Practicing yoga can greatly benefit your fertility. In fact, fertility yoga is definitely a real concept. There are different yoga poses that can greatly help you in conceiving. Research has shown that changes in lifestyle, food, and exercising has definite effect on a woman’s fertility.
According to research, yoga can be beneficial in balancing your hormones. Yoga has been practiced for ages to help people reduce stress and encourage blood flow. To get started with fertility yoga, first carefully observe your menstrual cycle. We suggest that you match your yoga practice to your cycle, practicing different poses with each phase.
11 Yoga Poses to Help Improve your Fertility
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama):
The Alternate nostril breathing technique helps calm your mind and body by releasing the accumulated stress. It also helps purify the nadis (subtle energy channels), thus enabling smooth flow of prana. By de-stressing the mind and body, this pranayama lets you relax, making the body more fertile and approach the process of conception with a fresh perspective.
Bee Breath (Bhramari Pranayama):
The Bee breath instantly relieves the body of tension, anger and anxiety. The chances of conception are better with a more relaxed body and mind.
Seated forward bend (Paschimottanasana):
The Seated forward bend stretches the lower back, hamstrings and hips. It also stimulates the uterus and ovaries and can help in conceiving. The level of fertility improves with this pose as it also relieves stress and depression. Stress triggers the increased production of cortisol that hampers your fertility. With the management of stress with this yoga you can help check the amount of cortisol produced.
Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)
It is a well known yoga pose. Bound Angle Pose is also called the Cobbler’s pose after its resemblance to the way cobblers in India sit on the ground to work. It is a therapeutic hip and groin opener that can hlp boost your fertility.
Child’s Pose (Balasana):
In this pose, the muscles of hips, thighs and ankles are stretched and strengthened. It calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue, and in better alignment of pelvis and increase blood flow, which is important to increase fertility rate in the body.
Standing forward bend (Hastapadasana):
The Standing forward bend stretches all the muscles of the back and improves the blood supply to the nervous system and pelvic region. It also makes the spine more flexible. This stretch helps relieve stress from the abdomen region.
One-legged forward bend (Janu shirshasana)
This helps strengthen and prepare your back muscles for pregnancy. It is suitable for beginners and is very effective in relieving you of tension in the lower back. It should ideally be practiced on an empty stomach. If you feel some resistence at the very beginning don’t get discouraged.
Butterfly Pose (Baddha konasana):
The Butterfly pose stretches the inner thighs, groins and knees. It improves the flexibility in the groin and hip region. It is also known to help ensure a smooth delivery if practiced regularly till late pregnancy. However, when doing this particular yogic pose or any other during pregnancy, be sure to do so in the presence of a trained person.
Legs up the Wall (Viparita Karani):
This particular pose stretches the back of the neck, front torso and back of the legs. It is also very effective to relieve tired legs and feet. This pose also helps relieve the body of backache and improves the flow of blood to the pelvic region. Relaxing in this posture after coitus increases the chances of conception, even with a decent fertility rate.
Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana+Bitilasana)
The two poses of Cat and the Cow are often paired together for a gentle warming up sequence. It helps stretch the body and prepare it for pregnancy. Cat-Cow is a gentle flow between two poses that warms the body and brings flexibility to the spine. It stretches the back torso and neck, and softly stimulates and strengthens the abdominal organs.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana):
This is an important asana that strengthens your back muscles while stimulating hormone production in the uterus. Lie on your stomach. Later, lift your upper body portion by putting your weight on your hands. Raise the upper body and look up. Hold the pose for about few seconds as you breathe.
Benefits & Caution
Along with the above yoga poses it is also recommended that you practice meditation. The two together will help you relax. This is will ultimately positively affect your fertility and help you conceive. Yoga and meditation can help ease the negativity and pressure that you may feel while trying to get pregnant. It will help put your mind at ease and help you relax as you start planning for a family.
If you are part of a yoga class be sure to tell your instructor when you are planning to get pregnant. That way your instructor can dial down the exercises. Vigorous exercising can actually hamper your fertility. If you practice at home then be sure of how much you can exert yourself. If you feel unsure then get a trained professional to help you out.
