by Beth Heller, M.S.

Nutrition was a big topic at this year’s American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference.  Concepts under discussion included the potential role of inflammation in both male and female fertility and the possible value of antioxidants like resveratrol and omega-3 fatty acids in reversing damage done by environmental toxins.  Another very simple yet compelling idea was presented by Dr. Gil Wilshire from Missouri.  Dr. Wilshire contends that many women, even obese women, are not getting sufficient nutrition for good fertility.  Put simply, the typical low-fat, USDA Food Guide diet that we have all been programmed to eat, is low in essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins that are essential for our body’s health and reproduction.

Dr. Wilshire was preaching to the choir on this one.  That the poor quality of our modern diet – from the over consumption of fast foods and overly processed meals, to the belief that “low-fat means healthy” – puts all of us at risk for less than optimal nutritional status  is a cornerstone of our fertility nutrition programming at Pulling Down the Moon.  What was especially compelling, though, was Dr. Gil’s use of the concept of “feeding up” in his discussion.  This idea is old as the hills but almost universally accepted in the medical community:  women get pregnant when they are “feeding up” rather than paring down.

The female body is keenly aware of “energy balance,” an evolutionary mechanism that ensures the survival of the human species.  When calories are scarce, bodies begin to shut down non-essential body functions…like reproduction.  Food, however, is much more than calories.  It is also the way our body gets essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fats needed for healthy body function.  If a woman is consuming a diet rich in calories but poor in nutrients, she can become malnourished.  Hence an obese woman who lives on processed foods can have plenty of calories but still be “starving.”  And the slender woman who has been told by her fertility doctor to gain some weight in order to conceive may benefit more from shifting to a highly nutritious diet and lowering the intensity of her activity than from simply packing on pounds.

Rather than “feeding up,” we like to say that women get pregnant when they are “nourishing up.”  Importantly, the process of nourishing up can take place without the gain or loss of a single pound.  It begins with a very healthy diet and  good digestion so that essential nutrients are not only present, they are being absorbed and assimilated.  Calorie counting is secondary to this objective, even for the obese woman who needs to lose weight.  In general we believe that certain nutritional supplements  (including a high-quality prenatal vitamin, a probiotic to support digestion and omega-3 fats) can help support the objective of “nourishing up” but the focus should be a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, minimally processed grains and healthy fats.

We also know that nourishment can come in many ways – including the nourishment of true relaxation that comes with yoga practice, nourishment through channeling chi throughout the body during an acupuncture session or the healing touch of massage and reiki.  Changing the intensity and intention of our exercise program from “burning and racing” to “energizing and strengthening” can also make a difference.

At a high-tech conference like ASRM it was encouraging to see nutrition on the table, so to speak.  It was clear, however, that nutrition will never get the attention of research dollars.  Many more people attended the class on Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) than the class about nutrition.  Doing nutrition research is complicated and funding is scarce because unlike drug research, where there’s potential to patent and produce a pharmaceutical drug that will make billions of dollars, a healthy diet can’t be patented and won’t make anyone rich.  Conflicts of interest are everywhere.   Governmental agencies that are charged with making nutritional recommendations are also charged with protecting the economic interests of food manufacturers.   Our national nutrition association, the American Dietetic Association, is partnering with companies like Coca Cola to get women to drink more Diet Coke in order to prevent heart disease.  Yikes!

So what are we to do?  In the face of misinformation we must begin to live the truth and spread the word.  Have you made changes to your diet that fly in the face of the Dietary Guidelines for America?  Have you switched to full fat dairy and sworn off fat-free yogurt?  Have you switched to a more nourishing lifestyle through yoga, acupuncture or other practice?  If you have, please share your stories and we will feature them in our blog and on via social media.  Send your storied to beth@pullingdownthemoon.com subject line:  Nourishing Up.  You can include your name or let me know that you’d like to remain anonymous.

by Beth Heller, MS RYT

Yoga poses are a mystery in my book.  We go to yoga class, stand on a mat in our bare feet and proceed to bend and twist our bodies until we take on a completely different shape.  What are these shapes?  Why on earth do they make us feel so good?  Why are they such a gift when we are experiencing life and health challenges such as infertility?

