This programme is designed to support your mental wellbeing as well as physical.
We regularly host yoga, mindfulness and nutrition programmes. Stay up-to-date on our social media for the latest announcements or sign up to our Wellbeing Mailing List below
Programmes
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Fertility In The Workplace Wellbeing Programs for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
This programme of 6 sessions is dedicated to exploring how taking care of yourself, both physically and mentally, could really improve your sense of wellbeing. From understanding nutrition to mindfulness, we aim to introduce techniques that could stay with you for life!Fertility challenges can be all consuming and sometimes we forget to take care of ourselves in the process, whilst still trying to balance work and life. We appreciate that small to medium sized businesses can find it difficult to provide additional resources to their employees, if they are experiencing personal fertility challenges.Fertility in the Workplace have crafted a wellbeing programme aimed at SMEs, business owners, or even those who are unemployed. You can access these sessions for free if you fall under one of these employment categories.Guided Art Therapy
Tuesday 12th September – 7.30pm-9pm
In this therapeutic art session, Maria-Katharina Richters will guide you through an art therapy technique, using paper and coloured pens/crayons, which is a technique that communicates with your intuition. The benefits can include:
- Inner peace and stress reduction
- Calming an intense emotion
- Unblocking a stuck energy
- Building self-confidence and self-esteem
- Fostering creativity
Register here
Fertility Yoga in the Workplace
Monday 18th September – 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Join Jane Dominey from FemFlow Yoga in this session using a unique approach to boosting your fertility from behind your desk. If you spend hours in the office with little to no movement, and not enough space to rollout a mat, then this unique practice is for you. This practice is designed for women in the office, however, for those of you who don’t work at a desk, there will be poses thrown in for you too.
Register here
Fertility & Nutrition
Thursday 21st September – 12pm – 1pm
Join nutritionist Sarah Trimble in this session focused on nutrition, which is important for any woman trying to conceive. This education session will look at the importance of key nutrients, necessary for optimal reproductive health, including vitamin D. Sarah will discuss optimal dietary patterns for fertility and fertility boosting super foods, as well as how to eat better breakfasts and more nutritious lunches during the working week. We’ll look at the importance of better sleep and how a lunchtime walk could improve your sleep pattern.
Register here
Mindfulness
Tuesday 26th September – 19:30pm – 21:00pm
Join Natalie Wagstaffe, a practising Buddhist who has run a successful mindfulness practice for a decade. In this session, you will learn practical, time-efficient practices and tools which you can start using immediately to reduce stress levels and feel more at peace in your mind and body.
Register here
Balance and Breathwork
Thursday 28th September – 19:30pm – 20:45pm
Join Anna-Marie Gough who started her therapeutic method with one goal in mind: to help people find calm, happiness and balance in their work, relationships, and life. This session will focus on using breathwork to achieve positive wellbeing. The way that we breathe affects every part of our mental and physical health and can enhance health, wellbeing and inner peace.
Register here
Understanding Mental Wellbeing & Infertility
Tuesday 10th October – 1pm – 2pm
Join Jenny Okona-Mensah, BACP registered Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Mental Health Practitioner, who will be talking about the mental impact of infertility. The following will be covered during the session:
- Understanding the impact of infertility on mental wellbeing
- How you can support your own wellbeing during your journey & the importance of self care
- Understanding the role of grief during infertility
Register here
We are supported by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund, part of a partnership programme between Department of Health & Social Care, NHS England, and UK Health Security Agency, to support the government’s strategy aimed at improving Women’s Health and supporting them to remain in the workplace.
If you have any questions, please contact FITW@fertilitynetworkuk.org -
Yoga
Our next yoga for relaxation course will start on Tuesday 12th September at 7:30pm for 6 weeks
- Sept 12, 19:30
- Sept 19, 19:30
- Sept 26, 19:30
- Oct 04, 19:30
- Oct 10, 19:30
- Oct 17, 19:30
Click here to sign up or watch past recordings here.
What does the class include?
