It’s not great news for lovers of Yoga, apparently, the chemicals in some yoga mats can cause infertility. This is according to a new study from Environmental Health Perspective. A few of the chemicals called organophosphate flame retardants or PFRs are found in most yoga mats. Those chemicals have been linked to difficulty in getting pregnant.

The good news, your mat is not likely to catch fire while you are doing your morning sun salutations. The bad news, those chemicals are toxic and according to the study, PFR byproducts found in the urine of women meant that those women were 41% less likely to give birth. The study claims that 31% of the 211 women studied were less likely to have an embryo successfully implant in the uterus. They were also 10% less likely to reach fertilization and 38% less likely to give live birth.

Those numbers do sound a bit alarming for women who love yoga and practice every day. Aviva Romm, M.D. and natural women’s health expert says it’s important to note that PFRs are a part of daily life and not just found in yoga mats. She says, “flame retardant chemicals are everywhere. And yes, it’s a real risk. Unfortunately, we can’t do anything about the ones we’ve been exposed to, per se, but we can keep our detox systems and elimination healthy and strong.”

So, what can a daily practitioner of yoga do if they are trying to get pregnant? Doula and co-founder of the reproductive wellness company LOOM, Erica Chidi Cohen, offers this advice, “The No. 1 thing we’re trying to reduce for people trying to get pregnant is anxiety,” she says.

She also says that yoga lovers have options out there for mats, “I would definitely look more closely at every yoga mat I do have and try to make a quick switch. There are tons of great natural yoga mats out there!”

She also advises it might be a good idea to examine how much time you are spending on the mat, “I like to get people to adopt a 70/30 rule. So, if someone is working out every single day and using a yoga mat at a studio that probably contains PFRs, buy your own mat. If you’re doing yoga only three or four times a month and don’t want to make the investment, maybe it’s not worth it. So, it’s really about how often you’re using that product. But we can and should do our best to avoid them whenever and however we can.”

She also wants people to remember, that while the PFR study is helpful, she doesn’t want people to become overly alarmed. Look for all-natural, chemical-free yoga mats. There are options online and in stores that specialize in yoga. Talk to your yoga instructor and ask for recommendations of non-toxic rubber yoga mats.

Your yoga practice is supposed to be relaxing, with a little research you can avoid PFRs and hit the mat worry-free!

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