Private therapeutic yoga Southington, CT

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In these modern times where busyness, rushing around and distraction rule, it’s hard to find the time to be still and reconnect. We’re under siege by interruptions.

Yoga is an ancient practice used to journey inward, find inner peace and an increasingly popular way to counter the busyness.

But where do we begin when we are new to yoga?

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Group yoga classes in large studios can seem daunting, and indeed, can be the worst possible place for a beginner to get started with their practice. Because there is a room full of students and just one teacher, the new student’s needs can easily be overlooked, bad habits can form, and even injuries can occur. New students often end up in the wrong type of class to start—one that isn’t appropriate for their skill and knowledge level. This often leaves students discouraged and ultimately leads to them giving up on yoga.

The style of yoga I teach is a completely unique blend of action and non-action, balancing yin and yang in your practice that you won’t find anywhere else.

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This is accessible for every single individual, regardless of experience, age, physical ailments or restrictions. I specialize in one-on-one therapeutic, gentle and prenatal yoga, and incorporate restorative yoga, yin yoga, gentle yoga, guided meditations and breathwork into these private one-on-one yoga sessions. We’ll incorporate gentle stretching and use yoga props to rest the body, opening not only muscles but also connective tissue and fascia.

In private, one-on-one sessions in my Southington yoga studio, I provide a safe and non-judgmental space for you to grow.

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I’m able to address your specific needs in a way that group classes cannot. I continually check in to make sure that we’re addressing those needs each time you come in for a session, and we modify or adjust your practice accordingly. I’ll guide you in your practice to discover what your body truly needs for its deepest healing.

If you stick with it, you’ll soon discover that yoga is an amazing tool for healing on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level.

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One-on-one yoga instruction ensures that you are getting exactly what you need. I’ll hold the space, share extensive lived experience and knowledge to guide you as you discover your own path of healing. I provide meditations, stretches and breathing exercises that can be done at home to enhance your practice.

Unrealistic expectations, looking for a quick fix, and self-sabotage often get in the way of people’s follow-through and success with change in their lives.

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I know from experience that it’s easier to fall back into old patterns than it is to move forward out of one’s comfort zone. Lasting change comes from a daily investment and commitment to health. Genuine healing takes time, and that’s why I recommend at least weekly sessions for 6-8 weeks for all of my students. Beyond that, supplementing an at-home practice with a weekly or bi-weekly session is most beneficial.

Your health is an investment, not an expense!

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It’s time to put your needs first and take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself will not only benefit you, it will benefit the others in your life in a positive way.

Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), is a phenomenon where individuals continue to experience symptoms long after the initial infection has passed. The wide range of symptoms associated with long COVID, such as long COVID fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, and heart palpitations, can be debilitating and impact an individual’s quality of life. Yoga therapy has been shown to have therapeutic benefits for individuals experiencing long COVID fatigue symptoms.

The gentle and restorative physical movements and deep breathing exercises that are a central part of yoga can help to reduce stress and improve physical and mental well-being. In addition, yoga therapy can help to improve circulation, boost the immune system, and increase energy levels, all of which can be beneficial for individuals experiencing long COVID symptoms.

Another benefit of yoga therapy for long COVID fatigue is its ability to improve sleep quality. Research has shown that yoga therapy can help to regulate the nervous system, promote relaxation, and reduce anxiety, all of which can contribute to improved sleep. Improved sleep can be particularly important for individuals with long COVID, as sleep disturbances are a common symptom of the condition.

Yoga therapy can also help to address the emotional and mental health challenges that can accompany long COVID. The mindfulness and self-reflection aspects of yoga can help individuals to process their experiences and manage feelings of anxiety and depression. The supportive and non-judgmental community that can be found with a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) can also be a valuable source of emotional support for individuals with long COVID.

Yoga therapy offers a valuable form of support for individuals with long COVID. The physical and mental benefits of yoga can help to reduce stress, improve physical and mental well-being, and address the emotional and mental health challenges that can accompany long COVID. If you are experiencing long COVID fatigue symptoms and other long COVID symptoms, consider talking to your healthcare provider about incorporating yoga therapy into your treatment plan.

Benefits of yoga therapy for long COVID include but aren’t limited to:

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• Mitigates symptoms of long COVID
• Reduces stress and improves physical and mental well-being
• Improves circulation and boosts the immune system
• Reduces fatigue
• Increases energy levels
• Improves sleep quality and regulates sleep patterns
• Regulates the nervous system and promotes relaxation
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Provides a supportive and non-judgmental connection for emotional support
• Helps to process experiences and manage feelings of anxiety and depression
• Offers a gentle and restorative form of physical activity for individuals with long COVID symptoms
• May improve overall quality of life for individuals with long COVID

As a certified and experienced yoga therapist that has worked with individuals with chronic illnesses including long COVID, I’ve shared a few of my favorite yoga therapy methods individuals can incorporate right now in daily life, below. These yoga therapy techniques are accessible and require no previous yoga experience. As with any self-care methodology, the more you practice, the more benefits you will receive. Set small goals for best results. Remember that your wellness is an ever-evolving journey; there is no finish line. There are ups and downs and zig zags and sideways and slantways. Start where you are and trust you are here for a reason.

Accessible daily yoga therapy methods that can help fatigue from long COVID:

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Self-compassion

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When we’re dealing with the fatigue of COVID, turn to self-compassion. When you first notice that you’re moving slow or have that tired behind the eyes feeling, brain fog or headache, take a pause. Notice that you feel that. Notice if you’re trying to distract yourself from feeling it fully with work or social media scrolling. Just notice. Use self-compassion here. If you have the pattern of self-loathing and want to beat yourself up for feeling this way, notice that too. This inner conflict will only zap your energy further so take a compassionate pause to notice what’s happening inside. Acknowledge the fatigue or symptom and let it be there. Acknowledge that you got COVID. It happened. You can’t go back and un-have it. It just is. And it’s not bad or good. You had COVID and now you’re feeling its effects.

