Stress is one of the causes and complications of infertility. The stress can be of external sources such as work or finances, or it can be internal such as worry, regret, and low self-esteem. It will help to eliminate the causes of stress, but that’s not always possible – especially when the stress is caused by the worry of infertility.
In Fertility Yoga, we work with specific pranayama (breathwork) to help women learn to better manage the stress. These techniques are something that can be used at home, work, or during their fertility treatments. But the breathwork is for more than just stress relief. It helps develop body awareness and helps us to open both the physical and the emotional bodies.
One of my teachers, Max Strom, has a wonderful explanation on why we need to learn to breathe:
Meditation is a sister practice to breathwork. Breathwork can, in and of itself, be a meditation or it can be used as part of a meditation practice. In Fertility Yoga, we use specific meditations, with visualizations to help clear some of the emotional blockages women may have.
The physical body is also addressed in a Fertility Yoga class. We look to the belly and the hips, as well as the chest and the heart. We work to open physically in class as well as emotionally.
So, come join us on Monday nights for Fertility Yoga.
Sat Nam.
[…] Healing from Traumatic Birth is a yoga workshop. We use very specific meditation, mantra and breathwork to help a mother process her experience. We set a safe environment where she can be open and begin to heal. It is about her. The phrase “But at least you had a healthy baby!” is never uttered. That phrase diminishes and invalidates the very real pain the mother feels. We help her acknowledge her experience and begin to put it in the past. This workshop should be considered one step in the healing process. It is one of the most powerful workshops I teach. […]