Night of Hope ~ Best Book Award

June 2nd was a big night in the Big Apple! Love & Infertility: Survival Strategies for Infertility, Marriage and Life, received the Hope Award for Best book for coping with infertility from RESOLVE, the national infertility awareness organization.

Rita Crosby who is a veteran TV news anchor and senior correspondent who most recently worked at MSNBC, along with Barbara Collura, Executive Director and Lee Boston, Executive Board Member, presented this amazing award to me.

Also shown are my mom, Virginia Nehring and Dr. Robert Kiltz of Cny Fertility and Healing Art Centers and my wonderful husband,
Mark and I.

I so appreciate the support from Dr. Robert Kiltz of Cny Fertility and Healing Arts, Terri Davidson of Davidson Communication, the wonderful people at Village Fertility Pharmacy.
To everyone who has sent their congratulations! Thank you! Thank you! Kristen

The Hope Award for Best Book, Coping

I am honored to share with you the following news from RESOLVE National:

The Hope Award for Best Book, Coping
Inaugural Award! Given to an individual/organization whose printed book enhances the lives of people with infertility with a message of how to cope and live with the disease.

Kristen Magnacca, Love and Infertility: Survival Strategies for Balancing, Infertility, Marriage, and Life

I am truly touched by the nomination and receiving this award. A special thank you to Dr. Robert Kiltz, founder of Cny Fertility and Healing Arts Center for his support.
Thank you!
Blessings, Kristen

National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)

One of my favorite quotes is from Oliver Wendell Holmes: "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience." In that spirit it is my intention to share a few insights to help change your current experience! Blessings! Kristen

I just wanted to post my upcoming events for National Infertility Awareness Week which is April 25th through May 2nd. Dr. Robert Kiltz has invited me to co present with him at his centers Cny Fertility Centers (cnyfertility.com) and I look forward to sharing insights, strategies and life balancing tidbits over the course of these events.

April 23rd at 7:00pm Live Chat on CNYHealingarts.com
(http://www.cnyhealingarts.com/forum/) Log on from the comfort of your own home! I'll be on the forum for an hour sharing insights and answering your questions. Please feel free to email me your questions prior to the chat if you'd like at kristen@kristenmagnacca.com.

Latham, NY
April 30th from 12:00 to 2:00pm at Cny Fertility Center
Dr. Rob and I will be presenting "Creating & Clarity for Your Vision". If you attended the Love and Infertility Workshop please bring your goals or pocket companion, if you have not attended the programs not to worry I'll have a "Pocket Companion" waiting for you when you arrive.

Immediately following the presentation a special Yoga for Fertility Sample Class with Linda Hill will be offered.

Syracuse, NY
May 1st from 12:00 to 2:00pm at the Cny Healing Arts Center
191 Intrepid Lane. (See Description above) Immediately following the presentation a special Yoga for Fertility Sample Class with Cynthia Broccoli will be offered.

Rochester, NY
May 2nd from 1:00 pm to 3:00pm at the Cny Healing Arts Center. (See Description above) Immediately following the presentation a special Yoga for Fertility Sample Class with Erin McCollough will be offered.

A Light lunch will be served

Please R.S.V.P. to Christine Briel at events@robertkiltz.com.
Thank you!

Vision Board

I wanted to share with you a testimonial from a wonderful woman that attended a recent workshop that was presented at CNY Fertility Center, www.cnyfertility.com 

The center is own by Dr. Robert Kiltz who is a reproductive endocrinologist and a healer that practices science while incorporating the mind, body and soul into his process while he assists his clients during the time they are creating their families. Please visit Dr. Rob's site www.mindbodysmile.com to learn more about him. I want to thank him for allowing me to be part of his centers.

Kristy Lee writes with such graciousness about our time together. I am sharing her beautiful words on my blog because her actions demonstrates the power of a Vision Board and she is an amazing example of changing your thoughts and you change your life.

 It was really All God and  Her. 


From Kristy Lee:
"I signed up for Kristen's "Love & Infertility" workshops despite a lot of hesitation. I had just gone through a painful, but successful, HSG exam and I needed some kind of support and coaching. I had no idea what to expect: would I be in a room full of weepy, a barren woman? Would we hold hands and hug and eat chocolate? Would we all feel angry at yell at the fates? What could I possibly get out of this? At 25 years old, I was not a stranger to the effects of my PCOS/hypothyroidism/Luteal Phase defect, but I had no idea how to handle the overwhelming feeling of knowing my body was failing me. Despite my hesitation, I signed up for Kristen's workshops at the CNY Fertility Center. I knew I had to get the emotional and spiritual support that modern medicine couldn't give me.

