Handling the Holidays

The holidays can be an emotional minefield for anyone who is having infertility. Exposure to family, cousins who are ten years younger than you already having their second and third children...neighbors with kids, coworkers who are pregnant...Resolve, the national infertility support organization, offers a collection of tips and articles to help you navigate through the holiday maze. Enjoy, and go get yourself a massage.

Announcing: New Fertility Series! New Location!

A six class series for $175.00. That includes the price of a fifty-page resource packet and CD.

Cost is 175.00

Sundays, 4:30-6:00 pm

January 15
January 29
February 12
February 26
March 11
March 25

To register, starting November 20th,  go to
http://www.getbabied.com/classes/online-registration

For more info go to
http://getbabied.com/

Feel free to contact liz at gynomite2000@yahoo.com

Liz cell: 512-658-9400

http://yogafertilityaustin.blogspot.com/

"Best Fertility Expert" Austin Birth Awards 2011!!!

I am so happy and proud to announce that I was voted "Best Fertility Expert" in the first-ever Austin Birth Awards! Thank you to everyone who voted and to the Austin Birth Awards for putting such a fabulous idea and event together.

Elena Brower's "Yoga for Fertility" practice

Check out this additional sequence for enhancing fertility by Anusara instructor Elena Brower; classes are available online through Yogaglo.

Summer Cycles

I rarely post anything personal on this site, but I have to share that we've had several students get pregnant since the beginning of Summer, and I couldn't be more delighted!

I'm beginning to see that perhaps the most important thing these fertility yoga classes provide is companionship, understanding, and support. It makes my heart sing when I hear that my students are planning to stay in touch, get together, share resources.

So congratulations on all the new parents, and parents-to-be, and to those who are firmly rooted on the path toward parenthood.

Formula for Cultivating Happiness

Here's a little daily exercise I try to give myself every morning to set the tone for the day, and to remind myself that there are actually things to be grateful for, to look forward to, and that show me I have been making progress despite feeling otherwise. Try it, and let me know what happens...

__________________________________________________________________________

I'm grateful for:

1. 

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

 

 

My intention today is:

To-do Today

• Breathe
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

Right now I feel...

 

What am I joyfully anticipating?

 

What have I learned lately?

Vote for me for "Best Fertility Expert" in the Austin Birth Awards 2011!

Vote Liz Belile as "Best Fertility Expert" for the Get Babied Doula Collective's Austin Birth Awards!!!

Premature Ovarian Failure

I met a young woman at the support group meeting tonight who has been diagnosed with premature ovarian failure. My gut told me that she should look into acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, that it might be able to help her.

Here is what I found on Dr. Randine Lewis's website. I hope she reads this and sets up an appointment to see one of the acupuncturists on my list of resources here.

AMH and High FSH: What does it really mean? (a re-post)

AMH – What Does It Really Mean? (Part 1)

Markers of Ovarian Reserve Viewed Through the Lens of Chinese Medicine
By Randine Lewis, Ph.D., L.Ac.
Estradiol                                 FSH – Follicle Stimulating Hormone
Inhibin B                                AMH – Antimullerian Hormone

“Ovarian reserve” testing can be intimidating and daunting. The results often feel like a fertility death sentence. When viewed through the eyes of Chinese medicine, however, these laboratory markers of ovarian potential can actually make diagnostic sense, and help determine the best natural therapeutic course for you.
It will be helpful to understand a little reproductive physiology first.

Brain Hormones:
The pituitary gland, which sits behind your eyebrows, emits FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) in response to messages translated by the hypothalamus, which secretes Gonadotropic releasing hormone (GnRH) in response to the hormone levels in your blood, and your emotional response to your environment. This hormonal command post, like all of the hormones in your body, responds to internal chemical messages conveyed through the blood, and emotional interpretations of your external environment.
These external and internal messages determine how the pituitary hormones interact with and are able to communicate with your ovaries, and how the ovarian output communicates back to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

Ovarian Hormones:
Activin and Inhibin B are protein complexes within the ovarian follicule. Activin enhances FSH secretion, cellular proliferation and plays a role in menstrual regulation. Inhibin B, on the other hand, down regulates and inhibits GnRH from the hypothalamus, and FSH secretion from the pituitary gland.
When the system is in sync, the hypothalamus secretes GnRH to trigger the pituitary gland to release small amounts of FSH during the last few days of the previous menstrual cycle, which rise until the beginning of the next follicular phase. FSH recruits Graafian (or antral) follicles, which have been growing within the ovary for the better part of a year.  Around three months before these follicles are ovulated, they enter the tonic growth phase, where protein synthesis occurs.            

