It is time!

The holidays have been great although I found myself having brief moments of sadness. My dearest friend gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas Day. While I was genuinely excited for her, I realized deep down that my desire to become pregnant is still strong.

Over the last 5 years I have found a truly beautiful place of acceptance and peace on my fertility journey but acceptance does not mean I am giving up on my dream. This last year has been about sharing my fertility experience with others so that women and couples all over the world can have access to the support Yoga for Fertility classes can offer them. I enjoyed traveling across Canada and teaching instructors so that they can begin classes in their area. I feel as if I have taken a break in a way from conceiving and channeled my creative energy into building the foundation in my business so that I can take the time to focus on my desire.

I have a new vision for 2010! I will continue to focus on my own health and preparing to have a baby. I will channel my fertile creative energy toward my own Spirit Babies and invite them to come to me in whatever way they need to. They are close! I had a dream last night that I was pregnant. In my meditation this morning I was able to connect to the little boy that has been around me. He is quiet but I get a sense that he is ready to come. We are both ready for him to come. I will stay open and watch for signs to lead me on the path I am meant to take. I am excited! My fears and doubts have dissolved and all that is left is an unwaivering FAITH and KNOWING!

Affirmation today: "I have a deep FAITH and KNOWING I am ready! I welcome you in to my life with my heart wide open!"

The Gift of Mindfulness Through Fertility Challenges

I know how challenging it can be to deal with fertility challenges around the holidays. I have clients going through IVF cycles this week and spending the holidays "waiting" for results. Instead of waiting for something in the future I would like to invite you to experience the gift of the present moment.

I am grateful to share my article with you. It was just published in the Creating Families Magazine in time to support you through the holidays.

Click here to read the article!

EnJOY!

My heart and thoughts are with you during this time! Find moments where you can enjoy yourself and the company of others. Best wishes to you all!

Why Forgiveness?

Forgiveness is the act of letting go. It has nothing to do with anyone else, in fact, many times you won't even involve the other person in the process of forgiveness. It has nothing to do with what they did and whether it was right or wrong, it is more about returning to a place of empowerment. When you hold anger or resentment toward someone for something they did, you are essentially giving them power over you. Holding anger is doing more harm to you, not them! Unforgiveness is a toxin in your mind and body! It will eventually cause you more pain.

Forgiveness is not only about forgiving another it is also about forgiving self. Forgiving others will help you return to a place of peace and increase your personal power, while self forgiveness is your pathway to inner peace, freedom and happiness.

I have included a poem I wrote about self forgiveness to show you an example of my process of forgiveness and how it lead me back to a sense of inner peace.

Best Friends Within
By: Sue Dumais

I release the past that holds me imprisoned.
I respect my past from which I have risen.

I release self-judgments that infected my mind.
I respect the thoughts that are gentle and kind.

I release my self critic that made me feel bad.
I respect my inner child who stills feel quite sad.

I will hold my inner child tightly in my arms.
I will comfort her and keep her from harm.

I will tell her she’s beautiful just as she is.
I will tell her she’s good no matter what she did.

I will tell her she is talented and deserves great success.
I will encourage her to reach for the stars, and no less.

I will tell her I’m sorry for being so mean.
I will tell her she’s strong after all she has seen.

I will tell her I love her with all of my heart.
I release her to live and make a new start.

She will tell me she loves me and always had.
She was lost but not gone, that why she was sad.

She will tell me she forgives me for all that I’ve done.
Together again, best friends who are one!


I invite you to think about someone or something you need to forgive. Then sit down and do one of the following forgiveness exercises. Remember forgiveness may be about someone else or SELF!

~write a poem about forgiveness
~write a letter of forgiveness (do not send it, instead you might destroy or burn it as a symbol of letting go)
~draw a picture about forgiveness and imagine the freedom it will give you
~journal about forgiveness
~meditate on forgiveness and imagine surrounding others and self with beautiful flowers or positive energy

However you get there, forgiveness is really a choice! Choose freedom! Choose Peace! Choose to live and let go!

Remember, I am here if you need support! Hugs, Sue

Pregnancy - At what cost?

I have shared a bit about my own health issues in my previous blog posts but I have just realized in the last few months that a pregnancy right now would put my body over the edge. My health has improved significantly in the last 8 months since taking my Essentials (chelated mineral & antioxidants), Iron and liver supplements but had I conceived in the last 5 years I don't think I would have survived.

I remember after my miscarriage I was so desperate to be pregnant again that I was willing to do anything to make it happen. I thought that having a baby and becoming a Mother would make me happy. I thought it would fill the void, that dark empty feeling in my lower belly and pelvis. At the time I would have sacrificed my own life to do it.

I abused my body for many years. It was like I was trying to commit suicide with my actions. I would watch myself making poor choices and in many cases choices that could have easily took my life. On some level, I didn't care. I didn't value myself enough to care about how I was treating my body. I have done a lot of healing in the last 9 years and my fertility journey gave me a gift so great that it is difficult to put into words. I can say that today I actually care about my own health. I value myself and my body more than I ever have. I feed myself with nourishing food, take high quality supplements for additional support, practice yoga and meditation every morning and every day speak as kindly as I can to myself. I have become my own best friend and it feels good to have ME on my side.

For now I will let go of any ideas of a pregnancy until my health has improved. My health comes first because I am worth it! I deserve it! My body needs some TLC and time to heal the wounds and abuse of my past actions. I have healed mentally and emotionally so now I will continue to heal physically. I owe my body the time it needs to heal on the deepest possible level. My body has carried me through so many life experiences - through times of darkness and times of light. I grew up with so much pain and suffering and all I feel today is gratitude. From those dark experiences comes a deep gratitude and appreciation of the happiness and joy I feel today.

It is in the darkness we appreciate the light. It is in the sadness and grief that we learn to appreciate happiness and joy. It is in the depth of despair and fear that we learn to love with our whole heart!

I open my heart fully and thank you, thank you, thank you from the deepest part of me ~ Namaste

Is it worth it? Are you worth it?

I remember in the beginning of my fertility journey being willing to try anything and everything that would help me get pregnant. I quit drinking alcohol, removed sugar/dairy and wheat from my diet, stopped intensive exercise, elevated my pelvis after intercourse etc etc etc. I was so desperate to conceive that I put my health first and started making changes in my life that previously I wouldn't consider or for years had found challenging. I was willing to do whatever I "had" to do to have a baby.

I was convinced that if I could get pregnant everything I was doing and everything I had to sacrifice would be worth it. I began to question at one point on my journey why I was so willing to make all these positive changes in my life for a baby but for years I wasn't willing to make those changes for me. I believe I cared more about having a baby than I cared about myself. I began to look at my relationship with Self.

Before wanting to conceive I tried years to quit drinking, get off sugar/carbs and reduce stress. I just couldn't do it. I would do well for a few weeks or months and then fall off track. I could see myself sabotaging my efforts over and over again. Why was I willing to do it to conceive a baby and not willing to do it for myself? The truth is at the time, I did not feel worthy. I didn't care enough about myself to change my health. I didn't like my body, in fact, on some deep level I didn't like ME!

Most of my life I hated myself and felt like I deserved to be punished so I would find ways to punish myself. It wasn't until 1993 that I began to get help and started to shift my relationship to Self. My fertility journey helped me realize that if I was willing to make all these positive changes for a baby, perhaps I was worth it too! I began to nurture my relationship to Self. I did many exercises in forgiveness of others and even more in forgiving myself.

Today I am kind, compassionate and loving toward Self. Everyday I intend to be my own best friend. While some days are more challenging than others, it gets easier everyday. My fertility journey has been about a journey to come home to Self and it has been a gift that I am deeply grateful. Every aspect, no matter how frustrating or painful, has been a gift! I share my insights with the world because I want others to realize, I want YOU to realize, YOU are worth it! Imagine learning to Mother and care for your Self before your baby arrives in your arms. Your child will learn from you self care and self worth, not by how you treat them but how you treat your Self. I invite you to become a living example of Self love.

I invite you to begin to Mother your Self and invite your baby into your heart. Surround them with the love you have for your Self and the love you have for them. It will be the most precious gift you could ever give your baby as well as your Self! Your baby is worth it! More importantly, You are worth it!

