Fringe Fertility Podcast with Kerry Hinds
By Kerry Hinds
She dives into the holistic, energetic, and alternative paths to increased fertility.
There will be relatable stories, there will be tears, there will laughs, and there will be honest and open conversations about fertility.
If you’ve ever wondered about Spirit Babies, Fertility Yoga, Vaginal Steaming, or Feminine Energy – this is your podcast.
Let’s uncover and explore the new, old, and fringe fertility practices!
Fringe Fertility Podcast with Kerry HindsMar 23, 2023
Pt 2: What I wish I knew before starting IVF
Entering the IVF world can be overwhelming, stressful, exciting, and scary. It's almost as if you need to learn a whole new language, have a degree in fertility acronyms to follow a thread on facebook, or completely understand the intricacies of your hormones like an endocrinologist! It's a lot. And on top of that you're trying to navigate all the mental, emotional and physical layers of the journey.
This is the 2nd Part of 8 things I wish I knew before starting IVF - my heart to heart with you all! The one I wish someone sat me down with when I was going through it.
Part 1 is Season 1 episode 15 and both of these podcast segments are based on a blog post a did a few years ago and feature with Resolve New England.
Here are numbers 5 - 8:
- Give mind/body fertility practices a chance
- Find ways to deal with the stress
- Find your people
- Realize that babies are not a zero sum game
Resources:
Fertile Body Yoga: Fertility Yoga
Resolve New England Support Groups
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Menstruation, PMS, & Fertility with Julie Lipsett, LMHC, FAE
Often it’s not until people begin their trying to conceive phase of life that they start paying attention to their menstrual cycle. Mainly to figure out when exactly your fertile window is so that, if you’re in a hetero relationship, time sex properly. But really - we need to start paying attention sooner!
We have a tricky relationship with our monthly bleed. When we don’t want to get pregnant, it’s a nuisance, and when we’re trying to get pregnant and we see blood on the toilet paper - it’s devastating. Both scenarios, your bleed is associated with something negative.
Considered the 5th Vital sign, the quality and function of your menstrual cycle is paramount for understanding your fertility. More and more awareness is being placed on menstrual cycle, but there is still a long long way to go to understanding the whole cycle and how it affects your life and fertility.
In this episode, the lovely Julie Lipsett and I have a VERY cool conversation about all things related to your menstrual cycle. We also dive into the history of PMS which is a very interesting avenue of exploration.
Julie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a certified Fertility Awareness Educator.. Since graduating from Drexel University with a degree in Music Therapy and Counseling in 2017, she has worked as an outreach therapist in the neighborhoods south of Boston, a special education counselor, and then as a virtual outpatient therapist.
She decided to incorporate Fertility Awareness into her practice in 2021, after experiencing the life-changing benefits of the method herself. Because menstrual cycles are so intimately connected to our overall wellness and mental health, she felt like it was a natural next step. She became a Fertility Awareness Educator after a two year certification course through The Well School of Body Literacy.
Here’s what we covered in the episode.
The importance of Menstrual Cycle Awareness
What is the fertility awareness method
Charting vs no charting?
The average length of the menstrual cycle
Ayurveda, menstruation, and fertility
Cycle Syncing & the seasonal references
The history of PMS
The importance of understanding your body and having good body and medical literacy when going to appointments
Resources:
https://www.instagram.com/julie.lipsett.fae/
https://www.amazon.com/Her-Blood-Gold-Awakening-Menstruation/dp/1906289069
https://www.amazon.com/Period-Repair-Manual-Treatment-Hormones/dp/1975926773
Fearlessly Fertile: How mindset can impact your fertility with Rosanne Austin
Fertility coaching and mindset work is becoming more and more mainstream in the fertility world. And there is a good reason for this - it makes a HUGE difference in your life and your experiences with fertility, as well as help with conception.
I’ve got the one and only Rosanne Austin on the podcast today to talk about how mindset can impact fertility and how to go about making powerful changes in how you’re showing up for your fertility.
Rosanne Austin, JD, PCC, received her coaching training from the Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California. She is certified by and a member of the International Coach Federation.
Rosanne is also a proud member of California State Bar. She received her Juris Doctorate from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from San Francisco State University, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Rosanne is the author of 3 bestselling books and her work has been featured on leading podcasts. When she is not writing, mentoring, speaking, teaching, leading her transformational events and programs, or loving on her husband and son, Rosanne gives back by serving organizations committed to providing resources to survivors of Human Trafficking and for the protection of abused/abandoned dogs and cats.
And at the time of this recording - Rosanne is going on a speaking World Tour! See if she’s coming to you.
In the podcast today we talk about -
Rosanne’s Fertility Story: From Sexual Assault Prosecutor to Fertility Mindset Coach
TTC when you’re ‘old’ and jumping straight into IVF
Becoming aware of mindset and how much it was influencing experiences, choices, fertility
What is a Fertile Mindset?
The energetics of conceiving
The law of attraction & vibration
Babies have source energy and are vibrating at the highest level
The investment of having a baby
Women being lured away from femininity
2 places to begin your mindset shift
Boundaries and the Velvet Rope Technique
Do the people I surround myself with believe in me and my ability to get pregnant
Rosanne’s World Tour!
Yoga as a gateway drug
I think you will all appreciate Rosanne’s candid and fearless approach to talking about fertility - it’s refreshing and to the point - just like her!
Resources:
World Tour: https://www.frommaybetobaby.com/special-announcement-the-fearlessly-fertile-world-tour/
From Maybe to Baby: https://www.frommaybetobaby.com/about/
Fearlessly Fertile Podcast: https://www.frommaybetobaby.com/ff-podcast/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/rosanneaustinfertility/
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Will going upside down in yoga give me endometriosis?
One of the most common questions that arise when teaching fertility yoga, and yoga in general - is - Can I go upside down when I'm on my period? Will I get endometriosis? Will my endometriosis get worse?
In this episode I talk about about yoga inversions when you're menstruating.
- what are full inversions and half inversions
- What is endometriosis
- Where to get good info about endometriosis
- Physiologically - going upside does not cause retrograde endometriosis
- Yoga tradition says no inversions while menstruating because of Apana Vayu - downward flowing energy
- Understanding your body as it cycles
- Respecting the flow of nature
- What poses I recommend for when you're bleeding
Resources:
Original Blogpost: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/blog/yoga-inversions-and-endometriosis/
Suggested poses for when you're menstruating
Supported Wide Angle Forward Fold
Supported Semi-reclined Baddha Konasana
Belly Bolster Prone Savasana can be wonderful if you have cramps
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
The Politics of Fertility (and what you can do to support access to IVF) with Lauren Hart Clancy
If you feel like the politics of fertility are in our face these days, you’re not alone. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, the aftermath of that ruling, and more recently the attack on IVF in Alabama and legislation in the cue for personhood laws (life starts at conception) in red states (with sweeping bans on access to reproductive procedures) it’s enough to make someone scream and swear - a lot.
Which I do in the podcast. Because it’s too much - and I keep saying ‘how can this be?” and ‘what the fuck is happening?’
