the challenges and rewards of giving birth and raising children.
Since our brains and body are so intertwined, we may find an unexpected outpouring of emotion when we strike certain poses. Yoga can help us process the infertility journey by allowing us to open up and release some difficult emotions we’ve been holding onto.
Those attempting to conceive can benefit much from yoga, whether experienced yogis or complete novices. Classes labelled “gentle,” “restorative,” or “yin” may be more appropriate for you if you’re trying to conceive than more vigorous styles of yoga. However beneficial they may be, warm or physically demanding yoga lessons can tax the body. We want to get pregnant, so we’re trying to give our bodies the best nutrition possible.
Fertility-Boosting Yoga Moves
Restorative Moves
Infertility is often associated with stress and worry, which can be alleviated with these routines. Stress causes your body to create more of the hormone cortisol, which has been shown to harm fertility. Stress and anxiety can be alleviated and equilibrium can be restored through gentle yoga poses that emphasise deep breathing and relaxation. Perform these routines once or twice a day or whenever tension or anxiety arises.
Uttana Shishosana (Extended Puppy Pose)
In the practice of Uttana Shishosana, or Extended Puppy Pose, an individual begins by positioning their knees beneath their hips and aligning their shoulders over their wrists, thus forming a tabletop posture. The feet are then flattened on the mat with the soles facing upward. Upon exhaling, the person extends their hands forward, stretching the arms and maintaining them in an active state by keeping the elbows elevated from the ground. By pressing the hands firmly against the mat, a stretch is felt through the back and spine as the tailbone is directed towards the ceiling, and the forehead meets the mat. The position is held for a duration of 30 seconds to a minute before gently walking the hands back and returning to the starting position. Repeating this pose three to five times is commonly advised for its full benefit.
Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall)
Exhale while lying flat on your back before sitting up. It would help if you tried to make as close to a 90-degree angle as possible between your torso (shoulders and back) and the mat (legs) by lifting and straightening your legs against the wall. Put your palms up and relax your arms at your sides. Breathe deeply and soften your upper body till it touches the floor, relieving pressure from your hips. Relax your eyes and stay like this for at least 10 minutes.
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose)
For the Reclining Bound Angle Pose, or Supta Baddha Konasana, a person starts by lying on their back and bending their knees. The legs are then spread out to the sides, and the soles of the feet are brought together to make a link. The hands are placed on the lower abdomen with the thumbs touching and the index fingers pointing up. This lets the shoulders slowly drop. The attention is on the pelvic area, which creates a centre of concentrated energy. This relaxing and healing pose is usually held for at least three minutes. It can help you relax and become more flexible.
Sufi Rolls
Get started by sitting cross-legged with your hands on your knees. Lean to the right while exhaling and rounding your spine; inhale and stretch your body as you return to the centre from the side bend. Go back to the left and do the whole circle another 10–15 times.
Stimulating Moves
These motions will massage your reproductive organs and increase blood flow to them. Perhaps priming the reproductive system with this energy will help it prepare for pregnancy. Each activity should be done once daily for optimal reproductive system health.
Back Rolls
Put your upper body flat on the floor while lying on your back. Tuck your shins in and hug them to your chest. Massage your lower back by moving your knees in a circular motion from left to right. Ten or fifteen times around, alternating breathing in and out.
Padahastasana (Hand Under Foot)
Maintain a shoulder’s breadth gap between your hips as you stand with your feet parallel. Gently fold forwards from the hips, bringing the palms or fingertips of both hands to the floor. Put your hands palms up under your feet and raise your toes. Bring your forehead as near your knees as possible while keeping your legs and elbows straight for a more intense stretch. Hold the position for 30-60 seconds while continuing to breathe normally. Take a deep breath in and gently stand up again. Three to five times is recommended.
Bhujangasana (Cobra)
This stretching exercise starts with the person lying facedown with their hips, legs, and feet pressed into the floor. Legs are extended and ankles are joined. The hands are flat on the floor under the shoulders and the elbows are close to the body. Exhalation involves drawing back the shoulder blades and pressing with the hands. Lifting the chest by straining the abdominal muscles towards the spine and pressing the tailbone down. Holding this position for 15–30 seconds with steady breath and a motionless body is an enjoyable stretch. The head drops to the floor and the arms help lower the body after inhaling. This exercise improves flexibility and strength when done three to five times.
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge)
One’s knees should be bent, feet should be hip-width apart, and the heels should be brought in towards the midline of the body for this exercise. The hands are open and flat on the table. It is possible to attain a balanced weight by turning the shoulders back and elevating the pelvis. Clasping the hands beneath the pelvis and holding for up to a minute is one option; alternatively, they can be placed besides the body. Finally, with knees together, the spine is slid back onto the floor. You may get a good stretch by doing this three to five times.
Moves Of Flexibility
These stretches target the muscles that support your pelvic and genital areas, helping you move more freely in your hips and pelvis.