There is a lot of information about the physiological benefits of yoga.  Clearly, yoga postures are good for our bodies.  Stretching tight musculature improves our posture, strengthens our digestion and makes our muscles strong and supple.  Hip opening postures feed blood to the uterus and ovaries, backbends stimulate our nervous system and free our respiratory system from chronic tension, and twists “wring out” toxins and stale fluid from body tissues.  But aren’t postures just physical exercise?  The answer is yes, and no.

In his master work Light on Yoga, renowned yogi B.K.S. Iyengar explains that names of yoga poses are significant and symbolize the process of evolution.  There are poses named for plants (tree, lotus), poses named for insects (locust, scorpion), poses named for fish, reptiles and higher mammals like dog and camel.  Some are even named for legendary Hindu heroes and even gods.  The point is, Iyengar says, that while we perform yoga asana we assume many different forms, from the lowliest to the most exalted, and recognize the Universal Spirit that runs through them all.   Mr. Iyengar asserts that it is this unspoken presence of the divine that begins to work on the body of the yogi, causing new discipline and spontaneous healing to occur in diet, cleanliness and character.  What a fascinating thought – and how nice to think that tapping into something greater than ourselves is just a down dog away?

Over tea last week, Joyce, a fellow yoga teacher and friend was discussing her yoga practice when she added another dimension to my musing.

“The postures,” she said, “are the constant and I am the variable.  When I move into a yoga pose that I practice regularly, the pose is the same but depending on my state of mind, what I ate for dinner the night before and my present mood it’s a unique experience every time.  When I am tense, my down dog is rigid.  When I am sad I am reluctant to do backbends.  Because the postures encourage me to breathe and reflect, I see how my life affects my body. “

So, while in some ways these insights make the mystery even deeper, my appreciation of yoga asana is ever expanding.  These insights remind me that while yoga for fertility is trendy and hip openers are indeed great for fertility, the roots of this practice run far deeper than we will ever imagine.  And for this I am truly grateful.

Check out our brand new video companion to our book, Fully Fertile. This easy to use practice is great for any level, designed to support your body’s fertility and, with faithful practice, connect you to this universal healing awareness.

by Beth Heller MS, RYT

No, this isn’t another chirpy post about the power of positive thinking or the law of attraction.  While there are potential fertility benefits to both of those things, the positive I’m talking about here is the little plus on the pee stick or the positive lilt in the nurse’s voice when she gives you the news that your beta hCG has just doubled.  This post is also about the apprehension I’ve seen behind the eyes of my yoga students when they share their good news.  One hurdle cleared – “I’m pregnant!” – but another looms ahead…that tenuous first trimester.   This anxiety is magnified if their journey has been a long one or if a previous “positive” ended in a negative.

Having experienced multiple miscarriages and other assorted disappointments, that odd mix of joy and terror during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy is something I know way too well.  I spent most of the waking hours of my first trimesters taking my basal temperature incessantly to make sure it hadn’t dropped, bracing myself to see blood on the toilet paper every time I went to the bathroom and subjecting every ping I felt in my abdomen to a thorough Google search.  Is there anything we can do to make this time bearable?

