Fertility Yoga in the Luteal Phase - Fall
Giselle Rouvier
Exercise
27 min
00:00:00 Hi and welcome to today's practice where we'll focus on the luteo phase, the time after ovulation when your body is preparing for a potential pregnancy. This is the time, this is the fall of your cycle when progesterone is rising, creating a nurturing environment for the implantation of a fertilized egg. During this phase your body is focused on creating stability and support both
00:00:23 physically and hormonally. Our practice today will be gentle and grounding, encouraging blood flow to the pelvic area and promoting a lot of relaxation. We'll avoid any flow to the pelvic area and promoting a lot of relaxation. We'll avoid any intense abdominal work to protect the lower belly and focus on poses that create space in the pel vis and help the body prepare for a possible pregnancy. This practice is designed to help you tune in
00:00:47 , slow down and listen to your body. We'll work on gently stimulating the reproductive organs and calming the nervous system which is key to supporting fertility during this time. We will need a system which is key to supporting fertility during this time. We will need a wall for this practice so if you are not near a wall you can also use either a chair or a your sofa.
00:01:06 Make this time for the practice as comfortable as possible for you and let's move through this beautiful reflective phase of the menstrual cycle. Now we're going to start in a seated position, a comfortable seated position. If you are near a wall you can also just lean onto the wall if that feels good for you and then we're going to close our eyes or either find a that feels good for you and then we're going to close our eyes or either find a
00:01:30 point on the floor that you can hold a steady gaze. First we're going to start connecting to our pelvic bowl. Just taking a moment to connect to the area, how it feels today, this moment. Feeling the heaviness of the hips sinking down into the earth. And gently noticing the breath coming in and out of the nose. And gently noticing the breath coming in and out of the nose.
00:02:08 And then moving on to the inner landscape of your body. This is the time where a lot of anxiety might come up for you, a lot of expectations. So just taking a moment to reflect on what's going reflect on what's going on and just allowing all of that tenseness, all of that tension, all of that anxiety to be present with us today in this practice so that we can observe all these sensations, all
00:02:47 these emotions and move through them, allowing them to be present. Maybe for you there's a lot of joy and expectation and faith so allowing all of that to be present with us today. And then bringing the right hand to the lower belly, the left hand to your heart. We're going to reconnect to the pouring of the love from your heart all the way down into your womb.
00:03:23 Your womb is busy making a beautiful space, a beautiful home for the egg to be Your womb is busy making a beautiful space, a beautiful home for the egg to be implanted. So allowing your body to do its work, beautifully supporting this work by practicing together with the rhythm of your body. With each exhale you're bringing all that love down there, building this With each exhale you're bringing all that love down there, building this beautiful home for your
00:04:07 baby, nourishing the womb with all that it needs, taking the breath to deep into your belly and then opening the mouth, letting us sigh out, releasing any tension out of your body. Two more inhaling, open the mouth, exhale. Last one, inhale, open the mouth, exhale. Last one, inhale, open the mouth, let it out. And then gently bringing both hands to the heart in a prayer position, exhaling
00:04:53 , bowing down, blink open your eyes and release the hands to the sides. bowing down, blink open your eyes and release the hands to the sides. So we're going to start, if you're sitting on a block you can put that to the side. We're going to start really slow, this is going to be a more relaxed practice to really bring relaxation into your body. So let's start by rolling our shoulders up, back and down, drawing
00:05:24 little circles, noticing there's any tension in your shoulders with every breath and every noticing there's any tension in your shoulders with every breath and every movement, softening, asking your body to soften and let go, moving to the other direction. And you might notice that one side feels different than the other, just take a moment to notice that. And then gently finding stillness. You're going to bring the left hand to the
00:05:46 And then gently finding stillness. You're going to bring the left hand to the side of your head and then gently bring and pull the head down so the ear is trying to touch the shoulder. And here you can move a little bit and find that sweet spot for you where you really feel a stretch on your neck. If you want more sensation you can always just extend the other, the opposite arm out
00:06:29 the opposite arm out to the side and really breathe into any tension that you're feeling. Come back to center, let's go straight to the other side. So bring the opposite hand to the head and just lower it down to the shoulder. And again find your sweet spot, maybe move around a bit, allowing the breath to wash any tension and extend the arm to the side if you allowing the breath to wash any tension and extend the arm to the side if you
00:07:05 want more sensation. If you feel this is enough you can just bring it back down. And you find that sweet spot take two deep breaths imagining that the inhale and the exhale are going in and just really softening and melting the muscle. Coming back to center I'm going to move to the side so you can see me, you can Coming back to center I'm going to move to the side so you can see me, you can stay where you are.