I didn’t want to talk about fertility and politics alone - because it’s not something that I feel educated enough on to speak to - but I’m ready to drop some f bombs around what’s happening out there. So I enlisted someone who knows what they're talking about.
Lauren Hart Clancy, a former fertility yoga student, joins me for this and brings a calming presence to talking about the politics of fertility - AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO PROTECT OUR RIGHTS!
Here is what we cover:
What is public health and why Lauren is on a mission to empower individuals to reach their health potential and get the support they deserve
The Village Advocate - Lauren’s newest venture that provides a hub for those seeking support and in search of ‘helpers’
Resolve New England’s support groups and advocacy
Finding Fertility Yoga at the right time
Finding your people/building your village
We talk about the Alabama ruling (12min)
What YOU can do to support access to IVF and reproductive health (22min)
General bewilderment of those in charge and the importance of voting
I think that you find Lauren’s knowledge and level-headedness when talking about such emotional issues is refreshing. Yes, we can be mad and angry AND yes, we can do something about it as well.
Resources:
The Village Advocate IG: https://www.instagram.com/villageadvocate/
Resolve New England: https://resolvenewengland.org/support/
Resolve IVF Advocacy Day: https://resolve.org/events/advocacy-day/
Resolve.org Take Action: https://resolve.org/take-action/
Doctors For Fertility: https://www.doctorsforfertility.com/
ASRM (American Society of Reproductive Medicine): https://www.asrm.org/
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Corporate Hustle to Fertile Flow with guest
This episode will be relatable to so many who have decided to conceive and live a fast paced - hustle bustle kind of life. When life is busy, and you have a demanding job, adding fertility testing and treatments can add to the craziness of it all.
Living and maintaining this high level of output and being used to succeeding with hard work - it can be a wake up call when the things that you’re used to doing usually reap reward, but then not in the fertility world.
In this episode I talk with an alumna student who shares her story of going from her corporate job and busy lifestyle to relinquishing some control and learning how to slow down. Seeing that fertility does not abide by the same rules as most of the other parts of her life.
Here’s what we talk about in this episode:
The importance of comfy yoga spaces!
What happens when your ‘perfect family building plan’ doesn’t happen
Talking about infertility with friends - the stigma
The overwhelm of information on things to restrict when trying to conceive
Finding fertility yoga
Learning how to slow down and let go of some control
Fertility Yoga’s benefits from a student perspective
Politely Declining invitations
Social Media - using discernment & remembering that you need to digest everything
Seeking support beyond the medical realm
Relationships with partners and how as the person carrying the child you are the educator and your partner defers to you about everything
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
The Power of Yoga Nidra
I wanted to do a podcast that highlights one of, in my opinion, best practices for fertility that the yoga system has to offer: Yoga Nidra.
This practice you can do at anytime in your cycle - menstrual or fertility treatment (yes! including stims and post retrieval). It's that gentle and wonderfully nurturing.
Yoga Nidra is often translated as yogic sleep, or divine rest. It is a state the we arrive in through progressive deep relaxation.
In this episode:
- What is yoga nidra
- Why yoga nidra is such a wonderful practice for fertility
- How to do yoga nidra
- Setting a sankalpa
- The benefits of yoga nidra
- FAQs about yoga nidra
Get your FREE YOGA NIDRA recording to get you started
40 Days to Fertile Freedom Small Group Program
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
How to Express Yourself While Going Through Infertility with Elena Clamen
During the fertility journey, it's sometimes hard to find the right words or even words at all to express what you're feeling and going through. And that is where creative expression comes into play. It's an easy and accessible avenue of getting your emotions flowing. And it can be beautiful ❤️
When emotions are not expressed or processed, they get sticky and hang on for a long time - in our minds, bodies, and energy.
In this episode I speak with Elena Clamen, LMHC & Art Therapist about different ways to express yourself if you don't consider yourself an 'artist'. And why it's so important!
We talk about the connection between the pelvic bowl (sacral chakra) and how it is connected to emotions, creativity, and fertility.
Join us for our workshop Feb 13th, 2024 6:30 - 8:30pm ET - live via zoom!
Art Therapy & Fertility Yoga Workshop
Contact Elena Clamen LMHC & Art Therapist: elenaclamenart@yahoo.com
Elena's IG: https://www.instagram.com/ladybug_art/
Kerry's IG: https://www.instagram.com/fertilebodyyoga/
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Castor Oil Packs & Rewilding for Fertility with Phoebe Lyman
This episode is so FULL of great information for your fertility and living - and they may seem random at first but you will see that they are truly connected!
My guest today, Phoebe Lyman is an, Abdominal Manual Therapist and Preconception Coach, who integrates rewilding principles into fertility support. Based in Los Angeles, she specializes in deep abdominal organ therapy to prepare individuals for pregnancy. As the founder of WildCulture Collective, Phoebe also fosters an online community advocating for ecologically-grounded and anti-capitalist family building. Guided by the belief that intentional preconception that prioritizes ecological reconnection is the key to restoring harmony with the earth and each other, Phoebe's mission is to empower individuals on their journey towards conscious conception.
As you can tell from the bio - there is so much to talk about here!
First we talk about Castor Oil packs and Phoebe explains why they can be a supportive addition to your fertility self care routine. We then dive into her conscious conception work that weaves in rewilding as an antidote to capitalism. Yes, yes, yes. It’s so good.
Here is what we cover in this episode:
Castor oil packs - why, how, and when
What is rewilding and it’s connection to enhanced fertility
How rewilding is the antidote to capitalism
Rewilding as the feminine, and capitalism as masculine
Rewilding in urban areas
Fear and anxiety about the state of the planet and the future we’re leaving for our children
Living the life you want for your future children now
How fear interacts with fertility, the physical body/pelvic floor
Collective Children
Babies are not zero sum
I think you are going to love this episode - you can feel Phoebe’s passion come through as well as her articulate and spot on explanation of rewilding and how it can be so powerful for our fertility. I say it in the episode, but when I read her Wild Conceptions: resisting capitalism through fertility and rewilding - I was so excited because she was able to put into words concepts that I have felt and been trying to explain for so long - but never had the words to explain!
Definitely check out the workbook but also the Pillars of Preconception Free MiniCourse - links below!
Resources:
Wild Conception Workbook: https://wildculture-collective.mn.co/plans/355628?bundle_token=686b45fb21c8d5375ce83805b148bff3&utm_source=manual
Pillars of Preconception Free Minicourse: https://wildculture-collective.mn.co/plans/365920?bundle_token=4bfdbf60459abeecab26c7547b47533e&utm_source=manual
Website: www.phoebelyman.com
IG: @wildculturecollective
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual holistic wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Mindfulness, Meditation & Fertility with Bec Conant
Dealing with fertility can be overwhelming - and one of the ways I believe that you can settle this overwhelm is with a mindfulness practice. And one of the best mindfulness practices around is meditation.
In the world of fertility, we are always looking for ways to support our fertility, yet often we turn to things outside of ourselves - yet there is so much power that comes from within us. And as far as start up costs and accessibility - mindfulness meditation is free and there for when you need it.
