We Need Healthy Conversation

Have you experienced this?

While talking through a problem with a friend or co-worker, the “lightbulb” goes on in your head.  Once you verbalize the solution or insight, literally as the words come out of your mouth, you feel you really KNOW IT.

This happens to me often!  While working through a problem, I need to talk it out.  And sometimes while in meaningful conversation I find insight that I didn’t even know that I was seeking.  I was curious about the power of talk and conversation, so did a little research.

Talk therapy has long been an intervention in psychology.  The act of talking, brings awareness, insight, and clarity to a person’s thoughts.  As part of my Yoga Physical Therapy private sessions, I have clients share their stories of injury, illness and pain.  I always ask them to explain where they think the issue stems from.  This is a different experience from what my clients have had from traditional health care providers.  I really want to hear what he or she thinks is the root of the problem.  Because this is usually the first time someone has asked that question, it is also the first time that the client has verbalized their own understanding of the problem.  Many times, this conversation results in that “lightbulb” moment where the client realizes the root of the issue and can now take the right action to heal their body. “Right Action” is what makes my physical therapy practice blended with yoga, so different.

I am naturally curious and lean toward scientific explanations. So I wondered why this form of verbal expression is such a powerful healing tool? It turns out that a neurophysiologic basis exists to explain the insight gained while in healthy conversation.  The Polyvagal Theory since described by Steven Porges, is becoming less theoretical and more evidence-based over time by multiple research studies.  The vagus nerve is a large nerve that directly connects the brain to the heart and other primary organs.  It also has nerve endings that mediate both output and awareness of facial expression, speech, and hearing.  When we detect AND engage in SAFE social communication our body systems RELAX into a calm state. Amazingly, the body can do this without conscious awareness.  Body reactions then deactivate the sympathetic nervous system (flight or fight) and we go into parasympathetic nervous system dominance (rest, digest and heal).  When we enter into this calm default mode, certain parts of the brain that allow for creativity, insight, and complex planning function optimally.

I decided that we MUST take advantage of anything that creates HEALTH.  Talking and conversation, sharing and connecting, in a safe and non-judgmental space will be the focus of my monthly Q and A sessions in my private Facebook Group.  During these monthly sessions we will explore 2 main questions, “What does it mean to be healthy” and “What action can I take to create health?”.  We will look at health from a broad perspective and explore aspects of health that you may have never considered.  Each month, I will share a few resources on a topic and then together we will share our understanding and experiences.  These sessions are FREE, so join my group and grab a cup of tea while we engage and share!

Because feeling safe while in community has the most potential to bring awareness and insight, we will create safety and maintain privacy during our conversations by using practices from the “Circle of Trust ™”.  Those practices are:

·        Create spaces that are open and hospitable, but resource-rich and charged with expectancy

·        Commit to no fixing, advising, “saving” or correcting one another

·        Ask honest, open questions to “hear each other into deeper speech”

·        Explore the intersection of the universal stories of human experience with the personal stories of our lives

·        Use multiple modes of reflection so that everyone can find their place and pace

If you can’t attend, I encourage you to seek time to have healthy conversation with someone that you feel safe with.  That may be a friend or family member or maybe you want to seek a professional counselor.  I have been in and out of counseling for much of my adult life as a way to “talk things out” and I know that is one of the many ways that I create my own health.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Here’s link to my private Facebook Group.

Creating Whole Health with Compassion

The problem with obtaining whole health is not ignorance. We know that we should eat more green leafy and crunchy vegetables; we should stand and walk more; and we should be intentionally grateful each day. The problem is compliance.

So how do you create a plan and stick to it? 

You may need to pause for a bit, get quiet, and reflect on past success and failure.  What has worked?  What has not worked in your efforts toward better health?  You need to get at the root cause for why you are not engaged in a Lifestyle that promotes Health. 

Deep down, do you think you deserve to be healthier in body, mind, and spirit? What would happen if you could really achieve this state of positive health?  How would your life change?  I know that these are not easy questions because even social support matters.  If you are currently surrounded by others that do not desire improved health in the same way that you do, this could be a limiting factor. 

If improving your health is important to you, you need to look at all factors that are affecting you.  But you must do so with some ease.  Achieving whole health is about internal motivation and inspiration which can only be achieved by self-compassion.

Self-compassion is about turning inward. It is about taking time to truly look at your flaws and decide that you are OK. You are complete and whole right now.  Once you come to this realization then you will want to nourish yourself in every way possible: the food you eat, the movement you do, and the thoughts that you think about yourself.  Once you begin to practice self-compassion regularly, you will desire and yearn to feel better in Body, Mind and Spirit.  Then you will find that motivation is not issue.

