Infertility can be stressful, there’s no way around it. Your mind may wander somewhere between “How the heck are we going to pay for this?” to “Who should I tell?” and it’s often at 3am. Even with the inspirational, fuzzy socks in tow for stirrups or the new, motivational calendar and gel pens you bought for managing the ridiculous schedule of appointments, the reality is, managing infertility is still stressful.
Infertility clinics have caught on. Many now offer patients acupuncture, massage and other ways of calming one’s body and mind as they navigate injections, as well as the roller coaster of emotions. A simple 5-minute practice around since the beginning of time, can help couple’s manage infertility stress with peace and clarity.
Enter Circle & Bloom, a company dedicating meditation practices to those struggling to conceive. Circle & Bloom defines meditation as, “the practice of using techniques like visualization to quiet the mind, focus and relax and open the body.”
According to these pros, here are five ways meditation can transform your noisy mind into a power source:
Meditation can:
1) Calm your body.
Circle & Bloom’s programs have been developed based on specific relaxation techniques and guided visualizations to help you become more proactive, reduce the effects of stress, quiet any fears that may be stored in the body, and overall, help you feel better and feel ready to tackle your family-building journey with open arms. Breathe in, breathe out. Let’s begin.
2) Help you maintain optimism.
Exercises shared through the Circle & Bloom programs can help address doubt, anxiety, or other negative emotions that may have an impact on your body chemistry. The use of imagination can help address distress and in turn, leave you feeling empowered (some women have reported that visualizations are life-changing experiences). When you are less stressed, the body reacts, and this can lead to feeling less negative emotions and help you maintain positivity and optimism for the future.
3) Heal.
Through programs like Circle & Bloom’s guided meditations, you can tap into your body’s innate healing ability through something termed mind-body intelligence - which is known as the “relaxation response.” As shared on the Circle & Bloom website, Dr. Herbert Benson shares that the “relaxation response” can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels with just ten minutes of imagery work. The healing work you do through these techniques can help your body prepare for conception as well.
“Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger; and that is very healing. We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.” — Thich Nhat Hanh
(source:Circle & Bloom)
4) Help you mentally prepare.
Healing and physical health is critical to fertility success, but mental health plays a key role as well. Also known as guided imagery, guided visualization helps invite all your senses to experience something in your mind. (Source:Circle & Bloom). Imagine starting a new fertility cycle and walking through the entire experience before it happens. This type of technique may help you better mentally prepare for an upcoming appointment or treatment.
5) Provide clarity and courage to move forward.
While meditation has many physical benefits, perhaps the greatest challenge to overcome may be finding the mental courage to create action and proceed forward with treatment. While trying-to-conceive can be fun and exciting, there are also obstacles to overcome and patience to maintain throughout the process. Using the techniques above, creating a space for you to maintain a calm body, clear mind, and a healthy optimism for the future may provide the boost you need to say “Yes, it’s time to take the next step!”
Meditation techniques are shown to better assist you in achieving your desired goals and influencing your unique circumstances. If you’re looking for a new way to take control of your fertility and boost your physical and mental health, look no further than Circle & Bloom.
