Fertility Yoga: What Is It?

Wondering how to increase your chances of twins? If you’re open to trying anything and everything, then consider doing fertility yoga. Wherever you are in your fertility journey, you can always count on hearing one piece of advice: Take a deep breath. 

If you’re rolling your eyes, we get it. Trying to “just breathe” can be as helpful as trying to “just relax.”  However, tuning into your body through breathwork may actually be more effective than you think—especially if you’re trying to get pregnant. 

One of the best ways to practice this type of tuning in? Fertility yoga.

Structured to soothe, for relaxation, and for invigoration, fertility yoga could help improve both your and your partner’s success with conceiving. Not to mention, it’s a great practice for your health. So, sit back (or stretch out), relax, and check out our inclusive guide to fertility yoga.

What makes fertility yoga special? 

From bikram to vinyasa, yoga includes various practices and traditions. What makes fertility yoga different from the others?

Technically, fertility yoga isn’t a specific type of yoga. Rather, it’s an umbrella term that refers to any type of yoga that has the benefit of boosting fertility. “Fertility yoga” incorporates yoga practices that help reduce biological stressors like excess weight, hormonal imbalance, and—you guessed it—anxiety. 

A fertility yoga practice usually includes:

• Asanas (or poses)
• Pranayama (breathing exercises)
• Visualization
• Meditative work

Typically, fertility yoga will stick to a low or medium physical intensity. This avoids stressing your body and potentially reducing fertility. 

Benefits of Fertility Yoga 

Like most yoga practices, fertility yoga has a long list of health benefits. For starters, it’s good for your reproductive health because it increases blood flow to your uterus, ovaries, and other organs of the reproductive system. In fact, it’s more than just a fertility booster—it’s also an incredibly healthy practice for your life. 

From increasing strength to decreasing stress, here are the pro-conception benefits of fertility yoga. 

It Regulates Bodyweight & Improves Physical Health 

Healthy bodies come in all different sizes. However, your fitness level can negatively impact your fertility. As a physical activity, practicing yoga can help you fight factors that lower conception rates, like:

• Obesity – Having a BMI over 25 creates insulin resistance, which, in turn, leads to an imbalance of sex hormones. Consequently, people with a BMI over 25 experience lowered conception rates by up to 39%. In women, obesity can lead to low egg quality and even annovulation (a lack of an ovulation cycle). In men, obesity can reduce sperm quality (the total number and mobility of sperm). Exercises like yoga can support weight loss for greater fertility.
• Low fitness level – When it comes to improving your fertility, exercise should be treated a la Goldilocks—not too little, not too much. For women, studies show that 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day can reduce the risk of infertility, and a yoga class hits that sweet spot of just right.  
• Low weight – It’s not just overweight people that struggle with infertility. Research shows that a BMI below 18.5 reduces fertility in both men and women due to lower sex hormone levels. However, strength exercises like yoga can boost your appetite by raising the hunger hormone ghrelin, encouraging necessary weight gain. 

It Reduces Stress 

Consider stress “Enemy No. 1” for fertility. In fact, studies show that stress can lower conception rates by as much as 29%. 

Researchers believe stress harms your chances of conception by overwhelming the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which controls hormonal regulation. This means that your hormone levels, and therefore your fertility, may be thrown out of whack by stress inducers like: 

• Poor sleep (either too much or too little)
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Drug use
• Smoking
• Depressive or anxiety-provoking situations
• Poor diet
• Constant stimulation (high screen use, no resting, etc.)
• Overexercising or underexercising

Thankfully, soothing fertility yoga can lend a hand (or rather, a pose) in reducing stress.

According to two small studies, yoga classes significantly reduced anxiety among infertile and infertility treatment patients. Additionally, in one of those studies, 63% of women who had initially experienced an unsuccessful round of IVF became pregnant by frozen embryo transfer after participating in three months of fertility yoga.

It Balances Hormones 

To successfully conceive, your hormones have a to play a delicate balancing act, and fertility yoga can help your hormones walk that tightrope.

By soothing stress, yoga can improve your neuroendocrine connection (a.k.a., the relationship between your brain and your hormones). In particular, a steady yoga practice can balance fertility hormones:

• Cortisol – As the fight-or-flight hormone, excess cortisol can overwhelm your brain’s hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, which (as noted above) also impacts fertility. Fortunately, stress-busting practices like yoga can significantly lower cortisol levels. One study even found that yoga reduced cortisol better than antidepressants in depressive patients.
• Insulin – When overweight, your body may produce too much insulin in an attempt to control blood sugar. This insulin resistance has a negative effect on fertility in both men and women. Regular exercise, like yoga, can lower insulin in the short term and improve insulin resistance in the long term by supporting weight loss.
• Estrogen and progesterone – Estrogen and progesterone both play a major part in female fertility. Interestingly, one study found that a month of yoga practice increased levels of both hormones in women.

