Issue 9: Maintaining Our Mental Health
 

Right now maintaining our mental health can feel like a full-time job. The uncertainty of when the world will return to some kind of normal, mixed with the realities of daily life (like getting work done, maintaining relationships, taking care of our bodies) can really do a number on our mental health.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I am here as a resource if anyone is having trouble finding balance. You can always respond directly to this email to touch base with me, whether it is a question about nutrition, changes you can make to help balance your menstrual cycle, or simply questions about how to heal and find balance. 

Here is a list of a few things you can do this month to maintain your mental health and stay balanced:
 

Practice gratitude.  

The research has proven that practicing gratitude daily can lead to a 10% mood boost. The results are not instant, but practicing gratitude everyday can do wonders in terms of helping you cultivate a positive outlook.

You can start in bed by thinking of three things you are grateful for in the morning as soon as you wake up to kick your day off on a positive note. Or try keeping a gratitude journal and list ten things you are grateful for before heading to bed.

They can be simple things like clean water, a bed, a roof over our head, or more specific things like a great conversation, or an old memory from a fun trip, or a friend that answered the phone when you needed it today. 


Compliment someone.  

Send a friend, co-worker, or loved one a compliment, or send them a note about something you are grateful for in terms of your relationship with them. Spreading positivity and actively making someone else's day better can actually make you feel better too!  


Laugh!

Things may not seem laughable right now, but laughing stimulates the release of endorphins or feel-good hormones in the body. So try calling someone who always makes you laugh, or bringing to mind an old memory, or actively forcing a laugh even when you do not want to. Laughing meditation is a real thing where groups of people sit in a room together and fake laugh until they start crying because they are laughing so hard.

Do a quick laughing meditation search on YouTube, I don't think you'll be disapointed (to be honest I have never searched this before, but desperate times call for desperate measures!)  


Take a break from alcohol.

If you have been feeling particularly down these past few weeks try taking a brief sabbatical from alcohol. And if that sentence made you want to unsubscribe from this newsletter, bear with me while I provide a short explanation. Alcohol is a depressant and even a little bit can lead to mild depressive feelings after drinking (though in the moment it may feel great). Alcohol can also impact our quality of sleep and if sleep quality is impacted, immunity and mental health can suffer.

And if you still want to unsubscribe, just pretend I never mentioned it. 


Self-care.

Only you can take care of yourself the way you really need to be taken care of. That is because no one can read your mind, and no one knows exactly what you need (hell, sometimes I don't even know what I need or want to make myself feel better).

So the more you are able to show up for yourself, whether that means getting to bed early, or going for a run when you are feeling down, or eating some dark chocolate when you are in the throes of PMS, the better you will feel.

Life is a journey of self-discovery and self-growth and that means being your own best friend and listening to yourself in a way no one else can.  


Meditate.

As a meditation teacher, I will always recommend meditation as a form of mental health care. The scientific evidence is there and through my own personal journey I know my meditation practice is the only thing that has kept me sane the past few weeks.

So breathe, relax. If you're interested in learning how to meditate please reach out. Some great resources are Insight Timer (an app with meditations in all languages), and IG Lives on @mndflmeditation and @bloodmilkwomen. 
 

--------
 

Mini Meditation Retreat Saturday May 9


Join me this Saturday May 9th from 10-11am PT for a FREE virtual meditation retreat via Zoom in partnership with letsmend.com.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to share a resource for those who were interested in learning how to sit or wanted to sit in community. All meditations will be geared towards self-compassion and finding balance.

The retreat is open to all levels of meditators.

Feel free to respond directly to this email to secure your spot. 


Stay tuned for a longer paid virtual retreat later on May 23rd

Madeleina is a certified clinical herbalist and a teacher of natural medicine. She teaches herbalism courses at one of my favorite spots in San Francisco, Scarlet Sage Apothecary. She is based in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, but she works with clients online as well. 


How do you describe your holistic healing practice to someone who had never heard of it before?

Mostly, I ask them if they have any memories of their grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts or uncles and what they remember those family members did if people were sick or having a hard time. There's usually a sense of familiarity, from their own culture, of someone who had a special knack, or a potent healing brew. So, I've created a connection, a commonality. From there we can talk about plant and heart-mind healing in a way that is more accessible than intellectual.


What is one thing you have learnt about women's health that you wish all women knew?

We have to choose ourselves first. Even while taking care of others, we can still listen and honor, and FEEL who we are. Stay with your true experience. This takes training, but it is essential.


What is one thing you wish all women knew about balancing their bodies? 

That if they are willing to slow down and listen to themselves, respect that an imbalance is their own self, demanding attention, they would then come to learn their own language. There are many ways to balance, many ways that work, each woman is unique, so there are no formulas here. I wish all women knew that they can find their own way if they are willing to receive wisdom, learn discipline, and become their own dearest friend. ​

How do you find balance in your own body, mind, and spirit? 

I need movement, fresh air, being in water, singing, painting, and stillness in Nature. Loving my animals is my daily go-to. As far as food, I need to eat every few hours to keep my blood sugar balanced - crucial for physical and mental well being.​


How can women become more in touch with their bodies and hormones?

One way is to work with the electric lighting in their home. Our hormones attune to the seasons and the movement of the moon through its phases. By turning off more lights at night, using natural candles, and allowing the light of the moon and stars to touch us, we naturally can come into more balance.

Women who work night shifts are among the most hormonally off-balance, which attests to the wisdom above.


What are your top lifestyle tips to help women find balance?

Avoid junk food and refined sugar!

Take deep breaths. Deep breathing not only alleviates stress, but also helps to detox the liver, both of which are very important for hormonal health.

And engage in joyful, life-affirming activities such as dancing, singing, laughing is important! Basically saying, do the things you love!


What is one supplement you recommend women take everyday? 

MAGNESIUM. As a culture, and women specifically, we are incredibly deficient in Mag, which manifests in many ways, including: fatigue, heart weakness, cramps, restless leg syndrome, irritation, depression, anxiety, tight muscles, lack of focus, lack of motivation, and more. This is one reason why women start to feel better when they go on a green food cleanse—they're replenishing Mag reserves. The other supplement is Essential Fatty Acids, EFAs.


Did your grandmother have a secret remedy or health secret she shared with you?

My grandmother Georgia Greenberg walked on the cliffs overlooking the ocean every day. Her parents were Lithuanian Jews who escaped from Russia. She said that to be well, we have to be able to be by ourselves and get quiet, with good, clean air, and beauty all around us. 


What is one thing you wish women did less to help themselves find greater balance in their lives?

Stop using synthetic products! Makeup, perfume, air fresheners, cleaning supplies...! All of these are neuro-toxins and hormone disruptors. The alternatives work so well, substituting isn't really a problem at this point.


What is one piece of advice you would give your daughter? 

Cultivating a relationship with the Life-forces of Nature, by learning to communicate, feed and praise Them is one of the most important ways to give back and co-create with Life. We must give back. And you will find that they will help you, too. They'll fill you when you feel alone, providing the most satisfying companionship of all. They are the endless Source of creativity and inspiration. Yes, love yourself first, and continually create an interdependent relatedness with Those who tend the Heart of the World.