Move On Over

I started blogging on my new new website.  Please join me in the discussion, I love your comments.  Go to www.onewayoramother.com and you'll see on the right hand side a prompt for your email.  Enter it there and then type out the anti-spam message for verification.  You will then receive an email asking if you'd like to subscribe, say yes and then you'll receive my latest posts.  See you there!  If you decide not to subscribe, thanks so much for reading from this blog and take care of yourself.

New Beginnings

We are about a week into summer and I am reminded about the cycles of the year with the change of seasons, the days of the week and the hours in a day.  We're constantly moving through cycles.  This fertility journey is no different.  After every cycle ends in disappointment there is a chance to start again. There are times where it can feel so stagnant, as if the world is moving forward and nothing is changing in your world; no baby, no growth at work, same situations, same house...  Then suddenly something changes and there is an opening for other things to shift.  A sense of hope rushes in and all seems possible.  This beautiful sunflower image came from a blog called Have Fun - Do Good.  The image suggests you reflect on ideas you want to grow and ideas you wish to let go of.  What are some ideas/beliefs you want to grow and which ones are you ready to release? 

Summer Camp ‘Fertility Yoga Style’

Summer Camp ‘Fertility Yoga Style’

Join other women who are also trying to conceive.  We’ll start with a quick check in and then move our bodies in gentle ways to help support blood flow to the hips and pelvis.  Special postures are given to those who just had a fertility procedure or are menstruating.  We’ll end with a delicious restorative posture, savasana and then a meditation. 

Where: Harmony Health, 770 N. Halsted, Suite 700  Chgo, IL 60642, 312-243-8848

Dates: Monday nights, starting June 25th-July 30th

Time: 6:00-7:15pm

 Class fee:  Drop-in $25  or   6-week series Class $132 (This can be used for     either Monday or Saturday’s Yoga class too)

Breathing Technique for Stress (which turns a little giggly)

I asked my friend, Lisa Espinosa, who is a Reiki Healer, Life Guide using Internal Family Systems and owner of Soul Haven, to demonstrate a stress releasing breathing technique last week, only the videographer made things a little challenging.  Ok, so you might have guessed that I was the videographer and I kept getting the giggles and this didn't help Lisa concentrate.  You can kind of get it with the last take we shot.  

Watch our several attempts at Lisa's demonstration of a breathing technique to release stress, hopefully you can learn it through the laughter.  As you bunch up your shoulders think of things that are stressing you out and then exhale them out.  If you find that doesn't work, book a Reiki appointment with Lisa soon, she'll help you re-discover that laughing part of you again.  She specializes in Reiki for fertility too.

My First Blog Award Nomination

As I have only been writing this blog since the end of April, I was so excited to see that I was already nominated for an award for my blog.  Holy Cow!  That was so exciting to see!  It’s called the Liebster Award.

The Liebster Blog award originated in Germany, “Liebster” meaning favorite or dearest, to showcase bloggers with fewer than 200 followers

The first requirement of receiving this award is to show gratitude to the blogger who nominated you and link back to them.

So, thank you to Eydie Kugler, the creator of what we create.  Eydie and I met at a women’s retreat this spring.  I should say re-met because when I first saw her I told her that I knew her from somewhere, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  I shared that I had worked at The Cradle she shouted “that’s it!” She had adopted her daughter from The Cradle and I was their stand in social worker over the weekend that she brought her baby girl home.  We’ve been following each other’s blogs ever since the spring.  We both believe in the power of positive words, creativity and in supporting women.  I always feel so happy and inspired when I read her blog, I hope you will too.

The second responsibility of the recipient is to copy and past the Liebster Award. 

Next, it’s time to nominate 5 other bloggers (who have less than 200 viewers) to pass this award onto.

I have to say I have no idea how many viewers these blogs have, but I thought I’d mention them anyway.  It was very hard to choose just five as there are so many amazing and talented writers.

