We are often asked the following questions about yoga for fertility:
What is yoga for fertility?
What are its benefits?
How is it different from other types of yoga?
Who can benefit from yoga for fertility?
This chapter will address those questions, starting with a look at how yoga can help with fertility. Even using the word “yoga” can imply different things to different people. To many people in the West, yoga means physical poses, or “asanas” that are taught to classes in gyms or yoga studios. Yoga is, in fact, not just physical poses, but a vast body of knowledge that has developed over the past several thousand years, and that continues to develop. The word “yoga” means “union” or “yoke,” which actually refers to the union between humans and the Divine, however the Divine is perceived. In this sense, we could think of yoga as a set of practices undertaken to get oneself more in tune with the Divine. Alternatively, we could think of yoga as a way to remove the barriers that separate us from the underlying energy field that powers the Universe.
This is a useful way to think of yoga when we talk about yoga for fertility. Creating new life is one of the basic themes of the universe. New stars, and even new galaxies, are created every day. Every species of plant and animal is driven to reproduce itself, in keeping with the laws of the universe. So, at the highest level, yoga for fertility is about learning to tune into those universal laws that govern creativity, fertility, and continuation of the species. The desire to create life is deeply embedded in the human soul. On a more physiological level, we can think of yoga practices as helping us “tune in” to the universal energy field, by reducing our reactivity to stresses, opening energy channels in the body, and calming the mind.
Over about the past fifty years, many different “brands” of yoga have cropped up in the West, which differentiate themselves by emphasizing different combinations of physical poses and sequences, or different approaches to teaching yoga poses. You may have heard of yoga studios offering descriptions of their classes in terms of “hot” yoga, or “power” yoga, or “flow” yoga. Or, you may be familiar with some varieties of yoga such as Ashtanga, Bikram, or Iyengar. But the inventors of these various “brands” are not generally thinking up new yoga poses or practices. Instead, they draw from the extensive repertoire of Hatha yoga poses that has been developed over hundreds, or even thousands of years. Yoga for fertility draws from this same repertoire. These poses and practices were developed to have specific effects on the human body—not only the physical body, but also the mental/emotional and spiritual “bodies.”
Some General Yoga Benefits
· Increases flexibility and strength
· Improves balance and posture
· Maintains health of joints and spinal discs
· Increases circulation to all body systems, including organs
· Supports the lymphatic system, which is responsible for removal of toxins
· Regulates the endocrine system
· Boosts the immune system
· Improves sleep
· Reduces stress and calms the central nervous system
· Clears the brain; improves memory and the ability to concentrate
· Improves the efficiency and health of the respiratory system
· Increases oxygen to cells and increases red blood cell count
· Slows the aging process due to improved oxygenation of the blood, and detoxification of all systems
· Helps prevent osteoporosis by increasing strength. Yoga helps reduce cortisol levels in the blood stream, stemming the loss of calcium
· Increases overall energy level
· Improves metabolic efficiency, which helps with weight control
· Boosts libido and improves sexual performance
· Improves mood, reduces anxiety, and alleviates depression
· Reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels
GENERAL YOGA BENEFITS
Yoga as a practice offers an incredible number of benefits to the practitioner. It builds muscular and bone strength, while also improving flexibility, posture and balance. Yoga poses such as twists help to keep joints and spinal discs lubricated, which keeps them working better, longer. Regular yoga practice supports virtually every system in the body, including the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the immune system, the endocrine system, the digestive system, the lymphatic system and the central nervous system. Yoga also helps to regulate bodily processes such as the cyclical rhythms responsible for our sleep/wake cycles, our monthly menstrual cycles, and our internal reactions to the seasons. There are also mental/emotional benefits, such as feelings of calm, non-reactivity to stressors, and mental clarity.
Long-term yoga practitioners usually look younger than they are, because of the constant revitalization that all of these systems receive. They also measure 5 to 10 years younger than their chronological age on physiological tests. From a fertility standpoint, this alone is a good reason to start a yoga practice.
This long list of yoga benefits has been documented by multiple studies, as well as medical practitioners’ observations. One thing has become very clear: the more people who begin to practice yoga, the fewer health problems we will have as a population!
