Conception is a significant milestone in the life of a woman.
However, the ability to conceive changes with age, sometimes making it too complicated. One way to tackle this is to understand the elements responsible and explore natural ways like fertility yoga to boost your chances.
Yoga for fertility is an approach that can help you get pregnant naturally.
In this article, learn
- 2 Terms to consider when trying to conceive
- 5 Tips to increase chances of conceiving
- What Yoga for Fertility is
- 4 Benefits of yoga for fertility
- 10 fertility yoga poses that can help you conceive
2 Important terms to consider when Trying To Conceive (TTC)
Fertility: It is the natural ability of a man or woman to produce offspring.
Ovulation: It is a menstrual cycle phase when one of the ovaries releases an egg for fertilization.
5 tips to increase chances of conceiving:
To increase the chances of conceiving, try the following:
- Have sexual intercourse regularly or every other day.
- Have sex around the time of ovulation
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a clean and healthy diet
- Exercise regularly (yoga included)
Yoga for Fertility: What it is
Yoga for fertility offers a holistic approach to addressing infertility concerns.
By reducing stress levels, this practice promotes hormonal balance and enhances mental well-being, ultimately increasing the chances of conception for couples.
Through the practice of yoga, you can cultivate a state of relaxation and inner calm, helping to alleviate the stress that often accompanies the journey toward parenthood.
By reducing stress, your body’s hormonal equilibrium is restored, creating a more fertile environment.
4 Benefits of Yoga for Fertility
1. Reduces stress
Stress increases the cortisol hormone, which in turn, impacts fertility negatively. Cortisol interferes with ovulation and may result in long menstrual cycles.
Fertility yoga can help control and manage stress with deep breathing, meditation, and asanas. Incorporating fertility yoga poses in your daily life decreases stress levels, promoting a more relaxed and balanced state.2. More blood flow to the reproductive organs
Insufficient blood flow to the uterus and the ovaries can impact fertility by limiting the delivery of vital nutrients and oxygen to the reproductive organs.
A sedentary lifestyle is also responsible as tension builds up in the pelvic area due to prolonged sitting hours.
Yoga poses for fertility can improve blood circulation in the pelvic area, nourishing the reproductive organs and boosting their functionality. Yoga asanas can open up the hips and release more blood to this region, delivering essential nutrients.
Legs up the wall pose, and Bridge pose help in bringing more blood to the pelvic region.
3. An increase in libido
Failing to conceive can cause emotional distress and can lower sexual desire. Yoga offers a safe environment for emotional release and relaxation.
Yoga exercises can help build emotional resilience, lower anxiety, and improve sexual well-being reigniting passion between the partners – important for conceiving.
Yoga for fertility poses such as Bridge pose, Child pose, and Cobra pose can help in bringing the passion back in a relationship.
4. Balances hormones
Hormones, including LH, thyroid, FSH, and more, play a key role in fertility.
However, these may fluctuate, lowering the ability to conceive. Hormones follow a placebo effect. If one hormone goes awry, others may follow suit.
However, hormonal balance is essential for fertility.
According to Yogic studies, there are seven chakras in the human body; each is connected to a specific endocrine gland. Many yoga for fertility postures target these chakras and the glands, helping control your hormones.
Cobra pose, Child pose, and Bridge pose are useful in balancing hormonal levels in the body.
10 Yoga for Fertility Poses
1. Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall Pose)
Viparita Karani calms the nervous system while rushing blood to the pelvic region, increasing blood circulation.
To do Viparita Karani, lie down on your back and exhale. Next, raise your legs up against the wall, aiming for a 90-degree angle, while sitting up. Now lower your shoulders and back to the mat. Keep your arms on your sides, with palms facing the ceiling.
Inhale deeply while your torso sinks to the ground and exhale fully. Remain in this position for five to fifteen minutes. In this yoga for fertility pose, you may use pillows to support your pelvic region.
Best time: Before going to bed
2. Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Supta Baddha Konasana is a seated pose in Hatha yoga. It is yet another pose that helps increase blood flow to the pelvic region, boosting fertility. It is also a great pre-natal pose to open up your chest, as it may fall during pregnancy.
To practice Supta Baddha Konasana, draw the soles of your feet together as you lie on your back. In this position, your legs should be free to open and fall to the sides. Pull the feet’s soles together with your thumbs and fingers touching.
Relax your shoulders and hold your hands on your abdomen in a heart shape. Stay in this position for three minutes, concentrating all your attention on your pelvic region.
Best time: Morning
3. Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)
Paschimottanasa stretches your hips, hamstrings, and lower back. It stimulates the uterus and ovaries and reduces anxiety and despair, making conceiving easier.
To do a Seated forward bend, sit comfortably on the floor. Stretch your legs and place your hands on your thighs, then breathe in and raise your arms using your hands. Exhale, and bend forward to touch your toes.
