Alex Farner, a yoga facilitator based in Hobart, shares her journey from personal struggles with fertility to creating Sollus Wellbeing.

 

Name: Alex Farner

Pronouns: She/her

Day job: Female yoga facilitator

Location: Hobart, Tasmania

 

Describe your work in a sentence.

I offer yoga-based movement, breath, mindset, and practices to support women. I specialise in fertility, pregnancy, and postnatal care to support times of change and transition.

 

How has your journey shaped your career?

In many ways, my work reflects the sum of my life experiences. I’m very open about the personal challenges that led me to seek out, study, and combine therapies and practices that help us reconnect with ourselves.

In my mid-20s, I struggled to fall pregnant, spending years exploring both alternative and pharmaceutical fertility treatments. I worked with inspiring practitioners - naturopaths, nutritionists, acupuncturists, kinesiologists, and physiotherapists. From head to toe, you name it, I tried it!

During this time, I also studied to specialise in pre-and postnatal yoga, hopeful and ready to embrace a future of motherhood.

Six years later, my first pregnancy was ectopic and ended in emergency surgery. I leaned heavily on my practice to navigate the grief and physical and emotional pain of that loss.

 

What inspired you to create Sollus Wellbeing?

Because I’m a driven, Type-A, proactive person, I followed my ectopic loss with my first round of IVF - and then a few more. Each round was unsuccessful, and that eye-opening experience pushed me to address the lack of support and education about women’s health and fertility. If I was low before, the toll of IVF during Melbourne’s peak Covid lockdowns brought me to rock bottom.

Learning to trust my body again and forgive myself for this ‘failure’ was a profound lesson that made me stronger, kinder, and more compassionate than ever. The physical impact of medications and hormones, combined with the mental and emotional rollercoaster, wreaked havoc on my body’s natural rhythms and every aspect of my health. Recognising that force and stress weren’t conducive to a healthy, fertile environment, I studied specialised yoga for fertility, cycle imbalances, and hormonal health.

Today, I bridge the gap between the medical system and ancient healing practices overlooked in recent history. My yoga practice has evolved to meet me in moments of grief and low energy while also helping to spark yang energy to build strength. I incorporate mindset work, bodywork, movement, and meditation into my offerings, often borrowing from pelvic physio, osteopathy, and emotional regulation techniques. This adaptable practice is designed to meet you wherever you are.

As I learned to love myself, my partner, and my life without children, I wanted to share that we already have everything we need inside - everything else is a bonus. I found the word ‘soleus,’ a Latin derivative meaning ‘whole, entire, and complete.’ Sollus redefines female health care in a wellness industry that often sells the idea of lack.

My role is to empower, guide, and instill a sense of agency. My work offers tools to help you return to yourself, regroup, and discover the strength, softness, compassion, and love within.

How do you balance your busy career with your self-care?

All the modalities I offer fall under the umbrella of embodiment. Whether you shift your breath, engage your muscles, or soften your body and mind, the goal is to feel safe and at home in your skin.

In today’s fast-paced world, we rarely pause to truly feel - whether because it’s uncomfortable, we don’t see the value, or we put ourselves last. But even with limited time, it’s possible.

I practice this myself by taking moments to check-in. Sometimes, it’s a 20-minute meditation, a movement practice, or treating myself to a massage or facial. It might be as simple as eating slowly without screens or walking barefoot on busier days. The key is the intention and connection to the self.

 

How do you support your wellness by maintaining hormonal balance?

At this phase in my life, I focus on what I need week by week. I’m no longer strict with routines, diet, or movement. I aim for a balanced diet, prioritise sunshine and ocean time - things that make me happiest - and enjoy reformer Pilates. I don’t berate myself for having wine with a friend, but I ensure it’s not a crutch to relax. I’m also mindful of choosing skincare and menstrual products that avoid endocrine disruptors.

 

What menstrual health misconceptions do you want to bust?!

The hidden nature of female reproductive organs likely contributes to the mystery surrounding our bodies. Blood often evokes fear or negative associations due to a lack of education and conversation. This leaves our cycles misunderstood - even by those of us who menstruate.

I wish more people knew that our period is a powerful indicator of menstrual health. It’s worth observing and discussing and not something to fear.

 

How can yoga and bodywork help with problem periods?

I like to think holistically, considering the mind-body connection. Stress is a big factor in how we experience and manage pain - it can even amplify the physical symptoms of endo and PCOS. Stress can lead to irregular, heavier, or more painful periods.

