Reasons to Avoid Pinktober

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Over the past decade there has been a huge swell in marketing efforts to raise awareness for breast cancer in the month of October. The month-long celebration comes with a hefty dose of pink to promote the cause. “Pinktober” has become so pervasive that everyone from the NFL, to major airline carriers, to food brands are on board to push the pink. But there are a growing number of people who avidly refute that promoting breast cancer awareness in this way is good for anyone’s health. Some contend that it is a malicious marketing ploy that takes advantage of scared women, lines the pockets of senior administration at charities, and doesn’t actually seek a cure for breast cancer. Here are some of the reasons to avoid Pinktober.

Where does the money come from?

Certainly we want to prevent and cure breast cancer. But when it comes breast cancer charity donations, monies may come from questionable sources and go to questionable programs.

First, there are almost no resources allocated to prevent environmental and dietary causes of breast cancer. For example, bisphenol A (BPA) is a common food packaging material, known to leech into foods, and is correlated with the growth of breast cancer. Fracking (a process of natural gas and petroleum extraction) is known to release carcinogenic materials.  While the data is mixed, there are many studies that contend that ingestion of dairy products may lead to the onset of worsening of breast cancer. High sugar intake also increases the risk of breast cancer. Yet, some breast cancer charities accept very public donations from food manufacturers who use BPA, or produce dairy or foods with high levels of sugar. In a particularly controversial move, pink drill bits were used for fracking.

Where does the money go?

It is true that organizations give resources to underserved women and increase access to affordable mammograms. But there is some evidence that mammograms may overdiagnose breast cancer.

In one study, mammography over-diagnosed breast cancer (i.e. diagnosed cancer when it did not exist) 10% of the time in women aged 55-69 years old. False positives are even more likely to happen in younger women, in women with dense breasts, in women who receive annual screenings, and in first-round of screening. This leads to expensive, often painful and debilitating treatments that are simply unnecessary.

Even worse, another study demonstrated that mammography did not reduce the risk of breast cancer death in women aged 40-49 years old. This has lead some to question if breast cancer screening is worth the effort. 

Charities have also come under fire for cushy salaries for leadership.

What about the emotional turmoil?

Some blogs highlight the struggles of breast cancer survivors during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are many survivors who find that an entire month dedicated to pinkwashing the issue of breast cancer brings up painful memories of emotional and trying treatments that some liken to post traumatic stress disorder. Pinkwashing also alienates men afflicted by breast cancer.

Also, given all of the focus on breast cancer awareness, people diagnosed with other types of cancer may suffer from lack of support from friends and family.

All in all, Pinktober isn’t for me

Given the concerns with conflict of interests between breast cancer charities and corporation, lack of focus on prevention, the over-focus on diagnosis and treatment, and the emotional stress, I choose not to support Pinktober.

What about you? Comment below and let me know your thoughts about Pinktober.

Worried about some of the hormonal issues of aging? Come check out this post on natural remedies for menopause.

Yoga Nidra for Stress? How this Simple Practice Can Improve Sleep and Help You Wind Down

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Stress. Whether real or perceived, we all experience stress. So stress is part of our lives—but does it matter? 

Believe it or not, the CDC estimates that stress accounts for 75% of all physician visits, and 80% of all visits to primary care providers. Complaints range from headache, back pain, hypertension, and arrhythmias, to irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, skin problems, fatigue, obesity, migraines, hyperlipidemia and accidents. But really, it is all stress. 

Stress Wreaks Havoc on Your Immune System

Research shows that chronic stress results in an immunosuppressive effect that prevents the body from initiating appropriate immune reactions. Stress is also known to exacerbate asthma, and allergic, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Inflammation is a necessary short-term stress, but chronic stress suppresses immunity by decreasing the number and function of immune cells. This may exacerbate pro-inflammatory diseases and increase susceptibility to infections and cancer.

How Stress Affects Your Brain

Elevated cortisol levels following acute stress may play a role in accelerated aging, cognitive inhibition, impaired memory and the ability to learn, increased anxiety and fear, as well as depression and anhedonia. Stress plays a significant role in the development of depression by depleting the body’s “positive” neurotransmitters, such as GABA, serotonin and DHEA. This impairs the function of the limbic system, and changes emotions and behavior.

Cortisol activates the body’s “threat center,” and changes the structure and function of the brain. Studies on decreasing stress revealed that patients reported reduced perceived stress, and decreases in the size of the body’s threat center, the amygdala. 

Yoga Nidra for Stress

Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, is the state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. The meditation of yoga nidra guides you through a relaxation process that triggers a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, which helps to relieve stress as you wind down.

The deep physical, mental, and emotional relaxation produces a state of inner awareness and release of stress, muscle tension, and anxiety. It can also improve feelings of happiness, enthusiasm, quietude, control over anger, clarity of thought, and self-confidence. In fact, studies show the regular practice of yoga nidra is an effective tool in reducing both cognitive and physiological symptoms of anxiety.