I’m excited to bring you this podcast episode because mindfulness and meditation is something that I expose my students and participants in my programs to. In fact I’ve got a new 40 days to fertile freedom group right now and 50% of them chose meditation as their daily practice for 40 days!
There are so many myths, misunderstanding, and misconceptions of what mindfulness is and what meditation is - I thought best to bring in someone who has studied and practiced deeply in meditation and mindfulness.
In this episode I have Bec Conant, a friend, colleague, and mentor who is going to break down all the noise around meditation and mindfulness for you - and of course we talk about how it can be helpful to fertility beyond dealing with overwhelm.
Bec Conant is the Founder and Director of Om Births, an online yoga program designed specifically for expecting and new parents. Bec is a certified 500hr Prenatal Yoga teacher, and Meditation teacher, and has over 25 years experience. She is a certified Pelvic Floor Yoga Teacher and lives in her hometown of Boston MA with her husband and 6 yr old son.
Bec leads the Mommy Sangha. An Online meditation community for moms of all ages and stages designed to incorporate and support a mindfulness practice in the midst of the journey into and through parenthood. She holds meditation teacher certifications from Kaia Yoga and Dharma Moon.
Her book The Om Births Approach was published in 2023 and offers a framework for using yoga and mindfulness to prepare fully for the birth and postpartum experience. Go to the resource list for the link to the book!
Here’s a few highlights from our conversation around fertility and meditation & mindfulness.
Fertility Overwhelm and how mindfulness can help
The Mindfulness and meditation connection
How to ease into a mindfulness practice
Studies on meditation and how they relate to fertility
Building resilience with meditation
Self awareness through mindfulness and meditation
6 meditation myths debunked!
I hope that this episode inspires you to sit, breathe, and make friends with yourself with mindfulness meditation.
Resources:
Bec’s Book: The Om Births Approach
40 Days To Fertile Freedom Program with Kerry
Free Guided Meditations from Kerry
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga – a virtual wellness hub for those going through fertility. She focuses on the mind, body, energy & soul while supporting people in coaching programs, fertility yoga classes, and collaborative workshops.
Sex & Fertility with guest Dr. Mandi Murtaugh PT, DPT
CONTENT WARNING: in this episode, we talk about sex. There is a short conversation about sexual trauma, and we use anatomically correct words for genitalia.
This episode is in the context of heterosexual couples - we acknowledge that same sex and queer couples experience things differently when it comes to sex and how it interacts with fertility. There is however lots of great information on reconnecting with your partner while navigating fertility treatment that is applicable for everyone.
Sex is complicated. Whether it's before you start to build your family, when you’re trying to conceive - all the way through our sexually active years.
When you’re trying to conceive sex becomes regimented, something that needs to happen at a certain time (the want disappears). And if you’re doing IVF, sex is sometimes stopped altogether when you’re doing IVF because there is a fear of a spontaneous pregnancy. Yes - it seems so backwards.
Sex and fertility is something that not a lot of people are talking about - but it’s important. So I’m tackling it today with my amazing guest Mandi Murtaugh. Mandi is a pelvic floor physical therapist, yoga teacher, and heart-centered coach. Inspired by the lived experience of her own long journey to parenthood, she specializes in walking with clients through all stages of family building–from pre-conception through fertility treatment and beyond. She lives in Tacoma, WA with her family.
We talk about A LOT in this episode:
Here are the highlights:
Why more people should be talking about sex and fertility
How society, culture, and upbringing affect views and experiences with sex
The energies of sex - masculine & feminine
The pelvic floor and sex
Painful sex
The nervous system and sex
Trauma and the nervous system
Sexual Trauma and sex, IVF treatment
How IVF affects sex
Regaining connection with partner
The power of touch
Recognizing what you want to receive
Noticing your own rhythms of desire and not relying only on the charts
Mandi approaches these topics in a trauma informed and loving manner - making a taboo topic more approachable and accessible to us all.
Resources:
Season 1, Episode 14 - Naturopathic Medicine and Fertility with Dr. Tiffany Bloomingdale
Mandi’s website: https://www.thresholdscollective.com/meet-mandi
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thresholdscollective
https://www.instagram.com/drmandimurtaugh/
This podcast is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga, a virtual yoga studio that is dedicated to supporting those on their fertility journeys - mind, body, energy + soul.
The patriarchy, people pleasing, and perfection and how they are affecting your fertility
The fertility journey is hard enough as it is without the conscious systemic expectations that we put on ourselves or that society dictates. I don't want this for you or your fertility. By being aware, acknowledging, and making steps to change some of these engrained patterns can have profound affects on your mental, emotional, physical, energetic, and spiritual health. And, of course, your fertility.
I call them the 3Ps - the patriarchy, people pleasing, and perfectionism. Also referred to as the 3 strange bedfellows of fertility.
This episode has a lot of truth bombs in it - so buckle my friends.
I talk about:
Patriarchy
- The patriarchy's view of a woman's worth in society
- The patriarchy and workplace structure and working on 24 hour time lines instead of monthly cycles
- Our society's massive love affair with all things masculine and dismissal of the feminine
- How fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth & parenthood flourish in the feminine
- And how IVF is a masculine
- And what to do about it!
People Pleasing
- what it is and the health issues associated with it
- Why we as those raised female, have people pleasing engrained in us
- What people looks like in fertility
- How to get out of people pleasing tendencies
- Setting boundaries and asking for help
Perfectionism
- a study that showed people who have perfectionism traits have a harder time dealing with fertility and fertility treatment
- those with perfectionism have a higher rate of depression and anxiety
- perfectionism is a life of procrastination & paralysis
- How perfection shows up in fertility
- How to tell perfectionism to piss off
- The 80/20 rule
I am just brushing the surface with this one, but I want to use this episode to demonstrate some of the deep work we are going to be doing in the upcoming 40 Days to Fertile Freedom program!
This is an ongoing program - so check out this link for current dates:
40 days to Fertile Freedom Program
Dr. Gabor Mate - When the Body Says No
Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk - The Body Keeps the Score
Perfectionism & Fertility Study
This podcast is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a yoga studio dedicated to supporting the body, mind, and soul of those going through fertility and fertility treatment.
Fringe Fertility Tip: The 2 Week wait and 4 things to do so it doesn't suck
After so many years supporting those trying to conceive with fertility yoga and mind/body practices - I can tell you, without a doubt, that the 2ww is one of the hardest times. Especially after an IVF cycle or 'really' trying at home.
There is so much anticipation and anxiety (what if I'm not pregnant or what if I am - then what?)
I also have noticed that we are our worst enemies as well during the two week wait. We work against ourselves in so many ways.
In this episode, I'm flying solo again and offering up some more fringe fertility tips.
4 things to do so that your 2ww flies by (or at least doesn't move at glacial speed).
