Last Sunday I hosted my first fertility empowerment workshop. The mission: to feel empowered, educated, heard and in control. Western medicine is a beautiful thing, one that I hold in high esteem BUT I also know that western medicine isn’t the be all end all.
There is a cohesion needed between mind, body and spirit and when our bodies are failing us, we sometimes forget to look to the other two areas to see if attention is required there for healing/improvement. We assume if the body is failing, the focus needs to be on the body which makes sense from a scientific standpoint. But it’s been proven our bodies react to the mind and our minds can be easily manipulated by external circumstances, thoughts and feelings: whether real or imagined. Spiritual teachers and leaders from about the world have been emphasizing this trinity for centuries and it seems now more secular people are beginning to understand its truth, value and importance.
Modalities are emerging that are helping to bridge the relationships within ourselves and thanks to the power of the internet and social media, the outcomes and sometimes even miracles are being shared across the world. The monks who can maintain their body temperature and actually raise it to dry sheets through meditation? That actually happens! The studies behind mind control and meditation are being conducted more than ever before as more and more people are understanding the benefits and potential they hold.
Energy work is rising and becoming more common. Holistic modalities such as acupuncture, naturopathy and homeopathy are replacing or enhancing mainstream medicine.
With infertility, recurrent miscarriages and endometriosis dominating my life for the last five years I was dependent on western medicine to help me. The blessing of medicine is the availability and technology to eliminate potential causes and illnesses. So what does one do when all tests say, you are normal? You’re fine? Your physical body is healthy and strong? Where does that leave you?
You look east. You look to the Buddhists and Hindus and yogis. You look to the crones. You look to the witches. You look to the healers. You look to the elders of yore. You look for the weird and unexplainable and you do that. You do everything you can to bring your baby earthside because dammit, you deserve your baby and at the end of the journey, I believe we must all be able to confidently announce, “I tried everything.”
Looking elsewhere for help that’s considered alternative, holistic or too hippy is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. We do what we must. The mother in us demands it.
With western medicine, we are typically just another time slot, a chart, a patient to rush through before moving on to the next. Our medical system is stretched thin and it’s hard to be heard, really heard, as an infertility patient. We often are dismissed and our fears discounted and ridiculed. At least that was my experience along the way.
So we have to take back our power and declare it loudly that we are in control of our bodies, mind and soul. We need to proclaim we are strong warrior mamas who are willing to do whatever.it.takes to bring our babies into this world. We need to educate ourselves and know our rights as patients and women and ambassadors of the Earth. We need to do the hard stuff: the counselling for healing our grief and shame and resentments, the change in our nutrition to bring health and wellness back into our bodies, the meditation to get quiet and intimate with our soul so we may hear what she is trying to tell us. We need to consciously choose our thoughts and love our bodies even when it continually fails us. We need to set aside the prejudices associated with the “woo-woo” modalities and be open to trying everything. We need to have our babies but we need to have our babies as empowered, trusting, faithful servants of a Universe we truly believes supports us and wants us to be mothers.
There’s simply no other way. Western medicine will only help so far towards our physical bodies. IVF is fantastic but its easier to navigate when there’s counselling and journaling and a good nutrition plan involved. Fertility is enhanced with hormone balancing and knowledge. Treatment is more manageable when there’s trust and a faith that there’s something beyond our five senses that is working for our benefit, even if it’s not on our desired timelines. The Universe doesn’t want to ever hurt us or take away from us or hold us back from the joys of motherhood; it’s simply teaching us a bigger lesson IN THE MEANTIME that’s bigger than the lessons of motherhood. At least that’s been the only way I can rationalize the irrational. The Universe needed me to understand my purpose, my strength and my abilities before I could have another baby. And now that I’m almost seven months pregnant, I’m grateful now for how everything unfolded.
Knowledge is empowering. It’s vital to learn as much as we can to walk this journey with our FETH (Faith Empowerment Trust and Hope). We don’t need to be slaves to a medical system that’s profiting off our hardships. We don’t need to just nod and agree when a doctor tells us what we need to do next. We can learn ourselves and in doing so, become bad ass empowered babes.
Here’s a few ways I found helped me find my FETH:
Books
Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom by Christiane Northrup
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
The Universe Has your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein
Bio-Young by Roxy Dillon
Body Love by Kelly Leveque
E-Squared, E-Cubed and Thank and Grow Rich by Pam Grout
You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero
The Map of Heaven and The Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander
Podcasts
Oprah Super Soul Conversations
Earn Your Happy
Fertile Ground
The Melissa Ambrosini Show
Goop
Alternative Modalities
Reiki
BodyTalk
Massage Methods such as The Arvigo Technique
Acupuncture
Homeopathy
Naturopathy
Vitamin Therapy
Hypnotherapy
Spiritual Aids for Connecting to your Higher Self
Pendulums
Oracle cards
Tarot cards
Meditation
Yoga
Crystals/gemstones
Sweat Lodge
Sound Healing
Journaling
Mantras/Affirmations
Explore what our ancestors knew so clearly: the trifecta of mind, body and soul is vital for overall health, wellness and wellbeing. Without knowledge, information and our FETH, we’re simply defining insanity: doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. So find what compliments your treatment, your lifestyle, your beliefs and reclaim your Divine Feminine Power!
If you have any modalities or stories to share that you believe will help your sisters struggling with their fertility, please send me a message/email! Spread the love!
United we rise- as empowered phoenix mamas with badassery and strength,
-K
