Qi Gong for Women’s Health: Cycles, Fertility and Postpartum Recovery

Being in a female body can be a beautiful, complicated thing.

Your month may move through cramps, low mood and bloating. Your fertility journey might bring hope and heartbreak. Pregnancy can be radiant one week and exhausting the next. Postpartum can feel like joy and depletion rolled into one.

If you live inside those cycles, you are not “too emotional” or “too much”. Your body is doing a lot.

Qi Gong offers a way to support women’s health that is gentle, rhythmic and kind. It brings together breath, slow movement and awareness. You can use it around your cycle, alongside fertility care and as a soft support in pregnancy and postpartum recovery – always as a complement to your medical team, never a replacement.

If you like to see the bigger picture, you can also explore Qi Gong Evidence 2025 and condition hubs such as Qi Gong & Anxiety / Mood: 2020–2025 Evidence Overview and Qi Gong & Autoimmune Conditions: Inflammation Evidence 2020–2025 alongside this guide.

Gentle Women’s Health Support Online

Inside Bright Beings Academy you can follow soft, women-centred Qi Gong from home. You can stand or sit. You can keep your camera off. You can rest at any time in your cycle, throughout fertility treatment, in pregnancy and after birth.

For live, guided practice you can join Online Qi Gong Live Classes and move at a calm pace that respects period pain, hormone shifts, energy dips and busy family life.

How Qi Gong Supports Women’s Health

Qi Gong is not a magic wand. It does not replace gynaecologists, fertility clinics, midwives or health visitors.

What it can do is give you a nervous-system friendly way to move, breathe and feel at home in your body through different phases of life.

Cycles, PMS and perimenopause

• Menstrual pain and PMS
  Traditional Chinese exercise programmes, including Baduanjin (a form of Qi Gong), have shown promising benefits for menstrual symptoms and premenstrual mood, reducing pain and discomfort in early trials. (PMC)

• Perimenopause and menopause
  A 12-week Qigong programme for postmenopausal women significantly reduced somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms and improved health-related quality of life in a randomised trial. (PubMed)

Qi Gong works here by easing muscle tension, improving blood flow, calming the stress response and offering a regular rhythm that your hormones can “rest” inside.

Fertility and trying to conceive

Fertility is affected by many factors. Qi Gong cannot guarantee pregnancy. But mind–body practices are increasingly used as part of holistic fertility support.

• Gentle movement and breath work help reduce stress, which is known to affect hormones and fertility. (ScienceDirect)

• Qigong is described in many TCM-based clinics as supporting Kidney, Liver, Heart and Spleen systems, which are considered vital for reproductive health in Chinese medicine. (Creation Acupuncture)

• Soft, regular exercise like Qi Gong is often recommended instead of very intense training, which may disrupt cycles for some women.

Pregnancy, birth and postpartum

Research on Qi Gong in pregnancy is still limited, but many teachers and clinicians recommend pregnancy-safe forms as a way to:

• Ease back pain, tension and swelling

• Support breath, posture and balance

• Reduce stress, anxiety and insomnia in pregnancy (GentleBirth)

In postpartum, traditional Chinese medicine views birth as a time when a woman loses a lot of Qi and Blood. Gentle, restorative practices such as Tai Chi and Qigong are suggested to rebuild strength, improve circulation and support mood once your doctor or midwife says it is safe. (Facebook)

For a deeper dive into this phase you can explore Qi Gong for Pregnancy & Postpartum alongside this guide.

Safety First: Working with Your Doctor, Midwife or Fertility Team

Because women’s health can involve complex conditions – from endometriosis to PCOS, thyroid issues, IVF protocols and high-risk pregnancies – safety comes first.

A few principles:

• Always check first
  Talk to your GP, gynaecologist, fertility specialist or midwife before starting any new exercise. Ask, “Is gentle, low-impact Qi Gong safe for me at this stage?”

• Match practice to your phase
  Heavy periods, egg collection, embryo transfer, high-risk pregnancy or early postpartum may need very small, quiet practices. Think more “breath and awareness” than big movements.

• Watch for red flags
  New severe pain, heavy unexplained bleeding, dizziness, chest pain, sudden shortness of breath, fever, or signs of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy are reasons to stop and seek urgent medical help.

