by Beth Heller, M.S.

I got reiki yesterday – and I liked it so much I woke up today determined to write about it.  In fact, I left the treatment thinking that this is a something I should probably do more often.  I’ve written about reiki and fertility previously – I received reiki sessions throughout my fertility journey – but I had forgotten how gosh-darn good it feels to lay down on a table and have someone move life energy into my body.   Okay – so I read that last sentence and admittedly it sounded kind of weird.  You had what channeled into your body?  And how, exactly, did that work?

I feel I should now attempt to answer these questions in a way that doesn’t sound too woo-woo.

Q:  What was channeled into your body????

A:  Life energy.  Reiki is an ancient Japanese form of Natural Healing.  Rei is the Japanese word for Universal (the Energy that is available for everyone) and Ki (chi in Chinese) is the Japanese word for energy. Reiki moves  the Ki that is abundantly available in the universe into the body for health and wellbeing.

Q:  And how exactly did does this happen?

A:  A reiki practitioner, in this case Ann Michaels at PDtM, has been attuned to reiki energy and can direct this energy through her hands.  During the treatment I was fully clothed and lay on a massage bed.  As I rested with my eyes closed, Ann would rest her hands very lightly on different parts of my body (head, shoulders, belly, feet, etc.).  Unlike massage there was no body manipulation, just a sort of gentle touch.  Often Ann would remain very still as she worked, other times I could feel her hands moving above the surface of my body, not touching at all.

Q:  How did you know that it “worked”?

A:  As I mentioned previously, unlike massage reiki does not involve rubbing, stretching or other manipulation.  However, in my own experience with reiki I have felt physical and mental release both during and after the session similar to (and often deeper than) the release I get from massage. I also find my “mind’s eye” is very active during reiki.  I see colors, flash back to memories, faces and my body will feel rushes, tingling and sensations of release, hot and cold.  I also experience waves of emotion.   Sometimes I fall asleep or slip into a deeply relaxed twilight space that I find to be incredibly enjoyable.

At the Moon we are lucky to have two wonderful reiki practitioners – Ann Michaels and Lisa Espinosa.  Ann and Lisa are two of only eleven practitioners in the US trained in Sacred Childbirth with Reiki (SCR) a reiki program aimed specifically at fertility, pregnancy and childbirth (stay tuned for an upcoming blog about SCR).  There is a body of clinical studies that support the efficacy of reiki for different medical conditions and for stress reduction.  However, no specific studies to date look at reiki and infertility.

Now, to wrap up this blog I also wanted to share a bit about my experience with the practitioner, Ann.  She started my session by asking me to set a short term goal and a long term goal for the work; and these goals were something I could choose to share with her or not.  After the session Ann shared feedback from her perspective and related what she felt from my body during the session.   The setting of goals was very helpful.   For the fertility journey the answer of the long-term goal is usually pretty easy – a baby.  But the short-term goals (whether to do another cycle, to make it through the 2ww without a melt-down, to let go of needle phobia during the injection phase of an ART cycle, become less stressed, eat better) are also very valuable and can greatly improve day-to-day life.  The act of setting these intentions prompts self-study.  What is it that we want to create right now?  What do we want our lives to look like in six months?

As a yoga teacher I have a strong belief in life energy and its relationship to stress, fertility and disease.  Reiki really works for me – and I will often recommend it for women who, like me, experienced a lot of grief, failure and loss in the fertility arena.   If you are interested in reiki and would like to learn more about it, we are offering a free Patient Education seminar at PDtM in Chicago this Sunday, October 31 from 1-2:30.   You can click here to register.

By Breea Johnson, MS RD

PMS is not something that any woman wishes for – as it can be extremely uncomfortable to experience the common symptoms of backache, bloating, cramps, fatigue, headaches, joint pain and insomnia. Not to mention the psychological symptoms such as mood swings, depression, personality changes and nervousness that plague many women. But, can PMS actually be a good thing? It’s true, listening to these symptoms and your body and re-connecting to your internal cycle can put you on a path to greater health affecting everything from your mood to your fertility!