Embrace reality with a compassionate heart, noticing that your body is communicating. And this is an important message. Self-compassion will allow the meaning to come through clearly. Listening to the body’s signals takes time. Taking action from those messages also takes time. Self-compassion is the way. Self-compassion leads to self-awareness. With practice, you will know your body best. You can stop Googling solutions because your body already knows what it needs and you won’t need to rely on anyone else’s generalization or guessing for what makes you feel better. Post-COVID, if you feel winded after you climb a flight of stairs, hear that message. Take action. Pause. Sit. Breathe for a moment and get that little bit of rest to regulate and then continue with your day. This is self-compassion in action. This is developing self-awareness. This is a process of increasing wellness.

Breathe on purpose

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When you notice the fatigue, pause, become aware of what you’re doing, where you are and if possible, sit or lie down. And if you can’t right then and there, make it a priority to sit or lie down as soon as you can. The action of sitting and lying down subconsciously cues the nervous system to relax. Once sitting or laying down, close the eyes. Closing the eyes is another simple method to replenish an overburdened nervous system. However, if you have a history of trauma and closing the eyes is too challenging, keep a lower gaze or move yourself to a darker space.

From here, I invite you to focus on breathing. Conscious breathing. Breathing on purpose (yes, you can control your focus and your breath!). While resting, breathe a little lower and slower, on purpose. Know that you are breathing. Feel the inhales and exhales pass through you. Thoughts will come, but let yourself anchor in feeling the breath in the body, rather than thinking the thoughts. Conscious breathing soothes the nervous system and provides added benefits to the lymphatic system, which will clear the virus toxins out. This enhances immune function, which helps your body do what it already knows how to do: stop virus cell replication and fight off the remaining virus cells. Conscious breathing, when practiced regularly, increases lung capacity, which is an important part of energy recovery. Breathing is free and can be done anytime, anywhere. In this case, it’s helpful to add in resting with eyes closed for a deeper restoration. Practice 8-30 minutes for best results.

Take mini-breaks

Work for an hour. Stop for 5 minutes. Take your gaze away from the screens. Close the eyes, if that’s accessible. Stand and take a stretch with the arms overhead, if you have the ability.

I’ve noticed that in the weeks right after the initial COVID infection, it may seem like your energy is back, but then it’s not. So these breaks are necessary as you let your nervous system, body and mind recover at the pace they set, not the pace you set. Resting regularly speeds up healing. So take the time. If you’re a person that is used to pushing through, this one may be challenging. It’s hard to stop. It’s hard to rest. We’re constantly bombarded with cultural cues to hustle and always be and need and get more. So notice. Let it be hard. Let it be challenging and start small. But try. This is for your recovery. No one else’s.

When you are your best, you can bring that best forward to others. If you’re bringing your best, life is simpler. Relationships improve. Self-compassion, contentment, ease and happy show up. These emotions increase wellness. But if you’re bringing your worst, you’ll be more depleted and relationships with the people you love the most will suffer. Self-loathing, shame, guilt, resentment and anger show up. These emotions decrease wellness. The choice is always yours. So take a break. And if the mind has you distracted with overthinking, listen to a sound machine or the hum of a fan or the fridge. And just listen. Thoughts will come. Notice those thoughts and then just listen again without going down the rabbit hole of thinking. Just listen. If you’re new to this, remember it will take some time to strengthen this muscle. So let that be. And listen. Listen to the sound, not the thoughts.

Long COVID fatigue is temporary

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Everything is temporary. This will change. Everything will change. Change is the one thing we can count on. And taxes. And death, but that’s another blog for another time.

Set up a screen-free evening routine, set regular sleep and wake times and get more sleep.

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Information that comes in through the eyes, via light vibrations, goes directly into the brain to be processed. Blue light given off by screens in the evenings tricks our brain into thinking it’s daytime, which inhibits the release of sleep hormones. Time away from screens in the evenings strengthens the natural circadian biorhythm which regulates the sleep and wake cycle. This hormonal rhythm—present in all beings on the earth—increases energy in the morning to wake you up and be alert for the day. It also makes you sleepy in the evenings, to shut you down for restful sleep.

Reinforcing regular sleep and wake times enhances this ability to let it happen naturally without synthetic sleep aids. Emerging research shows that consistent bedtimes and wake times increases neurological health as we get older. We also know through research that enough sleep provides ample time for cell restoration and repair, which we need each evening. The fatigue of long COVID is telling you to rest. So listen. Get the rest your body needs and let that be okay that you need it right now. Setting up new lifestyle sleep habits that nurture less evening screen time, regular wake and sleep times (even on the weekends) and increased sleep amounts sets you up to not only clear the COVID virus out, but to also create space for a continuum of increased wellness.

All of the yoga therapy for long COVID fatigue methods mentioned here take practice

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You get out what you put in. Invest in yourself. Invest in your recovery. And with practice, my friend, you will create lasting positive change and increase your overall well-being.

Living with a chronic illness, we can often feel like we have nowhere else to turn. We’ve tried doctors everywhere, holistic practitioners, books, social media, but can’t seem to find what we’re looking for. That’s because the answers don’t lie outside of us—they lie within us. As someone living with a chronic illness that has no cure, I get it. I’ve been there.

Luckily, we have therapeutic yoga methods for chronic illness and techniques to connect us to that inner wisdom

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In our continued yogic practices, we work on full acceptance of what is, without judgment. As we expand our awareness with compassion, to get to that place, we first begin with observation, noting how we feel. Then we’re able to identify the many ups and downs of living with chronic illness and pain, labeling the “good” and “bad” days and how chronic illness and pain interact with the many layers of our being. I’ve found that giving myself permission to judge how I feel is the entry point to full acceptance.