I will keep your heart with mine

I wanted to share this song with you. I have listened to it many many times and have even played it in my Yoga for Fertility classes. The words "I will keep you heart with mine until you come to me" inspires me and other women to invite their baby-to-be into their heart. The heart is the first womb. Our desire to become a Mother, our desire to have a baby begins within our heart. The desire grows stronger as we align our thoughts, emotions and actions to find the path we need to follow in order to bring our babies home into our arms. Some babies will come through us in the way of a pregnancy, others will be born in our hearts through adoption. Whatever path you take, You will be a Mother! I hope this song will help you realize that. Listen with the intention of forming a connection with the baby that is meant to come to you. Invite your baby into your heart and your life!

Click here to listen.

Namaste
Sue

Exercise & Fertility - What to do!

I wanted to share this information with you. It can be confusing about what you should or shouldn't do when it comes to enhancing your fertility. I have a few articles that can help you. Keep in mind I share this information but the true answer and teacher is within you. Only you know what is best for you. There is no one recipe for conception. Yoga for Fertility can help you look within to find and hear your inner guidance. It is that kind soft loving voice that says "come this way". Remember I have my Yoga for Fertility Handbook and voice guided Fertility Yoga classes you can download to your computer, Ipod or mp3 player which can help you with create a home practice.

Click here to read the article: Can Too Much Exercise Harm Fertility

Another good reference is my article in Creating Families Magazine: Fit to Conceive
Click here to read the article.

Physicians Prescribe Yoga

Finally more health care providers are recognizing the benefits of Yoga for their patients. I have been lucky to connect with such incredible Reproductive Specialists in Vancouver and the lower mainland that believe in the value of Yoga for Fertility for their patients. They have seen the difference when women attend classes. I am deeply grateful to be able to witness such incredible transformations from week 1 to week 6. It is really challenging to capture in words how much the classes help physically, mentally and emotionally. I have begun a research initiative with Clementine Hudson from LifeStreams to begin to measure the positive effects Fertility Yoga classes have on women. It will take some time to collect the data but we will share results as soon as possible. It is exciting! This means more classes will continue to be available all over the world. I will continue to train Fertility Yoga Instructors so that more women have access to these transformational and empowering classes.

Click here to watch the clip on ABC news!

Law of Attraction & Fertility

We are all powerful creators and every day in each moment we create our reality. The Law of Attraction is a powerful universal law. Essentially, what we focus on we will attract more of. Even if what we focus on is what we don't want, more of what don't want will come to us. When it comes to fertility it is common to look at what isn't working, how are body isn't cooperating, how the test is negative and so on. When you focus on what you don't want you will attract more of what you don't want.

Many of my clients begin working with me and complain about how their cycle is irregular. Even after a few months of normal cycles they tend to want to complain or worry about it becoming irregular again. I help them shift their perspective and focus on how the cycle is beginning to regulate. Here is an example:
Me "How many days was your cycle this month?"
Client "It wasn't good. It was still long it was 39 days"
Me "Wow 39 days is better than last cycle which was 49 days. That is great! We are moving in the right direction."
Client "I guess so but it isn't normal. It is still too long!"
Me "It will take some time for your cycle to regulate. There is so much happening in your body - hormones coming into balance, reducing inflammation, restoring homeostasis. We can't see the big picture. Let's focus on the positive and the fact that your cycle is shorter and closer to where we would like it to be."
Client "I guess so but we still have a ways to go. I mean how many more months will it take? I am so frustrated by my body."
Me "Again let's shift the focus to what your body is doing for you today in this moment and let go of the attachment to what it wasn't doing for you in the past. The past is the past. Let's celebrate today and more forward from here."

In many cases, my client's are trying to convince me of what may go wrong in the future, while I help them focus on what is happening in this moment. The present moment is all we know for sure. All our current thoughts and emotions will determine what we will attract in the future. If you believe the world is out to get you, that will become your reality because that is what you are focusing on. When you worry, your energetic vibration will fall to a level that will match the vibration of worry in the universe and as a result you will attract more things to worry about.

Here is a video clip about the Law of Attraction from one of my favorite teachers Abraham-Hicks. Click here to watch it.

Remember you create your reality. No one else does! The good news is that you can change your reality if you change your mind about your fertility and your life. You have the ability to create a life that is extraordinary! All of us are capable of being powerful creators! All of us including you! You are just as capable and deserving of having all your dreams come true! It begins with YOU! It begins with you changing your thoughts and aligning your vibration with what you desire. Focus on your desire to be a Mother or Father. Focus on your dream of a family! Stay in alignment and then open your heart to allow that to become your reality.

Can You Turn Down the Noise?

I received some words of wisdom from Dr Wayne Dyer on Facebook. He has been an inspiration for me for many years now. I have been getting messages lately from different sources to find silence and I have noticed my meditation has been more difficult in the last 2 months. I have been more focused on task and functioning in my left brain. The racket in my mind is back, although not as chaotic as it used to be, it is there. As I find stillness, I close my eyes and look over to the right side of my brain to awaken my ability to be still, be present, be creative, just BE!

Here are some words of inspiration and wisdom from Wayne Dyer.
Click here to read.

New Study - Reduce Stress, Increase Fertility

This is exciting! I wanted to share this with you. I found a new study showing the link between stress reduction and increased fertility.

"The study, funded by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc., and conducted in conjunction with The Domar Center at Boston IVF revealed a pregnancy rate of 52 percent among women who participated in a stress management program as compared to a 20 percent pregnancy rate for women who were not exposed to the stress management program. The program was designed to educate women on the utilization of cognitive, relaxation and lifestyle techniques to manage stress.

Stress management had an even greater impact on pregnancy rates for women who showed higher baselines symptoms of depression. Pregnancy rates jumped to 67 percent for women with signs of depression at the start of the study who engaged in the stress management program versus no pregnancies for those that did not."

Click here to read the study.

My take home message is that stress can affect your ability to conceive but you have the ability to do something about it. Fertility Yoga classes and my Couples Yoga Mind Body Program can help reduce anxiety by teaching you effective stress reduction tools & techniques. Not only will these tools help improve your chances of conceiving they will help transform your experience of your fertility journey and have a positive impact in all areas of your life.

Imagine if your life was no longer "on hold"! Imagine living your life fully! Imagine feeling happiness and joy again! You CAN continue to live your life without feeling overwhelmed and consumed by your fertility challenges. I know because I am doing it and I have seen it over and over again with my clients in the last 5 years.

What are you waiting for? Let me help you get started today! It is time to live! Life is occurring NOW!

Are you breathing?

I have a sense of uneasiness deep within. I am on the verge of breaking through a major self imposed barrier. I keep finding myself breathing very shallow and often holding my breath for moments of time. There is part of me that is ready to let go and there is another part of me that is so afraid.

Anytime you have a negative sensation in your physical body it is an indication that you are having a negative thought or emotion. Remember 95% of our thoughts each day are subconscious/habitual thoughts that we don't hear in our physical ears. It is a tape playing in the background and over time we have tuned it out. What you need to know is that most of our decisions are made from our subconscious mind.

Here is the path:
1) you have a thought about something or someone (conscious or subconscious)
2) you have an emotion that follows the thought (negative thought = negative emotion)
3) the body responds to the emotion (eg. negative emotion = tension in the shoulders or clenching teeth)

Many of us aren't aware of the first 2 steps and even more people are disconnected from their body so they don't notice the signals. The best thing you can do is BREATH! Your breath is your link to the present moment. The breath is real! It is happening in each moment and it is your link to the present moment.

According to Dr. Fritz Perls, psychiatrist and founder of Gestalt therapy, "Fear is excitement without the breath". Think about it. When you are afraid you hold your breath or turn to a shallow breath. The only difference between fear and excitement is that you are holding your breath when you are afraid. Remember fear can be disguised as worry, anxiety, confusion, frustration, anger etc. The good news is all you need to do is BREATH!

It sounds so simple but it is so effective. I have been using this for many years in my own life through meditation and yoga but only recently discovered Dr Perls wisdom and it has changed my experience of fear in the last few weeks. I can separate myself from the fear when I remember that it is only the breath that makes it different than excitement.

FEAR is not real! Many believe it stands for FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. If fear is not real and the only difference between fear and excitement is your breath, then what will you choose to do? How about taking 10 long deep breaths and see what happens. Imagine yourself giving the fear over to the Universe for healing and breathing yourself back into a sense of calm or even excitement. Excitement for life! Excitement for all the possibilities that you can create in your life when you let go of fear!