Yoga is an excellent therapy for reducing stress which is helpful to everyone. There will be a focus on breathing techniques for stress reduction and enhancing fertility. The yoga postures are all suitable for trying to conceive. Each class will finish with a relaxation and meditation specifically for fertility.
What do I need?
- A yoga mat if you have one (a soft floor/carpeted area if not)
- Some comfortable clothes that you can move/stretch in
- A cushion for support
- A long scarf
- A large blanket for the relaxation session
Who is this class suitable for?
Our yoga classes are suitable for all stages of the menstrual cycle including the two week wait; and our yoga instructor will endeavour to highlight throughout the class where to make slight adjustments according to where you are in your cycle and if you are menstruating. However, fertility yoga is NOT suitable for pregnancy – including early pregnancy following a positive pregnancy test – so if you have a positive pregnancy test, we would recommend you seek out a pregnancy yoga class.
Fertility-focused yoga is extremely complementary to Assisted Reproductive Technology, however, if you are currently going through fertility treatment we recommend that you avoid the physical yoga postures (asanas) for a period of 48 hours post retrieval and post implantation and thereafter you can begin the physical practice again during the two week wait.
Of course, the meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques) are always safe to practice and you can partake in these at the beginning and end of the class.
If you are using stimulation drugs you may feel uncomfortable in some positions, particularly prone (lying on your tummy) so please be mindful of this and do not do any postures that cause you too much discomfort.
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Mindfulness
Mindfulness can help us to build resilience, stability and connection during these very difficult times. It can help us to find balance and even joy amidst uncertainty and worry. Through the practice of mindfulness we learn how to take care of our stress so that it doesn’t overwhelm us and in so doing we learn how to take care of each other.
Who is this suitable for?
Our free Mindfulness programmes are suitable for beginners and for those who have already some mindfulness experience. Hosted on Zoom, the programme will include a course e-manual along with recordings of the mindfulness practices to use each week at home between sessions.
Many participants have remarked on the feeling of connection and intimacy that they have experienced from attending the online meditations and classes since the start of the pandemic.
How to join
These courses are free to attend but places tend to be limited to 20 and registration is essential. Please follow us on social media to be the first to find out when the next course is planned, or email claire@fertilitynetworkuk.org to be added to our wellbeing mailing list for updates on all our wellbeing programmes.
Testimonials
‘The pandemic has been very isolating for me, as for many others, and it has been very positive to make new friends via the network. The mindfulness course was genuinely life-changing for me. I’ve tried counselling many times and whilst useful, it really doesn’t compare to what I have gained from Veronica’s course.’
‘Thank you so much, I truly enjoyed and have learnt and taken so much from it. It is changing my life. And you are wonderful Veronica, thank you so much.’
‘For many years I have tried mindfulness, ‘self-taught’ using various apps. However, the course really taught me what mindfulness is and how to practice. The 2 key factors for me were being taught by someone so experienced; and the second was doing it in a group. I think the enquiry sessions reinforced what happens when you practice.’
‘Thanks for providing such a great class. I am so grateful for it. Veronica is a fantastic teacher’
‘Learning a lot about myself and just great to have that support and connectivity that we are all craving at the moment.’
For more information on mindfulness, watch this webinar with Veronica Ellis.
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Nutrition
Diet is an important tool for both men and women when trying to conceive. Whether you’re trying to improve your reproductive health and boost your chances as a result, or reaching a target weight for treatment, our four-week nutrition workshops are designed to inform, motivate and help you stay on track.
How to join
These courses are free to attend but places tend to be limited to 20 and registration is essential. Please follow us on social media to be the first to find out when the next course is planned, or email claire@fertilitynetworkuk.org to be added to our wellbeing mailing list for updates on all our wellbeing programmes.
For more information on nutrition, watch this webinar with nutritionist Sarah Trimble.
If you are seeking support for weight loss as part of your fertility journey, you can also join our Fertility Weight Loss Group for peer-to-peer support. Find out more here