Here's what I discuss in this episode:
- How anxiety and fear are creeping into how we approach the 2ww
- The importance of movement during the 2 ww
- Movement is beneficial not disruptive
- Going outside and getting fresh air - the amazing benefits of doing this
- In the 2ww Create Create Create
- Why Stress Testing is feeding your anxiety not soothing it and what to do instead
I hope that these suggestions will help you in your next 2week wait!
Resources:
If you want to check out some Fertility Yoga during this time - I'm your girl! I'd start at the class library - every class is modified for anytime in the cycle!
Email Sign Up - lots of cool stuff & free things! Who doesn't love free stuff ;)
How Fragrance is Messing with your Fertility - Episode 18
Essential Oils and Fertility Episode 11
A new way to do new years when you're trying to conceive (ep. 20)
The changing of the years is upon us and with the new year comes a whole lot of activity around reflection and setting goals for the new years. When you're trying to conceive - new years are really loaded. You may want to desperately say good riddance to 2023, and am so excited to start fresh in the new year. Or - on the flip side, you may not be ready to say goodbye to 2023 because it is one more year that you were not blessed with your baby. It's hard.
Here is my take on how you, as someone who is trying to conceive, can release 2023 gently and land softly into 2024 - no matter how you feel about resolutions and reflection.
In this episode I talk about what I do every change of the year and why. I talk about drishti, or focus, and how we can gaze at what we already have within ourselves that is positive and how to take it into the new year.
Included in this episode:
- Why, for some, new years resolutions are not the way to go
- What is drishti
- How to set our drishti, or focus, on what we already have create
- The concept of where the attention goes energy flows
- A little about manifesting
- Some examples of setting your drishti for 'finding more joy in your life' and 'eating healthier fertility friendly foods'.
- Turning down the volume on your loudest desires and tuning into the more subtle sensations that you have within
- A beautiful exercise and visualization you can do to imprint all that you have already created into your soul and spirit
I hope that you will find in this episode a gentler way to look at what you'd like to create 'more' of in your life. It's already there - we just need to listen.
Fringe Fertility is brought to by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga- a virtual yoga study that is dedicated to supporting those who are trying to conceive with mind, body + soul practices.
Fringe Fertility Tips: The power of a hug
I’m offering you some quick and effective techniques to support your fertility, calm your nervous system, and release stress in a new episode segment called - Fringe Fertility Tips. After talking to many of you about what you desire and need during your fertility journey, you said you'd like more easy tools that improve your overall life and bring you some joy.
On this episode of Fringe Fertility Tips, I talk about the power of a hug. If the of topic touch is activating to your nervous system - then please check out some of the other great episodes with quick tips - like the fertility clinic stress buster technique (ep 14).
Hugs are an effective way to nourish your fertility and bring some love and joy into life.
But what is the perfect hug and what is happening when we give and receive hugs?
In this episode I break down the ‘anatomy of a hug’ and how it impacts fertility and why you may want to include more hugs into your day.
What is the optimal number of hugs a day
What is the optimal length of time for hugs
The difference between fast touch and slow touch
C-tactile afferents (slow touch nerves) and how they work
The effects of slow touch - indirect effects on fertility
Lowers cortisol & raises oxytocin and endorphins
Decrease anxiety and reactivity to stress
Improved sleep
Improved immunity
Improved overall wellbeing
What about petting your animals?
My experiment of increased hugging
Hugging yourself
The energetics of hugging and good hugs vs bad hugs
My favorite ‘perfect hug’ restorative yoga posture
I hope that you found some tidbits in this episode that will make your life and fertility better.
If you do the hug experiment - please let me know how it goes and what effects you felt! I’m always curious to know what other think.
RESOURCES:
Episode 14: Fertility Clinic Stress Buster Technique
Episode 17: How to do the holidays with Elena Clamen LMHC
Free Protection Meditation: https://fertilebodyyoga.ck.page/4356959116
Join the Email list:https://fertilebodyyoga.ck.page/f281ada0e8
Kerry’s upcoming classes/workshops
Restorative Child's Pose - The perfect hug posture
This podcast is brought to by Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting the body, mind, and soul of those navigating their fertility journeys.
How 'fragrance' is messing with your fertility - with Sarah Michels
Using non-toxic & fertility-friendly products on our bodies and in our home is so important - when you’re trying to conceive AND for your and your family’s overall health.
Endocrine disruptors, especially xeno-estrogens, are running rampant and unregulated in most skin and body products. Studies show that these chemical additives can mess with your reproductive hormones and fertility.
It’s overwhelming to know where to begin - so we want to get to the major offenders first and begin to remove these from the home and stop messing with your reproductive hormones.
One of the biggest offenders is FRAGRANCE.
And that is the main topic of our discussion today.
My guest for this episode is Sarah Michels - she is the brains, beauty, and braun behind Infuse Organics - which makes clean, non-toxic skin and body care products from the herbal and medicinal plants that she grows on her own farm. Sarah and her family work together to create healthy, sustainable, and effective products that keep you and your family safe from harmful chemicals while also keeping you smelling amazing. People all over the US and Canada trust her clean, lovely smelling, and effective products.
Today we untangle the web of self-care products and how they are silently causing our bodies and hormones damage - focusing on one of the main culprits - fragrance. Here is what we touch on:
What is the biggest offender in the CVS aisle
The power of olive oil + essential oils
Why ‘Fragrance’ is so nasty
Xeno-estrogens and phthalates (the nasties)
Fragrance increases cortisol?!?!?
Green Washing in the beauty industry
All the ways that Kerry has been duped by labeling!
The FDAs failure to control the chemicals going into your bath and beauty products
Essential Oils and how they’re different from fragrance
Laundry detergent, shampoo & conditioner, plugins and febreeze
How to remove toxic personal care products step by step
Sarah’s passion for your health and the products she creates really shine through on this episode. If you’re ready to clean up your self care products and don’t know where to start - this is the perfect episode for you. And Sarah’s online store is the perfect place to start! https://www.infuseorganics.com/shop
RESOURCES:
Infuse Organics IG: https://www.instagram.com/infuseorganics/
Website: https://www.infuseorganics.com/shop
Shampoo & Conditioner bars: https://www.infuseorganics.com/hair
Kerry’s Essential Oils for Fertility Blogpost: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/blog/essential-oils-for-fertility-4-ways-to-use-essential-oils-to-support-your-fertility/
Essential Oil Podcast Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oYlpR0ZVc3YA1dPOEoWfQ?si=c873723a89954dcd
Not So Pretty MiniSeries: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13142526/
Blue Water Laundry Products: https://trybluewater.com
Dirty Labs Laundry detergent: https://dirtylabs.com/products/free-clear-bio-laundry-detergent
How to do the holidays when you're TTC
When you’re TTC, dealing with fertility treatment, or infertility - the holidays can be overwhelming. Alongside the increase of social gatherings, is the increase of stress surrounding said gatherings.
Even though this time is particularly hard - there are ways that you can prepare yourself for a more easeful and perhaps joyful holiday season.
It starts with some preparation so that you can have systems in place that are supportive - like setting boundaries for yourself, prioritizing your mental/emotional/physical health as a priority, and finding ways to let the light in.
