Meditation for Fertility?
You’ve probably heard about meditation from a friend, family member, or maybe even in the news. But what is meditation? Can meditation for fertility improve your health? Essentially, why should you meditate?
Meditation is the act of calming your mind to train it to be in the present, or to strengthen your consciousness. The benefits of meditation are numerous, but here’s a few that might be of interest to you and your fertility:
Reduces stress
A lot of stress comes from worrying about what has already happened in the past (which we can’t change because it’s already happened) OR worrying about the future (we can plan for the future, but at a certain point planning turns into worrying, which causes stress). By keeping our minds in the present we are able to reduce stress.
Reduces cortisol levels and inflammation
When stress is high, cortisol levels rise, which can feed any inflammation that’s already present in the body. Specifically chronic inflammation. If you’re struggling with painful periods, endometriosis, or even PCOS, then keeping inflammation low should be part of your health care/fertility care plan. So meditation can lower stress and cortisol levels, thereby lowering inflammation and improving any condition that is made worse from chronic inflammation.
Reducing cortisol levels also has the additional benefits of increasing blood flow to the pelvis (we need the blood to carry hormones to the ovaries, uterus, and testicles) as well as increasing your body’s ability to make progesterone after ovulation (which we need to GET and STAY pregnant ladies!).
Allows you to increase your focus and concentration
A study completed by the University of Oregon in 2007 showed that in a group of students taught meditation techniques their concentration improved, cortisol levels lowered, and the students reported feeling less stressed.
Improving focus and concentration would improve anyone’s quality of life, but especially the lives of those struggling with infertility. Nothing is more distracting, disturbing, or troubling than infertility. Often you go through this struggle alone, and you have to deal with infertility while trying to live your day-to-day life, right? Daily meditation may be the brain boost you’ve been looking for.
Increases gratitude
The big red “You are Here” usually reserved for maps, is a visual that can really hit home with those struggling with infertility. I mean, no matter how much you worry about your current fertility situation, you’re still in the same situation. Now you’re just more stressed out about it. Calming your mind on a regular basis will allow you to stay present, and eventually have more gratitude for what is going well on your fertility journey. For example, maybe you’re ovulating, as to where 6 months ago you weren’t. Or maybe your period finally returned after a little hiatus (ok, a LONG hiatus). Rejoice in the little things in your life that are headed in the right direction. When we’re able to express gratitude, everything begins to look a little brighter.
What’s that? I’ve convinced you to begin a daily meditation practice?!?! That’s great! Oh, but you’re not sure how to do it? Never fear, there’s some great technology out there to help. Just make sure to turn your phone on silent before trying these out.
- Headspace – a free app that lets you take meditation with you anywhere you go.
- Omvana – another free app that lets you download a ton of different guided meditations. There are some more specific ones you can pay for, if you choose.
- Circle+Bloom – another great meditation product that you can download to your phone or computer. They specialize in guided meditation for fertility and reproductive health. (Full disclosure: I do make a small commission off of this product if you buy through this link. However I would never recommend anything that I and my patients haven’t already used, loved, and benefited from!) Try out their free fertility meditation at the link above.
- The easiest way – set a timer on your phone for 5-10 minutes. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. What does it feel like to breath in and out in your body? Focus on that. That’s it. Every time a thought enters your mind think “No, that’s thinking, I’m going to go back to the breath.” No judgement, just redirect yourself back to the breath. At first you’ll have roughly a million thoughts in 5 minutes, but that’s normal. And it will get easier as you continue to do it.
Regardless of which method you choose, the most important part is doing the work. In this case, doing the meditation on a consistent basis. You’ll have days where it’s harder to clear your mind than others. But guess what, your different each and every day. Your body and your mind are constantly changing. So be kind to yourself, and give yourself a pat on the back for sticking with your meditation. I know you can do it, so hang in there.
Until next time – don’t stop dreaming,
Misty Reed, Fertility Consultant and Coach
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