Dealing with fertility challenges is something one will never truly understand unless they have a personal experience of it. At the same time for those having fertility issues, it can be a very stressful and confusing emotional roller coaster. In the beginning of my own fertility journey I had trouble making sense of everything that was bubbling up inside of me. As each month passed I became more and more confused. The pain, grief, confusion and loss go incredibly deep and many women feel alone, defeated and misunderstood.
After a year I thought there had to be another way. That is when the idea of yoga for fertility came into my heart. What if there was a tool that could help transform your experience of fertility? What if there was something you could do that would help you manage all the emotions, thoughts and triggers you experience around your challenge conceiving a child? What if there was another way to deal with the ups and downs of your monthly roller coaster ride?
When I first began teaching Yoga for Fertility it was because I needed it. I was desperately searching for answers to why I couldn’t conceive. I was willing to try anything and everything to get pregnant. At the time I had been teaching yoga for years and as my own fertility journey grew in effort I turned to changing my own yoga practice. An internet search confirmed there were no yoga classes specific to helping women conceive anywhere in Canada which inspired me to start teaching yoga for fertility classes.
The first 4 yoga for fertility classes were completely different than any other yoga class I taught. It felt very therapeutic. I would see women come into the class with stress and worry on their face and leave looking calm and relaxed. There were lots of tears and sharing of emotions. We felt a sense of as we listened deeply to each other’s struggles. Women would tell me how different they feel about their fertility journey after only 6 classes. Other women reported that they felt comforted knowing they are not alone. Everyone experienced a sense of community by joining with other women going through similar circumstances and challenges.
Not only did the yoga for fertility classes provide a sense of belonging the postures and meditation also helped reduce stress and anxiety. According to studies done by Alice Domar, author of Conquering Infertility, psychologist and director for the Mind-Body Center for Women at Boston IVF, the higher a woman’s stress level the less likely she is to get pregnant. Psychological or physiological stresses such as life changes, loss of a loved one, college stresses, dieting and excess training, have all been associated with menstrual cycle disturbances, increased cortisol levels, and decrease in reproductive functioning. Domar’s research also suggests that mind-body techniques that elicit a relaxation response such as meditation and yoga can reduce stress and increase a couple’s chance of conceiving.
Yoga is so much more than physical exercise it is a daily practice that can nurture your mind, body and soul by providing…
Click here to read the full article with photos of the yoga poses…
To learn more about Yoga for Fertility visit Sue’s fertility website at www.familypassages.ca