Energy & Spirit of Fertility

I wanted to speak about an upcoming workshop with babyspirit coach Elisabeth Manning. The Energy & Spirit of Fertility will change the way you look at your fertility journey. It is inspiring and powerfully transforming. There is so much more to our lives than we realize. There are levels of awareness we haven't even began to touch.

When I was first introduced to the idea of Spirit Babies I was fascinated. I loved the idea that babies choose their parents before they arrive in their physical bodies. I felt empowered when I thought that I chose my parents. It was my choice. I was never a victim of circumstance. I choose those circumstances because it was for my highest good.

Understanding your relationship to your baby to be and finding ways to connect with them can help you shift from thoughts of "lack" or "worry" to a renewed sense of HOPE and FAITH. Learning to identifying energetic blocks can help you come into full alignment with your desire of becoming a Mother or Father. Remember the Law of Attraction, what you focus on you will attract (whether you want to or not). If you focus on lack, your energy will vibrate at a level of lack and you will attract more lack. If you focus on your desire, you can raise your energy so that it is in line with your desire and what you desire will come. It sounds simple but it works! It is more than just changing your thoughts, you need to change how you feel about your thoughts. Raising your energy to align with your thoughts and opening your heart to receive will allow all that you desire and more into your life.

Join us on Sat Oct 24th from 10-5pm and experience an incredible workshop that will change your experience of fertility! Come with an open mind and curious heart! I look forward to seeing you all there!

You can find out more information and register at www.familypassages.ca

Peaceful confusion

I have searched for more information about adoption in Africa from Canada and it turns out there is almost a "hold on visas" from the African government specifically in Ghana and Liberia. I am not questioning why or anything, just simply curious. I am not sure what path I will take or whether I will even walk down the road to adoption. I feel like I am at another fork in the road. Which path do I choose? I don't need to decide today but I do feel there is a deeper part of me that is letting go of the outcome. Another level of healing.

Every morning after I finish my yoga and meditation I go to my computer and visit www.cherlyrichardson.com and choose an online grace card for guidance. For those of you who take classes with me they are similar to the self care cards we choose after each class. This morning I asked for guidance on my vision of family and this is the card I received.

GROWTH
"When things don't go our way, something more important to the growth of our soul is in the works."

I felt at peace when I read those words. I had a deep sense that everything is ok. The Mother within me has been patient but it has been challenging to deal with the idea that I have a child somewhere in the world that I am meant to adopt. Although there was a deep calling to Africa, I need to keep an open mind and heart. If I am attached to the path I will take, then it will limit my ability to follow my guidance. To listen deeply to that loving voice (love) so that I can find peace on my path no matter where my path takes me. Another level of surrender and acceptance. "I am where I am and it's ok" "I don't know if I will take the path of adoption and it's ok".

In my Fertility Yoga Instructor Training course in Kelowna one of the participants mentioned that I had created such an incredible family. A family of women, couples, instructors, colleagues, friends, spirit babies, soul sisters...a family that extends so much further than our limited idea of family. A family that extends beyond this physical world. As I embrace the family I have created it warms my heart and I am deeply grateful!

I don't know where my path will take me, and it's ok. I am at peace and I feel whole and complete. Nothing outside of myself will create this feeling I found. It is a place I have found within ME and I am the only one that can hold ME in that space.

Affirmation today: "I choose PEACE because I AM PEACE!"

Namaste,
Sue

I am confused

It has been at least 5 months since I went online to look up the adoption for Ghana. I have been focusing my energy on changing our financial situation so we can begin the adoption process. Well my heart sunk when I went to Imagine Adoption's website to find out they declared bankruptcy.

I am confused! I am sad! My EGO (FEAR) mind could have a hay day with this information. I have a choice to do something to break the cycle of EGO FEAR based thoughts. I will write a letter to the Universe for guidance.

Dear Universe,
I don't understand! Please help me find peace because my heart is breaking. I feel there is a child calling me from Ghana, Africa and some days it is difficult to be patient. Please help me find peace! Please help me look at this situation in a different light so I can return to peace.
Thank you, Sue

Dear Sue,
Nothing is ever as it seems. When one door closes, many more open! Follow your guidance and listen for that loving voice within. It will lead you on your path and we will surround you with love and support along the way.
Love, The Universe

Dear Universe,
Thank you for your guidance. I feel better. I will continue to choose LOVE! I know in my heart everything is ok so I choose to stay with that feeling. Goodnight!

I can't find my uterus!

About 3 weeks ago I felt my right hip start to get tight and sore. For me that is usually an indication that my uterus has shifted to the left. Normally the uterus would spoon the bladder in the middle. When my uterus shifts to the left it creates a fascial pull (fascia is connective tissue - kind of like skin around the muscles and organs) that causes a chain reaction in my right hip which leads to pain and discomfort. When I went to palpate for the base of my uterus on the left I couldn't find it. It was no where to be found. At first I was confused until I realized it had actually fallen or flipped back toward my spine.

I tried hanging upside down on my yoga wall, self belly massage and different yoga poses. Nothing was working and my body was getting more and more uncomfortable. I started to feel pain in the front of my neck muscles, compression of my wrist and ankles. It was like everything was being squished causing compression and pain in all my joints.

I finally decided to book a massage appointment. I was so grateful to hear that my massage therapist just completed a visceral course. He learned how to move the organs and release fascial tension in the abdomen. Immediately after he moved my uterus back to the center I felt relief in my entire body. It was like I could breath again. I walked out feeling like myself again without any pain or discomfort.

I am sharing this to help you understand that there is so much more to our bodies than we realize. I am very body aware. I can sense when things aren't quite right but I wasn't always that way. I have learned so much through my yoga practice and mindfulness meditations that I hear, sense, feel and know things about my body that I never would have noticed before.

Our bodies are constantly talking to us and if we stop and listen it can direct us on how to heal. Whether we do something ourselves or seek the help of another it is more about listening to our body's need versus desperately looking for help. When we act out of desperation we tend to find temporary relief almost like putting bandage on our wounds when what we really need is a splint.

I encourage you find stillness and look within. What is your pain really telling you? Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath. Gentle scan your body for areas of discomfort. Be curious and resist the tendency to judge. Be willing to look at the layers of discomfort. Follow your inner guidance for your path to heal. Our body is constantly moving toward balance and health and if you listen deeply to your body you will get there sooner.

Yoga for Fertility classes in BC

September has been a full month for me. I almost have my website up to date again and the Yoga for Fertility Resources website is now back up with a new look. I have also added some books and other resources.
Check it out at www.yogaforfertilityresources.com

I am excited that there will soon be Yoga for Fertility classes in Prince George, Penticton, North Vancouver and Vancouver Island. My vision of having Yoga for Fertility classes available all over the world is coming to light. It is just a matter of time!

If there is no class in your area please contact me. If you know of a great yoga instructor that would be interested in the Fertility Yoga Teacher Training have them contact me. I offer the course by distance education as well so anyone, anywhere can train with me. It is not for everyone and in fact, I would prefer to train yoga instructors that resonate with the work I am doing and share in my vision to support women and couples worldwide.

Finding Faith Again

I wanted to share this article written by Dr Wayne Dyer for the Oprah website. It may help shift your perspective of your fertility journey. I have written about how my fertility journey has truly saved my life. I can look back and know in my heart that even my miscarriage was a gift that helped me change directions in my life at a time where I was teetering on the fence ready to fall into darkness. My spirit baby Jada helped me find the light when I needed it the most. For all of that and more I am forever grateful for my fertility journey.

Here is the link to the article:
Finding Faith Again

I would love to hear what you think about it.
Hugs,
Sue

Just when you feel like giving up...

I was sent an incredibly inspiring video that I feel compelled to share with you. I know for many of you, dealing with fertility challenges can be exhausting and there may be times when all the doors seem to be shutting around you. Well for each door that is shut there is another door you can open. There is always HOPE!

In times when you feel like giving up... or times that you have no more strength I encourage you to remember this video.

Never give up on your dream!

Click here to watch to video.

Or copy and paste this address into your web brower.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jeOguqNIAo

Spreading the word

Sorry it has been a while since I posted anything. I am still organizing all my newsletter database and online course system from the server failure. It has been an interesting process of letting go and moving on.