The first thing to understand is that PMS symptoms are a result of your body being out of balance – it’s not a “disease” that can only be treated with medications, rather it’s a sign that your body needs nurturing – on Physical, Mental and Spiritual levels.

Nourishing the Physical: We all know that a great diet is important for great health. But when we focus on calories instead of nutrients we can leave our bodies devoid of essential nutrients for optimal hormone health and balance. Fill your body with greens, whole grains and clean sources of protein and you’ll likely notice a difference in how you feel prior to menstruation.

Conquering the Mental: The most annoying aspect of PMS for many women (and their roommates or partners) are the mood changes. Many women turn to anti-depression or anti-anxiety medications thinking that it must be a problem in their mind rather than in their bodies. Feeling down in the dumps becomes the normal. Remember, the mind-body connection is crucial, when we are properly nourishing our body through good nutrition, exercise and sunshine, our mind benefits. We feel better and think more clearly. So don’t forget to feed your body to nourish your mind.

Soaking up the Spiritual:  Experiencing PMS symptoms gives you the chance to sit and listen to your body. Maybe you are feeling out of balance because you’re not listening to your inner self and following your life’s dreams and passions. Maybe you are not letting yourself rest and relax as much as you need to decompress from your busy life. Maybe you aren’t nurturing yourself and demand a lot out of yourself. Maybe your life isn’t as fulfilling as you wish it was. Take the time to turn inwards, listen to your body and examine your life in a spiritual manner and it may help bring you into further balance.

If you are interested in learning more about PMS and how to bring your body into balance naturally, please join us at our exciting event PMS Primer: Holistic Survival Strategies. This 2-hour class will be taught by a nutritionist, an acupuncturist and a yoga teacher and provide you with the tools to manage – and potentially even eradicate – the headaches, bloating, mood swings, anger, cravings and general foulness that many women experience just before menstruation. To register please call (312) 321-0004 or visit www.pullingdownthemoon.com. Class cost is $25.

Tami’s got a smoking hot blog on PDtM’s Fertility Authority blog today – check it out!

In addition to the tantric tips Tami provides, the simple act of relaxing and being present can make a huge difference in your sex life.   If you’re stressed and find it hard to be “in the moment” you may want to enroll yourself  (and maybe even your partner, too) in our four-week long iRest (r) for Fertility class at PDtM in Chicago.  This deeply restorative class can help you release negative patterns of stress and sooth your over-tired and over-emotional mind.

We feel so much better when we are able to love.  Reserarch shows that people in community tend to live longer and enjoy better health than those who live in isolation.  Yet fertility challenges can be deeply isolating. This simple meditation can open and energize the heart center, rekindling our ability to give and receive love:

Bring your awareness to the heart center and notice any sensation there.  Perhaps there’s a sense of constriction, or alternatively, a feeling of warmth and expansion.  Observe without judging.

The meditation continues in three phases:

May I dwell in the awakened heart.
As you repeat these words silently to yourself, feel your heart center waking up.  Visualize a wheel of the brightest green glowing in your chest.  Sit with this phrase for several minutes, breathing into the heart, feeling it wake and glow with a fertile, radiant green light.

May I attend to what clouds the heart.
As you repeat this phrase, you may want to silently chant it on the exhale and “see” the clouds of your pain, disappointment, loss and anger dissolving in the radiant green glow of the heart.  Sit with this phrase for several minutes, until you feel that the heart is unobstructed and bright.

May my awakened heart be extended to all beings.
As you now silently repeat this phrase, feel the radiant light of your heart extending out beyond your body, wrapping the world in a huge loving hug.  Rest for a few minutes and allow a free give and take – offering the world this love and receiving love in return.

To end the meditation, join your hands in front of your heart in a gesture of reverence and gently bow to your own loving heart.

Beth Heller, M.S.

Has your fertility journey caused you to ask your mother questions about her experience trying to conceive?  Many women at Pulling Down the Moon report that their challenges have prompted their mothers to reveal  previously untold stories of struggles to conceive, miscarriages and losses.  Others learned for the first time that their mothers had irregular cycles or experienced strong menstrual cramps.