The labeling of the judgment was an important part of the path for me. We ultimately want to get to a place where we’re not clinging to the good days and we don’t have aversion to the bad days. We want to welcome all days and the full spectrum of how we feel when living with a chronic illness and pain, without attaching to or resisting any of it. But before we get there, we rely on judgment of “good” days and “bad” days to help move us into acceptance of all shades, moods and colors of living with a chronic illness and pain before we release judgment of it. In that release of the judgment, we enter full acceptance of what is and full acceptance of ourselves as we are, without needing to be fixed or changed, or believing that we are broken or damaged. It’s in the release of needing something to be different that we find relief and lasting peace.

Our good days

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You’re probably familiar with them. We could classify a “good” day as one where we wake up easily, with energy, ready for the day. We’re able to address our needs, responsibilities and even get our regular daily practices in. It feels like a well-balanced day with plenty of self-care. At the end of the “good day,” pain and fatigue levels are low, the mind feels settled, so sleep comes with ease. We drift off, feeling productive and ready to shut down for the day.

Then another “good day” comes, and we wake refreshed, are creative, grateful and hopeful. We’re able to incorporate practices to end the day balanced once again. And “good day” after “good day,” we continue reaching into our arsenal of self-care methods to refresh, calm and balance. We ease in and out of the days with more inner connection, acceptance of what is and compassion for what we’re feeling.

What about when we don’t want to practice at all?

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But what about the days when we fall out of the groove? What about the days we wake up late, realize that we forgot to make lunches and we have a mountain of work to catch up on? What about the days we feel sluggish, fatigued or when joint and muscle pain scream for our attention? What about the flare-up days, when symptoms rage out of control?

These days are aplenty when living with chronic illness and pain, but they bring with them an invitation. An invitation shift our perspective. An invitation to view our self-care in a radically different way. Let’s lean on the oldest continually practiced medical science that we know of to lead the way: Ayurveda. If I’ve already lost your interest, I promise that what I’m about to share is likely not what you’re expecting, especially when we combine Ayurvedic self-care techniques with yoga therapy for chronic illness.

Not too long ago, I had many preconceived notions of Ayurveda and dismissed it altogether, feeling as though it was time-consuming, inaccessible and complex. These “mainstream” ideas of what Ayurveda is, sold to me over and over by practitioners around me, closed my mind completely. But as I delved deeper into my yoga therapy studies—which include Ayurveda—my mind opened to a world of variety. I discovered accessible, inexpensive, ancient Ayurvedic self-care rituals that not only fit easily into my schedule, but also had positive effects in my day to day.

Self-care is really about caring for ourselves on a deeper level

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By doing so, we nurture and maintain our spiritual connection, living with moral codes and taking responsibility. It becomes a way to connect fully with life and shapes our lives in a positive, mindful way instead of indulging or merely treating ourselves. It’s about regular dedication to ourselves, our evolution, lasting happiness and health.

Ayurveda for chronic illness

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It’s waking up each day and taking in the energy of the sun before we reach for our phones and check emails, texts or to-do lists (Usha Pana).

It’s splashing cold water to rinse away sleep from our eyes and dreams from our consciousness (Netra Dhauti).

It’s about setting simple morning routines that connect us inward, bring us ease in the moment and over time and expand our awareness. Even on days when everything hurts and we can’t bear to move, we can still take a few breaths before transitioning, to connect to our witness consciousness (Atma Tattva Avalokanam).

As we unite Yoga Therapy for chronic illness and Ayurveda, we practice mindful movements of the major joints with slow breaths to increase circulation (Apana Kriyas). Simply noticing the shift of late afternoon to evening (Kala Sandhi Sakshitva), or washing the face, hands and feet before bed (Pancha Snana), are small additions that create large shifts within us. Over time, these accessible daily rituals become as easy to practice as brushing our teeth—which is another Ayurvedic self-care ritual that most of us already practice!

Incorporating Ayurvedic self-care rituals serves us with long-term inner connection, preventative methods and lasting expansion of consciousness. And in that expanded awareness, we’re kinder to ourselves on the days when we move a bit slower, need to stay in bed, have digestive flare-ups, feel hopeless or irritable from pain. That kindness ripples out to the ones we love and care for, bringing in acceptance of what is. In this acceptance, we know ourselves deeply and honor our needs to best serve our unique healing journeys with compassion. This is our power. This is within our control.

Let’s talk about sugar, baby

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Cane sugar. Refined sugar. Processed sugar. Sucrose. Maltodextrin. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). You know, that ubiquitous charmer that leaves most of us in a tizzy. It seduces us with innumerable ravishing delights but always ends with a thump, bump, crash, full-on collision. Honestly, I’ve had such a love-hate relationship with cane sugar for over a decade, until we finally parted ways years ago. The choppy seas of emotional eating and chronic health issues including chronic pain (inflammation), anxiety and depression inspired me to take a closer look at the role processed sugar played in my life. This journey of truth, awareness and compassion left me wanting more for myself and I knew it was time to break-up with refined sugar for good. Read on to learn about yoga therapy for sugar addiction.

In 1848, German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach said, “We are what we eat.” Though he was referring to the stress and turmoil of the times of the German revolution, he was bringing to light something the ancient yogis already knew and lived by: what we eat matters! Our bodies are literally made from what we ingest: a combination of our sensory input, food and water.

