Mind body medicine refers to the connection between our mental health and our body's health. We know that stress can cause a variety of ailments, both physical and emotional. We also know that chronic illnesses, like infertility, lead to tremendous stress, which then may lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses.

Mind body medicine offers you a way to cope better with the stress of infertility and fertility treatments. While much more research needs to be done, some research studies have reported improved pregnancy rates for couples involved in mind-body programs. Even in the studies where pregnancy rates were not looked at, the participant's emotional well-being was improved.

Some people believe that the mind can have a profound effect on the body and our health, going as far to say that the mind can heal the body. You do not need to believe in this aspect of mind-body medicine to benefit from it. Most mind-body practitioners see mind-body medicine as a way to lower stress and improve quality of life, and not as a way to actually "cure" a disease or illness alone.

Mind-body medicine may also be called body-mind-spirit medicine, mind-body-spirit medicine, integrative medicine, or holistic care. Some consider mind-body medicine a form of alternative medicine, though it's commonly used alongside conventional treatments.

Yoga for Fertility
Yoga combines physical postures, called asanas, and breathing practices, called pranayama, to create a meditative and relaxing exercise. Yoga has been used for healing purposes for over 5,000 years, and while the original yoga includes an entire philosophy, the Western version of yoga is typically light on the spiritual aspects. You can be any religion (or atheist, for that matter) and practice yoga.

Yoga for fertility is rapidly gaining popularity, with specially-made yoga for fertility DVDs and books, and yoga studios offering fertility-friendly yoga classes.

Of course, to benefit from the relaxation and feel-good-vibes that yoga has to offer, you don't have to sign up for a fertility-focused yoga class. Any yoga class that emphasizes relaxation and is not extremely competitive should work. Look for gentle or restorative yoga to get the maximum relaxation effect.

In case you're wondering, you do not need to be flexible to do yoga, and you don't need to have a perfectly sculpted body, like the women you see on yoga magazine covers. Non-flexible people and average or overweight people can do yoga, and love it!