Practical Yoga for Pre-Conception
I invite you to consider how your ability to create is manifesting itself in your reality right now. Even though you may not yet have created human life, you are a creatrix/creator in many other ways. If you ever cook, garden, sing, dance, draw, write, decorate or gather people together, you are creating - however inconsequential this may seem at surface level.
In yogic philosophy, the state of being at any point in time is considered to be the culmination of five sheaths or layers of our existence called the koshas. By embracing your creativity across each layer, you can begin to embody the energy of conception and prepare to welcome in your child.
Annamaya kosha – the physical body
Due to your societal influences and possibly also your upbringing, you may find it difficult to welcome your menstrual cycle at the best of times, let alone when you are trying to conceive. But your monthly period is a crucial part of preparing the womb to welcome your child. It is one of your body’s natural cleansing methods, facilitating the process of regeneration and rejuvenation of the womb. It is essentially the best preparation you do each month without having to do anything! And the best part is that you are encouraged to rest and restore yourself externally during this time too, so why not make the most of it by adjusting your perception of your period and enjoying this cleansing opportunity.
Exercise – Yoni Mudra
A mudra is a symbolic gesture made with the body, most often with the hands/fingers (mudra means seal). By holding the body in specific ways, energy is directed to flow within the subtle body, supporting the desired state of the practitioner. We will practice yoni mudra, which helps to balance the functioning of the reproductive organs.
1. Find a comfortable position to be seated, and gift yourself at least 5-10minutes of space and time.
2. Close your eyes and let your breath steady
3. Create yoni mudra with your hands:
Bring your palms together each at your belly with fingers pointing away from you
Bend pinkie, ring and middle fingers so that the backs of each one touch the backs of their corresponding finger on the opposite hand.
Point your pointer fingers towards the ground and let the finger pads touch each other.
Point your thumbs upwards and let the thumb pads touch each other.
4. Hold yoni mudra for as long as feels comfortable or you have time for, allowing yourself to come back to the sensation of holding the mudra and/or the steadiness of your breath if the mind wanders.
Pranamaya kosha - life force energy, transported by the breath
Your body is preparing to become the home of a new life, the home in which they will abide for around forty weeks. As you make preparations to welcome your baby into your womb, it can be helpful to imagine you are re-invigorating and re-energising the space, just like you might when preparing to welcome a guest into your home...
· Your uterine lining is like the linen you would wash, press and thoughtfully arrange for your guest's comfort during their stay.
· Your digestive system is like the food you would prepare for your guest, taking into account their dietary requirements, preferences and favourite dishes.
· Your mind is like the earnest and lively conversation you would have with your guest as you welcome their arrival and settle in to catch up and enjoy each other's company.
Exercise – Womb Breathing
Just as opening the windows of your house can be the conduit for breathing fresh energy into the space, so too can deepening your breath deliver fresh energy into your womb space.
Lie either on your back or on your side and allow the breath to steady to a natural pace.
Bring your hand/s to the side/s of your ribcage (one side if you are lying on your side, two sides if you are lying on your back). Invite the breath to move more into the sides of the ribcage with each inhale.
After a period of time, move your awareness to the movement of the ribcage at the back of your body. Invite the breath to move more into the back of the ribcage with each inhale.
Once you feel expansiveness of the ribcage on the inhale and softening on the exhale, place your hand/s on your abdomen and notice the movement here in and out with the breath. Invite the movement of the breath into this space.
Imagine that as you open the ribcage, you allow the breath to be received into your womb space on the inhale. As you release the breath, you allow your womb space to soften.
Spend as long as feels comfortable or suitable for your energy levels on this exercise. You can progress by receiving the breath deeper down into the abdomen towards the pelvic floor.
Manomaya kosha – mind
When the desire to have a child takes hold, it can seem like everything else fades in comparison. This desire can bring a sense of earnestness, sometimes even of urgency.
Has this sense of yearning for a child been verging on impatience?
Or has your journey been a long and circuitous one and your yearning sometimes feels like it is becoming an obsession?
Either of these circumstances can lead to feeling like your body is not 'performing' in the way that you would like or expect. When this occurs, your self-talk or inner dialogue can become very critical.
Take a moment to consider the thought patterns you notice yourself repeating. There may be some that are especially harmful when you experience the start of another period, or a failed pregnancy or ovulation test. What simple actions could you take to develop compassion towards yourself in these instances?