Absolutely.  I’m assuming that you’ve been taking pretty good care of yourself on the road to pregnancy, so now is definitely not the time to pull off that road.  Keep on doing what you’ve been doing to stay happy, healthy and balanced.  In case you’re so freaked out that you can’t remember what those things were, here is a checklist for staying positive, figuratively and literally, during the first trimester:

1. Practice your yoga and meditation.   When a woman becomes pregnant during our six week Yoga for Fertility class, which I am happy to report happens quite frequently, we encourage her to stay with the class and the practice during her early weeks of pregnancy.   Researchers hypothesize that stress may contribute to early pregnancy loss, a phenomenon they are calling Pregnancy Stress Syndrome.  The immune/endocrine imbalances that result from stress may be a trigger for pregnancy loss.  The good news is that population studies show that “tender-loving-care” interventions that focus on reducing stress and helping women feel supported are associated with positive pregnancy outcomes in women with history of miscarriage. As long as the yoga is gentle and the teacher is knowledgeable about what’s verboten during very early pregnancy, you’re good to go.  If you don’t feel comfortable doing yoga, find a meditation or other relaxation class to attend to keep the “ritual of relaxation” going during this time
2. Exercise.  Yes, I did say exercise.  Note that I did not say go for a run or start power lifting, but I did say exercise.  Early pregnancy is a time to stroll and smell the flowers or stretch in leisurely manner.  Gentle (stress again gentle) movement will help to relieve anxiety, mediate the fatigue that often comes along with the first trimester and promote a sense of well-being.  Just keep it gentle (did I stress gentle?).
3. Keep eating right.  You may not feel ready for the full-on prenatal nutrition consult, but it is time to contact your nutritionist and make sure that any herbal or nutritional supplements you have been taking are still appropriate during the first trimester.   If you’ve discontinued dairy, wheat or other potential allergens, this is not the time to add them back in without the support of a skilled nutritionist, but it is time to ensure that any eliminations you have made have not created nutritional “holes” in your nutritional status.
4. Keep getting your acupuncture.  Traditional Chinese Medicine is very useful and has specific protocols for miscarriage prevention.  At Pulling Down the Moon we recommend women receive treatment weekly during the first trimester and then continue monthly or on an as-needed basis for the remainder of the pregnancy.
5. Hands on work like massage and reiki can also help you stay calm and centered.  Think about how your dog or cat melts under your touch when they are anxious.  Make sure, though, that your massage therapist knows that you are newly pregnant and is aware of any contraindicated techniques or points on the body that should not be manipulated during pregnancy.
6. Finally, keep breathing.  When the anxiety starts to creep up, take a deep inhale through your nose and let it out slowly through mouth saying silently to yourself “I’m happy, I’m healthy, I’m whole.”  The instinct is to hold the breath and count the days until week twelve but the reality is that staying in the flow of life will help you focus on something other than your fears.   The breath is a reminder of that flow and brings you back to center.

Stay present, stay peaceful, stay positive.  It will be trimester-two before you know it!   Beth

Note:  Before applying any techniques described in this or any other nutrition, exercise or holistic program an individual should always consult and obtain professional medical advice, including from their doctor.

by Beth Heller MS, RYT

Jivamukti Yoga Co-Founder David Life tells a famous story about his first experience of mula bandha.   Standing in a yoga class with a famous Indian yoga instructor, Life heard the instructions “Contact Uranus!”

Contact Uranus?  Did he wander by accident into a Star Trek convention?

It took Life a while to understand that his teacher was saying  ”contract your anus,” the basic instructions for initiating mula bandha, a very powerful yoga technique for fertility.

I don’t hesitate to tell you this story because if you’re experiencing infertility you’re no stranger to embarrassing descriptions of things that are happening (or not happening) below the waist.  You can likely rattle off words like “semen” and “cervical mucous,” “vaginal probe” and “post-coital.”   Now, believe it or not, your fertility yoga practice is going to take you there, too.

Mula bandha is an energetic practice that stabilizes the pelvis and sacrum and tones the pelvic muscles.  While Life’s teacher suggested contracting the anus, mula bandha is actually more subtle. In women the action of mula bandha is the contraction of the vaginal and cervical muscles, similar to a Kegel.  If you’ve never heard of a Kegel, you can get a sense of this muscle action by imagining that you are urinating and must contract your pelvic floor muscles to stop the flow of urine.