1.    Margaret has the secret to the fountain of youth, she is 50 years old yet you’d never know it.  Check out her gorgeous face and her tips for healthy living,   http://focusedwisdom.com/wordpress/?cat=1

2.    Savitree and Mahandeva are two yoginis who created these gorgeous smelling cleaning products called Blissful hOMe, https://www.blissfularewe.com/blog/

3.    The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, created by Ali and Tom, is such a healthy and delicious mix of recipes. Everything I’ve tried has been delicious, especially the creamed kale. http://www.nourishingmeals.com/

4.    The Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant, this blog supports the book of the same name by Jean M. Twenge, who is a funny and resourceful author.  The blog has some great tips.  http://www.impatientwoman.com/

5.    Lisa Rouff, of The Infertility Therapist, is such an insightful and supportive blog for women who are trying to conceive or adopt, http://www.lisarouff.com/blog1/index.php

And, finally, tell your readers ten random facts about you.

1.    I met my husband swing dancing and I am so grateful for him. He keeps my heart dancing every day with his zany sense of humor!

2.    I love cookbooks and food blogs more than cooking, see my pinterest boards for proof.

3.    Chanting is the quickest way for me to move through fear, sadness, anger or feeling stuck.

4.    I’ve watched the movie Julie and Julia (also about blogging) four times and I typically don’t like re-watching movies.

5.    Because of number 4, I’m reading My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'homme and I’m loving it.

6.    I have a beloved group of girlfriends who get together about once a month and we call ourselves “The Goddesses”

7.    I have a pretty restricted diet that’s free of gluten, dairy and sugar, so I’m pretty creative with my meals, although always open to other people cooking for me (see # 2 again).

8.    My favorite season is summer.

9.    I sometimes become overwhelmed by the amount of love and support I have in my life from my family, friends and husband.  I feel blessed, blessed and even more blessed!

10.     Some of my happiest moments are spending time with my nieces and nephews whether at Epcot Center, walking in the grass or eating at The Chicago Diner.

I’m starting a new blog at a brand new website called One Way or A Mother (onewayoramother.com).  Come join me over there.

Stop and Smell the Roses

 

Click Here for video

One of my former students, is a photographer who specializes in flowers, created this beautiful video.  I encourage you to read the messages while you relax and enjoy the beuatiful flower show, in this seven minute video. 

A Playful Way to Shift Your Anxiety

 Edithia

I read an article in Self Magazine a few years ago about creating names for different parts of our personality, especially our really challenging traits.  I named my negative self-talk, "Edithia" (sorry if that's your name).  She's nerdy,  anxious and always sees the catastrophe in every situation.  When she starts to tell me her opinions, I simply say, "Thanks for sharing Edithia." 

Although I know that my negative self talk is a part of me, it helps to think of it as a separate entity.  This practice, of creating a character around a personality trait, helps to separate my true self from my negative/worrying self.   When I give myself space from the worry I'm able to see my relationship with the problem at hand instead of feeling I am the problem or that I am the worry.  

What practices have you found to help you with your Negative Nelly's?  

Photo, 123RF

Understanding Our Cycles in a New Way

Today I listened to a Ted Talk by Alisa Vitti, called Loving Your Lady Parts to Success, Power & Global Change.  She owns a holistic center in Manhattan called Flo Living, where she uses food to naturally correct hormonal imbalances.  She learned how to heal her body of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with lifestyle and food.  In this video, she not only talks about her recovery to health, but she also breaks down the four stages of our monthly cycles. Alisa shares how we're a different person week after week of our cycles and how to use that to our advantage.  So, if you read my last blog about clearing your clutter, it sounds like you should wait until your luteal phase to get that done.

I certainly notice that I dream a lot more during the luteal and menstrual phases of my cycle.  I'm also more introverted and would prefer to stay home and watch a movie or read a book during that time.  Whereas, during the follicular and ovulatory times.  I'm much more social and energized.  Do you notice any changes in your personality or mood during the four phases of your cycle?

Bastrika-Breath of Energy

Looking for ways to increase your energy and vitality?   One way is to do some spring cleaning.  Let the baby that is coming into your life see that you're making room for him or her.  Unpack old boxes, donate clothes that no longer fit or flatter you, and share some of your books with friends.  Better yet, bring a box/bag of stuff to a workshop that is being held in Evanston this weekend, called Clutter Bust Your Life.  Your facilitator, Brooks Palmer, has a compassionate way of assisting you in making room for the new things to arrive in your life. 


