Movement | A Nourishing Practice for Fertility
I recently spent a lovely, socially distant, morning with my good friend, Megan. Megan (they/them) is a very experienced movement teacher, yoga therapist, birth doula and somatic experiencing practitioner in training. We met, over 10 years ago, while teaching yoga together. Megan’s presence is calming, safe and grounding. So, if you’re here, you’re in for a real treat!
This practice is for all people. The recording is of Megan walking you through an accessible and very effective movement practice to nourish your body and support fertility.
Nourishing Movement for Fertility Practice Recording
Orienting:
This is a practice to help calm your nervous system and ensure you are safe. Orienting can sound simple in words, generally taking in the space around you - looking at the objects, lighting, taking in the smells, sounds, etc. On a physiologic level this simple practice is profound at helping us settle in to a parasympathetic nervous system state, also called the rest and digest state. Here we can be more fully present and mindful of our practice.
Begin standing, if available. Start to orient to the space you’re in - look up and down. Turn your head all the way around to look behind you in both directions. Notice colors, shapes. Use your eyes to take in your space. Remind yourself that in this moment, you are safe.
Notice the feeling of your feet meeting the ground. Texture of the floor. Feel steady. Take 3 breaths here, let your feet root into the ground.
Upward Sun Salute:
With your next inhale sweep your arms over your head. Exhale fold forward with bent knees. Let your head hang down. Inhale half-way lift, hands on thighs for support. Exhale fold forward chin to chest. Exhale slowly uncurl back to upright standing. Inhale sweep arms overhead. Exhale fold forward. Inhale halfway lift. Exhale fold back down.
Inhale rise to stand, exhale rest your arms. Do this flow one more full time through.
Breath of Joy:
This breath practice is a 3 part inhale through the nose and 1 exhale through the mouth with arm movements. From standing, bring some buoyancy to your knees. Begin with soft fists of the hands.
Inhale through your nose - arms rise forward, inhale again arms rise to the sides, inhale again arms rise forward.
Exhale through your mouth and fold forward over bend knees, allow arms to move behind you, throwing away anything that’s easily able to be released.
Inhale arms forward, inhale arms side, inhale arms forward, exhale fold forward arms behind you.
See if you can get your exhales to come all the way from your belly.
Do about 10 rounds of breath here.
Let your arms naturally stop swinging. Bring one hand to heart and one hand to belly. Notice your body and how it feels in the spaces beneath your hands. Invite your hands to meet your body with a lot of tenderness. Feel how your body knows how to take care of you. Moving from an active state, your body knows how to slow down and return to resting heart rate, breath pace. In this moment, be a witness to your body’s wisdom.
Inhale - sweep arms over your head. Exhale - fold forward over bent knees. Inhale - halfway lift. Exhale - downward facing dog or table top.
Child’s Pose:
A deeply grounding and nourishing pose. Knees are wide to allow your belly to rest between your thighs and hips settle back toward the heals. You can place a pillow or block under your forehead for support. Begin to relax your jaw, forehead and tongue. Invite softness into the heart space, center of the chest. Attention to your belly, relax he skin of your belly. Relax the 6-pack muscles from the bottom of ribs to pubic bone. Relax the sides of belly, ribcage. Feel the corset muscles that wrap about the belly, moving with breath. Focus on inhale on the space created when these muscles stretch.
Notice muscles in the pelvic bowl. Invite some release, softening in these muscles that weave from sitting bone to sitting bone, tailbone to pubic bone. Invite softness and ease into these areas of the body and notice your breath. Invite kindness and compassion for yourself as you explore this practice of softening your belly and pelvis.
Nourishing Movement for Fertility Practice Recording
You can find more information about Megan, their movement and childbirth education classes and doula services here.