Want to practice Yoga Nidra on your own? Check out these 9 Steps to Yoga Nidra.

Pain Management

Yoga nidra is also an effective method for pain management. Patients who engaged in a yoga nidra meditation during a medical procedure experienced less perceived pain and anxiety associated with the procedure.

Emotional Benefits

A survey of healthcare workers showed that yoga nidra helped workers deal with the demands of their profession in a positive manner, thus leading to an improved workplace environment.

This ancient practice also leads to a better understanding and connection with yourself. During the meditation, you are able to become aware of emotions or inner struggles without actually bringing up the pain of the associated memories. In this way, yoga nidra can facilitate healthy release of negative emotions or harbored fears.

Improvement of Sleep

During the practice of yoga nidra, you move through the layers of your being, gradually releasing tensions that prevent you going into deep states of recuperative sleep. This type of deep sleep is where the brain and body undergo growth, repair, and healing.

How Yoga Nidra Works and Relieves Stress

As you begin a yoga nidra session, you experience a phase of relaxation and recuperation. Muscles become relaxed as you focus on the breath. Additionally, during this phase, the brain shifts from beta, a state of alertness with lots of brain activity, to alpha. It is in alpha state that the release of serotonin occurs. This mood-regulating hormone helps to calm you down. 

From alpha, you are further guided to the next phase of yoga nidra: meditation. This occurs when your brain shifts into theta. During this state, you become almost completely unaware of your surroundings, yet you are not asleep. Many people peacefully drift to sleep during this phase.

However, if you continue the meditation and press into the exercise, it is possible to achieve delta. During this state, your brain is utterly without thought and you experience complete surrender. This is a very restorative and emotionally balancing type of meditation.

How do you deal with stress?

Whether you choose to practice yoga nidra, take a walk outside, time with friends or family, being intentional about stress relief is important to your health. Comment below with how you handle the daily stresses of life.

Hooked? Convinced? Come check out my 9 steps to yoga nidra.

Want to learn about essential oils to support your body during yoga? Check out this post about Essential Oils and Chakras. 

For even more great natural wellness, essential oil, and supplement education, check out my book, Essentials: 75 Answers to Common Questions About Essential Oils and Supplements.

9 Steps to Yoga Nidra: A Peaceful Sleep Meditation

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Yoga Nidra is the yoga of sleep. It is a practice that puts the body in a place between fully asleep and fully awake. A dreamlike state the helps the body to rest, recover, and unwind the tension of the day. Every person needs yoga nidra whether or not you practice physical asanas (the physical movements of yoga). This is because yoga nidra has been shown to decrease anxiety, stress, reduce pain, and improve sleep. In our fast paced, go, go, go world, yoga nidra can help undo all of the doing that you do every single day. It is so simple. Let’s talk through 9 steps to yoga nidra.

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Before we even begin.

Keep in mind that yoga nidra is a practice of yoga where the goal is to be aware and focused on different aspects of the room around you and in the internal you. While it is tempting, try not to fall asleep during the practice. If you start to get sleepy, remind yourself: “I am awake and relaxed. I am practicing yoga nidra.”

Get ready and relax.

Find a place that is quiet and serene where you can be assured that you will not be bothered for 30 minutes or so. If possible, be sure that the room is dimly lit. Wear clothes that are comfortable for you that you can freely breathe in.

Lay down on a mat in savasana (corpse pose, flat on your back with your palms toward the ceiling). If this is not possible, sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Take three deep breaths and begin the practice of yoga nidra.

Bring your awareness to the sounds in the room. Simply focus on what you hear with ease. Move your attention from sound to sound, focusing first on the sounds farthest away and moving slowly to the sounds closest to you.

Breath awareness.

Become aware of your natural breath flowing in and out of you without any effort. Allow your breath to lengthen and become softer. Slow inhalation, slow exhalation, noticing the slight pause at the end of the exhale. Lengthen the breath once more, and then allow your breathing to return to normal.

Sankalpa.

We now set an intention for our practice of yoga nidra. Your sankalpa, or resolve, should be a short positive statement in simple language. Make it something that is easy for you to remember and repeat throughout the practice. Say your sankalpa to yourself three times in your head.

Rotation of consciousness.

We now begin a journey around the body. Bring your awareness to the crown of your head. Your forehead. Your eyebrows. The tops of the ears. The nose. Continue to rotate your awareness down your entire body. Only bring the awareness to this area. Do not attempt to move anything in the process.

Opposite sensations.

In this section we explore opposite sensations such as hot and cold, calm and stress, happiness and sadness. Here is an example script for heaviness and lightness.

Imagine that your entire body becomes light. As though you could float off of your mat into the air; as if the entire body is weightless. Once you reach the top of the float, now start to feel the heaviness of your body. Feel the weight of your body parts on the mat.

Inner space visualization.

We now turn our focus totally inward.

