Submitted by Teresa Belinski as part of the summer educational article series*

You know how some people just know certain things?  For example, they just know that they will marry that certain somebody, or they just know that they’ll get that certain job or, mine and every other infertile woman’s favorite, they just know that they are pregnant.  Puh-lease.  I wouldn’t know if I was pregnant if the stork itself landed on my head and pooped out a positive home pregnancy test.  I feel like I should know though, I mean I’ve been at this since 2001.  I’m basically an expert when it comes to knowing why my boobs hurt or why I feel nauseous at that moment and I’ve peed on about 5 million sticks since I first started trying to get knocked up.  Oh how I wish I could just know that I was pregnant and call it good for the following 9 months. 

I, on the other hand, just knew that I would have a hard time conceiving and keeping a baby.  My friends all knew they’d be fertile myrtles and I knew I’d be a barren Bessie.  They were right, but heck so was I.  I tried for almost 2 years without any luck at all.  We are all told to wait at least a year before going into the doctor and throwing an “I’m not pregnant YET” fit.  What a waste of a year.  You could’ve been pregnant 11 months ago!  How is it that everyone else around you gets pregnant the second they start to “try,” yet it’s taken you some actual time?  It’s because 9 times out of 10, there is something wrong.  So fudge the truth a little and tell your doctor that heck, yes, you’ve been trying for a year.  The reason I say this is because I went in, got an endometrial biopsy, and was immediately diagnosed with a luteal phase defect.  I was put on 50mg of Clomid and BAM! conceived my now 5 year old twins the very next month. I now know that if I would’ve have been more aware of my body and had learned more about how things worked (or didn’t work in my case) I could have diagnosed myself without going through the pain of a biopsy.  Hindsight is always 20/20.

My doctor told me that the chances of me ever conceiving on my own were slim to none and if I ever did I would definitely miscarry.  Wow, thanks ovaries and uterus.  I thought nothing more of it because I had my little perfect boy and little perfect girl. I didn’t need any more.

I didn’t count on getting a divorce and then remarrying somebody that didn’t have kids of their own and wanted one or two. I was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing, foolishly thinking that another round of Clomid would do the trick as soon as I was ready. The thing is I got pregnant on my very own and almost keeled over from complete shock.  Before you begin hating me though for not truly being infertile, please remember what my doctor had said.  I miscarried at 6 weeks and 2 days.  It was the most devastating time of my life and still affects me greatly.  Apparently we all need a little hormone called progesterone to make a pregnancy work.  I lack that hormone greatly and my doctor got me all jumbled up in “the system” because of my name change.  Long story there, but the quick moral is making your doctor do their job or you could regret it literally for the rest of your life.

Here I sit, almost a year since my miscarriage, wondering what it’s gonna take this time to get pregnant.  I rock a huge sailor heart tattoo on my left arm with all 3 of my kid’s names and I’ve been on 3 rounds of Clomid since miscarrying.  My husband has been diagnosed with only 8% morphology.  Not good.  Out of all the people in the entire world, these two infertiles were drawn to each other.  I visited a reproductive endocrinologist and got the whole spiel of doing 3 IUI’s and 3 more rounds of Clomid and if those didn’t work we’d move onto IVF.  Nothing I didn’t already know.  Maybe you can relate when I say, we definitely don’t roll around in money and laugh because our bank account is blowin up.  

So I opted for a more natural method.  Everybody is going more natural these days; it’s the cool thing to do right?  I just recently started Creighton charting. It’s a fairly unknown system that definitely should be well known.  They combine detailed fertility charting with Natural Procreative Technology to diagnose and actually treat infertility.  Yes I said treat.  It’s their belief and now mine that most doctors are just trained to mask our infertility with things like in vitro fertilization and that infertility is a disease as real as any other disease out there.  The use of Creighton and NaPro technology in infertile couples has shown up to an 80% success rate.  The use of IVF in infertile couples has only shown a 21-27% success rate.  Did your jaw just drop wide open?  Creighton teaches you how to recognize your fertility or lack there of.   I literally never, ever thought I got any kind of cervical mucus before I started this.  I thought I was a mutant of some sorts because my friends were boasting about their 6 inch strings of boogers they’d get once a month.  I now know what they are talking about and have made up a cool little “I have cervical mucus” dance.  It’s thrilling to know that my body is working in at least one area.  My Creighton doctor will do a complete hormone workup after I get a good solid 2 months of charting done and will also give me the magical progesterone that my body oh so desires and hopefully soon I will get to pee on another stick.  This time though I hope to frame that stick rather than stomp on it in another insane infertile rage. 

