The staff at Arizona Associates for Reproductive Health (AzARH) understand that infertility is a deeply personal issue that can affect many areas of patients lives. Fertility doctors and patients are recognizing the need for balance and relaxation during the infertility evaluation and treatment process. Our Mind-Body Center programs are designed to assist couples through the ups and downs of infertility therapy. Relaxation techniques can be easily learned through our yoga classes and stress reduction course and can be very helpful to patients during this stressful time.

Our Mind-Body Center services are designed to support and encourage you during the sometimes difficult journey toward conception and parenthood. Stress and difficult emotions are common experiences during infertility therapy. Infertility can result in emotional, financial and physical hardships for patients. The uncertainty of treatment outcome, feelings of lack of control over the process and handling frustrating comments from others all contribute to stress reactions that seem abnormal, but really are normal under these trying circumstances. Few couples know how to talk about infertility which can further add to stress levels and feelings of loss of control. At Arizona Associates for Reproductive Health, you are not alone in your infertility treatment process. Our highly trained associates are here to assist you at all times.

Dr. Angela Bowers will be offering a special six-week class focused on Stress Reduction. She is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Scottsdale, Arizona. She has over 20 years of experience, and a special interest in the mind/body/spirit connection. She has trained as a yoga teacher, and has also trained in clinical hypnosis, meditation, and guided imagery. She brings these skills to her practice as a therapist and as a stress management instructor. Dr. Bowers has created two CDs, one specifically for anxiety/ panic attacks, and she has two more CDs, which will be released before the end of the year, which focus on meditation and women's fertility.

The Art of Mindful Breathing:
This class will focus on learning how to breathe properly, and on the modulation of the breath to create a state of deep relaxation. There will be an emphasis on deep belly breathing, and on alternate nostril breathing.

Yoga: Dr. Bowers will lead the class in yoga postures that will produce relaxation as well as strengthening and toning of the body. These classes will be appropriate for all levels. Yoga nourishes the body from the inside out, and you will feel both refreshed and relaxed after the class. Yoga, among other things, revitalizes the body, improves respiratory and heart functions, improves flexibility and range of movement and through the postures brings fresh nutrients to all areas of the body. There will be at least two classes specifically devoted to yoga, and some yoga in the other sessions as well.

Meditation: Mindfulness and mantra mediation will be two types of meditation taught in this class. The mantra is a word or phrase repeated during meditation to give the mind a focus. Mindfulness is a way of being in meditation that emphasizes a focus on the breath, and a letting go of thoughts as they arise. Meditation has been shown to reduce hypertension, headaches, pain, and to improve the immune system. Meditation calms the nervous system and is therefore, an excellent way of reducing stress.

Guided Imagery: Dr. Bowers and her colleague, Dr. Mary Laney, have developed specific images to help a woman prepare her body to conceive. This imagery will be shared, as well as other imagery, to bring about a state of relaxation and renewal. Dr. Bowers will also share some hypnosis techniques that will assist the patient in producing a deep state of relaxation.

Cognitive Restructuring: Stress is often created in how we interpret a situation. Dr. Bowers will review the thinking that causes us to get stressed and how to change our thoughts. She will teach strategies which create internal coherence in the body-mind, therefore producing a sense of well-being.

These classes will be about 1 hour and 15 minutes each. Sometimes, maybe slightly longer. They will be on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30-5:45. The cost is $150.00 for the program, to be paid at the first session. If a class is missed due to schedule conflicts or illness, the participant can make up the class the next time it's offered. The plan is to offer these classes on an on-going basis. If a partner is interested in attending a session, they can pay $25 the night of the class. Please call Dr. Bowers to register for the class, or for further information. She can be reached at 480-629-8882. If you choose to use a credit card to pay for the class, you will need to make arrangements with her prior to the beginning of class. We look forward to lots of fun and relaxing times. Come join us!