So you heard that Yoga is a kind of exercise that can help in improving fertility.
And you read about it.
But you never took action or you just tried one class or you’re just too busy.
Does that sound familiar?
And I get it.
The thing is when we are trying to make a baby, we don’t have the time, energy, or capacity to do yoga or anything remotely physical, even if we needed to do it.
We are already doing more than enough what with doctor appointments, acupuncture, daily belly shots, taking supplements etc.
But I want to share with you something that was a game changer to the way I practice my yoga today, and how I managed to include it as part of my self-care when I was on IVF journey, with the little time that I have! If you read till the end, I have a easy tip on how you can start yoga NOW.
but first, CAN I TELL YOU A SECRET?
I’m a yoga teacher BUT I really struggled to practice yoga during my fertility journey. I was unsure of what poses were safe to do, and when I did go for classes, I’d feel guilty because I was afraid I may have done something wrong, especially that one time I accidentally did a hot class just before I started my cycle.
So I can imagine how daunting fertility yoga is to someone with little or no yoga experience.
At the back of my mind, I know that I need to educate myself, so I can help myself and who knows, I might be able to help others. (which I am doing right now, syukur alhamdulillah). So I embarked on not ONE but 4 Fertility Yoga courses over the last 4 years.
yoga is not for every body but for anybody who is ready
I believe that anybody can do yoga but the mind must be willing. If you can takeaway one thing from this post, think about this - if you have a negative mindset about whatever you think you need to be doing (like yoga, or taking supplements or doing IVF), the action or the activity itself will make you feel sadness, resentment or anger.
So if you want to include yoga into your self care routine and to even start - you need to shift your Mindset first.
So let me share with you 7 Mindset Shifts that helped me incorporate yoga into my daily self-care routine -
Yoga doesn't have to look a certain way.
Yoga for fertility is not all about the physical asanas or sweating or losing weight or getting flexible.
The practices of fertility yoga include meditation, breathwork, visualisation, gentle yoga flow, yin and restorative poses and most importantly deep rest.
And I love this definition of Rest by Nicola Jane Hobbs, a holistic psychologist - “Anything that makes your nervous system feels safe enough to switch off the stress response so your mind and body and recover and restore.”
And the goal of yoga really is to still/quieten the fluctuations of the monkey mind, according to Patanjali, an ancient yoga sage (Yoga Sutra 1.2 Yoga citta vritti nirodhah).
We don’t need to do fancy yoga poses to do relax or clear our mind, do we?
Getting clear on your WHY
There’s so many benefits to doing fertility yoga like:
Stimulates the reproductive organs
Helps to regulate & support the endocrine (hormonal / glandular) system
Increases blood flow within the heart and pelvic region
Reduces stress hormones in the blood stream
Calms the mind
Promotes positive visualisation which in turn lowers anxiety levels
Creates a positive and empowering mind space for women
Increases energy and vitality within the body
Helps to regulate and heal the menstrual cycle/ or heal menstrual disorders and imbalances
improves (natural) conception rates
These all sounds nice and peachy but it doesn’t make you want to take action right?
When I talk about getting clear on your why, it’s your inner why - the WHY that when you triggered, or when you feel sad or resentful, the WHY will ground you to the present moment and bring you back to what is important in your life.
That is what happened to me when I got clear my WHY - and my why is I want to nourish my womb. I want to create a safe, warm, cozy and loving space for my future child to grow. And most importantly I want to have a peace of mind.
WHAT’S YOUR WHY?
Accept your body as it is and as it is not.
All our bodies are unique and we have our own skeletal differences, injuries or issues that make our poses look different from your neighbour on the next mat or from what you see on Instagram.
One of my favourite quotes is “Comparison is the thief of Joy”. When I stopped comparing myself with others and start to tune into my heart, that’s where I found peace and acceptance.
This is a choice you need to make - to embrace your body in all its imperfection, OR to stay stuck in the story of “I’m not flexible enough” or I’m not thin enough”, or “I don’t have a yoga body”
So when you practice, listen to your body and create a shape according to how your body feels and not make your body fit the pose - MAKE THE POSE FIT YOUR BODY!
Meet your body where it is
I don’t know if it’s just me, but do you feel exhausted from waiting your turn at the doctor’s. I do.
And even if it’s not that, there’s the running around from appointment to appointment and the long to-do list.
To be honest, I don’t do yoga nor meditate everyday.
Sometimes I’d be lying in bed, too knackered to think of moving, and my yoga would like me putting one hand on my belly and the other on my heart, and breathing deeply into my heart womb space and breathing out, and gently sending kind loving thoughts to myself, my body and my future child.
And that it’s enough.
Forgive yourself and be willing to begin again.
Have you ever started a meditation ritual during your 2WW and then you got a negative beta, and so you stopped totally?
That was me!
the thought of meditation made me anxious and made me recall the the traumatic experience I had around the failed cycle.
And you know what - it’s okay to stop the yoga, the supplements, the wonderful acts you’ve been doing to support your fertility - BECAUSE you choose to heal yourself first. Taking the time doesn’t mean you are weak, or you’re doing something wrong. Taking the time to heal yourself is important for your mental and emotional health,
Forgiveness is the key here, to moving forward in whatever decision you need to make, or steps you need to take.
Give yourself permission to slow down and find stillness.
We are so used to “doing” and being busy that fertility yoga may seem like it’s a waste of time, because most of the time, the poses require you to do nothing.
That’s the thing, you know - trying to make a baby puts a lot of stress on the body, with the additional hormones we inject into our bodies to the multiple ART treatments, And it also takes a toll on the mind, because of all the over-thinking and worrying.
And so what our body and mind really need is REST, more than anything else.
And you may say there’s too many things to do, and it may feel like a race against time but truly it's more like a marathon. So you need to...……. FIND YOUR BREATH!
Does this make sense?
You can be gentle with yourself
This is a mantra I use whenever I have a mental struggle with slowing down. It's not the duration or what kind of exercise you can do when you are TTC - it is the How I can be Gentler and Kinder to my body my mind and my spirit? Does doing this bring peace of mind? How can I bring more gentleness and ease?
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The idea of including yoga into your self-care routine stems from ME, assuming that WE all know the importance of self-care and the need to do self-care on the regular to keep us sane. And so why not yoga?
It is possible to practice yoga for life.
And if you are willing to try, I have a homework for you!
Start now!
Start with a 5 mins meditation. It doesn't have to be every morning, but mornings are a good time to create the mood that you want to start the day with. Whatever time that you choose schedule it in, set an alarm and go.
If doing this every day feels overwhelming to you, then I’d like you to carve out ME-TIME next week, 30 mins or an hour to do yoga. Take a fertility yoga class online, come for my Yoga for Self care class on Tuesdays, or you can do Legs up the Wall for 30 mins. Make it a non-negotiable for you to “REST” every week.
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By incorporating yoga into your fertility journey, you can not only improve your physical health but also support your mental and emotional wellbeing. Remember to be patient with yourself and trust the process – with time and practice, you may find that yoga becomes an essential tool support your reproductive health.
Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash