Contributed by Tyler Finders, Therapy Intern

​Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, “[Anyone] who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.” Philosophers, psychologists, theologians, cab drivers, construction workers, etc. have all wondered, “Why?” Why are we here? Why is this happening to me? Why? Dr. Viktor Frankl devoted his life work to develop a therapeutic technique called logotherapy or meaning-centered therapy. This therapeutic technique helped individuals tackle one of life’s most difficult answers, “What is the meaning of life?” However, Frankl discovered that the task of finding ultimate meaning is futile and can lead to hopelessness. In his book The Doctor and the Soul, Frankl (1986) wrote, “In life, too, the peaks decide the meaningfulness of the life, and a single moment can retroactively flood an entire life with meaning.” To put it simply, meaning is found in the moment. The cloud of depression, anxiety, stress, grief, loss, suffering, and life can block our view of meaningful moments. How can find meaning in times of ultimate suffering? The following questions help explore various peaks that can occur daily and meaning that is found in the moment.

What gifts have you given others today? This question reflects upon your creative values. Creative values can be found in innate gifts to others, talents in your work, deeds done for others, and/or goals achieved that hold meaning for you. What did you achieve at work/school today? What did you do today that brought joy to another person? What can you do tomorrow that gives life to another being?
 
What gifts have you received today? This next question explores the next set of values, experiential. These values are experiences that you receive from relationships, nature, cultural or religion. Watching the sunrise, hearing the birds chirp, seeing a loved one smile, oxygen filling your lungs, or enjoying a special holiday. These are all examples of experiential values. How do meaningful experiences make you feel?

When all is lost, what is my attitude towards life? This final value is called an attitudinal value. This third value is found in the absence of creative or experiential values. When life is not “fruitful in creation or rich in experience,” what is your attitude towards life (Frankl, 1986)? What have you learned about yourself when enduring suffering? When courageously confronting life’s greatest challenges, where do you find hope?
​
Learn from your answers and refocus through these values. When engaging in trying and difficult times, use creativity, experiences, and a new outlook to give life meaning in the moment. Even though all may be lost, these values will continue to persist. Even in the darkest valleys, there is a mountain to climb and peaks to be experienced.

Reference
Frankl, V. E. (1986). The doctor and the soul: From psychotherapy to logotherapy. New York: Vintage Books. 

Contributed by Sarah Rowat, MS, LMHC-P

​Many of us have an inner dialogue in our heads that I like to call the “inner critic”. These are thoughts that tell us things like “you should be working harder” or “you shouldn’t be eating that”. This inner critic could have developed in a variety of ways - internalizing the voice of an overly critical parent or societal expectations for productivity and beauty, for example. When an inner dialogue starts with “You should…”, I can almost guarantee a kind and gentle thought filled with self-compassion is not about to follow. A thought starting with “You should…” is typically rooted in anxiety or guilt that we aren’t doing enough, that we’re doing things wrong, or that we’re a failure. For many of us, our inner dialogue is much harsher than anything we would ever say to a friend.

There is a lot going on in our world and in our lives today. We are collectively and individually adjusting to new school schedules, new workplace norms, new awakenings about ourselves and our way of life, and new ways of being in relationship with each other. In the midst of these, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Know that you are doing enough, you are trying hard enough, you are enough.

I invite you to practice gentleness and self-compassion with the meditation below:
Firmly place one hand in the center of your chest and one hand on your belly. Slowly breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Slowly repeat after me: I am enough as I am. I am working hard enough. I am trying hard enough. I am doing enough. I am enough as I am. Take another slow, deep breathe, in through your nose, out through your mouth.

I invite you to try this practice of gentleness and self-compassion each morning or each night before bed.
I would also like to offer a poem by Mary Oliver to help bring gentleness into our beings.

Wild Geese
By Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things. 