YOGA FOR FERTILITY BENEFITS
The benefits of yoga for fertility include those general benefits of yoga outlined above. What differentiates yoga for fertility as a practice is which poses and practices we choose to do, and sometimes, which we choose not to do. In yoga for fertility, we choose to focus on those poses and practices that specifically help us prepare for ovulation, conception and pregnancy.
The box below lists benefits which are all important aspects of a fertility yoga practice. In order to understand more about how these can help enhance fertility, let’s look at each benefit in greater detail.
Yoga for Fertility Benefits
1. Increases energy and blood flow, especially in the heart and pelvic areas
2. Stimulates the reproductive system directly by focusing on the ovaries and uterus
3. Supports and helps to regulate the endocrine (glandular/hormonal) system
4. Reduces levels of stress hormones in the bloodstream
5. Adapts poses according to the phase of the woman’s monthly cycle
6. Calms the mind and reduces negative thinking
7. Opens a two-way communication channel between mind and body
8. Uses yoga, meditation, and visualization to help synchronize messages between the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the body
9. Balances feminine/masculine or yin/yang energy in the body
10. Increases “apana,” or the downward-flowing energy in the body and “samana,” the digestive and absorptive energy in the body
11. Builds life-force energy in the body
1. INCREASES ENERGY AND BLOOD FLOW
If we want the glands and organs of the pelvis (including the ovaries, uterus, and Fallopian tubes) to be healthy and functioning at their maximum effectiveness, we need to supply them with a continuous flow of nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood. While it is the job of the heart to keep blood pumping around the body, we can help or hinder the heart in its mission to get fresh blood to all parts of the body. If we are holding a lot of tension in the pelvis, the blood vessels can become constricted, cutting down the flow to key organs. If we spend a large part of our day sitting, the blood can tend to stagnate in the pelvic area, thus “starving” the pelvic organs of the nutrients they should be receiving from a continuously refreshed blood flow.
Energy flow, while perhaps not as obvious as blood flow, is equally important from the yogic point of view. If energy flow is a new concept to you, it may help to think of having an energy system, similar to the circulatory system, in our bodies. In the yoga tradition, the vessels or channels in this system are called “nadis.” This is similar to the concept of “chi” in Chinese medicine. The nadis serve to move fresh energy to all parts of the body, similar to the way that arteries move fresh blood. In our discussion of potentially tension-holding spots such as the pelvis and heart areas, we can imagine that anything that restricts the flow of blood may also restrict the flow of energy to a particular area.
Surprisingly, the pelvis is one of the key tension-holding areas in the body, although we rarely notice it as much as we might notice tension in the shoulders or neck. We can end up with pelvic tension for different reasons. Sometimes it results from physical exercise such as running, walking, hiking, soccer, biking, or other exercise that strengthens but also tightens the pelvic muscles. Sometimes we hold tension in the pelvis that has to do with a previous life trauma centered in the pelvis, such as sexual abuse, past abortions or miscarriages, injuries or diseases. In yoga, we regard the pelvis as not only the center of reproduction, but also as the center of creative endeavors of any sort. So, we could be holding tension in the pelvis as a result of being unable to express ourselves creatively in our lives. Tami Lynn Kent, in her book “Wild Feminine” says essentially that we stuff lots of things that are difficult to deal with in the pelvic area.1 Whatever the reason for the pelvic tension, releasing that tension is one of the important benefits of yoga for fertility.
The need for blood and energy to move through the heart area may seem less clearly related to fertility, at least from the Western point of view, which tends to compartmentalize the body. However, from the Eastern point of view, the heart area is very much related to the ability to conceive. One of the key tenets of fertility from the Chinese medicine point of view is that the “heart-to-uterus energy channel” must be open in order for conception to occur. In the same way that the pelvic area can hold tension, the heart area (often referred to as the “heart center” or the “heart chakra” in yoga) can become tight and closed, restricting the flow of blood and energy.
What causes this closing down of the heart center? Once again, the culprit can be physical practices or emotional stresses. Physically, our posture and our daily activities can impact the heart center. If we spend much of our day hunched over a computer or a steering wheel, we are likely to be rounding forward and physically collapsing the heart center. Emotional stresses on the heart can include any experience where we feel betrayed or where we have suffered a loss. Dealing with fertility challenges can certainly stress the heart as we suffer a loss of our dream of pregnancy month after month. In addition, we sometimes feel as though our body has betrayed us by not doing what we always expected it to be able to do. Opening the heart center to increased blood and energy flow is another important benefit of yoga for fertility.
2. STIMULATES THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
In fertility yoga routines, we choose yoga poses which have the specific effect of bringing extra blood flow to the abdominal area, providing additional stimulation for the ovaries, uterus, and other abdominal organs. Some of these poses, such as legs-up-the-wall pose, provide this stimulation by positioning the body so that extra blood flows to the abdominal area. Other poses, such as locust pose, provide alternating compression and release to the low belly area. The result is that during the compression part of the pose, organs are compressed and old blood is squeezed out. During the release, the organs and glands in the low belly get a fresh, new supply of blood, flooding them with more oxygen and nutrients. These are a few examples of how we can use particular yoga poses to direct more blood flow to a specific area of the body.
3. SUPPORTS AND REGULATES THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM
The endocrine system includes all of the glands in the body. The proper functioning of the endocrine system is absolutely critical to fertility. Scientists and doctors are continually discovering additional ways in which the endocrine system impacts and controls key aspects of the reproductive process. A few glands, such as the ovaries and thyroid gland, have for a long time been clearly implicated in fertility problems. If they are not working properly, the ovaries may not be ovulating at the right time, or may not be ovulating at all. If the thyroid gland is either a tiny bit underactive or overactive, fertility suffers. In fact, if any gland in the endocrine system is out of balance, it can have a negative impact on fertility. One of our key goals in yoga for fertility is to help regulate the endocrine system so that each gland is working as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Fortunately for us, yoga is innately designed to work on the endocrine system. If you superimpose a map of the endocrine system onto a map of the key yogic energy centers (called chakras), you will find that they line up nicely. Although yoga was developed long before the endocrine system was described by Western medicine, it was designed to work on the chakras, which the sages perceived to be very important energy centers in the body. Western medicine has since confirmed this by furthering our understanding of the important role the endocrine system plays in all aspects of health.
The good news is that every yoga pose we do in any yoga class is working on at least one or more of the glands in the endocrine system. In yoga for fertility, we may choose poses that target specific glands, such as the ovaries, thyroid, or adrenal glands in order to specifically support regulation of those glands.
4. REDUCES STRESS HORMONE LEVELS
One of the most widely recognized benefits of yoga is its role in stress reduction. Numerous studies have shown it to be effective in reducing stress in a broad range of populations, such as in cancer patients and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. There is no question that ongoing fertility challenges are stress-producing. A famous study by Dr. Alice Domar at the Harvard Medical School documented that the anxiety and depression levels of women facing fertility challenges was on par with the levels of people who had been diagnosed with terminal diseases.2
Stress, whether due to our jobs, our relationships, our life situations, or fertility challenges, can negatively impact our ability to become pregnant. When we are under stress, our adrenal glands pump so-called “stress hormones,” such as adrenaline and cortisol, into our bloodstream. The role of these hormones is to activate the sympathetic nervous system. This starts certain physiological changes happening in the body, which are supposed to prepare us to deal with the stressful situation.
This combination of physiological responses has been called “the fight-or-flight response.” The adrenal glands are supposed to react to short-term danger by preparing the body to either fight or take flight, and they do a good job of this. All of these physiological changes would be very useful if we were being attacked by a saber-tooth tiger! However, when we are under continuous stress, the adrenal glands continue to pump out stress hormones, hour after hour. Now, the physiological changes are not so helpful. Particularly if we are trying to get pregnant, we do NOT want the blood flow to the core organs restricted, nor do we want shallow breathing. We are robbing the uterus and ovaries of the rich blood flow and oxygen they require to function optimally.