As always, I’m available for private consultation to get you on the path toward Health.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Yoga for Osteoporosis: Let's Build Strong Bones

by guest blogger: Megan Winegar

At the time of the post Megan had just completed her final practicum as a Student Physical Therapist.

Do you have osteoporosis or osteopenia? Are you looking for an exercise program that is both safe and effective at increasing bone density, strength, and balance? Yoga may just be the answer you are looking for! With a growing popularity of yoga practice, more individuals are participating in yoga on a regular basis as a form of physical exercise and mental relaxation.1 Indicating that it is now, more than ever, imperative for yoga instructors and students to understand the benefits as well as the need for modifications to facilitate a safe yoga practice for individuals with osteoporosis.2

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease that leads to a decrease in the density and quality of bone.3 This causes bones throughout the body to become weak, fragile, and brittle putting the individual at an increased risk of fracture. Evidence reports that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men 50 years and older will experience an osteoporotic fracture at some point in their life.3 Osteoporotic fractures are most commonly seen at the hip, spine, and wrist.3

Osteoporosis has been referred as the “silent disease” due to the lack of signs and symptoms associated with it.3 So how do you know if you have osteoporosis? According to International Osteoporosis Foundation, there are a number of risk factors that can increase your likelihood of developing osteoporosis. Modifiable risk factors are risk factors that you have the power of changing through lifestyle modifications. These risk factors include: alcohol consumption, smoking, decrease body mass index, poor nutrition, vitamin D deficiency, eating disorders, estrogen deficiency, sedentary lifestyle, and frequent falls.3

Along with identifying risk factors, specific tests can be performed to determine if you have osteoporosis. The most common diagnostic test utilized is the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), which is a low dose X-Ray that is primarily used to measure bone density.3

If you are at risk of developing osteoporosis because of lifestyle factors or have been recently diagnosed, the time to act is now! Physical exercise, with focus on low weight bearing activities, can help build and maintain bone strength.2,3 Now let’s dive deeper into the benefits associated with yoga for individuals with osteoporosis.

Benefits of yoga for an individual with osteoporosis

Yoga is a great form of exercise for all individuals, including individuals with osteoporosis! The evidence supports that individuals with osteoporosis should participate in low level weight bearing activities in order to decrease risk of falls and/or fractures.2,3 Yoga offers a great benefit as it can significantly improve an individual’s strength, balance, postural control, muscular endurance, flexibility, and spinal mobility.2 Along with these improvements, yoga is also a low impact weight bearing activity that can help stimulate and maintain new bone growth, which is essential in treating and preventing osteoporosis.4 As you can see, there are a number of benefits associated with yoga and yoga can be utilized as an alternative treatment approach for individuals with osteoporosis! The time to take control of your health and wellness is now! Let’s build strong bones together!

What you need to know to safely participate in yoga!

Caution is advised for individuals with osteoporosis who participate in ANY type of physical activity. However, caution does not mean you should stop moving all together. Movement is still key with a large emphasis on SAFE movement.

To promote safe movement during yoga, poses should focus on maintaining spinal alignment and limiting backward bending and forward bending to middle range.5 Props such as bolsters, foam blocks, chairs, belts, and blankets can be utilized to assist with modifications during the session. There is “no one size fits all” in yoga, which is why modifications are necessary!2 This may require a consultation first with a Physical Therapist.  A Physical Therapist can help you modify exercise and yoga for safe participation.  Once you understand modifications and limitation, you and your yoga instructor can work together as a team to determine appropriate modifications that allow for safe participation in yoga.   

Individuals with osteoporosis or osteopenia should avoid movements that involve extreme end range of motion such as forward bending, backward bending, and rotation of the spine as well as end range rotation of the hip.5 These movements are considered “contraindicated” due to the amount of stress that is placed on the spine and hip joint. Along with avoiding specific movements, it is important to be mindful and aware of the position your body is in when transitioning in and out of poses.5 For example, when transitioning from lying on your back to sitting, the “log roll” technique is often recommended to decrease the stress to the spine. With appropriate modifications and education, individuals with osteoporosis or osteopenia can safely participate in yoga!        

Top 4 Modifications for Yoga

1.     Avoid sitting on the floor with unsupported rounded posture: Modify by sitting on a bolster with the hips positioned above the knees 

Elevate hips above knees in sitting to keep back straight

2. Avoid forceful forward bending of the spine to end range of motion

3. Avoid forceful twisting of the spine or hips to end range of motion

4. Be aware of your body position when transitioning in and out of poses

If you are interested in yoga but don’t know where to start, Stephanie has a few resources that can help guide you through the process! If you have risk factors and want to prevent bone loss or if you have osteopenia, the Bone Health Video is a great place to start. If you feel like you need more information but like to go it alone, you can purchase the Yoga for Better Bones Package, which includes an interactive presentation and the Bone Health Video for ongoing practice.