Follicles that have interacted optimally with the internal environment have the potential to become dominant follicles, primed by FSH. They then secrete estrogen, and express LH receptors, which allow the chosen dominant follicle to mature and become capable of ovulation.
Higher levels of Inhibin B indicate that the ovarian follicle is doing its job of putting out adequate estradiol. Inhibin B provides negative feedback to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland to let them know to turn down the GnRH and FSH, as output is sufficient.

The High FSH Craze
Within the last ten to 15 years, reproductive medicine has been making quite a fuss over high FSH levels. Chinese medicine doesn’t focus so much on the unqualified meaning of laboratory values like Western medicine does; we view lab results energetically according to what is behind them, rather than providing meaning to the absolute numerical value.

The body energetically views the ovaries as “essence”, an elemental potential, like the primordial follicles within them. Follicles are only potential until they begin to interact with their internal environment, which is responding to cues coming from our interpretation of our external environment. All of this is subject to change, when we change our internal environment, and our response to our external environment. FSH, on the other hand, is viewed as “heat”, which activates the potential of the ovaries’ essence in the form of eggs, and resulting blood levels of estradiol (or yin). When the essence is adequate, it doesn’t require much heat to ignite the ovaries. When the essence is weak (due to stress, lack of restoration, follicular malnourishment, and the demands of life), it takes more heat to induce the necessary ovarian response, indicative of present ovarian health.

To put it simply and in energetic terms, those who have high FSH and low estradiol levels generally have too much heat, in relation to the underlying essence capable of responding to FSH stimulation. Although optimal FSH values are seen as <10, The Fertile Soul Retreat process has helped women whose FSH values are well over 100 conceive naturally. First, however, we have had to energetically reduce their heat, and maximize their essence, which allows the FSH to activate healthy follicles.

Although Western medicine views the reproductive system as an ever-deteriorating disease process waiting for intervention, Chinese medicine employs a different lens. We view the body/mind/spirit as an ever adaptive system, which, when given appropriate environmental cues, has a miraculous ability to manifest its highest potential.

The Low AMH Frenzy
As if high FSH values, and low estradiol/inhibin-b levels weren’t enough to convince you of your need for drastic intervention and donor eggs, the newest craze in ovarian reserve testing is a hormone known as Anti-Mullerian Hormone or AMH.

Again, some reproductive physiology will be helpful to make sense of this hormone.

During embryonic development, male testes produce AMH, to inhibit the expression of Mullerian ducts, which become female sexual organs. In the presence of AMH, the primordial urogenital ridge bears Wolfian expressions of prostate, testes and vas deferens, rather than the female Mullerian expressions of fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina. We could look at Anti-Mullerian Hormone as a “holding back” hormone. After birth, AMH becomes expressed by females, within the granulosa cells of the ovary, where it inhibits the responsiveness of growing follicles to FSH. Since human beings aren’t made to raise litters, the body’s internal wisdom does not allow the recruitment of all of the primordial follicles, as only one dominant follicle is chosen for ovulation during each menstrual cycle. If FSH is viewed has heat, and estradiol is viewed as yin, AMH is viewed as the “essence potential”, or the ability to hold back the ovarian essence from interacting with the pituitary gland’s igniting fire. The greater the body’s ability to hold back ovarian essence, the easier it is for the FSH igniting potential to activate a response in the form of a healthy egg and its resulting estradiol levels. Therefore, higher AMH values are indicative of a greater abundance of interactive follicles. The “normal” values of AMH are between 0-6 ug/L. The closer you are to 6, the greater the force behind the dam. Once again, The Fertile Soul Retreat Process has helped women whose AMH values were zero conceive naturally. How does this work?

