When it comes to overall rejuvenation of body, mind and soul, I don’t think it gets much better than yoga. However, a recent article in the Yoga Journal (May 2008), revealed that more and more women are turning to yoga to improve their fertility. In her article, “Fertile Ground,” author Denise Kersten Wills related that the classes emphasize breath, relaxation and opening the muscles around the hips and pelvis.

But underneath all this breathing and stretching is the message of the yogic philosophy: stop trying to control the process. The ‘letting go’ fostered by this approach helps to reduce anxiety and stress, factors that are known to raise the likelihood of infertility.

Yoga is not a magic cure all, and certainly can’t change diagnosed physical issues. But according to yoga teacher Tami Quinn, co-founder of Pulling Down The Moon, a holistic fertility center in Chicago, yoga can help with hormone regulation, stress levels and blood-flow issues. According to Quinn, “The East-meets-West approach is the fastest way to meet your goal.”

If you are interested in exploring yoga for fertility, you have some options. Two videos that can get you started on a home-based practice are, “Yoga 4 Fertility,” with Brenda Strong, and “Fertility Yoga,” with Jolyon Cowan. And Fully Fertile is a new book by the Pulling Down the Moon staff.

Marina

Here is a video from last year’s Yoga Journal Conference: