🫁 Air Purifier Recommendations 🔥

It's funny,
but you never really think much about breathing.
Until it is all you ever think about.
Tim Winton

Welcome to June.

If you are in my mailing list and have worked with me, then thinking about your breath is probably more than a passing fancy. You know that your breath affects your moods, nervous system and health. You might think about the pace and rate of your breath, intentionally and consciously slowing it down to induce a calmer, more regulated state. You may think about the depth of the breath, actively softening the belly to allow the diaphragm full range of movement.  Or maybe you consider your posture and ergonomics, recognizing that how you sit and work dramatically influences how you breathe. 

Yet, how often do you consider the quality of the air you breathe?

When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest from the East Coast, I was shocked to be wearing sweaters and jackets until the 4th of July. And for my first 20 years or so of living here, I don't recall commonly hearing the term "fire season" being used. This year concepts about the onset of summer and fire season have both been shattered as we have already encountered 80+° F days in May. And as those of you in Canada or even a bit east of me can attest, fires season has already been in full swing. 

When people talk to me about breathwork, I find little attention paid to the quality of the air breathed. While breath pacing is a useful practice for self-regulation, if the air is toxic, the benefit of the entire practice is questionable. I find that people tend to spend more time focusing on the quality of the food or water ingested, but pay little heed to the quality of the air we breathe, until the smoke outside our window forces it to be  all we think about. If this is not reason enough to consider purchasing an air purifier, the fact that the quality of indoor air is often more toxic than the air outside your house definitely drives that consideration. 

According to several US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies, indoor pollution can be upwards of 2 - 5 times higher than outdoor pollution, and without proper ventilation, that can rapidly increase 100 fold. A two-year study involving over 10,000 participants done in 2001, showed that over 85% people spend their days in building (homes, workplaces, school classrooms, etc.), and while that data is over 20 years old, with the recent changes in work and school behavior brought on changes with the Covid pandemic, I can't help but wonder if that percentage hasn't increased as even more people find no reason to step outside their homes, let alone fail to open a window (provided the outside pollution index is low).  

As a naturopathic physician, biofeedback practitioner and breathworker, I believe the quality of the air you breathe must be considered before undertaking any breathwork practices. Sadly, I must admit, I often forget to ask people about the quality of their air, that is, until smoke and fires are forefront on everyone's mind. Over the past 3 months I have received a slew of inquires about my recommendation on home air purifiers,  so I thought I would share this information with everyone. Regardless of allergies, wildfires or pandemics, the elevated levels of air pollutants in our home, whether particulate material (PM2.5) organic volatile compounds (VOCs) from off gassing and products (including cleaning and beauty care products), carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, etc. is quite astounding and warrants air purification.

For anyone interested in learning more about Air Pollution & Health, you can watch my video on this topic here on The BreathSPACE School Page.

I have personally tried a most of the units I am recommending. Bigger and more expensive does not alway mean better - however, you want a system that has multiple filters to ensure removing as many pollutants as possible. You need to know the size of the room in which you are using one.  You do not need as powerful of a unit if the space dimensions are not as large.  I have 5 purifiers in my house - 1 in the bedroom, 1 in the living room, 1 in the family room/kitchen (always have a filter near the kitchen if cooking - one of the most toxic sources of indoor air pollutants), then 1 in my office downstairs (the entire downstairs space) and a small unit in my husband’s office. But you do not need to buy that many. You can buy one excellent system and move it from room to room - like using it in the living room or office all day, and then moving it to you bedroom at night. 

One important reminder - remember to change the filters.  If filters are left unchanged, overtime the benefit of air purification drops drastically.

Here are my top picks (please note, I receive no compensation from nor have any affiliations with these companies):

  • ConwayI have been using several of these units for years now and am thoroughly happy with them. This is one of the most highly rated units (recently selected by NYTimes Wirecutters as best affordable air purifier). I agree. I find this one of the most affordable filters for larger spaces. 

  • Winix 5500 - 2  - I have 2 of these units and am pleased with them as well. They are comparable  to the Conway, yet for those who care about sound quality, the Winix tends to be a bit more noisy.  

  • Levoit  - all of their products are good quality.  I used one in my private practice office for years, as well as in my bedroom.  Consider this for smaller offices.

  • Medify - if you are interested in investing a bit more, this system really terrific, great for small spaces and bedrooms.

  • Molekule - for those of you into aesthetics and easy transport, consider Molekule.  While I have never owned one of these at units, they remain highly rated by reputable sources. 

And last but not least, should you be willing to invest the money, consider:

  • Air Doctor - one of the best, but often cost prohibitive.


Finally....

While air purifiers can be life savers, let's not forget the air filter we are born with... the nose. Nasal breathing is vital to our health and wellbeing as it warms, moistens, and filters the air we breathe. If you have ever gone outside on a below freezing cold day and taken a breath in, you know what happens to the lungs the moment you take in that cold and dry air....it feels like your entire lungs are going to contract. The hairs lining the nose, along with the mucus, helps trap many irritants and pollutants before they make their way to the lungs. The same does not happen when we mouth breathe. Furthermore, breathing in and out through the nose slows down the rate of our inhale and exhale, and mildly stimulates the parasympathetic system (mildly), which is why many people feel more relaxed breathing this way. 

In my next newsletter, I will share ways for chronic mouth breathers to breathe through the nose more easily. It does take practice!

❤️ Remote Biofeedback and Heart Rate Variability (HRV)🫀

Since my private practice has moved to being all virtual, people who are interested in biofeedback and heart rate variability, or HRV, training have wondered how this process works remotely, so I decided to make this video to define and describe biofeedback and heart rate variability, as well as share how I work with people from the comfort and privacy of their own home thanks to the internet.

What follows is an edited transcript of the video. If you want to see examples of programs and data, please watch the video.

 My work is contemplative care, which aims at guiding you towards greater insight as to how you engage with yourself, with the world around you, with life. Biofeedback is but one of a myriad of mind-body approaches that can help you cultivate greater insight and awareness.

 So let me define biofeedback.

Biofeedback is the process of detecting, monitoring and measuring biological, or physiological, signals and presenting the data being measured back to the individual in real time, in order to build awareness in order to make adjustments and changes in mentally and physically.

 Biofeedback can help us “see” how the brain and body respond, often on an unconscious level. You can think of biofeedback as a way of making our unconscious processes conscious, our physiological and mental reactions of which we are unaware aware, making what is often unseen seen.

 Anything, therefore, that allows you to monitor and detect changes in your body as it is happening can be considered a biofeedback device. It doesn’t have to involve expensive electrodes, sensors, and device. Take a mirror, for example. Looking at my reflection I get clear “data” about my posture. I see when my shoulders are contracted and up by my ears, yet the mirror cannot tell the exact amount of tension in my muscles, or if one muscle group is more tense than the other. That would require more sensitive equipment.

Another example could posture and weight distribution. I can place a scale under each foot and track the weight registered on each scale. Under my right foot might be 75 pounds while the left reads 65. Then, in real time, I can then shift my posture and balance to train myself to evenly distribute my weight. Scales, in this case, offer a bit more sophistication in the data they provide.

 

These examples demonstrate the stages of biofeedback training. First, we build awareness. You might, for example, become aware that every time you talk about your boss or your trip home for the holidays, you hold your breath, or your shoulders raise up to your ears. You already know that you carry tension in your body, because at the end of the day you’re exhausted, your neck hurts and you have a headache. But what you are not aware of is when you actually begin to contract your muscles or hold your breath.

 

With awareness, you move to the next stage – self-regulation. Now you use the data fed back to you about your breath or muscle tension to practice responding and orienting to your stressors (your boss and family) in a new way. You train yourself to keep the breath flowing and the muscles soft while talking about work and family.

 

The hope is that with all this training, all this practice, all this awareness and self-regulation, the effects will spill out into your daily life and not just while sitting in front of a screen or device, that you can carry these skills into other settings, and perhaps they can become your new normal - something called generalization. Eventually when in the actual presence of your boss you will find yourself calmer and more at ease. You may even find yourself less reactive to other triggers since relaxed muscles and effortless breathing might become your default state.

 

So what type of biological signals do biofeedback therapists commonly measure? In no order of importance, we have:

  • Sweat, or skin conductance, also known as electrodermal activity or galvanic skin response – typically measured on the palms of the hands or the sole of the feet, although in all my years of practice I have never once measured this on anyone’s feet. Sweat in these specific areas is regulated by our sympathetic nervous system, so whenever we are activated, mobilized, agitated or energized, whether we call that anxiety or excitement, the eccrine glands in our hands and feet secrete sweat. This is the reason some people’s hands get clammy when stressed.

    Carl Jung, the great psychotherapist would use skin conductance in his word association tests. He would place sensors on your hands and invite the subject to sit and relax. Then he would say a word and wait a period of time, say 30 to 60 seconds, and observe the automatic physiological reaction, in this case, sweat. After a baseline period, he would say words like, puppy, wait for a moment, taxes, wait, wildfires, wait, ocean, mother-in-law, etc. He saw this as a way of connecting to your unconscious since many people either wouldn’t admit to having any mental, emotional or physical reactions to those words or concepts, or they completely were unaware that their body was responding.

  • Temperature or thermal biofeedback– and like skin conductance, it is commonly measured on the fingers of the hands, but depending on the goal for training or your health condition, can be measured anywhere on the body. As with sweat, the sympathetic nervous system, when activated, signals the blood vessels in our distal extremities, fingers and toes, to constrict and as a result of the decrease in blood flow causes the temperature to go down. When we are calmer and more relaxed, the blood vessels open, the blood flows, and our temperature goes up. So stress can result in cold and clammy hands.

  • Muscle tension, aka surface electromyography or EMG – electrodes can be placed almost anywhere on the surface of body to measure the degree of muscle activity. Technically we are measuring the action potential along a muscle fiber, but this correlates to the degree of tension or relaxation of a muscle. EMG biofeedback can help train people to relax in general, by truly practicing letting go of muscle tension. It can be used to train people to efficiently perform a task, like learning to play a sport or musical instrument, without extra and unnecessary muscular effort. I once worked with a violinist who was suffering from shoulder and neck pain. Her violin teacher told her she was using unnecessary muscles and raising her shoulders while bowing. Through biofeedback, she could see how much she was engaging these muscles and she would practice playing the violin while keeping those muscles softer.

  • Breathing or Respiration Rate – a strain gauge can be place anywhere on the torso where you wish to measure movement connected with the breath – so that could be around the chest or abdomen. Registering each time the torso expands and contracts gives you the breath rate - the number of breaths per minute. You can also break that data down further to determine the length of the inhale and length of the exhale. With respiration biofeedback, you can see how posture influences your breathing, and how your breathing pattern influences other physiological signals, like the next group:

  • Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability (or HRV)– I am going to spend a little bit more time here since most of my remote biofeedback training focuses on breathing and heart rate variability

    Heart rate is simply the number of heart beats per minute. You measure the pulse for a full 60 seconds (not 5, 10 or 15 and multiply) and that number is your heart rate.

    HRV refers to the changes in the time intervals between consecutive heart beats. With HRV, we are measuring the time between each heart beat, or what we call the R-R interval. Unless you have a pacemaker, your heart does not beat at consistent, steady interval. It speeds up and slows down. Just as a reference, if your heart rate was 60 beats per minute and the each heartbeat was exactly the same, the time between each beat, each RR interval, would be a 1000 ms.

    You might be able to feel this when taking your pulse. If you can, right now, place your index and middle finger on the thumb side of your wrist, or on the side of your neck, a few inches from the Adam’s apple. Now as you take a big breath in and hold it for a few seconds, pay close attention to the space, or time, between heartbeats. Now slowly exhale and notice what happens now to the time between heart beats. You might observe that as you inhale, the heart rate speeds up, the space between heartbeats gets smaller, and as you exhale the time between beats gets longer, the heart rate slows down. This phenomenon, by the way, is called Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia or RSA and it is a normal physiological arrhythmia and something we train during HRV biofeedback. The heart rate rhythm isn’t always, and shouldn’t always, be sinusoidal. Breath pacing simply strengthens this pattern. We use breath pacing to increase this pattern since it relates to the function and power of the parasympathetic system, which I discuss in exhaustive detail during individual on-on-one sessions. 

    This is a great example of why equipment is beneficial if not necessary. Our fingers are just not sensitive enough to calculate the time between subsequent heart beats down to the millisecond and then display it in a way that makes sense to us.

    I want to add something about wearables and apps for a moment. Since biofeedback training involves seeing data as it is happening, devices, app, or programs that measures biological signals, like heart rate variability, that do not allow you to see the changes in real time are not technically biofeedback devices. Wearables like the Oura Ring and Whoop do track your HRV, yet they don’t show the moment-to-moment changes in your heart rate as it is occurring. They measure your HRV, but they calculate a score or number once the measuring process is complete. While useful for other reasons, these wearables aren’t used in biofeedback training.