I called in my friend and colleague Elena Clamen for this episode. She is a licensed mental health counselor and expressive arts therapist in private practice in Massachusetts. The focus of her practice is reproductive mental health. Elena supports women and couples navigating infertility, IVF, donor conception, surrogacy, pregnancy lost, postpartum, and more. She provides both individual and group support. In addition to her clinical work, Elena is an adjunct instructor at Lesley University in the Expressive Arts Therapy Department. She served as a member of the Resolve New England Board from 2008-2021.
Elena offers our listeners great strategies for navigating the holidays so that you are not only surviving, but also enjoying yourself.
Here are some highlights of the tips and tricks we talked about on this episode:
Expectations of the holidays
Control what you can
Set boundaries
Allow yourself to feel joy
Holding joy and grief simultaneously
Creating new traditions
Creating non-negotiable time for yourself (yes! You have the time)
Yoga
Deep Rest
Movement & the power of walking and fresh air
Breathwork
Elena’s compassion and knowledge added so much to this conversation. With these added tips and techniques - we hope that you are able to let some light in this holiday season and have more easeful moments in your gatherings.
If you’re listening to this around the end of November or the beginning December and would like to join the special Holiday Yoga Series with Kerry please come!
Elena runs a weekly primary infertility support group - anyone can join these group sessions. You can contact her at elenaclamenart@yahoo.com.
Fertility Clinic Stress Buster Technique: Blog post / Podcast episode
is brought to by Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting the body, mind, and soul of those navigating their fertility journeys.
Fertility & Coming Home to Your Body with Emily Everton PT DPT
This episode is packed full of so many fertility tips - it’s hard to know where to start! If your relationship with your body isn’t perfect - then this episode is for you. So basically all of us!
I’d especially encourage those who have a relationship with disordered eating, missed periods, pelvic floor dysfunction, unexplained or secondary infertility, and endometriosis to listen - but truly if you’re dealing with fertility and fertility treatment - you will benefit from this episode.
Today’s guest has created a beautiful approach to healing our relationships to our bodies. It is composed of many different techniques, personal experience, and knowledge.
Emily Everton is a holistic Women’s Health Doctor of Physical Therapy and founder of Embody Physical Therapy & Wellness, in Hopkinton, MA.
Emily specializes in Orthopedic and Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy, and is especially passionate about all things menstrual health, fertility, and perinatal care. Emily is a certified Mercier Fertility Specialist and incorporates Mercier Therapy, a deep pelvic organ mobilization technique, into her practice to help women with a variety of conditions including pelvic pain and fertility challenges.
In addition to her work as a PT, Emily is also a Women’s Health coach primarily supporting women with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (missing periods) and irregular menstrual cycles. In her coaching she helps women restore ovulation, get their period back, regulate their menstrual cycles, and assist with fertility.
Though Emily’s work was initially inspired by her own lived experience with disordered eating, orthorexia, RED-S (relative energy deficiency in Sport), Hypothalamic Amenorrhea, infertility, and a poor relationship with her body…she is consistently inspired by the wonderful girls and women she is so fortunate to support on a daily basis.
Here’s what we talked about today’s episode
What is hypothalamic amenorrhea and RED-S
What we interpret as the body not functioning is actually a hint from the body - leading us to the right area to explore and balance
The Vagus nerve and fertility
Why the pelvic floor matters when we’re talking about fertility
The pelvic floor and egg retrievals
A story about releasing my tongue tie and my pelvic floor response!
What is Mercier Therapy and who is it for
Why you may want to throw away your tight jeans
Overall inspiration for how to live in your body in a connected way
I loved having Emily on show! She has a tremendous depth of knowledge around the body and how to cultivate healing in a holistic and transformative way. Her lived experiences inspire her work and you can feel her passion through the airwaves!
If you’re interested in working with Emily in person or virtually - check out her links below.
RESOURCES:
Emily’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyeverton.dpt/
Emily’s Website: https://www.embodyptwell.com/you
Fringe Fertility is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting those on their fertility journeys - mind, body, and soul.
Manifesting Your Miracle Baby with Lisa White
Manifesting has become the new mindfulness - as in, it’s an exciting and interesting way to live your life - and apply to your fertility journey.
But, what is manifesting and how does it work? Can you manifest your miracle baby? Is it instantaneous?
Sometimes we need a little guidance and that is why I brought in Lisa White to the conversation.
Lisa White is a soulful IVF Coach specializing in helping women navigate the emotional ride of IVF with a focus on mindset and energetic support. She is the #1 bestselling author of ‘HOLD ON, BABY – A Soulful Guide to Riding the Ups and Downs of Infertility and IVF.’ She is the host of the SOULFUL IVF Podcast and the creator of the IVF Soul Align Method; A unique framework she personally lived and now guides clients through. Her 22-year background as an Occupational Therapist helps contribute to the holistic lens she brings to her clients in supporting them not only thru IVF but also with life skills in general.
She has been a lifelong practitioner of manifestation and intentional living and applied these same principles on her IVF journey. With one healthy embryo holding on for her and her husband, they beat the odds and found “success” despite a long road of unexpected setbacks and surgeries. Through it all she stayed hopeful and empowered, trusting in the unfolding of it all.
In 2023 she received an award from the European Fertility Society for “Highly Commended” in the Best Fertility Coach category and in 2021 was awarded “Highly Commended” in the Best Fertility Book Category.
And so today, Lisa is going to take you through how you can begin to utilize manifestation in your life and fertility journey!
We cover in this episode:
Lisa’s fertility experiences
What is manifestation
How you can integrate manifestation into your fertility journey
The importance of energetics
Lisa offers a simple exercise to get your manifestation abilities going
Learn a little bit more about finding joy in your life WHILE also tr
I loved having Lisa on the podcast talking about energy and manifesting! Her kindness and positive outlook to the fertility journey is refreshing - without falling into the realm of toxic positivity. We both understand how the fertility journey can seep into all corners of life - and manifesting is one way to find joy in life while also trying to conceive.
Give these a try - I’d love to hear how the manifesting goes! Drop us a DM on IG - @fertilebodyyoga
RESOURCES:
Lisa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivf.manifesting.a.miracle/
https://ivfmanifestingamiracle.com/’s Website
This podcast is brought to from https://fertilebodyyoga.com/ - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting the body, mind, and soul of those navigating their fertility journeys.
What I wish I knew before starting IVF (Part 1)
Entering the world of IVF is overwhelming. And many of us enter the fertility treatment world under prepared for what is to come. I often hear from many students that they wish that someone had told them what it would be like, or how it would affect their lives.
There is a step missing in the world of IVF as many people walk into that office not knowing what will happen and how they can make their journey less overwhelming and all encompassing.
When you go to the fertility doctor - they are taking over the mechanics of making babies. But that embryo will be placed in your body to find its new home - so YOU are still important. Your mental/emotional health, your physical health, and your spiritual and energetic health.
Well - I have for you over 2 episodes - 8 things I wish I knew before starting IVF. I’m here to give you that heart to heart you deserve.