• Work with existing conditions
  If you also live with autoimmune issues, joint problems or cardiovascular risk, pair this page with Qi Gong & Autoimmune Conditions: Inflammation Evidence 2020–2025 and Qi Gong & Cardiovascular Health: Blood Pressure, HRV & Heart Health and adjust intensity with your team.

Qi Gong should feel supportive, not punishing. If your body says “no” or “not today”, that is part of the wisdom we are honouring.

Membership Support: Cycles, Fertility and Postpartum in Real Life

It is one thing to read an article. It is another to practise through real life:

• Work deadlines and period pain

• Fertility appointments and two-week waits

• Pregnancy nausea, heartburn or backache

• Newborn nights and cluster feeding

In Bright Beings Academy you are not left to figure this out alone. Classes are created with real women and real lives in mind:

• Live online sessions with clear options for your energy level

• Sequences you can do standing or seated, at different points in your cycle

• A calm, non-judgemental teaching style that honours big feelings

• Replays so you can practise when your schedule and your body allow

• A trauma- and nervous-system aware approach to the emotions around fertility, pregnancy and mothering

You can explore different ways of joining through Online Qi Gong Live Classes, depending on whether you want mostly live support, replay libraries or a blend.

If full membership feels like too much right now, you can begin gently with the 21-Day Qi Gong for Beginners mini course. It lets you see how Qi Gong feels in your body over three weeks, without the commitment of ongoing membership, and gives you simple foundations you can adapt for cycle support, fertility and postpartum healing.

A 5–10 Minute Women’s Health Qi Gong Routine

This routine is a starting point. It is not specific medical treatment. Please adapt it with your healthcare team, especially if you are pregnant, trying to conceive, on fertility medication or early postpartum.

You can do all of this seated if standing feels unsteady.

1. Arrive in your body (1–2 minutes)

• Sit or stand with feet flat and supported.

• Place one hand on your lower belly, one on your heart.

• Take three gentle breaths, letting your shoulders soften down.

• Notice where you are in your cycle, or your journey (trying, pregnant, postpartum).

Let that awareness be kind, not judgmental.

2. Pelvic bowl breathing (2 minutes)

Seated or standing:

• Keep your hands on your lower belly.

• As you breathe in, imagine your breath filling a soft bowl in your pelvis.

• As you breathe out, imagine a gentle glow spreading through your hips and lower back.

• Continue for 8–10 breaths.

This is especially supportive for menstrual cramps, fertility stress and postpartum tension, as long as your doctor has cleared you for gentle breath work.

3. Flowing circles for hips and lower back (2–3 minutes)

If not pregnant or cleared for gentle movement in pregnancy:

• Sit towards the front of a chair, feet grounded.

• Slowly circle your upper body over your hips, as if you are drawing a small circle with your tailbone on the chair.

• Do 6–8 circles one way, then 6–8 the other.

• Keep the circles small and pain-free.

In pregnancy, keep movements small. Avoid deep forward folds or anything that makes you dizzy.

4. Opening the chest, softening the jaw (2 minutes)

• Sit or stand tall.

• As you breathe in, open your arms slowly out to the sides, palms up, as if you are welcoming space.

• As you breathe out, bring your hands back to your chest and soften your jaw.

• Repeat 6–10 times, staying within a comfortable range if you have had breast or chest surgery.

This can help with PMS irritability, fertility stress and the emotional weight of new motherhood.

5. Close and listen (1–2 minutes)

• Place both hands over your lower belly again.

• Take three slow out-breaths, slightly longer than your in-breath.

• Ask your body, “What do you need next?” – rest, food, a walk, a cry, a call, or simply a pause.

Whatever answer arises is part of your practice.

Building a Kind Practice Rhythm Through Your Phases

There is no single “right” way to practise as a woman. Instead, think in seasons and phases.

A few ideas:

• Menstruation
  Focus on breath, small movements and warmth. Avoid very intense or high-impact practice during heavy bleeding or strong pain. (MDPI)

• Follicular phase (after your period)
  Energy often lifts. This can be a good time for slightly longer or stronger Qi Gong sessions, as long as they still feel kind.

