Yoga and My Fertility Journey

I've briefly discussed several times in my blog about how yoga played a part in my fertility journey. Almost a year ago I joined classes at Yoga Den and Core Studio with my now dear friend Jaclyn Vanderhoof.  Originally I joined to help with my lower back pain issues but I soon realized these classes were far more helpful in my journey of faith to fertility.

Besides being able to become more flexible and gain more lower back strength I began to focus on my meditation, my prayers to God in a quiet place and gain focus on the important things in life. Through guided meditations and practices I was able allow my body to become more focused on what it needed without distractions, clouded thoughts or focusing on why we weren't pregnant yet.

I remember after the first few practices I didn't feel like I was doing anything right. My tree poses were looking like the Leaning Tower of Pisa and it was so hard for me to fully relax during savasana. My yoga practices needed to become intentional.  I heard Jaclyn always say, "Set your intentions for the class" but I realized I was never really setting intentions. I was focusing on the poses and how long my eyes could stay fixated on the small dot on the wall I created to focus. During my 6 am Vinyasa class I was focusing on making sure my chaturangas and my cobras were in form I had no intentions.

Then it hit me. I was losing focus not only in Yoga practice but along this journey. I was praying. I was seeking God. However, I was not getting into a quiet place to really hear everything He was saying to me. I began to refocus my energy and thoughts on being in tune with God and hearing His voice. Oh My When I did!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yoga tears! I could hear God speaking to me in each practice.

It was then I realized that I needed to meditate more and not just simply pray. It had to be an intentional incorporation of both in my life.  Some saints will say "Did she stop praying?" No I didn't stop praying, however I used my yoga time and other times to commune with God on another level.

Prayer, in its specific meaning, means to ask or beseech God for something or another. A slightly broader understanding would include any sort of "talking" with God. Most people who pray at all are most familiar with prayer. Table grace, bedtime prayers, crisis pleas, and so on all fall under this definition of the word. Certainly prayer is the best known form of communication with God.

The practice of meditation includes the intent concentration on an object worthy of consideration. Most often, in the church, this would be a particular passage of scripture. (Joshua 1.8 we read, "The book of law shall not depart from your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night.")

I had never meditated before. I was simply thinking that I can go in and clear my mind and start posing. It doesn't happen that way. Meditation involves clearing your mind of all things that needed to be gone and making room for the thoughts that are suppose to stay there.

One day during our guided meditation I felt a peace that overcame me. I was so relaxed and so in a zone that no thoughts were there EXCEPT a spirit of gratitude. I remember crying and thinking how exceptional God was because He kept me and my husband through the entire process. I remember one day my husband telling me how peaceful I was after meditation and yoga. I kept thinking I found a way to "carry everything to God in prayer and meditation."

Yoga may or not be for you but after reading this post my prayer is that you find a way to commune with your higher power on a level.  Find your inner place you are able to retreat with Him or Her where there is no interference, no distractions and nothing hindering you from perfect peace and meditation.


"The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste!"



Resources: 
The Holy Bible

Yoga Den and Core Studio
8600 Dorchester Road, Suite 205
North Charleston, SC 29420
843- 207-YOGA

A Video of me telling my Yoga Instructor Sister/Friend I'm pregnant!

Three Peas in a Pod

So do you remember the post about me praying for our baby in heaven to come down and be with us? It was from the It's Already Done in the Spirit post. (click link to read) Shortly after finding out we were expecting our baby blessing, I called my friends who were waiting on their blessing as well.

When I called them to share in our blessing, they were just as elated as I was.  They both asked for the details of how I found out, how I told my husband and wanted to know how I felt. To my SURPRISE, they told me they too were...................................... PREGNANT!!!! I can't remember what I said to them individually but I know that I cried and praised God and thanked Him for answering my prayers. I don't even remember how long we spoke on the phone but I remember telling them that I prayed for them and prayed that their babies would come down from heaven as well.  We cried. We laughed. We squealed with excitement knowing that our babies were supposed to arrive on July 17, July 28, and July 29.  Though two of us were in Charleston and the other in Virginia we spoke excitedly about how our babies would be best of friends because they had a unique spiritual bond.

Over the next few months, we shared stories of doctor visits, pregnancy symptoms, telling our families we were expecting, waiting on gender reveals, swapping ultrasound pictures and heartbeat sound bites.  We were all so very happy.  I couldn't have a better group of ladies to share this with.

I remember getting a call from one of them that she saw she didn't feel quite right when she woke up that morning. I remained calm and called our other friend and we prayed for her and waited to hear the news. We spoke life and not death. We spoke life and not miscarriages. We prayed that all would be well and it was. We later found out that she was diagnosed with a condition that 25% of pregnant women have during their pregnancy. We prayed that God would keep her baby in her womb until it was a healthy living baby. The three of us also talked about first kicks from our promises, what to expect in our visits to come and just were elated.

We were carrying God's promises! What's so special about the Three Peas in a Pod? Well let me tell you!!! God blessed us indeed and is using us in a mighty way. You see when doctors told all three of us NO, God Said YES!.  I was given only a 5% chance of conceiving. My other friend had already had 3 failed IVF procedures and was having some health issues where she didn't want to have the last embryos implanted for fear that it would not work but she did. What do we all have in common? When doctors or man says it's impossible God is the ONLY one that can say YES and turn that dismal situation into JOY!



Song: You Are My Friend By Patti Labelle