The TCM Practitioner Might Be the Original Life Coach- Here's Why

Life coaching is a relatively new career in the sense that even as little as 10 years ago, if you wouldn't have told someone at a dinner party that you were life coach, you would have gotten a lot of confused looks and inquiries asking you to define what exactly that meant? Fast forward to 2022 and you are more likely to hear at least one person, if not a few, admit that they have had a coach whether it be for life in general, business or wellness. At last, the vocation of coach has entered into the mainstream of our societal lexicon outside of sports, even though it is not a new concept or career.

I will fully admit, that the first time I heard the term life coach, I gently scoffed and thought, why would I ever hire someone to help me do life? After all, I know me best. Turns out I did hire a life coach, but about five years after being introduced to the term, due to my own stubbornness. Imagine my surprise when I realized, not only was life coaching life changing and completely worth the investment I had trepidatiously made in myself, but that I was super shocked to realize I had been acting as a life coach for the better part of my career as an acupuncturist. WTF was happening?

I think my confusion was right there with everyone elses. I, like many people, had the misconception that life coaches tell you how to run your life so you can be a better version of you, or get those things in life you desire in exchange for large sums of money. That’s not what they do though, at least the good ones anyways.

The job of a good life coach is to simply show you your brain. It’s to be a loving, non judgmental reflection of the stories your brain is reporting to you as if it was the God’s honest truth and generating your reality from, so you can decide if those thoughts are serving you, or if it’s time to evict them and rent space to new thoughts and possibilities. They hold the space so to speak, so that you can start to look at your mind without the normal judgement and contempt most of us have for ourselves. They point out when we have reverted to black or white thinking and left the land of possibility for the safety of probability. And the great ones, often risk the relationship by pointing out when we are in our own damn way of making our dreams come true, usually due to some habituated emotional reaction that we have complete power to recognize and change if we so decide. In essence, they listen to us tell them what our dreams are, and they fight for us to hold the belief that we can get there, until we do. Very often speeding up the process had we just decided to go it alone.

This is what I had been doing for the majority of my career, while putting needles into someone. Why had no one told me?!

When someone comes to me for help, I typically ask, what is it you want to get out of our time together? What are you missing in life or what has you so worked up that it has driven you here to this point of being willing to let a stranger put many tiny needles into your body so you can relax? And then I listen deeply with every part of my being. I listen to their words, their tone, and watch for what they aren’t saying, but their bodies seem to be silently screaming. I ask a ton of questions about the person’s wellness- not just their health. I ask about what they think their relationship to spirit is? When the last time they felt really really well was and why they think that is? I ask what emotions they revert to under stress? I ask what they think will get better in their life if they achieved all of those goals that drove them to me in the first place? And of course I do a health history, sometimes starting from their time in the womb until now so I can see what could use rebalancing, but also so I can observe how attached or detached they are from their story, their symptoms, and their circumstances. And these questions are part of the process because every great practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine knows what wellness isn’t simply the absence of disease. Wellness arrives when the mind is clear and the body is unburdened so that the spirit has a safe space to reside and animate our paths from.

All of these questions and observations sets the stage for how we will enter into a unique relationship to uncover that person’s innate wellness together. And yes, for many of my clients, a positive side effect of finding their own recipe back to wellness yields a child. Because life wants to happen. Life wants to create itself, but it never wants to be created for someone else.

I have spent the last five years excavating my own wellness and relearning myself with life coaching. I can honestly say, it’s the best investment I have ever made in myself. I am more confident and way less harsh with my habituated thoughts. Making better choices for myself has become easier now that I know why I used to continually make poor food and alcohol choices despite “knowing better.” I became a better parent, friend and wife because I learned how to handle and allow any emotion not just the good ones (husband agrees despite initially raised eyebrows when mentioning I might hire a life coach!). I stopped living from a place of scarcity. I used coaching to heal the last stubborn piece of an autoimmune illness. I used it to recommit to being a fertility coach even while going though nine long months of what looked like ovarian cancer and ultimately ended in a hysterectomy. I no longer feel the need to achieve as an avenue to self worth. I achieve because I can and it is an avenue to serve others which for me, fills my cup in the best possible way with way less burnout. Some of this I did one on one with a coach, but much of it I did on my own after learning how to self coach. And I want to teach you how to do the same. I went through not only my own arduous and rewarding journey, but I also finished a year long life coach certification in April of 2021 with the Life Coach School so that I could touch as many lives as possible with the power of life coaching. And because I believe in learning from the best if you want to provide the best service possible. So come relearn yourself with me by your side. Come take a journey to uncover your own innate wellness and see what unfolds. And if you are trying to conceive, while it won’t guarantee you a baby, I do guarantee that it will make your fertility journey worth it regardless of the outcome. That I pinky swear.

Navigating Relationships With Your Prenatal Providers

Pregnancy and birth truly are a one of a kind experience. There's nothing quite like it. Forty weeks of gestation followed by a birth of an unknown length and possible interventions can naturally spark a lot of questions and even fears for a soon to be mama. This is often especially true if this is your first pregnancy or you have had past pregnancies that sadly may not have had the outcomes you had hoped for. Cultivating a relationship of trust with your providers can be one of the best tools for overcoming any fears or anxieties that may pop up along the way. 

Here are my 5 tips for getting the most out of your relationships with your OB's and midwives right from the start. 

  1. Treat your first visit like a business meeting and don't be afraid to interview them. 

Picking an OB, midwife or large practice to provide you with prenatal and birthing support is often one of the most overlooked parts of the birthing process. Many women will opt to stay with the OB they have always had, to avoid the hassle of a new relationship, or to avoid multiple appointments. While this may seem like it is saving you stress in the beginning of your pregnancy, doing your due diligence of researching and interviewing to find your perfect fit can save you anxiety in the long run. Asking your mom friends about their past experiences with providers can also tell you a lot. I urge you to consider interviewing a few different practices to find the one where you feel seen and heard. 

Many of us will simply opt for the first provider that comes up on our insurance coverage within a reasonable driving distance. Yes, finding a provider that is in your network or takes medicaid can be important, but chances are there are more than one in your area. Many of us have been conditioned to think that any doctor knows best, or that we should take the care we can get without question, especially if you live in a remote area. This conditioning is often the fractal for a poor relationship built on resentments and assumptions which are not the bedrock of stability in a therapeutic relationship. It's important to remember that regardless of how you pay your provider, whether that is insurance, cash, or medicaid ultimately YOU employ them! Without you as a patient, they wouldn't have a job.

You have the right to ask questions and to be treated with equality and compassion and you should never feel bad for seeking that out, right out of the gates. 

2. Know why you are there and express that up front to see if you are a good fit for their style of care. 

If you live in the US, you have probably had the experience of waiting to be seen by a provider for a longer period of time than you have actually had in their presence at the appointment. Many of us are all too aware that our medical providers are rushed and asked to see large numbers of patients in a day. This shouldn't mean that you don't ask questions because you don't want to take up extra time. This is not the time to be a people pleaser. You can be respectful of their busy schedules AND get your questions answered up front if you spend a little time preparing for your appointment. Spend some time considering these questions for yourself BEFORE heading to your appointment. 

What kind of birth do you envision? Natural, C-section, medicated, non-medicated, hospital setting, home birth, someone by your side at all times or as much privacy as possible? Knowing your heart's desires on these topics can help you find the provider that is a good fit. 

For instance, if you want as natural as possible, but suspect that you may want an epidural or that you have a pre-existing condition like a large fibroid that would invite a C-section, looking for a practice that has both midwives and OB's that deliver in a hospital would be your best bet. Asking how many providers and what types you will see can alleviate a lot of the unknown jitters.

If you are wanting a home birth, but are unsure of what would happen if you needed to be transferred to your local hospital for complications, you may be looking for a practice that agrees to be your physician of choice should that happen. Asking up front how they feel about this type of relationship is imperative. This can help to relieve any anxieties about the what ifs of a home birth. Often times, home birth midwives will also have an OB that they recommend to establish care with and are comfortable working along side with during your prenatal care for things like advanced ultrasounds or hospital transfers should they be needed.

If you know you want a C-section and in fact want it to be scheduled, ask your provider their thoughts on accommodating this request. Some OB's will be more than happy to do so while others will want to ensure that it is medically necessary first. 