If you like to be face-to-face to focus on your specific goals, then give Stephanie a call to set up a private session today! Trust me, you will not be disappointed! I have personally had the opportunity to attend multiple one-on-one sessions with Stephanie during my six week practicum and the care she provides goes well beyond the standard practice. Her ability to evaluate and treat clients with a holistic approach is a skill that many healthcare professionals have not fully grasped! Stephanie truly cares for her clients and spends the extra time digging deeper to determine the root of the problem!

As always, remember that yoga is a judgment free and non-competitive activity to promote a safe environment for everyone to thrive in. Be kind to one another and support each other through the journey of yoga!

Peace be with you,

Megan

References:

1. Lee M, Huntoon EA, Sinaki M. Soft Tissue and Bony Injuries Attributed to the Practice of Yoga: A Biomechanical Analysis and Implications for Management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2019;94(3):424-431. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.09.024.

2. Norlyk Smith E, Boser A. Yoga, vertebral fractures, and osteoporosis: research and recommendations. International Journal of Yoga Therapy. 2013;23(1):17-23.

3. What is Osteoporosis? International Osteoporosis Foundation. http://www.iofbonehealth.org/what-is-osteoporosis. Accessed March 30, 2019.

4. Lu Y-H, Rosner B, Chang G, Fishman LM. Twelve-Minute Daily Yoga Regimen Reverses Osteoporotic Bone Loss. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation. 2016;32(2):81-87. doi:10.1097/tgr.0000000000000085.

5. McArthur C, Laprade J, Giangregorio LM. Suggestions for Adapting Yoga to the Needs of Older Adults with Osteoporosis. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2016;22(3):223-226. doi:10.1089/acm.2014.0397.

Create a Healing Environment Inside and Out

My personal journey to health and healing addresses, not only the environment inside my physical body, but the environment outside of my body. Each day we are surrounded by chemicals, many of which have an unknown effect on our health. So why not try to create the “cleanest” environment possible with diet, exercise, sleep, and Natural Cleaning Products. I thought that I would share a little of how I create a healthy and healing outside environment.

While I was pregnant with my first child, I became more sensitive to the chemicals in cleaning products and especially the odors. Specifically, one day as I was cleaning my shower with a chlorine-based cleanser, I was overcome by the harsh smell and essentially “evacuated” the area. And I thought to myself, “should I need to evacuate just to clean my bathroom”? Soon after that, I was introduced to Melaleuca, a wellness company committed to using natural products for cleaning our bodies and our homes. Being the forever researcher, I studied their materials and products thoroughly. With my husband’s history of asthma and allergies, combined with the desire to use gentle products around a new baby, I started a relationship with Melaleuca, The Wellness Company.

That was 13 years ago and I have only increased my use of their products over the years. Each month I meet my product commitment easily with bath soap; body lotion; shampoo and conditioner; laundry soap, whitener, and stain remover; dish washing soap, both liquid and for the dishwasher; cosmetics; and ALL household cleaning products. I not only feel safer using their products, I help the environment too. Many products come in 2X, 6X, or even 12X concentration levels, along with reusable bottles so that we decrease the amount of plastic we use. You can check out their “environment” page to learn more.

Under my kitchen sink.

Recently I’ve been listening to other ways to improve my health using a Functional Medicine approach. I listen to a few podcasts on my way to work: Mark Hyman’s Farmacy and Broken Brain podcasts are a couple of my favorites. After hearing a guest dentist recommend fluoride-free toothpaste because fluoride is a known neurotoxin, I switched to the Melaleuca toothpaste. Since pain messages travel along nerves, I figured it couldn’t hurt. Besides, we already have fluoride in our water supply, do we need it in our toothpaste too? While the Melaleuca toothpaste is an acquired taste, I ‘m pretty sure that it has helped take the edge off of my chronic pain.

I also try to take Melaleuca dietary supplements on a regular basis. I must admit that I’m not very good about taking supplements, but I can really tell the difference when I am consistent with the Melaleuca Peak Performance pack. (I definitely see a difference in my menopause symptoms when I take EstrAval!) Again, the research on their supplements has convinced me that nutrients are being absorbed (sometimes a problem with over-the-counter supplements) and have a positive effect. The company hired outside research firms to do 2 studies: Freiberg and Sterling; to look at the effects of their supplements. While these studies are not controlled (hopefully the next step), they do produce results that support marketing claims. How many companies do that?

