Factors contributing to infertility

• Imbalance of the doshas [the three bio-energetic forces that govern the functionality of your body]
• Poor nutrition of reproductive tissues due to sluggish digestion, increase in toxins or under nourishment
• Overindulgence in sexual activity can deplete the quality of reproductive tissue and cause impotency
• Suppression of sexual urges for long periods can lead to decrease in libido in the long term
• Eating excessive spicy, salty and hot foods could increase pitta dosha
• Physical, mental and emotional stress
• Compromised immunity
• Nervous system imbalances

The journey of a new life

Conception takes place when there is a meeting of healthy sperm and ovum in a healthy uterus. The sperm and egg are the seeds of creation called the ‘bija’ or the ‘shukra dhatu’. This is the last of seven body tissues to be nourished after plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone and bone marrow/nerves. Healthy tissue formation is dependent on the ability to properly digest food, thoughts and emotions, be free of toxins and have balanced doshas [vata, pitta, kapha]. The end result of tissue nourishment is known as ojas or the essence of vitality and immunity. It is no surprise then that the healthier the ojas the better the quality of sperm and egg.

Strong digestive health is the root of producing healthy bija for both men and women. An ayurvedic fertility program can be broken into a 3 stage process over approximately 6 – 8 months. The first phase comprises of cleansing processes of the mind and body followed by a period of rejuvenation to strengthen the body tissues and then comes the conception phase. I advise you to consult an ayurvedic physician for personalised guidance but this article will give you a brief idea of what to expect.

Phase 1: Cleansing

Cleansing the body is one of the key points in ayurveda. This step tailor made considering the environment, gender, age, temperament and family history of both partners. The spring and autumn months especially support the process of cleansing.

Cleansing starts with improving digestion to prevent toxins known as ‘ama’ from building and ensure that optimum nutrition is absorbed from the foods eaten. This process helps the body eliminate toxins.

Panchakarma [five ayurvedic purification methods] would be recommended for deeper cleansing. This period of gentle cleansing over 12 – 14 weeks would include:

• Eating consciously and according to your hunger
• Eating well cooked and easy to digest foods
• Plenty of fresh seasonal vegetables, whole grains and legumes
• Cut back on all processed and fried foods
• Limit gluten, dairy, meats, sugars, alcohol and caffeine
• Invigorate the body with warm oil abhyanga [body massages]
• Engage in gentle exercise and yoga
• Engage in pranayama and meditation
• Refrain from sexual activity, to conserve energy
• Women could add a decoction made of ashoka to their bath water. Ashoka helps to release physical and mental pain
• Digestive compounds such as triphala, hinguwastak, trikatu and avipattikar are useful
• Around weeks 5 – 10, you can consult a practitioner for Panchakarma, include fasting days and a mono diet of khichdi
• After the deeper cleanse you can resume the gentle cleanse

Cleansing is not only limited to the physical body but also involves letting go of emotions that don’t serve you:

• Release negative emotions – anger, resentment, past hurt, grief and any emotional burden. Lighten up your heart!
• Discuss and let go of any dysfunctional patterns that don’t serve your relationship with your partner and express your gratitude for each other. This will encourage emotional closeness and bonding.
• Free your mind of the guilt, a common emotion that most women feel when faced with infertility. Let go of doubts, expectations and pressures to conceive. Affirmations are a great way to assist this process.

Phase 2: Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation known as ‘Rasayana therapy’ is intended to build ojas by nourishing the body, bringing doshas into balance, strengthening the body tissues and restoring normal bodily functions, particularly ovulation.

Both partners would benefit from following a restorative whole foods diet [sattvic] and lifestyle suited to their constitution. You would do well to choose:

• Seasonal fruits [pears, peaches, mango, plums, raisins, figs, dates, grapes, coconut, pomegranate]
• Grains such as basmati rice and quinoa and lentils such as mung
• Dairy proteins including milk, buttermilk, paneer, ghee
• Nuts and seeds including almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
• Spices including cardamom, nutmeg, saffron, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric, fennel, carom
• Vegetables such as asparagus, sweet potato, broccoli, squash, carrot, beetroot
• Nurture your relationship with your partner with open communication, sharing more love and joy
• Engage in nourishing self care and self love practices such as massage with ashwagandha oil
• Nourish yourself by spending time in nature, especially near water
• Continue to engage in strengthening yoga postures

For women it is important to take mental and physical rest during menstruation and otherwise keep active. Spices such as turmeric and carom [ajwain] are good for keeping the uterine organs cleansed. Ghee is an extremely supportive ingredient. Reduce intake of processed carbohydrates and fats and increase natural proteins along with small amounts of barley with milk. For the male partner, a sattvic diet with an increased quantity of milk, ghee, rice and nuts will be helpful.

