The Hemp Connection [Search results for relaxation] 

I've mentioned before that receiving any kind of medical diagnosis that can leave you backed into a corner, with no place to go, is one of life's most extreme stresses. If you're someone who is used to being in control, losing that control can throw you into a complete tailspin. That is when you are most likely to be susceptible to something called"magical thinking". This type of behavior is something you engage in to allow yourself to feel as if you you have more control over a situation than you actually have. Some examples in recent months that I've personally experienced:

-- A gentleman I really wanted to do business with because I liked his product, started to panic because sales of that product were not matching his projections. I started receiving e-mails from him about all kinds of interesting"effects" he was personally noticing that he attributed to the special powers of his product. I mentioned to him once that if his observations were true, science would validate them. He told me he didn't have time to wait for science. Can you hear the desperation and wishful thinking that was interfering with his overall long-term success? I felt sad, because his product was good, but he was gradually burning business bridges before he could get the sales he wanted and should have had.

--A young woman who had failed one IVF and was scheduled for another, afraid she'd lose that success too, wrote me asking to help her with a detox/cleanse, less than a week before her procedure. She wanted to rid her body of any negative influences that might work against her. We decided against the detox, and simply set up a very balanced eating/exercise/relaxation plan focusing on nurturing instead. (She's pregnant, BTW). I don't think she really wanted to detox, she really needed something constructive to do as an anxiety outlet, and to give her hope she wasn't going to fail again.

Supplements are the place where magical thinking really takes control. I watch women with PCOS throw the entire kitchen sink at a problem, without knowing exactly what kind of effect they're looking for, what dose, what brand, what kind of interactions their multiple supplements may have with each other…which ones duplicate the effects of others…all it seems to take is for one person out there to mention one supplement and the"wave" rolls across the PCOS blogs and Facebook pages. Because no one ever really took the time to figure out how to use the supplement in a scientific fashion, it doesn't work, women give up on it before it might have a chance to work, and they're off on a search for the next magical supplement.

We're starting to understand here at inCYST that there is more than one kind of PCOS. So if anyone is recommending any particular supplement, and it's a one-size-fits-all recommendation, they're either telling you what worked for them (which may not work for you), or they are throwing together a little bit of something from every study they could find, which makes their answer extremely expensive because half of what is in it, most women don't even need.

Just because you can buy supplements yourself over the counter, and dose them yourself, does not mean they're safe. If your physician is anti-supplement and you're not telling him/her about the supplements you're taking because you know s/he is against them, you could be negating the effects of both your medications and your supplements. There are ways to use both, but it's only going to work if whoever you are asking for help, is amenable to combining both approaches.

The supplement that currently seems to be the rage right now seems to be n-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC. I'm not sure where this wave got started. I'm not going into the nuts and bolts of the chemistry, you can find that elsewhere. But here are some things to consider.

1. NAC has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I'm guessing that the subpopulation of women with PCOS who also have one of these diagnoses (and that's a pretty significant percentage of the PCOS population BTW), are the ones most likely to benefit from NAC. But since mood regulating medications are powerful, it's super important, if this is you, to let the prescribing physician of any mood stabilizers know so that you don't experience a dangerous adverse reaction between medication and supplement. And by all means, DO NOT stop taking medication for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder because you read what I just wrote!!!

2. NAC is also being considered as a treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder, something I know is also very common with PCOS. If you're going to use a supplement, I'm more comfortable with your using myoinositol for this purpose, which has also been shown to help improve fertility rates. Again, please let your caregiver know what you're doing. One of our fans recently shared that she took a blog post regarding inositol to her physician, who now recommends it to his PCOS patients. In talking to your doctors, you have to potential to teach them important things. (That's why I reference posts, so your doctors can read the research themselves and know my thoughts are evidence-based.)

2. There is some evidence that large doses of NAC can increase the risk of pulmonary hypertension, a very dangerous condition. I can't stop you from taking this supplement, but I can encourage you, if you decide you want to use it, to do so in conjunction with a knowledgeable health professional who can help you to properly dose it.

3. In the most recent study I found regarding NAC compared to metformin/clomiphene, metformin/clomiphene was found to be superior. But if you remember, I wrote pretty extensively not too long ago about the peer-reviewed finding that metformin increased ovulation and pregnancy rates but not live births (thus increasing the miscarriage rate). Perhaps you should think a little bit about whether or not this is the path you wish to embark on, using a supplement that has not been proven to be as"effective" as a medication that hasn't even been proven to be effective.

