Yoga BLOG
How to benefit from yoga when trying to conceive
by Stefan
on Jul 24 2021
Do you want to get pregnant and have a child? With hormone yoga, you can support your body in achieving hormonal balance and increasing your fertility. We'll explain how hormone yoga works, how it can help you on your path to pregnancy, and also introduce you to two yoga exercises to try.
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Yoga and hormones
What may sound almost unbelievable at first has actually been proven by various studies. Yoga can influence our hormonal balance and counteract its imbalance. If this holistic bodywork is practiced regularly, stress is reduced, depression can disappear, and overall body image improves.
So, if you're hoping to have a baby, various exercises can help you on your path to increased fertility and thus pregnancy. Regular practice is important to achieve lasting results.
Yoga takes the pressure off you
A pregnancy is always a small miracle. Only when many factors interact perfectly is an egg fertilized and begins its long journey in the woman's womb. Even if, from a medical perspective, everything is perfectly fine physically and, theoretically, nothing stands in the way of conception, it can take several months before a baby is announced. This can put a strain on the relationship and increase the pressure. This means pure stress for the mind and body and, in the worst case, can lead to depression. Yoga and meditation take away the pressure and help you approach the desire to have children in a more relaxed manner. Nature will find its way and will fulfill your wish to have children when your body is ready.
Which yoga for those trying to conceive?
To become pregnant, it's a good idea to engage in hormone yoga specifically for women, also known as fertility yoga. This holistic program was developed by Brazilian Dinah Rodrigues. It's designed to help yogis successfully combat hormonal problems such as stress, headaches, or menopausal symptoms. Hormone yoga also helps balance hormonal imbalances when trying to conceive. You can find more information about hormone yoga here .
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How a hormone yoga class works
Dinah Rodrigues, together with her gynecologist, developed a special series of exercises for this purpose in 1992. The order of the yoga exercises is precisely defined.
Warm-up : Dynamic stretching and warm-up exercises are common at the beginning. These loosen up the entire body and gently prepare it for the following exercises.
Hormone Yoga Exercises : The sequence of exercises in Hormone Yoga is always the same. The series lasts approximately 30 minutes and includes about 20 exercises that affect hormone balance.
Meditation : As is typical in yoga, the class concludes with a guided meditation. The final relaxation (Shavasana) brings peace and relaxation to the body.
How fertility yoga works
To influence a woman's hormones and thus increase fertility, hormone yoga must be practiced regularly and over a longer period of time. It's best to practice three times a week to reap the benefits. Don't put yourself under pressure or expect too much, as it will take several months for the effects to be felt on your body.
Positive effects of fertility yoga on women:
Stress is reduced
relieves psychological pressure
the cycle can be regulated
Hormone production is stimulated
hormonal imbalance is balanced
Developing good body awareness
Blood pressure is lowered
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When you should not practice hormone yoga
Even if the desire to have a child is very strong, the special exercises from Hormone Yoga may only be practiced if the following does not apply to you:
existing pregnancy
unexplained abdominal pain
hormone-induced breast cancer
You recently had abdominal surgery
advanced endometriosis
large fibroids
Inflammation in the abdominal cavity
severe osteoporosis
acute heart disease
Fertility Yoga: 2 Exercises
Hormone yoga for fertility enhancement is a blend of elements of Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga combined with Tibetan healing methods. In total, there are around 20 different exercises that specifically stimulate glands and organs. Many yoga studios now offer this special style of yoga. There are also various online options for benefiting from hormone yoga.
These two exercises give you a first insight into the world of fertility yoga:
Janu Shirshasana (Head-to-Knee Pose)
Sit comfortably on your yoga mat . Straighten your back and ensure your chest is lifted. Relax your shoulders, and place your hands next to your hips. Extend one leg and grasp the foot with your hands. Bring your upper body forward, and bring your head toward your knee. Stay in this position for at least 5 breaths. Then, with a straight back and extended arms, rise back up and repeat the yoga exercise on the other side.
Supta Virasana (the reclining hero)
Lie on your back on your yoga mat . Bend your knees and bring your lower legs alongside your body. Your buttocks should be between your feet, which should be facing backward. You can either rest your arms relaxed at your sides or raise them above your head and hold your elbows. You will feel an intense stretch. If the stretch is too intense for you, place a meditation cushion under your back for support.