00:07:36 So we're going to breathe in, bring the arms up. As you exhale bring your hands back, interlace the fingers, inhale lift the heart, extend the arms back, exhale bring your hands forward as if you're like holding onto a big beach ball, round the spine. Inhale open as if you're like holding onto a big beach ball, round the spine. Inhale open the arms to the sides, let the heart shine, exhale bring your hands together in front of the heart
00:08:11 again. We're going to do that same little sequence two twice more. Inhale arms up, exhale hands back, interlace the fingers, inhale reach the heart up arms back, exhale round the interlace the fingers, inhale reach the heart up arms back, exhale round the spine. If you can even to lace your fingers again and reach the palms forward as the backgrounds. Inhale arms to the sides, exhale both hands to the heart, last one, inhale up, exhale back,
00:08:57 clasp the hands, inhale shine up, exhale round, inhale arms to the sides, exh clasp the hands, inhale shine up, exhale round, inhale arms to the sides, exh ale hands to heart. Now moving on to the next pose we're going to extend the leg to the side, right leg close to you, the right leg is bent, inhale both arms up, exhale right leg close to you, the right leg is bent, inhale both arms up, exhale left hand to the floor and then reach with the top arm and lean over the straight leg.
00:09:43 Come back to center, we're going to twist over that bent leg with each inhale allow the spine to lengthen and with each exhale soften down with each inhale allow the spine to lengthen and with each exhale soften down and release. Come back to center, we're going to switch legs so bring left leg in, right leg out, keep flexing the foot, inhale arms up, exhale lower one hand down and lean to the side.
00:10:26 Here if you like you can shine the heart up, maybe releasing the side body. Here if you like you can shine the heart up, maybe releasing the side body. Exhale come back to center and twist over that bent leg, the back hand is on the floor like a column to support your straight spine. Coming back to center, extend both legs as far as it's comfortable for you, don Coming back to center, extend both legs as far as it's comfortable for you, don 't worry,
00:11:06 you don't have to look like a ballerina here, the legs are straight, the toes are pointing back so you're flexing the feet, bring your hands down your back really close to your body, inhale lift the chest, the heart up and release the shoulders down. So you're really pressing the hands or the fingertips down and lifting the So you're really pressing the hands or the fingertips down and lifting the spine up,
00:11:34 opening the heart, bringing your shoulder blades together down the back, deep inhale, soft exhale. Coming back to center and here we're going to draw circles with our torso, so I always imagine that like I'm a big witch who is like with our torso, so I always imagine that like I'm a big witch who is like turning this big ball of some kind of magical soup so you can imagine whatever you like but is just trying to bring a little bit of imagination to this face, you can
00:12:21 imagine that you're building, you can go to the other side, you can imagine that you're building this beautiful nutrient-rich soup that your body is working on to receive the egg, that's what nutrient-rich soup that your body is working on to receive the egg, that's what the lining of the uterus is doing, just gathering all these things to prepare for the baby to come.
00:12:45 When you're ready come back to stillness and we're going to move on to a tabletop position, so bring your knees to the floor, your hands to the floor, tabletop position, so bring your knees to the floor, your hands to the floor, hands and wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. From here we're going to start doing rounds of cat cows, so inhaling lift, the chin up, the tailbone high, exhale round.
00:13:17 Let the head drop chin to chest and just move with your own breath, your own rhythm, asking your body how it wants you to move today, how does she want you to move asking your body how it wants you to move today, how does she want you to move today. Really connecting to your intention for this practice. Last one. Now I want you to do a little free flow, free style here, just moving with your
00:13:54 own breath and your own body, so maybe you're doing circles with your hips, maybe you're and your own body, so maybe you're doing circles with your hips, maybe you're doing figure eight with the hips, or maybe you're just doing like drawing big circles with your body, maybe you're coming back into a child's pose and then coming up again, maybe you're letting the
00:14:15 head drop and drawing little like a snake from side to side. Let's do this for a few breaths. Allow your body to release any kinks out of it. Allow your body to release any kinks out of it. And then let the hip be where they are right now and then extend the right arm in front of you, slide the hand forward, slide the left hand forward and slowly sink the heart down to the floor.
00:14:56 Puppy pose. So reach both arms in front of you, they are in a V shape and you Puppy pose. So reach both arms in front of you, they are in a V shape and you 're sinking the heart down into the floor. My head is touching the floor. If your head is not, you can place a block here so that you can reach the floor. Breathing to the back of your body, puff up the back body with breath. Open the mouth, release.
00:15:29 Open the mouth, release. Again, inhale through the nose, exhale, open the mouth, let it go. On the next inhale, come back up and come into a high kneeling position. On the next inhale, you're going to bring the left leg in front of you, step it forward, forward, keep both hands on that thigh, front thigh and just sink as you exhale, sink down closer to the
00:16:08 floor. Keep your hips forward to the front of your mat. Deep inhale, exhale, bring both hands to the inside of your legs. You can even walk your left or your front foot to the side a little bit and you can stay here, you're beautiful and perfect as you are or you can bit and you can stay here, you're beautiful and perfect as you are or you can lower down through your elbows and if you like, you can do a little circle here.
