Are you feeling the call to have a baby? Perhaps you’ve set an intention to conceive a healthy and highly aware child — but you aren’t sure where to begin on such a sacred journey. Or perhaps you've been trying to conceive for a while and have been confronted by frustrating fertility challenges (psst…you are not alone and it is not your fault). Regardless of where you are at, if you seek to engage with every step of the journey to conception with reverence and intention, there are a few key secrets to remember. We live in a fast paced and disembodied world today, but… your body is resilient! In many cases, by following a few simple, yet transformational, steps you can reset your reproductive system and fortify your womb to enhance your chances of a successful conception and a healthy pregnancy.

5 Ayurveda Fertility Secrets

Here are five Ayurveda fertility secrets that you might be overlooking, but that you can start to integrate into your life right away.

1. Reduce Stress

The rapid increase of anxiety in our society has had a great impact on fertility. Not only does it increase the dryness of vata dosha (ether + air), stress creates a fight-or-flight response that causes higher levels of stress hormones in the body. Some studies even show that these stress hormones are related to taking longer to get pregnant. Living in a state of constant stress could be a major factor that is preventing your body from accepting a pregnancy — whether that’s stress from a high-pressure job, intensive travel, an uncomfortable living situation or strained relationships. In other words, your body is smart; it knows that periods of stress in your life aren’t good times to have a baby. With this in mind, a key aspect of preparing your body and mind to bring in new life is to find realistic ways to reduce stress in your life. This might look like setting aside a little more time for selfcare, meditation, movement or time in nature. It might also look like doing LESS — simply resting more. What stress-inducing aspects of your life could you actually just release? How can you set up systems and structures to help you manage relationships and responsibilities that depend on you? As you are clearing space in your life, be sure to also set aside time for you and your partner to be alone and intimate.

2. Use Affirmations

Ayurveda is a holistic science, which means it is designed to support the body, mind and spirit as they relate to one another. No part of your body or experience exists in isolation. Your entire being, from the subtleness of your spirit all the way to the physical, tangible existence of your body, is all one. These parts of you are not separate — they affect one another and communicate constantly. Thoughts and emotions in the subtle mind inform our daily wellness, our cellular communication, and our connection to the cosmic realms that usher in new life. One of the tools we use to alter the subtle mind and connect to the subtle essence of our spirit is affirmation. Affirmations are positive statements that are spoken aloud or silently that affirm a state of being that we envision for ourselves. To create an affirmation, simply tell yourself an affirming statement based on how you want to feel or be in the world. Give the phrase a positive twist by stating it as if it were already true. Usually, the simplest way to do this is to add “I” or “I am” to the beginning. For the purpose of fertility, perhaps…. “I am physically, emotionally and spiritually ready to be a mother.” “I trust my body to create, nurture and birth new life.” Repeat these affirmations to yourself daily — on your meditation cushion in the morning, in the shower, or in the car. Hold them as true, even if they are hard for you yourself to believe at first.

3. Detoxify by Activating Digestion

One thing you don’t often hear in fertility conversations is that it is essential to cleanse first in order to purge any toxins and remove any blockages that may be preventing implantation of a fertilized egg. Many of us are walking around with internal metabolic waste — or toxins — that results from improperly digested food. According to Ayurveda, this is a heavy, sticky substance that is toxic to the body that is at the root of disease. A buildup of toxins in the body clogs channels in the body that are responsible for cellular communication, elimination of wastes and successful fertilization. Once your blood, womb and body are detoxified, and your channels are clear, you can build up the juiciness needed to support new life — but not just yet! Here are a few important ways you can begin to gently detoxify right now:

• Eat mostly warm, well-cooked and well-spiced foods
• Scrape your tongue first thing in the morning
• Drink warm lemon honey water before your first meal
• Eat more of the bitter, pungent (spicy), and astringent tastes
• Reduce sources of toxicity such as processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes, and caffeine

4. Take Chyawanprash

Once you’ve spent a few weeks detoxifying your diet, you can start the process of building the juicy essence that nourishes new life — it’s called ojas. This subtle essence of kapha dosha (water + earth) is the essence of vitality and immunity, and it provides stability and nourishment to the tissues, moisture to the skin and mental clarity. It also reflects our basic reproductive vital energy reserve, and it is said in the ancient Ayurvedic texts “There can be no life without ojas.” One of the very best herbal formulas for enhancing ojas is Chyawanprash (also known as Chyavanprash). This classical Ayurvedic herbal jam has been believed for thousands of years to increase fertility — and it’s absolutely delicious! Not only that, it enhances your respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems to boost energy, stimulate immunity, sharpen clarity and focus, and increase the body, mind, and spirit connection for lightness of being. Chyawanprash is also rich in iron, which as we know, is vital for building blood. To support with pre-conception, I recommend taking one teaspoon of Chyavanprash every morning with a glass of warm milk. It’s recommended to be taken consistently for 40 days in order for the botanicals to take effect and for prana, or life-force, to be restored.

5. Have Reverence…and Surrender

As you connect to your fertility journey, remember that the creation of life is a sacred act. It has been compared in the Ayurvedic texts as similar to the fundamental creation in our world — from the divine creation of the Universe to the cultivation of life that nourishes and sustains us (our food). The same four essential components for cultivating crops are also important for cultivating life within — the right field, timing, water and seed. With this in mind, remember that the act of conceiving a child calls upon the potent and Universal energies of compassion, awareness and love, that reside within every human heart and nourishes every womb. You are a carrier of this wisdom and light — and, as Maya Tiwari reminds us, in conceiving a child you are stepping into your cosmic role of creator, life carrier, love transmitter and healer of generational wounds. Remember to embark on your fertility journey not only from a scientific or mechanical perspective, as may be the focus in fertility clinics, but from a connection to your highest self, with deep reverence and intention. This is an invitation to surrender — to trust the process and the outcome, even in the face of fear and barriers, as only in doing so will you truly be able to receive the gifts of nature. SEEKING MORE FERTILITY SUPPORT? | Join me for The Art of Fertility, a 16-week Journey to Conception that prepares your body, mind and heart for an easeful conception and healthy pregnancy. We’ll begin by first clearing toxins from the physical and subtle realms, then move into gently nourishing your body and womb to support your baby. Call in a healthy and highly aware child by engaging in a journey of conscious conception — to help usher in a new generation of compassionate leaders and changemakers. Sierra Brashear, MA is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, DONA-trained doula, herbalist and wellness educator. She has successfully supported hundreds of people through some of their most critical childbearing moments — from conscious conception through the joy of labor and birth. Inspired by the rhythms and elements of nature, Sierra weaves her knowledge of Ayurveda and Ayurveda fertility wisdom into the wellness education and lifestyle design she provides through her practice, Cultivate Balance. Photo Cred: Laura Bartczak