On a physical level mula bandha tones the muscles of the pelvic floor.  It is great preparation for pregnancy where these muscles experience strain which can lead to urinary incontinence.  But mula bandha is more than just a muscular contraction, it is also an energetic contraction.  On an energetic level, the practice of mula bandha is grounding and helps conserve life energy (prana) in our body.    Mula bandha also clears congestion at the root chakra, also called muladhara chakra, which is concerned with safety and survival.  Mula bandha literally lifts  prana up from the root chakra to the second chakra.  The second chakra is called the svadhishthana chakra and is concerned with sexuality, creativity and fertility – so you can see why this might benefit fertility.  Mula bandha is also said to sever the brahma granthi, the energetic knot at the base of our spine that represents resistance to change, so if you’re feeling stuck or afraid, this work is for you.

To practice mula bandha, sit comfortably in a chair with your feet on the ground.  Slowly inhale and begin to engage the muscles of the pelvic floor (ie. as if you are stopping the flow of urine) over a count of five.  I like to use a visualization of an elevator going up (floor 1, floor 2, floor 3, floor 4, floor 5).   Exhale as you release the contraction slowly and feel the elevator descending floor by floor.  Check in with leg and buttocks muscles to make sure you aren’t tightening them.  Repeat 10 times.

With practice it will become possible to hold mula bandha for longer periods of time, while going for a walk, while doing your yoga, while talking on the phone.  Practiced regularly and with attention mula bandha can bring many gifts.

by Pam Policastro, L. Ac.

Eastern medicine views the individual as a whole being with body, mind, and spirit interconnected and supported by an underlying energy system.  Good health depends on a balanced circulation of Qi, or vital life energy, throughout the body.  Keeping this concept in mind, I will now discuss the TCM(Traditional Chinese Medicine) view on physical exercise.

First of all, there’s the sweat.  In Chinese medicine one of the functions of the Heart is to control body fluids.  Sweat is considered the “fluid” of the Heart, if you sweat a lot you are actually unbalancing the Qi, or energy, of your Heart.  In the case of perspiring too much and losing too much fluid, you are creating a deficiency of the Heart, which can prevent this organ system from functioning well.  What does this mean in terms of fertility?  The Heart and Kidney energies control the process necessary for female fertility.  The Heart “governs” the blood and is an integral part of the production of blood, therefore contributing to nourishment of the endometrium and embryo.

Then there’s the issue of the tendons and ligaments.  These areas of your body are dependent upon sufficient blood from the Liver to nourish them.  Strenuous and excessive exercise, such as intense aerobic and running workouts, is hard on the joints(tendons and ligaments).  When you overwork your joints, the Liver must send more blood to help restore them, and on a continual basis this depletes the Liver’s energy.  The Liver is a very important organ in terms of women’s fertile health.  This is because blood is stored in the Liver, especially when the body is at rest.  Some of this blood must be passed onto the uterus before preparation for pregnancy or menstruation can occur.  If the Liver Blood is deficient, then menstruation may be scanty, infrequent, or missing…compromising fertility.

Chinese medicine sees intense physical exercise as spending precious internal energy that is very difficult to replace, and not creating true health.  It is also detrimental to fertility. Wouldn’t  it make sense then, to pursue a form of “exercise” that actually increases life-enhancing energy instead of using it up?  Meditation, Qigong, Taiji, and Yoga have been shown to create positive changes in the areas of the brain linked with emotion as well as increase immune function and blood flow as well as decrease blood pressure.  PS…these more holistic forms of exercise support healthy fertility.

by Beth Heller, MS RYT

The first time I experienced Shiva Nata, or the Dance of Shiva (DOS), was in 2002 when Andrey Lappa, a visiting yoga master from the Ukraine, introduced this practice to the Chicago yoga scene.  At the time I thought it was very interesting and exotic, but with Andrey leaving town there was not much opportunity to study the system so I never continued with practice.