Malasana (Garland)
Spread your feet as far apart as the mat allows, and take a big breath. To perform a deep squat, place both feet flat on the mat and rotate outwards just a little. Prayer position: palms together, elbows out wide to form a straight line that’s parallel to the floor. To aid in hip opening, press elbows into thighs. Sit up straight and lengthen your torso. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute, take a deep breath, and stand back up. Perform 5-10 iterations.
Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat/Cow)
Knees should be immediately below hips, and the wrists, elbows, and shoulders should align with the head as you begin in a tabletop posture. Start with your back flat and your abs engaged to achieve a neutral spine position. Breathe in deeply. Keep your shoulders and knees where they are and circle your spine towards the ceiling like a cat by spreading your fingers, pressing into the ground, and exhaling. Consider contracting your abs by drawing your belly button towards your spine. Keep your chin tucked in and your neck relaxed.
Take a deep breath in and come back to a tabletop position as you exhale to enter cow pose. Curl your belly button towards the floor as you arch your back and lift your seat and chest towards the ceiling. Raise your head and stare directly ahead. Relax and get back to the table. Maintain a smooth transition between cat and cow stance, breathing in during cow pose and out during cat pose. To be repeated 10–15 times.
Mandukasana (Frog)
This exercise starts with a neutral tabletop position and all-fours with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders. Foot flexes rest the inside edges on the mat, and knees are softly walked out to the sides. The shoulder blades are drawn together and down towards the ribs. Hips are elevated and back as exhales, using core muscles. This stance can last three minutes or three breaths. The exercise strengthens and stretches back, hip, and leg muscles.
Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle)
Assuming a two-footed stance, step back three to four feet with your left foot. To do a 45-degree pivot, keep your front foot in place and move your rear foot forwards. Extend your arms to the sides until they’re parallel to the ground. As you let your breath out, rotate your pelvis and tailbone towards your left foot by bringing your left hip back. Extend your upper body so that it’s in line with your right hip and right leg. Your left arm should be extended towards the ceiling, palm facing forward, while your right hand rests on your shin (or the ground outside your right). Keep it for as long as a minute.
To relax, elevate your torso and lower your arms while you inhale and press hard through your left heel. Turn to the left, switch the placement of your feet, and continue in this position for the same amount of time. One or two times on either side is recommended.
Conclusion
No study has found a straight link between yoga and a higher chance of getting pregnant, but yoga may help people who are trying to get pregnant in a roundabout way. Studies have shown that higher levels of cortisol in the body are linked to a higher chance of miscarriage. Reducing stress through yoga can help improve fertility. Consistent yoga practise may help women who are going through fertility treatments, which is why there is now “fertility yoga” at a number of IVF centres.
Yoga is a great way to tone and tighten the body in a low-impact way to get ready for labour and birth. It is a great way to relieve stress and may help with pregnancy in addition to its health benefits. Even though there isn’t a direct link between yoga and getting pregnant, there is a lot of proof that yoga can help in other ways.
Yoga can help you get back in touch with your body, deal with worry and anxiety, improve blood flow and circulation, and keep your hormones in balance. Yoga can help make your hips more flexible and get more blood to your reproductive systems, which gives you more oxygenated blood and important nutrients. Hormonal balance is important for getting pregnant, and yoga has been shown to help reduce stress and lower cortisol levels, which may help recover hormonal balance. Certain yoga poses that focus on certain parts of the body can be good for the endocrine system and make hormone levels more balanced.
Yoga is a strong way to deal with problems and get ready for pregnancy. It helps us see pain as a temporary part of the process, which is important for getting pregnant, giving birth, and raising children, all of which have their own challenges and benefits. Yoga can help us deal with infertility by letting us let go of hard feelings we’ve been hanging on to.
Gentle, relaxing, or yin-style yoga classes may be better for people who are trying to get pregnant. These gentle poses can relieve stress and worry, bring back balance, and help you get pregnant. Uttana Shishosana, Viparita Karani, Supta Baddha Konasana, Sufi Rolls, and energising poses like Back Rolls, Paddhasana, and Back Rolls are some of the poses that are suggested. These moves can help relieve stress and worry, increase fertility, and get the body ready for pregnancy.
In the end, yoga is a great way to deal with problems and get ready for pregnancy. It gives us a safe place to face problems head-on and helps us understand that pain is a short part of the process. We can improve our fertility and general health by making moves that are both gentle and stimulating.
Bhujangasana, also called “Cobra,” is a stretching move where you lie on your back and press your hips, legs, and feet into the floor. When done three to five times, it makes you more flexible and stronger. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) is done by bending your knees, feet, and toes and putting your hands flat on the table with your palms facing up. This exercise works on the muscles that support the pelvic and sexual areas. This makes the hips and pelvis more flexible.
Malasana (Garland) is when your feet are spread apart, and you take a big breath. In the Cat/Cow pose (Marjaryasana/Bitilasana), the knees are below the hips, and the wrists, elbows, and shoulders are in line with the head. You can do this practice 10–15 times.
Mandukasana (Frog) begins in a neutral tabletop pose on all fours with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders. This position helps strengthen and stretch the muscles in your back, hips, and legs.