If you would like to receive or continue to receive my newsletters be sure to visit www.familypassages.ca to sign up.

I am excited about my trip to Kelowna, BC to teach my Fertility Yoga Instructor Training course on Sept 19th & 20th. The fertility support for women and couples is continuing to spread and that warms my heart. I love teaching other yoga instructors about Yoga for Fertility. Each one that attends either has a personal experience with fertility or it resonates within or speaks to their soul. The weekend of training is empowering and inspiring helping instructors look within to heal so they can encourage others to do the same. I look forward to these weekends. Words cannot begin to capture the personal transformation that occurs. It is incredibly rewarding and I am grateful to be called to do this work at this time in my life.

If you would like to attend the Fertility Yoga training visit www.familypassages.ca and click on the instructor training butterfly for more information. Even if you are not an instructor you can take the course for personal interest as well.

I would like to share some words that came to me at a time when I needed it most. I hope they inspire you in challenging times.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." author unknown

Child's Pose

This pose calms your nervous system, helps reduce blood pressure and balances the endocrine system. It is a resting pose that relaxes and calms your mind and body while lengthening your spine and reducing tension in your back and neck. In relation to fertility, I recommend performing child’s pose with your knees apart; this allows space for your belly to drop toward the floor with each inhale. Imagine softness in your uterus and ovaries allowing the flow of blood and energy without restriction or tension.

Preparation: Kneel on the floor with your knees slightly wider than your hip joints. Keep your feet together. Sit back with your hips and bring your chest toward the floor. Reach your arms forward and place your hands and forehead on the floor.


Modifications: If there is a space between your heels and pelvis place a block to provide support. You can use a bolster or pillow under your head and arms or bend your elbows and place your hands under your forehead.

Option: Turtle Pose - Place your hands beside your feet or ankles creating more security and safety as you settle into your “shell” for protection.

Inner Reflection: Bring your awareness to your thoughts about yourself and your body. Notice whether your thoughts are positive or negative. Accept the thoughts and imagine them floating away with feeling attached to them. Begin to invite more positive thoughts and perhaps repeat one the following affirmations:
“I love my body and trust it’s wisdom”
“I am whole and complete”
“I accept my body”
“I forgive myself”
“I am fertile”

Source: Yoga for Fertility Handbook by: Sue Dumais
Photo credit: Adrienne Thiessen of Gemini Visuals

You CHOOSE

It is common on your fertility journey to feel out of control. To feel like everything around you depends on whether you conceive or not. To believe that you have no control and that you are a victim of your circumstance. You try and try and try and nothing seems to work. It is common to blame yourself and others. This can lead you on a very dark path which becomes heavier and heavier, darker and darker as each month passes.

There are moments on your fertility journey that may feel like you have no choice. It may often feel like everything is spiraling out of control. What if your fertility challenge was really an opportunity? Now I know there may be some part of you that suddenly speaks up and wants to argue that point. A voice that is strong and loud. A part of you that feels threatened when you consider that your fertility is not defining you. That voice is your EGO mind, your habitual mind that is attached to pain and suffering.

The EGO mind is your inner voice of fear. It is governed by your habitual mind/subconscious mind. Remember 95% of the thoughts you have each day are thoughts playing like a tape in the back of your mind that you don't physically hear. That tape is an ongoing playback of your deep seeded beliefs about yourself and your life. For example, one my my messages would be "you don't deserve happiness". You can almost visualize it as someone whispering into your ear the same messages over and over and over again even as you sleep.

So how do you begin to change the inner tape of your habitual mind? You begin by becoming more conscious or aware of your thoughts, be curious about the choices you make, use emotional triggers as opportunities to look within and recognize that you have the power to change your mind and thoughts.

Everyday you can listen to the voice of your EGO mind (fear) or the voice of your inner guidance (love). It may help to picture 2 little figures on your shoulders. One is sending you messages of fear "your getting old, your biological clock is ticking, you better act fast or you will never have a baby" the other is sending you messages of love "come this way, be gentle and kind with yourself".

Most of us listen to the voice of EGO because that is what we are taught, that is what is familiar and the voice of FEAR is loud and much more obvious. We created our EGO mind so the good news is we have the ability to make a different choice. My EGO has comforted me most of my life. When I was anorexic my EGO would encourage me not to eat. When I lived most of my life in pain - physically, mentally and emotionally, it was my EGO that encouraged me, supported me and comforted me. It was familiar, therefore it was comforting. It was all I knew.

Yesterday my EGO was in control. I felt discouraged, irritated and annoyed. The challenging part for me is that when I see my EGO take over I get frustrated with myself and tend to want to judge and blame myself. My EGO gets tricksy "you know better, with all the tools you have how could you let your EGO take over today?" Now I could have let it continue to affect me as I slept but I know that the subconscious mind can be healed as we sleep. If you go to sleep feeling irritated and annoyed it will feed those thoughts into your habitual mind. If I look at it as an opportunity to heal and deeper part of myself I can change my mind and raise my energy just before I sleep and that will change my subconscious mind as I sleep. So as I went to bed last night I asked for healing. "I am willing and ready to give this up. I place it in the loving arms of the universe and I ask you for healing. Please heal it deep within my body, I choose love". I always end in gratitude. "Thank you! Namaste". I woke up at 5am inspired to write. I feel at peace again. I feel inspired and grateful.

Everyday in every situation, you have a CHOICE. You can choose FEAR or LOVE. Your EGO would have you choose FEAR because the survival of the EGO depends on your listening to the voice of FEAR. It may get louder and more desperate. But in each moment you can make a different CHOICE. What would the voice of LOVE say here?

This is where the practice of meditation comes in. It will help you quiet the mind enough that you can listen for that soft, quiet, loving voice of LOVE. Today I encourage to ask yourself, am I choosing LOVE or FEAR. Neither is right or wrong but generally the path of LOVE is more peaceful and the path of FEAR is more challenging, sometimes even dark.

You can make a different choice. You can take back control by changing your thoughts and your mind. As you listen more for the voice of LOVE you will find peace. That loving voice with lead you on the path that will help you bring your baby home into your arms. You can do this! Remember to be gentle with yourself. Your EGO will feel threatened and may even begin to speak through others. Again, no blame, shift your thoughts to gratitude for the opportunity to look within and heal another part of SELF. Choose LOVE as often as possible. When you see yourself choosing FEAR, gently listen for the voice of LOVE. Close your eyes, take 10 deep breaths. Bring your awareness to the right side of your brain then imagine your could look deep into your heart and listen from there.

If I can do it, so can you! I believe in YOU!

Finding Peace in Choas

Yesterday I learned that my entire website and online course database was lost. Although there is talk about a back up from last December, at this time I am not clear what I still have and what I have lost. When I first learned the news I was in shock. Part of me couldn't understand how this could have happened. The odds of all 4 servers including the back up server failing all at once is the same chance of winning the lottery. I was initially devastated. All the work I have put into my new website for the last 4 years was gone and I felt a tremendous loss. When I got off the phone from my web guy I felt sick to my stomach.

My website, my life's work, my passion is so much a part of my life I almost rely on it to keep me grounded and centered. Family Passages is like a child to me and losing a big part of my business felt like a true and deep loss. I went into meditation to find clarity and peace again because at that point my EGO mind was wreaking havoc and I could feel myself going deeper and deeper into darkness.

In my mediation I surrendered to everything. I told the universe "I don't understand but I know and trust there is something I need to learn from this. Please show me another way to look at it so I can continue to stay in a place of peace."

Throughout the day I would get pieces of the puzzle. A friend and marketing coach said to me "if you were considering simplifying your website, this would be the time to do it". The word simplify felt like heaven. It has been a word that has resonated with me for the last few years. I realize there is a tendency for me to jump in and "try" and do it all. Yesterday helped me understand that sending my creative energy into the universe doesn't mean I need to do it all. I have a vision of women and couples all over the world experiencing loving support on their fertility journey and as I see my work spreading I know in my heart I don't need to do it all. I can be the catalyst to ignite my desires and the universe will help manifest everything and more. There are others in the world that can contribute their work and together as one we will make a change in the world of fertility. It is already occurring.