Flash forward to 2011.   Out of the blue, our friend Neil Keleher sent a message from Taiwan where he practices and teaches DOS to ask whether Tami and I had considered sharing the Dance of Shiva with our students at Pulling Down the Moon.  Neil had studied Shiva Nata extensively with Andre in Chicago back in the day, and had continued to work with it in his personal practice these many years.  Neil was finding that this practice repeatedly helped his students move past stuck points into more positive life situations that aligned with their heart’s purpose.  In essence, Neil suggested, the Dance of Shiva was helping to “birth” his students’ intentions.  Needless to say  I was intrigued.

Symbolically this practice is spot on for fertility.  In the Hindu pantheon Shiva is one third of the Trimurti, the primary aspects of the divine represented by Brahama (the creator), Vishnu (the sustainer) and Shiva (the Destroyer).  In this tradition, Shiva governs the shedding of old patterns, structures and beliefs to make room for new life-affirming directions.  Much of the deep work we do at the Moon comes through re-evaluating the habits and beliefs our students have brought with them to the point in time in which they are experiencing crisis (infertility).  The techniques we use at Pulling Down the Moon – yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, therapeutic massage and nutrition – work to make us aware of patterns of harmony and disharmony in our lives; to consciously choose what we want to keep and what we want to discard.  On a visual level the symbolic connection of Shiva to fertility is even more obvious.  Shiva is often represented as a lingham and his partner Shakti is represented as a yoni.  They are often depicted together as a divine representation of procreative energy.

So what is the Dance of Shiva?  Basically it is a set of movement patterns that you learn that becomes a form of moving meditation.  It looks like the love-child of yoga and martial arts and DOS practitioners claim that the practice stimulates insight, creates a sense of mental calm and helps the practitioner enter a state of flow where she is present in each moment as it arises.  Epiphanies that arise from practice break down outmoded structures and lead the way to change, calm and flow help us move in life-affirming directions.

I asked Neil how he felt the DOS could help with fertility and here is his response:

“If a woman is struggling with conscious or unconscious negative thought patterns about her fertility,” says Neil, “Doing the Dance of Shiva may help her become more aware of these thought patterns and move beyond them. ”  This is because the practitioners of DOS believe the initial memorization and practice of the movements creates new neural pathways.

Furthermore, the Dance of Shiva is very grounding and returns a woman to her body.  The practice may also have a profound physical benefit as well.

“The concentration required to do the DOS requires you to focus on feeling your body and this focus forces you to be truly present and in your body,” Neil continues.  ”Another benefit for fertility is that the DOS helps you practice knowing what you want to do (intention) and helps you arrange things so you can do it.”

Over the past few weeks I have begun a DOS practice in earnest and, surprisingly, have found these spiraling movements to be meditative and interesting.  I have even experienced a few powerful epiphanies.  Placebo effect?  Perhaps.  But I think not.  The DOS is mathematical, which I am NOT, so I find that my brain is both challenged and energized by new neural connections.  The movements haunt me during the day and I find myself imagining and visualizing these spirals as I wait in line at the grocery store or drive my car.  In my experience this means this practice is penetrating on an energetic level and having an effect on my physical and energetic body.

Regarding fertility, my hunch is that this IS a very powerful practice for helping us reach our goal of creating family so stay tuned over the coming weeks for more updates, video and further commentary.

If you need more now, visit Neil’s website and blog at http://thedanceofshiva.com.

Beth Heller, MS, RYT

According to yoga physiology, apana vayu is the downward flow of energy that governs the menses as well as elimination of toxins from the body.  In the yogic view of PCOS, the apana vayu has become stagnant and by stimulating apana we re-invigorate the menstrual cycle.  Poses that stretch and open the hips and lower back facilitate the flow of apana.   Strengthening apana energy flow is just one goal of our therapeutic yoga practice for PCOS.  A well-rounded practice for PCOS also includes twisting and folding poses to stimulate agni, back-bending poses to enliven the nervous system, restorative poses that induce the relaxation response and gentle inversions that stimulate the thyroid, hypothalamus and pituitary glands.