    While I am a tech geek, my goal is to help people tune in and listen to themselves with compassion and care. I have worked with many who religiously track their HRV on wearables and apps and allow their data to overshadow any self-awareness. On more than one occasion, people tracking their HRV have reported becoming more agitated, anxious, and stressed about their health the longer they self-monitored. A person will tell me that they aren’t feeling well or had a poor night’s sleep, and when I ask them to elaborate, they talk about the value from their app, and NOT their own internal experience, and that is counter to the intention of my work. If biofeedback monitoring and training does not lead to greater personal insight about how you are experiencing the world, I believe a significant piece of the process is missing.

    While I can go on about HRV, I still have one more biological signal to mention and that is:

  • Brain waves, also known as electroencephalography, EEG, or neurofeedback – this type of biofeedback is a specialty unto itself, and since I do not practice this, and I won’t be mentioning any more about it here.

As I have said, my virtual practice focuses primarily on breathwork and heart rate variability, but if you are interested in other modalities, such as temperature and skin conductance, I do these as well, but they are a bit more involved so reach out to me directly.

 Remote training does require some investment, in the form of programs and sensors, but the main benefit is that you will have what you need to do training at home on your own in between our sessions.

So what do you need for this process.

  1. First you need a program – whether on your computer or smartphone or tablet – and this program needs to show changes in your physiology in real time. As I have already mentioned, the Oura Ring and Whoop cannot be used for remote biofeedback training since, they do not show the moment to moment fluctuations of the heart rate interval as it is occurring.

  2. Next you need a sensor that pairs with your specific program. Chest straps, like the Polar Heart Strap, pair with many of HRV apps I have come across. Chest straps use ECG technology, while finger and ear sensors are PPGs or photoplethysmographs, which is measuring the blood flow through the blood vessels. Both work and the choice is often dictated by the program you use. Some programs and apps, such as those by HeartMath, require their own sensors, a Bluetooth PPG or wired PPG (both for the app-based system called Inner Balance) and the USB ear sensor for their computer-based program, called emWave Pro.

  3. The final piece of the equation is the most technical - you need to be able to share the program as it is running during our virtual session. If using an app-based program, then you will need to either connect your phone or tablet to your computer to share your data in real time, or if you logging on to our session with your phone, you will have to be able to share that particular app during our session. Don’t worry, With the proper cables and set up, I can walk you this process.

 Typically, I use one of three programs for remote training, although I am constantly evaluating new software. These are:

  1. EliteHRV app for smartphone or tablet paired with either a chest strap or finger sensor

  2. The computer-based program, emWave pro, by HeartMath (and on occasion, their phone-based app, called Inner Balance)

  3. The Alive System by Somatic Vision, which is for the computer only (both Mac and PC), and it requires its own USB finger sensor for PC or Mac, but if using a PC, you can pair it with a Polar Heart strap as well.

 

EliteHRV is one of the simplest, and least expensive ways to do remote HRV biofeedback training, pairing it with either a Polar Heart Strap (which runs about $99) or a finger sensor through Kyto Fitness from Japan (that runs around about $34, excluding shipping).

 I recommend trainees log into their virtual session with me using their computer rather than their phone or tablet, since it is then easier to share their screen. Connecting my iPhone to my iMac through a USBc cable, I can easily share my screen during our video session. The QuickTime program allows me to display my phone screen directly on my computer, which I then share during our session. This process can be done with other apps as well. Again, don’t stress, breathe, I can walk you through this set up.

The second system I commonly use with people is by Heartmath

For the computer they offer the emWave Pro and for the smartphone and tablet, the app is called Inner Balance – both systems come with their own specific sensors. The app offers a Bluetooth or cable sensor, while the computer program uses a USB connection. I tend to recommend the computer system for remote training since it is easier to share the screen but also because it has a bit more complexity to it. Some people prefer using the smartphone app since it is portable and can go with you anywhere you take your phone. That said, I still prefer the computer based, emWave pro, program as it offers a few other options for training, such as games, which is a nice addition to training.

 The next system I use, in my opinion, is a step up from HeartMath and it is called Alive by Somatic Vision. Alive is for the computer only, they don’t have an app version, but it offer more feedback in forms of graphs, environments and games for training than emWave. Like emWave, you can buy a home version of Alive for your individual use. Along with the program you will have buy either a finger HRV sensor that uses a USB connection, or if you are on a PC, you can pair this with a polar heart strap.