Author: Teresa Belinski is a mother of 5 year old boy/girl twins and loves to talk about anything and everything.  If you ever run into her be prepared to talk about your whole life story and also learn about hers.  Nothing is sacred.  Visit her at www.teresabelinski.blogspot.com aka Keepin’ a Close Watch on This Heart of Mine.

*This post was submitted by a third party as part of a summer educational article series. The comments expressed here in this post are the personal opinions of the original author, and do not necessarily state the views or opinions of Clear Passage Therapies, Inc. 

Information contained on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this blog for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters regarding your health, and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Submitted by O’Nell Starkey as part of the summer educational article series*

When I was 19, at my annual gynecological exam, the midwife asked me if I wanted to see my cervix and, smiling, whipped out a mirror.  What a fascinating experience – to see the little, moist, pink entity that is the opening to my womb, that regularly releases my blood, that will one day stretch to 10 cm to birth a baby.  It felt like a homecoming!

I was in awe of my body in a more visceral way. I now encourage all my friends to ask to view their cervices at exams; after all, why should a practitioner see more of you than you have seen?

Six years after that empowering exam, I read the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler from cover to cover. Though I had understood the basic hormonal and physical cycle of menstruation, I had never before studied it in such depth. Weschler teaches the Fertility Awareness Method – a practical method of accurately tracking menstrual cycles and fertility by keeping daily records of basal body temperature, cervical mucous, and cervical position.

I began taking my basal body temperature (oral temperature taken every morning upon waking) and graphing these subtle shifts in my body’s temperature over each cycle.   I had a 33 day cycle.  My temperature was consistently between 97F and 97.5F until ovulation had occurred and then it rose about 1F for the duration of my cycle.  After the egg (oocyte) is released into the fallopian tubes at ovulation, the corpus luteum remains in the ovary and produces the heat-inducing hormone progesterone that helps build and maintain the endometrium (lining of the uterus, eventually the blood shed at menstruation) and causes this shift in basal body temperature.

I charted corresponding changes in the texture, color, and amount of my cervical mucous.  After menstruating, my cervical mucous was sticky or creamy.  It became more of an eggwhite stringy texture at ovulation, then drier until menstruation.

I also checked the position and firmness of my cervix with my finger. I noticed slight, but distinguishable, movement of the cervix’s position over time; it moved farther away from my vaginal opening near ovulation and lower approaching menstruation.  I observed that it was softest around ovulation (due to increased estrogen) and otherwise felt about as hard as the tip of my nose.   I charted my cycles for a few months and became fascinated by my increasing awareness of how my hormones affect my body, mind, and spirit – and vice versa.

While tracking one’s cycle certainly is not a unique idea, there didn’t seem to be many resources on the Internet that visually showed the changes over time in a woman’s cycle. In the tradition of the

feminist movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s that heralded the home speculum self-exam, I decided to help bring this empowering method into the 21st century. So, equipped with a speculum, a flashlight, a digital camera, a willing partner, and minimal blogging skills, I began the Beautiful Cervix Project.

My partner took a photo of my cervix daily and I posted these photos along with descriptions of changes in my emotional (i.e. tenderness, energy, libido) and physical states (i.e. cramps, breast tenderness, position of cervix).  I initially thought the site would only be useful to a few of my midwife friends who teach their clients about fertility cycles, but word of the Beautiful Cervix Project spread in the blogger community and beyond.  So far, in a few months, the site has trafficked almost a million visitors from countries all over the world.

There is no external genitalia visible in the photos, but there certainly has been some confusion about the intention of my site. Some photos have been removed due to ‘inappropriate content’ and I’ve had to change web hosts for similar reasons.  I’ve confronted sexism and body-phobia and unfortunately, the site has been linked to from pornographic websites.  People send me comments about how revolted they are, how perverted I must be, or how they have used my site for their own masturbatory purposes.  My reactions have ranged from feeling vulnerable to angry to disappointed in the ignorance and hate in the world.  Luckily, I choose what comments are publicly posted and I do not approve offensive comments because they are degrading and do not further my mission to empower women and normalize the reality of women’s bodies.

