In this experiential workshop, you will learn a practice designed to support reproductive health, calm anxieties and elicit the body's natural relaxation response.  The workshop combines yoga asanas, (including restorative poses) and discussions of various approaches to yoga practice designed to encourage fertility. This workshop is designed for women, men and their partners who are
trying to conceive or are planning to in the near future.

You will learn ways to:

• support reproductive health with yoga asanas   
• stimulate the body without irritating it
• calm the mind and nervous system, which can affect hormonal balance

These concepts can be applied to a home practice as well as in yoga classes. A list of complementary resources will be included.  
 
The body tends to cool down when relaxing so please bring something warm to wear for the restorative poses.
 
Karen and Barrie both used yoga successfully to navigate the emotional and physical stresses that came with the challenging years of trying to conceive. The workshop is a direct result of their very different experiences and explorations. 
 
Note:  we have found the workshop to complement medical fertility treatments but please check with your doctor first.
 
Barrie Raffel began studying yoga about 12 years ago and received her teaching certificate in 1997 from Cyndi Lee, director of OM yoga center in New York city. She received her Relax and Renew teaching certificate from Judith Lasater in 2005 and continues to study with several master teachers.  In recent years, she has focused on women's issues and taught for Baby Om (a class for moms and babies) for four years.  She feels yoga helped her and her husband tremendously through years of trying to conceive which focused her interest into yoga and fertility.  She lives in New York City with her husband and son.
 
Karen Safire has been a student of yoga for the last 15 years. She received her Hatha Yoga teaching certification from Cyndi Lee, director of OM yoga center, in New York City in 1997. She became certified in Yoga of the Heart, yoga for cardiac rehabilitation, created by Nischala Joy Devi in 1999 and received her Relax and Renew teaching certification from Judith Lasater in 2005. Karen is also a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance. The beneficial effects of yoga on common physical and emotional challenges has always interested Karen. She became specifically interested in how yoga benefits fertility when she and her husband began trying to conceive in the fall of 2002. Karen lives in Westchester with her husband, daughter and their 2 cats.