New Delhi: We live in an era of hustle culture, perpetual stress, a sedentary existence, and constant information overload. The pressure on the human body, particularly for women juggling careers, relationships, and self-nurturing, has become immense. Increased pressure from all aspects of life has understandably made us more stressed than ever. Beyond simple physical movement, Yoga is a rich, age-old system designed to locate and break up congestion in the body, be it physical or mental. The practice aims to nurture rest, emotional clarity, and stress release.

Stress targets different people in different ways. In many cases, there is a sharp rise in infertility and emotional exhaustion. According to a study, Yoga can be an adjunctive therapy for people dealing with infertility. It has numerous advantages and contributes positively to overall reproductive health.

Dr Sonu Taxak, Director and Senior IVF Consultant at Yellow Fertility, answered all FAQs linking yoga to reproductive health.

How does stress impact fertility?

Stress is both emotional and physical; it happens at several levels and results in physical alterations in the body that negatively affect the body’s reproductive capacity.

1. Hormonal adjustments: Prolonged stress, by escalating cortisol secretion and deranging the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, the complex axis that maximizes ovulation in women and sperm production in men. When responsiveness and turnover in the HPG axis are deranged, the body closes down the reproductive system as an adaptive response.
2. Inflammation and blood flow: Stress-induced inflammation can impact ovarian function, endometrial receptivity, and sperm quality. While inflammation serves a purpose to help the body respond to acute stress, it can hinder the body’s conception facilitation when it is chronic.
3. Emotional Influence on IVF Success: There is a lot of physical and emotional stress involved in assisted reproductive treatments like IVF. If the patients are under high anxiety during the cycles, it can strongly influence hormonal response, egg quality, embryo implantation, and eventually, reduce success rates.

How yoga assists in unblocking fertility

Yoga is one of the surest methods of fighting the physiological implications of stress and favouring fertility through a natural process. By practicing Yoga, one can attain the level of homeostasis by relaxing the nervous system, improving circulation, and enabling emotional healing.

1. Regulates hormones: Through the practice of yoga, incorporating breathing and restorative flow physically forces the body into a parasympathetic response or “rest and digest” mode, lowering cortisol levels and aiding the production of healthy reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone.
2. Improves circulation: Different poses, including Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) and Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose), greatly enhance blood circulation to the pelvis area, enhance uterine lining and improve sperm motility.
3. Lowers inflammation and oxidative stress: Periodic practice of yoga and pranayama (breathing exercises) decreases inflammation and oxidative stress, which can be harmful to egg and sperm quality.
4. Improve sleep and gut health: Restorative yoga promotes deeper, more restorative sleep and creates a healthier gut, to balance and regulate our hormones. A healthy gut microbiome is intricately linked with estrogen metabolism and reproductive glands.
5. Emotion regulation: Mindfulness practices are a great method of emotion regulation when you are experiencing times of emotional chaos, mild ringside seats to fear, sorrow, and emotional burnout. Yoga practice affords you a healthful chance to reconnect with yourself amidst all that mayhem, safely and from a place of self-nourishment.

Yoga poses for fertility support

1. Viparita karani (legs up the wall): Effective for increasing blood flow to the pelvic area and promoting relaxation.
2. Baddha Konasana (butterfly Pose): It helps open up the hips and groin, improving connections in the pelvis and ovaries.
3. Paschimottanasana (Seated forward bend): Calms the nervous system and lightly stimulates the reproductive organs.
4. Anulom vilom and bhramari (breath work): It balances the body’s energy channels and helps settle worries in the mind, making you feel less cluttered.

Note: While receiving fertility treatments, at specific times of your menstrual cycle, it’s essential to check in with a prenatal/fertility-based yoga teacher. Knowing what is right for your body in a given moment ensures safety and effectiveness.

Conclusion

The path to fertility can be daunting, often filled with physiological and emotional challenges. Yoga invites you to slow down, connect with yourself, and trust your body and its ability to create life. When you embrace this path, yoga becomes more than just exercise; it becomes a form of self-care and a healing journey.