Physiological Changes Associated with the “Fight-or-Flight” Response
· Breathing becomes shallower and more rapid
· Blood vessels in the core of the body restrict
· Heart beats rapidly, rushing blood to the arms and legs
· Blood pressure increases
· Muscles tense
· Adrenal glands secrete stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline
· Brain goes on hyper-alert
· Hypothalamus releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain-killers
· Immune system is depressed
· Digestive system shuts down
Recalibrating the body’s reaction to stress is one of our key goals in yoga for fertility. While we may not be able to remove all the stressors from our lives, we can effectively reduce our reaction to stress events. This, in turn, will minimize stress hormone levels in the bloodstream. We can do this by eliciting the “relaxation response,” a term coined by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson in the late 1960s. Yoga and meditation are particularly effective in eliciting the relaxation response. They activate the parasympathetic nervous system, allowing the body to reverse the physiological effects of the fight-or-flight response, and instead activating the relaxation response. Interestingly, the hypothalamus gland, which mediates the relaxation response, also regulates all aspects of reproduction.3
Physiological Changes Associated with the Relaxation Response
· Heart rate decreases
· Blood pressure lowers
· Breathing rate slows
· Oxygen consumption decreases
· Level of stress hormones in blood stream drops
· Reduction in muscle tension and constriction
· Blood returns to core organs
· Changes brainwaves to calmer, slower patterns
In our experience with the women in our classes, the relaxation aspect of yoga alone is extremely important. Most of our students are busy career women with demanding jobs. Usually, a few students in each class already have a child at home, and are now working as well as being a mother, while trying to conceive again. Having a time set aside to just focus on themselves, where they can relax deeply, is so valuable.
A few years ago, at the end of the initial class in a new session, one of the students came up to me with tears in her eyes, and said, “I didn’t realize until now that I really have not relaxed for at least the past year. Thank you!”
5. ADAPTS POSES ACCORDING TO THE MONTHLY CYCLE
The function of each portion of a woman’s monthly cycle is specific to that part of the cycle. So, in yoga for fertility we tailor the poses accordingly. In the first half of the cycle leading up to ovulation, the most important focus is on stimulating the ovaries to produce follicles and release a high-quality egg. We would also like to ensure that the uterus is developing a thick, lush lining. So, in the first half of the cycle, we choose yoga poses which bring stimulation to the area of the ovaries and improve blood flow to the uterus. In the second half of the cycle, post-ovulation, we are interested in supporting implantation. Thus, we choose yoga poses that are a bit less stimulating, and more supportive and calming. During menstruation, our main objective is to rest the body and support the movement of blood out of the uterus.
This is one of the reasons that we suggest following the yoga for fertility routines if you are trying to conceive, even if you are already doing a regular yoga practice. It is best to tailor the routine to where you are in your cycle. Other considerations for your practice, if you are attending another yoga class, are discussed in Chapter 6.
6. CALMS THE MIND AND REDUCES NEGATIVE THINKING
One of the concepts we teach in yoga for fertility classes is the practice of having both the body and the mind present during yoga practice. We ask our students to try to “be present” in the yoga class. This is essentially just practice focusing on what we are doing; i.e., to have the body and mind engaged in the same thing at the same time. This may sound like an unusual thing to practice, but the truth is that we rarely have our mind fully present with what our body is doing.
Think of the last time you drove to the grocery store. Were you thinking “Here I am, sitting in the car with my hands on the steering wheel?” Unlikely! Your mind was probably already at your destination, figuring out what you needed to buy, and possibly even thinking about what you were going to do after you finished shopping!
Yet, there are some very good reasons to cultivate having the mind and body in the same place at the same time. Of course, one reason is that you will probably do a better job of what you are doing (like driving!) if you are actually thinking about it. But from the fertility perspective, the most important reason is that it reduces stress. Most of our stress does not come from what is happening right at this moment. Ninety-eight percent of the time our stress comes from things that happened in the past, or things that we are afraid might happen in the future.
In yoga, we talk about the “monkey mind” that runs around back and forth. It pulls things from the past to stress over, and from the future to worry about, and generally gets into mischief. It often tries to drag you back to the same stressful scenario over and over. Being present helps to control the “monkey mind,” but it takes practice. You may want to start by trying to stay present in your yoga practice as you do the routines in this book. Do not be discouraged if your own “monkey mind” runs off somewhere else every few minutes or even every few seconds. Usually the “monkey mind” has had a lot of practice getting into trouble, and does not take kindly to being brought under control!
