Moving to the Serenity Center!

When I started my private counseling practice, it was my goal and my dream to work in a holistic setting. Since I strongly believe (and have seen evidence to back it up)that the body holds its own memory, and thus counseling is far more effective if we integrate treatment for both mind and body simultaneously, I didn't have much desire to be in a more "traditional" practice where everyone else did more standard talk therapy, and didn't look at the big picture - nutrition, exercise, physical pain, etc., and how they are all connected to the mind. The great thing is that this gives us many more options for effective treatment! So I am excited to announce that as of May 1 I will be working out of The Serenity Center, a holistic practice on the border of the cities of Oviedo and Winter Springs, which will offer massage therapy, Reiki, skin care therapy, acupuncture, hypnotherapy, and of course, yoga therapy. I am planning to begin a small group on Gentle Yoga and Mindfulness for Stress and Anxiety Relief once I get into the new space. In the meantime, take some good, cleansing deep breaths, and look for more postings!

Yoga and PostPartum Depression

Are you a new mother? Are you struggling with what people often dismiss as the "baby blues", but it feels worse than that? It's quite normal to feel somewhat depressed or anxious after the birth of a new baby, especially your first. You are physically exhausted from childbirth, and from the lack of sleep that goes along with having an infant. Your hormones are all over the place, you may feel overwhelmed, stressed out or anxious about taking care of a newborn, and you may worry about the possibility of failing. Maybe you feel isolated, because you can't take the new baby out in public too much. These reasons alone could make anyone depressed. But did you know that there's a possible chemical reason for the way you feel?

Research has shown that the level of cortisol, our major "stress hormone", are generally elevated during pregnancy, to help us cope with the stress of pregnancy and childbirth. That level plummets after the baby is born. Some women have shown to have extremely elevated levels of cortisol late in pregnancy, which leads to a much more drastic drop after the baby is born, and this drop in cortisol is definitely linked to depression.

The amazing this is that yoga, and especially the deep breathing associated with yoga practice, can actually correct those hormonal imbalances, thereby improving your mood. The combination of gentle, thoughtful exercise (which helps strengthen the parts of your body which need it most after childbirth), relaxation and deep breathing exercises make yoga the perfect activity for the new mom. If you can get to a yoga class without the baby, that is ideal, for then you can really focus on yourself. But there are many "mom and baby" classes out there which allow you to bring your baby and bond with him/her through yoga. To take it a step further, you may want to explore yoga therapy, which gives you a chance, on a 1-on-1 basis, to use gentle yoga and dialogue to help you connect with your feelings and release them, healing body and mind at the same time.