My hope is to empower you to transform your experience with IVF to being more informed, in agency of your choices, and experience more ease as you accept the path you’re on and find joy in life while TTC. And really that is what Fertile Body Yoga and the Fringe Fertility Podcast is all about.
Here is what we tackle in this first episode:
Why it’s important to understand what IVF entails
Understanding that IVF is not a guarantee nor is it easy or something you ‘just do’
How managing expectations can balance emotionality
Why we give up our power to doctors and why we shouldn’t
Finding acceptance so that you can surrender and go with the flow instead of fighting it
This is such an important conversation to have and I’m so glad I get to share with you my insights that I gathered - AFTER the fact - in hopes that they will support you now in your experiences with IVF.
RESOURCES:
Original BlogPost: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/blog/8-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-ivf/
Kerry’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fertilebodyyoga/
Join the next Fertility Yoga Series: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/fertility-yoga/fertility-yoga-classes/
Fringe Fertility is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting those on their fertility journeys - mind, body, and soul.
The Fertility Clinic Stress Buster Technique
Does the thought of going to the fertility clinic and sitting in the waiting room activate your stress response? If, so you definitely not alone.
Today's episode I take you through my tried and tested Fertility Clinic Stress Buster Technique.
Added bonus - after explaining what we're doing in the technique and why - I will guide you through the practice (with music some chill music) so that you can experience it with a guide. You can then do it yourself or do the recording again.
The guided breath and visualizations starts at...13:36
Resources:
Essential Oils and Fertility Blog Post
This podcast is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to providing mind + body support to those on their fertility journeys.
Naturopathic Medicine and Fertility with Dr. Tiffany Bloomingdale ND
Have you ever wondered how a Naturopathic Doctor could help you on your fertility journey? Or how an ND is different from an MD and why would you want to go to a Naturopath? Well - in this episode we’re going explore the world of Naturopathy and why you may want to consider seeing an ND when you’re TTC.
On the episode today I have Dr. Tiffany Bloomingdale of Avant-Garde Healing Arts. She is a licensed naturopathic doctor practicing in the Seattle area. She is passionate about women’s health and the perinatal and postpartum care. She is also a yoga teacher and was a yoga student of mine.
We talk about a lot in this episode:
Her story of pregnancy loss and honoring her fertility journey
We detail the difference between an allopathic doctor and a naturopathic doctor
Tiffany outlines what she would do as an ND if a 39 year old woman walks into her office with a history of infertility, had gone through multiple rounds of IVF, had been pregnant once and miscarried
What her go to lab work is for patients
As a homeopathic doctor - she explains what homeopathy is and how it works
This was such an interesting conversation and one that we don’t hear about a lot in the fertility world. Tiffany’s honesty about her miscarriage and transformative journey left me in tears - but I hope that you can find inspiration in her words.
If what you’ve been doing isn’t working - it’s time to look down different pathways for different support. As Tiffany says, her office is often the last stop for people after years of allopathic medicine - what a world it would be if we went to an ND first to heal our whole selves…before trying to fix only the symptoms of a foundation problem.
RESOURCES:
Tiffany’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avantgardehealingarts/
Tiffany’s Website: https://drtiffanybloomingdale.com/
Kerry’s Pregnancy Loss Yoga Program: https://studio.fertilebodyyoga.com/product/16686/about
Essential Oils & Fertility: 4 Ways to use essential oils to support your fertility
Using essential oils is becoming more and more common, even though a couple decades ago they were considered a fringe practice. Perhaps you’re curious about essential oils or have used them before, but now that you’re trying to conceive, you’re unsure where to begin. With all the blog posts and information on the internet, it’s hard to know what’s what!
Using essential oils in your home and on your body has become more common, but, when dealing with infertility and fertility treatments, it’s hard to know what is safe for fertility, what is actually positively affecting fertility, and also which oils to stay away from. Even though, as I’m sure you have guessed, essential oils are not going to directly cure infertility or get you pregnant, but they can be very supportive through secondary pathways.
I’m here to guide you in using essential oils for your fertility! I love essential oils and use them all the time in my home and on my body. I used them when I was going through my fertility journey and found them to be very supportive. I also recommend to my yoga students while doing fertility yoga, do diffuse some oils - ones that they find calming.
Here is what we are going to talk about today!
What essential oils are
Which essential oils are supportive to fertility & which ones are best to leave out of your blends
4 ways to use EOs for fertility support
Fertility Massage Oils
Going non-toxic in the home & on your body
Mental & Emotional support specific to fertility
Essential Oils as an aphrodisiac
Kerry’s special blends for fertility support
Best practices of essential oils and precautions
A starter kit for you if you’d like to dive in!
As you can tell - I love talking about essential oils and all the ways we can use them to support fertility.
Resources:
Original blog post: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/blog/essential-oils-for-fertility-4-ways-to-use-essential-oils-to-support-your-fertility/
Fertility Massage information: https://natural-fertility-info.com/fertility-massage
Connecting with your Spirit Baby with guest Justine Cohen
When it comes to dealing with fertility challenges - big questions inevitably arise: Why me? What am I doing wrong? Why is this taking so long? I’m doing everything right, and I’m still not pregnant!? These are big spiritual questions that western medicine can’t help you with. So where to turn? Spirit Babies of course! Connecting with your Spirit Baby CAN help with answering these questions.
There is mystery surrounding Spirit Babies - What are they? How do we connect with them? Do I have a Spirit Baby? All valid questions - and we are here to answer them!
In this episode I am talking again with Justine Cohen all about Spirit Babies and how our upcoming workshop (held twice a year) is a perfect way to ease into the Spirit Baby Realm.
Justine Cohen is a psychic medium in the fertility space, specializing in spirit babies. She's a priestess and ceremonialist, initiated in the energies of Ancient Egypt and the Celtic Magdalen. She provides connection to spirit babies, spiritual womb healing, feminine embodiment, and personal transformation. She's also a plant medicine co-facilitator and currently lives in Los Angeles.
And so today, Justine is going to take you through how you can begin to create connections with your spirit babies in your daily life, as well as describe how spirit babies show up earthside. I also share my experiences with spirit babies and why I love sharing this work with my students.
What we talk about!
What are spirit babies
Kerry’s first encounter with Spirit Babies and how it shifted her fertility journey from one of frustration and anger - to acceptance and patience
Creating a fertility team effort with yourself, spirit baby, and partner (if you’re TTC with one)
Do you have spirit babies only during your fertile years? Or do you have them before and after?
Kerry talks about her Spirit Baby reading with Justine
Why connecting with Spirit Baby before you’re pregnant is so important
Connecting with your Spirit Baby after pregnancy loss or still birth
Workshop info - September 23rd, 2023 - 10am PT/1pm ET includes a 2 hour group event PLUS a private reading with Justine
I always love talking with Justine because she brings so much hope and clarity to the fertility journey. We know that dealing with fertility issues is so so so hard on the body, mind, and soul - and Spirit Babies can be an amazing way to start to release some of the heaviness and bring a deeper perspective to your journey - going beyond the body and into spirit.