Another way, is to practice the energizing breath Bastrika.  In this video, I demonstrate how it's done.  It's a great breath to practice when you have a lot weighing on your mind, which zaps your energy too. What are some ways that you increase your energy?

Need Support on your Journey?

Believe it then Conceive it:

A 6-week journey for women trying to conceive

Spring flowers in Chicago

Are you trying to conceive? Or know of someone who is? This fertility journey is hard.  Trying to conceive can create stress on your marriage, work, and friendships.  Others don’t seem to understand what to say to be supportive and often end up hurting rather than helping you feel better.  Please join others, like you, as we share, uplift and encourage one another towards your dream of becoming a mother. For more click here.

Facilitated by : Jenilyn Gilbert, LCSW, CYI

Where:  Tiffani Kin Institute,  310 W. Superior St., Chicago, IL 60654

Dates: Thursday nights, starting May 17^th-June 21st

Time: 6:00-7:00pm

Class fee: $95 (for 6 weeks)

How to Sign up:  Call 312-260-9000 or email info@tiffanikiminstitute.com

Breath of Joy

This week, in one of my meditation support group classes, I taught the Breath of Joy.  Although the video is from two years ago, you'll still get the idea of how to practice this uplifting breathing technique.

Laughter Yoga: A Great Tool to Help Relieve Your Stress

Laughter Yoga Students in India

Are you taking life too seriously? I know I have been.  That's why for my 42nd Birthday this April, I hired a Marian McNair, a Laughter Yoga Instructor, for my party and boy did we have a good time.

Many books speak about the negative effects of stress on the reproductive system, but knowing this sometimes makes you more stressed.  Besides support groups, meditation and talking with someone about your stress, laughter yoga is the most fun way to cope with stress.  Here is a clip of John Cleese interviewing the founder of Laughter Yoga in India.  Laugh along while you're watching.  

Have you ever taken a laughter yoga class?  How did you feel afterward?
 
(If you live in Chicago or the surrounding burbs, contact me for information on where to go for classes.)

How to Think Like a Yogi During the Two Week Wait

A peony in Lincoln Park (Chicago)

When it comes to trying to make a baby, the negative mind sometimes takes over. Fears, worries and feelings of doubt can seize the mind especially during the two weeks of waiting for the pregnancy test results.  But then there are all these books and movies that say it's important to remain positive, which can create a lot of pressure, especially when you're feeling so anxious.  This tug of war inside the mind can leave your body exhausted.  

According to the teachings of Kundalini Yoga, the mind is made up of three parts; the positive, negative and neutral mind.  The positive mind is like a parent who thinks you can do no wrong.  It's the optimistic part of our thinking, it collects information about your life and figures out ways to project your goals forward into the future.  The negative mind is like an overprotective parent, it helps you see what you need to avoid in order to progress.  We need both perspectives in order to make sound decisions, however usually one is dominant.  The neutral mind is mindful of both the feedback from the negative and positive minds, but is unattached to the outcome.  It's a more balanced way of looking at life, a more yogic perspective.  

For someone trying to conceive, the neutral mind would sound something like this, "I may be pregnant and I will be fine and I may not be pregnant this month and I will be fine."  Can you even imagine this?  It takes practice to achieve a neutral mind.  Just having an awareness of where you're coming from can create some peace.  You might find yourself thinking, "Oh, I see that I'm coming from the negative mind and that's ok at least I noticed it."  This is a great step towards the neutral mind.    


How do we experience the neutral or yogic mind?  Through the practice of meditation.  Any form of meditation works.  You could even start right now.   

Practice:  Read through to the end of the paragraph.  If you have a phone that has a timer, set it for one minute.  Open the nearest window and focus on the sounds outside.   Some of the sounds you hear you may label as negative, like an airplane flying overhead or a garbage truck in the alley, and others you may label as positive, like the birds chirping or a couple laughing.  See if you can focus on each sound without labeling it and just have the experience.  Breathe nice slow breaths the entire time.

How do you feel now?   Did you have trouble focusing on the sounds outside?  It takes practice.  Keep trying this for a minute and then eventually increase the time to three or five minutes and see how that feels.  As you focus outside your mind, you create some distance from the constant chatter of the negative and positive minds and connect more deeply to the neutral mind.  When you live more of your life from the yogic mind, you feel more centered, balanced and calm.  Then when you're in that two week waiting window, you feel more relaxed along the way.   What practices do you have that calm your mind? 