• Ovulation and luteal phase
  Notice how your body feels. Some women enjoy more dynamic practice; others need more rest and emotional support here.

• Trying to conceive / IVF cycles
  Coordinate intensity and timing with your fertility team. Many clinics recommend gentle, meditative movement during stimulation, and very soft practice around transfer and the two-week wait. (The Yinova Center)

• Pregnancy
  Follow pregnancy-specific guidance. Avoid strong compressions into the abdomen, long breath holds, overheating or lying flat on your back for long periods in later pregnancy. (Flowing Zen)

• Postpartum
  In the first weeks, practice may be mostly breath, rest and very small movements, as cleared by your midwife or doctor. As you recover, you can weave in more of the routine above and explore Qi Gong for Pregnancy & Postpartum for the longer journey.

The thread through all of this is kindness. Small, regular, doable practice beats occasional, heroic effort.

Join When You’re Ready

You do not have to walk your cycle, fertility, pregnancy or postpartum season alone.

Bright Beings Academy is here when you feel ready – whether that means dipping your toe in with 21-Day Qi Gong for Beginners, joining Online Qi Gong Live Classes, or simply returning to the short routine above when you can.

You are welcome exactly as you are today – whether you feel radiant, raw, hopeful, exhausted, numb, or all of the above.

Qi Gong for Women’s Health: FAQs

Can Qi Gong regulate my cycle or fix my hormones?

Qi Gong can support your cycle by reducing stress, improving circulation and helping you sleep and move more regularly. These things all support hormonal balance.

However, it is not a direct hormone treatment. Issues like PCOS, endometriosis, thyroid problems or early menopause need medical assessment. Think of Qi Gong as a gentle ally, not a stand-alone fix.

Is Qi Gong safe in early pregnancy?

Often yes, if you stick to pregnancy-safe forms and your midwife or doctor agrees.

You will usually avoid:

• Strong abdominal work

• Deep twists or compressions

• Overheating, breath holds or very intense sessions

Gentle, breath-led Qi Gong is often used as a calmer alternative to more strenuous exercise in pregnancy, but always check with your own team. (GentleBirth)

Can Qi Gong improve fertility or help IVF work?

Qi Gong cannot guarantee pregnancy or success with IVF.

What it can do is:

• Lower stress and anxiety

• Support sleep and emotional regulation

• Offer moderate, regular movement, which many clinics encourage (ScienceDirect)

For some women, this makes the fertility journey feel more manageable, and that itself is valuable.

When is it too soon to do Qi Gong after giving birth?

That depends on your birth, your recovery and your doctor or midwife’s advice.

• In the very early days you may only do breath awareness and tiny hand or ankle movements in bed.

• After your 6–8 week check (or later after a caesarean or complicated birth), you can usually begin more structured, gentle practice, building slowly.

Always follow the specific guidance you have been given about lifting, pelvic floor recovery and abdominal healing.

What if I have endometriosis, fibroids or chronic pelvic pain?

Many women with these conditions find gentle, low-impact movement helpful for pain and mood, but it needs to be adapted.

• Keep movements small and pain-free.

• Avoid anything that causes sharp, deep pelvic pain.

• Work closely with your specialists, physio or pelvic health therapist.

Qi Gong should feel like comfort and space, not a battle.

How often should I practise for it to help?

A kind starting point might be:

• 5–15 minutes, three to five days per week.

If that feels too much, begin with 3–5 minutes most days and build slowly. Over months and years, regular, gentle practice can support resilience through many phases of women’s health.

Do I need special clothes or equipment?

No. Comfortable clothes, a flat pair of shoes (or bare feet on a safe floor) and a stable chair are enough.

If you are pregnant or postpartum, you may prefer soft, layered clothing and good breast support so you can move without strain.

If you are reading this with a hot water bottle on your belly, in the middle of a fertility cycle, with a bump you are still getting used to, or with a sleeping baby nearby, please remember:

Your body is not broken. It is communicating.

One soft breath. One small circle of your hips. One kind moment of attention can begin to rebuild trust between you and the cycles you carry.

I look forward to connecting with you in my next post.
Until then, be well and keep shining.
Peter. :)