Concentrate on the space in front of your closed eyelids. Imagine that there is a transparent screen like a movie theatre in front of your eyelids. Concentrate on this space and see any visualizations that appear: colors, patterns, light. Be aware of the images but do not become attached to them. Simply allow them to be.

Rapid image visualization.

In this section we rapidly change our mind’s eye to focus on different images. Here are some ideas: a red desert, a peacock feather, a doctor’s office, a full moon, your reflection in the mirror, a foggy morning, your body lying on the floor. 

Repeat sankalpa.

Now repeat the resolve that you created in the beginning of the yoga nidra. Repeat the statement several times in your mind as you allow the breath to flow freely.

Return to the body.

Bring your awareness back into your body. Feel the breath flow in and out the of nostrils. Maintain the awareness of your inner body and develop the awareness of your physical body as well. Slowly move the hands and feet. Take a deep breath. When you are fully awake again, gently open your eyes.

And there you have it: 9 steps to yoga nidra.

Do you have any form of restorative and relaxation practices? Comment below and let me know how you recharge after long, stressful days.

Love yoga nidra? Come read my blog post about how it improves sleep, reduces stress, and so much more!

Want to learn more about how you can work to relieve the stress following trauma? Come check out this blog post.

Three Tips for Social Media

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When you get started on social media, it can seem impossible to get your content in front of other people. There are algorithms, verified accounts, and differential content preferences for every single medium. Where do you even begin? Though it may be daunting, social media is quite easy. It just takes work and consistency. Here are three of my top tips for social media.

Know Yourself

Before you start on any social media journey you must decide who you are. Or more specifically, who your persona is online. The key is to take Abraham Lincoln’s supposed advice, and “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

It doesn’t matter if you want to be the boss babe rocking the stilettos from 8 a.m. till 9 p.m., the party chick with her booty half out, the crafty mom with the ever perfect tablescape, the Jesus lover, the epic traveler, or heck, even if you are just the “I am barely holding it together, please God someone give me a coffee, my hair hasn’t been washed in three weeks, and I’m pretty sure that kid just pooped himself” jokester, you just have to be you.

When you are who you are on social media, people can feel it, and there is nothing worse than a thread that feels fake. Depending on the venue, authentic content may be very highly produced, but that does not meant that it is fake. If a fashion blogger didn’t have epic photography in dreamy locations with the perfect clothes, she wouldn’t be a fashion blogger.

But if a fashion blogger suddenly posts a grainy picture of herself digging a ditch in the most unfashionable grimy clothes with the caption of “Back to Work” in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon, you’d be shaking your head asking, “Where did this come from?”

Your writings and your photos must reflect who you are, the image you choose to convey, and the story you wish to tell.

Know Your Audience

On social media, you have to be talking to someone. And someone is not everyone. Someone is not anyone. Someone is the person whom you want to relate to.

To find your someone, consider this approach to find your niche. First, narrow your age range around yours. As much as you may like to, if you are a 44-year-old woman, it is going to be much more challenging to talk to 13 year-old boys about day to day stuff on an authentic level than talking to other 44-year-old women.

Narrow the interests. Not everyone is into cooking, or cosplay, or underwater basket weaving, but if you are, go to town. Someone else will also be into it. And your content will start to craft the community you desire. You can certainly have more than one interest: you can be a mom who guffaws at high heels, drinks a glass of wine before PTA meetings, manages to make it to the gym on occasion, and loves picnics with the family. There is another woman who get that. 

Once you start growing an audience in one direction, nurture them. Talk to them, make them think you are consistently talking directly to them. Use caution in deviating from your core messages as you may alienate your base. That’s fine if you want to go in a completely different brand direction, but it can be a slippery, confusing slope for your audience if you have been posting about epic hunts and wild game kills for 3 years and then all of a sudden become a PETA flag waving vegan. It can happen, but just be prepared for the transition.

Know Your Platform

Different social media platforms require different content. If you are trying to grow on Facebook and you are posting the exact same content as Instagram, you are likely going to go nowhere fast. Same can be said for Twitter and Pinterest. Or Snapchat and LinkedIn.

If you have no idea why, you may consider starting with Gary Vee’s book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.  This book is a bit out of date now, but it does give a really solid breakdown of the types of content that different social media platforms prefer. Shiny, glossy photos for Instagram, wicked comebacks in short form on Twitter, creative and viral videos on Facebook. To get engagement, you simply have to have the correct content for the medium.

Once you know yourself, your content and your platform, you better get to posting!

This is Just the Beginning

Once you get started posting on social media regularly, you will want to invest in some tools. Good lighting is key to making epic videos. Check out my favorite LED light panels!

I taught about my Top 10 Tips for social media, expanding greatly on these and showing you a private, behind the scenes view of my social media strategy, how it ties to the blog, and how it drives business. I even shared my biggest successes and some of the mistakes I have made along the way. Want to check out the replay of this class?

What are your Top Tips for Social Media?