Fortunately, this criticism is countered with an overwhelming support from fans who appreciate my site.  I regularly hear from women who learned that the discharge they experience around ovulation is ‘normal’ (and not an infection), from medical students who have never seen a picture of a non-diseased cervix, or from women who have had hysterectomies and become nostalgic for their cervix after viewing the site.  Personal reproductive stories and questions (both hopeful and upsetting) have flooded my inbox.

The Beautiful Cervix Project appeals to a variety of people: healthcare professionals and students, families trying to conceive, women trying to avoid pregnancy, men curious about their partner’s shifts in libido, young women searching for information about their bodies, etc.

I hope The Beautiful Cervix Project inspires curiosity to observe and appreciate what is normal for each one of us.  I envision translating the site into other languages and posting photos of other women who have replicated the process, so a wide variation of normal can be represented (i.e. pregnant women, women with short or long cycles, women of different ages, women with cervical scarring, cysts, or polyps, etc)

Whose job is it to educate women (and for that matter everyone) about our own bodies, our cycles, and fertility? As a student homebirth midwife, I am fascinated by the way our educational and medical systems so often misinform or undereducate women about their bodies.

Sex education in many schools is dry, awkward, and minimal, if existent at all.  There is so much fear, shame, and confusion in the world about fertility.  The Beautiful Cervix Project is a grassroots movement of reclaiming our power and celebrating our womanhood!  The site is dedicated to the healing of our physical and emotional wounds through self-awareness.

Author: O’Nell Starkey is a student midwife, postpartum doula and artist. You can see the beautiful cervix project at www.beautifulcervix.com

*This post was submitted by a third party as part of a summer educational article series. The comments expressed here in this post are the personal opinions of the original author, and do not necessarily state the views or opinions of Clear Passage Therapies, Inc. 

Information contained on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this blog for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters regarding your health, and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Submitted by Rosalind Joffe as part of the summer educational article series*

1.  For most people, health, like the weather, is relatively unpredictable and there’s an element of luck.  But living with chronic illness means that I face unpredictable health daily. It can change as quickly as the weather, often without warning. I find this difficult, constantly challenging and even demoralizing. But, I try very hard not to let this prevent me from delivering my best.

2.  When I have to “slow down” or not show up because of chronic illness  symptoms, it can mean that others have to pick up the pieces to keep things going.  I appreciate that this can be frustrating for you.  It is for me, also.  Let’s just make sure we discuss what I can do to prevent my illness from becoming a burden to anyone.

3.  I’m not looking for your pity or even your sympathy.  I don’t feel sorry for myself and I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, either.  But I do welcome empathy, such as, “I understand this is tough”.  And once in a while, it’s really great to hear your encouragement, such as, “You do a great job with this” (but only if you mean it.)

4.  I know it doesn’t seem to make sense, but I can feel terrible and look fine.  When most people have the flu or even just a cold, they look sick.  My symptoms, sometimes disabling, are usually invisible.  I know it’s hard for others to understand this, especially when I look the same through it all. That’s why I’m often nervous about what others believe about my health and think about me.  It might sound odd but when I hear, “You look so good!” I wonder if you think I’m exaggerating my experience.

5.  You probably think you’re being helpful when you tell me what I could do to get better.  Your Aunt Gertrude, who went into remission with that special diet or your friend, Phil, who got better when he stopped working – they’re not me.  I promise you, if I want advice, I will ask for it.  Just because I’m not healthy, it doesn’t mean I’m incapable of managing my life.  

6.  When I mention my chronic illness, please don’t “skip” over it and look away.  When you avoid the subject, it doesn’t feel polite or respectful. Instead, it feels as if you’re avoiding the topic.  The fact is, I appreciate questions that show genuine interest in my experience, such as, “What does this mean for you?”  And, I’ll try my best to be respectful of you by not overly focusing on the subject.

