Yoga for Fertility Care Class
Semi-Private Class Supporting Preconception
Fridays 12:00 - 1:00p
Rowena Mittal Yoga, 1605 Church St, San Francisco, CA (map)
This semi-private class is designed to support preconception and reproductive health: trying to concieve (TTC) naturally or with the help of science, lifestyle improvement period, egg/sperm retrieval, intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro feritlization (IVF), embryo transfer, waiting periods, menstruation, treatment recovery. For each class attended, students gain points toward an optional, free 1:1 mentorship session to support their path to parenthood with yoga and sister science ayurveda. Graduates of this program receive an alumni discount to private prenatal yoga sessions at the shala for continuation of care and practice.
Class Description
This yoga class is designed to holistically foster fertility, promote well-being, and support preconception along any of the following steps of your family planning or formation journey -- lifestyle improvement preparation, fertility preservation, egg or sperm retrieval or freezing, trying to conceive, in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), embryo freezing, ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval recovery, embryo transfer waiting period – using the 8 limbs of yoga. This class also supports monthly menstruation.
Class Benefits
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Reduces stress and cortisol levels naturally by engaging the parasympathetic nervous system, which may boost egg quantity or quality and implantation
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Promotes circulation to reproductive organs and reduces discomfort from treatment side effects through safe yoga postures and dynamic movement
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Aids in maintaining physical strength, mobility, energy, and focus on and off the mat
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Eases tension and reduces anxiety by providing a supportive community around physical and emotional well-being
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Yoga for fertility over 6 weeks was shown to reduce anxiety by 20% which led to better conception outcomes (Jasani, 2016)
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For those with ovaries: Excludes inversions, twists, or high-impact pelvic movement so you can maintain practice while reducing risk of exercise-induced ovarian torsion
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Students within 10 days post egg retrieval or embryo transfer practice nourishing restorative postures (rest on props) which support healing and implantation by tapping into the parasympethetic pathway while the rest of class is practicing dynamic movement
Class includes yogic tools such as fellowship (sangha), yamas (restraints), niyamas (observances), asana (posture), pranayama (breath, life force), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), and dhyana (meditation). Occasionally, you will learn how to use Roll Model® Therapy Balls (provided/included) for self trigger point, pressure point, myofascial release.
Where commercial studios focus on yoga for the general population and practices brought to the US by male practitioners, this class increases student awareness of women's needs, unveils the wisdom of yogic practices that support women's health, and makes women's and reproductive health relevant, visible, and accessible.
Fertility is a cumulative process that unfolds over time, not just in the month or year of conception. It takes up to one full year for a follicle housing an egg in the ovary to fully develop, and three months for an egg or sperm to develop from stem cells. This means that the care you give your body today plays a role in your fertility months or even years from now. By nurturing your fertility, you foster the whole self. Whether or not you’re trying right now, this class will help you practice during menstruation, balance hormones, manage stress, and create a strong foundation for the future.
Graduates of this program receive an alumni discount to private prenatal yoga sessions at the shala for continuation of care and practice.
Preparation
• Wear comfortable clothes, layers if you run cold
• Bring a yoga mat (if you forget, we have some to borrow), water bottle
• Ground floor studio, bathroom, indoor lounge, outdoor deck/patio
• Register ahead, class package available, drop-ins welcome
Who Should Attend?
This preconception class is open to all sexes, genders, and levels of experience with yoga. This class can be beneficial to students seeking to,
• Manage stress or balance hormone levels, even when not trying to conceive or preserve fertility, including management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Foster long-term fertility years in advance of trying to conceive, egg freezing or fertilization
• Practice in community whether forming family naturally or with the help of science
• Benefit from yoga during egg/sperm donor selection, embryo results or implantation waiting period, surrogacy, adoption
• Support monthly cycles, menstruation, pelvic floor
Many students find that beginning this practice earlier helps them feel more balanced, supported, and in tune with their bodies, making the path to conception smoother.
If you are pregnant, postpartum, or recovering from pregnancy loss, please book private sessions with Rowena instead of attending this class.
Class Location
Rowena Mittal Yoga is located within Mobu Studio at 1605 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94131 (map). Mobu has served the Noe Valley, Dolores, Mission, Glen Park, Bernal Heights, Miraloma communities and more for 25 years and counting. Located in a historical district at a J Muni train stop that connects to downtown SF, a short walk from the 24, 49, 14 Muni lines, and between the 24th Street and Glen Park Bart stations, it is easy to join a class. Free and metered street parking available.
Located near Martha's Coffee, Mitchell's Ice Cream, Church Produce, Omnivore Books, and many spas, holistic care centers, and restaurants including Chloe's Cafe, Noe Cafe, Damansara Co, Front Porch, and La Ciccia -- practicing yoga can be integrated into routine self-care, work, errands, and dates with friends, family, or partners.
Class Schedule
Practicing in community on Fridays at 2:30p offers the following benefits compared to yoga classes offered in the morning or evening:
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No conflicts with morning monitoring appointments at the fertility clinic
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No conflicts with timed morning or evening hormone injections
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A break from work or sedentary lifestyle with a walk outdoors: access to fresh air, rest for the eyes, increased circulation to reproductive organs, balanced stress hormones
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Exposure to year-round daylight before and after class and natural Vitamin D - a vitamin known to improve fertility outcomes
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East coast offices are offline
Policies
Public class or private session ala carte or package reservations may be rescheduled by logging into your account no later than 12 hours in advance to maintain the class balance. Public class or private session ala carte or package reservations may be canceled by logging into your account no later than 24 hours in advance. In all other cases, such as no show, classes are paid in full and non-transferrable, non-exchangeable, and non-refundable.
