How Yoga Helps Women Trying to Conceive Cope with Stress, Anxiety, and Family Pressure

ByDeepshikha Singh
Updated: 7 Oct 2025, 2:00 pm

Trying to conceive can be emotionally demanding, especially when stress, anxiety, and family expectations weigh heavily. Yoga offers a natural and holistic way to restore calm, balance, and inner strength. This article explores how yoga helps manage these challenges, providing practical insights, easy practices, and supportive guidance for this journey.

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When you are trying to conceive, life can feel like a whirlwind of emotions. The waiting, the hopes, the medical visits, and above all, the endless advice and questions from family can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. Stress and anxiety may build up silently, making the journey even more challenging.
In this article:
This is where yoga steps in. More than just physical postures, yoga is an ancient practice that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit. It helps you connect with yourself deeply and gives you tools to manage pressure with grace.

Let us explore how yoga supports you in coping with stress, anxiety, and family pressure during this delicate phase of life.

Why Stress Matters When Trying to Conceive

Stress is not just an emotional feeling; it can affect your entire system.
  • Stress can trigger hormonal imbalances, which may influence ovulation cycles.
  • Anxiety can reduce your ability to relax, affecting sleep and overall well-being.
  • Constant family pressure may make you feel isolated or judged.
In India, family plays a central role in one's life. While support is often comforting, sometimes well-meaning relatives can unintentionally add to your burden with repeated questions, such as “Any good news?” or endless remedies. Yoga helps you handle these moments with calm and confidence.

How Yoga Helps in Coping

Yoga works on three levels:
  • Body: Improves circulation, flexibility, and overall health.
  • Mind: Brings clarity, reduces anxiety, and boosts resilience.
  • Spirit: Cultivates inner peace and connection with oneself.

1. Yoga for Managing Stress

When stress builds up, your body produces cortisol. High levels of cortisol are not helpful when you are trying to conceive. Yoga helps reduce stress hormones and increases feel-good hormones, such as endorphins.

Practices that Help:

Deep Breathing (Pranayama):
  • Sit comfortably.
  • Inhale deeply through the nose, filling the lungs.
  • Exhale slowly and thoroughly. Repeat for 5–10 minutes. This simple practice instantly calms your nervous system.
Child’s Pose (Balasana):
  • Kneel on the mat and fold forward.
  • Rest your forehead on the ground.
  • Stretch your arms forward or keep them by your sides. This posture relaxes your back and mind, offering deep rest.
Shavasana (Corpse Pose):
  • Lie on your back with arms relaxed.
  • Close your eyes and observe your breathing.
  • Let go of all tension for 10–15 minutes. Shavasana works as a reset button for your body and mind.

2. Yoga for Easing Anxiety

Anxiety during this period often comes from uncertainty. You may feel restless, worry about outcomes, or fear what the future holds. Yoga grounds you in the present moment, reducing this constant mental chatter.

Helpful Approaches:

Mindful Meditation:
  • Sit with eyes closed.
  • Focus on your breath or a calming sound, such as “Om”.
  • If thoughts come, gently bring your focus back to breathing. Meditation teaches your mind to stay calm and centred.
Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana):
  • Sit with legs extended.
  • Slowly bend forward from the hips and reach for your toes.
  • Keep your spine long and avoid forcing. This posture calms the nervous system and reduces restlessness.
Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani):
  • Lie on your back with your legs resting on a wall.
  • Stretch your arms to the sides and take a deep breath. This simple posture promotes relaxation and reduces fatigue.

3. Yoga for Coping with Family Pressure

In many Indian families, trying to conceive is not seen as just your journey. Questions, comments, and even unsolicited remedies can add pressure. Yoga helps you build inner strength to deal with this without anger or guilt.

What You Can Do:

Affirmations in Meditation: Repeat calming affirmations like:
  • “I am doing my best.”
  • “My body is strong and capable.”
  • “I trust the timing of my life.”
Mountain Pose (Tadasana):
  • Stand tall with feet together
  • Stretch your arms overhead and take a deep breath.
This posture grounds you, giving you the confidence to stand firm in the face of external pressure.
Group Yoga Classes:
Joining a prenatal or women’s yoga group in your community can provide social support and help alleviate the loneliness that family pressure can sometimes create.

4. Yoga and Emotional Balance

Your emotions may fluctuate between hope and disappointment, sometimes within the same day. Yoga brings stability to this rollercoaster.
  • Cat-Cow Stretch: Relieves tension from the spine and connects movement with breath, lifting your mood.
  • Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing): Balances the two hemispheres of the brain, creating emotional harmony.
  • Heart-Opening Poses (such as Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose): Enhance posture and release emotional blockages stored in the chest area.
When emotions overwhelm you, returning to the mat helps you gently process them.

5. Lifestyle Support Through Yoga

Yoga is not just what you do on the mat; it is also how you live daily.
  • Routine: Practising yoga at a fixed time every day creates discipline and stability.
  • Diet: Yoga encourages mindful eating. Traditional Indian foods, such as khichdi, dals, fresh fruits, and seasonal vegetables, provide the body with nourishment.
  • Sleep: Yoga prepares your body for deep rest, helping you wake up refreshed.
  • Community: Practising in a yoga group or under a teacher creates a sense of belonging, reminding you that you are not alone.

Integrating Yoga into Daily Life

You do not need to spend hours each day. Even 20–30 minutes can create a significant shift. A sample routine could be:
  • 5 minutes of deep breathing
  • 10 minutes of asanas (Balasana, Cat-Cow, Viparita Karani)
  • 10 minutes of meditation with affirmations
Over time, you will notice that your mind becomes calmer, your body feels lighter, and your heart grows more hopeful.

The Indian Context

In Indian households, expectations about conception often start soon after marriage. While families may mean well, their constant questions can add invisible pressure. Yoga gives you a way to step back, breathe, and respond with calm dignity.
Temples, community halls, and yoga centres in many Indian cities offer accessible spaces to practise. Even at home, you can dedicate a quiet corner as your sacred space for yoga and meditation.
Trying to conceive is a journey filled with both hope and challenges. Stress, anxiety, and family pressure can sometimes cloud your experience. Yoga provides you with simple, natural, and effective tools to cope. Through breathing, gentle postures, meditation, and affirmations, you can build resilience, peace, and balance.
Remember, yoga is not about perfection. It is about showing up for yourself every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Over time, it becomes your anchor, helping you walk through this phase with strength and serenity.
You’re not alone in your journey when trying to conceive. Join our supportive community to connect with others, share experiences, and find encouragement every step of the way.

FAQs on Beyond the Mat: Yoga as Your Companion in the Journey to Conception

  1. Can beginners practise yoga while trying to conceive?
    Yes, beginners can start with simple breathing exercises and gentle poses. It is always advisable to learn from a certified yoga teacher to ensure safe practice.
  2. How much yoga should I practise daily?
    Around 20–30 minutes a day is enough. Focus on consistency rather than long sessions. Regular practice gives better results.
  3. Is yoga safe during fertility treatments?
    Yes, gentle yoga and breathing exercises are safe. Avoid very intense poses or practices. Always consult your doctor before beginning any new routine.
  4. Can yoga completely remove stress and anxiety during this journey?
    Yoga helps reduce stress significantly, but it is not a magic cure. It works best as part of a balanced lifestyle that includes rest, a healthy diet, and emotional support.
  5. What if family pressure feels overwhelming even after yoga?
    Yoga helps you respond calmly, but it is also essential to communicate boundaries with loved ones. Seeking support from a counsellor or support group can provide further help.
Disclaimer: Dr Nikhat siddiqui, Senior Consultant - Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Kanpur

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