7.  Have you ever noticed how often people pass you in the office halls with, “How ya’ doing?” and they keep walking?  I know it’s just a greeting but when I don’t feel well, I don’t have a quick answer.  I’m still responding to the question five minutes later — -  in my head.  In fact, there are times when it’s difficult to carry on simple, normal, office banter when I don’t feel “normal” and my life doesn’t fit into a sound bite.  So if you ask, be prepared for more than you might have bargained.

8.  Healthy people can work (or play) too hard but they can catch up after pushing their bodies too far without too much wear and tear.  Part of the problem with this chronic illness, however, is that my limits can vary greatly. I can’t ever be sure how hard I can push without hurting myself. Some days, walking upstairs to the water cooler feels like I’m running the marathon. Sometimes it can take days or even weeks to feel “normal” after working a few late nights and weekends. And, yet, at other times, I can do any of this without a problem. Go figure.

9.  People in the office (particularly management) will tell me, “Take care of yourself, that’s most important”.  But how should I interpret this message when working 10 hour days/6 days a week is considered a virtue?  I want to have high standards for my performance and be respected for what I do, just like everyone else.  But, the crazy schedule that we work doesn’t allow time for doctors’ appointments or time to recoup.  I find that there’s a bit of a contradiction here.

10.  Please don’t assume that because I live with a chronic illness, I can’t do my job or take on new responsibilities.  If I say I can do something, I will.  I don’t want to be protected from work demands and I want to be held to the same high standards as everyone else.  I might have to ask for help at times.  But, that’s my responsibility.  Please don’t discount me without checking with me first.

Author: Rosalind Joffe, The Chronic Illness Career Coach, rosalind@cicoach.com  t: 617 · 969 ·1930

http://cicoach.com and blog: http://WorkingWithChronicIllness.com  

©cicoach.com llc 2009  all rights reserved

*This post was submitted by a third party as part of a summer educational article series. The comments expressed here in this post are the personal opinions of the original author, and do not necessarily state the views or opinions of Clear Passage Therapies, Inc. 

Information contained on this blog is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information on this blog for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters regarding your health, and particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

The most recent National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) reported that 32% of US adults exercised regularly in 2008.[1] This is a one percent increase from the 2007 survey. According to the 2008 survey, 32% of Americans either:

• engaged in light to moderate physical activity for 30 minutes or more at least 5 times a week; or
• performed vigorous activity for 20 minutes or more at least 3 times a week.

Women 24 and under and 65 and older were less likely than men to exercise but men and women ages 25-64 were equally matched at just over 30% each. Participating in physical activity was shown to decrease with age for both men and women but with a steeper decrease for women than men.

By Jackie

Every day, I strive to fill this blog with helpful, relevant information about Clear Passage Therapies (CPT) and the conditions we treat. However, the CPT blog is not just about our treatment. At CPT, we believe the best way to true, vital health is a holistic perspective in which the entire body is taken care of – not just the part that is “sick” or “malfunctioning.” CPT staff, therapists, and I have therefore shared articles devoted to nutrition, mental and emotional health, and other approaches to good health (check out Endometriosis and Diet, Reducing Inflammation Naturally, and 6 Back-Saving Tips, just to name a few).

We feel so strongly about providing relevant, informative articles that we are currently creating a new educational articles section that will debut this summer. In addition to articles written by our own staff, we are partnering with fellow bloggers, practitioners, experts, and people with insightful experiences. The articles will discuss self-improvement, spirituality, nutrition, relevant studies, or mental/emotional health, as related to female infertility, female sexual dysfunction, chronic pain, and general health. All articles will be designed to educate and inspire, and will be devoid any promotional material, including any mention of CPT. We’ve created a sample of the kind of articles you can expect to see and you can view it by visiting our temporary educational articles section.

Would you like to join us in our efforts? You can start by letting us know what topics interest you. Please leave a comment below and we will contact an appropriate person to write an article about it. You may also be interested in going a step farther and writing an article yourself. You may have more to offer other women than you expect. Your personal experiences with any dysfunction or pain afford you the opportunity let women know what your experiences have been like, what has helped you, and offer other tips. For example, think of what you would have wanted another woman to tell you when you first learned you had a particular condition. Here are some more ideas to get your juices flowing:

• What’s an HSG like? (The patient perspective)
• Tips on how to set a budget for infertility treatments
• Insensitive comments you can expect from others about a certain condition and appropriate replies
• Advice on how to grow in spirituality during a difficult time in life
• Tips on how to talk to a husband who is not supportive with infertility treatments
• Tips on how to find a 2nd opinion
• Advice on how to explain a particular condition to children or close family
• How to remain calm while dealing with a certain condition
• Helpful recipes when dealing with a certain condition

If you would like to submit an article for publication, please email me at jackies@clearpassage.com for more information on article guidelines. All articles submitted by April 15th and accepted for publication will also be featured in a special monthly newsletter. You can sign-up for our newsletter here.

