Redefining Yoga as a Childless Woman

Trigger Warning: Brief mention of fertility and TTC years…

For years, I enjoyed yoga. I took classes. I practiced at home. Truly, yoga was my number one choice for exercise. But somewhere along the way, my practice fell to the side. A few years ago, I came across one of my favorite yoga DVDs and decided it was time to get back with my preferred exercise. So, I popped it into the DVD player, excited to get that calmness back. All was going well until…

My old yoga practice did not serve me…

Unfortunately, I chose to do a practice that was focused on fertility. And several poses were geared specifically towards increasing fertility. Still trying to accept my infertility and childless not by choice life, I had decided to take a moment to do yoga in order to feel peaceful and more relaxed. Regrettably, the opposite occurred–I became anxious, agitated, irritable. Exasperated, I tossed the yoga DVD in the give-away pile, turning my back on my once favorite exercise.

Trying again…

Since my best friend passed away last September, I have been struggling. Grief, coupled with menopause, has caused my endometriosis to flare. On top of the physical pain, emotional pain of depression, anxiety, and overwhelm have also been more common. Because of this, I realized that I needed to do something to help alleviate the hurt. Remembering how relaxed yoga had once made me feel, I decided to give it another try…

Rather than complete some random yoga practice, however, I wanted sequences specifically geared towards helping my current ailments. After doing a bit of research, I discovered Yoga Download, an online yoga program. Though some of their yoga videos are geared towards prenatal and postnatal women, the vast majority of their practices are suitable for a much wider audience. In fact, I found many that could be quite beneficial for we childless, especially those suffering with anxiety, depression, and chronic health issues such as endometriosis.

As I explored Yoga Download, I’ve been impressed with the range of levels it offers. The descriptions clearly show whether the practice is for all levels, beginners, intermediate, advanced, etc. The two-minute previews allow you to glimpse the practice before committing to it, which helps not waste time doing a practice that isn’t quite right. I love that many videos include a coach, as well as students. I also love that the students are not experts and falter at times, which makes the practices more real. Personally, I find it helpful to see that it’s okay not to be perfect. What is important is to keep trying, to keep going. Also, the coaches and students have different body types, which is lovely to see, especially when you are a 40-something menopausal woman!

Possible Triggers with Yoga…

That being said, yoga is not free from possible triggers. I’ve already mentioned that there are some videos geared towards fertility. Also, the names of certain poses (such as “child’s pose”) are potential triggers. (Though I will say, child’s pose is one of my favorites, as it is super relaxing.)

Benefits outweigh…

Personally, after completing yoga practices geared towards my current needs, the relaxation, calmness, and strength this exercise brings far outweighs any potential triggers. I believe one major reason for this is because I have redefined yoga. What was once an exercise used during my TTC years in an effort to increase fertility is now an exercise to help navigate my childless life, my life without my best friend, my menopausal life, my life with endometriosis…

Discover the healing…

If you’ve been searching for a way to battle pain, depression, heartache, and/or anxiety, I encourage you to discover the healing that yoga can provide…

The All-Important Disclaimer

This blog contains affiliate links. When you purchase something by clicking one of them, I’ll earn a bit of money to help keep Not So Mommy… up and running. Though I was paid a small fee to write this post, all opinions are my own. This is an honest review, including insights about my childless not by choice life…

Find YOUR Practice at YogaDownload.com

YogaDownload.com offers 1,500+ online yoga classes. Subscriptions are as little as $12 a month. Not quite ready to commit? No worries! You can try YogaDownload.com for only $1!!! Just click the banner below.

If you prefer, you can purchase specific yoga videos rather than subscribing. Below are some yoga practices from Yoga Download that I believe our community will find beneficial.