Greetings, Reader! I'm popping into your inbox a bit early this week because the Early Bird Discount for the Break the Pain Cycle course ends today and I don't want you to miss out. There are only a few spots left in this cohort! In the info session I held earlier this week, two previous course participants shared their success stories, and it was so powerful to hear about how they were able to rewrite their pain stories by taking this program. 🏆 Previous Participants' Big Wins Moving from...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! Imagine you are walking alone in the woods and you hear a rustling in the trees and a low rumble that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end. Is it a bear? Or maybe a moose? You pause and get really quiet to try to tell where the sound is coming from. Your eyes open wide and all of your senses are on alert. You try not to make a sound as you scan the forest trying to decide quickly whether you need to run or hide. In that moment, your nervous system is gathering...
21 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! This week was Lotus Yoga & Integrative Health's 3rd birthday and I want to thank you from my heart for being here and for being on this journey with me. My heart is full of deep gratitude for your wholehearted courage, your trust, and your commitment to healing. Whether you've been here since the beginning or we've just been introduced, it is an honor to learn and grow with you. When I founded this practice, I envisioned a space where healing could happen gently, at the...
27 days ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! What is with all the fearmongering in medicine? "My knee is bone on bone." "My doctor said I have Degenerative Disc Disease." "My chiropractor said I should come every week because my sacrum goes out easily and needs to be corrected." "My physical therapist said that I have pain because my pelvis is rotated and my back is all twisted. I have to be careful not to herniate a disc. These messages make it sound like we are doomed to suffer forever, but the truth is, we can have...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! When you're in pain, sometimes the deepest healing comes not from solutions, but from being witnessed. Many years ago, the writer Parker Palmer was experiencing a period of intense depression. Most of his friends and loved ones tried to support him by offering advice and solutions, but the person who made the greatest impact was the friend who sat by him and simply held his feet. He did not try to fix or change anything; he just offered comfort, held space, and helped...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Greetings, Reader! Have you ever felt like you keep hitting walls in your healing journey? You are not alone! The story I'm sharing today is all too common, and is why I'm on a mission to change the way we treat chronic pain. Ana started having elbow pain last summer after a stressful breakup that resulted in her moving out of the home she shared with her partner. She didn't have any incident or injury, and wasn't really sure why her elbow started to hurt. Her doctor diagnosed her with tennis...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! This week, Andrea Gibson, one of the brightest lights on this planet, left their body. Andrea was a poet, a truth teller, and a lover of life who found awe and inspiration in the tiniest details. But Andrea wasn't always full of wonder. Before being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Andrea was anxious and afraid of everything. Andrea described their cancer diagnosis as a form of liberation that transformed fear into a wild love for this world. In fact, some of Andrea's last...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Greetings, Reader! I have a confession to make... I'm a physical therapist, but I failed PT treatment as a patient (or maybe I should say that PT failed me). I went to PT as a patient every week for years and I still had chronic pain. Most sessions would provide temporary relief, but didn't get to the root of the problem, despite the fact that I saw two different highly skilled clinicians and received excellent, supportive care. I see a lot of patients who are reluctant to try physical...
2 months ago • 5 min read
Greetings, Reader! The heart of my work is helping the nervous system feel safe so it can resonate with, instead of react to, the world. Having the capacity to meet this heartbreaking world with openness is no small task. I find myself alternating between rage, grief, and hope, all of which are rooted in love. It is love that guides my belief that all beings should be treated with dignity, and that it is our responsibility as citizens of this world to care for each other. It is love that...
2 months ago • 3 min read