RESOURCES:
Justines’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinemariecohen/
Justine’s Website: https://www.justine-cohen.com/
Spirit Baby Connection & Fertility Yoga Workshop with Private Reading: September 23rd, 10am PT/1pm ET - Livestreamed & Recorded: https://studio.fertilebodyyoga.com/product/63245/about
Fertility & Perimenopause with Jennifer Redmond
In today’s episode, my guest Jennifer Redmond and I talk about 2 things that no one loves talking about - perimenopause and fertility & how these two things interact.
This is an important topic - for all women - for those that haven’t entered peri-menopause yet, for those TTC, and for those that will be a new mom in their early/mid forties.
There is a ton of valuable information and insights in this episode. So definitely take a listen, even if you think it doesn’t apply to you.
Jennifer Redmond empowers women to take a 360-degree view of their wellness and helps them implement customized dietary and lifestyle changes to boost fertility or manage (peri)menopause. A fertility and hormonal health expert, she is a Certified Integrative Nutrition Coach and graduate of the Women’s Functional and Integrative Medicine Professional Training Program. Formerly, as the co-founder and editor-in-chief of FertilityAuthority, and the Director of Communications for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association she has literally written and edited thousands of articles on fertility and women’s hormonal health. Jennifer is also the Board President of Resolve New England, where she leads a Childfree after Infertility Support Group.
What we cover in this episode:
Why we should be talking about perimenopause and fertility
What are the signs and symptoms of perimenopause
Jennifer’s nutritional tips for hormonal health - for supporting fertility & perimenopause
Being a mother to young children while going through perimenopause and how it’s different
The mental/emotional effects of hormonal change
Why we shouldn’t fear perimenopause and instead notice it’s subtle changes
How to support yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally through hormonal shifts
I really enjoyed recording this episode with Jennifer. Her wealth of knowledge and experience with hormonal health is so deep and her positive and warm energy made this somewhat taboo topic easy to talk about!
If this episode spoke to you - I hope that you will check out what Jennifer has to offer for hormonal health support - for fertility and perimenopause! Also remember that a consistent nurturing yoga practice can help to balance hormones and support your fertility and any transitions you may be going through.
RESOURCES:
Jennifer’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennredmondinhc/
Jennifer’s Website: https://jennredmond.com/
Fertility Yoga Classes: https://studio.fertilebodyyoga.com/shop
Tales of IVF Abroad with Jen Edmonds
IVF is overwhelming, and doing fertility treatments abroad adds a whole new layer of intricacies and stress! More and more people are either travelling overseas to do treatment, or for others, they happen to find themselves living in a different country and then choose to do fertility treatment.
There are new languages and cultures to navigate, miscommunications, and isolation to deal with.
I did my fertility treatment in Germany as a North America and my special guest - Jen Edmonds did her treatments in Thailand and Dubai as an Australian!
Jen is a fellow fertility yoga teacher and supporter and space holder of those on their fertility journeys. Her story is full of rich insight on doing fertility treatment away from home. Originally a pilates teacher, her IVF journey led her to fertility yoga - first as a student, then as a practitioner and she has a wonderful online yoga studio where she connects with people all over the world.
And so today, Jen is going to take us on the roller coaster ride of her fertility experiences in Thailand, Sydney, and Dubai. For those that find yourself in this situation - I hope you will find some wisdom and comradery in our discussion!
We talked about:
+ Doing IVF in a different culture
+ Navigating language barriers and miscommunications
+ Laughable moments (now! Not then)
+ Advice for those doing IVF away from their homeland
+ The costs of doing IVF in different countries
+ How to support yourself when doing IVF aboad
We had a great time recording this episode and Jen’s insight and openness is what made this
conversation so powerful. We hope you love listening to it!
Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @fertilebodyyoga and don’t forget to subscribe and like to Fringe Fertility!
RESOURCES:
+ Jen’s Instagram: jen.elementpilatesyoga
+ https://www.elementpilatesyoga.com/
5 Common Yoga Mistakes People Make When TTC
As a yoga teacher that specializes in fertility yoga - I’ve seen a lot over the last 7 years. And there are definitely pitfalls that I see time and time again that people make with their yoga practices when they are TTC.
Are you possibly falling into any of them?
If you have a yoga practice already, or are contemplating starting one while dealing with fertility issues, then this episode is for you!
Today, I’m going to take you through the common mistakes that I see people make with their yoga practices while they are TTC.
+ To hot yoga or to not hot yoga? That is the question...
+ Should I put my practice on hold?
+ Are you going with the flow of nature?
+ What are your expectations about how yoga can help fertility?
+ Is this something to try and figure out yourself?
My intent with this episode was not to make people feel bad or to shame anyone into thinking they are doing anything harmful or wrong. The insight you gain from listening can transform your yoga practice into a more fertility supporting activity!
Don’t forget to follow and like! So many great episodes coming up!
Share your thoughts with us on Instagram @fertilebodyyoga
Ready to jump in with a seasoned teacher? Check out Fertile Body Yoga and start your fertility yoga journey!
Resources referenced during the episode:
Is Hot Yoga Bad for Your Fertility
Research on Fertility, Stress, and Yoga
Spirit Babies with Justine Cohen
Taking care of your spiritual and energetic health is an important piece of the fertility puzzle. While trying to conceive, some tend to focus most of their energy on the physical body. Yet when we start to begin our fertility path, many questions start to arise that the tangible and physical can’t explain.
Spirit Babies are an amazing way to connect with your future child and to bring some peace and understanding to the journey. A way to feel less isolated and alone as you do all that you can to bring your baby earthside.
So you’re interested in spirit babies, but where to begin? Spirit babies are intriguing and more and more people who are trying to conceive are starting to seek guidance on how to connect with their spirit babies.
The best place to start is right here with this podcast!
Justine Cohen, the Spirit Baby Lady, is a spirit baby medium and womb healer. She provides personal one-on-one spirit baby readings, as well as workshops from coast to coast of the US.
Every year, Justine and I offer an online Spring and Fall Spirit Baby and Fertility Yoga Workshop.
Join me and Justine as we dive into the realm of spirit babies and all they have to offer you on your fertility journey!
In this podcast we discuss a lot!
What are spirit babies?
Why I love spirit babies as a companion to the fertility journey
How to connect to your spirit baby
What happens with spirit babies after pregnancy loss or termination
What are the signs of spirit babies
How to know if you have a spirit baby
We had a great time recording this episode and Justine’s wise, warm, and positive energy is what made the conversation so enlightening. We know trying something new and unknown can be extremely intimidating (especially when you are trying so many things for your fertility!) but this is truly the time to embrace exploring fertility beyond the physical body. There is more to the story ;)
If your mind and heart is open to connecting with your spirit baby, then this is the perfect episode to tune into. Listen and don’t forget to share your thoughts with us on Instagram @fertilebodyyoga, leave a comment, and follow us!
Enjoy!