When I first started teaching Yoga for Fertility I was first one in Canada. I also created the first Yoga for Fertility Instructor Training course. Now there is another in the US and I just found out there is now one in Toronto. Now my EGO (fear) would tell me "all these others are starting to do what you are doing" but my guidance (love) says "share your work with the world without attachment. Watch it expand and grow". It is listening to the voice of love that I return to peace and gratitude.

Last night before bed I was looking at myself in the mirror reflecting on my life. I noticed a yellowing in my eyes. I have struggled most of my life with an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Although I don't drink much these days any amount seems to really affect my poor liver. Some wine and a few beers over the weekend is all it took. As I looked deep into my eyes I saw a light and I heard these words. "You cannot kill yourself. It is not your path. You have so much more to do in this world." I knew at that moment I needed to eliminate alcohol for good. The same year of my miscarriage my father died from cirosis of the liver. It was an eventful year.

Throughout my life I could see myself choosing pain because it was familiar. It was almost like sitting back and watching a movie. Sometimes even asking myself "what are you thinking?" then watching myself do it anyway. The last 9 years of my fertility journey have really been about letting go of the need to "learn the hard way".

After years of suffering through anorexia, bulimia and substance abuse I look back and see myself testing my limits - mind and body. I was so attached to pain and suffering it was like I was committing slow suicide. My miscarriage and my fertility journey saved my life. I honestly don't believe I would have made it this far without this incredible life experience to "wake me up" to my full potential. I can only be grateful for this gift. In spite of all that occurred yesterday I went to bed with gratitude in my heart.

This morning I picked up Wayne Dyer's book Inspiration. It is one that I keep beside my bed for times where I need guidance and a reminder to live an inspired life. I hold it in my palms at my heart in a gesture of namaste and ask for guidance. Whatever page I open to are the words I am meant to read at the time. This morning the message I took from the pages was about staying inspired not matter what and to trust that when I do, anything is possible. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

My affirmation for today is to "Stay Inspired. Expect Miracles".

Namaste, Sue

Are You Starving Your Cells?

I wanted to share this article with you that I wrote recently after experiencing an incredible shift in my own health. After doing further research I have some information that will change how you look at nutrition.

Click on the title below to read the article
Are You Starving Your Cells?
Hugs, Sue

Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose

This pose will increase the blood supply to your pelvic area, calm the mind and relieve tired legs and feet. If you focus on expanding your belly with each inhale, it will help you soften the muscles of your vaginal wall and pelvic area. Imagine softness in your uterus and ovaries allowing the flow of blood and energy without restriction or tension.

Preparation: Lie on your side with your buttocks close to or against the wall (or tree). As you slowly roll over onto your back gently lift one leg at a time and place it against the wall. Once you are on your back, rest the legs against the wall. Stay in this pose for 5-15 minutes as you concentrate on your breathing. To come out of the pose gently bend your knees and roll over on to your side remaining on your side for 10 to 15 breaths.

Modifications: This pose can be performed using a bolster, block or blanket under the pelvis. The blanket or bolster should lift the pelvis approximately 2-3 inches depending on your level of comfort. *DO NOT use a bolster with this pose during menstruation.

Option: Move your legs away from each other creating a mild stretch for your inner thigh.

This pose will increase the blood supply to the pelvic area, calm the mind, and relieve tired legs and feet. If you concentrate on breathing, using your diaphragm, it will help you soften the muscles of the vaginal wall and pelvic area. Imagine a softness in the uterus and ovaries allowing the flow of blood and energy without restriction or tension.

Inner Reflection: Focus on your desire to have a baby. Begin to invite your baby to come into your life. Change your perspective: you are no longer “waiting” or “trying”, from now on you are “open to conceive” or “inviting your baby”.

Source: Yoga for Fertility Handbook by: Sue Dumais
Photo credit: Adrienne Thiessen of Gemini Visuals

Powerful Song

I just watched a video for a song written by Kellie Coffee about wanting to have a child. It touched my heart so I thought I would share it with you. The desire to have a child goes so deep it is really difficult to capture in words but this song may help others understand a little bit of what the fertility struggle can be like. Enjoy and share if you feel inclined. Hugs, Sue

Click here to listen.

Fertility Support Group Telecircle Aug

For those of you that are unable to attend a support group in person I will be offering another Fertility Support Group by phone.

I am hoping this phone support group will bring women and couples together world wide to benefit from the healing power of coming together with others that are experiencing similar circumstance.

Join me for the Fertility Support Group telecircle on Wed Aug 12th at 6:00 - 7:00pm (PST).

Contact me if you would like to participate and I will give you the details. Partners are welcome! FREE - sign up required!

Proper Etiquette When Talking About Fertility

I wanted to share this article with everyone. It is about what to say and what not to say when speaking to someone about fertility. You might find it helpful to share with friends and family.

EnJOY!

Click here to read.

A Visit from a Soul

I wanted to share this poem and hopefully it may help bring some peace to those of you who have experienced a loss on your fertility journey. I use my poetry to heal and let go. You will notice as you read the poem there is a process blame, letting go, healing and finding peace. Many of my clients who experience pregnancy loss will turn to blame themselves thinking they must have done something wrong. Although we can't possibly make sense of every life challenge as it is happening, I know there is an opportunity to learn and heal in every situation. I believe there is perfection in everything that happens and I just don't have the ability to see it fully from my human perspective. We will often see things in hindsight and we struggle to make sense of the "why". As we stop asking "why" and become more curious and willing, we begin to trust that everything happens for a reason. We take back control as we recognize our response to what happens in life will help us heal and move on or keep us stuck if we allow it. Although it may not feel like we have a choice, we always do!

A Visit From a Soul
by: Sue Dumais

A kiss from an angel, a soul from above

The warmth of a baby, unconditional love

A life transformed with a slight sense of fear

Becoming a mom, my future’s so clear

Suddenly something goes terribly wrong

The soul has left, no lullaby song

The pain and the grief are heavy and true

How did this happen? What did I do?

You had chosen me and touched my soul

Thank you for coming, I feel complete and whole

My arms and my heart will welcome you in

When you feel you are ready to come back again.

Rebirth

I participate on Team Northrup calls each week and have the pleasure of learning directly from Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of Women's Bodies Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause and one of the country's most respected authorities on women’s health.

After one of the calls with Dr. Northrup I felt a real sense of uneasiness. I was irritated and found myself keeping busy to avoid it. As I went to bed I checked in to see what I was holding in my body and discovered another layer of limiting beliefs. I asked for healing around my unworthiness to have happiness in my life. I was willing and ready to give up all the stories that go along with why I don’t deserve to be joyful and happy. I have so much to be grateful for in my life and gratitude is something I can feel deeply. Happiness on the other hand is something I generally have been faking, and that saddens me.

When I heard Dr Northrup talk about our internal thermostat preconditioned early in life and often in the womb, that resonated deep within me. I have memories of my parents fighting while I was in my mother’s womb. I felt trapped and helpless because there was nothing I could do to help her. I remember making a conscious decision that I needed to take care of my mother. From the day I was born I made choices in my life that would be best for my mother and I continued to live that way up until recently.

On some level I still blame my mother for most of my pain growing up. In the last few years, I find myself frustrated with her because I have a judgment that she is not living to her full potential. I realize it is not really about her, it is about me not living to my full potential. There is a place deep down inside me that is so unhappy and feels like I deserve to be punished for all the wrong that I have done in my life, including the incidence of sexual abuse that occurred when I was 6 years old. Most of my healing has been about that little 6 year old girl who decided she was “bad” and deserved to be punished. At age 6 I decided that I was not entitled to a happy and joyful life. Throughout all my personal growth and healing it seems that I have avoided the time of my life from birth to the age of 5 years. I realized last night in my dream that there was so much that occurred for me in my mother’s womb and in order to heal this piece I need to start there.

I generally ask for healing while I sleep. I will also ask that the healing occur on the deepest level possible and I will often have dreams that reflect my healing process. Last night I had a dream that Dr Northrup was holding me in the fetal position in a body of water encouraging me to put my face in. I felt a deep panic and fear of drowning. This is a common occurrence for me and it shows up in my life when I feel “I am in too deep” or “feel overwhelmed and over committed”. I have a belief that continues to show up that “I can’t possibly do this all and be a good mother”. Some days I honestly feel like I could drown in my life.