This series of poses to strengthen apana begins with a vinyasa of chair (utkatasana) and standing forward fold (uttanasana) for a simple flow that is both energizing and grounding.  Follow this sequence with warrior 2, to continue to build strength and open groin and hip muscles.  Finish with Supine Cobbler’s Pose, a gentle supported back-bend that stimulates the relaxation response.

Utkatasana

Uttanasana "Forward Fold"

Virabhadrasana 2 "Warrior Pose"

Supta Baddha Konasana - Supported Reclining Cobbler's Pose

by Beth Heller, M.S., RYT

On April 26 we are offering a free Laughter Yoga class at Pulling Down the Moon in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week .  I can imagine that some people might be offended by the idea.  Infertility is no laughing matter.

On some level that’s true – but on another it couldn’t be farther from the truth.  I can remember sitting out on the steps in front of my RE’s office after a bad ultrasound the day before Mother’s Day early on in my fertility journey.  I ran into my friend Heather at the office – she was starting her second IVF cycle – and she sat with me as I cried.

“On the bright side, Beth,” she said.  ”We can go out together on Mother’s Day and drink martinis and eat raw fish!”   The need to avoid sushi was something that had concerned both of us about being pregnant back in the days when we thought pregnancy would be easy to achieve.  Now raw fish was our consolation prize.  I don’t know why but that struck us both as enormously funny at the time and we laughed until we could barely breathe.  Sad as I was that my cycle had failed, I felt worlds better after that laugh.

The ability to laugh is one of our most profound self-healing skills.  Little kids laugh simply because it feels good and it makes them happy.  As adults we lose this spontaneity and, in turn, lose connection to the well-spring of physical, emotional and even spiritual benefits of laughter.  ”Mirthful laughter” has been shown to help reduce chronic pain, improve immune response, alleviate depression and improve cardio-vascular health.  To thicken the plot, it seems that laughter may improve IVF outcomes.  Researchers in Israel followed 229 women and found that a 15 minute visit from a trained “medical clown” immediately after embryo transfer increased the  pregnancy rate to 36%, compared with 20% for women whose embryo transfer was comedy free.

So how might laughter help fertility?   Perhaps by stimulating the relaxation response.   When people are stressed they tend to take shallow breaths. Extending the exhale (which is exactly what laughter is –  HA HA HA HA – gasp for breath – HA HA HA HA) has a profound effect on blood chemistry.  Breathing patterns that emphasize the exhale increase blood CO2 levels.  This change in blood chemistry relaxes blood vessels and promotes blood flow to the brain as well as the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin into the tissues.   In addition, laughter stimulates beta-endoprhins, our feel-good chemicals.  Interestingly, these are similar benefits to those believed to result from acupuncture treatment that is also associated with improved success of IVF cycles.

From the yogic perspective, laughter plays an equally important role.  Inside each of us, yoga teaches, is a core of joy.  This core is clouded by negative thought patterns and what we have allowed to become the daily grind of our existence.  If we can connect to that spark of  joy, yoga teaches, it can begin to transform – even “burn away” – the negativity that has grown up around it.  Laughter sparks that joy.  It begins a profound process of coming back to our own innate radiance.

So, come and join us for Laughter Yoga on Tuesday April 26 from 7 to 8 p.m.  The class is free.  This class will combine breathing and spontaneous laughter that will create an amazing shift in the chemistry of your body and brain.  We provide a silly, safe and nurturing environment for you to explore this wonderful practice and leave smiling.

Click here to register!

http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=3556&stype=-8&sTG=23&sVT=169&sView=day&sLoc=0

This week is an exciting week at PDtM.  We have two new drop-in classes on the schedule, iRest ™ Yoga Nidra for Fertility and our Reiki & Meditation Circle for Women.  Your first session in either of these classes is FREE so  sign-up now and give them BOTH a try.