4. One reason NAC is thought to be useful is that it protects against"glucose toxicity". Here's a thought — why not eat less glucose? Even if you choose myoinositol over NAC based on what you're reading, consider that your own inositol stores may have found themselves depleted in the first place from imbalanced eating. No way around it, supplements do not replace healthy choices. If you're going to experience the greatest benefit from a supplement, it needs to complement, not replace, better eating.

You're all grown women and you can make your own choices. I hate seeing you struggle with PCOS. But worse than that, I hate seeing you jump around from supplement to supplement without any kind of plan of action for how you're going to use it, how you're going to know if it's working, and how you're going to know if you need to not use it.

The people who benefit the most from magical thinking…are the ones who play on your anxiety and frustration and take your money, offering"solutions". Be a wise consumer. And remember, something you ALWAYS have control over…is healthier food choices, activity schedules, and stress management.

Berk M, Dean O, Cotton SM, Gama CS, Kapczinski F, Fernandes BS, Kohlmann K, Jeavons S, Hewitt K, Allwang C, Cobb H, Bush AI, Schapkaitz I, Dodd S, Malhi GS. The efficacy of N-acetylcysteine as an adjunctive treatment in bipolar depression: An open label trial. J Affect Disord. 2011 Jun 28. [Epub ahead of print]

Camfield DA, Sarris J, Berk M. Nutraceuticals in the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): a review of mechanistic and clinical evidence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Jun 1;35(4):887-95. Epub 2011 Feb 23.
Abu Hashim H, Anwar K, El-Fatah RA. N-acetyl cysteine plus clomiphene citrate versus metformin and clomiphene citrate in treatment of clomiphene-resistant polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized controlled trial. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2010 Nov;19(11):2043-8. Epub 2010 Oct 12.

Kaneto, H. Kajimoto, Y. Miyagawa, J. Matsuoka, T. Fujitani, Y. Umayahara, Y. Hanafusa, T. Matsuzawa, Y. et al. (1999). Beneficial effects of antioxidants in diabetes: possible protection of pancreatic beta-cells against glucose toxicity. Diabetes 48 (12): 2398–406.

We're so excited about this! Not just that we have a fundraiser, but that our very first one involves two of our very favorite friends at inCYST, Craig Ramsay and Sandie West.

"Move" with trainer Craig Ramsay, a wonderfully compassionate women's health advocate who we met when he worked with Cyster Stacy Citron on Bravo's reality show Thintervention. He talks mostly about getting you into physical shape, but what we routinely hear from his clients is that his work helps to nurture their self-esteem into good condition as well. He is graciously offering his time to conduct four boot camps on the beach near Sandie's spa, which is where the"Move" part comes in. It's the perfect way to test drive Craig's popular boot camps if you've been thinking about participating but haven't gotten around to it.

Be sure to check out Craig's website and Facebook page to learn more about his"Ultimate Perfect Workout System". And look for him on Twitter at @craigramsay1.

"Soothing" Sandie West has a beautiful facility, Creative Chakra Spa, on the Pacific Coast, just south of the Venice Pier. She's known far and wide for her beautiful space, therapeutic spa treatments, loving spirit, and calming energy. You can't help but put your cares aside and focus on relaxation when you're at Sandie's place! It's perfect for someone who's feeling a little over the top with their diagnosis and in need of little R and R.

To learn more about Sandie's spa and the services and classes she offers, join her Facebook page and follow her on Twitter, @creativechakra.

Check out this video one of Sandie's beach yoga classes. Even the robot that programs our Twitter paper was enthralled…it kept including this video of her beachfront yoga class for several days after she Tweeted it!

These events would not be possible without our wonderful sponsors! Please check out their websites, Facebook fan pages, and follow them on Twitter. They are sponsoring because they are excited to support your journey to PCOS health, and we want to support them in return.

What would our first fundraiser be without one of inCYST's BFF's? The Zing Bars folks don't just support PCOS, they created their products with women with PCOS in mind. Years of combined counseling experience gave them first-hand knowledge about what kind of ingredients, flavors and packaging would be easiest to use and benefit from.

Be sure to"like" them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter at @zingbars.

