Fertility + Yoga: How They Really Complement Each Other?
My mom and her family went on one vacation every year. Each summer, they’d pack the car and drive to the house they’d rented for their week at the beach; and, every year, my grandfather would be sick for the entirety of the vacation. Why? The stresses of life take a real toll on our physical body. The stresses of fertility treatments—well, that’s true to the nth degree.
Yoga for reproductive health is really yoga that caring for your physical body and emotional wellbeing while undergoing fertility treatments is important. Tending to your broader self-care is paramount, and yoga can be an important tool in reducing anxiety and stress which heavily hinders our ability to conceive. Simultaneously, see that you're eating nourishing foods, sleeping well, having fun (yeah, fun!) and connecting with your partner.
I’ve had the privilege of working with countless women who were struggling with fertility. They’d come to me looking for yoga for fertility success stories and yoga to get pregnant. While everyone’s journey always looks slightly different, time and time again, my clients would tell me: “I feel so much better after our yoga sessions.” One of my closest clients confided that yoga was the only time in her week when she was able to truly feel that things were going to be okay.
Not only is it safe to do yoga while trying to conceive, but it is an excellent complement to fertility treatments – the physical postures provide a highly balanced form of exercise that combines strength, stretching, and light cardio (depending on what type of yoga you practice). Moreover, the practice of yoga—with its strong focus on breath and movement—promotes fertility by reducing stress levels, increasing blood flow, preventing depression, effectively regulating hormone production, releasing toxins, and promoting restful sleep.
By supporting the many parallel systems—such as our endocrine system, nervous system, immune system—in our body that work in conjunction with our reproductive system, yoga is an effective way to care for your whole self. In turn, this holistic approach creates a physical, mental, and emotional environment that promotes fertility and increases your chances of conceiving.
Yoga for fertility in males carries all the same benefits as it does for women. The strongest advantage yoga provides in your fertility is providing you an experience after which you feel restored, calmed and renewed.
These benefits don’t require you practice at a studio, with a teacher, or even for a long period of time. That’s really the beauty of yoga – it can be done anywhere, and just five minutes will make a huge difference to your body and mind. Below please find some “fertility yoga poses” tips on how to begin your yoga journey right at home –no yoga props required.
Viparita Karani – Sanksrit for “Legs Up The Wall”.
Lay in a fetal position with your butt as close to the wall as you can manage. Then roll on to your back as you extend your legs up the wall toward the ceiling. Inch yourself forward as much as you can, and then allow your head to release onto the ground (a pillow underneath can be nice).
Do what feels comfortable with your arms. One option is to extend them to the sides on a diagonal angle so that my hands are lower then my shoulders. Be sure to have your palms up.
Allow yourself to rest in this shape for as little as 3 minutes, or as long as you’d like.
Benefits: increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, decreases anxiety, and promotes sleep.
Sama Vritti Pranayama – Sanskrit for “Equal Breath”
Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor.
Push into your feet to lift your hips up and place a pillow or a folded blanket underneath your sacrum (make sure it’s not underneath your low back).
Bend your elbows and rest your hands on your torso – one to belly and one to chest. Use the hands to help connect you to your breath.
Begin to breath in and breath out for counts of 4. [Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4; Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4]. Do this for 5 full cycles of breath.
You can then increase the count to 6 [Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Do this for 5 full cycles of breath. You can always just stick with 4 if 6 feels too taxing.
Benefits: reduces stress hormone levels and stimulates your parenthetical nervous system.
I wrote this article originally for Robyn, a hub for parental wellness support. They’re a great resource if you’re looking to find your own way into the fertility yoga world.