Putting It All Together
We are endowed with a primordial pool of follicles during fetal development. At birth they measure near one million; by the time we enter menarche, they number about 500,000, and by the time we approach the perimenopausal years we have around ten thousand. These primordial follicles do not undergo any change or deterioration until they begin to circulate within the ovaries’ response to its internal environment, which is an inner result of how we relate to our external environment.
The hypothalamus interprets our emotional response to our environment (via neurochemicals), and translates it into hormonal messages in the form of GnRH or Gonadotropin Inhibitory Hormone. These chemicals then trigger the appropriate response from the pituitary gland, whose hormones signal the gonads to release their germ cells and hormones. The resulting blood laboratory values are a manifestation, not a cause. These circulating hormone levels feed back to the hypothalamus, along with our emotional response, to regulate its ongoing release of brain hormones. Because of this adaptive feedback system, supplying external hormones will not improve the function of the ovaries; only suppress their release. In order to improve the functioning of any part of this system, the entire system must be addressed.
Tiny follicles leave their primordial pool (again, not changed since before birth), and enter into the growing pool of follicles, where the dominant follicles are activated by FSH fire from the pituitary gland. The number of circulating follicles depends upon many factors – blood flow to the ovaries (which can be enhanced), nutritional and hormonal fuel to the ovaries (which can be enhanced), our emotional response to our environment (which can be enhanced), our ability to restore and access the follicles to allow them to enter into a healthy internal environment (which can be enhanced.) The number of follicles in the growing pool determines the levels of AMH. Only the chosen dominant follicle will mature in response to the pituitary gland’s release of luteinizing hormone during ovulation. LH can be viewed as the energetic trigger, causing the entire cascade to produce the potential for release, fertilization, implantation and continued growth.
An early antral follicle releases estradiol in the form of yin. If the endocrine system provides messages that this system is conducive to new life, the ovaries perceive a great internal potential to produce more follicles. They will respond with more yin, access more essence, and the entire cascade will dance into full expression. AMH values will rise. FSH values will tend to lower, as very little flame is necessary to keep the fire going. More follicles will produce greater levels of inhibin B. The body will select a dominant follicle; LH will mature its residing egg, and allow the release of a healthy potential.
Keeping The Fire Burning
A simple analogy – FSH is the flame. The uterus is the oven. LH is the opening of the flue. The ovaries are the wood; Estradiol measures the available wood for burning, inhibin B could be seen as the damper that keeps the fire from burning out of control, and AMH could be seen as the lighter fluid. If we are trying to ignite the spark of life and keep it going, we need to ensure all of our provisions are adequate. Assisted reproductive technology gives you one tool – more fire. However, if we need a drier oven, if we need to gather more wood, soak it in more fluid, or reduce the wind that is keeping the spark from igniting, more fire is not the only answer. In fact, sometimes more fire actually keeps the materials from being able to burn on their own. A flame-thrower is not the best way to tender the gently burning fire of life. Some ways you can improve your capacity on your own:
Reduce stress 
Perform reproductive and femoral massage
Take anti-oxidants              
Eat organic, natural fruits and vegetables
Get adequate rest                
Practice internal deep breathing techniques
Energy Balancing                
Keep yourself in supportive environments
Acupuncture                        
Herbal therapy

The Fertile Soul Method ® is proven to maximize your reproductive potential. Most of our patients are 40 or over; most have high FSH, low AMH, other hormonal abnormalities, or have been diagnosed with poor ovarian reserve, poor egg quality, endometriosis, or recurrent miscarriages. Most have not found their answers solely within Western reproductive medicine. Most have been able to rectify their internal energetic imbalances through our program, and produce new life.
 

Tonight, a Presentation on Yoga and Fertility at Texas Fertility Center

I'll be presenting some relaxation techniques as well as information on infertility, yoga, relaxation and stress tonight from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Texas Fertility Center. Feel free to join us there.

Great short news piece on how yoga helps enhance fertility and fertility treatments

News story on yoga for fertility

Lube It Up!

Lubricants and thinning agents can help.

Excited for Next Series, Starting Sunday!