Utthita Trikonasana, also called “Extended Triangle,” is a two-footed pose with a 45-degree turn, arms out to the sides, and pelvis and tailbone turned towards the left foot. To relax, lift the torso, drop the arms, and press hard through the left heel. Repeat on each side once or twice.
Content Summary
- Yoga has not been directly linked to increased fertility in any study.
- Yoga may indirectly help those trying to conceive by reducing stress.
- Higher levels of cortisol are associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.
- Women with lower stress biomarkers have a higher likelihood of becoming pregnant during ovulation.
- Consistent yoga practice may enhance outcomes for women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.
- Several fertility centres are offering “fertility yoga” due to these benefits.
- Yoga helps tone and tighten the body, preparing it for labour and delivery.
- Starting yoga before morning sickness sets in makes it easier to maintain the practice.
- Yoga can reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and other pregnancy concerns.
- Yoga may assist in pregnancy by reducing stress, although a direct link between yoga and conception has not been established.
- Practising yoga is not harmful while trying to conceive if done with a trained yoga teacher.
- Taking it slow in yoga is essential to avoid injuries.
- Pregnant women should be cautious with yoga due to a hormone called relaxin.
- Yoga strengthens the mind-body connection, which is essential for those feeling disconnected due to infertility.
- It helps women reconnect with their bodies and develop an awareness of bodily sensations.
- Tuning into the body is considered one key to successful conception.
- Yoga helps handle stress and anxiety, often exacerbated by the pressures of modern society.
- The practice stimulates the parasympathetic nerve system, reducing the stress response.
- Yoga increases blood circulation to the pelvic region, improving reproductive organ function.
- Blocked energy that can cause infertility may be released through yoga.
- Yoga helps maintain hormonal balance, which is crucial for successful conception.
- Stress reduction through yoga leads to a drop in cortisol, aiding hormonal balance.
- Yoga postures targeting specific body regions positively affect the endocrine system.
- Yoga provides a secure setting to process challenging emotions related to infertility.
- It helps to develop resilience and the capacity to accept pain as temporary.
- Gentle or restorative yoga classes may be more suitable for those trying to conceive.
- Warm or physically demanding yoga classes may tax the body when trying to conceive.
- Restorative yoga moves like Uttana Shishosana relieve the stress associated with infertility.
- Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall) is a relaxing pose recommended for fertility.
- Sufi Rolls can be performed to improve flexibility and relaxation.
- Stimulating moves like Back Rolls and Padahastasana increase blood flow to reproductive organs.
- Bhujangasana (Cobra) and Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) are recommended for reproductive system health.
- Flexibility moves like Malasana (Garland) target muscles supporting the pelvic and genital areas.
- Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat/Cow) transitions help with smooth movement in the hips and pelvis.
- Mandukasana (Frog) strengthens and stretches the back, hip, and leg muscles.
- Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle) can be performed for relaxation and stretching.
- The practice of yoga for fertility is about reconnecting with the body.
- It assists in handling stress and anxiety related to work, personal relationships, and conception.
- Yoga improves blood circulation to vital areas for fertility.
- The focus on hormonal balance through yoga supports successful conception.
- Yoga helps in processing difficult emotions related to infertility.
- It’s important to choose the appropriate style of yoga when trying to conceive.
- The practice of yoga aims at giving the body the best conditions to get pregnant.
- Gentle yoga poses emphasise deep breathing and relaxation to restore balance.
- Yoga’s ability to massage reproductive organs may help prepare the body for pregnancy.
- Daily practice of stimulating yoga moves is recommended for optimal reproductive system health.
- Moves that improve flexibility help you move freely in the hips and pelvis, aiding fertility.
- All of the yoga techniques must be practised mindfully to avoid injury or strain.
- The combination of restorative, stimulating, and flexible moves creates a holistic approach to fertility.
- Practising yoga offers a multifaceted benefit, aiding not just fertility but overall well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Yoga Help With Fertility?
Yoga for fertility improves both female and male infertility by minimising stress, which consecutively balances the body’s hormones with improvement in mental health, thereby increasing a couple’s ability to conceive.
How Often Should I Do Yoga For Fertility?
I now tell my students that yoga should be like brushing your teeth. You’ll get more benefits from doing five minutes every day (or every other day) than doing an hour-long practice once a week. If you’re first starting with yoga, aim for five minutes every day.
Which Yoga Is Healthy For The Ovary And Uterus?
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose)- This yoga asana benefits the uterus. Baddha konasana effectively works on the abdominal muscles, especially the uterus and the ovaries. This bound angle pose also boosts blood circulation in the uterus and stretches its muscles.
What Is The Name Of Yoga For Fertility?
Fertility yoga can increase the chances of conception. It reduces stress and stimulates blood flow in the body. Popular fertility yoga poses include Paschimottanasana, Baddha Konasana, and Balasana. It’s important to take necessary precautions while doing yoga to avoid injury.
Can Yoga Improve Egg Quality?
Yoga is an excellent way to increase fertility because it allows you to strengthen and condition your body holistically. It incorporates both physical and mental aspects of health. Some yoga poses can help with both at the same time. If you’re hoping to conceive, yoga may be a helpful way to boost your fertility.