Contributed by Sarah Cammoun, LMHC

​If you are one of the many people seeing a therapist, there might be a lot of talk about coping skills. Current events have made our ability to cope and access to our normal coping skills difficult. We are being told to stay inside and away from people. However, just because we are not able to go to stores and public areas does not mean we cannot spend some time outside. After all, it is good for our mental health and for some, it is as easy as stepping outside the front door.
​
Being outside gives us direct access to sunlight, which is the best natural source of Vitamin D and difficult to get purely from food. People that spend time outdoors may experience a more positive mood, better cognitive function, increased ability to focus and decreased anxiety.  
Here are a few reasons why Vitamin D and sunshine can result in these changes!

1. Improved mood- There is evidence from a study done in 2016 showing a positive correlation between better mental health and seasonal increases in sun time.
2. Better quality sleep- Getting daily exposure to sun increases our serotonin levels, which not only helps our mood but helps us get a more restful nights sleep. Serotonin and melatonin (a commonly prescribed over the counter sleep aid, which is naturally produced in our body) work together to help us fall asleep. Additionally, getting daily sunlight helps regulate our body’s circadian rhythm.
3. Endorphins- Ultra-violet rays also increases blood levels of endorphins, another natural feel-good chemical.

Fortunately, it does not take much exposure to sun for us to see the benefits, around 10-15 minutes will do. Getting regular time outside in combination with other methods of self-care can help combat the extra stress we are all experiencing. Additionally, you can combine this activity with several others, such as exercise, creative arts, reading, writing, just about anything you can think of.
Just make sure you do not forget your sunscreen!

​*The contents of this blog are not meant to be medical advice, consult your physician if you have questions about this information.

Contributed by Erin Carter, LMHC

​How’s everybody feeling?

Things are a little scary out there right now. The World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, a pandemic. The news is filled with stories about cancelled events, closed schools, stores sold out of toilet paper, and possible damaging effects to our economy. And the cause of all this disruption is sneaky, invisible, and could be anywhere.
 
For those already struggling with the symptoms of clinical anxiety, the news of COVID-19 can be overwhelming. Even those who don’t normally find themselves anxious might be noticing some anxiety symptoms in this environment. So what can we do to try to prevent or manage these symptoms so we can feel better and be more effective in our lives?
 
Anxiety at its Best
 
Let’s start by thinking about the function of anxiety: anxiety at its best. John Bowlby, a psychologist and psychiatrist whose theory on attachment between infants and parents has changed the way we see the development of many mental disorders, once wrote that, “clinical conditions can be best understood as a disordered version of a healthy response.” In other words, symptoms involved in anxiety, depression, and other problems that affect our mood and thinking can be normal, healthy, and helpful under the right circumstances. At its best, anxiety functions to warn us of danger and spur us to take actions that keep us safe.
 
Anxiety, really another word for ongoing fear, occurs when a small region of the brain called the hypothalamus detects a threat. The hypothalamus communicates with other parts of the brain and the endocrine system to release a cascade of physiological and cognitive responses, all geared toward helping us survive the threat. If we round a corner and find ourselves facing a lion, we might need to run away or fight it off. Toward that end, when our brain detects a threat, it releases chemicals that get our muscles ready for action, speeds up our heart rate and breathing, and sends our body’s resources away from our digestive system. So, we might experience a jittery feeling, racing heart, a feeling like we need to get more air, and upset stomach.
 
When our brain detects a threat, it wants us to focus intensely on surviving, and to take it seriously. So we might experience racing thoughts, find it difficult to control our worry, and have trouble thinking things through. When this goes on for a while, we may have trouble relaxing enough to get to sleep, or find that our bodies are waking us up in the night. Eventually, we might find ourselves avoiding places or activities that we really can’t afford to avoid, because our brain tells us that they’re dangerous.
 
We can see how all of this is very helpful if we’re facing down a lion. But when the threat is everyday life--financial concerns, family stress, or world events that are out of our control--these responses aren’t so helpful and can become problems in and of themselves. We can help ourselves by remembering what anxiety is at its best: a warning, and a spur to helpful action.
 