Phase 3: Conception

Few months on and your body should feel ready for conception now. Here are a few more tips to get you through the final phase:

• Continue to have a nourishing diet to build ojas and prevent ama
• Timing – many apps are now available to guide you to optimal days around your ovulation. Intercourse 3 – 4 days either side of ovulation increases your chance of conception
• Create a peaceful environment with candles or incense with essential oils that please your senses
• The best position for conceiving is with the woman lying on her back
• After intercourse, drink a cup of warm milk with spices such as saffron, cardamom and ground almond
• Conserve your sexual energy during the non-fertile period
• Avoid intercourse whilst in a negative emotional state, if suffering from compromised immunity, menstruation or if you have overeaten.

Herbs for fertility support

Fertility supporting herbs and tonics such as shatavari [asparagus racemosus], ashwagandha [withania somnifera], ashoka [saraca asoca], kappikachu [Mucuna pruriens], aloe vera and triphala amongst others are highly rejuvenating, promote hormonal balance and encourage production of reproductive fluids – consult your practitioner for safe use. There are also supportive herbal jams chyawanprash and brahmi avaleha, phala grtam.

Yoga and meditation for enhanced fertility

Breathing techniques such as nadi shodhana, ujjayi pranayama and various meditations can help you relax. Yoga postures such as padmasana [lotus pose] can increase the blood flow to the perineum and activate the lower chakras, muladhara [root] and svadisthana [sacral] that govern the sexual functions. Pelvic floor exercises can also enhance circulation to the reproductive organs.

Over and above all, enjoy the process and be patient. It should not add any stress or discomfort. Be connected to your intuition and allow yourself to be guided by that.

The post Tips to boost your fertility with ayurveda appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Estimates suggest that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome [PCOS] affects 5 – 10 per cent of women of reproductive age. The symptoms of PCOS are any or all of the following: hair fall, irregular menstruation, acne, pimples, baldness, dandruff, miscarriage, facial hair, weight gain, high blood pressure and sugar imbalances due to insulin resistance. PCOS also increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, anxiety disorder, depression and uterine cancer.

But every problem has an inherent solution. The good news is that a regulated and disciplined lifestyle can reverse this problem. “PCOS is growing like an epidemic due to faults in the lifestyle, especially, in young girls. It can be completely kept under control without any complications through yoga, right diet and a healthy lifestyle,” says Dr Sudeshna Ray, Mumbai-based gynaecologist.

PCOS increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, anxiety disorder, depression and uterine cancer

Let’s look at how yoga can help to manage PCOS

To treat PCOS, it is important to focus on the postures which help direct oxygen rich blood to the reproductive organs. Hence, all the asanas which are meant to stretch and expand the lower back and hips will fall in this category.

Prasarita Padotanasana

[wide legged forward bend]: Stand with your feet wide apart [4 – 5ft], bend forward to place your palms on the floor, inhale, raise your head up to get a concave back, bend your elbows, exhale and place your crown in between your palms. Maintain the posture with normal breathing for a while. Here’s a video to help you do the pose correctly.

Benefits of Prasarita Padotanasana:

• Stimulates your liver, kidneys, calves, hips, groin, knees and spine.
• Calms the mind and releases muscular stiffness.

Upavista Konasana

Sit with your legs stretched in front of you and spread as far apart as possible. Start bending forward as per your comfort, while exhaling. Your aim should be to finally touch your head to the floor and your hands to your toes.

Watch the video below of Upavista Konasana

Benefits of Upavista Konasana:

• Stretches and strengthens your hips, lower spine, and muscles from the upper chest to the pelvis.
• Helps the pelvic floor get increased blood supply.
• Eases the pain of sciatica, regularises menstrual flow, stimulates ovaries, and stretches hamstrings.
• Recommended during pregnancy as well.

Baddhakonasana

Sit with your feet in Namaste position [soles touching] for 1 – 2 minutes. Slowly bend forward and get into a comfortable, relaxed position as shown in the picture. Watch this video on how to do Baddhakonasana

Benefits of Baddhakonasana:

• Helps direct blood flow to the abdomen and pelvis thereby stimulating the abdominal organs, ovaries, uterus, bladder and kidneys.
• Helps with sciatica, menstrual irregularity, high blood pressure, asthma, infertility, depression and fatigue.
• Recommended for pregnant woman.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, asanas like utthita trikonasana, utthita parsavakonasana, paschimottanasana and adhomukha svasana are also beneficial. Additionally, the practice of Surya Namaskar alone can bring tremendous benefits and help keep weight in check. Surya Namaskar is a series of 12 postures which stretches and flexes the complete spine, works on the arms and the legs and internal organs and glands.

