• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

GingerGarner.com

EudeMOMia | From Recovery to Discovery

  • View DrGingerGarner’s profile on Facebook
  • View MedicalTherapeuticYoga’s profile on Instagram
  • View GingerGarner’s profile on YouTube
  • View gingergarner’s profile on Vimeo
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Learn
    • Events
    • Blog
    • Publications
    • Podcasts & Interviews
    • Videos
    • Yoga Therapist Training
    • Yoga Teacher Training
    • Host A Course
    • Anti-Aging Resources
    • Mothering Resources
  • Connect

Part 1: Struggling with Infertility: Can Yoga Help?

This week is a guest post from a physical therapy colleague, fellow women’s health advocate, and PYT practitioner, Lisa B. Minn.  She has been a physical therapist for over a decade and during that time she has “come to be impressed by the effectiveness of a holistic approach to health care.”  

Welcome Lisa B. Minn, and her post on fertility and yoga:

I met Ginger last year when she was in San Francisco teaching a course I attended on medical therapeutic yoga for the spine. I am so glad she has given me the opportunity to write about yoga for fertility – because I know, firsthand, how helpful yoga can be in the journey to motherhood.

I have learned that yoga is a valuable tool for navigating the rocky waters of infertility – from a completely unexpected diagnosis of hypothyroidism to demoralizing labels including “advanced maternal age.”  I am still waiting for that one “good egg,” and in the meantime, I am making the most of my journey.

Making babies is big business. Just try entering ‘how to become pregnant’ or ‘infertility’ into a Google search and see what comes up. Everyone has a system, a trademarked technique, a patented program that will help you become pregnant in four easy steps. You’ll see ads for supplements, books, and fertility centers. One source says that acupuncture is the answer. Another claims that ice cream is the surprising secret.

The truth is much more murky. Fertility is a complex expression of hormones, environment, and timing.
One suggestion you may discover in your search for fertility solutions is yoga.  Can yoga really make you fertile? If someone suggests that their particular brand of yoga will lead to a little bundle of joy – be very skeptical.

Yoga can do a lot of good for the fertility challenged.  But there are some things it can’t overcome.  It can’t unblock tubes scarred by severe endometriosis, it can’t cure hypothyroidism, and it won’t help you grow more eggs or replace damaged DNA.

What yoga can do is
  • Reduce stress.  Studies have shown that stress management programs that include yoga and meditation can increase the odds of pregnancy.1
  • Certain postures or asana may improve blood flow to the pelvic organs, which in turn may help to thicken the endometrial lining and allow it to be more receptive to a healthy embryo.  Although there is no scientific evidence that this actually happens, it is a reasonable theory. We do know that people who hold excessive tension in the muscles of the pelvic floor and abdomen can restrict the blood flow and lymph fluid. Yoga can teach you to relax those muscles to improve the function of the reproductive organs.
     
  • Improve general health.  Yoga is known to improve overall health and well being as evidenced by decreased blood pressure and reduced amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. Recently, new evidence has emerged that a regular practice of yoga may help to minimize signs of inflammation in the body.
However the most compelling reason for women struggling with fertility issues to do yoga is simply to care for themselves.

  • Practice asana in a way that is consistent with your diagnosis, with the phase of your cycle, and the stage of your treatment. 
  • Reflect on the “golden rule” guidelines known as yamas and niyamas and how they are relevant to your journey. 
  • Practice meditation in order to develop the mental strength and insight to stay sane during extreme highs and lows of fertility pursuits, the dreaded two week wait, and the monthly cycles of hope and fear. Each woman has unique strengths and challenges and so developing a personalized program will provide the greatest benefits.
For some women at some times, that means a more rigorous yoga class to get the blood flowing and confidence boosted.  However sometimes a session of long-hold stretches of the hip muscles or backbends may be needed. Further, there are other times when supported forward bends are needed to ease pain, both physical and spiritual.  Listen to your body and let yoga be, not a means to an end, but a way to give yourself exactly what you need in the moment.

A good resource for finding a therapist who can safely prescribe the right yoga for you, according to your individual needs and your medical diagnosis is through Professional Yoga Therapy.  PYT therapists are uniquely trained to consider all the needs and challenges of women struggling with the physical and spiritual challenges of women with reduced fertility.

Next week I’ll share some specific recommendations of yoga practices that women undergoing fertility treatments will benefit from and that can be performed safely at any time of the month.
Ginger Recommends

  • Find a Professional Yoga Therapist in your area
  • Fertility: The Mind/Body Connection
  • Circle + Bloom: Meditation and Fertility Program
Sources

1 See this article in Yoga Journal, written by Judith Lasater, for more extensive detail about the connection between stress and fertility:

http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/586
2 A summary of research published in February 2010:
http://pullingdownthemoon.com/blog/2010/04/06/more-evidence-in-support-of-fertility-yoga

Lisa B. Minn is a licensed physical therapist and yoga enthusiast.  She has been incorporating aspects of Yoga and Pilates into her physical therapy practice since 2001 and became a certified yoga instructor in 2004.  Her experience ranges from working with athletes at West Point and Georgetown to instructing elderly and wheelchair-bound clients in the fundamentals of  Yoga.  Lisa has conducted several lectures and workshops across the US, as well as in Honduras and Peru, where she volunteered her services. Lisa currently resides in Sausalito, California, where she lives and works. She is the author of the blog The Pragmatic Yogi and can be reached at her website, Lisa B. Minn.

