What is Ayurvedic preconception yoga and how to do it

In Ayurveda, getting pregnant is not considered an unexpected outcome of indulging in a sensual and pleasurable act. In fact, it talks in great detail about how one should prepare for conception by being healthy at the physical, psychological, spiritual, and financial levels.

Ayurveda elaborates on the appropriate diet, lifestyle, and thinking that a person should adopt based on their constitution. Apart from such guidelines, many useful herbal combinations are also mentioned that help both men and women with conception. These are known rasayana, or rejuvenating preparations.

When you’re out to create something, it’s really important to equip yourself with extensive knowledge and prepare yourself in a way that you’re able to do justice to the task. For a couple, having a child is important since it completes the family. However, modern lifestyle and increased stress have become the cause of several ailments, including complications related to conception. The growing number of fertility clinics and use of latest technology to help with conceiving a child are proof enough of how serious the problem really is.

Four aspects of conception:

Ayurveda identifies four contributors to successful conception – healthy seed (semen and ovum), healthy uterus, proper nutrition, and the right time. When all four aspects function well and are balanced, they facilitate natural conception. If any one of them is affected negatively, you may have trouble getting pregnant.

Importance of vata dosha:

Blood circulation, respiration, excretion, and transportation are considered the main functions of vata dosha. Vata is known prana, or life energy. The apana vata, one of the five types of vata, is naturally responsible for menses, secretion of semen, and elimination of urine and stool. The pelvic area, or the reproductive system, is one of natural locations of the vata dosha. Therefore, when vata gets aggravated, it is unable to carry out its natural functions and can create semen related disorders and irregularity in menstruation cycle. This can ultimately lead to many problems in conception.

Pre conception yoga:

These days, most people are familiar with the fact that yoga can help ease stress and provide necessary nutrition to parts of the body by improving blood circulation. When preparing to start a family, both partners are expected to be free from stress and anxiety. This ensures secretion of fertile youth hormones that are abundant in quantity and high in quality. Yoga postures and meditation techniques can help achieve this.

Regular practice of yoga enhances semen quality, improves blood circulation in reproductive organs, strengthens pelvic muscles, regularises menstruation cycle, and helps in proper formation and secretion of ovum.

The asanas and breathing exercises outlined below are useful for couples as a part of the pre conception process:

Pranayam:

• Kapalbhati, Nadi shodhan and Bhramari are helpful breathing exercises to practice.

Asanas for male:

• Adhomukha shavasana – Forward facing dog pose

• Sarvangasana – Shoulder stand pose

• Matsyasana – Fish pose

• Shirshasana – Headstand pose

• Utthishtha trikonasana – Extended triangle pose

• Ardha matsyendrasana – Half spinal twist pose

• Veer bhadrasan – Warrior pose

• Bhujangasana – Cobra pose

Asanas for female:

• Pashchimottanasana – Seated forward bend pose

• Pavan muktasana – Wind relieving pose

• Shavasana – Corpse pose

• Bhujangasana – Cobra pose

• Balasana – Child pose

• Viparitakarni – Legs up the wall pose

• Baddha konasana – Cobblers pose/Bound angle pose

• Hastapadasana – Hand-foot stretching pose

We hope that you are now aware of the various factors that affect your ability to conceive and the steps you can take for healthy conception.