According to some schools of thought, it is best to avoid inversion postures if you have PCOS.

the practice of suryanamaskar alone can bring tremendous benefits and help keep weight in check

Managing the stress that comes with PCOS

Stress can be a cause of PCOS and also a result of it. Activating your parasympathetic nervous system with restorative postures, correct breathing and pranayama can help manage stress. Pranayamas promote deep relaxation and hormonal balance bringing adrenal and cortisol levels within control.

Ujjayi Pranayama [victory breathing]

Performed at the basic level, one needs to sit upright, and inhale and exhale while constricting the throat. You will hear ‘sa’ sound during inhalation and exhalation.

Benefits of Ujjayi Pranayama:

• Expands your lungs fully so that you utilise your lung capacity to the optimum.
• Generates vital energy, tones and soothes the nervous system, and balances high BP.

Nadi Shodhan Kriya [alternate nostril breathing]

This is popularly known as anulom vilom. You block your right nostril with your right thumb, inhale from the left nostril, then block left nostril with right ring and little finger, release right nostril and exhale. Then inhale from the right nostril, block right nostril again with right thumb, release left nostril and exhale from left nostril. This is one cycle.

Benefits of Nadi Shodhan Kriya:

A few cycles of anulom vilom where you are breathing mindfully can calm your mind, increase oxygen level in the body, relieve fatigue, strain and weakness and also lower high blood pressure.

Mudras for PCOS

These are hand gestures that can be held while doing pranayamas or at any other times during the day.

1. Gyan Mudra or Jnana Mudra is the mudra of wisdom. This mudra is performed by joining together the tips of the thumb and the index finger. Performing this mudra helps to increase will power. It also balances the function of the various glands and stabilises hormonal disorders. It is beneficial in sleeping disorders. Do this for 15 minutes daily.

2. Yoni Mudra is performed by joining the thumbs and the index fingers of both hands and interlocking the other fingers. Thumbs will face the ceiling and index fingers will be facing the floor. This mudra is specially designed for woman and helps to relieve PMS, periods irregularity and excess bleeding during periods. Do this for 30 minutes followed by 5 – 10 minutes of Pran Mudra.

3. Pran Mudra is performed by joining the tips of little fingers and ring fingers with the tips of the thumb. It helps reduce tension, anger and irritability. Also relieves skin rashes, improves eyesight and removes impurities from blood. Do this for 10 minutes daily.

Follow the whole series whenever convenient during the day.

Lifestyle management is the key to PCOS management. Hence, look at each aspect of your life, manage it positively and you will be relieved of this health concern.

If you have any further questions about how to manage PCOS with yoga, I will be happy to answer them for you. You may post your questions on ‘Ask Shammi’ segment on www.shammisyogalaya.com.

A version of this article was first published in the February 2016 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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Preparing ourselves, our family members and our close friends for the arrival of the adopted child helps to create a positive and welcoming environment for the child to nurture in.

I am a firm believer that adoption is just another way of getting a baby into the family—just as some babies are conceived naturally and some by IVF; some are born through normal delivery and others through Caesarian section. What the baby will become depends entirely on the parenting that he or she receives after adoption. Hence, not only prospective adoptive parents, but also their extended family members and close friends need to be educated on what adoption entails.

Keep these in mind for a happy adoption

Are you planning to adopt a child? Here’s what you can do to make your process a smooth and enjoyable one:

1. Prospective adoptive parents should go through extensive counselling and introspection and should gain awareness about all aspects of adoption. It is important that both parents should be on the same wavelength about their willingness to adopt, when they will adopt and where they will adopt their child from. You may have your doubts cleared from social workers as well as from those who have adopted children earlier. For adoption counselling you can register yourself here.
2. Once you are sure about going ahead, you should ponder over and decide who you need to inform and bring in the loop, on a “need-to-know” basis. Sparing a few exceptions, the grandparents always figure first in the list and your siblings should be included as far as possible. Most adoption agencies require an undertaking from a relative or a close friend who will commit to take care of the child if something were to happen to both adoptive parents. This person or couple should be consulted in depth at every stage so that their commitment is complete.
3. The method of informing relatives should be like a happy announcement—the same way you would inform if it was a pregnancy. If the couple appears confident and happy, the other family members also feel reassured and their doubts are reduced. Nevertheless you should be open to questions and doubts from others—particularly the prospective grandparents. Being of an older generation they may have conservative thinking and their apprehensions should be addressed in a patient manner.
4. If some relatives have lingering doubts about your decision, they must be reassured that you are perfectly confident and clear that you wish to go ahead, and that you would be very happy to have their blessings.