Growing Naturals is a brand of organic brown rice protein that is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, kosher, non-GMO, organic, and raw diet-compatible. It's a great option for anyone with PCOS, and especially so for anyone who is vegan and/or with food intolerances that make it hard to get enough protein.

When I first learned of them, I thought to myself…"That pretty much touches all bases…finally, I know what to recommend for even the most restrictive of situations." Turns out, their tag line is"Finally, Food For All People".

Be sure to check out their website and learn more about their original, chocolate, and vanilla rice protein isolate powders.

You can find Growing Naturals on Facebook, and their Twitter handle is @growingnaturals.

If you'd like to participate in person, please RSVP either here in the comments section, or on our Facebook event page with at least a"maybe" so we can send you the registrations later this week.

If you can't make it but you'd like to support this fundraiser, here's a link where you can donate. You'll be supporting research projects directly supportive of hormone disorders including PCOS, infertility, thyroid, and diabetes.

We are working out the details and will have complete registration options available at this link. Space is limited for each of the options so if this is something you're interested in doing, please grab your space as soon as possible.

Please, if you can't participate in our specific event but you're interested in the boot camps and/or the spas, check out Craig's and Sandie's websites for more information about their programs.

We'll have a website up and running soon with event details. Please be sure to join the RSVP list on our Facebook event page so we know where to find you when updates occur.

If you would like to donate but cannot make it to the live event, please click here for more information.

The more I work in the area of fertility, the more I realize just how stressful it is to be told you are infertile and that conceiving a child will be difficult at best. It seems to me, that the unusual woman placed in this situation is the one who lives through it without experiencing any sort of depression.

Which is why this research caught my eye.

90 women diagnosed with infertility were randomly divided into 3 treatment gorups. One-third of them were given 10 sessions of behavioral therapy, including: relaxation training, and learning to eliminate negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional attitudes. One third of the group was given 20 mg fluoxetine (Prozac) daily for 90 days. The last group did not receive any intervention.

And look at THIS! 79.3% of the women in the behavioral training group improved, compared to only 50% of those on medication. (Ten percent in the control group improved on their own.)

There are probably many reasons for these results. Here are a few that I thought of:
1. Behavioral therapy helped to extinguish the thoughts and behaviors that potentially contributed to the depression in the first place. Medication didn't.
2. When you talk to someone about how you feel, it often helps reduce the perceived magnitude of the problem. When you hold it all in, it only fuels the depression.
3. Behavioral therapy focuses you on the many things you CAN do to take care of yourself. It's an entirely different perspective than you may be getting from doctors who are telling you that you CAN'T get pregnant, you CAN'T etc., etc., etc.

Over the years in this specialty, I've seen many women externalize their depression. That is, they blame it on causes outside of themselves--"it's because I can't lose weight, it's because I can't have a baby, it's because I look like I do"…and so on. I won't argue, when depression takes its toll on your life, its consequences can fuel a vicious cycle. But to sell yourself on the belief that"if I just lose weight, if I could just have a baby, if I could just get some cosmetic surgery…" is an invitation to disaster. The line of women I've worked with who got what they thought they wanted, and still felt the same way that they did before, and who experienced major eating disorders, postpartum depression, and even suicidal thoughts on the back end, would stretch from my office to the county line.

Depression is a metabolic state, just like diabetes, just like high cholesterol, just like a skin rash. You'd never blame your rash on your relationship with your husband or convince yourself that if you could just get rid of your"muffin top" you wouldn't have diabetes…it's equally important to not make illogical leaps when it comes to depression.

What can be crucial with infertility, is treating depression at its source. Behavioral training helps to change your perception and response to events, which in turn reduces the levels of stress hormones circulating in your body. When that happens, you sleep better, you crave less carbohydrates, and the hormones you need to work in order to conceive, feel more like it's safe to come out and play.

A word about support groups. I've seen them do wonderful things, but I've also seen them focus the participants even more on the problem they have instead of on solutions for change. I was invited to attend a support group recently and it was impossible to get the participants to talk about anything other than their personal situations, and how horrible things were for them. I don't want to invalidate these feelings, but the purpose of a support group is to come away empowered, hopeful, and with an idea or two about how to make things better. So choose your support groups wisely.

If you're feeling depressed, go talk to someone about what you can do about it. Not what someone can prescribe for you, not what needs to happen in your life in order to make it go away, but what YOU can do to get back into balance.