Study Finds Happiness Linked to Where the Mind Is
A pair of Harvard psychologists recently carried out a study on happiness. The study used a smartphone application to check in with a number of individuals at various times during the day, over a period of a few weeks. Each time, the individuals were asked to respond to several questions, such as:
1. What are you doing?
2. What are you thinking about?
3. How are you feeling?
At the end of the study, the researchers compiled the responses. The study found that 47% of the time, people were thinking about something other than what they were doing. The researchers concluded that a main cause of people’s unhappiness is how frequently their minds wander. What they found was that the people who reported feeling happiest were those who were thinking about what they were doing. These people were even happier than those who were thinking about some positive thing, like being on the beach in Hawaii!4
7. TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY
One big advantage of being present in your yoga practice is that it makes it possible to get messages and feedback from the body to the brain. In other words, it allows information from the body to be brought to your conscious awareness. The requirement for this, of course, is that your brain is paying attention to what your body is doing. Unfortunately, our mind-body communication channel often works only in one direction: mind-to-body. Our minds are used to telling the body what to do, and having the body obey without complaint.
For example, imagine you are sitting at your computer working on a report that is due tomorrow morning. Your neck and shoulders say, “Ouch, this is too long in this position! Please get up and stretch! We are hurting!” But what is your response? It is likely that you ignore this message altogether, because you have a report that needs to be finished. If you were to tune into the body and really use two-way mind-body communication, you would probably get up and stretch. And you would likely find that your brain worked better after you stretched, since you released the blockages to the blood flowing into the brain. Thus, you would be more efficient in finishing your report.
8. SYNCHRONIZES THE MESSAGES BETWEEN THE CONSCIOUS MIND, THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, AND THE BODY
Yoga helps us access wisdom and information that resides in the body that we may be aware of on a subconscious level, but that our conscious mind has not noticed. This is particularly important in yoga for fertility. During the process of trying to conceive, we are often required to notice what is happening in our bodies and make decisions based on that information. Am I about to ovulate? Am I feeling different than I did last month? Is my period on the way? How is this medication affecting me? Is this a good month for us to try, or to take a break? The more we are able to tune into our body’s messages, the more likely it is that we will make appropriate and effective decisions.
9. BALANCES ENERGY IN THE BODY
According to Eastern philosophy, everyone is made up of a combination of feminine and masculine energy. Ideally, the two are at an optimum ratio and balance each other, although people with perfectly balanced energy are exceedingly rare. A graphic representation of this concept of opposite energies balancing is the ancient Chinese symbol for Yin (feminine) and Yang (masculine).
The Yang (masculine) energy is considered to be the more action-oriented, “hot” energy, and is also represented by the sun. The Yin (feminine) energy is the more intuitive, contemplative, “cool” energy, and is considered to be the “moon” energy. The word “hatha,” as in “hatha yoga” also reflects these two opposite energies in balance. “Ha” refers to the energy of the sun, and “tha” to the energy of the moon. Further, the yogic understanding of the energy system in the body is that there are three major energy channels which carry energy from the base of the spine up to the crown of the head, and beyond. The Ida channel carries the male (Yang) energy, and the Pingala channel carries the female (Yin) energy. These channels wind around in a spiral, with the third channel, the Susumna, in the center of the spiral. In fact, the concept of balancing male and female energies is of central importance in many Eastern practices. If the male (Yang) energy gets too strong, we find a person who is all action, doing without thinking deeply. If the female (Yin) energy is stronger, we may find a person who is very thoughtful, but unable to take action when needed. To optimize fertility, the ideal condition would be to have the Yin and Yang energies perfectly balanced in the body. This is a state of calm, where the tension between the two has come into equilibrium.
The Yin/Yang Symbol Representing Balance of Opposites
Generally, we see that most of the women who come to our classes have an imbalance, with the Yang being too strong. The likely reason for this is that our culture in the United States tends to be very Yang-oriented. Undoubtedly, there are some jobs that are more Yin-enhancing, such as working with children, artistic professions, or some types of health care or teaching jobs. But mostly, it is the take-action, “just do it” philosophy that is rewarded and encouraged in our culture, as opposed to the contemplative mode. Many of us are in jobs or careers with an overwhelming workload, where we have to take lots of actions quickly. Even driving to work, if we happen to live in a city and need to take the freeway, can raise our Yang energy. By the time we get to yoga for fertility class, we are in need of some balancing of that Yang energy. This is one of the key reasons behind the poses we choose to do in yoga for fertility class.