It is now a universally accepted fact that a child should be told that she is adopted right from the beginning, even before she is old enough to comprehend what adoption is. This way she grows up with the concept, the same way as she grows up knowing that she is a girl, an Indian, a vegetarian, etc. This ensures that there are no sudden shocks or questions in the child’s mind, and since adoption is mentioned freely, the child also accepts it as a way of life without getting any doubts that she is different or inferior.

It is now a universally accepted fact that a child should be told that she is adopted right from the beginning

Hence it’s also a good idea to request your close relatives to bring up the topic of adoption in earshot of the child, maybe showing their joy that they are so happy that she came into the family via adoption and how she is adding great joy to the entire family.

Common concerns

Here are some common concerns that well-meaning relatives may have regarding adoption and how you can address them:

Q. Will the couple be able to love a child who is not their own?

Answer: The child becomes ‘your own’ just after adoption. Many couples who have both biological and adopted children are unable to differentiate their love between them.

Q. What if the child develops some diseases or disabilities later in life, which may not be known at the time of adoption?

Answer: Any child, biological or adopted, has a possibility of any illness or developmental disability. If the same couple had a biological child, would they not go through such challenges?

Q. What if the mother was an immoral woman or a prostitute?

Answer: Children develop morals and other traits based on their upbringing. Genetics does not play any role in it.

Q. Will society look down upon the couple because they could not have children of their own?

Answer: Yes, there are always a few nasty people who may try to make the couple feel miserable with their remarks and actions, and may even gossip about them, but such people gossip about anything and everything, not just adoption. The only way to deal with such people is to ignore them.

Q. Will the child grow up and want to go away to her biological mother?

Answer: There has not been a single case in my 31 years of work in the field of adoption where such an event has occurred. All that the child may have is some amount of curiosity about his or her biological mother, but that will pass.

Q. Will the child become greedy and want to usurp her parents’ property as she is their only legal heir?

Answer: Single children will always be the only legal heir, adopted or biological. The greed depends on the upbringing and not on the fact of adoption. As the child grows up, the parents can create a will for distributing their assets (which should be done in any case). Besides, I recommend having more than one child.

A wonderful story of adoption

Here’s a case of a couple who decided to adopt a baby. Rita and Sunil [names changed] had given sufficient thought to adopting a baby, found out the procedures, underwent counselling in an adoption agency, and were ready to take the plunge. The only apprehension they had was the acceptance by Sunil’s mother, who was an extremely conservative lady, given to extensive rituals, very careful about who she would interact with, and a staunch believer in the caste system. They were absolutely sure that not only would she not accept a baby of unknown origin, but might also cause hurdles. Since she did not live with them, they decided to go ahead without telling her.

The great day arrived and the baby was brought home. Rita and Sunil were settling down with the child, and had planned to go the next weekend to his mother’s house, without the baby, and slowly break the news to her. They were in for a shock when the she barged into their house that very day, armed with a big bundle of baby goodies and a box of sweets. She just swooped the baby in her arms and told the young couple that she would look after the needs of the baby since they are inexperienced and she would teach them how to become good parents. So much for their fears!

A word of caution

If any member of the extended family does not show love and affection towards the child just because he or she is adopted, then the child in turn may also begin to dislike such “elders”. If you notice any relative making snide, sarcastic or derogatory remarks, you should insulate the child from such people, and explain to her that sometimes some elders do say nasty things without realising that they are hurting the other person.

All the above was with regard to relatives. I personally feel that close persons in the child’s life should also be included in the awareness and orientation process mentioned above. This could include domestic helpers, class teachers [if you are adopting an older child], close neighbours and definitely the child’s paediatrician. If the child is told about the fact that she is adopted right from the beginning, and if the child is made to understand that she is so lovable that her parents cherish the relationship, she will understand that adoption was only the means of her coming into the family, and that she belongs there. Such children can themselves face any negative comments or curiosity of not only elders, but even their friends or peers.

This was first published in the December 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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