Maintain a straight spine and try to touch your knees with your nose. Return to the first position after 7-10 breaths. Make sure your head stays straight throughout.
Best time: Morning
4. Standing Forward Bend (Hastapadasana)
Hastapadasana stretches the back and spine muscles, improving blood flow to the pelvis and head. While it improves the pituitary function, other glands are in for benefit too. The yoga asana presses against the abdomen, enhancing the ovary’s function in fertility.
To do the Standing forward bend, stand upright with your back and legs close together. Inhale deeply, raise your arms in a 180-degree line, and bend forward. Bring your torso closer to the legs, and try to touch your toes as you exhale. Maintain a straight back without bending. Stay for 7-10 breaths before going back to the starting position.
Best time: Morning
5. Head-To-Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
Janu Sirsasana relaxes the abdominal muscles as you stretch the calves and hamstrings in this forward bend stance. It enhances flexibility which is advantageous for the overall health of the muscles. It also stimulates various organs, including the uterus.
To do the Head-to-knee-pose, sit in Staff Pose (Dandasana) with your legs stretched before you. Bend the right knee and place it against your left leg. Inhale deeply, flex your left foot, stretch your spine, and press the right thigh down. Turn your upper body slightly to face the left leg while raising your arms to shoulder height.
Maintaining a long spine and relaxed shoulders, exhale and fold forward from the hips. Hold your ankle or foot for 7-10 breaths, then exhale as you release the pose. Do the same on the other side.
Best time: Start a few days before the menstrual cycle begins
6. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Child’s Pose resembles a fetus, hence the name. It encourages better blood flow to the reproductive organs and relieves stress, which is vital for improving conception. It promotes flexibility and relaxation by gently stretching the back, leg, knee, and hip muscles.
To do the Child pose, take a seat on your heels with your knees stretched wide. Spread out your arms in front of you, at your sides, or with your hands supporting your forehead as you lower your head towards the floor.
Breathe deeply and concentrate on relaxing your lower back. Spend 30 seconds to several minutes in this peaceful pose. To release, exhale and return slowly to the starting position.
Best time: 1 hour (after eating)
7. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)
Virabhadrasana II asana is a standing lunging pose that provides therapeutic benefits for several health conditions, including but not limited to sciatica, Tunnel Syndrome, osteoporosis, flat feet, and infertility.
To do the Warrior II pose, keep your feet four feet apart. This is Tadasana (Mountain Pose). Exhale, bend slightly, and move the right knee at a 90-degree angle. Keep your other leg straight and parallel to the ground.
Raise your arms on the sides until they are parallel to the ground, with palms facing downwards. Stay for 7-10 breaths and then repeat on the other side.
Best time: Morning
8. Garland Pose (Malasana)
Malasana is a gentle pose that removes toxins from the digestive and reproductive organs, thus preparing it for fetus implantation.
To do Garland pose, stand with your heels pointed inwards and your toes pointing outward. Slowly move your tailbone to the floor and widen your hips by pressing them with the back of your arms. Inhale and lengthen your spine.
Exhale and relax, releasing tension in your thighs and groin. Turn your heels outward and raise your hips to move out of the posture after 30 seconds to one minute.
Best time: Morning
9. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobra pose improves blood circulation to the ovaries and the uterus. This provides these reproductive organs with the essential oxygen and nutrients for conception.
To do the Cobra pose, place your palms under your shoulders. Maintain a neutral neck position. Press your pubic bone to the floor, then inhale and lift your chest. Move your shoulders back while your lower ribs remain touched to the mat. Stay for 7-10 breaths and come back to the original position.
Best time: Morning
10. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
A healthy pregnancy depends on proper thyroid function, promoted by the bridge posture, which gently presses on the thyroid glands.
The posture also helps stabilize the sacrum to support the surrounding muscles and reduce inflammation in the body.
Note that inflammation may raise your risk of infertility.
To do the Bridge pose, lie flat on your back, knees bent, and your feet hip-width apart. Arrange the arms parallel to the body, palms down, and touch the heels. Inhale and press your feet firmly on the ground to lift your hips and raise your spine. The knees should remain compressed.
Lift higher by using your arms, shoulders, and chest. For increased lift, engage your buttocks and legs. After 7-10 breaths, return to the ground slowly.
Best time: Morning (at the end of all other yoga exercises)
Yoga for Fertility: Concluding Thoughts and Tips
Yoga can be an advantageous practice for women trying to conceive. Yoga for fertility can help alleviate stress, improve blood circulation to the uterus and ovaries, balance hormones, and increase libido.
Remember, every woman has a different cause for not being able to get pregnant, so what works for one may not work for another.
Consult a doctor for advice if you’re new to yoga or have fertility issues. Yoga for Fertility is a holistic strategy that can support other reproductive therapies or lifestyle changes.
So, as you start your path toward fertility, stay optimistic, practice patience, and have faith in the process.