If you know you want to avoid a C-section at all costs, but want to deliver in a hospital, a simple question about the C-section rates of the hospital you will be delivering at will provide a lot of information on the probability of that happening. The World Health Organization states that the acceptable rate of C-sections should be below 15%, however, the CDC states the US National average for a C-section in the US is 31.7% at the time of writing this article. This means that you have a 1 in 3 chance of having your baby via cesarian if you live in the US. Some providers C-section rates are as high as 70% which is exactly why it is a question worth asking.

The rate of C-sections since the 1970's has increased 500%, though the risk of having a child has not increased which begs the question, "Why would there be such an increase?". Often times hospital procedures and intervention cascades, bias of surgeons to operate, increased reimbursement rates for C-section vs. vaginal delivery, and lack of support persons during labor all coincide to increase the possibility of a C-section. Simply asking your OB their thoughts on C-sections and your hospitals C-section rates at your first visit can give you a better understanding if they are the right provider for you.

3. Don't be afraid to ask questions and write down their answers. 

If you have specific fears about your pregnancy due to your past history like miscarriage or spotting during pregnancy, that first visit can be a good place to ask about their policy on monitoring the pregnancy. How many visits and ultrasounds will you have throughout your pregnancy? How do you get in touch with them if you are spotting or suspect a miscarriage? Will you be seeing the same provider for all your visits to establish rapport or rotating through all of the providers? 

When we get nervous, our memories don't always function at peak capacity. Writing down their answers can be helpful so that you can convey their answers to your partner if they are unable to attend the visit with you. If you forget a pen and paper, use the notepad function on your phone. It's always courteous in this day and age to ask them if they mind if you write down their answers in your phone so they don't think you are checked out texting or recording them without their consent. This also helps them to know you are taking their answers to heart and considering what they have to say in your decision making process. 

4. Ask how you can get in touch with them if something comes up outside of your appointments. 

Different offices have different procedures for connecting with your provider outside of normally scheduled appointments. Establishing the ground rules for this right out of the gate can again save you a lot of possible frustration later if a stressful situation presents itself. Ask if they have an on call number for after hours, if there is a direct extension during business hours where you can reach them or their nurse with your questions, or if they have a concierge style digital care available like the GoMo Health app for Prenatal and Maternal care? Often times home birth midwives will be connecting with you via email and text in these events. Be sure to ask what their policy is for returning your messages. 

5. Ask them their opinion in a way that "humanizes" your care. 

If you have asked a question about your pregnancy or birth and don't feel you have gotten an adequate response as to what to do, sometimes wording the question in this way can help to soften the provider's response by subconsciously reminding them of your humanity. Picking the identifier that seems most appropriate based on your ages, asking "If I were your partner, mother, or daughter what would you advise me to do in this situation?" can help to get you a more candid answer over a text book answer. It may also invite a deeper conversation about your feelings of the situation as they see how dedicated you are to finding the right answer for your personal situation and all that is coming up for you as you navigate these decisions of care. 

I hope the insights provided in this article help you to learn how to advocate for yourself and baby on this miraculous journey to becoming a parent, and to build a prenatal and birthing team you are confident and trusting of. 

References encouraged for further research

https://www.ariadnelabs.org/resources/articles/news/keynote-to-american-ob-gyns-c-section-rates-linked-to-hospital-complexities/

https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/161442/WHO_RHR_15.02_eng.pdf?sequence=1

https://www.cmaj.ca/content/191/13/E352

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/delivery.htm

https://www.cesareanrates.org/state-dashboards

https://gomohealth.com/maternal-child-health/

Is Your Dry January Already Soaked?

New Year’s resolutions can be a wonderful or terrible tool depending on how you use them. Many of us love the feeling of a fresh start as we tell ourselves we will let go of old habits and practice new ones sure to bring us the outcomes we crave, like health, clarity and abundance.

Many of us begin the journey to a new version of ourselves full of good intentions, all the while white knuckling it until we just can’t anymore eventually caving to old habits. For some of us it’s a day. For others it’s weeks or months before we give in to old habits, which are really just strong neural pathways in our brains. This fail is to be expected. It is expected because most of us do not have endless will power, meaning you can only white knuckle it so long before you let go. It’s important to understand that willpower is finite and we use it with every single decision we make through the course of the day. Decision fatigue is a real thing that will leave you feeling empty of will. And if your reason to change isn’t compelling enough to keep you on track you can pretty much count the days before you give up.