According to the Kosha model in yogic philosophy, we consist of five layers. The first layer is the Annamayakosha. This is the physical body or the food body. This layer is the accumulation of food we eat, how well hydrated we are or aren’t, our quality of sleep and rest, physical movement and the five basic senses that allow us to perceive the world around us. Bodies hold cellular memory and so much wisdom within each of the trillions of cells that we’re made of. Through the miraculous process of digestion, we convert our food to energy and this energy supports our vitality or diminishes it. What we bring to this layer spreads to the other four layers. Nothing is separate. Everything is connected. So what are we filling ourselves up with?

Modern conveniences of fast and processed foods have taken us away from growing our foods, preparing homecooked meals with family and slow, steady eating with gusto and pleasure.

We are a society on the go. Rush, grab, chew, drive, compute, commute, walk, go, go, go. Push, shove, push too hard, push harder, deplete, race, achieve, strive, do, do more, go, go, go.

And sugar in those pre-made and processed foods and drinks keeps us going. Sugar is hidden in plain sight and lurks in “healthy” products like gluten free breads and baked goods. Suddenly, it’s as though we’ve become immersed in a vat of empty calories promising a nutritious alternative. I find most of the time, the gluten free products (mostly the snack and treat foods) have cane sugar listed as the main ingredient. If we want baked goods free of cane sugar or gluten, we have to bake our own bread or cakes using alternative sweeteners. Who has time for that?!

For me, this was a call for more compassionate inquiry. This was a call for the practices of yoga therapy for sugar addiction to expand my awareness.

Through the yogic practices of Iswara Pranidhana (wholehearted devotion) and Svadhyaya (self-study), I realized that I could no longer allow this toxic sweet talker to disempower me. I’ve shared below the yoga therapy for sugar addiction methods in which I empowered myself with expanded awareness and over time made different choices. Not better choices, but different ones. In order to live day-to-day in this body with reduced pain, inflammation and mood fluctuations, I needed to be honest with myself and my processed sugar habits. What I was doing wasn’t working. I needed to shift. I needed to do this for me. And starting there felt empowering already.

If today is your day and you are ready to embark on a journey of your own, whether you are as fed up as I was or just warming up to the idea, I invite you to do so with great curiosity and compassion.

Think of this as an exploration. No need for judgment. The world is hard enough, so bring in softness to this investigation, give yourself loads of positive support and time. Let the steps below take weeks or months, or maybe even a year to work through. Be easy. Be gentle. I truly understand just how complex the relationship to sweet foods can be. The greatest shift for me came through the grace of time and full acceptance of myself, just the way I am.

Yoga therapy for sugar addiction

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Step 1: Find those hidden saboteurs

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Notice how much cane sugar is in your home: read labels

Look through the fridge, cupboards and pantry. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight. If sugar is one of the first few ingredients, the products contain a high amount of added sugars. And these days, sugar has at least 56 different names. And if you can’t pronounce the ingredient, chances are your body won’t know what to do with it either.

Step 2: Self-study part 1

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Explore the truth of your relationship to sugar

No more hiding. Look directly at the amount of sugar you eat daily or weekly. With great kindness, keep a record of what you are eating. Note sugar content of meals, snacks, drinks, candy, cough drops or condiments. Journal it all. This helps with accountability. You may also want to note how you eat. Are you sitting and enjoying what you are eating? Are you rushing, driving, working, talking or walking? Are you giving your attention to a screen instead of your food? Are you tasting your food? Are you eating for a boost? Do you eat out of habit? What’s your mood when you eat? Do you know how much you are eating? Do you stop when you are full? Are you bored with food or excited? Do you feel nurtured and supported by the foods you eat? Are meal times regular or irregular? How is digestion? Indigestion? Keep these notes for a few weeks to a month so you can chronicle habits and repetitive patterns. Do this for you. No one will read it. Be honest and accepting of what you uncover. Going deeper: include any correlations to hormonal shifts and increased or decreased sugar intake as well.

Step 3: Self-study part 2

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Notice how sugar affects your mood

Keep track of moodiness, anxiety, depression, fatigue or overall malaise. Also, for those of us with chronic illness and chronic pain, jot down any increase in symptoms or pain after eating sugar. As awareness of inner workings grow through practice, we soon get to know our own personal food-mood connection. We better understand that essence of “we are what we eat.” We always have a choice with the foods we digest and the direct affect they have on us. For me personally, I look at birthday cakes and see joint pain for days. Chocolate chips bring anger and self-loathing. Holiday sugar cookies bring a racing heart, a glycemic index spike and crash that always results in depression for me. Every time, no exceptions.

Step 4: Wholehearted devotion and action part 1

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Become devoted to your practice and reduce your sugar intake

Once you make the choice to reduce your cane sugar intake, do so. Become devoted to yourself and your health. Decrease sugar intake with kindness: if you eat three sugary desserts a day, cut it down to two per day. Reduce the amount steadily over the next few months. Find a pace that works best with your schedule and cravings. Once you begin, stick with it. Write down changes you make for accountability.

If you have a day where you don’t reduce the intake and you increased it, take it lightly. Seriously. Forgive yourself. Practice Ahimsa (reverence, love and compassion for all). There’s no need to shame or beat yourself up; that’s not productive motivation, nor is it what we’re doing here. If you notice self-loathing or self-deprecation, ask yourself “how can I bring in reverence, love and compassion to myself in this moment?” Option to write down this contemplation in your journal. This awareness of the inner workings of the mind is where we have our power. Meditation can help.

Step 5: Wholehearted devotion and action part 2

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Substitute cane sugar treats with natural sugar

Some experts say to cut out all sugars (including natural sugars) for two weeks when you are breaking your sugar addiction. I personally tried that route several times and always stumbled into the abyss of processed sugar binges. It was a slippery slope for me, especially with baking (which I love to do) during the holidays. I realized it wasn’t working. The deprivation always spoiled those sugar-free times. Denying myself and being rigid back fired over and over. So, with this new awareness, reverence and love for the hard work I was doing, I gave myself permission to enjoy sweet treats.