00:16:43 Circling off the hips. You can let the head drop if that feels good for you. And then gently coming back up. And then gently coming back up. You're going to bring the front leg to again, that tabletop position. Slide your hands forward, really grip the mat with your hands, tuck the toes and I'm going to come into a quick downward facing dog. Lift the hips up and back and the intention for this downward dog
00:17:23 is to really release your spine. So you can tattle the feet, you can maybe turn both toes to the your spine. So you can tattle the feet, you can maybe turn both toes to the left, bend both knees and we find an extension in the twist of the side body. You can do the other side, same thing. Come back to center, lift the tailbone high towards the sky, press the mat away ,
00:17:53 inhale deeply, exhale, bring both knees to the floor and here you're going to inhale, lift the chin, lift the tailbone high, exhale and here you're going to inhale, lift the chin, lift the tailbone high, exhale around the spine and come into a child's pose. Your head to the floor, forehead to the floor, arms can be in front of you or you can turn into a little ball, little cocoon and release the arms. So your hands are touching your
00:18:29 hands are touching your feet. A lot of breath to wash your body. Inhale, let's come back up slowly, come to that all-force position and gently walk back to a high kneeling position. So we're going to do the same thing with the right leg. So step the leg. So step the
00:19:00 right leg forwards in front of you, both hands on the front thigh, exhale sink down towards the floor. Gently bring both hands to the floor. Inside both legs walk the right foot to the right and stay for if you like. You can bring your elbows down to the floor. and stay for if you like. You can bring your elbows down to the floor. And you can swing from side to side here to whatever makes you feel better and this pose.
00:19:51 Look for, instead of a shape, look for a sensation, sensation of release, of expansion, sensation of calm. sensation of calm. Exhale, come back up, bring your right foot back and then gently come to sit on your heels. Palms up to the sky. Let them rest over your thighs, your legs. And taking a moment here to close your eyes and reconnect to your intention for
00:20:29 And taking a moment here to close your eyes and reconnect to your intention for this practice. [silence] Once slowly we're going to move to the wall for the next pose. So you can Once slowly we're going to move to the wall for the next pose. So you can bring your mat as close as you can into that wall and then bring yourself your hip, your arm on my left side. So my left hip is really touching and brushing the
00:21:18 wall. I'm going to come down to the floor, my back to the floor and then lift the legs up. This is Viparita Karadin, legs up the wall pose. So your back is nice and This is Viparita Karadin, legs up the wall pose. So your back is nice and straight, your legs are nice and straight up and your hips are really close to the wall. Your arms can either stay on your side or they can touch your lower belly as
00:21:48 you wish. Just get as comfortable as possible here and close your eyes. We're going to do a few rounds of a few rounds of breath. I'm going to cue you so don't worry, you can close your eyes and just listen as you sink your body into this pose. We're going to breathe in to a count of four
00:22:18 and then we're going to breathe out to a count of six. And we're going to do five times, five rounds of breath. So inhale two, three, four, pause, exhale two, three, four, five, six. So inhale two, three, four, pause, exhale two, three, four, five, six. inhale two three four pause exhale two three four five six inhale two three inhale two three four pause exhale two three four five six inhale two three four pause exhale two three four five six inhale two three four pause exhale two
00:23:21 three four five six last one inhale two three four pause exhale two three four three four five six last one inhale two three four pause exhale two three four five six lacco there's no need to control the breath there's no need to do anything right now if you have more time you can stay here for as long as five minutes but if you if you have more time you can stay here for as long as five minutes but if you are
00:24:23 coming with me please start to bring the soles of your feet together bending coming with me please start to bring the soles of your feet together bending the knees out to the sides and just bring the soles of your feet close to your pel vis as you open the knees to the sides sliding it down you're still touching the wall with your feet we're going to take a few breaths here
00:24:43 with your feet we're going to take a few breaths here and then gently you're going to close your legs drawing the knees to your chest giving yourself a big hug and gently rolling to the side you can keep your eyes closed if you like if you can when you're next exhale you're gonna press eyes closed if you like if you can when you're next exhale you're gonna press yourself open and find that comfortable seated position and here once more we 're going to bring the right hand to the belly the left hand to the heart pouring
00:25:52 all the love from the heart into the womb space seeing this place of potential of life of creation feeling it with so much light and love of life of creation feeling it with so much light and love and I'm bringing both hands together in front of your heart gently bowing down to the wisdom of our heart of our bodies thank you so much for practicing with me wishing you a beautiful rest of your day bye me wishing you a beautiful rest of your day bye