If missteps when changing behaviors are to be expected, then why do so many of us use them as a reason to give up completely? It’s an interesting question to pose to yourself. And if you do it enough, I bet you will find some thought errors that are way upstream in your brain where you use your falls from grace as ammunition to beat up on your worthiness. When we feel unworthy or less than, it’s really really hard to take proactive actions for ourselves. it’s as if we don’t have the energy to do what we know is right. That is because the way we feel is the driver for ALL of our actions plain and simple.

Over the years I have watched the phenomenon of “dry January” play out in many of my patients lives as they hit the reset button. And while 2020 gave many of us more opportunity to drink more than usual, possibly out of sheer boredom or to as a tool to temporarily buffer against all of the negative feelings we all experienced as we were forced into looking at the shadow side of our lives and our society at large, 2021 doesn’t seem to be the fresh start many of us had hoped for either. I want you to know, if your dry January is already under water it’s okay. it’s never too late to begin again. It certainly doesn’t mean anything about your worth. You are worthy in this exact moment regardless of any habit you may still have.

I thought I would take a moment to tell you what my relationship with alcohol is as a way to lessen the stigma around giving up alcohol, why I decided to change it, and what helped me get to a place of health with alcohol.

The truth is, there is no one size fits all relationship with alcohol. We get to decide as adults what we want it to look like and what we make it mean. If you are looking for inspiration to change your relationship with alcohol I hope this provides it and helps you to know you have people in your life that can help you get where you want to go based on true experience, not theory.

Let me start off by saying I am not sober. I did, however, decide & commit in July of 2018 to permanently change my relationship with alcohol. Two years prior to this decision, I married the man of my dreams in 2016, who happened to be a sommelier and fine wine importer. My house was and still is filled with fine wine from around the world. Wine had become a part of most days of my life and certainly all celebrations. It was a staple at dinner, enhancing the taste of food. It was routine to share a bottle and wind down together after a long day of work. Trips to wineries were with my husband were not uncommon and I loved them!

I never felt that I had a problem with alcohol in the way I perceived alcoholism. I didn’t drink in the middle of the day. I didn’t get blackout drunk or wake up wondering what I had said or done. And I didn’t have hangovers that prevented me from working at the level I was accustomed to. For many people around me, it was curious that I would want to change my relationship as they didn’t see it as a problem. In fact, some even saw it as a judgment against their behaviors which I found fascinating.

But what I did have was more reasons to stop than I had to continue. It wasn’t doing my health or waist line any favors. It was affecting my sleep, leaving me laying wide awake at 3am feeling like I was combusting in the desert sure to burst into flames at any second. I was irritable & tired the next day and losing my edge. I found myself in relationships with people where alcohol was a problem in their lives and was ruining precious relationships with their kids and significant others which was hard to watch. I even had a family friend die of alcoholism. It was also in violation of my own code that if I was consuming something most days of my life other than air and water I needed to examine why. I wasn’t at rock bottom. But I knew I didn’t want to stay where I was at either. For many of you faced with stopping drinking to enhance your fertility, you may find yourself in a similar situation, wanting something else more than the immediate gratification you could get from alcohol.

I had made the decision to change my relationship with it, but quickly realized I had a challenge. In the past when I had given something up, I threw it all out. Got it out of the house. Changed routines and white knuckled my way through. Distracted myself with something else etc. It was clear that approach was not going to work this time. Wine was now a permanent fixture in my home and in my travels. I had to learn how to not want it when it was right in front of me. Instead of changing my circumstance or trying to change those around me, I had to change my own my own mind. I had to learn how to watch the urges come and override them anyways. I had to learn to fall down and be kind to myself as I started again instead of berating myself. I had to learn how to communicate my fears to my loved ones that were going to continue to drink that this was somehow going to change my relationship with them (it didn’t btw). I had to learn to not make it a big deal in social situations and that it was okay to decide not to drink without going into my reasons why and being terrified of what others would think or say about my choices. I learned that feeling deprived was a choice from my thoughts that caused me to feel restricted instead of free. I had to learn by trial and error what i wanted my relationship to alcohol to actually be. It was a process. And one that I am super grateful to have. It has given me clarity on so many things- habits, judgments, self-loathing, commitment to myself, my learned tendency to buffer my feelings with food or drink, and better physical health and a more stable mental emotional landscape.