Ellen MacGran

iRest for Fertility starts Tuesday April 5 and runs from 7 to  8 p.m.  Our teacher Ellen MacGran has a gentle, soothing voice and has trained extensively with Dr. Richard Miller, one of the foremost experts on yoga nidra in the country.  Yoga nidra, which means “sleep of the yogi,” is a guided relaxation practice that is done laying down and creates a state of deep rest for body and mind.  Men are welcome to join this class.  You can even bring a pillow and your favorite blanket.  Cost $15 drop-in.  First class FREE!

Lisa Espinosa, Reiki Master

Reiki & Meditation Circle for Women begins Thursday April 7 and runs from 5 to 6 p.m.  This beautiful class combines beginning meditation instruction, sitting practice and healing energy work.  Your instructor is Lisa Espinosa, Reiki Master.  Cost $15 drop-in.  First class FREE!

Other wonderful events include two FREE patient education seminars:

Fertility Cleanse Thursday April 7,  6 to 7 p.m. Click here to register for this free program sponsored by Fertility Centers of Illinois

FEM Protocol Fertility Massage Class Sunday April 10, 12-1 p.m. Click here to register for this free program sponsored by Fertility Centers of Illinois

Upcoming Events Include:

Laughter Yoga

***THIS IS A FREE EVENT IN SUPPORT OF NATIONAL INFERTILITY AWARENESS WEEK *****

When is the last time you experienced an amazing giggle fit or a gut-busting crack up? Believe it or not, new studies show that laughter may improve IVF outcomes. Beyond fertility, we know that laughter can improve brain chemistry, release feel-good chemicals called endorphins and even stimulate the relaxation response.

Join Pulling Down the Moon Co-Founders Tami Quinn and Beth Heller for a Laughter Yoga practice that combines breathing and spontaneous laughter to elicit an amazing shift in the chemistry of your body and mind. This wonderful community event will lighten your heart and mind and connect you with the spark of joy that is present within all of us.

Click here to register for Laughter Yoga.

Therapeutic Yoga and TCM for PCOS

If you have been diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome this unique workshop will empower you to use two ancient healing systems, yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine, to help manage the symptoms and adverse health consequences that are associated with PCOS.

At this workshop we will explore PCOS from the perspectives of yoga and TCM, learn a therapeutic yoga program that addresses the specific health concerns of PCOS and meet other women who are learning how to be radiantly healthy despite PCOS. You will leave with tools to support your physical, mental and spiritual health.  Pre-registration is required for this event.  Cost:  $35

Click here to register for Therapeutic Yoga and TCM for PCOS.

Spring is a powerful symbol of fertility, rebirth and renewal.  In our upcoming book The Infertility Cleanse, we spend a fair amount of time writing about the role of symbols in health and healing.  Warning:  this is one of those places where what we do at Pulling Down the Moon moves into the more mystical realm.  As you read the rest of this blog I will ask that you put your skeptical mind temporarily on “pause.”

To understand how symbols can help us to heal and to thrive, let’s understand a few basic concepts.

1. Symbols are images that describe a thought or belief.  Symbols can be personal (something in your life that means something specific to you) or they can also be societal or universal.  Symbols tend to gain power when the “resonate” for more than one person, i.e.  when they evoke the same thought or belief in more than one person.  However, your own personal symbols can be very powerful as well because they have meaning that is uniquely understood by you and can be very specific.

2.  If we look closely at symbols we will often find that it’s difficult to describe them in words.  The experience of trying to put a symbol into words is similar to trying to describe a vivid dream soon after waking.  Words cannot truly capture the power of the dream images and often the act of putting a dream into words drains the “power” one initially felt in dreaming.

3.  Finally, symbols act most powerfully by conveying a feeling state.   For example, to non-car aficionados, the Porsche logo says “power” or “money.”  But witness the power of Porsche for car lovers who have invested the Porsche symbol with a lot of energy.  For these folks the mere thought of owning or driving a Porsche can evoke a visceral feeling of speed or mastery.  Remember the hormone-happy  Tom Cruise character in Risky Business (Porsche – there is no substitute)?

