| The pain of infertility is so pervasive one hardly knows where it starts or where it ends. The pure biology of trying to conceive lends itself to vigilant awareness of one’s cycle. The mind becomes consumed with counting days, the “two week wait” and the anticipation of disappointment.
In yogic philosophy, there is a term “chitta” which means “mind stuff” or the memories and templates we unconsciously make from our experiences. All of the thoughts that come up each month you are not pregnant go into this chitta record. They may sound like, “I’ll never get pregnant,” “I’m not meant to be a mother” or “I never should have . . . “ along with many other negative thoughts that cumulate to create a lot of negative chitta or background chatter. Not to mention the constant searching for answers, which creates even more unnecessary chitta in your mind. All of the statistics from websites, personal stories and information may or may not apply to your particular situation, but it gets embedded in the memory banks. Without realizing it, this chatter becomes a constant backdrop for everyday activities, influencing the way in which you feel or act.
So, how can you quiet or shift this chitta? There are several ways:
- Practicing mindfulness can be a great exercise for the mind and a way to soothe negative chitta. Mindfulness means doing one thing at a time without judgment, bringing gentle attention back to your focus.
- Meditation is another way to notice and let chitta pass. There are many types of meditation, but an accessible way to begin is setting aside time to notice thoughts and let them pass. Working with a practitioner who is experienced in meditation and specializes in infertility is a good way to get started. Consider joining us for Intro to Meditation on September 27th 6:45PM.
- Pulling Down the Moon’s Yoga for Fertility is another way to manage negative chitta. This 6-week program not only teaches yoga postures supportive to fertility, but teaches ways to quiet the mind and observe chitta, letting it pass by like clouds in the sky.
- Connecting with others is another way to de-clutter those negative thoughts. Find support in friends or family to talk through some of the clutter. Or seek out an active Infertility Support Group. OIC’s support group is free and meets the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM.
The weight of infertility is heavy enough without the weight of negative chitta or chatter in our mind. Learning to let it pass can be a welcome gift to anyone struggling with infertility. |
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