Faramarzi M, Alipor A, Esmaelzadeh S, Kheirkhah F, Poladi K, Pash H. Treatment of depression and anxiety in infertile women: cognitive behavioral therapy versus fluoxetine. J Affect Disord. 2008 May;108(1-2):159-64.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complicated, often frustrating condition that affects many women who are experiencing infertility, or may even be a primary cause of infertility. Symptoms typically include recurrent ovarian cysts, excess hair growth (or hair loss similar to male pattern baldness), acne, skin darkening, difficulty losing weight, and, of course, trouble getting pregnant. Often, the condition is not accurately diagnosed until failure to get pregnant results in referral to a reproductive endocrinologist, who has specialized training in PCOS and other endocrine disorders.

Any of these conditions taken singly are difficult to deal with – but the combination is often overwhelming for patients who have been diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS is particularly difficult because it’s under-diagnosed, so you may have years of vaguely troubling symptoms before the diagnosis is made and treatment begins. The physical side effects are unattractive and visible to the world — “I’m fat, pimply, and hairy,” as one of my clients stated tearfully. Friends and relatives may assume that you’re lazy or eat too much, and that’s why you aren’t losing weight. As a result, depression and low self-esteem are very common among women with PCOS.

I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early twenties, and, as both a patient and a professional, I have learned that there are many things you can do to improve the quality of your life and your health with PCOS. You can take control of your health and mood now by doing the following:

Get educated: Do some research on the web, ask your doctor a lot of questions, join a support group and use it, read the RESOLVE newsletter, and stay on top of developments in treatment.

Obtain skilled medical help: Although an internist or general practitioner may diagnose PCOS, it is more likely that a gynecologist, endocrinologist, or reproductive endocrinologist will do so. If you have PCOS, you will most likely want to have an endocrinologist who will prescribe appropriate medications, monitor you for the potential development Type II diabetes, and coordinate with your reproductive endocrinologist while you are trying to get pregnant. Because it is common to experience higher rates of thyroid disorder and heart disease when you have PCOS, it is a good idea to have frequent monitoring.

Your physician can also:

help you lose weight with the assistance of certain medications, and/or referral to a skilled dietician, who can teach you how to eat in a way that contributes to balancing your hormones and managing your symptoms;

refer you to a good dermatologist, who can help to control or eliminate skin conditions related to PCOS, such as skin darkening and acne, and even help with treatments for hair loss;

suggest a therapist or support group to help you cope with the stress of infertility, symptoms of depression, and frustration of dealing with a chronic disease;

Exercise: Yoga will resynchronize your brain, produce deep relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance your acceptance of your body, just as it is in the moment. The cross-lateral motion of walking is also highly effective in regulating PCOS-related insulin resistance, controlling weight – and, surprise! – resynchronizing your brain waves.

Look better so you feel better: In addition to seeking the help of a dermatologist for skin and hair conditions, you might want to actively manage excess hair growth cosmetically. There are many ways to do this, but electrolysis is the only method that has been proven permanent. A licensed electrologist will have a great deal of experience with PCOS patients. Your dermatologist can provide you with a reliable referral.

Although weight gain around the middle is frustrating and hard to overcome when you have PCOS, you can learn how to dress well, no matter your size or shape – and you deserve to do so! Seek out current fashions that are figure-friendly, and get help when you need it – if you’re just not good at putting outfits together, ask a friend who is good at it to go shopping with you, use the free services of a department store personal shopper, or spring for a stylist who will help you figure out what works on you.

Don’t forget your brain: Education is only one element of what your mind needs to effectively cope with the stress of PCOS. Sometimes friends, partners, and physicians aren’t quite enough to help you work through your anger, frustration, irritability, and sadness about having PCOS, not being able to get pregnant, or the difficulty you experience losing weight in spite eating well and exercising regularly. A licensed counselor or therapist can help you decrease stress, develop personalized coping methods, enhance your support group, and identify additional resources. Many therapists utilize mind/body methods that include meditation, guided visualization, mindfulness, and other ways of supplementing your good health practices.

By actively taking care of your physical and mental health and appearance, you can learn to feel better by knowing that you are doing the best you can with a challenging condition.

Dr. Gretchen Kubacky is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders. If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com.

Reprint permission granted by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, 2009. www.resolve.org.