Instead of a savory, sugary coated donut or cookie, I would have an apple with almond butter or drink chocolate almond milk. I know the almond milk had a little bit of cane sugar, but it was far less than the donut or cookie. That was a victory; that was a shift. And most importantly, that satisfied me just enough that I wouldn’t go back. Over time, the cane sugar binge never came. And the best part was as I did this more, my taste buds changed. The last time I tried a gluten free cupcake, it didn’t taste good to me. It was too much. So I didn’t eat it. The sweet refreshment of watermelon and fruit salads soon satisfied my cravings. And nothing fills up my need for sweetness like homemade gluten-free apple muffins, sweetened with maple syrup, baked with my husband and son on a relaxed Saturday morning.

Step 6: What are you hungry for?

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The deeper I went into my relationship with processed sugar, the more I contemplated what void I was trying to fill. In the moments that I craved sweets, I asked myself “what am I really hungry for?” And it wasn’t always food. So I connected inward. I asked. I listened. I honored what I was truly craving. Most times, it was comfort. I needed to be nurtured. So I’d find ways to fill the void with something other than food. Quiet time. Spiritual reading. Taking a nap. Soaking in the bath. Wrapping myself in a blanket. Lying down. Listening to music. Creating art. Or just pausing for a moment to take three deep breaths. I let the wisdom of my heart guide me to what I truly needed to be fulfilled in those moments. I knew reaching for food to soothe the pain in my heart could never fill me up, eliminate the craving or take away the pain. This contemplation was paramount as I healed. I freely expressed in my journal what the wisdom of my heart needed to say and that shifted my relationship to sweet foods in a major way.

Step 7: Have a love affair with what you’re eating

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Slow down and make eating a full sensory experience

This one may seem obvious, but it’s an invitation to use all the senses to eat. Mindful eating reminds us to look at the colors of our food. To smell our foods. To feel the foods as we chew, observing textures and mouth feel. To taste our foods and notice which flavors we have: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and savory. We’ll feel most satisfied when we eat meals with all flavors and a variety of textures.

Give yourself permission to cancel lunch meetings, silence your phone, be with your food and fully invite it in. Remove distractions, stressful news and endless scrolling. Eat with others and have a shared experience of nurturing your body with vitality instead of depletion. Remember that the food you’re eating now will be digested, converted to energy and become your physical body. Eating is an intimate experience! Enjoy it. Notice how slowing down and eating without distraction can bring you pleasure and even reduce acid reflux, heartburn or other digestive issues. Fill up with the sweetness of life, instead of just the sweetness of food.

How you move your body matters. Learn how every day movements can bring relief while living with chronic pain

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Living with chronic pain is exhausting; it’s all-encompassing and all-consuming. It takes up a lot of space in life. We search to find relief in each moment. Flare-ups affect quality of life, mood (including the effects of anxiety and depression) and relationships. I dare say at times, it steals away our hopes and dreams, filling us with loss and despair. At least that’s how it felt for me, until I began the practice of turning towards my pain, instead of trying to avoid feeling it.

Mindful witnessing

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At first, that concept of mindfully witnessing what I felt seemed impossible. It seemed like something I wasn’t strong enough to do. The pain was so loud, so big and bold; how could I sit with it? I had to feel this? No way. I feared feeling the pain would make it worse. I felt my body tighten and resist. But I had exhausted all other options. Having spent years addicted to opioids, I knew the route of suppression wasn’t an option anymore. I had made the choice to not numb or avoid, but the resistance to feeling something “bad” remained.

So that’s where I began. I set myself up, ready to go inward, ready to fully experience this message. I noticed the tightening and resisting of my mind, body and breath. So I took a breath with it. And I noticed. And I took another breath. I continued that way for the next few moments, bringing my attention to my breath. And it shifted, because I shifted. It softened, because I softened.

So I stayed. I went deeper. I sat in the safety of witness consciousness and breath. My mind quieted. My body relaxed. I felt the pain, fully. I found one area to tune into and felt. Nothing more. I felt and breathed and noticed the surrender of the resistance. I was curious about this experience through the body rather than the mind. I noticed the pain became quieter. And so I asked the pain what it was trying to tell me. I asked the pain for guidance. Clearly it was trying to get my attention, so I became still enough to listen.

Let the body be your guide

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The body is always trying to speak with us, but we aren’t always listening.

The body has tremendous wisdom and it knows how to heal.

The body needs time and trust. Remember the last time you had a cut? Either you let it be or washed it, covered it and let it heal. The body did that. The body knew how to do that; how to repair itself. Now, pain—especially chronic pain—is more complex than a simple gash, but it contains the same intelligence. When we become curious about what we feel, without judgment or expectations, that’s when it shifts.

The more I sat witnessing the pain, the more I discovered that the resistance to the pain created more pain. The anxiety around feeling the pain created more pain. It was clear there were many layers to the pain. With time and attention, the layers began to unravel, spilling their secrets as I observed with full acceptance of what was. Sitting with myself became easier every time. Through guided imagery, I explored what the pain was trying to tell me. I listened.

Moving your body with a gentle curiosity and compassionate exploration

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The fear shifted and I began to move again. Mindfully. Slowly. With focused awareness. With directed breath. With a gentle curiosity. With compassionate exploration, I let my body and the pain guide me, not only in my yogasana practice, but also with activities of daily living. I trusted. I gave it time. I found stillness. I listened and I honored what my body needed. I found myself checking in more and more and honoring myself in such a gentle, kind and sweet way. I knew which movements were too much or that I may have the energy now but I will pay for it later.

What’s leading you?