Taking Purposeful Action
 
For those of us noticing that we’re getting a warning about COVID-19 from our bodies and brains, let’s take a minute and be glad that we have a working alarm system. Good. We’re functioning the way we’re supposed to, more or less. Now let’s think about how to turn that warning into purposeful and useful actions that reduce our risk.
 
Experts such as the Center for Disease Control (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html) are recommending actions that, for the most part, are easy for us all to take:
 

• Wash hands frequently and avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or tissue to avoid spreading germs to others
• Avoid crowds when possible
• Try not to go out if you have symptoms, and encourage family and friends to do the same
• Try to have a couple of weeks worth of necessities at home--think especially of non-perishable food and daily medications, and the kinds of things you’d want if you have a fever and cough. Do you need all of Costco’s toilet paper? Probably not. But you might want an extra bottle of Ibuprofen.

 
Additionally, experts are indicating that those most at risk of serious symptoms of novel coronavirus are those that are medically fragile, and have health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. So one helpful action that our anxiety can spur us toward is to improve our health as much as possible right now:
 

• If you have high blood pressure or unmanaged diabetes, take whatever steps you need to, such as taking your medication or managing your blood sugar.
• Get the flu vaccine, if you haven’t. It is not effective against COVID-19, but it is effective against the flu. It is possible--and not desirable--to be infected by coronavirus and influenza at the same time.
• Improve your sleep, nutrition, and get some exercise. In addition to helping yourself resist contracting COVID-19, sleep, nutrition, and exercise are all shown by research to have an important role in managing anxiety.

 
Put COVID-19 on Mute
 
We can do these things to make use of the function of our anxiety, but we can also take some steps to try to keep it from misbehaving. Anxiety has a tendency to keep us thinking about whatever we’re scared of, going over and over it in our mind, letting our fears about what could happen grow and grow. Let’s stop that. Television and social media are offering nonstop coronavirus information right now, and while some of it is from good, reliable, measured sources, some of it is misleading, sensationalistic, and seems designed to exploit our fears for clicks or airtime. Let’s be discerning, get the information we need from sources we know are reliable, and then let’s take a news break. If social media is constantly putting articles in front of you that keep your anxiety high, step away from social media.
 
Next, take some time to figure out exactly what you’re feeling; give your emotions a name. Are you feeling nervous, frustrated, scared, angry, or confused? More than one thing at a time? Where do you notice those things in your body? Upset stomach, headache, tension in your back? Then think about what might be the meaning of these emotions? Are you feeling unsettled because you’re out of your routine? Are you frustrated because the kids have questions you don’t have the answers to? Identifying these emotions, how you’re feeling them physically, and what they signify can make them easier to tolerate.
 
In addition, find ways to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness refers to being present in the moment, in the here and now, noticing what you notice, and it is a research-backed practice that can be effective in managing anxiety. When you’re feeling panicked, take a minute to get quiet and notice what you hear, what you see, what you feel on your skin, how the sun or wind feels, how the breath feels going in and out of your body, and how the ground feels beneath your feet. Mindfulness exercises are as simple as this, and you can easily find others online.
 
Improve your social support. While we should be avoiding the physical presence of others who are sick or who we could make sick, isolating ourselves with our worries won’t do us any good. Reach out to trusted others who are a source of support. Additionally, this is a good time to think of others around us who might be vulnerable to the loss of certain institutions that are closing their doors temporarily, such as kids who count on school lunches or home-bound folks whose Meals-On-Wheels are no longer coming. Let’s take the precautions that are advised by the experts, but let’s also take care of one another.
 
Finally, if you’ve taken steps such as these and found that those persistent worries remain and are making it difficult to function, remember that there is professional help. Clinical anxiety can be successfully treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Licensed psychotherapists, clinical social workers, and psychologists specialize in therapy to help bring anxiety symptoms under control. Psychiatrists, primary care physicians, and psychiatric nurse practitioners can provide effective medication management.
 