 If you don’t want to purchase your own copy, I can provide you a code so that you can download the software which allows us to do an hour long one-on-one session once a week, and then between session you can training for 10 minutes a day. However, you still will need to purchase a sensor, which costs around $99.

 You can also invest in another some more hardware, called the BioSignal, which is a USB device to which you attach sensor for respiration, temperature, skin conductance and HRV. You can either buy this directly or rent this from me, and we then can train these other modalities as well.

 

That is just a brief overview of biofeedback, HRV and how I do remote training. Hopefully the video gave you a better understand of what type of feedback you get during training. Please reach out any time if you have questions or to learn more about contemplative care, mind-body approaches, and biofeedback. Feel free to pass this along to anyone you think might be interested.

Why We Sit.  Why We Practice.

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Why We Sit. Why We Practice.

This video is one from one of my Guided Meditations on Tuesday, July 7th. In this meditation, I address a question several people have been asking me lately, and it does seem to come in cluster. Why do we sit? Why do we do this practice on a daily basis?

For me, it’s simple. We sit In order to practice reminding ourselves how we want to be in the world, how we want to show up at any given moment, how do we want to breathe and to life. We sit to remind ourselves that we are not our thoughts, we are not our sensations, we are not all the stories we tell ourselves or have been told about ourselves.

When I was a teen, I was bullied, criticized, laughed at, called names. I still remember the time one of the football players tried to run me over with his truck, or at the very least, just tried to frighten me. His girlfriend, one of the cheerleaders, who happened to be a good friend of mine, pushed me out of the way and screamed at him. That was the typical pattern, which caused a great deal of cognitive dissonance. I would walking down the halls in high school, arm in arm with some of “girlfriend,” usually the popular girls, and we would walk past a group of guys who would snicker and sneer slurs in my direct. In my improved memory, my companions would dramatically pause with some flare, turn on a dime, laugh and shake their heads at those boys, then turn back to me, grab my arms lead me away. Despite that support, I was still in the closet and those stories being told about me became deeply ingrained in my psyche - I was freak, abnormal, unnatural, and the worst of all, unlovable. So at 16, I tried to take my own life. If these stories were true, if I would never find love or happiness, then what was the point?

Looking at my life now, at least that facet of my life, my sexual identity, is no longer connected with my sense of self-worth. And still I struggle. In its place, and perhaps due to age, the question of worth and value has shifted towards my work - have I done anything that really mattered? Have I helped anyone? Have I been of service? Fortunately, my years of practice have trained me to pause, breathe, and examine those thoughts for what they truly are - conditioned thoughts that arise and fall in my consciousness. Through practice I have been able, at times, to observe those thoughts, to step back and be the observer of those thoughts, which means they are an object. The question that often helps me in those moments is: Who is the “I” that is observing these thoughts?

In this guided meditation we focus on our heartfelt wish for ourselves. What is it we truly wish we to believe, know and feel about ourselves? Such as, I am worthy. I am lovable. I am enough. The moment we speak these wishes, our habitual, automatic negative self-narratives often pop up, telling us the reasons we do not deserve to believe these. We cannot eliminate these thoughts. Trying to eradicate them from our minds only empowers them, suggesting they are actually worthy to debate. They are merely thoughts, stories, narratives. The task for us all is to welcome them, acknowledge them, then recognize that we do not need to fall victim to them by following them.

So let’s sit. Let’s practice. Let’s cultivate the skill of observation.

Remember, you are not your thoughts, you are not your negative narratives.

You are worthy, deserving, lovable!

May We All Be Safe.
May We All Be Healthy
May We All Live with Peace.
And… May We All Go Gently, Knowing Our Goodness

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Using the new updated EliteHRV app for Paced Breathing (Resonant Breathing) Home Practice

Using the new updated EliteHRV app for Paced Breathing (Resonant Breathing) Home Practice

Several weeks ago I released a video on how to use the EliteHRV app to do Paced Breathing (Resonant Breathing) home biofeedback training. Since that time, EliteHRV has updated their app and several features have changed. Several patients who were using the older app share with me that they were confused based on the instructions found in the previous video, so I made this video to navigate the updated EliteHRV app. Hopefully this will give you the necessary information to begin practicing resonant (paced) breathing.

