Can Yoga Help Me? Increasing numbers of women are using yoga to complement traditional Western medical treatments for infertility. Sometimes when we are trying to get pregnant and cannot, we get sad and angry at ourselves, at our bodies for failing us and as one woman in my yoga sessions said "My doctor didn't exactly have a prescription for that". In reality, we may express these feelings but mostly we stuff it and don't process them. Yoga helps us untangle those inner blocks and knots and deal with them. Yoga helps us to learn to trust ourselves and our bodies again. It helps us to walk through the fire and no matter what our situation, yoga teaches us how to embrace this ever changing kaleidoscope we call life. Life is truly a miracle - our own lives and that of our children. We must learn to honor our sacred selves first and by doing so, we can then honor our children, present and future. Read more at Resolve. -Monica Morell, PhD (December 2004, Fertility News & Research Update Newsletter)
YOGA Classes. You may want to consider trying a fertility yoga class. What are some things to consider when choosing a yoga class? Ask yourself: Is the class location (e.g., near work or home) and is the time offered convenient for me? Do I feel comfortable practicing this style of yoga? Is it affordable? How large is the class? Does the teacher make me feel safe and comfortable? At FertilityYoga.com, we have begun to put together a national list of fertility yoga classes. Check and see if one is in your area. Namaste. -Monica Morell, PhD (January 2005, Fertility News & Research Update Newsletter) - Philadelphia Area Yoga Instructors - Global Fertility Yoga Community
Is Fertility Yoga the Silver Bullet? When we struggle with our infertility issues, we often look for that quick fix, that 'silver bullet'. Yoga may not be the answer for everyone but it is becoming an important part of the solution for a growing number of women and couples experiencing infertility. Yoga can empower us to embrace our issues but we have to realize that it is a process. Within that process, we have to be willing to change and to have some discipline. My advice, don't just try it once, try it at least several times. Yoga can surprise us with what is possible on not only a physical but a spiritual and emotional level as well. Time on the yoga mat is an opportunity to focus inward and to release and accept our struggles. Yoga can teach us that we really can't control the things that happen to us or the time it takes for things to happen, but we can control how we respond to it all. Through our practice, we can learn to be respectful of time. -Monica Morell, PhD (March 2005, Fertility News & Research Update Newsletter)
Inhale Yoga. In yoga, we focus on integrating the breath with movement and poses. The breath work is critical to a good yoga practice. Learn to use your breath to guide you in and out of poses. Without the breathwork, we are merely doing gymnastics or acrobatics. Your inhalations and exhalations should flow through your body like an ocean wave. When you inhale, you expand your belly, chest and shoulders and when you exhale, you bring it all in. In fact, in yoga, we call it ocean breathing or ujuyi breath. Our breathing is a wonderful, restorative tool we can use to help us during the stressful times of infertility --not only on the yoga mat but off as well. The bottom line is this: when practicing yoga, focus on expanding your breathing and integrating it with your movement. And remember, by embracing yoga as a part of a treatment for infertility, you are indeed increasing your chances for not only pregnancy but also for a healthier, happier, & more peaceful life. -Monica Morell, PhD (April 2005, Fertility News & Research Update Newsletter)
Monica has an excellent fertility yoga video. Bloggers can go to: infertility.adoptionblogs.com.Disclaimer
InfertilityBlues.com site provides these links as a courtesy to you, we make no recommendation nor do we assume responsibility for authenticity or medical appropriateness of any content contained within the following links. Links are provided strictly for informational purposes only. For further information, please contact the appropriate source named within the link.