It Increases Artificial Reproduction Rates 

For couples, infertility treatment can be as frustrating as infertility itself. Procedures like IVF and ART (assisted reproductive technology) have their own struggles.

The good news? Fertility yoga shows promise in boosting success rates for these types of procedures.

Multiple studies find that yoga can improve conception rates for IVF, ART, and frozen embryo transfer treatments. During pregnancy, yoga continues to offer benefits, like reduced pain, improved mood, and better fetal health outcomes. 

Is fertility yoga safe? 

Fertility yoga is safe for all bodies—even those that are new to the practice of yoga. The key is to stick with a low–intensity practice to reduce your risk of injury and avoid stressing your body. Additionally, practicing with a licensed yoga teacher can help you establish a safe routine. 

Under the fertility yoga category, you can find safe and calm yoga techniques like:

• Hatha – An umbrella term, “hatha” yoga technically refers to all physical yoga practices. Today, in Western countries, it refers to a slower-paced practice with held poses and breathwork. For beginners, it’s a great introduction to yoga and its core elements.
• Iyengar – Founded by B.K.S. Iyengar, this practice is all about alignment and precision. Most Iyengar yoga classes use props (such as bolsters, blocks, and straps) to create perfectly aligned postures. Overall, it’s a great combination of stretch and strength.
• Restorative or yin – The gentlest of practices, restorative yoga is like postured meditation. Most classes only involve seated and supine postures, with an emphasis on relaxed breathing. You might even hold one pose for up to 15 minutes!

Of course, while doing these poses, make sure to protect yourself. Find a yoga mat that is thick enough so that in case you fall, hopefully, it wouldn’t be as painful.

Fertility Yoga Classes: How to Find Them and What They Look Like 

Because fertility yoga is a category of yoga rather than a specific type, fertility yoga classes may look a little different for everyone. Let’s explore how you can find a fertility yoga class and what your practice may include. 

Fertility Yoga Classes 

Luckily, practicing yoga is a popular activity, so you can easily find fertility yoga classes that best match your schedule and budget. 

To narrow down your search, consider contacting:

• Your local gym or fitness center
• A yoga studio
• Your OBGYN

If you’d rather do your deep breathing in the comfort of your own home, you can also find fertility yoga classes online through channels like YouTube. 

Fertility Yoga Poses 

Most fertility yoga will include standard postures or asanas. Here are some common poses you may want to familiarize yourself with to prepare for your fertility yoga journey:

• Child’s pose – This gentle pose releases the spine and opens the hips, increasing blood circulation throughout. While sitting on your shins, take your knees apart and keep your toes together (forming a V shape). Lean down until your forehead rests on the mat, releasing your arms out in front of you (but resting them on the ground). 
• Warrior II – An energizing pose, Warrior II strengthens your lower body and invigorates your breath. Stand and face either side of your mat with your feet set wide apart. Turn your front foot toward the top of your mat, then bend your front leg to 90 degrees while keeping your back leg straight. Open your arms in a wide “T” with palms facing down. 
• Bridge pose – This back extension opens up the chest while strengthening the glutes, releasing energy for the end of practice. While lying on your back, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. With arms by your side, lift your hips into the air and hold. You can also place a block underneath your lower back for support.
• Savasana – A yoga “must-have,” savasana is the final rest that closes most practices. This relaxing pose involves lying on your back with eyes closed, like a meditative nap. 

Unlock Your Third Eye with SneakPeek 

Although fertility yoga is a more unconventional method for conception, don’t forget the traditional methods, such as paying attention to your ovulation cycle. How long after ovulation can you take a pregnancy test? Trying for a baby can be stressful, but with a fertility yoga practice, you can reduce stress, improve your overall health, and unlock a smoother journey to that positive test result. As you’re doing the yoga, watch for signs of high fertility in a woman.  

Once you become pregnant, you might find yourself meditating on who your future baby will be. Luckily for you, the SneakPeek test collection can open your third eye. 

Start with the SneakPeek Test, a gender blood test that can reveal your baby’s gender as early as 6 weeks into your pregnancy and with clinically proven over 99% accuracy¹. In fact, the SneakPeek test is the #1 OBGYN-recommended at-home fetal sex test, providing you with privacy-protected gender results months ahead of your 20-week anatomy scan ultrasound. 

Sources:

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