Unfortunately, modern society has lost touch with the value of this transmission of “woman-wisdom.”  I am not advocating a return back to “the red tent,” but I do lament that the menstrual cycle has arguably been demoted in our world.   As a holistic fertility practitioner, I am trained to view the menstrual cycle as a fountain of valuable information about the physical and even emotional health of a woman.  The shedding of menstrual blood is an important detoxification process.  The downward flow of energy that governs the menses (called apana in yoga physiology) can be strengthened with yoga poses and other lifestyle practices.  This same energy channel also allows us to excrete bodily wastes and let go of negative thoughts and emotions.  From a yoga perspective, when apana is blocked or impeded overall health (and fertility and emotional well-being in particular) suffer.

The very idea that there are now birth control pills that advocate limiting menses to four times a year makes my teeth itch.

Medical research is now revealing that some fertility challenges may be hereditary.  Many women are not aware that Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) has a hereditary component.   Sisters and daughters of women diagnosed with PCOS have a 50% chance of developing this syndrome.  If a young woman knows that her mother experienced irregular cycles or had difficulty getting pregnant, she may be more aware and proactive about her own reproductive health.  An early diagnosis of PCOS can help a young woman enormously.  Some of the external manifestations of PCOS – acne, hirsutism, weight gain – can be mistakenly attributed to normal adolescent changes.   However, these  symptoms are not necessarily an “inevitable” part of growing up and if PCOS is present they may be treated with diet, lifestyle and pharmaceutical methods.

So, while  mom may not be able to diagnose our PCOS or other fertility issues, her menstrual history, her experiences of trying to conceive, and other reproductive wisdom can prompt us to be more aware of our own bodies.  Opening a line of communication early on with young women to discuss their cycles – even the gritty details of flow, cramps, PMS and cycle length – should be an important pulbic health issue.

Last Friday I was riding home from work with our wise-beyond-her-years Chicago admin/receptionist Jenny when our conversation turned to coping with loss.  This had not been an easy winter for Jenny, who had lost most of her earthly belongings in an apartment fire that left her homeless in February.  During the catastrophic event and the aftermath, Jenny remained steady and positive, giving support and compassion to our patients while maintaining an impressively professional demeanor in her work.  Everyone at the Moon was inspired.

Since I had been noodling a blog about loss around in my head, I thought it would be useful to ask Jenny about the fire and the strategies she used for recovery.  I thought it would provide a foil for the losses I could write about from personal experience (miscarriages and a stillbirth) and for the kinds of losses we encounter at the Moon.  These are largely emotional losses – hopes and dreams of pregnancy, failed cycles, miscarriages and stillbirth.  At times these losses are coupled with the loss of resources, in cases where couples have paid out of pocket for unsuccessful treatments, but they are largely emotional.   Jenny’s loss was concrete – literally valuable possessions as well as priceless mementos that were completely destroyed by a bolt from the blue.

“I kept telling myself that there is a bigger picture,” she said.  ”It was the old saying that ‘things happen for a reason’ that gave me strength.  I really focused on staying positive and looking for the good that might come.”

If you smell a cliche here, keep reading.  Jenny’s next words were profound.

“I think it’s human nature to contract when we experience loss.  We contract around the pain, we avoid situations that remind us of our loss and we try to avoid the emotions – sadness, anger and envy- that come when our life seems to be in shambles compared to those around us.  More than anything I tried to remain open.  To emotions, to help from others and even to situations that could be painful.”

As Jenny shared her experiences of loss and healing, I was instantly struck by their similarity to my own journey. When my first full term pregnancy ended in a stillbirth of a little girl at 38 weeks, I received one strong message from the universe:  STAY OPEN.   Take every condolence call, accept every offer of comfort from friends, eat every casserole that was delivered and, above all, cry every tear that I needed to cry.  For a very introverted and private person (at least before the creation of Pulling Down the Moon) this was indeed a radical strategy.  My entire being wanted to crawl in a hole and avoid contact with others and with my pain.