Have you ever left an appointment with a healthcare provider feeling frustrated, or that your needs were not fully met? Did you feel that your healthcare provider did not listen to you? Or maybe you left the visit not fully understanding your diagnosis or why you need additional medications or tests? If any of the above scenarios sound familiar, you are not alone. Many of us have experienced this at one time or another, and sometimes more than once.

We all have the responsibility to take a pro-active role in our own well-being; we need to be in control of how we want our bodies to be treated and taken care of. After all, you are the true expert of your body. You live in it every day and experience the joys, sorrows, aches, and pains that no one else really knows. Therefore, we all need to have the tools to effectively and thoroughly communicate our needs to our healthcare provider.

Over the years I have complied and gathered the following suggestions which I have found to be beneficial for me during appointments and I hope that you might be able to add some of these suggestions to you own tool box for future reference.

• Once your appointment has been scheduled with your healthcare provider, start compiling a list of any questions, symptoms, and concerns that you would like to have addressed during your visit. I find it useful to have a small notepad in my purse to jot down any questions that come to mind.
• A couple of days prior to your appointment, go through your compiled list of questions and concerns. Review each item to make sure that you have been simple, direct, and to the point with your question. Next, prioritize each item in order of importance to you. (In my experience it has been beneficial to have the most important items discussed first.)
• Take your list with you to your appointment. Don’t be afraid to be direct with your questions. Remember, you are the expert on your body. Address each topic simply, but frankly. Write down your healthcare providers answers. If you do not understand the response from your healthcare provider, ask her/him to please repeat the answer in terminology that you are comfortable with. Address each item in the same manner.
• If something is being said that just “doesn’t feel right,” follow your intuition and speak up, letting the healthcare provider know your feelings. And remember, if you need time to think about an option, test, medication, or procedure, it is ok to take the time to think about it before agreeing to anything. The only exception to this would be in a life-threatening instance when you would need to make a decision on the spot.
• Once you reach the conclusion of your visit, summarize what your understanding is of each item addressed with your healthcare provider and ask if s/he has the same understanding.
• For more information on tips to effectively communicate with your healthcare provider, I suggest starting with the internet. There is a multitude of material available about on the topic of effective communication.

Author Bio: Kandy Newland-Platt is a writer and administrator at Clear Passage Therapies

With economic experts and the U.S. government warning that the economic recession will likely worsen, you may wonder if you can afford infertility treatments. But just because we, as Americans, are collectively rethinking the way we spend money and live our lives, does not mean we have to give-up on our dreams. The desire to have a child is unlike any other and many women dream of being pregnant, giving birth, and raising a biological child.

If infertility comes between you and that dream, you may wonder how much you are willing to do or spend to achieve your dream during this hard economic time. Instead of worrying about affording infertility treatments, you may benefit from a change in perspective. Due to pay cuts and decreased job benefits, many Americans are changing their perspective on how their lifestyle. Many have realized that a natural, holistic, and frugal perspective not only benefits their bank accounts, but leads to a better, healthier, and happier life. Some Americans have made shifts by riding their bikes to work, while others prepare meals at home with their families instead of eating-out.

This shift in perspective can also be applied to your fertility. Instead of thinking of female infertility as a “broken reproductive system,” think of your fertility in a holistic matter. The body is an incredible, inter-connected organism. Your daily lifestyle choices such as the food you eat, the amount of exercise you get, and your level of stress greatly impact your general health – and therefore your fertility.

When making decisions about infertility treatments, try to approach your options from a holistic viewpoint. When your decisions and treatment choices are based on your overall health and what is best for your body, every cent you spend will be worth it. You can also greatly improve your fertility without spending a dime. By simply going outside for a daily walk or cutting down on the amount of calories you eat, you increase your chances of conception.

