I am always looking for things my patients can do for themselves outside the treatment room. I have found that true healing occurs when you become an active participant in your own wellness journey.
With all my patients I strongly encourage them to start a meditation practice.
For most of us, because we have spent so much time focusing on “doing”, taking the time to slow things down and to focus on doing less can seem daunting.
I believe the easiest place to start is with a practice that focuses on the area of the body that we are trying to heal. Because these meditations are for a purpose, patients have an easier time committing to them and they can be a great gateway to further meditation and self-discovery.
Butterfly breathing focuses on sending our breath to the uterus, ovaries, and urethra. It can be practiced to help enhance fertility, to reduce menstrual cramps, reduce the occurrence of UTI’s and to reduce the symptoms of Interstitial cystitis. Often the underlying cause of all of these issues is chronic stress.
The Benefits of Butterfly Breathing
~ The deep slow breathing done in butterfly breathing calms down the sympathetic nervous system and turns on the parasympathetic. This helps switch your body from the flight or fight response into the rest, digest and recovery mode putting you into a calm state. If you find you are frequently anxious or your life is stressful getting into the parasympathetic mode is essential for your fertility.
~It nourishes our Dan Tian- In Chinese Medicine, the Dan Tian or “elixir field” is considered our bodies reservoir and a place of inner strength. It’s a source of power for physical energy and sexual vitality and gives us the sense of stability and balance. The Dan Tian is located between the navel and the pubic bone and butterfly breathing helps us focus and nourish this area.
~ It improves the circulation of blood and the flow of Qi to your organs. The reason acupuncture works and increases the chances of IUI and IVF success is because it drastically increases blood flow to the uterus; nourishing it, oxygenating it and preparing it. In between your acupuncture session include some butterfly breathing to keep this going.
~ It opens up the hips, relaxes the inner thigh and pelvic muscles and gives us a chance to send positive love and energy to our reproductive area. This helps create awareness in your body, rather than in your head, so you feel grounded and can mentally prepare to create space for another life within yours.
How to Butterfly Breathe
Butterfly breathing is done against a wall to maximise the blood flow to the uterus. Find a wall you can place your legs up and place a yoga mat or towel on the floor next to it for comfort.
Lie on the floor with your hips as close to the wall as comfortable and put your legs up the wall. Slowly bend your legs and touch the soles of your feet to create a butterfly posture.
Place your hands over your uterus (just below your navel) in a heart shape.
Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your teeth. This connects the Du and Ren acupuncture channels and helps create flow through the meridians and body.
Calm your mind and focus on your body.
Inhale deeply, taking your breath down into the lower abdomen by expanding your diaphragm. You should feel your hands raise with your inhaled breath.
Exhale slowly.
With each inhale imagine love, oxygen and white pure energy entering your uterus and ovaries. With every exhale breathe out negativity and stress.
If you find your mind easily wanders it can help to include a mantra which you can say to yourself in your mind or out loud.
My favourite fertility mantra is: I am fertile, I trust my body.
On the inhale you say ” I am fertile” and on the exhale you say “I trust my body” releasing any negativity or doubt you have.
I recommend butterfly breathing for 10 – 30minutes daily. Give it a try!
By Skye Van Munster