Last night I was watching"The Biggest Loser" while taking down my Christmas decorations. It's not that I agree with everything the show says or does…but it helps me to understand where the people I work with get their ideas about nutrition and exercise.

Anyway…the first pair to be removed from the competition was a father and daughter team. The father was not too motivated to participate in the competition, much to the frustration of his daughter. Adding to this woman's frustration was the fact that, despite her being in the gym and working at least twice as hard as her father, she lost only 1/3 of the weight.

And every season it seems to be just like that. The women who work the hardest see the least weight loss. And every time I see some woman removed from the show for her low weight loss…I want to throw something at my television and scream,"DUH…insulin resistance!!!"

A few years ago I participated in a local TV station's version of this program. Four teams of two screened videos in order to choose the people who would be competing under our guidance. The trainer I was teamed with actually turned to me in the middle of watching a video of a woman with a PCOS-type body and said…"I hate working with this type of person" I asked why, and he responded,"Because it takes them forever to lose weight."

If you happen to be one of these people who would be kicked off of national TV for not losing weight quickly enough, or if your doctor rolls her eyes when you mention that you're eating less and exercising more with no results…take heart.

It's not that you can't lose weight and get into shape, it's more that the ways we tend to believe it needs to be done in our culture are working against the hormone profile your body has drifted into when it was not getting the right mix of good nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and relaxation.

If you watch to the end of the show, these women always do lose weight, it just takes longer for their body to respond to the new way of doing things.

So don't take these messages or slow weight loss as signs that you're destined to have the body you currently have. Just remember that your body is one that responds better to consistency and diligence and slow changes better than it does to quick fixes.

Today is National Splurge Day, a concept I absolutely love. While I believe in adhering to schedules and having as much consistency in our lives as possible (it eases stress, creates predictability, and soothes the PCOS brain), I think there’s not only space for splurging in our lives, but a mental health necessity for it as well. Splurging is a verb defined as: 1. To indulge in an extravagant expense or luxury. 2. To be showy or ostentatious. 3. To spend extravagantly or wastefully. Personal definitions of what constitutes a splurge may vary widely. If you’ve got an Oprah-sized budget, maybe nothing in the world qualifies as a splurge anymore. If you’re pretty prosperous, it might mean flying first class everywhere you go, even though business class is more than adequate. And if you’re kind of average, it might mean buying berries when apples are the most fiscally prudent fruit choice, or springing for tickets to the play-off games for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For some, splurging can be a dangerous lifestyle – they buy whatever they want, whenever they want. They don’t worry about saving for the future, or how bad their credit card debt might be. They indulge all the time. Not only are there financial risks to this approach, there are the risks of burning out, of having the splurge lose the quality of the splurge, and becoming mundane and unsatisfying. Don’t you appreciate your $5 latte a whole lot more when it’s a payday treat instead of an everyday indulgence? On the flip side, we have the under-splurgers. They’re so frugal, you can hear the pennies squealing as they pinch them ever-tighter. They risk food poisoning on a regular basis because they don’t want to waste anything that’s looking or smelling a little questionable. They wear their clothes far past the point of fashionability, and into a state of disrepair, even when they can afford to replace them. Or they can’t imagine ever spending THAT kind of money on themselves, for a treat. Even the idea of eating a meal outside the home may seem to reek of over-indulgence. I find that a lot of us are feeling stressed, overworked, and overwhelmed most of the time. We don’t take time for rest and relaxation. We don’t allow ourselves enough time to get to place from place in peace, or to plan for and cook homemade meals. We end up engaging in minor indulgences on a daily basis, or even multiple times a day. No time to check e-mail at home? No problem, get a data plan for your phone. No time to make coffee in the morning? No problem, grab a cup at your favorite gourmet coffee place. No time to stop by the store and try on a shirt? No problem, pay $13.50 in shipping charges – both ways if it doesn’t work out. We don’t think of these things as indulgences, but they are. They’re indulgences in the wrong way, indulgences that have become necessities. We think we can’t exist without them. But they degrade the true meaning of indulgence, which is to treat yourself or someone else to something memorable, special, desirable, and pampering or self-nurturing. I think we can’t get enough self-nurturing. It doesn’t have to come in the form of money we spend, although that’s one way to get it. And I don’t think we have to be wasteful with our money to define it as a splurge. We can be prudent, yet achieve great satisfaction. That being said, if you want to do something wasteful on this National Splurge Day, go for it. Maybe it means you actually get enough sleep, for once (and wasted time you could have used for housework – hmph!). Maybe it means that you take yourself out to lunch, instead of skipping it altogether. Maybe you treat yourself to fresh cut flowers, just because you can. Those would all be great splurges that affirm that you like having fun, you like beauty and pleasure, and you like yourself enough to practice a little shameless splurging. It’s a great way to say, “I’m worth it, and I deserve it,” and when you give yourself those messages in an external way, you reinforce them internally as well. Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses. If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