Ultimately, I landed in a place that is comfortable for me and allows me to reap the benefits of health and still purposely indulge from time to time. I choose to imbibe no more than 6 times a year. It’s usually a special occasion and I always decide at least 24 hours ahead of time that I am going to have a drink, what it is going to be and when I’ll stop. If I find myself with the thought, “Today sucks, I’d really like a glass of wine tonight,” I see it as a symptom/gift that there are some emotions I need to process instead of avoid and I do some journaling or talk with a friend instead. And if I do slip up and drink in a non planned situation, I unpack the why behind it and practice not beating myself up for not being perfect. For some, these self imposed guidelines my seem too strict and for others it may look like a slippery slope, but for me at this point in my life it’s my version of a middle road I’m happy to be on and that’s all that matters until I say otherwise.

If you are struggling with making changes to your relationship to alcohol or feeling deprived like you have to give up all of your favorite things for fertility sake, I hope this has given you perspective and inspiration of how your process will be unique to you. And if you are wanting support, I’m always willing to listen to and support you in a non-judgmental way in a coaching relationship no matter how long it takes for you to get where you want to go.

Working With What You May Already Have in Your Medicine Cabinet for Viral Protection

There is a saying in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), “Same disease, different formulas. Different diseases, same formula.” This speaks to the paradigm of what TCM uses to diagnose and then restore balance in the body. At a very basic level there are 8 Principles- Yin, Yang, Excess, Deficiency, Interior, Exterior, Heat and Cold. Because of this, if you have been a patient of Art of Acupuncture that has been prescribed herbs in the past, you may very well have some of these formulas that could help you fight off or manage the effects of COVID-19.

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Coronavirus-COVID 19 prevention, Fevers & SPERM

The life cycle of sperm is approximately 72 days for a male to produce mature sperm. While a fever today won’t likely hurt the mature sperm next in line for ejaculation, it is highly probable that you will see changes in sperm analysis 90 days from the fever, as those sperm where exposed to higher than normal temperatures at a crucial time in development.

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Using Natural Treatment Strategies Wisely for Endometriosis When Trying to Conceive

Studies have shown a delay from 3 to 11 years between the onset of symptoms and the final diagnosis of endometriosis, with an average of 9.28 years before receiving a proper diagnosis![1] A key contributor to this delay are not only those mentioned above, but the fact that symptoms of endometriosis overlap with other conditions leading to misdiagnosis. Women with endometriosis are 3.5 times more likely to receive a diagnosis of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Women are also 6x more likely to have diagnosed with PID (pelvic inflammatory disease).

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The Skinny On Acupuncture For Fertility

How soon should I come in for treatment?

The sooner the better. This doesn’t mean we can’t help you if you are late in your journey. We’ve seen it all from, “I’m trying to decide if I want to have a baby,” all the way to, "I’m having an IVF procedure in two weeks and I heard acupuncture can help.” After 10 years of doing this, my personal preference is to come 3 months prior to IVF if possible and as soon as you have made the decision to start trying to conceive. 

With natural conception the sooner we can regulate a menstrual cycle, educate and correct any timing issues, do diagnostic tests, and introduce the concept of becoming more Yin in order to receive life, the sooner we usually have success.  

With IVF we want to build the foundation to its peak level BEFORE going into a cycle. This is even more important when you consider the fact you will potentially harvesting eggs that will ultimately turn into more than one child. The length of follicular genesis of an egg ready to ovulate from the germ cell that it originated from deep within the ovary is 90-120 days. By treating the woman during this portion of the growth you can potentially have an outcome on its genetic expression that is positive while circulating as much nourishing blood to the ovaries and regulating the cycle to create an optimum uterine lining. 

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Can Your Birth Story Shape How You Parent?

It has been said that your birth story dictates how you will parent. It is the essentially the fractal that plants the seed for how you will FEEL about mothering. At first blush it can seem like an overwhelming concept, but if you think about it in generalities it’s simplicity shines through. For most of us, our thoughts dictate our feelings which dictate our actions and actions give rise to our results or circumstance. 