RESOURCES:
See when the next workshop is: https://fertilebodyyoga.com/fertility-yoga/workshops-events/
Justine’s Website: https://www.justine-cohen.com/abou
Justine’s IG account: https://www.instagram.com/spiritbabylady/
Link to Spirit Babies Book by Walter Makichen
Endometriosis - a 27 year journey with Guest Heather Smidt
Endometriosis has been misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and dismissed by many in the medical field for far too long. There are millions of women walking this earth in pain and not getting the help they need and deserve. And that needs to change!
Endometriosis is also a common barrier to conception and pregnancy - and that’s why we’re talking about this today.
In today’s episode, I interviewed my first guest! Health Smidt of Wanderwell Acupuncture. She is an acupuncturist, massage therapist, reiki master, cranial sacral therapist, and fertility expert.
Heather is also an endowarrior and has extensively researched, treated herself and others with acupuncture, and is an advocate for endometriosis awareness.
This episode is for EVERYONE - especially helpful for those with unexplained infertility, multiple losses, or multiple failed IVF rounds. Plus - perhaps you have been minimizing the pain and suffering you go through during your period and could possibly have endo.
Here’s what we talk about in this episode:
What endometriosis is and isn't
What sorts of surgeries and diagnostic procedures are available
The intersection of endometriosis and fertility
We hear Heathers CRAZY story of dealing with endo for 27 years before getting a diagnosis
How to treat Endometriosis holistically
Where to find trustworthy and helpful information about endometriosis
I loved having Heather on the podcast! She really is one of my favorite humans in the world - so full of knowledge and compassion for this community. If you live in the Boston area - go get a total reset!
Resources:
https://wanderwellacupuncture.com/
https://www.mountauburnhospital.org/care-treatment/womens-health/gynecology/endometriosis-treatment/
This podcast is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting the body, mind, and soul of those navigating their fertility journeys.
Kerry's Fertility Story
Infertility, pregnancy loss, and IVF can be extremely overwhelming - on so many levels. I get it because I have my own story. Here’s my fertility story.
Not knowing you’re alone in your struggles provides a sense of relief and a decrease in isolation. This provides the body with a little exhale - releasing a little bit of stress, allowing your body, mind, and soul to be a little lighter - a little more receptive.
Providing listeners with a tools to become their most fertile selves is why I do this!
In this episode, I talk about:
+ Doing IVF in a foreign country
+ My experience with pregnancy loss and a D&C
+ Coming to the point of surrender
+ Becoming pregnancy with no intervention - twice
+ How yoga supported my through the journey
Even listening to this episode returns me to a place of great turmoil, internally and externally. Like you may be feeling now, dealing with infertility, fertility treatments, and all the things it comes with, is exhausting and leads us on a journey of self discovery.
Let’s do some yoga together - check out what’s coming up in the virtual studio.
Follow me on Instagram @fertilebodyyoga
Here’s the original blog post! Kerry’s Fertility Story
Fertility, Ayurveda, and Your Dosha
Taking care of yourself to benefit your fertility and reproductive health can be overwhelming. There is so much on the internet to explore, it’s hard to know what is right for you. You may also wonder why something worked for one person and not another.
Even though much of fertility can be a shared experience, an individual’s fertility is - well - highly individual. We’re all different, and so are our fertility factors, lifestyles, cultures, beliefs, and experiences. That’s why one all-encompassing “perfect” program for fertility doesn’t exist. Not even IVF is perfect.
So…where should one focus?
Luckily, yoga and ayurveda have offered us a framework for working with individual differences - while also simplifying them into categories.
In this episode of Fringe Fertility, Kerry talks about the different Doshas (Kapha, Pitta, Vata) and how to determine what your predominant dosha is.
Once you figure this out you can begin to approach your fertility through a doshic lens so that you can better understand what will serve YOU the best.
That there is a perfect fertility program out there for you!
Take a listen to begin to understand your dosha and how it will affect your fertility - physically, emotionally, and energetically.
What we cover:
What is a dosha?
What is my predominant dosha?
Vata Dosha and Fertility
Pitta Dosha and Fertility
Kapha Dosha and Fertility
Dosha management for optimal fertility
Ayurveda is an ancient and wise healing and life modality - and definitely worth your time to learn about.
RESOURCES:
The Fringe Fertility Podcast is brought to you by Kerry Hinds and Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to supporting the mind, body, and soul those on their fertility journey.
Is hot yoga bad for your fertility?
If you do hot yoga, you may be wondering…Is hot yoga bad for my fertility?
You may have a hot yoga practice and are also trying to conceive and curious about whether you should put your hot practice on hold. Or maybe you’re doing IVF and really want to improve your chances of a successful cycle.
You might hear some conflicted advice on this one. And Kerr is here to give you a yogic perspective - since of course we are talking about yoga.
In this episode Kerry unpacks hot yoga and fertility and how you can approach your yoga practice to truly boost your fertility.
- When is hot yoga ok?
- A quick refresher on stress and fertility
- Stress Response and Hot Yoga
- Hot Yoga and the 2WW
- The energetics of hot yoga and fertility
- Why it’s hard to give up hot yoga for the benefit of your fertility
- Aligning your yoga practice with your fertility
This is a question that I get so often when I have hot yoga students arrive in a fertility yoga class. It’s a great question and one that needs to be addressed as more and more hot yoga classes are being offered and more and more people are doing it!
If you’re ready to make a mindset shift into yoga for fertility benefits - then check out what’s coming up in the studio.
Resources:
The Science of Stress and Fertility
Stress & Fertility with Dr. Alison Zimon of CCRM
This episode is brought to you from Kerry Hinds of Fertile Body Yoga - a virtual yoga studio dedicated to support the mind, body, and spirit of those going through their fertility journeys.
Increase Feminine Energy with Fertility Yoga
Fertility Treatment and people offering fertility support has recently become more and more widespread, available, and state of the art.
Having different avenues to boosting fertility is excellent. But there’s no denying that having all that information can be a little… overwhelming.
We’re all different and that’s why one all-encompassing “perfect” fertility routine doesn’t exist.
That being said, there are some basic guidelines we can follow when we dive into the world of fertility and all the options out there.
Supporting those who are trying to conceive holistically is what I’m all about here at Fertile Body Yoga. Especially when it comes to your energetic and subtle body!
And so today, I begin to unpack feminine energy and why it’s so important to embrace during your fertility journey.
- The energy of the western world & IVF
- How feminine energy is fertile energy
- How to cultivate more feminine energy in your life
- What are the different feminine and masculine energies
I had fun revisiting and bringing some life to this popular past blog post! I know that sometimes embracing the subtler sides of existence is seen to many as ‘out there’ or ‘too woo hoo’ - but really, we are constantly connecting with energy, why not be purposeful on the energy we put around us! Especially when we are trying to conceive and doing fertility treatment.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the things to do, then this is the perfect episode for you! Tune in, and don’t forget to share your thoughts with us on Instagram @fertilebodyyoga and don’t forget to follow or comment on this podcast!
RESOURCES:
Original blog post: Increase Feminine Energy with Fertility Yoga
https://fertilebodyyoga.com/blog/fertility-yoga-feminine-energy/