Pulling Down the Moon

Pride and Community

June 15, 2019

June is pride month and festivities are already underway in Chicago and its suburbs. We were lucky enough to have our own Pride parade near us in Buffalo Grove, IL. Regardless of how you identify, you will need support through your journey. Finding community early in the process will help make it more manageable and maybe even enjoyable. What’s often forgotten, at least in the beginning and not until after one faces setbacks, is to take care of oneself. Often I get students in my Yoga for Fertility class who are yoga novices and come to me with an attitude of “well it can’t hurt to try yoga. Darn right, you should’ve been here from the start! If you’re going to carry a baby, are you (or your partner) preparing your body to support a pregnancy? Whoever is involved in the process to create a family will need community/emotional support, nutrition, exercise, and self-care. 


Community is priceless. I felt very alone during my fertility struggle and it wasn’t until I found a community that I realized how much I needed it. One’s path to parenthood is a personal journey, with or without problems. With problems, it just makes it harder to keep it personal and/or private. Schedules getting disrupted by always needing to go appointments, taking medications (that may or may not make one crazy), and add in the emotional roller coaster … well you get the idea. Go. Now. Find your community.


Here are a few resources to get you started:

  • Yoga Events: Joins us for Yoga for Fertility in Chicago starting June 25th and in Highland Park starting July 1st! The FREE Weekend Wine Down in Chicago will be July 25th, save your spot and bring a friend!
  • Shine Fertility: Join us at the Shine Bright event on July 10th and/or the next Shine Together Meet-up at PDtM Chicago on July 23rd!
  • Path to Parenthood: Every Journey Begins With The First Step
  • The Broken Brown Egg: Awareness. Hope. Activism


Additionally, below are a few LGBQT+ resources available to those in the Chicago area:

  • LGBT Family: Your Journey to Parenthood 
  • Fertility and Reproductive Medicine: Treatment Options


And what I thought was an nice article from a lesbian couple struggling with infertility:

  • ‘It Seems Every Other Lesbian Is Throwing Around Sperm and Getting Pregnant’


Enjoy some food and yoga tips today at:

  • Food is medicine, eat better. Period. EWG.org has a list of fruits and vegetables high in pesticides to stay away from, called the dirty dozen. They also test consumer products and rate them, most important to stay away from are endocrine disruptors. Start there to help decide when to go Organic and identify products in your home that could hurt your fertility.

 

  • Hello Yoga. It’s both exercise and self care wrapped up in one beautiful package. Yoga connects the mind and body, a moving meditation. It supports the physical body by promoting hormonal balance, improving blood flow, and helping support tissue detoxification. Not to mention self-massage (drink plenty of water after a practice!). A few of my favorite yoga postures (that anyone can do, yes that includes you!). These poses require focus, which settles the mind. Find a quiet space inside or out, and practice Eagle, Reclined Figure Four, Warrior (I, II, III) and Camel.

Eagle 

Reclined Figure Four 

Warrior I 

Camel 


Have a great summer. Make time for yourself, the kind that fills your bucket! Find your community, eat well, and practice (key word here) yoga.


Namaste. 

Share on Social

Discuss With Us

Our Latest Resources

Tips for Spring Restoration

February 18, 2025
Spring arrives next month, and with it, more cold days (perhaps even snow)! But March also brings the promise of new life. We love this time of year. The ground starts to smell fresh and ripe. Small green buds begin to swell from the earth reaching up, up, up. Birds chatter in the trees. The sun stays in the sky a little longer each day. After a long, cold winter of hibernation, spring restores nature’s beauty. Spring inspires us to restore ourselves, too and these self-care techniques will lead you to restoration of mind, body and spirit. Hydrate. Drink a glass or two of water first thing in the morning. Keeping yourself hydrated helps boost your mood, improves brain power and protects you against disease. Make a gratitude list. Spending just a few minutes a day writing down what you are grateful for can dramatically shift your day. The more gratitude you have, the more open to abundance you become. Breathe. Set aside a few minutes each day to practice breathing. There are so many benefits! Among them, diaphragmatic breathing alleviates stress, reduces pain, strengthens internal muscles and moves blood to organs and tissues. If you’re not sure how to get started, try our Breathe & Restore Workshop or schedule an Soothe the Senses: Calm the Nervous System Fertility Enhancing Massage™ to receive some hands-on breath work coaching. Stretch. Five to 10 minutes of stretching in the morning increases energy levels, enhances circulation, reduces injury and centers your mind. Even better is a regular yoga practice. Get started by downloading the Fully Fertile App today to give you a jump start! Our next Signature Yoga for Fertility Series begins on Monday, February 24th to reduce anxiety and stress by 20% or more in just six weeks. Eliminate something from your diet that isn’t serving you. I nstead of overhauling your entire diet, start by taking out one food that doesn’t nourish your body. Replace it with a different item that supports your desire for restoration. Learn even more by working with scheduling a nutrition consult ! We look forward to seeing you virtually or in-person at one of our centers to help you get started. Many wishes for a beautiful spring!
A man is comforting a woman who is sitting on a couch.

Online Infertility Support Groups: Finding Your Community

January 27, 2025
Connect with others who understand your journey. Discover online infertility support groups to share experiences, gain advice, and find emotional sup

Take the Next Step Toward Parenthood

January 21, 2025
Discover Our New Testing Options to Support Your Fertility Journey
More Posts
Share by: