Cobra pose has many benefits for fertility. It helps to improve circulation and develop your body awareness of the belly and pelvis. There are some stages of the cycle (and during pregnancy) however that we don’t practise cobra pose as the belly compression can be uncomfortable.

A regular yoga practise is a great way to support your fertility while you’re trying to conceive. If you’re brand new to fertility yoga, start with this post here.

Benefits of cobra pose for fertility

• Cobra pose stretches the belly and builds strength in the back, shoulders and arms.
• Cobra pose compresses the belly and pelvis helping to increase circulation and energy flow to these areas. Improved blood flow can benefit reproductive organs by providing more oxygen and nutrients to the area.
• A regular yoga practice can help to reduce the stress of daily life and those specific to struggling to conceive. Stress relief is an important part of a balanced hormonal system because cortisol (the stress hormone) plays havoc with our hormones.

When shouldn’t you practise cobra pose for fertility?

Practise cobra pose during the pre-ovulation phase of your cycle. This means from when you stop bleeding until a few days before you ovulate. After ovulation (and during pregnancy) we avoid cobra pose because the belly compression can be uncomfortable and we want to encourage a soft belly at this time.

You should also avoid cobra pose if you are pregnant, have wrist issues (eg. Carpal tunnel) or lower back pain.

What props should you use to practise cobra?

You don’t need any props to practise cobra pose for fertility but the following can be used to change your practice.

• A blanket under the hips can reduce the opening for the low back.

• You can also practise cobra pose against the wall if you’d like to open the chest without the belly compression.

How to practice cobra pose for fertility

Start on your belly with your feet at hip distance apart. Bring your hands beside your ribs.

Press into your hands to lift your head and chest. Keep the back of your neck long and focus on opening the chest.

Breathe and hold for a few breaths while keeping a slight bend in the elbows.

Lower the head back down to the mat and give the hips a little rock from side to side to release.

Cobra variations

To encourage breath awareness I like to take my hands a little wider than the mat and come up onto my fingertips.

On the inhale, tuck the chin and rise the chest up.

On the exhale, lower the chest back down leading with the chin.

Which stages of the cycle can you practise cobra pose?

Practise cobra pose during pre-ovulation only. At other times of the cycle (and during pregnancy), belly compression can make this pose uncomfortable and we want to encourage softness in the belly at these times.

When should you practise?

Whilst gentle, cobra pose is still a backbend and you should ease into the full pose by practising baby cobra first (cobra with elbows bent). Cobra pose is often used as preparation for deeper backbends like upward facing dog and camel pose.

What’s next?

Try this beginner friendly fertility yoga practice.

If you’re brand new to practising fertility yoga you can download my free guide here.

Or if you’re a yoga teacher looking for information about teaching fertility yoga, you can download my free teaching guide and resources here.