One of the best ways to improve your conception success and feel healthy and balanced – is to practice yoga. Read our Thrive Journey guide for more.
Fertility and yoga both embrace balance – inviting the opportunity for rest, hormonal health and emotional wellbeing.
Yoga is about moving towards balance – which is the perfect practice in today’s increasingly unbalanced world. Our mind, body and hormones seek balance as a healthy foundation for conception.
You only need to glance at your calendar; often crammed full of meetings, appointments and events, with barely any space for you to prioritise – well, space.
If we continue to live our lives at this hectic pace, we can easily become depleted and exhausted, with a disconnect between mind and body. This is not the ideal starting point to begin your fertility journey.
And if you are struggling to conceive – you are not alone, according to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people of reproductive age are affected by infertility in their lifetime, globally (1).
But don’t worry, it doesn’t take much to reframe your routine and start to schedule in stillness, body balance yoga and calm. Read our guide to understand how stress affects fertility and the best yoga practices for conception.
What Balance Yoga Really Teaches in Fertility and Yoga Practice
Yoga means unity – between the mind and body. The practices help to promote a mental steadiness, invite emotional regulation and promote breath awareness.
Yoga is far more than a physical practice. It works on all five koshas (or layers of the body), which are the: physical, energy, emotional, mental and spiritual.
Our emotional state impacts our hormones which affects our reproductive system. Balance yoga helps to improve our body awareness, reduce overwhelm and create a sense of being grounded, calm and centered.
The Connection Between Body Balance Yoga and Fertility Health
When we are busy and stressed we shift into our sympathetic nervous system – hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline surge though out system which can put us into a flight or fight mode.
We are reactive (rather than in a state of repair and restoration) and ready for action.
This was only ever supposed to be a temporary state and yet our lives are so busy that for many of us remain in this high alert, switched on state for most of the time.
This puts our mind and body into survival mode: blood is pumped away from our internal organs and towards the extremities. Over time it can also disrupt our hormones and even impact our menstrual cycle, ovulation and sleep.
Yoga is a holistic practice which encourages us to ease out of our head and tune into the body – to notice where you might be holding tension and use movement, breath and yogic philosophy to release stress and reset your nervous system.
When we move towards balance in this way, it sends a signal to our body to shift from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system (known as rest, digest and nest).
When we are in our Parasympathetic Nervous System our blood supply begins to flow back to our internal organs. As this happens we start to feel calmer, our breath slows and our body comes into a naturally healing state. And this is when our mind and body feels supported which benefits our overall wellbeing and reproductive health.
Yoga for Conceiving: Supporting the Body and Mind Together
Yoga for body balance is about taking time to ‘check in’ – to ease from your head to your body. To pay attention to the rhythm of your breath, your energy levels, scan your physical body and notice how you are feeling emotionally.
Over time when we practise in this way, we begin to notice subtle shifts in our physical state and emotions. We tune into our energy levels and may even notice differences depending on where we are at in our menstrual cycle or stage of life. We can start to pick up on how our state of mind can impact our physical state and energy levels.
Yoga for conceiving will also focus on relaxation techniques such as body scans, meditation, soothing pranayama (breathing practices) that all support nervous system regulation, hormonal harmony and reproductive health.
Fertility Yoga Poses and Gentle Practices for Everyday Support
Gentle heart opening yoga poses can help to lift our mood, release tension and encourage deep, relaxing breathing. And certain yoga (poses) are also generally recommended for women’s health and fertility. Poses such as Baddha Konasana (cobbler or butterfly pose), where the soles of the feet are together and then legs form a diamond shape, help to draw blood flow to the reproductive organs and support relaxation.
Other poses include Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (supported bridge) where you can place a bolster or block under the sacrum. This is a gentle inversion which is restful for the heart and can improve blood flow and circulation to the pelvic region and aids deep relaxation.
And restorative yoga shapes, such as Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) is very calming, builds rather than depletes energy and encourages deep, diaphragmatic breathing.
A 2024 study (2) published in the International Journal of yoga found these yoga poses target the reproductive system, improving function and promoting overall reproductive health. The study also found that pranayama and meditation reduce stress, lower cortisol levels and promote balance, potentially benefiting hormonal regulation and fertility.
There is no one perfect fertility yoga pose, but there are practices and shapes which are particularly supportive and nurture the nervous system. Soothing pranayama (breathwork), yoga nidra, meditation and grounding poses such as Tadanasa and Savasana are also recommended. At Thrive Journey we have a range of gentle yoga practices and classes.
Yoga While Trying to Conceive: Building Emotional Resilience and Balance
Yoga adds another dimension to fertility support as it can help you acknowledge the challenges on your conception journey.
You start to notice how you might be impacted from the anxiety, uncertainty, disappointment and expectation. This can lead to you being more self-compassionate and starting to recognise the importance of taking time out for yourself and prioritising your wellbeing.
In this way, yoga can help you to see different perspectives and help you feel less attached to certain outcomes. It promotes flexibility – not just physically, but in how you adapt to situations. This builds resilience and reduces self-pressure.
Common Questions:
Is it okay to do yoga when trying to conceive?
Yes – keep your practice gentle and nourishing. Do gentle flows and supportive shapes and emphasise relaxing breathing practices which long exhales as well as yoga nidra and guided relaxation.
What is the best time to do yoga for fertility?
Do your yoga when it feels sustainable. You might like to do a gentle stretch and flow in the morning to wake yourself up for the day, or perhaps a restorative practice at night to release your day and promote restful sleep.
Which yoga is best for increasing fertility?
Restorative yoga, gentle yoga flow, yoga nidra and meditation/guided relaxation are all wonderfully nourishing for the nervous system and soothe the soul.
Conclusion:
Fertility and yoga are about balance, not control or achievement. It’s about tuning into your body, an inner reflection – noticing when you are depleted and coming into a restorative yoga pose or just sinking into a nourishing yoga nidra relaxation when you’ve had a long day. Balance yoga is just that – it’s adjusting the speed dial to something a little more manageable and slower when life feels a bit too fast.
This isn’t about signing up to a stack of classes, but a gentle, consistent approach. Check out our Thrive Journey Fertility Stage for a range of live classes and nourishing holistic practices you can weave into your routine. Perhaps a pose a day or a half-hour restorative yoga session every couple of nights to replenish, restore and reset.
References:
- World Health Organization (WHO) fact sheet: infertility: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/infertility
- Yadav A, Tiwari P, Dada R. Yoga and Lifestyle Changes: A Path to Improved Fertility – A Narrative Review. Int J Yoga. 2024 Jan-Apr;17(1):10-19. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.ijoy_211_23. Epub 2024 May 13. PMID: 38899142; PMCID: PMC11185437. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11185437/