Author Bio: Jackie Schuld is an educational editor and writer at Clear Passage Therapies.

Sexual intimacy and intercourse should provide some of life’s greatest pleasures. But because the female urogenital and reproductive organs are very susceptible to adhesions, intercourse can become painful, dissatisfying, and embarrassing. Many women still believe the old misconception that “there isn’t anything that can be done,” or “it’s just the way it is,” or “my mother didn’t enjoy sexual intimacy and neither did hers, therefore I won’t be able to either.”

If you are not satisfied with sexual intercourse, you are not alone. Did you know that approximately 50% of all US women and 43% of women aged 18-59 experience female sexual dysfunction (FSD) according to data from Urology and the Journal of the American Medical Association? In 2000, the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy classified female sexual dysfunction into six measurable domains: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. Intercourse pain affects between 46% and 60% of all US women, according to reports in American Family Physician (2001) and Obstetrics & Gynecology (1996). Have you ever been informed that female sexual dysfunction can occur during any stage of intercourse?

Although sexual dysfunction and intercourse pain are prevalent among women, these conditions should not be considered “normal” or “untreatable.” A study published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2006)* found that many female competitive bicyclists experienced decreased genital sensation. The researchers found that external genital nerves and arteries were negatively affected by being directly compressed in women who consistently cycled an average of at least 10 miles a week, four weeks per month. The results of their study can also be applied to other physical activities such as horseback riding.

Other known causes of sexual dysfunction and intercourse pain include bladder infections, yeast infection, inflammatory disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, pelvic surgeries, physical or sexual abuse, etc. All of these conditions can cause adhesions to form within in the reproductive tract. Adhesions can restrict and blanket the delicate structures of the reproductive system, causing decreased sensation (such as in the bicyclists) or painful intercourse.

So what can a woman do once she experiences sexual dysfunction or painful intercourse? First, she should speak with her doctor to make sure there is not a greater problem at hand, such as endometriosis or a sexually transmitted disease. The doctor can then ascertain if the vulva has been damaged in any way and determine the proper treatment.

*Marsha K. Guess, Kathleen Connell, Steven Schrader, Susan Reutman, Andrea Wang, Julie LaCombe, Christine Toennis, Brian Lowe, Arnold Melman, Magdy Mikhail “Genital Sensation and Sexual Function in Women Bicyclists and Runners: Are Your Feet Safer than Your Seat?” Journal of Sexual Medicine. Vol 3, No 6.

Author Bio: Kandy Newland-Platt is a writer and administrator at Clear Passage Therapies.

A study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (July 2008)* found that an intensive one week program of yoga can reduce chronic low back pain. The yoga program was specifically designed for low back pain and consisted of postures, breathing practice, meditation, and an introduction to the philosophical concepts of yoga. The participants in the program experienced decreased pain and increased spinal flexibility, spinal flexion, spinal extension, right lateral flexion, and left later extension.

If you suffer from low back pain, you may benefit from practicing yoga. But before you jump into the first yoga class you can find, there are a few things to consider. If you have never practiced yoga before, it is best to start with an introductory or gentle class. These classes will show you the basics of yoga so that you can breathe properly and complete postures without hurting yourself. Once you have learned the basics, you can move on to more advanced classes. Keep in mind that there are many different styles, so make sure to ask about the style and what makes it unique before joining the class.

If you try a yoga class and you don’t like it, don’t give-up yet. The teacher makes all of the difference in a yoga class. Even within the same style of yoga, teachers can use different techniques, postures, series, and music, in addition to determining the intensity of the practice and the general atmosphere. Try a few different teachers before you rule-out yoga altogether.

If you don’t have time to work yoga into your schedule now, try stretching at least once a day. In the yoga study, the participants were compared to a control group who only practiced physical exercises. Participants in the control group also experienced increased flexibility and decreased pain (though not as much as those who practiced yoga). So, if you don’t have time to make it to a yoga class, try doing some simple stretches in the morning or at night before you go to bed.

*Padmini Tekur, Chametcha Singphow, Hongasandra Ramarao Nagendra, Nagarathna Raghuram. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. July 1, 2008, 14(6): 637-644. doi:10.1089/acm.2007.0815.

Author Bio: Jackie Schuld is an educational editor and writer at Clear Passage Therapies.