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So I cared for myself and how I moved throughout the day as sweetly as I would care for a child. We each have the ability to witness in each moment what leads us. Is it self-loathing? Fear? Or compassion and acceptance? I have walked down the path of self-loathing too many times. I know where those roads lead. I needed a shift. This was that shift I was seeking.

Through practice, I no longer resented the pain but instead tuned into its wisdom and honored what it had to say. I let it be okay that I had pain and knew I didn’t do anything wrong. Having pain didn’t mean I was this or that or any other negative story my mind wanted to create.

Things got better the more I chose differently. Sure, I still had ups and downs because life isn’t sunshine and rainbows. And don’t believe anyone who tells you it is! This is hard work, expanding awareness, but it is immensely worth it! Would we want to live in a world where there was no adversity to inspire creativity and more conscious states of being?

Life has so much more meaning and depth with the pain, the sorrow, the joy and the relief.

Using our physical, mental-emotional or spiritual pain as a guide and honoring what it needs

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We can make space for it all and the even the tiniest slivers of light will shine through. When we create space, intuitive healing guides the way. When we feel both ends of the emotional spectrum, we allow the flow that all of life is; that being human is. Then life works with us, not against us. And when we use our physical, mental-emotional or spiritual pain as a guide and honor what it needs, we get a glimpse of the relief we’re so desperately seeking. When we have awareness, we have choice. And in that choice lies our power over chronic pain.

How do we cultivate more awareness?

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Begin by noticing throughout your day:

1. How do you get in and out of bed? Notice how you move your body. Then, try this: sit on the side of the bed. Lie down on your side and lift your legs up. Then roll on back. Give yourself permission to move slow. Follow the reverse to get out of bed.
2. How do you get down and up off the floor (if you do)? Notice how you transition. Then, try this to come down: have a chair or table nearby and bring one knee down to the earth. Then bring the hands to earth so you are on hands and knees. Sit one hip down then swing the legs out. If you want to get on to your back, ease on to your side, then slowly on to your back. Follow the reverse to get back up to seated and to standing.
3. How do you sit? Notice if your hips are higher or lower than your knees. Then, try this: sit on a blanket or pillow to prop your hips higher than the knees to prevent rounded back in the spine. This is extremely helpful for chronic low back pain.

One morning as I eased into meditation, I set up with great care to sit for my usual 45 minutes. I took a deep breath to settle in. As I did, I closed my eyes, felt my sternum lift, my shoulders drop and my jaw and tongue release. I took a breath and as I did, I felt a single hair rest across my eyebrow, my nose and the end of it settled on my upper lip. With each nostril inhale and exhale, the hair vibrated; it danced across my face and tickled my lip. With each breath. Every breath. Tickle here, tickle there. I had already begun my meditation and decided to welcome it. So I sat with it. Sure, I could have opened my eyes, reset my timer and moved the hair, like I would have done in the past. But on that morning, I found it to be an opportunity for exploration. This was a great and simple opportunity to find out how meditation builds emotional resilience.

The opportunity to witness with radical presence

Could I be with this out of place hair? Could I relax into myself and watch?

These days my primary meditation is mantra. So as I focus my mind on my mantra (and my mantra on my mind, thanks M.C. Yogi), I also create space to contemplate the effects of out of control circumstances like this hair tickling my lip with every slow breath. This was the opportunity to strengthen witness consciousness. This was a call to show up with what was, as it was.

I noticed the mental chatter resisting the uninvited distraction. I noticed the tension clenching throughout my body as it wanted so desperately to move. I sat with it. I dove right into it, feeling the hair tickle and wiggle and dance. I dove right into the strong desire for this experience to be different; the desire to move the hair. I felt the itch. I breathed into it. I felt the desire to scratch the itch. I noticed regret I had for not moving the hair and starting over. I watched doubt in myself arise because this felt like an impossible distraction to sit with. The cacophony of thoughts went on and on. Yet still I sat. With it all. As it was.

Breath. Mantra. Witnessing. Breath. Mantra. Witnessing. And soon it shifted. Surrender came. Acceptance showed up. Once the mind became still, the resistance stopped. The mental chatter subsided. The irritation, the desire to change it, the lack of control, it all fell away. I broke through the barrier of desire not only to move the hair, but also to scratch the itch. I became one with the moment, practicing from the place within myself as pure witness consciousness. I become one with what was. The tension softened.

As I sat, I cultivated the tenacity to stay with it

I had the courage to witness my internal world (all layers of being; physical, mental, emotional, energetic, spiritual and beyond form) and it’s reaction to this seemingly small inconvenience. In that moment, I let this be out of my control. I let feeling out of control be. And that’s what I uncovered. The mental chatter of resistance. The strong urges of desire. The resistance to what was. And as I sat, as I witnessed more and more, I grew stronger. The curiosity to witness how my internal world responded added richness and depth to my practice. That’s what I practiced.

So the next time life gives me a distraction, like living with chronic illness and chronic pain, living through a pandemic, lack, loss, change of plans or a sold out grocery item, I can sit with it. I can remember that I built up this muscle of resilience and just like with that rogue hair, I have a choice: to resist reality or to watch my internal world.

Strengthening the muscle of witness consciousness

If I choose the latter and strengthen my muscle of witness consciousness, I will rest in unpredictability and uncertainty with curiosity instead of resistance. I can let myself be a part of life, flow with life, instead of feeling like I’m missing it or that it needs to be different for me to experience it. Life will work for me, instead of against me. That’s the new story I can tell. This new perspective naturally stabilizes my mood, which in turn helps me respond rather than react. It gets me in touch with the majesty of the simple moments. We don’t need extravagance to be with what is. There is joy and possibility in each moment we’re alive, especially those moments that we’re aware that we’re alive.