Memberships cannot be returned or refunded. Purchased memberships are personal to the purchaser and are not assignable or transferrable. In all other cases, such as no show by the student or class cancelation by the instructor, memberships are non-returnable and non-refundable. Missed sessions do not roll over. Students can cancel and restart their membership anytime through their online account. Memberships can also be suspended for vacation.
Keywords: Egg freezing, Embryo freezing, Egg fertilization, IVF, In vitro fertilization, Egg retrieval, Sperm retrieval, Fertility care, Fertility treatment, Oocyte Stimulation, Stimulation cycle, Ovary, Ovaries, Follicles, Follicle, Egg, Eggs, Sperm, Family planning, Family formation, Family building, Fertility preservation, Preconception, Trying to conceive, TTC, Reproductive health, Male infertility, Male fertility, Female infertility, Female fertility, Women’s health, Menstruation, Heavy menstrual bleeding, Menorrhagia, Menstrual pain, Dysmenorrhea, Bloating, Water retention, Circulation, Stress management, Cortisol, holistic healthcare, spiritual practice
About the Instructor
Rowena Mittal, MS, PhD, CYT
Dr. Rowena Mittal blends her passion for women’s health and her Indian & Chinese heritage with her deep understanding of human physiology and her experience building women’s health biotechnology to share the wisdom of yoga in tangible language. To Rowena, yoga is a life practice that changes our lives and the lives that we serve off the mat for the better.
After multiple rounds of egg retrieval procedures and nowhere but home to continue her nurturing and safe yoga asana practice; Rowena's mission has been to create a space we can go before, during, and after treatment with shared experiences and needs. While she is grateful for support from her acupuncturist and therapist, she needed more weekly support during an isolating time -- and hears the same unmet need from her students, friends, and colleagues.
And thus, Yoga for Fertility Care was born. Rowena's goal is to share the powerful 8-limbed yoga practice that nurtures fertility while fostering the whole self, enabling continuity of yoga practice and community when we need it most, promoting mental and emotional wellness, and honoring safety. Where commercial studios focus on yoga for the general public and practices brought to the US by male practitioners, this class increases student awareness of women's needs, unveils the wisdom of yogic practices that support women's health, and makes women's and reproductive health relevant, visible, and accessible.
Rowena has been teaching yoga since 2014 across San Francisco through public classes, workshops, private lessons, corporate wellness programs, yoga teacher trainings, and yoga teacher mentorships. While her first exposure to yoga was in the 1990s, Rowena’s regular yoga practice began in 2008 at the suggestion of her physicians and physical therapist amid a struggle with chronic back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and systemic inflammation.
In 2014, Rowena enrolled in yoga teacher training with long-time teacher Rusty Wells at Urban Flow in San Francisco, CA to demystify the practice while honoring its eastern roots. At this training, she got to study with Jason Crandell, Wah!, Amanda Moran, and more. Rowena completed continuing education with Rusty Wells, Stephanie Snyder, Nichol Chase, Susannah Freedman, and Charisse Balance, DPT, as well as mentorship with Stephanie Snyder and Neil Wadhawan. In 2023, Rowena completed prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher training with renowned yoga teacher and former midwife, doula, and childbirth educator Jane Austin.
Rowena’s 20 years of training, continuing education, and experience includes bhakti flow, vinyasa, ashtanga, Iyengar, hatha, yin, restorative, accessible, chair/seated, and prenatal/postnatal yoga asana; injury prevention, pranayama, meditation, ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, pelvic physical therapy, yoga tune up therapy ball myofascial release, non-violent communication, and the art of physical assisting. Learn more about Rowena's yoga teachers and mentors here. Today, she applies her decades of experience to mentor and coach teachers, corporate leaders, and life-long students of yoga.
In addition to over RYT-500 hours of Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training, Rowena obtained her BS in Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a minor in Biological/Biomedical Engineering and two humanities concentrations in Women & Gender Studies and French Language & Studies. She has her MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.
At MIT, Rowena was a dancer and exec member of the performance group, MIT Dance Troupe. At CMU, she was part of a performance dance group, Dancer's Symposium, where she had the pleasure of dancing with and for professional dancer and choreographer Raymond Ejiofor. In addition to DS, she was a dancer, exec member, and choreographer of a competitive South Asian dance troupe, Tanah, fusing Bharatanatyam and other Indian dance genres with western dance styles.
With over 20 years experience developing products in biotechnology, diagnostics, and medical devices and over 10 years teaching yoga, Rowena's career goals on and off the mat are to address unmet healthcare needs inside and outside the clinic -- closing gaps in health diagnostics, accessibility, lifestyle management, injury management, women's health, menstruation, reproductive health, preconception fertility care, endometriosis, prenatal/postnatal care, perimenopause, menopause, mental health and stress management needs. You can learn more about Rowena's academic honors and corporate career in healthcare at Linkedin.
Rowena's teachings seamlessly blend physical, meditative, and spiritual practices, delivered in English and Sanskrit (the language of yoga), with a focus on pranayama (breath practice), alignment, meditation, bhakti (devotion), optional hands-on assists, sutra (philosophy) and a step-wise approach to developing mind-body equanimity or building new asanas (postures). Students share that through her class structure, music, and voice, they leave her classes feeling stronger and energized, restored and at ease – empowered with knowledge that extends far beyond the four walls of the studio.
