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The Study

The study involved 284 women who had each been struggling with infertility for an average of three years. These women participated in a mind-body workshop for ten weeks, which taught them how to deal with stress, alleviate depression, and express their emotions. Within six months of the workshop, the majority of the women reported that both their physical and emotional health had improved.

Additionally, many noticed reductions in anxiety, fatigue, and depression. Furthermore, 36% of the women also went on to conceive and give birth compared with only 18% of infertile women who did not participate in the mind-body workshop.

Mind/Body Infertility Retreats

There are a number of infertility retreats based on the premise that the condition of the mind can greatly influence physical fertility. These mind 

body retreats often take place at hotels or spas over a weekend, or even several times a month.

These retreats aim to restore or boost fertility by helping you to calm your mind and deal with your emotions. Activities may include:

• yoga
• meditation
• acupuncture
• art therapy

Are Mind/Body Retreats Effective?

A recent study conducted at the University of Hong Kong illustrates that mind/body infertility retreats significantly reduce the anxiety levels of women undergoing IVF and similar therapies. The study, which involved 101 women about to undergo infertility treatment, measured anxiety levels before, during, and after attendance at a mind/body retreat. The women each attended four, three-hour mind/body classes, where they participated in activities including yoga and focused breathing.

After attending the classes, these women reported much lower levels of anxiety surrounding their infertility treatment than control groups who did not attend similar classes.

Though the study did not correlate the relationship betweeen the mind/body retreats and subsequent IVF success rates, it has been shown in previous studies that women with lower anxiety rates have an increased chance of fertility treatment success.

Dealing with Your Infertility

If you are interested in trying different ways to boost your infertility, consider techniques to help control your emotional stress and improve your psychological wellbeing. When combined with traditional fertility treatments, mind-body medicine can be highly successful and help to solidify relationships while enhancing your overall enjoyment of life.