In Jenny’s case, this call to open was an intuition.  In my own case, I believe the message came through my yoga practice.  The simple practice of stretching that has been part of my life for so many years kept calling to me to use the same techniques that keep my body healthy to heal my mind.  If you’ve ever been a beginning yogi, you know it can be an uncomfortable business at first to stretch tight muscles.  Yet, with practice, the discomfort eventually releases and gives way to spaciousness and calm.  This holds true for emotional challenges, too.  When we choose to stay open and experience our loss we can actually release pain and suffering.  When we “close” around these painful emotions we may not ever let them go.  In fact, we will often consciously or unconsciously go to great lengths to avoid the aspects of life that trigger past trauma and in doing so greatly circumscribe the scope of our experience.

There seems to be an energetic rule in play here, and the similarity of Jenny’s and my experience drove this home.  In the face of loss, rather than constrict, we must look for ways to open.  Begin with a simple physical practice of stretching and breathing.  Find support where you can tell your story and cry tears with people who understand.  Eat the casserole.  Like George Costanza from Seinfeld, do the opposite of what feels comfortable and stretch instead of hunker.

These are not easy words of advice.  Yet, there is a promise of courage and self-discovery in them.  And if you need help getting there our classes, teachers and gifted practitioners are here to help.  Have you experienced loss?  What worked for you?

By Breea Johnson, MS RD LDN

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Growing Power’s Urban Agriculture Farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Founder Will Allen is a national guru of local and sustainable food and grows food year round to supply many restaurants, farmers markets and schools in the Midwest.  So, what does this have to do with fertility, you ask? Well, Allen believes that farming isn’t as much about the growing of fruits, vegetables and grains; rather it’s about building soil which he often refers to as “fertile soil.” His message is this:  Without nutrient-rich soil, plants won’t grow, his land will be barren and he will have no fruits or vegetables to sell.  As I listened to him speak, I couldn’t help think about the relationship between “soil fertility” and “human fertility” and my work at Pulling Down the Moon specializing in fertility nutrition.  While growing vegetables may seem like a huge departure from helping women conceive, there are actually many more similarities than you might think.  

If you have ever tried to grow organic vegetables this thought may have crossed your mind. I’m personally finding in my spring venture the amount of work required to grow vegetables organically, with no pesticides, fertilizers or Miracle Gro. Vegetables may sprout in ordinary potting soil but in order to get them to grow and thrive and produce offspring they need soil that is completely nutrient-rich and thriving with microorganisms – along with sun and water, of course.  When you ask Will Allen what his biggest asset is on his urban farm, he won’t say equipment or even the people, he will always say the worms.  With hundreds of thousands of worms living on his farm, he utilizes them to compost food waste scraps into beautiful and nutrient-rich soil in order for his plants to thrive.  It’s easy to see with a visible eye how nutrient rich the soil is and taste of the vegetables is so unbelievable that I literally crave their spicy salad mix!

So, think about it. If soil nutrition is essential for soil fertility then human nutrition is essential for human fertility, right? Yes, there absolutely needs to be a nutrient-rich environment (body) for a baby to develop.  In order for this to happen, nutrient-rich foods need to be consumed.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, quality meat and dairy, eggs and fish have what is termed “nutrient density” – lots of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals per calorie. A diet full of these foods and void of processed nutrient-empty foods is sure to turn your body into a “nutrient-rich” one – perfect for seed planting! 

Another big connection between soil fertility and human fertility are the benefits of microorganisms. Our microbiota (the bacteria that live on and within us) actually outnumber cells that are on our body.  We call them “probiotics” as they are “good” bacteria that can be found on vegetables (specifically fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and kimchi), fermented beans and cultured dairy such as yogurt and kefir.  Almost all cultures include a fermented food or beverage as part of their daily diet, likely leftover from a time when fermentation was used to preserve foods prior to refrigeration. In our modern times of trying to kill off all bacteria we are starting to realize that the bacteria can actually be very beneficial to health, especially in fertility. Not only do the bacteria help break down food in our digestive system so we can absorb and utilize more nutrients, but they also help keep pathogenic bacteria at bay (such as E. Coli) and help keep our immune system supported.  Similar to soil fertility, the worms keep the pathogenic bacteria low and the beneficial bacteria high while producing nutrients in the composted material. Plus, recent research shows that beneficial bacteria may help prevent early pregnancy loss and improve IVF outcomes.