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DIY Breastmilk Tea

Sometimes our breastmilk needs a helping hand. if you were what TCM refers to as blood deficient or yin deficient, this can be especially true. Other times, stress and the fight of flight response can hinder our milk supply. I find that if a woman has had a particularly traumatic first time birth, there is a tongue tie that makes it difficult for the baby to get a good latch or if nutrition has not been a priority milk production can be low right out of the gates leading to more frustration for mama and baby. Another time when the milk supply can take a dent is when mom returns to work or experiences a particularly stressful event (breastfeeding in and of itself can be this event for some). Today I’m going to share with you my tried and true breast milk tea recipe. It’s strong, but when done right it, you usually only have to make this batch once and drink it for 2 days to bolster the supply back, twice tops. You can purchase all fo these herbs at Star West Botanicals or Mountain Rose Herbs which are two of my favorite suppliers of organic and ethically sourced herbs. Or you can DM us to send you a batch or two to have on hand. 

Fennel- Foeniculum vulgare- 10 gm - a lactogogue and spasmolytic known to increase milk supply 

Alfalfa- Medicago Sativa- 15gm A nutritive herb indicated for Iron deficiency that moistens dryness in the lady parts

Milky Oats- Avena Sativa- 10 gm-A nerving shown to help with nervous exhaustion and to increase milk supply

Blessed Thistle- Cnicus Benedictus- 10 gm - Both an appetite stimulant and lactagogue known to increase breast milk

Red Raspberry Leaf- Rubus idaeus- 10gm- a nutritive and astringing herb that is a known uterine tonic

Lavender- lavendula officinalis- 5gm- a mild antidepressant with mild sedative properties to help you both stay calm and nurse on

Chamomile- Matricaria recutita- 5gm- an anti-inflammatory, nerving and spasmolytic used to decrease pelvic pain, decrease insomnia and soothe the nerves. 

Please use a pot that does NOT have a non stick coating if possible. Add above herbs with 2 liters of clean filtered water. Bring to a boil, place lid on pot and reduce to a simmer for 20 min. Strain tea and compost or toss the herbs. Save tea in glass jars if possible (mason jars work great). Consume the tea over the next 48 hours either hot or cold. Refrigerate after cooking. Keeps 4 days in fridge max. Again, 1-2 batches 

As always with any “natural” solutions, this is not a substitute for medical care. I encourage you to run it by your medical practitioner, especially if you have a complicated medical history including estrogenic fed cancers. If you were lucky enough to have had a midwife or doula they may have already suggested something similar. And if nursing is not all that you had hoped for, please contact a postpartum doula or lactation consultant to come to your home and help. You can find one at DONA.org or if you are in the tampa bay area reach out to @buddhabellybirth for some stellar postpartum care. You and baby deserve the best during this time and sometimes we all need a little help. 

What Does Meditation Have to Do With Trying to Conceive?

Why should you meditate when trying to conceive? Here is the simple easy to digest answer. When you are stressed, even in low grade fight or flight, our sex hormones drop. Our brain tells our body that our surroundings are not safe enough to create and sustain life so it short circuits our hormones before we can even try. When you meditate 15-30 minutes a day, you actually move your nervous system from fight or flight into a state known as rest and digest or breed and feed sending the message to your body that all is well and normal programming can begin again. Your body wants to create life, just not in the face of stress. The problem is, the reptilian part of our brain that sounds the stress alarm bells and ceases hormonal production hasn’t caught up with modern day society. It thinks your email dinger or that doctors appointment you have scheduled is the equivalent to a saber tooth tiger waiting to make you lunch. After 8 weeks of meditation your brain actually starts to reshape itself, specifically in the hippocampus and the amygdala, the areas that help with our resolve to keep trying and proper emotional responses.

Nod with me if you could stand to be a little less emotionally reactive and strengthen your resolve to keep trying to having a healthy happy baby.

Thirty minutes of meditation has even been shown to be more powerful than REM sleep. How can this be? Well, after the sun has risen and we are still trying to sleep, our pineal gland stops making melatonin and serotonin (feel good calming hormones). Our skin actually relays the message to our pineal gland via mitochondria that the sun is up and it’s time to stop making those hormones.

When we meditate during the day, it by passes this message affecting the pineal gland directly turning on our ability to continue to make these super calming hormones enabling us to sleep better and fight the, “Where’s my baby blues?” 

I often describe fertility struggles as a path of spiritual endurance, because no matter whether you practice religion or not, your resolve and faith is tested over and over. Meditation can help you dig deep and find your resolve and confidence. 