In my video on What is HRV?, I talked about the vagus nerve and its relationship to paced breathing.  Resonant breathing involves breathing at a particular rate that bring our heart rate, blood pressure and respiration into synchrony or what some call coherence. Our blood pressure and heart rate tends to cycle in roughly a 10 second cycle - meaning 5 seconds after blood pressure increases, heart rate changes. Five seconds after that, blood pressure changes. When you add breathing at 10 second rate (5 seconds inhale and 5 seconds exhale) to this mix, respiration only augments the strength of this coherence. Since everyone’s physiology is slightly different, this cycle can range anywhere from 7.5 seconds to 13.5 seconds per minute, which in breathing rate terms would be 8 breaths per minute down to 4.5 breaths per minute. However, many of my colleagues who conduct research on HRV biofeedback do not spend time determining each person’s specific rate, or resonant frequency, but use the standard 6 breaths per minute rate, which is what Elite HRV is using .

Furthermore, our heart rate decreases on exhalation.  By extending the exhalation, we further strengthen the 10th cranial nerve, the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic system, putting the brake on the heart and slowing it down.  Resonant breathing strengthen the baroreceptors, mechanoreceptors in the aorta and the carotid arteries involved in the regulation of blood pressure. The greater the responsiveness of the baroreceptors, the stronger our vagal tone, the more resilient we are, the greater our adaptability to stressors, the more we are able to hand all types of stressors - whether physical, mental, environmental, emotional. etc. 

If after watching the video, you have any questions, let me know.

What is HRV?

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What is HRV?

Have you heard of HRV but wondered what it was? In this video I share a quick explanation about HRV and the benefits of monitoring and tracking it.

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Breath Pacing (HRV Frequency) Training Using EliteHRV App

I made this video specifically for the clients and patients with whom I have been working who are interested in finding a way to inexpensively and easily monitor their HRV (heart rate variability) during Resonance Frequency / HRV breath pacing training. Here I provide some instructions for paced breathing practice using the EliteHRV app. With either a Polar heartstrap (7 or 10) or a finger sensor (called the CoreSensor, developed specifically by EliteHRV), you can see, in real time, the moment-to-moment changes that occur with your heart rate as you breathe. While breath pacing tends to be a safe practice for many, it might not be best for everyone. Consult with your provider or better yet, a biofeedback trainer, to help you decide how breath pacing practice might be best for you.

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Navigating Life in Uncertain Times

This week I had the chance to talk with my good friend, Dr. Katelyn Kalstein about navigating life during these uncertain times. A former student of mine, we both had the chance to work together at 40YearsofZen, facilitating 3 - 5 people during their week-long intensive neurofeedback, biofeedback, psycho-education and group processing work (at least, that is how I describe what happened). Over the years, we have had numerous conversations like this, so we decide to plan a webinar around it to share our thoughts about how to stay resilient during these challenging times. During this hour-long conversation, we talk about the nervous system and how we, as mammals, are hardwired to react to triggers.  During this pandemic, we all need to practice some compassion with ourselves for our reactions. That said, daily practice to regulate our nervous system, whether breathwork, meditation, exercise, etc. is essential to maintaining a state of balance and peace.

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Understanding Breathing Symptoms of a Reactive Nervous System

Lightheaded?
Dizzy?
Short of breath?
Worried you might have coronavirus?

These might be symptoms of a reactive nervous system, indicating to you that you are feeling unsafe.

In this video I explain how the nervous system responds when feeling triggered leading to symptoms of lightheadedness, dizziness and shortness of breath.

HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and HRV Biofeedback

BCIA HRV Biofeedback Certification

BCIA HRV Biofeedback Certification

After teaching and practicing HRV (heart rate variability) and HRV biofeedback for over a decade, I am so thrilled to become one of the first practitioners to receive this new BCIA certification. Now I plan on training as many others to do the same. HRV & HRV biofeedback are powerful tools for building resilience, improving health, increasing optimal performance, and even predicting health outcomes and evaluating efficacy of treatments (yes all you wholistic practitioners, you can be using this non-invasive tool to track impact of your treatment modalities). This fall I will be rolling out my HRV online curriculum for both professionals and those interested in learning more about this powerful market of health.  For now, you can schedule today for your 8-10 week HRV training session. Visit my website for more information.