Let’s take care of ourselves and stay healthy out there!
 
 
Manejando el miedo en los días de COVID-19: Cómo mantener la ansiedad en su mejor momento
 
 
¿Cómo se sienten todos?
 
Las cosas dan un poco de miedo en este momento. La Organización Mundial de la Salud ha declarado que el nuevo coronavirus, también conocido como COVID-19, es una pandemia. La noticia está llena de historias sobre eventos cancelados, escuelas cerradas, tiendas agotadas de papel higiénico y posibles efectos perjudiciales para nuestra economía. Y la causa de toda esta interrupción es astuta, invisible y podría estar en cualquier parte.
 
Para aquellos que ya luchan con los síntomas de ansiedad clínica, la noticia de COVID-19 puede ser abrumadora. Incluso aquellos que normalmente no se sienten ansiosos pueden notar algunos síntomas de ansiedad en este entorno. Entonces, ¿qué podemos hacer para tratar de prevenir o controlar estos síntomas para que podamos sentirnos mejor y ser más efectivos en nuestras vidas?
 
La Ansiedad en su Mejor Momento
 
 
Comencemos por pensar en la función de la ansiedad: ansiedad en su mejor momento. John Bowlby, un psicólogo y psiquiatra cuya teoría sobre el apego entre los bebés y los padres ha cambiado la forma en que vemos el desarrollo de muchos trastornos mentales, una vez escribió que "las condiciones clínicas pueden entenderse mejor como una versión desordenada de una respuesta saludable". En otras palabras, los síntomas relacionados con la ansiedad, la depresión y otros problemas que afectan nuestro estado de ánimo y nuestro pensamiento pueden ser normales, saludables y útiles en las circunstancias adecuadas. En el mejor de los casos, la ansiedad funciona para advertirnos del peligro y estimularnos a tomar medidas que nos mantengan a salvo.
 
La ansiedad, realmente otra palabra para el miedo continuo, ocurre cuando una pequeña región del cerebro llamada hipotálamo detecta una amenaza. El hipotálamo se comunica con otras partes del cerebro y el sistema endocrino para liberar una cascada de respuestas fisiológicas y cognitivas, todas orientadas a ayudarnos a sobrevivir a la amenaza. Si doblamos una esquina y nos encontramos frente a un león, es posible que tengamos que huir o luchar contra él. Con ese fin, cuando nuestro cerebro detecta una amenaza, libera sustancias químicas que preparan nuestros músculos para la acción, aceleran nuestro ritmo cardíaco y la respiración, y alejan los recursos de nuestro cuerpo de nuestro sistema digestivo. Por lo tanto, podríamos experimentar una sensación de nerviosismo, un corazón acelerado, una sensación de que necesitamos tomar más aire y malestar estomacal.
 
Cuando nuestro cerebro detecta una amenaza, quiere que nos enfoquemos intensamente en sobrevivir y que nos la tomemos en serio. Por lo tanto, podríamos experimentar pensamientos acelerados, tener dificultades para controlar nuestra preocupación y tener problemas para pensar detenidamente. Cuando esto continúa por un tiempo, es posible que tengamos problemas para relajarnos lo suficiente como para dormir, o descubramos que nuestros cuerpos nos están despertando en la noche. Eventualmente, podríamos encontrarnos evitando lugares o actividades que realmente no podemos permitirnos evitar, porque nuestro cerebro nos dice que son peligrosos.
 
Podemos ver cómo todo esto es muy útil si estamos frente a un león. Pero cuando la amenaza es la vida cotidiana (preocupaciones financieras, estrés familiar o eventos mundiales que están fuera de nuestro control), estas respuestas no son tan útiles y pueden convertirse en problemas en sí mismas. Podemos ayudarnos recordando qué ansiedad es mejor: una advertencia y un estímulo para la acción útil.
 