Strengthening and stretching the muscles helps reduce pain, stiffness, and swelling. Yoga, which focuses on stress reduction and enjoyable movement, is a natural, adaptable, and free tool for managing stress and pain. And it’s yours for a lifetime!

A major focus in my practice is the nervous system. We need a healthy, regulated nervous system for hormonal balance and a regular cycle. I create personalised routines to reduce stress, calm the mind, find breath, and create flow in the body and nervous system.

 

Are there any sequences you recommend for period pain?

Move your hips! It helps stir, circulate, and move the thigh bone in the hip socket, opening the inner thighs, tops of the thighs, and hip flexors. Pelvic congestion and reduced circulation cause toxins to build up in the pelvis. Circulation diminishes the flow of nutrients, oxygen, and hormones to the appropriate tissues and organs when blocked.

For me and my cycle, it's child’s pose every time. The ground supports the whole body, allows the arms to relax, and placing our foreheads on the earth gently stimulates the calming acupressure point ‘yin-tang’ between the eyebrows. Our inner thighs extend, allowing the pelvic floor to lengthen and soften, releasing tension for effortless flow and a calm state of mind. Our breath slows like the tide coming in and out. We turn inward with compassion and love. Take a few moments in this quiet shape and let yourself be soothed by your heartbeat's calm, steady rhythm.

 

Can yoga and bodywork help regulate the reproductive system?

Abso-bloody-lutely! Syncing your workouts with your menstrual phase can promote a more balanced hormonal environment and avoid depletion and burnout. High stress levels can disrupt the menstrual cycle and interfere with ovulation, affecting fertility. Yoga targets the same genes that stress affects, helping to reverse and mitigate its effects.

Fertility isn't just about hormones; it's also about the body's physical condition. Engaging in exercises aligned with your body's current state can potentially improve overall health and create a better environment for conception.

Sometimes, my clients need someone to talk to; there’s great healing power in having space to be heard and supported.

I love to remind my clients that conception care is holistic. It supports the whole person, from conception through motherhood and beyond. These skills will stay with you for life.

 

How does breathwork help women manage menstrual pain?

Breathwork can take many forms, either as a standalone practice or used to empower or soften muscles within a physical practice. I use breathwork to educate and help people connect with their bodies. Our breath is integral to pelvic floor health, posture, circulation, and emotional well-being.

For menstrual pain, alternate nostril breathing or humming bee breathing helps manage anxiety and create calm. They improve blood circulation and oxygen flow, shifting stagnation and toxins.

 

What does period self-care mean to you?

Gentle movement. It might feel like you want to be a couch potato, but some gentle movement can shift stagnation, your mood and energy. It’s an absolute luxury and a delicious symbol of self-love.

 

Why do you think periods are STILL a taboo topic?

We’re making generational changes, but we still have a long way to go to overcome the patriarchal fear of the female body. I’m honoured that women feel comfortable talking to me about their periods and sharing all the details. I feel like a walking library, which puts me in a position to make referrals and recommendations if someone might need further investigation or support. Without sharing these details, most of us don’t know what’s ‘normal’ or what we don’t have to put up with. Even today, what do ‘heavy’, ‘light’, or ‘normal’ really mean? Let’s get gritty and start sharing the details with your friends, GP, or someone you feel safe with.

 

What would your top health message?

Oof! We’re always being told we need something. Maybe I’ll keep it simple and say that you are innately whole, entire, and complete.

 

What are your hopes for the future of periods and period conversations?

One day, I’d love to get into schools and teach girls how amazing their bodies are! We lack awe and don’t give enough credit to the cycle of destruction and repair our bodies repeatedly go through. I know I certainly didn’t learn about my body until it was ‘misbehaving,’ and I think that’s a real shame. It’s incredible how our uterus sheds and repairs and how our whole system rallies to support this cycle of regeneration.

 

MY CYCLE

• My period in 3 words: Quiet, release, calm.
• Period self-care toolkit: Warmth! Teas, heat packs (try rae Heat Pad), touch.
• Best period hacks: Cramping, messiness and fatigue can make us want to hibernate, but I recommend some gentle movement and hip stirring to release gripping and tension that travels through the pelvic connective tissue. Your lower back, thighs and shoulders will thank you!
• Contraception of choice: I’m cautious of the pill - a whole generation of us are coming off oral contraception in our late 20s without an understanding of our natural cycle. Knowledge and connection to our bodies is important.
• On day 1, you'll find me: Having a looong warm shower.
• Scarlet pick: The Scarlet Boyshort means I can sleep all through the night without fear of leaking, and the Magnesium+ Spray is spiked with lavender, making it an absolute hero product at any phase of your cycle.