My bathroom counter

Besides the physical benefits, using Melaleuca products gives me peace of mind: healthy products, healthy environment, and healthy finances (because they don’t cost any more than store purchases).

If you are interested in learning more about Melaleuca or purchasing the products, feel free to contact me:

info@stephaniecarterkelley.com

I hesitated in sharing this information with you as I’ve never been interested in sales. But I rely on the recommendations of family and friends. And HEALTH is more than managing illness, taking your medications, eating right and exercising more. It is about feeling good even when you shop. Melaleuca’s mission is “to enhance the lives of those we touch by helping people reach their goals” . If your goal is to create a healthy environment, I encourage you to give them a try.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Have a Mindful Merry Christmas!

What does it mean to be Mindful?

Mindfulness is taking time to really notice all that is going on around you and to really feel all of the emotions of the season. Put aside worry and regret for just a few moments (or longer if you dare!). Pause, Take a Breath, and each time you Fully Exhale use each sense one by one:

See the Beauty of the Holiday Lights and Decorations.

Watch peoples’ Expressions as they open gifts or greet you.

Smell the Aromas of the season: Evergreen, Cookies baking, Spices of Clove and Cinnamon.

Hear how people connect to one another with warmth in their voices as they say, “Happy Holidays!” or “Merry Christmas!”

Taste all of the delicious food and know that it was prepared with Love.

Feel the warmth of each hug. Feel the gratitude of gifts both given and received.

Remember with both Joy and Sadness those loved ones that are not with you this year. Feel Joy in each memory of times you spent together. Feel the Sadness in missing them.

When you take time to be mindful, you Experience and Feel More! In being mindful, you can understand abundance, not of the material, but of the sensations you experience in each moment.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. If you need some guidance on taking a few breaths, WATCH my video on EASING TENSION. I ask for your email so that you can update your information or sign-up for my weekly emails which usually include videos.

More Ways to Connect

I started reading Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav last week. It is the 25th Anniversary Edition and in his new introduction he promotes connecting with him on his website and through his online course. In the introduction he states,

“The Internet is a reflection in the domain of the five-senses of our emerging awareness of our connectedness. It does not create, or even increase, our connectedness. It is not possible for us to be more or less connected than we are with one another and Life. Can a flower be more or less connected to its color? Let us enjoy this beautiful reflection together and also what it reflects.”

I feel connected to the community that I have built either by way of this newsletter or with those that attend my class. I want to connect with more people that are in pain and I have felt for a while that technology is one way to do that. The internet can be used to make authentic connections. It can extend our reach in order to learn something new. I believe that it is here to stay and we get to choose how to use it.

So I have chosen to extend my reach. I have had a YouTube channel for a while, but now I am going to use it weekly to engage with you. In my years of working with people in pain and now in teaching yoga classes to people in pain, I have many lessons of how to move, how the body and mind are linked together and therefore pain is NEVER JUST an experience of the body, and how the body and mind are leading you to go deeper and explore your spirit. I now know from these last few years in yoga that all these lessons can help people work toward getting OUT of PAIN.

Our understanding of pain needs to follow current research and it needs to CHANGE. We need to shift our understanding from that as the BODY of the primary SOURCE of PHYSICAL pain that can be “FIXED” with a pill or injection or surgery. Pain starts and ends in the BRAIN. The brain determines what you feel, not the MRI images shown to you by a physician. We need to realize that each and every individual can alter their own experience of pain WITHOUT the use of narcotics. We need to understand that EMOTIONAL pain can be felt as PHYSICAL pain because the brain is not very good at being able to tell the difference. We need to understand that if we ONLY treat the PHYSICAL symptoms, then the pain will PERSIST and even SPREAD. I believe that the epidemic of PERSISTENT pain in our society is a symptom of FEAR. We are bombarded every day by the media inducing fear. We live in our heads with our own anxieties based in FEAR.

So I could spend time on Facebook connecting with people in a half-ass way by clicking on “like”, or I could get OFF of my ass and create meaningful educational content that has the potential to change our understanding of pain and get YOU OUT OF PAIN. So that’s what I have decided to do. EXTEND my reach and CONNECT with as many people as possible. Will everyone like me? I am sure as the sun rises each day that the answer to that is NO. Especially when this education will CHALLENGE your long held ASSUMPTIONS and BELIEFS about your pain.

So come on over to YouTube and watch a few of my videos. Join me each week as I teach and share my story of overcoming chronic persistent pain. For me, it has been an exploration of “why I hurt” all the way down to my soul. And if you REALLY want to get out of pain, I believe that is the route that you need to take.

Here’s a link to my channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv4k58vI2ewHJaCpeK_apPA

Here’s my Facebook business page where I post articles: @yoga physical therapist

Namaste,

Stephanie