 
Tomando Acción Decidida
 
Para aquellos de nosotros que nos damos cuenta de que recibimos una advertencia sobre COVID-19 de nuestros cuerpos y cerebros, tomemos un minuto y nos alegra que tengamos un sistema de alarma en funcionamiento. Bueno. Estamos funcionando como se supone que debemos hacerlo, más o menos. Ahora pensemos cómo convertir esa advertencia en acciones útiles y útiles que reduzcan nuestro riesgo.
 
Expertos como el Centro para el Control de Enfermedades (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html) recomiendan acciones que, en su mayor parte, son fáciles de tomar para todos:
 

• Lávese las manos con frecuencia y evite tocarse los ojos, la boca y la nariz.
• Tosa o estornude en su codo o tejido para evitar propagar gérmenes a otras personas.
• Evite las multitudes cuando sea posible.
• Trate de no salir si tiene síntomas y anime a sus familiares y amigos a hacer lo mismo.
• Trate de tener un par de semanas de artículos de primera necesidad en casa: piense especialmente en los alimentos no perecederos y los medicamentos diarios, y el tipo de cosas que desearía si tiene fiebre y tos. ¿Necesita todo el papel higiénico de Costco? Probablemente no. Pero es posible que desee una botella extra de ibuprofeno.

 
Además, los expertos indican que las personas con mayor riesgo de sufrir síntomas graves de nuevos coronavirus son las que son médicamente frágiles y tienen afecciones de salud como enfermedades cardíacas, presión arterial alta o diabetes. Entonces, una acción útil que nuestra ansiedad puede impulsarnos es mejorar nuestra salud tanto como sea posible en este momento:
 

• Si tiene presión arterial alta o diabetes no controlada, tome las medidas que necesite, como tomar su medicamento o controlar su nivel de azúcar en la sangre.
• Vacúnese contra la gripe, si no lo ha hecho. No es efectivo contra COVID-19, pero es efectivo contra la gripe. Es posible, y no deseable, ser infectado por coronavirus e influenza al mismo tiempo.
• Mejore su sueño, nutrición y haga algo de ejercicio. Además de ayudarte a resistirte a contraer COVID-19, la investigación demuestra que el sueño, la nutrición y el ejercicio tienen un papel importante en el manejo de la ansiedad.

 
Ponga COVID-19 en Silencio
 
Podemos hacer estas cosas para aprovechar la función de nuestra ansiedad, pero también podemos tomar algunas medidas para evitar que se comporte mal. La ansiedad tiende a mantenernos pensando en lo que sea que tengamos miedo, repitiéndolo una y otra vez en nuestra mente, dejando que nuestros temores sobre lo que podría suceder crezcan y crezcan. Detengamos eso. La televisión y las redes sociales están ofreciendo información ininterrumpida sobre el coronavirus en este momento, y aunque parte de ella proviene de fuentes buenas, confiables y medidas, otra parte es engañosa, sensacionalista y parece diseñada para explotar nuestros temores por clics o tiempo aire. Seamos exigentes, obtengamos la información que necesitamos de fuentes que sabemos que son confiables, y luego tomemos un descanso. Si las redes sociales constantemente ponen artículos frente a ti que mantienen tu ansiedad alta, aléjate de las redes sociales.
 
Luego, tómate un tiempo para descubrir exactamente lo que sientes; Dale un nombre a tus emociones. ¿Te sientes nervioso, frustrado, asustado, enojado o confundido? ¿Más de una cosa a la vez? ¿Dónde notas esas cosas en tu cuerpo? ¿Malestar estomacal, dolor de cabeza, tensión en la espalda? Entonces, ¿cuál podría ser el significado de estas emociones? ¿Te sientes inquieto porque estás fuera de tu rutina? ¿Estás frustrado porque los niños tienen preguntas para las que no tienes las respuestas? Identificar estas emociones, cómo las siente físicamente y lo que significan puede hacer que sean más fáciles de tolerar.
 