Sitting with what is, as it is, is transformation itself. Becoming the witness to what is, as it is, is where our power and control are, because shit like a hair across your face, tickling your lip when you’re trying to focus and relax is the universe’s way of saying “Hey, there’s so much more to life when you look within and you have more power than you know.”

How to build emotional resilience with mantra meditation

1. Choose a mantra that has meaning for you. Ask yourself what is the desired outcome for this practice? The mantra can be a word or a phrase. It doesn’t have to be Sanskrit but if you are interested in choosing a Sanskrit mantra, I highly recommend reading Healing Mantras by Thomas Ashley-Farrand for a more in-depth look at the science of how mantras positively affect the mind/body connection and expertise about Sanskrit mantras.
2. When you choose your mantra, try it out by chanting aloud or silently. Feel it in your heart space. Let it bring clarity, focus, healing and let it uplift you. Let it be a support for your wellness journey. If it isn’t, choose another one and try it out. I recommend you stick with the same mantra for at least 6 months – 1 year for best results.
3. Once per day, find a comfortable seat (cross-legged or straight leg, on the earth or in a chair with a lengthened spine and feet flat on the earth) and silently repeat or chant aloud for 5-60 minutes+ (highly recommend a morning practice to focus the mind for the day). I recommend you begin with 5 minutes per day (like I did), then add time on, working your way up to at least 20 minutes per day for maximum benefits. Take slow breaths and stick with it, even on days when you don’t want to and it feels hard. Remember: there’s no such thing as a good or bad meditation. You showed up; let that be enough.
4. Option to silently repeat or chant the mantra throughout the day when you notice stressful thinking or want to take a break from mental chatter.

I was honored to be featured on NBC Connecticut’s popular show CT Live! recently, discussing therapeutic yoga and how my practices are so instrumental in living with and finding relief from chronic illness.

Acknowledging and honoring your limits

After my four year old son’s shower this evening, my husband took over. I felt fatigued and was ready to lie down for a break. Honoring my limits is so important and though I only had a few minutes, I knew I needed to take advantage of this time for the rest. I walked into the bedroom and left the door slightly ajar in case of any calls for help.

With a grateful heart, I plopped down on the bed. I took a slow, full breath and briefly closed my eyes. I let myself feel and start to sift out the being busy energy within my cells. High-alert mom mode is something that I can’t turn off some days, but acknowledging it’s there helps it to quiet. There is always the possibility of the “mommmmmmmmyyyyyyyy” call but for now, I’m confident Dad can handle it.

I noticed the transition from busy to still and took another mindful breath, feeling the cool air of the inhale pass through both nostrils. I paused and proceeded to notice the exhale and the warmth of the air through my nose. I settled in. There was silence. I took another mindful breath as my body surrendered to the comfort of the bed.

The guilt of not being “super mom”

As I settled deeper, on the brink of relaxation, urgency came in. Guilt for resting and for not being “super mom” came in. I watched. I allowed. I returned to my breath. I let it be. And let it be okay that I took these moments of grace to rest.

With my next slow breath, I scanned my body for tension. There was tension around my eyes and it was as though I was forcing them shut. I lifted my eyebrows and raised my eyelids to dispel the tension. Now with eyes open, a new challenge emerged. Immediately, my open eyes darted toward the left and gazed upon the clean mountain of wrinkled towels I threw on the bed earlier.

And at that moment, it was as though I could hear the towels calling to me.

I could hear the blue towel say, “what do you think you’re doing?! We’re pretty wrinkled and we need to be folded and put away.”

Then the grey ones chimed in, “Now’s the time to fold us and get it done. You’ll feel better with us folded and put away.”

The dish towels were next: “Why are you just lying there?!” they snidely remarked. “Get up! There’s just too much to do!”

I took another breath.

I knew I had only a few more minutes to myself before the toddler show began again. I closed my eyes. I needed this “nothing” time. Most days, life is so full from one moment to the next.

This quiet time is so precious—it’s my yoga

I grounded in my body and in my breath, tuning my awareness to now but the urge to fold the towels kept creeping in. And then it expanded to an urge to get stuff done and grew into to my to-do list. I felt it. I watched the list form in my mind. I witnessed the busy, the need to rush and the need to push myself beyond my limits—the need to fill every moment. The desire to check off the list and get up to be busy again. So I breathed with it. And quietly said “no.”

I didn’t shout it from the roof tops or say it to anyone’s face.

But, in that moment, between the frantic desire and negative thoughts, I firmly stated within myself that I would not fold those towels now. I chose rest. I chose those few minutes of quiet to myself and said “no.”

I said “no” to the get stuff done urge.
I said “no” to the to-do list.
I said “no” to the busy, rush and push.
I said “no” to the desire to check off the to-do list so I feel more productive. [/cs_text][x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h3″ accent=”false” style=”margin-top: 0;”]Evolution in my relationships[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]This has been a practice—not just in my relationship to myself, but an important evolution in my relationships with others.

Before I felt comfortable saying “no” to family, friends or clients, I needed practice. I needed to learn how to say “no” within myself. I needed to make peace with that choice too. Then love that I made that choice. And let there be space for that choice. I needed to give myself the option of that choice. I taught myself that I deserved to make that choice and voice that need. I taught myself that I was worthy of saying “no” when I needed to. Those “noes” were always right for me and it didn’t matter if it was right for anyone else, because my needs matter too.

So I began to feel empowered by my choices, understanding what a quiet “no” could do

I felt confident saying “no” to doing the dishes so I could go play trains and cars with my son.
I said “no” to overbooking my schedule so I could feel less rushed.
I said “no” to late work nights so I could rest and heal my body.
I said “no” to rushing and pushing too hard so I could slow down and breathe in the rain, watch the clouds pass and feel the warmth of the sun on my face.
I said “no” to worry and fear so I could reclaim my stolen moments.
I said “no” to draining conversations with energy vampires to improve my mood.

