How do you feel lately?
Don’t judge yourself for your answer, but take an honest stock of your feelings and emotions.
Right now it’s normal to feel more stress, anxiety, and worry than normal. You might even find yourself feeling down and in a funk. You’re not alone.
We all went from working to keep up with life’s bustling pace to seeing our social and travel plans canceled, our calendars emptied. If you were working towards growing your family through fertility treatment, the disappointment and challenges of halted procedures can be especially depleting.
Stress can rob you of joy and worry can overwhelm your sense of peace. Experiencing a prolonged imbalance of your energy can lead to anxiety, depression, physical pain, and even sickness. This is not ideal for anyone, but in particular, for those trying to conceive.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely eliminate stress from our lives. It is possible, however, to counter the drain of energy out with replenishing energy in.
You have the personal power to enhance your vibration in the world and boost your prana. Prana is a Sanskrit word that means your vital energy, a.k.a. your gas in the tank, the strength of your blood flow, the fullness of your breath, your will to thrive. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, prana is the same concept as “chi” or “qi”.
Prana is especially important when on the path to conception. You are cultivating the energy for yourself as well as the energy to grow a human.
We gain prana by doing things that nourish us, both physically and spiritually. What this means is different for everyone, what works for me may not work for you. Anything that makes you feel more whole, refilled and replenished with you.
Here are some ideas that can help to nurture your vital essence. What calls to you?
- Going for a walk in your neighborhood
- Picking your favorite vitamin-rich foods to eat
- Finding online exercise classes that interest you
- Doing a centering yoga practice
- Deep breathing in a mindfulness practice
- Adding every day to a gratitude journal
- Deep breathing with your eyes closed
- Planting seeds or flowers in your garden
- Watching for birds among the trees
- Diffusing essential oils
- Drink a calming cup of tea (caffeine-free after morning time)
- Listening to soothing music
- Five minutes of meditation
- Reading a book
- Taking a rest or short nap
- Committing to a good night’s sleep
You can call it self care or you can call it a prana party, but it’s all about taking care of you.
Author Bio: Alece Demaray, Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Purna Yoga Teacher, Pulling Down the Moon