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What's involved in the retreats?
Under the direction of renowned natural fertility expert Uby Muñoz a very special programme has been developed for you:
Qi Gong
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture
Nutrition
Emotional Freedom Technique
Fertility Yoga
Relaxation
Nia Dance
Emotional aspects of the retreat
Qi Gong
Each morning begins with a detoxing cup of hot water and lemon followed by an energising Qi Gong class in the fresh mountain air.
A gentler form of energy practice, Qi Gong is a beautiful, flowing combination of movements and breathing techniques that stimulate energy flow and promote your natural resiliency to stress.
The exercises we practise are specifically designed to boost fertility and aid the body's ability to process toxins.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Traditional Chinese Medicine (known as TCM) includes treatments such as Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Chinese Dietary recommendations and energetic exercises such as Qi Gong and Tai-Chi.
Within the retreat there are workshops that introduce you to the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This model of health and wellness is philosophically quite different from Western medicine as it treats the person as a whole: mind, body and spirit. It focuses on treating the root cause of health and fertility problems rather than their superficial symptoms. This approach can lead to a more permanent resolution of your problems.
You will be given a diagnosis and explanation of the root causes and underlying patterns of your health and fertility problems. Informed and supported by Uby and the other retreat practitioners, you can then decide how best to address these causes.
A quick overview of Traditional Chinese Medicine
TCM is based on the observation of nature and on the fundamental principle of the dynamics of Yin and Yang and their inter-relationship. The ancient Chinese realised that nature tends to form opposites that are completely dependent on one another. It is this inter-relationship that gives meaning to each, for example day and night, up and down, hot and cold, etc.
The symbol of Yin and Yang is translated as the Yin representing the dark side of the mountain, its qualities being cold, serenity, passivity, the interior and potentiality and the Yang representing the bright side which corresponds to activity, light, warmth, exterior and expression. Our bodies are a microcosm of the universe and our health depends on achieving harmony in the interaction of our Yin and Yang energies.
The retreats are designed to provide you with the information and tools to enable you to achieve this harmony and equilibrium and therefore to restore your fertility.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a gentle, yet effective, branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Used in conjunction with the other therapies and lifestyle changes learned on the retreat it will make you stronger and help create a healthy environment for a harmonious pregnancy. A healthy more balanced body will conceive more naturally.
It makes sense that a pregnancy is more likely to occur in a healthy 40 year old versus an unhealthy 40 year old. Acupuncture will also increase the likelihood of conception if you do opt for fertility drugs or medically assisted fertilisation techniques.
How does acupuncture work?
Traditional acupuncture works to maintain the body’s equilibrium by focusing on all aspects of wellbeing; physical, mental and emotional. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin. This energy is known as qi.
The flow of qi can be disturbed by any number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, anger, or grief, as well as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, and trauma. When the qi is unbalanced, illness may result.
The acupuncturist inserts ultra fine needles at chosen points along the channels of energy. The aim is to stimulate the body’s own healing response and restore its natural balance. Where there is excess we use techniques that disperse the energy and when there is a deficiency we tonify.
Acupuncture at the retreats
Treatment - we have included an acupuncture treatment in the retreat package so that every member of the group will have an initial telephone consultation prior to the retreat followed by a face-to-face acupuncture treatment with Uby.
Action Plan – we will liaise with your acupuncturist at home or recommend a practioner in your area.
Acupressure – you will learn some useful acupressure points that can help restore your body to balance and improve fertility, and you will be shown the technique to stimulate the points at home.
Nutrition: Feeding yourself for Fertility
"Let food be our medicine and let medicine be our food" (Hippocrates)
Our diet is one way in which we can easily and powerfully correct disharmonies within the body. Understanding nutrition from the TCM perspective is of great benefit for our health, you will learn the principles of Chinese dietary therapy and be shown how to use food to achieve equilibrium within your body and treat underlying patterns that may be impeding your fertility potential.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has a very positive association with food and it is considered to be a nurturing friend that maintains and restores health. A great deal of importance is given to the flavour, temperature and the energetic qualities of food, a meal isn’t just seen as an accumulation of calories, but rather an opportunity to feed the different organs of the body, providing them with the balanced tastes and energies needed for health.
Certain food are seen as warming and nourishing while others are seen as cooling and eliminating; some foods are useful for building qi while others have blood, yang or ying building properties.
Dietary recommendations are made according to the patient's own condition and the body's internal circumstances are classified according to Yin or Yang. For example; if you are feeling tired and anxious and keep waking up during the night then your internal energy is too Yin. Eating food with Yang energy, such as root vegetables, will act to counterbalance this and restore equilibrium.
Each participant will receive a personal diagnosis and dietary recommendations to suit their individual body needs. Following these recommendations and action plan will boost your energy levels, improve your fertility and help create a nourishing environment in which to support your healthy baby.
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
Simply put, EFT is a surprisingly effective and powerful tool for releasing emotional blocks that are held in your body. When we have a shock or traumatic experience, especially in childhood, the body can hold on to the associated feeling for longer than necessary and this can form into negative habits, self-limiting beliefs, migraines, irrational fears and physical illnesses.
EFT involves tapping on specific pressure points on the face and top of the chest. This tapping, combined with using language to focus your healing system, works to clear unhelpful emotional aspects. Once these are cleared, clients often find that physical symptoms just disappear, un-healthy habits become easier to change, and difficult past memories are no longer a distraction.
How can EFT help with fertility?
Our sub-conscious mind is our most faithful servant. It takes our beliefs about life very literally, and makes sure we live in accordance with these self-made rules about life, ourselves and relationships. These beliefs are often formed during childhood, a time when life can be fearful and bewildering. During this time we decide what it is to be a parent, to have a women's body, and make choices about a child's place in the world. These beliefs can get stuck in time, despite all efforts to change them and due to the mind-body connection they can show up as fears and tensions in our intimate relationships and in our bodies, and lead to blocks to our body's natural fertile rythms.
