Health and Wellness
As a health professional, I am committed to my client’s overall health and wellness. The therapy I do is informed not only by psychology, but also by the areas of meditation, yoga, and nutrition.
Meditation
The benefits of meditation are real.
Fortunately, over the past 10-15 years, meditation and mindfulness have been increasing in presence in the popular culture. Numerous books, magazines, movies, and TV shows have featured the benefits that can be derived from these practices.
There has been a great deal of legitimate, scientifically based research documenting these physical and emotional benefits: improved focus and concentration; improved memory; reduced stress and anxiety; increased self-awareness and self-acceptance; increased sense of well-being; slowed respiration; lowered heart rate and blood pressure; and strengthened immune system.
These can be yours!
This has been my own experience as a long-time meditator and meditation instructor myself.
Meditation in therapy?
Not every client who comes for therapy is interested in learning to meditate, but many come to therapy with complaints about stress, tension, racing thoughts, and feelings of being unsettled.
We all, to a greater or lesser degree, experience what has been called “monkey mind,” the chaos and unease that our thoughts can cause. Working with our breath in meditation can change all that.
When people are interested in learning this practice which can be so helpful, I’m happy to offer some basic meditation instruction. It’s an invaluable life tool.
Yoga
Yoga’s benefits are far-reaching.
Yoga is an ancient body-mind practice that, like meditation, has exploded into the popular culture.
It offers most of the same benefits as meditation, but includes the physical elements of increased strength, flexibility, and muscle tone; improved circulation, respiration, energy, and vitality.
See this article from the publication, Yoga Journal, which enumerates 38 benefits of yoga practice:
www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/count-yoga-38-ways-yoga-keeps-fit
Yoga in a therapy session?
As with meditation, I know these benefits personally as a yoga instructor and long-time yoga practitioner. While I don’t have clients do yoga in my office, my clinical practice is informed by yoga practice.
Just one example of how I incorporate my yoga training relates to working with breath. In vinyasa yoga, breath is synchronized with movement. Breath regulation can be a powerful tool in helping us soothe ourselves.
Anxiety reduction can be addressed.
The sympathetic nervous system activates the “fight or flight” reflex and is associated with states of arousal. Adrenalin and the stress hormone cortisol can be released, resulting in panic and anxiety.
By working with certain breathing techniques, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with “rest and restore” functions, which can shift us away from anxiety.
Nutrition
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
The preceding quote is attributed to Hippocrates, the ancient Greek physician who is traditionally regarded as the father of modern medicine. What kind of food-medicine are you ingesting?
Whether we realize it, the food we eat plays a huge role in how we feel, both physically and in terms of our mood. I am not a nutritional counselor, but I am in the business of health promotion.
Benefits of a plant-based diet
The research I have done and my own personal experience have shown the tremendous benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet, which is free from dairy and animal protein.
Two excellent documentaries are “must-sees” for those who are interested in learning about how their diet affects their physical and emotional health. Both are available on Netflix.
The first is “Forks Over Knives.” Watch the trailer here:
The second is “The Game Changers.” Watch the trailer here:
Try a radical experiment
Go just one week eating a plant-based diet with fresh fruits and whole grains, eliminating all dairy and animal protein. You’ll be amazed at how you feel!
NOW is the time for something different.
Now is the time to call for a free phone consultation.
Allow me to assist you in finding the relief you deserve.
Please call (224) 715-8155.