Everyone’s telling you to “just relax and you’ll get pregnant,” or “take a vacation and it’ll happen.” Isn’t that a huge pressure, besides the basic fact that getting pregnant hasn’t proven to be so easy for you? Getting pregnant can be so frustrating when it involves medical procedures, carefully timed intercourse, self-tests and monitoring, medication, and the like. With PCOS, it’s even more complicated. The good news is, even when it seems like your body just won’t mind your wishes, there are relatively simple and inexpensive things you can do on your own to support yourself in your fertility journey.

If you’ve been dealing with infertility for a while, you’ve likely tried or at least considered some alternative medicine or holistic health practices that you hope will help you conceive. Here’s why you should consider some of the more common approaches to decreasing stress and improving overall health, which include:

Acupuncture is an ancient healing art, part of the system of Traditional Oriental Medicine. It has been used successfully for thousands of years to enhance fertility; you may even find that your physician is able to offer you a referral. Acupuncture is nearly painless – in spite of the needles – and works in conjunction with your traditional treatments. Many acupuncturists also offer nutritional support. Most larger communities have at least one acupuncture school, and their student clinics offer carefully supervised sessions for as little as $20/treatment.

Nutrition – Decreasing or eliminating caffeine, refined sugar, and refined flour will give your body a rest, reduce stress on your digestive system, enhance your immunity, and make your body an optimally healthy place for both you and a baby. If you’re saying “yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all that – and it’s too overwhelming” – start today with a small change, like switching out regular coffee for decaf, or trading in a soda for some iced herbal tea. Your nerves will thank you too.

Yoga is another traditional dating back thousands of years. Yoga is said to massage and stimulate or “tonify” the internal organs, thereby leading to increased health. The slower-paced forms of yoga, such as hatha yoga, or yin yoga, are relaxing practices. But in my opinion, the best thing about yoga is that it helps you love and accept your body, precisely where it is today – not where you hope it will be. If you’re daunted by those fancy yoga studios, head on over to your nearest YMCA or other gym for some great introductory classes. Many yoga studios offer community days, or donation classes, where you pay what you can afford for the class.

Meditation can be as simple as closing your eyes and focusing on the sound and rhythm of your own breath for just five minutes. If you can’t handle five minutes, try three minutes. It can also be a complex and evolving process, if you choose to expand your practice. Regulating your breathing, clearing your mind, and giving yourself time for introspection are all benefits of meditation. If you want more information, do a search for the terms “meditation” or “the relaxation response.”

Positive Thinking/Mindfulness/Visualization – although these are all distinct techniques, the overlap is that they are conscious ways of re-orienting yourself towards remaining in the present, focusing on what is, and using the power of your mind to create the future – or at least improve your experience of the future. As with meditation, the internet is full of information on these techniques, or you may wish to consult with a mental health clinician who utilizes such techniques in her practice.

Optimizing fertility is an activity in which you, the patient, play a very active role. You are already learning how to become proactive in managing your PCOS; this is just an extension of that. Of course your doctor will want to know what other things you’re doing to support your fertility, but you can start right now to take steps to improve your overall physical health and state of mind, thereby reducing the stress actively, instead of just hoping that it will happen “somehow.”

Dr. Gretchen Kubacky is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders. If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at Gretchen@drhousemd.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

With National Hammock Day coming up on July 22nd, how could I not talk about my love of the hammock? I happen to have a double hammock installed in my back yard right now. It’s adjacent to a fountain that the squirrels and birds like to play in, and shaded by a gigantic avocado tree. It’s strong, sturdy, and supports me well. It’s nothing glamorous, but it’s a thing of beauty.