Note: Yoga has been proven to influence hormone levels. However, it's not a cure-all. If you have the desire to become pregnant, it can be a helpful tool to influence your hormones. However, you shouldn't consider it a guarantee of pregnancy. If it's medically impossible, unfortunately, yoga won't help you get pregnant.
Are you currently considering trying to conceive? Have you tried hormone yoga to support your body's pregnancy journey? We'd love to hear about your experiences!
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by Nick
on Feb 28 2016
Yoga during pregnancy Every form of yoga also involves a mental exercise: concentrating on your own body. Yoga can help you listen more closely to yourself and, in turn, to your child. And during the birth process, it's beneficial if you, as a yoga student, are trained in controlling your body's contractions and relaxations. Meditative Yoga As long as the pregnancy is not high-risk and there are no leg problems (e.g., water retention or circulatory problems), meditative sitting yoga is highly recommended for pregnant women. Depending on your abilities—ideally acquired through previous yoga training—you can adopt the heel seat, diamond seat, cross-legged seat, simple seat, full seat, half lotus seat, or full lotus seat. Please note, however, that some of these postures can damage the knee joints in inexperienced individuals. Particularly popular yoga meditation postures for pregnant women are the heel seat, if necessary performed with a bench or cushion , and the cross-legged seat. If you have leg or back pain, yoga meditation on a chair or stool is a good option: Sit so that your thighs are horizontal to the floor and your feet have full, flat contact with it. If the chair is a bit too high for this, you can use a folded blanket, for example, as a raised floor. Open your legs and position your feet wide enough to feel comfortable for you and your child. If your movement isn't restricted by a bulging belly, straighten your pelvis, and make sure your shoulders are neither pulled forward nor tense. Depending on the severity of your bulging belly, you may also be able to use your pelvis and back to balance your posture; the sitting position should under no circumstances feel unnatural or stressful to you. You are a pregnant woman and equipped with a highly sensitive body awareness; use this for yourself and your child. Once you've found the optimal sitting position for you, close your eyes, let your breath flow, and begin a meditation technique you prefer. This could involve establishing mental contact with your child. Meditatively listening to certain classical music—some experts recommend Mozart or Bach—can also have many positive effects during this stage of life. But please don't play it too loudly, as the amniotic fluid amplifies the sound vibrations that reach your child. Hatha Yoga
The benefits of Hatha Yoga extend far beyond the physical training effects of pure sport; however, here attention should be paid to its athletic demands. First of all: Hatha yoga is one of the most suitable sports for pregnant women, alongside light gymnastics and aerobic exercises, swimming, golf, and leisurely cycling. Ideally, you're already a yogi and can easily modify your usual workouts as a pregnant woman. However, anyone who wants to start Hatha yoga (or any other unfamiliar sport) during pregnancy should definitely seek medical advice beforehand. Pregnancy hormones, which are designed to enable your body to give birth, increase the flexibility of muscles, connective tissue, and tendons. Unfortunately, this also means an increased susceptibility to injury in the joints, especially if healthy supporting muscles suitable for physical activity have not been developed beforehand. However, even pregnant, trained yoga students should consider the following: - Exercises designed to strengthen the abdominal muscles are discouraged. Well-known asanas that are best avoided include the pump pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana), the boat pose (Ardha Navasana) , and the seated balance pose (Dandasana) . - Practice backbends only in a very gentle way, and remember that pregnancy can make you more likely to feel dizzy; if this happens, stop the workout. - When doing forward bends, make sure your stomach has enough space; position your legs accordingly far apart. - Exercises that require holding your breath are not recommended during pregnancy. - As soon as you no longer find the stomach position comfortable: Stop doing the corresponding exercises. - In yoga classes that also include pregnant women, their exercises are usually modified starting in the fourth month of pregnancy, and inversions are consistently taboo for them starting in the seventh month. (The extent to which inversions are beneficial for pregnant women up to the seventh month is controversial.) In general, only perform asanas that make you feel good. Don't practice out of ambition, but only for your health and well-being. Image © xua