Within the overall body of hatha yoga poses, there are yoga poses that are more Yang-enhancing, and poses that are more Yin-enhancing. In a balanced yoga practice, one would choose some Yang poses and some Yin poses, with the idea that these would balance each other out. The end result would be that the practitioner is left with a calm, centered energy after the practice. Many of the most popular “brands” of yoga in the United States today are very Yang-intensive practices. They are using primarily poses which strengthen and heat the body. The poses may be done quickly, one after the other, in a “flow” style, without any rest between poses. In addition, some classes may be conducted in heated rooms, which further adds to the Yang energy generated by the practice.
If you have been practicing this type of yoga, you may find yoga for fertility routines to be not very “challenging.” There is a reason for this. Our goal in yoga for fertility is not so much to strengthen the body, as to strengthen the central nervous system. We want to train the body to cope better with stress. We want to supply the organs and glands with more blood flow and oxygen, rather than rob them to supply the extremities for an intensive yoga practice. We want to bring up the Yin energy in the body, as this is the energy that is more conducive to conception and motherhood.
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TYPES OF YOGA AND THEIR USEFULNESS FOR FERTILITY SUPPORT |
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Generally supportive of fertility |
Less supportive of fertility |
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Yoga for fertility |
Hot yoga |
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Gentle yoga |
Power yoga |
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Restorative yoga |
Any yoga in heated room |
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Yoga nidra |
Intensive, heat-producing practices |
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Flow or vinyasa yoga |
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Notes
1. In order to make these lists, we had to generalize based on what we have observed being done in “standard” classes of the various types. There may be, for example, some gentle yoga classes that are not so great for fertility, and some flow yoga classes that do many supportive fertility poses. And this is not to say that one cannot get pregnant doing the yoga practices in Column 2. But on the whole, we would recommend yoga classes in Column 1, before those in Column 2, for anyone trying to conceive.
2. There is a type of yoga called “Yin Yoga,” which you may have heard of; however, the philosophy of this type of yoga is different than what we are talking about here with focus on a Yin practice.
3. In Chapter 6, we will talk about some basic ways you can modify your practice if you are attending another yoga class, to make it more “fertility friendly.”
10. INCREASES APANA AND SAMANA
The yoga picture of the body recognizes five energy currents that represent the flow of life-force energies. Two of these currents, the apana and samana, are especially important to support fertility. Apana helps with elimination, and as such supports a healthy menstrual cycle. It also aids in the removal of toxins, which could impact fertility if stuck in the body. Samana supports the digestive and respiratory processes so that our bodies can make efficient use of the food we eat and the air we breathe to nourish our bodies. Specific yoga poses increase apana and samana, and these poses are included in the yoga for fertility routines we offer in the following chapters.
11. BUILDS LIFE-FORCE ENERGY (PRANA) IN THE BODY
Yoga recognizes prana as the spark of life, the vitality that permeates all the cells of the body and essentially makes us alive. You might think about prana like the charge in a battery. When it runs down, our bodies, our health, and even our emotional lives don’t work so well. The quantity of prana that we have impacts the quality of our lives and our health. Prana is very important for conception. It makes sense that, in order to create new life, we need to have a good store of life-force energy to begin with.
Unfortunately, our modern lifestyles tend to drain us of prana, rather than build it. Many times we are in a “prana-deficit” when we decide to try to conceive. Things that drain prana include general stress, a cluttered, chaotic living or working environment, negative people, traffic, pollution, poor diet, overly strenuous exercise, job stress, relationships, etc. In fact, many of the things that we may have to deal with on a daily basis can deplete our stores of prana. A regular, daily yoga for fertility practice is a good way to replenish and increase prana. The practice of hatha yoga postures, pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) and the use of mantras, meditation, and visualization all help to build more of this life-force energy. Other ways you can build prana include eating whole, non-processed, nutritious foods, taking a long walk in nature, or singing, chanting or meditating.