And before I knew it, I found more confidence and comfort when I needed to say “no.”

Saying “no” let me say “yes” to things that mattered

“Yes” to more time with my family, which is often fleeting.
“Yes” to time for play.
“Yes” to time to read and discover.
“Yes” to being creative.
“Yes” for a day with no plans.
“Yes” for being silly.
And “yes” to rainy pajama days with no agenda.

My “noes” and “yeses” became so empowering, I soon realized how precious my time really is. My time became a valuable currency. I looked closely at how I spent it, with whom I spent it, the thoughts I gave my attention to, the emotions I felt and what I wanted out of life. And most importantly, how I wanted to spend my precious days as a human.

Beautiful shifts occurred within me once my “noes” and “yeses” mattered.

The mountain of laundry will have to wait.

For now, I’ve got to breathe into my grateful heart before it’s too late and the quiet moments are gone.

And for me, that’s wonderfully and perfectly okay.

So you’re on the path—the path to well-being, inner peace, healing and love. It’s about time you learn about dealing with a healing crisis.

For most of us on the spiritual path, we’ve had a major life event that knocked us on our asses. For me, it was facing death. Twice.

Now, we all don’t need a rock bottom to seek answers, but most of us have faced our share of adversity and the tools we had at those times didn’t work. And we feel it. We feel it in our minds, we feel it in our bodies and in our souls—and it hurts.

It sucks. It’s like a thorn in our side or a rock in our shoe.

We just don’t feel “right” or like ourselves anymore. We’re aware that this new experience has shifted us drastically. We may not be at the point where we can see it is here to teach us, but we’d like to get through, over, under, around, to the side, uh, can I just be better already and forget it ever happened?

No. Not if we want to truly heal. We must go through it. And more importantly, we must feel it. Feeling leads to healing. Filling the void with stuff won’t work. I’ve tried it. Dulling the pain with drugs won’t work either. I’ve tried that too. Short term, they may soothe but long term, these habits can be detrimental. Instead we must get quiet. Quiet enough to hear. And still enough to listen. That’s healing. That’s lasting peace. That’s true happiness and joy to be alive. That’s when appreciation for the adversity comes. After we heal. After we feel. After we go through the darkness and live in the light. We embrace the part of us that’s on this journey. We let it be.

Shift happens when we stop fighting reality so much. There is so much power in practicing acceptance of what is.

So when adversity comes into our lives, what do we do? How do we heal? If you’re like me, Western medicine has failed you at some point and you are seeking holistic alternatives. We’ve heard good things about alternatives, even if our Western doctors discount it. We do our research. We find this other world of healing naturally: Meditation. Mindfulness. Therapeutic yoga. Nutrition. Reiki. Aromatherapy. Sound healing. Acupuncture. Craniosacral work. Massage. TAPS. EMDR therapy. And then we begin. We begin our unique journey to heal and hope to dissolve the misery. To stop the torment once and for all. We know it’s possible. Other people do it. Why can’t I?

And for a while, we develop a momentum of feeling better. We know healing takes time, but also begin to trust the alternative modalities. We can breathe again. We’re more grounded. There’s less pain. There’s hope of brighter days. There’s space for our experience and we find ourselves in the right place at the right time and things shift. Ever so slightly, but they shift. We forget even the memory of the pain.

And then, crash. We feel worse. Fatigue sets in. The light of hope gets dimmer. Symptoms of pain or melancholy arise.

What happened?!

A healing crisis could be to blame. A detox reaction. Die off. The Herxheimer reaction. Whatever you want to call it. But that’s what happened. We are smack dab in the middle of healing. We’ve awakened what’s ready to move and man is it moving.

Symptoms of a healing crisis include but are not limited to:

• Fatigue or malaise
• Digestive issues
• Skin irritations such as rashes or acne outbreaks
• Aches and pains
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Sleep disturbances
• Irritability or anger
• Headaches or migraines
• Hot/cold flashes

Keep in mind, these symptoms could occur AFTER using holistic alternatives to healing, especially change in diet. Sometimes, these symptoms feel worse than what we were working through.

The good news? Yes, there is a bright side: It will pass! Let the body rest. Take a nap. Hydrate frequently with filtered water or lemon water to flush the kidneys and liver. Say “no” and take care of yourself at these times. Honor your healing and surrender to what is. And before you know it, it’s gone. It’s done. Then once it’s gone, it’s gone. We’ve healed a little bit more. Another layer peeled off, just like an onion. Because that’s how we heal. Layer by layer. Gradual shift by gradual shift. That’s why healing isn’t linear. Because we can’t choose which layer heals. We can’t choose what heals when. We aren’t in control. But we can choose how we heal. And we can choose how hard we push or how much we allow. Pushing too hard will slow down healing. Resisting what is will slow it as well.

After almost a decade of doing this work, I’ve experienced both as well as being in the flow of healing. Relaxing into what is has always served me well. Each gnarly healing crisis is worth it. This work is liberating and going through our shit is powerful, healing and permanent.

Once we heal, we heal.

It’s out of the body. It’s out of the mind. We are free. And we are so much better than before. Then we have the space for others. We love ourselves harder. We love others harder. Life becomes love. And joy. And truth. And rare. And precious. And we realize we only have this one life to explore and love. Everything unfolding before us becomes a miracle. Including us.

And then we go through another healing crisis. Another lesson. Another healing. Layer by layer. Gradual shift by gradual shift.

Keep faith, loves—this is true healing. You will get through. Stay connected. Ask for help. Stick with your practices. Trust. Surrender. Let it be. Transform and leave that shit that doesn’t serve you behind.