‘Healthy body, healthy mind’ – we have all heard this before, but is there really any truth behind it?
Our newest fertility specialist, Fiona Kacz-Boulton, definitely agrees with this and believes that Mindfulness helps the individual celebrate the present and connect with countless positive experiences.
Fiona comments: “Mindfulness is living in the present – no future thoughts, no past thoughts. Mindfulness is living consciously.
“Therefore Mindfulness means we are no longer operating in autopilot. What is the opposite of life in autopilot? A life we live by taking it with both hands and steering our destiny by conscious choices. In doing so, it means we take full responsibility for our actions including the amount of abundance, or lack of it, we experience.”
What is Mindfulness?
- When you master your mind, you master your emotional health and wellbeing.
- When you master your mind you learn to listen to the signs of your body.
- When you master your belief systems you can see what limiting thoughts or behaviors are holding you back from being the best you can be and attracting the most joyful experiences.
Infertility brings with it a myriad of issues from making sense of complex medical information to juggling the dizzying array of appointments and treatment options.
Research shows that no matter how it’s done, being in the moment and savouring positive experiences, not only enhances quality of life, but it can also strengthen the immune system and promote physical health. Unfortunately, people are often too busy, distracted, or worried to even notice, much less savour, positive moments.
Below are a few tips and exercises, produced by Fiona that can help you relax and find Mindfulness – even on a busy schedule:
3 x 3 Breath
Sitting comfortably imagine white light being drawn down through your crown and filtering to every cell of your body, illuminating yourself on the deep inhale. As you exhale breathe away any physical, mental or emotional tension by visualising black gunk or perhaps grey smoke exiting your body.
Inhale evenly through the nostrils and exit out of the mouth with a big sigh. Repeat this three times.
Next, bring your awareness to your eyes.
To the rhythm of your next three breaths relax all the muscles around the eyes and let the eyelids be heavy. (This action alone further relaxes up to 70% of your body).
Lastly, focus on the sensation of relaxation spreading through your body. If thoughts enter, use the breath as your tool – feeling the breath evenly drawn in through both nostrils and exited evenly through both nostrils.
Your deep breathing will be keeping your heart rate at bay, keeping your body deeply relaxed. If you breathe too deeply your heart rate will go up, so be mindful of your heart beat too.
Observe – Be Present
Sitting comfortably, observe your surroundings in the here and the now: be present. This means no future thoughts, no past thoughts. Focus on all the far away noises, beyond the room you are in. Listen to noises from high in the sky to beneath the earth – as far away as possible.
Sense Withdrawal
Begin Pratyahara the Sankrit word for ‘Sense Withdrawal.’ Do this by retreating your focus to just the noises around you, in your immediate vicinity.
Start with far away noises like aeroplanes in the sky and slowly become aware of only nearby noises like the tick of a clock. (Nb. This can also be practiced outside, you are simply focusing your mind to only acknowledge the noses around you).
Body and Breath Awareness
Now become aware of your body. Feel the heaviness of your dense physical body and the way it is being supported. Feel your connection to the earth via the body parts that are in contact with it.
Now become aware of your breath and the way your body moves with each breath. Observe the way your lungs inflate on your inhale (all four sides of your rib cage). Observe the way your breath is exhaled.
Now deepen your breath. Feel the lower lobes of your lungs expand as you inhale and how your breath completely leaves your body on your longest possible exhalation: keep exhaling until there is nothing more to exhale. This releases the excess carbon dioxide from your lungs – it is one of the main ways your body detoxifies.
For more information on Mindfulness & fertility visit: awakeningfertility.com