Además, encuentre formas de practicar la atención plena. La atención plena se refiere a estar presente en el momento, en el aquí y ahora, notando lo que notas, y es una práctica respaldada por investigaciones que puede ser efectiva para controlar la ansiedad. Cuando sienta pánico, tómese un minuto para callarse y observe lo que escucha, lo que ve, lo que siente en su piel, cómo se siente el sol o el viento, cómo se siente la respiración entrando y saliendo de su cuerpo, y cómo se siente el suelo debajo de tus pies. Los ejercicios de atención plena son tan simples como esto, y puede encontrar fácilmente otros en línea.
 
Mejora tu apoyo social. Si bien deberíamos evitar la presencia física de otros que están enfermos o a quienes podríamos enfermar, aislarnos de nuestras preocupaciones no nos hará ningún bien. Póngase en contacto con otras personas de confianza que son una fuente de apoyo. Además, este es un buen momento para pensar en otras personas que nos rodean que podrían ser vulnerables a la pérdida de ciertas instituciones que están cerrando sus puertas temporalmente, como los niños que cuentan con almuerzos escolares o personas encerradas en el hogar cuyas comidas son Ya no viene. Tomemos las precauciones recomendadas por los expertos, pero también cuidemos los unos de los otros.
 
Finalmente, si has tomado medidas como estas y descubriste que esas preocupaciones persistentes persisten y dificultan su funcionamiento, recuerde que hay ayuda profesional. La ansiedad clínica se puede tratar con éxito con psicoterapia, medicamentos o una combinación de ambos. Psicoterapeutas con licencia, trabajadores sociales clínicos y psicólogos se especializan en terapia para ayudar a controlar los síntomas de ansiedad. Los psiquiatras, los médicos de atención primaria y las enfermeras practicantes psiquiátricas pueden proporcionar un manejo efectivo de los medicamentos.
 
¡Cuidemos nosotros mismos y mantengámonos saludables!

Contributed by Marriage and Family Therapy Intern, Angela Fisher

​​The weather is finally warming.  We get to think about all the things we want to do: spring cleaning, preparing for a garden, and enjoying the outdoors.  We start to create this to do list that might grow legs of its own!  I wonder how many of us are intentional about nurturing the supportive relationships in our lives?
 
How do you nurture those relationships?  Great question!
 
1. Be present.  With technology so convenient and frequently at our fingertips, distractions have become a norm.  Try setting aside a period of time every day that is free from technology or cell phone free.  Eat dinner with others, play a game, or cook something else together and enjoy the conversation.
 
2. Listen to listen, rather than listening to respond.  Many times, when we listen, the things going through our head are the things we want to say in regards to the information we are receiving.  Try listening, and instead of responding, paraphrase back to them what you heard them say.  This builds connections, lets people know you are really listening to them, and verifies that you accurately heard what they were saying.
 
3.  Pay attention to the emotions behind the words.  Think about what the other person is feeling when they are saying something.  Rather than focus on the content of what they are saying, sometimes focusing on what they are feeling is more important in the moment.  This helps to create an environment of being attune to others.
 
4. Turn off the fixer. There is a part of many people that wants to fix a problem someone has just told us about.  Instead of thinking of solutions to their problems, empathize by responding with something like, “Wow, that must be really tough”.  Phrases like this let the other person know that we are really listening to what they are going through.  Sometimes people just need to vent.  If you have an idea for them, it really helps to ask the other person if they are open to some ideas or if they just needed to vent. 
 
5. Lastly turn off storyteller mode.  We all have a story.  There is space for everyone’s story, it’s just probably not at the same time.  When someone shares a story, there can sometimes be a moment where some would say they have a better story, or try to one up each other.  Part of life is sharing experiences not being in competition with each other’s experiences.  Enjoy their story with them.  They are inviting you into their life, accept the invitation.

