Continuing on with my previous post I wanted to talk about the importance of movement when dealing with hormones, fertility and pregnancy. For me movement includes walking, stretching and doing yoga. And in the winters playing soccer! Movement for everyone is totally different and will be different so don’t ever think you need to be doing one specific thing. That was a hard one for me to learn. I always felt like I should want to go to the gym, or want to go for a run, but somehow I always kept coming back to my mat. Whether it was for a simple stretch in the morning or an hour practice, my mat is always there.

I’ve been seeing this one yoga teacher for about five or six months now, she runs a little studio by where I used to work. I started going for one hour at lunch time because it was a break from work. It was a space I could breathe and release in and then return to my desk. I think sometimes that’s exactly what it should be. Movement doesn’t have to be actual movement if that makes sense. It can be just about getting into a space that relaxes you, calms you and allows you for a short minute in the day to catch your breath. That in and of itself will help to release stress. 

There are a ton of books and DVD’s on yoga + fertility. I am in the midst of working with my yoga teacher on a plan for exactly that. I am so excited to share it! Through research, one book I’ve found helpful is called Fully Fertile.  I like this quote from them on movement and yoga: ” While each of these techniques has inherent benefits and application, the overall goal of yoga is to achieve union with our true or higher Selves. In this context yoga can be anything – gardening, prayer, cooking – whatever helps us move ourselves to a higher vibration, or state of consciousness.” 

Movement, whatever that is for you, is important to open your mind, open your heart and start to get comfortable within your own body. 

For me, yoga has allowed me to get to know my body so much better. It has helped me to recognize and feel imbalances within my own body and start to heal them by bringing all bodily systems into a form of harmony that works for me. A type of harmony that works for the good of the whole body.

Within yoga we learn about energy channels or chakras. Chakras function as wheels drawing in energy ( called prana or Qi) and circulating it along your bodies main energy channels. There are seven main chakras located along the axis of the spine which distribute energy to glands, organs, blood and nervous systems within our bodies. The chakras are aligned vertically along the spine ascending from the sacrum (root chakra) to the top of the head (crown chakra). The three lower chakras correspond to fertility and our fertility focused organs. The focus of the yoga program I am doing and want to share with you has postures and sequences that help to open these areas and bring them to balance as best as possible. 

The most important thing I can say about movement is don’t think too much about it. Movement, whether it’s yoga or running or gardening, is about feeling good – so let whatever it is that you want to do be that. If you release the thought associated with movement you’ll start to move in a way that feels good to you. 

Just make sure you are moving at least once a day!