In my dream Dr Northrup kept repeating “Trust me, you will be ok. Just let go and breath.” Finally I let my face go under the water and took a deep breath. I was suddenly in my mother’s uterus allowing the amniotic fluid fill my lungs. It felt warm and soothing. Suddenly I could breath under water. I felt free and light. Almost like I could swim anywhere and never worry about losing my breath. It was calming and peaceful. I felt nourished and comforted.

I woke up the next morning to do my yoga and meditation practice but still felt the need to process my dream more so I finished with a Miracle Thought for the day by Marianne Williamson. The one I listened to was: Forgiveness is the key to Happiness. So that day was about forgiving my mother, myself and any negative thoughts or upsets that arise. I hand it over to the universe and ask for healing, then I ask to see it differently.

I clearly see my fertility journey as a wake up call to heal my SELF. I encourage you to use this time as an opportunity to heal deeper parts of your SELF that need healing. I have asked many of my fertility clients about what kind of Mother they would have been had they become pregnant right away. Most of them can look back and realize that they will be a better Mom by having gone through this powerful life experience. Many are grateful to have had the time to get to know themselves better and to make peace with their past before they move into motherhood. As we learn to love and nurture ourselves we then teach our children to do the same. After all, actions are more powerful than words. Your children will learn from your example of how you live your life.

A Note to God

I just watched a performance by Charice singing "A Note to God" on Oprah. It was inspiring and moving. Click here to watch it.

As we go through life there will always be challenges or bumps on the road. A life challenge like fertility can feel crippling and isolating as the months and years pass. What if you could change your experience of your fertility? What if your life didn't have to be so hard?

Every day we have the ability to choose. In every situation we face everything boils down to one choice - Love or Fear. Fear is often disguised as doubt, worry, anger or confusion. It is our Fear that cripples us. It is the voice of Fear that holds us back from seeing another perspective. It is our Fear that keeps us from living and experiencing our full potential. Fear can also be sneaky and when you follow the path of Fear, you will find more pain, confusion and unhappiness.

Begin to listen to the voice of Love. It is a gentle, encouraging voice saying "come this way". When you choose Love even when you don't understand (logical mind) you will follow that loving voice of your soul, God, the universe, your inner guidance (whatever word makes sense for you) and it will lead you to everything you desire including your baby to be.

When faced with your next decision, take a moment to reflect, then ask yourself "Am I choosing Love or Fear?" Neither is right or wrong. There are lessons on both paths. I encourage you to choose Love as often as you can. You deserve to experience a life filled with love and trust. In fact, it is your true essence. Each time you purposefully choose Love, you come back home to SELF. Welcome home!

Fertility Support Group via telecircle

For those of you that are unable to attend a support group in person I have decided for this month to offer a Fertility Support Group by phone. I have many clients all across Canada that have been asking for more support in their area. While I am focusing on increasing awareness about fertility in all areas it does take some time.

I am hoping this phone support group will bring women and couples together world wide to benefit from the healing power of coming together with others that are experiencing similar circumstance.

Join me for the Fertility Support Group telecircle on Wed July 8th at 6:00 - 7:00pm (PST).

Contact me if you would like to participate and I will give you the details. Partners are welcome! FREE - sign up required!

Fertility Foods

I have included an introduction from the Acubalance's website regarding their Fertility Diet below. It is an incredible resource with meal plans, recipes and message boards. It is a great way to help you get started on eating foods that will help improve your fertility. I send my clients there all the time. I highly recommend you check it out.

INTRODUCTION

We have put a lot of energy and resources into creating the Acubalance Fertile Diet. Its inspiration came from years of counseling couples in our clinic on how to eat to optimize their fertility.

While Chinese physicians have been treating infertility with diet for centuries, Western science is just starting to catch up to the significant role that diet plays in the ovulatory causes of infertility. A landmark study published in 2008, based on the Harvard Nurses Study, makes startling connections between diet and conception. As the most comprehensive research to date on diet and fertility, this study associates a slow carb, whole food, mostly plant based diet with a six-fold increase in fertility.

The Acubalance Fertile Diet is an effort to blend the wisdom of Chinese medicine with groundbreaking western research to help women and couples learn what and how to eat to optimize fertility. The diet includes meal plans, recipes, shopping lists, and tips on mindful eating to help you get started.

But before you launch into this diet (or any other), you might want to take a minute to think about the following. Read more at www.acubalance.ca

Podcast with Dr Oz and Toni Weschler

I just listened to this 5 1/2 min podcast with Dr. Oz and Toni Weschler, author of Taking Charge of your Fertility. The discussion is about charting your menstrual cycle, breast exams, ovulation and PMS.

If you haven't read her book it is such an incredible resource for all women. I learned so much about my menstrual cycle through reading this book and charting my cycle.

Society really has taught us that our menstrual cycles are messy and inconvenient. The fact that there are now birth control methods that decrease menstruation so that women only have 4 cycles per year is the wrong message to give to young girls. I have women who are 37 years old struggling to regulate their cycle. Perhaps it sounds great when you are in your early 20's but what are the long term affects of this method. Although they claim there are none, they won't really know until enough women have used it for 10-15 years.

Until I read Taking Charge of your Fertility I never appreciated the wisdom of the female cycle. Today I look at my cycle as a natural detoxification. It is an opportunity for the body to release built up toxins through menstruation. For me, it is a monthly celebration of womanhood. I even talk about "celebrating" your cycle in my Yoga for Fertility classes. Changing the words lightens up the experience of your menstrual cycle. Instead of feeling like a loss each month women learn to appreciate that it is an opportunity to cleanse our reproductive system.

Begin to view your cycle differently and your experience of it will change. It all begins with your beliefs and thoughts about menstruation. It you believe it is a loss, it will feel like one, each and every month. If you begin to look at it as an opportunity to cleanse your uterus and prepare for implantation, each month will feel lighter and you will begin to feel empowered and grateful. Remember men don't have this privilege.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

Health & Fertility Enhancing Supplements

I would like to share this article with you written by a colleague, Julia Indichova.

Julia is the author of Inconceivable and The Fertile Female, the creator of the Ovum Birthing Practice, and the founder of http://www.fertileheart.com/, She is also the director of the Fertile Heart Studio in Woodstock, New York and leads an international weekly teleconference as well as a monthly Open Circle in New York City.

Click on the title below to read it:
HEALTH AND FERTILITY ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS
Safeguarding our Health, Fertility and the Health of Our Children

Hugs, Sue

Poem - Sharing in a safe place

This poem was written by a yoga instructor who attended my Yoga for Fertility Instructor Training in Toronto last April. With her permission I lovingly share it with you. Hugs, Sue

Sharing in a safe place
by Dawn Balfour
April 5, 2009

Sharing in a safe place
Feeling, being, enjoying the quiet
I’m not alone, we’re in a similar space

Feeling the physical, uniting it all
Feeling the spiritual, unafraid to fall
Embracing, accepting what’s here and now
Letting it go, it’s time to allow
Faith, hope and belief into your soul
Connection to baby and self is the goal
Deeper than medical stats can show
Healing and positive energy flow

Postures and breathing, awareness is key
Let go of the fear and set yourself free
Have faith that your baby is waiting to come
And has chosen you, to be their Mom

babymaking versus lovemaking

I can tell you that this topic is something that I discuss with many of my fertility clients. I know for me the minute we decided to start "trying" to get pregnant lovemaking became babymaking. In the beginning it seemed fun and exciting. We would joke about timing intercourse and it seemed light and harmless. As the months began to pass it became more of a chore. I remember saying to my husband one night "I know your tired, I'm tired too. I just need a deposit." How romantic!

Months of babymaking can impact the intimacy in your relationship. I remember I would avoid any contact after ovulation for fear of interfering with implantation. I didn't want to rock the boat. Eventually the only time I would allow my husband to touch me was right around ovulation. I would avoid him all other times in the month. Our relationship became very strained and we would drift apart for weeks and sometimes months at a time.

It was helpful for me to discover that, in most relationships, men need intimacy to feel connected while women need to feel connected in order to be intimate. We began to make a conscious effort each time we felt ourselves drifting apart to re-connect. Something as simple as me saying "I feel disconnected, can we talk about it?" would open the door for communication.