The great news is that our powerful sub-conscious mind is also one of our most effective healing tools, and Emotional Freedom Technique works with the content of the sub-conscious mind.
EFT case studies on clients working on fertility show that often these clients are holding on to limiting beliefs from the past, especially issues of confidence in their woman's body, their ability to concieve, and be a good enough mum. Using EFT these beliefs can be replaced by more relevant, helpful beliefs to support fertility. For example, "My fertility is my birthright"; "I am good enough as I am to be a mother"; "My woman's body is strong, and worthy of my respect".
During the retreat Liz, our EFT practioner, will work with the group on limiting beliefs and to re-frame any past difficult experiences with pregnancy, so that memories become less emotionally charged and you can re-frame past experiences in a more positive and accepting way. You will learn how to harness EFT to manage anxiety and stress levels, thus creating a more relaxed mental environment for conception.
Once your sub-conscious mind has taken on the new beliefs you have chosen, you'll find that naturally and gently your confidence increases, your creativity emerges in surprising ways, and your body works towards healing and harmony which will lead to greater fertility.
Fertility Yoga
Yoga can reduce stress, bodily tension and energetic blocks in the body that can accumulate over time. What makes fertility yoga different from other yoga practices is that it specifically focuses on your reproductive health.
The fertility yoga that you will learn at the Fertility Awakenings retreats is a therapeutic type of yoga based on proven techniques which encourage relaxation and help restore mental and physical balance to help your body prepare for conception.
The poses you will be shown integrate stretching movements with breathing. The therapeutic sequence of breath and movement will help you gain balance, strength, and vitality in the reproductive areas and hormonal system of your body.
Relaxation Techniques
It is common to experience anxiety and frustration when you meet unexpected challenges on the path to parenthood. These emotions can trigger stress which is one of the major obstacles to fertility as it puts the body in ‘fight or flight’ mode which can have a negative impact on the healthy functioning of the reproductive system. The good news is that your stress levels can be reduced through relaxation.
During the retreat a portion of each day is dedicated to relaxation. You will learn how to relax using different techniques such as guided meditation, visualisation and breathing exercises. You will also be given ideas on how to create your own relaxing environment at work and at home.
You will gain a greater awareness of your body, mind and emotions, and this increased awareness will allow you to become more present and mindful in all aspects of your life. Mindfulness is a practice that allows us to focus fully and completely on a given simple activity and fully appreciate every aspect of what you are doing. The more that you are really present in every moment of your life, the more successful you will be in anything you desire.
Learning to relax will help prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy and it will also help you to cope better with the stress and anxiety you may feel about fertility. Relaxation gives you clarity of mind and you will gain a healthy perspective and reduce the tension in your life.
Nia Dance
Nia is a revolutionary and original technique of movement and personal growth based on the principle of the joy and pleasure of moving one’s body. Nia stimulates expressive development through functional and sensory body awareness. This benefits the whole person and obtains considerable results for the body, the mind, the emotions and the spirit. All of which is crucial for maintaining your optimum fertility.
Nia was inspired by nine movement forms chosen from dance arts, martial arts and healing arts in order to promote a complete and transformational movement practice that positively enriches your life, both during and outside the practice. Nia is a safe, healthy and intelligent movement.
Nia practice is done in bare feet, the rhythm of a suggestive and rich musical selection goes together with the different choreographed routines that are filled with the energies and concepts of the nine movement forms to which participants add their own personal style and interpretation.
During a Nia Class several combinations of steps and movement patterns blend with free dance sessions guided by verbal visualizations in order to stimulate the imagination and the expressive variety of the moves. The flexible structure of the choreographies and the simplicity of the steps, not only invite you to explore a vast range of movements and sensations, they also provide cardiovascular benefits and allow you to connect to the wisdom of the body.
Nia can be adjusted to the body characteristics of any person, any age and any personal expressive needs, yet without compromising the effectiveness of the results, the progress towards health and the pleasure of the practice. Nia teaches you to dance through your life!
Emotional aspects of the retreat
Helping you to move on from the past
Fertility Awakenings Retreats are oases of hope and renewal. They provide a friendly, supportive environment for fresh beginnings and new choices in your journey to fertility. Therapeutic workshops have been specifically chosen to clear the emotions that might be holding you back. Qi-Gong, Yoga, Dance Therapy and Emotional Freedom Technique workshops all work on both physical and emotional levels, facilitating the release of unhelpful emotions such as resentment and guilt which can cause blocks to the body's natural fertile processes. Once these are cleared you can make new choices about who you are and how you want to live.
Support for the Present
The Fertility Awakenings' philosophy is one of partnership with you in your journey to fertility. So whilst, you'll receive all the expertise of the Fertility Awakenings team, we also relish the wisdom and experience that our participants bring. Therefore, our retreats provide ample time for exploration and learning from each other. Sessions have space for questions and discussion, and as the days progress you will find yourself forming heart-to-heart connections with your co-participants, a vital ingredient in any healing journey. We understand that sharing personal information is an individual choice and there will be no pressure to disclose personal circumstances or feelings at any time. However, those who do wish to share and listen will find there is much opportunity to do so.
So often in life we think we have to be strong, to cope on our own, not to ask for support and end up feeling isolated. In sharing and listening with others you normalise your own experiences, realising that you're not alone in your situation, you're feelings are not irrational, and you're part of a community. This can be an enormous relief in itself.
Voicing our feelings and concerns and being listened to without being judged, by someone who understands, is often the first step to moving forward.