Share this:

  • Reddit
  • More
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Print

Related

Filed Under: EudeMOMia | From Recovery to Discovery, Hip & Pelvic Health, Mindful Breath & Movement, Mothers Matter, Mothers' Rights & Research, The Yoga Prescription Tagged With: hip health, pelvic health, women's health, yoga, yoga for fertility

Free videos and book excerpt! Join the transformation…

Enter your email address here to sign up for updates from Dr. G, as well as to receive an excerpt from the Medical Therapeutic Yoga book and a special link for free access to dozens of videos in the Medical Therapeutic Yoga video library.

Previous Post: « A Mother’s Bill of Rights?
Next Post: Yoga for Fertility – Part 2 »

Reader Interactions

Leave a comment... Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Meet Dr. G

Meet Dr. G

Hello and welcome to EudeMOMia! I'm Dr. Ginger Garner, a mother of 3 & longtime physical therapist and athletic trainer in women's health. I know what it's like to have to overcome poor health & healthcare, and my goal is to empower & advocate for you to help you move from recovery after birth to discovery of your best self! Learn more...

Mindful Living

Mindfulness & Relationships
Mothers' Rights & Research
Mindful Breath & Movement
Mindful Music

Healthy Living

Spine Health
Shoulder Health
Hip & Pelvic Health
Gut Health

Related

Testimonials


Meagan Satinsky PT, PYT-C

Hi Ginger! After having some time to digest the (Professional Yoga Therapist) training last week at Emerald Isle I wanted to drop you a note…


Read more

Recent Patient with Ginger

Ginger is working with a postpartum mom with multiple conditions, including second degree tear, vestibulitis, dyspareunia, DRA, non relaxing pelvic floor, back and hip pain,…


Read more

Brian C. Kittelson, PT, Minnesota

My wife and I both took your yoga PYT course in the 90s in Minneapolis Minnesota.  I just wanted to let you know that I…


Read more

Wendy, PT, PYT-C

Thank you for revolutionizing healthcare — I am so honored and proud to be a part of this pioneering movement! Raleigh, North Carolina


Read more

Ruth Hulette, DOM, PYT-C

Thank you for your thoughtful and encouraging feedback. I found myself feeling quite sad when I walked away today and realized I only have one…


Read more

Angie Cooper, Swansboro, NC

Thank you Ginger….thank you, thank you…..for introducing me to yoga. It has been the best thing I’ve ever done for my body and my mind…


Read more

Dr. Tawna Wilkinson, PT, DPT, PhD, PCS

Ginger, Being in your presence the past several days (at Module 8/Yoga as Medicine I) has provided such a light for me for many reasons.…


Read more

Barb Rabin, PT, ATC, PYT

That pink house on the beach was a safe haven where I met all these awesome caring friends and most of all you Ginger Garner…


Read more

PYT-C from Module 8

Ginger is an amazing instructor and her passion is contagious. This program gives me hope for healthcare.


Read more

Debbie Peel, Swansboro, NC

I couldn’t recommend Ginger enough! She saved me from a second shoulder surgery. I am very impressed with the way she blends Western medicine with…


Read more

Don’t miss a thing.

Sign up for be in the know, including the latest news on events, how you can learn and study with Ginger, blogs and research on hip and women's health (but no spam!) all delivered right to your inbox.

Upcoming Events

  1. Differential Diagnosis and Integrative Management of the Hip

    Differential Diagnosis & Integrative Management of the Hip (2019)

    February 23 - February 24
  2. Yoga as Medicine I (Module 8) – Spring 2019

    March 2 - March 8
  3. Yoga as Medicine II (Module 14) – Spring 2019

    March 9 - March 15

View All Events

Let’s Connect

  • View DrGingerGarner’s profile on Facebook
  • View MedicalTherapeuticYoga’s profile on Instagram
  • View GingerGarner’s profile on YouTube
  • View gingergarner’s profile on Vimeo

As featured in…

As featured in…

PODCASTS & LIVE BROADCASTS

Latest on Instagram

Follow on Instagram

Footer

Quick Links

  • Media Kit
  • Testimonials
  • Events
  • Host A Course
  • Patients
  • Connect
  • Disclaimer

Recent Posts

  • Using Your Big Voice (Part II)
  • Using Your Big Voice: Harnessing Your Power from the Boardroom to the Bedroom
  • Nervous System Hacks to Keep Calm (& Vagus On)
  • New Moms Have Higher Risk for Hip Labral Tears
  • Hitting My (New) Stride: Day 50+ (Week 7, Post 14)
  • I Am Not Just a Survivor, I Am a Thriver
  • Tried & True Fitness Tips to Kick off Your New Year!

RSS The latest from PYTI

  • Revolved Chair Pose – Let the Knee Be Free
  • Recreating ‘Life at the Pink House’ At Home
  • A Meditation: my offering to all of us about to be impacted by Hurricane Florence
  • Hip Labral Tears & Comorbidities
  • Hip on Yoga: 3 Golden Rules for Happy Hips
  • Take a look at your practice, then practice what you preach! A blog by Allison Marsden, PT, DPT, OCS, PYT-c
  • Heart Month: Know Your Numbers


Copyright © 2019 Ginger Garner · Disclaimer · Website designed by Lookout Publishing.

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.