Your fertility journey can definitely affect your relationship on many different levels and it requires awareness, willingness and a conscious effort to keep it nurtured.

Here are some things that can help:
1. Schedule a date night each week. Each of you take a turn planning it. You don't have to spend a lot of money. Plan a special dinner at home with candles and music. Go for a long walk in nature together. Be creative.

2. Appreciate what they are doing for you each day. I make my husband's lunch each day and when he makes a point to thank me, I feel appreciated.

3. Find one thing you are grateful for about your partner and share it at bedtime with each other. This helps you remember why you chose your partner and also helps them feel appreciated. If you do this each night it can help you stay connected.

Remember babies are conceived out of your love for each other. When you are together feel the love between you and invite your baby into your hearts. After all, the heart is the first womb. As you open your heart to your partner, you open your heart to your baby to be.

Supporting each other

Most of my clients have trouble speaking about their fertility challenges sometimes even to their partners. When they do talk about it they often receive comments that don't feel supportive, especially if the individual they are speaking to has never had fertility challenges themselves.

Communicating about something that affects you so deeply can be tricky especially when you are not clear how you are feeling at the time. Many women need to process things out loud with a friend or partner. Sometimes it is helpful to talk about it and just the act of saying it out loud can be healing.

Fertility Support Groups are a safe space where couples can explore their challenges along their fertility journey without fear of judgment. They can share feelings of worry, fear, jealousy and anger with the group and as others acknowledge the same feelings they realize they are not alone. Coming together to speak or just listen in a group of others that are going through similar circumstances is healing in itself.

I would encourage you to reach out by attending a support group for fertility. I have seen the relief and transformation that can occur for couples after just 1 hour of discussion. Some support groups are for women only, mine is open to anyone who would like to attend. Some women come on their own while others bring their partner.

If you would like more information on finding a Fertility Support Group in your area visit www.iaac.ca

I would like to add a Fertility Support Group through Skype online or by phone. If you are interested in participating please let me know. If there is enough interest I will begin one as soon as possible.

follow me

Still out here spreading the word. I am now on twitter and you can follow me at www.twitter.com/fertilityyoga

It is a great tool to help me spread the word about fertility and alternative ways to enhance conception. I have met some wonderful new individuals and found some great new resources.

As I reach out and build a community of support for women and couples all over the world I am determined to be your voice. Perhaps one day you will speak about your own fertility journey, until then, I will speak about mine.

I will invite you to find gratitude today. Reflect on all that you are grateful for. The moon, a friend or a sunflower. Whatever you find allow yourself the feel the gratitude in your body. Bring the feeling of it deep down into your body and let it fill you up. Feel the warmth of this positive emotion all through your body deep down into your cells.

I am feeling deeply grateful today. I remember a time when it was impossible to feel anything but sadness and grief. I know that anyone can change their life experience. Even in the darkest times there is still a light within everyone that continues to burn. Gratitude can be a tool to help brighten that light.

I invite you to feel gratitude today as much as you can. Whenever you have a negative thought, acknowledge it, accept it, ask for healing around it and release it to the universe. Replace it with gratitude.

I believe in YOU! I have complete FAITH in YOU and for that I am deeply grateful.
Namaste, Sue

This Deep Desire

There is nothing else that will make me happy
There is nothing that compares
This deep desire to have a baby
Is my only care

I will do anything and everything
To make my dream come true
Diet, herbs and exercise
There’s nothing I won’t do

My journey through fertility
Becomes heavier every day
I hope this nightmare has an end
Please make it go away

All I want is to have a baby
A child to call my own
I am done with fear and with doubt
I don’t want to feel alone.

As I look deep down inside myself
I realize I have known
All the answers that I seek
Are within a place called home

This place inside me is all I need
To regain my sense of hope
Inner wisdom, trust and faith
Are there to help me cope

As I step back into my sense of self
I know I will be ok
The choices I make are empowering now
And at home is where I’ll stay



I thought I would share this poem I wrote a few years ago. I use my poetry as a tool to heal. This one allowed me to appreciate how my journey has changed and my experience of my fertility is so very different than it was in the beginning. I have learned so much about myself and my life. I am deeply grateful!

I am Fertile - Are you Ready to begin

Well it is time to start the "I am Fertile" - Challenge. Although I use the word challenge I prefer to see it as an OPPORTUNITY to feel inspired and empowered.

Join me and many others from all over the world as we come together and create the changes in our lives that will help us bring our babies home into our arms.

Experience personal transformation as you learn to get out of your own way and dissolve all obstacles interfering with your fertility.

How do we do it?

You learn to use highly effective tools that will help you:
-identify emotions through awareness, acceptance and action allowing you to find relief quickly

-learn to identify and change limiting thoughts and beliefs

-recognize and dissolve fear and doubt ~ subconscious fear can be an obstacle (eg. fear of pregnancy or childbirth)

-make positive lifestyle changes that will decrease stress and anxiety and increase self esteem and confidence

-easily shift from chaos to peace utilizing voice guided meditations and deep relaxation exercises

-make healthy fertile food choices that will enhance your chances of conceiving

Together we will support each other through all these changes. While many of the tools I share will be simple they are often challenging to begin using. I will be here for you and doing it with you all the way.

Now is the time! Today is the day to face your fears and transform your fertility journey! I have complete faith in you and I will help you find that faith within yourself!

Together as a community of loving Mothers and Fathers we will bring our babies home.

If you are ready for this opportunity and even if you are not, but these words resonate deep within you, I encourage you to sign up today!

For more information and to register visit www.familypassages.ca

Holding onto Fear - at what cost?

I was awoken at 2:30am with a noise in my house. I got up to investigate and initially thought the cat knock something down. As I came down the stairs I noticed our back yard light was on (motion detector) and I begin to feel uneasy in my abdomen. As I continued to look around I realized the front door was unlocked and the alarm was not set. A full body panic set in. My heart began to race as I looked around the house to ensure no one got in. I could feel the adrenalin rushing through my entire body and I even felt my hands shaking.

Suddenly a full body memory of my experience of our home break in set in. I came home one afternoon to find the front door unlocked and muddy footprints throughout the house showing evidence of the thieve's path through each room in my home. My home was the only place I really felt safe and that one day, everything changed.

This morning after I locked the door, set the alarm, searched the house and went back to bed, I continued to feel a deep sense of panic and worry. As I type these words the tears begin to fill my eyes. Although I have done a lot of healing around the break in of my home, it continues to affect me on a very deep level in my body. Almost uncontrollably. In my mind, logically, I know I am safe in my home. In my body, I feel the panic, worry and fear.

Anytime something like this happens I have a body memory. I notice it and I ask for healing. "I give you this panic and fear and ask for it to be healed. It is interfering with my inner peace. Please show me a different way of looking at this. I am ready and willing to let it go." When I did this process as I was lying in bed I saw myself typing in my blog.

I find journalling is a healing process for me as is writing poetry. I allows me to release whatever I am holding. It is a way of processing out loud and it helps me organize the thoughts that are in my head. The thoughts of panic, worry and fear are not real. They are based on a past event and it is interfering with my peace in the moment. Journalling helps me return to peace. I already feel more calm writing these words and I appreciate having witnesses to my healing process (although it is not necessary).

As you begin to express the fear that is within, you begin to dissolve the power it holds over you. At the root of all fear, there is simply a thought. Your thoughts invoke the fear and awaken cellular memory of another similar fearful experience, which then intensifies your experience of it in the present moment. It may help to recognize that past experiences of fear will continue to show up until we heal that part of ourselves. Whether the fear is due to a home breakin, car accident, miscarriage or loss, or fear of pregnancy, or the fear of never becoming a Mother; all fear is an opportunity to heal a deeper part of ourselves.

So if fear is not real and it is simply a thought, what can you do with it? The good news is we don't have to believe all of our thoughts. See it as a thought, something separate from you. In fact I encourage you to challenge your thoughts and perhaps see life challenges as an opportunity to heal and let go of something from the past. You will begin to feel lighter and more free to live each moment as it comes. All we can know for sure, is what's happening right now.

What's happening now? I feel more calm and peace. I feel deep gratitude. I have done a great deal of healing around our home breakin. It has been a while since I woke up in a panic and I know that each time it occurs I heal another layer. I feel better and I am ready to go back to bed. I thank you for listening!