I find it difficult, if not impossible, to do anything truly productive in my hammock. I’ve certainly tried, but there’s glare that interferes with book-reading, or iPhone usage, no place to prop a snack or a beverage, and it’s not actually able to handle two adults safely. What it is useful for is surrendering to the breeze, getting a little Vitamin D time (aka, sunshine), listening to the sounds of nature, such as they exist within the city, watching the creatures and the patterns of light coming through the leaves, and observing some quiet time.

How often can we say that it’s difficult to do anything productive? Nowadays, we’ve got video screens and cell phones everywhere, unlimited minutes and text messages, enough printed matter to occupy us for the rest of our lives, and constant chatter from a million sources – even the pumps at the gas stations have television monitors built into them. Noise, chatter, electronic media – it’s inescapable.

You might live in an apartment or condominium that has little to no outdoor space, or have a yard that doesn’t accommodate a hammock, but I think you can create a hammock state of mind in several ways:

• Go to a park. Take a blanket and spread it out on the grass. Fling yourself on the blanket and enjoy.

• Do the same thing at the beach, or by a pool, where the same weather conditions may inhibit easy reading or internet surfing.

• Default to your couch, if it’s all there is. Ban the toys, media, and other distractions. Lounge with your eyes open or closed.

• Hit the tub. Relax with your eyes closed. Submerge your ears under the water and enjoy the isolation.

• Swim in the ocean, a lake, or the YMCA swimming pool. Don’t really swim; just float. Be weightless and unburdened.

Remember these moments, and try to create more of them. Your brain, as much as it likes novelty, enjoys rest just as much, if not more. Carry the sensations of pure relaxation with you into your day. Practice just closing your eyes and remembering. And if you’ve got a hammock, be sure to indulge on Friday.

Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D. is a Health Psychologist in private practice in West Los Angeles, California. She has completed the inCYST training. She specializes in counseling women and couples who are coping with infertility, PCOS, and related endocrine disorders and chronic illnesses.

If you would like to learn more about Dr. HOUSE or her practice, or obtain referrals in the Los Angeles area, please visit her website at www.drhousemd.com, or e-mail her at AskDrHouseMD@gmail.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askdrhousemd.

Earlier this week I interviewed Rebecca Fritz of Phoenix' SuTRA Midtown Yoga Studio about the benefits of yoga for reproductive health.

Despite a growing body of research supporting the idea that yoga has powerful effects on fertility, depression, strength, and overall well-being, I still find many women I talk to, resistant to becoming involved.

One of the biggest barriers, especially for women with PCOS, if there is a weight issue, is the fear of not being able to assume the positions in the class. It's important to understand that there is no right or wrong way to do yoga. However you are able to do yoga, on any particular day, is perfectly fine. I have yet to attend a yoga class in which the instructor hasn't provided options for the varying levels of experience in the class. In fact, in a class I attended a few weeks ago, the instructor gave us permission to assume whatever position we wanted to if the one he was recommending simply didn't work. The most important thing about yoga--is that you try. There's no way you can achieve the benefit if you don't.

Secondly, many women I work with have a tendency to spend much of the day avoiding how they truly feel about what is happening in their lives. Since the process of yoga tends to slow the body down much more quickly than it slows down the head, if this is what you've been doing, it can feel v-e-e-e-r-r-y uncomfortable to essentially be pinned to the mat out of sheer relaxation, while your head is still going a million miles an hour, and for once, fully aware of uncomfortable thoughts and emotions you'd otherwise be avoiding.

But that's the point of yoga, to become aware, acknowledge, and nonjudgmentally, choose to accept. With practice, your head will also slow down. I've learned not to accept the belief that"yoga isn't for me" from someone who has only participated once. You really do have to attend, I'd say, at least five times, to start to achieve and understand its benefit.

Finally, there are so many types of yoga and so many instructors, it is important to find a class, a studio, a style, and an instructor that you feel comfortable with. If something in your environment isn't right, it will be hard to focus on yourself.

Rebecca shared that SuTRA Midtown offers a yoga tasting package, which allows you to try as many classes and instructors as you wish within a two week period. It's a great way to give yourself a chance to experience the benefits and find a schedule that works for you in every single way. If you're in Phoenix, perhaps this could be your way to start the New Year off in a self-nurturing fashion. Or, perhaps you can ask around your own local studios to find a similar offer.

You have to give yoga a chance to work before you write it off. Most importantly, you have to DO it. I'm willing to bet that once you start, you'll wonder why it took so long.