how yoga and mindfulness techniques helped me overcome infertility
Fertility issues plague more couples than you know. More than 6 million women of reproductive age in the United States have experienced fertility problems. Imagine this statistic worldwide.
I was one of those women. You may be too. Infertility can lead to depression and a number of other health problems. Don’t get disheartened if medical treatments don’t work. In fact, when they fail, yoga steps in and is an answer to almost all the ailments. Allopathy provides relief in the short-term, but through the practice of yoga, the root cause of an ailment is removed thus providing a long-term solution. Miracles can happen through prayers, mantras, faith, and the powerful healing tool of yoga.
Three years after we wed, my husband and I wished to start a family. To my surprise, I was diagnosed with multiple infertility issues: polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked fallopian tubules, and tubular tuberculosis. We began infertility treatments right away – six months of anti-tubular drugs, laparoscopic surgeries, and four cycles of intrauterine insemination. All of which failed. Doctors told me that due to the tubular TB and blocked fallopian tubes, I could never conceive naturally. They advised I try in vitro fertilization.
With each cycle of IVF, I was hopeful. First came excitement, then the dreaded ultrasounds and later a two-week wait for a pregnancy test. The absolute worst was the last stage of the cycle, the pregnancy test. I can think of nothing more heart-wrenching than knowing a negative pregnancy test result.
What followed was a year of repeated failures. In total, I had three failed IVF cycles. My optimism over becoming pregnant slowly faded. Infertility treatments became increasingly stressful and upsetting.
Crying in bed became my norm. My husband and parents became increasingly concerned about me and wanted nothing more than to take my pain away. Infertility enveloped my every thought. I felt miserable, both physically and mentally.
What’s more, I had forgotten about all of the positive things in my life. Other than my infertility, my life was wonderful. But somewhere, I had lost sight of all that.
That’s when I decided this negativity wouldn’t engulf my life anymore. I desperately wanted embrace life instead of dreading it. I prayed to God that his will be done; and in the meantime, I asked if he could fill me with his peace.
I decided to take one month to simply be with myself and explore the healing power of yoga at the Shiva Yoga Peeth School in Rishikesh.
Staying in an ashram was, indeed, an altogether different experience for me. I loved the place so much that I extended my stay there another month.
After returning home to Mumbai, I continued to practice yoga daily and religiously, all that I had learned in Rishikesh. My hubby and I spent quality time together. When I came back, I was an altogether different person: much livelier and chirpier.
What happened soon after changed my life completely. My husband and I learned that I was pregnant! We’d conceived naturally! It was nothing short of a miracle and a testament to the healing powers of yoga.
I believe God had heard my prayers and he desired to give me a bone at his appointed time. He had planned the best for me — with his perfect sense of timing. God blessed us with a son.
All my infertility problems vanished after I deepened my yoga practice. Yoga asanas practice certain body postures that bring peace and purity to the mind, and good health to the body. Pranayama is the practice of the three distinct stages of breathing – inhalation, retention, and exhalation. When coupled together, they bring about a powerful change in the body, a change I have personally experienced. The benefits of yoga are truly immense. For me, it meant a miracle.
In my journey to conceive, at times, I had been mad and angry. At other times, I had been severely depressed. But finally, I have peace through yoga and prayer! I surrendered my journey to God. He not only took away my entire burden but gave me peace and joy as I walked through this trial!
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