This is exactly why I created 30 fertility meditations

This is something that has been on my mind and in my heart for years now and it’s really cool seeing it all finally piece together in this work of art really. It’s been huge for me to be able to creative express myself and teach a population that deserves as much help as they can get. And it’s allowing me to affect the lives of as many people as possible. If I can teach people how to know themselves better faults and all, how to love a little deeper, how to stay cool and calm under stress, and how communicate in a more conscious manner BEFORE they become parents, I actually get to help shape the trajectory of lives before they are created and to me that’s just so cool. Men and Women spend so much money on anything that will help them try to conceive, and I wanted to create a free place of sanctuary for them. 

These practices will help you to ease suffering, break through limiting beliefs, regain touch with yourself and your partner, and increase your resolve to keep trying and your enhance your faith in your body.

My beloved teacher, davidji pioneered this path by creating the first ever meditation challenge when he was Deepak Chopra's right hand man for a decade. All of those Deepak & Oprah challenges are a result of his day dream and I now I have followed his path crafting a challenge that is truly unique to the needs of a couple trying to conceive. 

Because Meditation has its roots in other cultures I thought I would go over a couple basic terms so you feel confident along the way. You'll also get a feel for the types of meditations you will be doing during the challenge.  

You’ll hear me say Mantra a lot. The word mantra means Mind Vehicle or Mind Tool. It is the tool we will use as a point of light focus. Learning to direct your attention where you want it rather than being reactively tossed around like a ping pong ball certainly has its benefits when you think about doctors appointments, procedures, giving blood, awaiting test results or even the two week wait. You’ll learn how to redirect yourself from that recording in your mind to a happier calmer place. I don’t know about you, but the recording that replays in my mind can say some pretty harsh stuff when it gets going. The mantra meditation will help you to understand that you have thoughts, but you aren’t your thoughts and that you have the ability to place your awareness anywhere you want, even when that recording is really really loud. 

The other term you will hear a ton is chakra. Chakra means wheel. I like to think of it as an energetic gear with a certain job. Sometimes that gear is well oiled and moving nicely, other times it gets clogged and rusty. Being that all 7 gears or chakras interlock with one another like the insides of a watch, if one is stuck it can throw the entire system off. Chakras are energetic centers that have the ability to house our emotions and beliefs. And because energy precedes matter, energetic accumulations or depletion in these areas starts to affect our physiology over time. We are going to spend a lot of time in this challenge, cleaning them out, oiling them up and examining and tossing any belief that don’t serve you and your ability to become a parent. 

Here's an example of what you'll experience each day.

There are colors associated with each chakra. Some people see or sense them immediately, others do not and it takes some time. Just like some people are a visual learner over auditory or kinetic which is learning by feeling and doing, your strengths in meditation will take on one of those characteristics. I was one of those people that couldn't see the colors at first, though I was acutely aware of the feeling of the chakra in my body when I placed my attention on it. So don’t worry if you don’t see the colors, or if you can’t seem to hold onto a mantra, or you don’t feel what I’m describing. This is the very reason I am presenting you with three different ways of meditating so you can find your strengths and or develop your weaknesses. 

And finally, why acupressure points? I wanted to help bring your meditations into the body so I choose to add them in. The meridians or what are known as the extraordinary vessels in traditional chinese medicine that I have chosen for this challenge, are the ones I use in my practice when treating fertility and gynecological issues with great success. I wanted to give everyone the experience of being able to tap into these areas, regardless of where you live or whether or not you can afford acupuncture. Don’t worry about getting the point perfectly right. There will be pictures and you’ll hear me describe where to go during the meditation. It’s more about the intention and using your mind to connect with areas of your body than it is about getting it exactly right so don’t get hung up on perfection. 

There will be a place at the end of each meditation where you can comment about what you liked or didn’t like and if you feel open to sharing any questions or experiences you had, great! 

You can instantly reclaim your fertility sanity from the comfort of your own home. When you purchase you’ll have immediate access to all 30 meditations, downloadable to your computer or smartphone.

If you know anyone that could benefit, reach out to them and lift them up by inviting them in! 

 

Want a test run first? Grab a pair of headphones and let’s find some calm together. I’ll see you on the inside.