Exercise – Metta Meditation
Metta is a buddhist term meaning which can be translated as meaning ‘compassion’. Yoga and Buddhism share many common roots from a wisdom tradition perspective. This practice is adapted from a broader practice to cultivate kindness and compassion towards all beings.
Find a comfortable and restful position to be.
Close your eyes and let your breath steady.
Repeat the following phrases gently in your mind, 5 times:
May I be safe,
May I be well,
May I be happy,
May I have peace
Repeat the phrases again, but this time substitute the ‘I’ for a ‘you’ and direct your compassion towards the baby you wish to welcome in.
You may wish to repeat the phrases again, but this time direct your compassion towards the partner (or support person) who may be sharing your conception journey with you.
Vijnanamaya kosha – wisdom and intuition
No matter how much science is involved, it is a reality that you cannot choose the day, month or even the year that you will conceive. Your deep, heartfelt desire to be a parent is your intuition speaking to you. Can you surrender into the trust that this desire indicates the possibility of this reality for you at some point?
Sometimes, it can be difficult to distinguish between what is your intuition, or gut instinct, and what is your busy mind. Modern life is a constant barrage of inputs from the outside world, so tuning in to our internal knowing can become quite difficult. Simple visualisation techniques can help to direct your attention inwards and give you confidence in deciphering whether it is your mind’s interpretation of external content or the inner mother of your heart speaking to you.
Exercise – Connecting to your intuition
Find a moment of quiet and calm when you first practice this exercise.
Imagine a light shining down upon you from above your head. You may like to imagine this is coming from ‘source/the universe/divine light’ or any other name you wish to use to describe a greater intelligence.
Allow yourself to feel a sense of light entering into your body through the crown of your head and travelling all the way down through your spine, out through your feet (or sitz bones if you are sitting) and into the ground, travelling deep down as if to the core of the earth.
4. With this beam of light connecting you from the sky to the earth, allow the light to now swirl around and within your body in an anti-clockwise direction, getting brighter and stronger as it fills up your whole body with light.
When you feel full of light, know that you are in your ‘inner power’ – tapping into your mother-wisdom. Bask in this for a moment.
Ask your question, or notice what first comes up for you. It may help to journal or free-draw if this assists you to connect to the information you are intuitively receiving.
When you are finished your reflection or enquiry, gather the light you have received from the sky and earth towards you and create a ball of light. Let this rest at your heart centre before you complete the practice.
Anandamaya kosha - bliss state
If you have been working on your fertility for what feels like a long time, it can become difficult to connect with the concept of joy or bliss. More likely there may be frustration, disillusionment or even despair. This is entirely natural and not something to be ashamed about or to try and suppress.
But it is helpful to recognise that emotion is a form of energy. And we can choose to either allow our emotions to be expressed and experienced when they occur, or to bottle them up and pretend everything is just fine. Expressing emotions releases them and creates space in the body, holding emotions creates stagnation in the body.
If you choose to express and release, then from the spaciousness that opens up, you can entertain the possibility of inviting something new into the space - in this case inviting in your child.
Exercise – Heart-Womb Connection
Practise this exercise to release emotions held in your womb space and invite in love.
Find a moment of quiet and calm.
Bring awareness to your breath and allow it to soften and steady.
Place one hand on your heart and one on your womb space. Spend a moment noticing how your body responds to this connection through touch.
When you are ready, find your exhale and imagine that with every exhale you are releasing any emotions that have been stored in your wombspace that are no longer serving you. Spend some time allow the release to occur with each exhale.
When you are ready, find your inhale and imagine that with every inhale you are breathing love into the hand at your heart and sending it down your arm to your wombspace. With every additional breath, breathe in more of the endless love you have available.
Continue the practice as long as feels supportive.
What Next?
Wishing you all the very best on your conception journey.
If you are interested to explore deeper or to continue your yoga journey, there are a number of ways we can support you:
· Free online resources
· An online program for conception, pregnancy and parenthood (Practical Yoga Philosophy for Parenthood), which dives much deeper into many of the concepts introduced here. (Use 30offclaire at checkout for $30 off)
· Our in-person, lunar yoga program and 1:1 yoga and pelvic health consultations
· Other upcoming prenatal and postnatal yoga events, workshops and retreats
Or feel free to reach out directly via our various contact options.