I can't wait to meet all of my new students this weekend. It seems like the series is gathering momentum.

I made the road trip with my three year old son to the Texas Yoga Conference in Houston to present as part of  a very informal "Health Forum." I was honored and pleased to be a part of the program, and I plan to attend more of these sorts of events. I also dream of organizing a "Fertility Faire" here in Austin. Perhaps in the Fall?

If you're trying to decide whether or not to take the series, I of course encourage you to join us. We will have all levels of yoga experience (including NO yoga experience) and all variations on the theme of TTC. I also plan to have special guest speakers on acupuncture and Maya Abdominal Massage Therapy.

Many of you have been asking about teleclasses; it's on my list, as well as creating web pages for the curriculum I offer. Until then, if you're reading this page and wondering about yoga and fertility and how it might help enhance yours, my strong suggestion/advice is to find a restorative class or home practice and start putting in the hours to relax. Restore.

All for now...

Liz

Fertility After Forty

I love this article by Susun Weed.

Upcoming Maya Abdominal Massage Self Care Workshop in March!!!

Friends--

If you are still trying to conceive, or if you are post partum, this work can be SO powerful. I know that it contributed to my fertility, and the treatment post partum was the only thing that relieved my longstanding pelvic and hip pain. It will change your life. And you don't have to be a practitioner to take this workshop. You will learn SO MUCH about your body and how to really love your reproductive system.

FROM Charlotte Westbrook: 

Hello! 

I am happy to announce that I will be co-teaching another amazing 3 day workshop.  This workshop will give you skills that you can use for a lifetime to take care of your abdomen.  I have been training extensively with Dr. Rosita Arvigo for years now and am happy to be able to pass down my knowledge in a workshop format.  You will have the opportunity to be able to learn more about your abdomen and how to care for it that you may have ever imagined possible.  This type of work can greatly benefit men and women of all ages.  For more details of the benefits of the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Therapy please take a look at my website www.charlotteshealinghands.com or simply give me a call at 512-422-2680 and I would be happy to give you more information. 

Below are the details about this workshop and how to register: 

Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy Self Care(TM)
March 4^th, 5^th and 6th
Friday 9:30am-5:00pm
Saturday 9:00pm-6:00pm
Sunday 9:00am-1:00pm
17.5 CE Hours
Tuition:  $378.00  ($50 Discount for Early Bird Reistration)
Instructors:  Kirsten Kern, PhD, LMTI, Certified ATMAM(TM) Self Care Instructor
& Charlotte Westbrook, LMTI, Certified ATMAM(TM) Self Care Instructor

Register at : http://www.arvigotherapy.com/node/177

This 3-day class instructs participants in how to perform The Arvigo Techniques
of Maya Abdominal Therapy(TM) on him/herself. This class is a prerequisite to enrollment
in the professional training for licensed healthcare practitioners. Self-Care Training
covers the anatomy and physiology of the abdominal and reproductive organs, addresses
causes and symptoms of malpositioned organs and demonstrates self-care techniques.
Training also addresses herbal, nutritional, spiritual and emotional support for
the abdominal massage techniques to insure comprehensive understanding of the technique
and how it contributes to wellness. This Self-Care Training workshop is conducted
by Kirsten Kern, PhD, LMTI and certified ATMAM Self-Care(TM) instructor and Charlotte
Westbrook, LMTI and ATMAM Self-Care(TM) instructor. Anyone may register for this
class. No prior training or licensing is required.

The Arvigo Institute,LLC is an approved continuing education provider by the following:
Massage Therapy:  The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
(NCBTMB)  Self Care Level 1  17.5 CE hours; Acupuncture: NCAAOM for Self Care Level
1 16 PDA points; Nursing: This continuing nursing education activity was approved
by the American Holistic Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American
Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation Self Care Level One: 
16.0 contact hours ; Midwifery: For Midwifery Education under Midwifery Education
Accreditation Council (MEAC) Self Care Level 1  16 Contact Hours.
Register at:  http://www.arvigotherapy.com/node/177

 

"the heart is the thousand-stringed instrument that can only be tuned with
Love."
-- Hafiz