Practicing HRV Biofeedback with my morning matcha (theanine helps produce alpha waves)

Practicing HRV Biofeedback with my morning matcha (theanine helps produce alpha waves)

Listen to Your Hear

Listen to Your Hear

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Are you listening? 
Really listening?

Unsure about your path - look no further than your own heart. Deep listening requires us to look inward, which demands time and space for reflection and contemplation, something our current culture (and many people I know) fail to truly support. Expediency and efficiency are prized over all. So we try to ‘biohack’ our way to health, peace, and enlightenment, failing to honor and support all the commitment, dedication and practice required. We’ve lost touch with the beauty and power of ritual and the numinous.

How much time do we spend distracting ourselves, tuning out, avoiding, even arguing? When stop and listen we discover so much about ourselves and others. Learning to deeply listen takes practice. We may not like what we hear, we might experience discomfort or pain, we might ‘see’ things we didn’t want to see. Yet if we don’t listen, we never know! Insight and wisdom come from deep listening. Our nervous system experiences and responds BEFORE our brain develops its story and narrative. Before working on changing the interpretation and story, listen to your body. What is it telling? What does it have to say about how we orient to the world around us? What is it telling you about how safe you believe you are? Yes the body can be a scary place to inhabit, but it is what we have right now.

Listen. What is your heart and spirit and body sharing with you right now?

This month I’m taking medical leave from work - a decision my heart made for me since I wasn’t attending well to it. While I’ve dedicated my life to helping others turn inward and listen to their hearts, I’ve often neglected my own. Even my day job that claims to promote wholeness and health is a highly broken system. Is it any wonder my symptoms settled here?

Listen to your heart! It may be unknown territory, feel unsafe, be a bit scary, but what are the alternatives?

If you want to know where to go and what to do, place a hand in your heart, and start by thanking it for it’s tireless and continual job of keeping you alive, the pay it the respect it deserves and listen to it. You only will have yourself to thank.

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Approval and Self-Worth

Approval and Self-Worth

The other day a patient was crying to me, devastated over the the fact that her sister didn't approve over her choices in career or husband. She felt isolated and alone by her sister's disapproval. Tormented by this, she would spend hours in the middle of the night cogitating over how to win her approval. Then she said the infamous line I've heard echoed by many over the years, "I know she loves me, but she makes me feel..."

When I was 16 years old, I came home from school one afternoon, wrote my mom a letter and then swallowed a handful of pills. The thought repeating on a non-stop loop was I can't go to gym class tomorrow, I just can't go to gym class tomorrow. Growing up in McKeesport, PA in the early 1980s, throwing a football or hitting a baseball appeared to be requisites for manhood, and I was failing miserably. I preferred theater, film, and music. I longed to do the aerobics classes with the girls, but that was unfathomable to any of my teachers, let alone my peers. I believed, no, I was convinced, I would never gain the approval of my friends, fellow high schoolers or adults. After all, how could I when I was told by the media, certain organizations, and the not so kind boys in my gym class that people like me were somehow damaged goods. No, I would never win their approval; my life had no value; I had no worth. My only conceivable option was to end it. However, the main side effect from my choice of medication was intense vomiting, so I lived to see another day.

Flash forward decades and I recognize that several people still hold to the opinion that I am worthless, vile, or as one person said to me once, an abomination. On this topic, I have no attachment to their opinion, nor do I have any desire to change their mindset. I do not wish ill of them, nor do I harbor any malice. I do pray for safety, and that they do not inflict harm on myself or others whom they deem unworthy.

The years were far from easy. A ton of rocks, potholes, and outright craters caught me off guard and I fell hard. What I do know is this - others will disapprove. Of gender, of love interests, of professions, of political views, of spiritual pursuits. Furthermore we may feel that disapproving eye about our clothing, homes, modes of transportation, hobbies, favorite TV shows, and even our favorite ice cream flavor. All of these have more to do with the one assigning value than about our own worth.

We are all beautiful beings whose intrinsic value and worth is unquestionable. If I had one wish for all of us, it would be self-compassion. People will judge, and if we look in the mirror we may find that the pain we believe is inflicted at the hands of others is really our own doing. By blindly accepting, adopting, then feeding those beliefs of others, we only harm ourselves. Rather than spend the time and energy trying to convince others we are worthy, how much life force would we conserve if we practice loving kindness to both ourselves and others, and embrace our intrinsic self-worth. 

 

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A Sense of Safety & The Nervous System

 

 

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