Yoga for Infertility

It seems like there is a yoga for everything these days. I’ve seen yoga to quit smoking, yoga for weight loss, and yoga to boost your sex life. I have also seen yoga for infertility. Can yoga help your infertility problems? Maybe. I am not saying that yoga will get you pregnant any faster, but yoga can help you deal with the difficult emotions and tensions that come up when you are coping with infertility.

What is yoga like?
Yoga is timeless, it’s healing, and (if you work hard at it) it may give you a really hot body. You may be thinking that yoga is not your thing – it’s too still, it’s too quiet – but there are some pretty rockin’, sweaty yoga classes out there, too. Some teachers play music (I’ve heard everything from folk to reggae to hip-hop). Some teachers talk a lot, and many incorporate humor in their teaching.

How yoga works
Many people swear by the feel-good benefits of yoga. Science has even shown that these benefits are real. At least one research study has shown that yoga can help you reduce stress, improve mood, and relieve tension. Other studies show that yoga can reduce blood pressure and improve insulin resistance. I’m sure that you have heard and seen the weight loss success stories of those that follow a regular, vigorous yoga practice. But yoga is not just for the physical benefits alone. It can also soothe a broken heart.

Yoga heals the spirit
Yoga philosophy says that we hold our energy in channels in the body called “nadis.” When practicing yoga, you quiet your mind, breathe deeply, and balance those channels. If this all sounds a little too “out there”, just think for a second about what these months and years of coping with infertility have done to your physical and spiritual energy over time. Our bodies hold on to so much of our grief and so much of our pain. As a wise woman once told me, “The body just does not lie.” It may be a hard question to answer, but what is your body telling you?

Has yoga helped you?
I can’t personally guarantee that yoga will boost your fertility, but I do see yoga as a tool to help you deal with infertility stress. In fact, I was inspired to write this post after experiencing deep grief, sadness, and loss in my own life. I have sat in yoga classes before grinning from ear from ear, and I have sat in yoga class with tears streaming down my face. Yoga has helped me heal, but what about you? Has yoga made a difference in your life? Has yoga helped you conceive? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear from you.

If you are struggling with infertility, I hope you can find infertility support, whether with yoga, seeing a counselor, or something else. Ask your local fertility clinic about their infertility support services.

Next week, I’ll be sharing tips on how to get started with a yoga for infertility home practice.

Britt Berg is a medical writer and consultant from Atlanta. Co-author of Making a Baby and a former yoga instructor, Britt is obsessed with all things related to fertility, pregnancy, and birth.