I often get asked if nutrition is actually important in the role of fertility. While my first instinct is to say “Of course,” as nutrition is important in every aspect of health, I think that comparing human fertility to soil fertility makes it a more obvious connection.  Can you plant a thriving garden in a clay-filled, nutrient-void soil, shady, bug-less patch of your yard?  You can try, but the chances of it growing are slim.  Can you dig up some dirt, add some compost, some worms and seeds in a sunny spot and water and expect to grow tiny seedlings? Your chances are definitely better!  

For more information on Pulling Down the Moon’s nutrition program please visit www.pullingdownthemoon.com or call (312)321-0004 to discuss the best nutrition options for you.

A couple years ago, Tami and I spent a wonderful week studying yoga nidra with an amazing teacher and yogi, Richard Miller.  At the retreat we spent a lot of time exploring the nature of our mind.  Richard shared this hilarious piece by Zen writer Kim Boykin, Meditation Hints from the Colorado Division of Wildlife.  Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or mind/body beginner, this is worth a read.

Perhaps the most common question we get at the Moon is “where should I start?”  Women and couples are interested in doing everything they can to increase their odds of conceiving.  But among all the services available – nutrition counseling, acupuncture, yoga for fertility and massage – where to begin?  For the answer to this question, stay tuned to our blog this week as we discuss the different treatments we offer at Pulling Down the Moon and who will best benefit from these treatments.

The most important thing to recognize, though, is that using holistic treatment for fertility requires your participation.  Unlike a medical regimen, where you simply follow the directions your doctor provides, holistic treatment asks you to become involved in identifying and correcting physical, mental and emotional imbalances in your life.  In a sense, these treatments require you to be part of the treatment team.  This is true even if you are also using medical fertility treatments in addition to holistics.

The other point to make about holistic therapy is that it can take some time to work.  Treatments like acupuncture have shown short-term benefit (as few as two acupuncture treatments have been shown to increase IVF success rates), but studies using a longer treatment time frame actually have much more impressive results.  Nutrition changes can also be effective immediately, especially in terms of improving gut function, but other more long-term effects (potential improvement in egg or sperm quality, reduced inflammation, ovulation induction in PCOS) can take several months to achieve.   We feel great for a few hours after yoga or a massage – but longer term practice of these modalities actually leads to a lasting calm in which our body and mind can begin to heal themselves. 

So what’s right for you?  Stay tuned to our blog this week for a deeper exploration of what holistic fertility techniqes are right for you.   Also, feel free to post your questions.  We’ve got experts standing by. 

Be present, be positive!  Paige

Have you ever had a week where a single idea pops up at you from a million directions at once?   In my life this week the theme that started to emerge was transition.  It cropped up in yoga classes, in conversation with friends, even at Pulling Down the Moon as we adapt to our cool new website and e-commerce system.  Transition is also all around outside.  In Chicago the mountains of winter snow outside my door are melting – revealing the shoots of tulips already breaking through the earth.  Of course, as a yogi, I believe that the themes emerging in my outer life contain clues to  my inner life.  So when I went to my yoga mat this week, I meditated on transition. 

At Pulling Down the Moon our fertility yoga practice is a style of yoga called vinyasa,  a flowing series of postures.  As I practiced this week I turned my attention to the transition between the postures rather than the postures themselves.  What I found was fascinating.  Moving from one pose to another with awareness was much harder than moving without awareness.  Between each pose I discovered an infinite number of experiences of breath, balance, strength and mastery.

Finishing that week of practice, I had what we call a “yoga insight” (or satori, in Sanskrit).  Transition is the place where life is actually happening!  Each ”finished” pose is gone – belongs to the past – and each “future pose” is fantasy – belonging to an idealized future.  Yet in the middle, where the pose is emerging and awareness is shaping each moment, life and joy are always present.

Infertility is a transition, too.  We are moving from our previous childless existance toward parenthood.  It’s easy to reject what has come before and race toward the future.  Yet in doing so we deny our own life and existance as valid.  This week we challenge you to exist in the transition, the now, of your life.  It’s in this moment that you can feel your own strength and beauty, your own courage and the exquisite creation of life.