Kristen's workshops changed my life. For months I had been angry at myself and was hurling hatred and insults at my body. I had always been a determined, driven young woman; and now I was failing at the most natural thing in the world. Kristen's workshops taught me to begin the healing process. I had to forgive myself, let myself grieve, and let myself hope. After the first session, I felt as if a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders. The room was not full of angry, barren women. Instead, I saw myself in each and every one of the faces in the crowd. I was not alone. My entire way of thinking changed; I read Kristen's book in one sitting and put all her exercises into practice.

My husband attended the next two sessions along with me. Our homework after the second session was to create a vision board. We had to put out into the universe our dreams, our goals, and our desires. My husband and I worked on the vision board for weeks, cutting out pictures from magazines and scraps of paper and gluing them all together. I channeled my frustration at my unpredictable cycles and vague ovulation predictor kits into my vision board. When it was completed, it was - to my husband and I - a masterpiece.

One week before the final workshop, I found myself face to face with a pregnancy test. I was waiting for a new cycle to start so that I could start Clomid and, hopefully, my first pregnancy. My period was due tomorrow but then I realized...it wouldn't be due for another nine months or so. I was pregnant, without any medication or drastic medical intervention. My first baby, my miracle, the answer to many prayers, is due in August 2009.

Without Kristen's help, I don't think I would be pregnant right now. Kristen helped me tune into my body and my thoughts and, unwittingly, prepared me for this pregnancy. Kristen did for me what modern medicine could not: teach me to forgive myself, accept myself, and let life work out the way it's meant to."

Winter Sparkle

December! How did it get to be December?

Living in New England I should be so used to the snow, rain, sleet, freezing rain, wind gust and icy mess! But us New Englanders have amnesia! We forget about it over the spring and summer and seem to stumble back into the cold with shock as if it is our first "wintry" experience :) Or at least that is what happens to me.

I am struck by the dramatic quickness of the coldness and also the shift in people's perception of the here and now.
Maybe the energy of the New England weather is a reminder to care for yourself in a manner that takes some thought.
Warming up the car instead of jumping and speeding off, bundling up with hats, mittens and scarves brings attention to those important energy centers of your body and protecting them from the harsh nature of the wind and cold. Taking time for kindness.

Energetically, our world is changing and I feel shifting back to basics remembering that we are connected and we must be mindful of this fact with every interaction and decision, setting our intention on love, faith, hope and kindness daily to help this universal change in a more positive manner.

The simple act of calling in the gift of kindness: kindness defined as charity, compassion, friendship and sympathy without prejudice and for its own sake is what we need universally, can and will help at this given moment.

The energy behind kindness is love, connection, in direct contrast behind the energy of fear, which is disconnect.
By practicing our birth gift of kindness we will have on effect on the whole.
Even if you start with a pair of mittens for yourself! That energy will radiate from you, kindness and love!
Blessings, Kristen

Kristen Magnacca's Pearls for Fall 2008

It’s September already! The summer seemed to fly by. We had a great deal of transition over the summer, new home, new school for my children, new job opportunities and a great deal of visitors. Hanging in an open area of my home is this quote from The Dalai Lama. Could it be as simple as what he shares? “If you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life”.

I fell back on his quote all summer long caring for others and trying in vain to do so without resentment, holding on tightly to the thought perhaps that this was my true mission-to contribute to other’s happiness. Very powerful and I’m still a work in progress.

The true meaning of living life: “We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety or one hundred years at the very most. During this period we must try to do something good, something useful with our lives. If you contribute to other people’s happiness, you will find the true goal, the true meaning of life.” H.H.The 14th Dalai Lama

Jayce's Pearls

“So be true to life by being true to your inner purpose. As you become present and thereby total in what you do, your actions become charged with spiritual power.”
Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth

In a world crammed with schedules, deadlines, timelines and utter chaos, I have learned that the way to stay focused is to be more mindful of the present moment. After all, this is the only thing we have ultimate control over. We as women play the ever changing roles of daughter, mother, wife, sister, employee, employer, etc. Although all of the roles are important to who we are and what we do, we often get lost in them rather than focus on the unique and individual moments for each of them. Women tend to continuously ask themselves what else needs to be done rather than enjoying the current task or moment at hand.

Not surprisingly, it takes complete concentration to retrain your mind to stay focused in the present moment. This is because simple tasks are interrupted by racing thoughts of the eight thousand other things that need to be done.

One suggestion would be to take one simple task and do it as if it was the only thing that needed to be done all day. When I do the dishes for example, I let the water run on my hands and enjoy the warmth, try to avoid any other thought except the dishes for the entire duration of doing them. You will find it is a true test of your ability to stay focused on the moment. If you can master this you will be on your way to becoming charged with spiritual power! I wish you well on your journey.
Peace-Jayce Hall
http://www.comfortcuisineinc.com/