Taking Charge of your Fertility

Canadian Infertility Awareness Week is May 17 to 23rd.


Taking Charge of your Fertility

Trying to conceive?

Feeling confused and overwhelmed?

Find out how you can take control of your fertility journey.

~Discover what questions you need to ask your doctor and what tests you need to have
~Learn how acupuncture, diet and yoga can help optimize your fertility and reduce your stress
~Hear about the latest research & infertility treatments

Join fertility experts, Dr. Jason Hitkari, Reproductive Endocrinologist at Genesis Fertility Centre, Lorne Brown, Dr. of Traditional Chinese Medicine and clinical director of Acubalance Wellness Centre, and Sue Dumais, Fertility Yoga specialist and founder of Family Passages for this FREE interactive discussion.

Date: Wed May 20th

Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm

Fee: FREE

Location: Jewish Community Center, Vancouver

Space is limited! Sign up today by calling 604-678-8600 to reserve your spot!

Yoga for Fertility Resources

I am creating a new website called Yoga for Fertility Resources. My intention is to collect as many classes and instructors for Yoga for Fertility in all areas of the world so that women and couples that are looking for a class in their area can find it easily.

Visit www.yogaforfertilityresources.com

It is still a work in progress but if you know of any resources in your area that are not already listed on this site please contact me.

Together we can build a community of support for women and couples all over the world!

Hugs,
Sue

Eliminate Sugar Cravings!

I have had many health issues in the last 4 years that I believe have interfered with my ability to conceive. Many of those health issues have not been diagnosed through western medicine but more through my own intuition and the help of my Naturopathic Physician. I respect all that western medicine has to offer and I mean no disrespect at all, but at this time in my life I need to look at alternative ways to continue to heal myself.

As I continue to follow my own intuition I am guided to the practitioners and the methods of healing that will help me on my journey. I am currently using some new supplements that are easily digestible and are created with my cellular health in mind. Dr Wentz who first developed the product was a immunologist and microbiologist. His job was to grow cells in a petri dish so that they could test viruses and develop tests kits for specific viruses. He job was to keep the cells alive and growing. When his own health began to fail he was told to start taking supplements. When Dr Wentz studied the ingredients on the label he realized that if he were to give the cells he had growing in the petri dish the ingredients he was taking - they would die. So he begin to develop his own line of supplements.

I began with a 5 day cleanse. It is a high fiber program called RESET which is designed to RESET your metabolism, level out your blood glucose and insulin levels and eliminate sugar cravings. I admit I was excited about the idea of eliminating my sugar cravings, but skeptical that it would work in only 5 days. To my surprise I had no sugar cravings at all from day 1!!!!!!!!

I am finished the 5 day regime and continue to have no sugar cravings including my late evening ice cream craving that I have had for years (and often denied myself) - all gone! The great thing was that is was simple and easy to follow and I never once felt deprived or hungry. I have continued to take the Essentials (supplements) and I really feel that this was the piece I was missing. I feel so much stronger and have more energy.

For those of you that are interested in taking my "I am Fertile Challenge" you might consider starting with the RESET program. It can help you change to eating low glycemic index foods without feeling deprived and it will help minimize your withdrawal from sugar.

If you are interested in more information on RESET click here. The RESET program is recommended by Dr.Christiane Northrup, author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause. Click here to read Dr. Northrup's article on RESET.

I have a dream

I just watched a video of Susan Boyle singing on You Tube. I was amazed and moved to tears. Society is so quick to judge someone before they even get a chance to show their beauty and talent in the world.

It also touched me on a very deep level because most of my life I have played small, afraid to show the world who I really am. As a child I believed I was "bad" and deserved to be punished. So I found ways to punish myself. I felt undeserving of happiness, joy and even love. I hated myself and everything about me. Most of my life was filled with pain and suffering.

I have healed a great deal of my childhood pain but there are still moments where I feel stuck in old patterns. Today I can say that I love myself, but I still know there are layers to heal. I can look at someone else and see their full potential and when I look at myself I see a glimpse of what I am capable of, and that scares me. Although each day I step further and further into all that I am and all that I am capable of being, my fear still creeps in and some days paralyzes me.

I am done with all of this self destructive old patterning. I want to love with my whole heart every day without fear. Who am I to keep my talents to myself? Who am I to deny the world my brilliance and grace? I am just like you and everyone else who is afraid to stand up and sing.

I have a dream to bring Yoga for Fertility classes to the world. I have a dream to speak to the world about the fertility and help everyone understand the depth of this emotional journey. I have a dream that women and couples struggling with fertility will no longer feel isolated and defeated. Instead they will feel inspired and empowered to heal themselves as they bring their baby home.

I believe we should all follow our dreams! Imagine what the world would be like if we could all stand up and be the beautiful incredible beings I know we all are.

Canadian Infertility Awareness Week

Canadian Infertility Awareness Week (CIAW) is coming up from May 17th to 23rd. There are several events we have booked that week and I hope you will come out and learn how you can take charge of your fertility.

Upcoming events include:

Taking Charge of your Fertility
Wed May 20th 7pm

Manual Therapy Applications for Fertility
Fri May 22nd 7pm

Conceive the Dream - CIAW Victoria Walk
Sat May 23rd 2pm
We are organizing transportation from Vancouver if you would like to join us let me know.


If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.
Hugs,
Sue

Update on the upcoming Challenge

Thanks for all your comments and emails about the upcoming challenge. I am excited as well! I am in the process of getting some information ready and looking forward to sharing more details soon.

I realize that in your fertility journey much of it has been about waiting. I understand how challenging that can be. It is not my intention to make you wait. I just want to make sure I have all the details worked out before we embark on this journey together.

Stay tuned!

Yoga for Fertility Radio Interview

I thought I would share a recent radio interview on a yoga show called Drishti Point. I was interviewed by Farah Nazarali about Yoga for Fertility.

Listen here until May 15th: http://drishtipoint.ca/?p=99

After May 15th you can listen on my website under media.

EnJOY!
Hugs, Sue

Ready to take a Fertility Enhancing Challenge?

I just came back from Calgary and it was an incredible time. I feel so blessed and deeply grateful to be able to share my experience with others to help them heal and find peace. I realize that in helping others find peace on their fertility journey they begin to transform their experience of everything that occurs around them. In finding peace many of them become pregnant with what seems like less effort.

If you were to find this deep sense of peace I am speaking about you would regain a sense of control through learning to trust yourself. In a place of peace and knowing, you don't take things personally, you can make informed decisions without doubting yourself and you can live your life day to day without feeling like you are losing your mind.

So how to you do it?

You use highly effective tools that will help you:
-identify emotions through awareness, acceptance and action ~ allowing you to find relief quickly
-learn to identify and change limiting thoughts and beliefs
-recognize and dissolve fear and doubt ~ subconscious fear can be an obstacle (eg. fear of pregnancy or childbirth)
-make positive lifestyle changes that will decrease stress and anxiety and increase self esteem and confidence
-easily shift from chaos to peace utilizing voice guided meditations and deep relaxation exercises
-make healthy food choices that will enhance your chances of conceiving

If this all sounds like something you would like to do then stay tuned to my blog for more information. You might even want to become a follower so you are sent a notice when I add a post in my blog.

Together we will support each other through all these changes. While many of the tools I share will be simple they are often challenging to begin using. I will be here for you and doing it with you all the way.

Watch for more details! Coming soon!

Off to Calgary

Well I am leaving for Calgary in the morning to teach my Yoga for Fertility and Fitness Fertility Instructor courses. It feels good to be spreading my work across Canada. It turns out one instructor is coming from Saskatchewan as well. I have had many women calling from Calgary looking for Yoga for Fertility classes in their area so it feels good to be helping them by training others to teach these incredibly healing classes.

I am amazed at the transformation that occurs even after 1 or 2 classes. They leave the class feeling heard, understood and relieved. As women and couples get together and share their challenges, heartaches and celebrations, there is such a profound level of healing that occurs. They experience a deep sense of belonging and knowing that they are not alone. They remember what it feels like to live their life with HOPE and FAITH. They begin to feel it again, deep in their body, mind and soul. There are no real words that can describe it but I will continue to do my best to write about it.

I have been chosen to do this work. I have a deep inner calling. It is the music that is in me and I am ready to play it for the world. I inspire and empower healing, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
Namaste, Sue