For another article on a similar topic, click here for The Negatives of Positive Thinking-denial, optimism, and pragmatism in infertility treatment.  Dr. Lisa Rouff, a therapist who specializes in fertility, talks in her blog about the power of practical thinking over positive thinking. 

Seibel, Machelle M. and Hari Kaur Khalsa.  A Woman's Book of Yoga. NYC:  Penguin Putnam Inc., 2002. Print.

From May Day to Mother's Day

Today is May Day, also known as Beltane, which is a spring holiday of fertility that celebrates all living things, including our creativity.  Whether we create a baby, sing, or design a business plan we're in the same energy of creating.  When we're cooking, gardening, blogging or designing we're tapped into that creative force.  Whether a woman has a baby or not she has a fertile lifeforce within her.  She is a powerful creator who touches people's lives with her nurturing heart, whether she is caring for children, her clients or her husband.

During the festivities of May Day, some cultures dance around a mayppole and focus their intentions on what they want to manifest in the new year.  Holding the intention of becoming a mother and seeing all the ads for Mother's Day can make May a particularly painful month for some.  It may feel that you'll never receive a Mother's Day card, get a gift at brunch or enjoy the homemade gifts that so many other women receive.  In many ways, being on the fertility journey can be isolating and this is one of those holidays that can bring up those feelings once again.  

This year, is there a way that you can protect yourself a little from the sadness that may come up over Mother's Day?   Perhaps schedule a massage or pedicure, spend a little less time at a Mother's Day Celebration or at the end of the day reach out to a trusted friend in which you can safely share your feelings and dreams.  You can also re-frame your experience and remember all the other women today that are dreaming of the day that they are included in the festivities too.  

I wish you a wonderful May Day and Mother's Day.  I'm so grateful that you love others the perfect way that you do.  You are a wonderful mother to many people and your acts of kindness ripple out to many far and wide.  Your perfect creative expression of you is a gift to the world. 

Spring Walk

Today I took a walk in Lincoln Park. I was admiring all of the beautiful tulips, lilacs and green leaves.  This feels like the longest spring season I've experienced in a long time.  Every day as I walk outside I'm surprised that there is still all of this beauty around me.  Along the way, I took a minute to smell a tiny red rose that was just getting ready to open.  It smelled so delicious. 


As I continued walking, I noticed this one tree had spread thousands of seeds on the ground.  I couldn't help but think about how it produces new trees with this strategy.  It's really fascinating.  It's also a reminder that even nature has to send out a lot of seeds into it's environment in order to make one tree. Sometimes nature even needs a whole team to create.  A tree may need a bird to eat it's fruit and pass it's seeds through it's little body to the ground in order to start to germinate.

Today, take a short walk, even if it's just around the block.  Notice the colors, smells and shapes of the flowers and leaves.  Be present to the sunshine warming the bark of the trees and your face.  Stop and smell the lilacs.  Enjoy the smells and colors of spring. 

Chanting

When trying to conceive a baby there are many thoughts that pass through one's mind.  They may be thoughts of worry, anger and/or fear.  At times, this can distract you from focusing at work, listening to someone speak or just reading a short blog post such as this.  You've probably heard people talk about staying positive along the way to motherhood, but sometimes that can be challenging.  One yoga technique that can help at pausing the mind from racing in a negative direction is chanting. 

A wonderful website where you can download chants or purchase cds is called, Spirit Voyage.  A few of my favorite chanters are; Deva Premal, Snatam Kaur, and Aykanna.  One great recording to start with is Deva Premal's CD called Mantra's for Precarious Times.  There are some lovely selections, such as Om Shanti Om.  

Time Out:  Take one minute right now to chant Om Shanti Om.  You can even listen for free if you click here.  If you're at a place where chanting out loud is not comfortable, say it inside your head.  Set your timer for a minute on your phone or kitchen timer and see how much worrying gets through.   

What other tools work for you in order to relax your mind?  Please feel free to comment below.  Use an anonymous name if that feels more comfortable.