Contributed by Nicole Binney, tLMFT

​We are nearly to the end of January already, a time when many people consider the highs and lows of the past year and determine what changes they would like to make for the new year.  You may have engaged in conversations about New Year’s resolutions, developed a personal or professional goal for yourself, and you may have already started to work toward meeting some short-term goals.  Whether or not you create New Year’s resolutions you can make progress in your life by having a growth mindset.

What is a growth mindset?  A growth mindset is a person’s belief that they have the ability to develop through determination and effort, and that intellect and talent are a place to start.  A growth mindset also includes a positive believe that growth and change is possible.  This way of thinking does not require you to have all of the answers, and it provides no reduction in the possibility of failure.  A growth mindset builds on the strengths and abilities you already have.

What happens when you have a growth mindset.  When you choose to begin working toward an accomplishment with a growth mindset, you understand that progress takes time.  You ask for help when needed.  You find others with similar goals to encourage and learn from each other.  You understand that you may fail; however, you learn from feedback received and begin again in a new way. 

While working toward the invention of the light bulb, Thomas Edison was quoted saying, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” As you begin this year as someone who sets goals or as someone considering some change, keep a growth mindset.  Make one small change toward growth.  Learn what works and what doesn’t work. Surround yourself with those who support you.  You may not be inventing the light bulb, but your success may be found in the reinventing of your thoughts about growth.  

Yoga is a big trend in our culture today.  All we hear or read about is hot yoga, aerial yoga, power yoga, yoga with puppies, and even yoga with goats! What is the big deal?
​
Yoga is a Sanskrit word which refers to the combination of breath and movement. In truth, you have already been practicing yoga from the day you were born! How? Because the first movement we make as a baby is taking a big breath. By practicing yoga, you become aware of your breath and intentionally align it with movement.
Has anyone ever told you to “calm down take a deep breath?”  Why do we say this? As the popularity of yoga has grown, so has the study of what it does to the body physically and neurologically. We now know that taking that breath begins a cascade of good things to our body. 

The breath, or respiratory system, is the one body system that is unconsciously controlled (you will continue to breathe even when you aren’t trying to) and consciously controlled (you can deepen or hold your breath at will). This means that breath is the one action that connects our conscious with the subconscious.
Why is this important? If you are an adult in America there is a 99.99% chance that you have experienced trauma or stress, whether it is something you are aware of or not.  This stress can be obvious and known to you, for example: a car accident, a divorce, or as subtle and common as being late for a meeting or having a busy schedule. Whatever the cause, our body’s automatic reaction is to initiate the fight/flight/freeze response when we experience stress. This is what keeps us alive and safe in dangerous situations. With repetition over time, this system keeps running on auto pilot even when we are not in a dangerous or stressful situation and it continues in our subconscious. This can be damaging to our physical and mental health.

Consciously taking that deep breath to calm down is the “switch” that begins to regulate our stress response. You may not even recognize that you need to flip this switch. Try it right now: take a deep slow breath and let your shoulders relax. Unless you are already aware of your breath, you probably were holding some tension and felt it release with that breath. Practicing breathing with gentle movement will allow your body to reset and recover from being in an over stressed and stimulated state.
How do you find out what kind of yoga is best for you? The answer is simple. Try one!  

Yoga teachers (or “yogis”), such as myself, are happy to talk with you about what to expect in their class, especially if you are a beginner. If you have experienced trauma, I highly recommend finding a class with a trauma-informed yoga teacher or TIYT. If the class doesn’t specify, ask the teacher if they practice trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive yoga. Finding a TIYT will provide a safe foundation for your practice and then you can branch out in tree pose with puppies or goats!
​
Want to learn more? You can reach me by phone at 515-724-8920 or yoga@mosaicfamilyinc.com
 
Namaste.

Contributed by Bari Lloyd, RYT200, TIYT