Amazingly, brain science is beginning to shed some light on why symbols can evoke visceral reactions.   Apparently, the different hemispheres of our brain process sensory input differently.  Our left hemisphere is oriented toward linear reasoning and serves to organize sensory input in order, choosing details and constructing a reality that is based on a perceived “past” and projected into an imagined “future.”  The left brain thinks in words and numbers.  The right hemisphere of the brain thinks in pictures and is engaged primarily in the present moment.  It experiences, but doesn’t organize, sensory input.  Time does not exist for the right brain.   Nor does separation of Self from Other (for a striking depiction of right/left brain hemisphere function watch this video of neuro-scientist Jill Bolte Taylor).

This piece of neuro-science is very interesting from the yoga perspective.  In yoga, our aim is to create a state of whole-ness (yoga means union) that is experienced by our witnessing consciousness (we call this Awareness). We start with yoga postures that integrate the different parts of the physical body through balance, strength and stretching.  Yoga breath work (pranayama) brings awareness to our breathing and creates shifts in our state-of-mind.  Finally, meditation trains the mind to let go of the “chatter” that is primarily generated by the detail- and time-obsessed left brain and gives equal attention to the whole-ness of sensory input generated by the right brain.   Meditation does not aim to annihilate the left brain or glorify the right brain – it creates whole-ness and transcendence by unifying input from both brain hemispheres and allowing it to reside in a welcoming awareness.

While this is all well-and-good from a sit around and talk philosophy kind of way, what’s it got to do with symbols, healing and fertility?

Good question.  Fundamentally, we live in a left-hemisphere-driven  world that feel like the only “real” world.  We have lost the ability to connect with the right brain and the “Now-ness” it imparts to us.   However, the Now is enormously important.  Everything that ever happens happens in the Now.  New thoughts and new solutions arise in the Now, positive change happens in the Now, and healing, too, must also arise in the Now.  If we’re obsessed with negative thoughts and beliefs, the Now is a bummer.  If we’re open to positive thoughts and input the Now can be quite lovely.

Meditating on a symbol is like striking a tuning fork for the “Now” our right brain is experiencing.  Since the right brain thinks in pictures and symbols, a symbol can create a shift in the quality of the right brain awareness.   A positive or inspiring symbol can create  a positive and inspiring Now.  Take for example a simple meditation on Spring.  Spring is a powerful symbol of fertility and renewal.  The feeling you get when you “experience” Spring is visceral.  There’s a churning aliveness that feels as if it’s even making our hair grow!  We can use meditation on the symbol of Spring to bring these qualities into the “Now” of our lives.   If you don’t believe me, try the following simple meditation.

• Sit quietly, with a straight spine on the floor or in a chair.  Close your eyes and tune into your breath, simply feeling the inhales and exhales as pure sensation.
• When you begin to feel still, call to mind an image that symbolizes Spring - this could be a tulip, a leaf-bud or any image that calls to your heart and mind the energy of Spring
• As you hold the image/symbol in your mind’s eye allow the feeling of Spring to arise – the newness, the sense that winter is over, the sense of fertility and expectation, the smell of damp earth and green things growing.
• Rest in that feeling state for as long as you can – working up to 15 minutes.
• Upon coming back from your meditation, bring the feeling state of Spring back with you and practice holding this energized state as you move through your day.

This last part of the meditation is the most important.  Symbols can help us stay attuned to this happy (higher) vibration.  I use symbols in this way every day.  In my home I have a simple altar (actually it’s a shelf) where I place symbols that have a powerful personal meaning for me.  Whenever I am quietly going about my business at home, I light the candle and welcome the vibration of the inspiring symbols to permeate my “Now.”  Throughout my day I will often visualize lighting that candle and accessing these symbols in times of stress or need.