Posts Tagged ‘mindbody’
Facing the reality of postpartum depression
Postpartum depression changed my life.
I let my postpartum depression go untreated for a long time after I gave birth and I shouldn’t have done that, I suffered needlessly and caused my husband to suffer needlessly. I did go to a therapist, who very kindly referred me to a female psychiatrist (over and over again!).But, I refused to go see this psychiatrist, as I was nursing my son. My nursing times with him were the best times of the day, it was soothing to relax, sit down, and just feel the love between us! And I did not want to expose him to any form of medication through my breastmilk, especially not daily antidepressants!
Back then, 17 years ago, there wasn’t much perer-reviewed research literature published regarding the risks and safety of different psychotropic medications for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Now, you can easily access accurate, succinct, and professional consumer information about pregnancy, breastfeeding and psychotropic medications on the Mother to Baby website , which is a website run by teratogen specialists. There is a mountain of information, plus free, live counseling with a teratogen specialist, that can help you make an informed decision with your doctor.
What are the Seven Chakras
What are the chakras? The word chakra literally means wheel or vortex (Eden, 1998). According to yogic tradition, the chakras are the energy centers in the body which and interconnect the body and spirit and the external world. The chakras are associated energetically with physical organ systems, the endocrine system and emotional states. The chakras pull in energy from the environment like a vortex and also release energy outward to encompass outer energies and draw them in (Eden, 1998).
We can balance our chakra energy in different ways. The practice of yoga opens or clears the chakras which, in turn, facilitates self-growth and spiritual enlightenment. The practice of Reiki also clears and opens the chakras. Collette Baron-Reid has a beautiful, calming meditation called Journey Through the Chakras filled with imagery and color that clears and opens the chakras. I often fall asleep listening to it. Plus, color and sound frequencies influence the chakras. Each of the seven chakras has its own color vibration, and in addition, the seven notes of the C scale correspond to the seven chakras (Eden, 1998).
After Trauma, Four Skills to Come Home to Your Body
Sarah was the witness of an accident where a car struck and instantly killed two pedestrians. She had seen the car hit the girls and had seen the bodies fly and hit the ground. She thought that she had handled the situation as best as she could. She went to a therapist to talk about the incident and she also talked about it with close friends. But, as time went on, Sarah’s emotional and physical state was deteriorating. She felt sick often and was generally experiencing a lack of well-being. Two years later, she was having intrusive thoughts about the scene and was feeling physically nauseated often and also anxious and depressed, and sometimes panicky for no apparent reason.
What is Reiki?

Reiki practitioner channels energy (Photo: istock/renphoto)
Reiki literally means universal energy. Reiki is a system of healing using the human energy field. Reiki is being studied more extensively now. Some studies show that Reiki invokes the relaxation response, so this provides an opportunity for respite from anxiety and emotional distress. There are Reiki programs in many hospitals in the United States now. Reiki is used in hospital programs to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic disease.
Will’s Green Leprechaun Smoothie for St. Patrick’s Day, First Grade!
Years ago, my son had a wonderful first grade teacher. She was creative and kind. The kids all loved her! During St. Patrick’s week, she told her classroom that they might see tiny, happy leprechauns about! She left out some nickels for the leprechauns. The children were all very excited about this and kept watching to see if a leprechaun might come to collect the nickels! One morning, when the children came in, the nickels were gone but, there were sparkles on the floor in a trail! Wow! The leprechauns must’ve come that night and left their trail of glitter!
My 6 year old son was quite intrigued by this whole leprechaun thing. He came home and asked me if we could leave out some coins to see if we could lure a leprechaun. Plus, he extrapolated upon this project. He decided he could catch the leprechuan in the act. He proceeded to make a leprechaun trap out of a cardboard box. He figured if he put a quarter under an upside down box propped up with a stick, with a string attached, well, the leprechaun would come to get the coin, trip the stick and just happen to caught under the box! Read the rest of this entry »
Improve Your Mental Health with MindBody Changes!
I believe cultivating the habits of thought and action that nurtures mental health is an ongoing, life-long, learning process. I love being a licensed counselor. I believe in professional therapy. I have studied the research and personally seen the positive results of professional counseling for over 17 years. And there are lots of things you can do yourself outside the therapy room and outside the mental health profession to have a positive impact on your mental health.
Craniosacral is Your Body Talking
People ask me to explain craniosacral to them all the time.
Craniosacral is your body talking to you
Touch modalities synthesize feelings of physical pain and emotional distress. Massage has been shown in numerous studies from researchers such as Tiffany Field, Ph.D. of the Touch Institute to elevate mood, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and promote the relaxation response.
EMDR: Tapping in for Self Healing a Broken Heart

(IStock) EMDR Healing a Broken Heart
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well researched therapy used to treat trauma and strong emotional states. There are several components to EMDR.
Identify Positive Emotional Resources
Mindfulness Everyday – Serenity Meditation
Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes, quiet your thoughts. Sometimes when you’re just beginning mindfulness practice, your mind isn’t used to being quiet. Your mind has lots of thoughts rushing in. Just imagine them as waves moving about. Be gentle with yourself. It takes time to habituate your mind to calmness, just as it takes time to build a muscle at the gym.
Imagine being in a peaceful place. It could be a place you know or one from your wonderful imagination. Be aware of the sounds around you. Sounds can be distracting when we try to block them out, so acknowledge the sounds and be at peace with them. Visualize any cares or worries gently drifting away.
5 Delicious Vegan Sources of Protein
For you to be considered healthy, you have to eat 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram of your body weight. Bodybuilders and athletes, on the other hand, require around 2 grams of protein for every kilogram of their body weight. But in the case of vegetarians, they usually have trouble in getting the suggested protein amount that the body needs. Although there are a lot of good substitutes for meat available on the market right now, many of them are highly process, with some containing harmful ingredients. The best protein rich foods for vegetarians are those that are either unprocessed or minimally processed. Protein plays a crucial role in supporting your body for it to function properly. It also stimulates red blood cells productions and promotes the repair and growth of body tissue.
To help you get your require protein amount while following your vegetarian diet, here are some foods that you might want to add to your meal plan. Read the rest of this entry »