The Science and Soul of Living Well

Burnout, body image, & true purpose: Tools for healing & homecoming

In this episode, I have a heartfelt and candid conversation with Leslie Rangel (@newsyogi), a journalist and yoga teacher, about the ways in which high-stress jobs like journalism can disconnect us from our deeper sense of meaning and purpose. We discuss ways that we can promote self-care & healing in order to come home to ourselves, to remember who we really are and why we do what we do professionally. We highlight specific practices that can be integrated into our daily lives (e.g., yoga, breath work, mantra, work-life balance, mindfulness, cooking) that not only can prevent burnout, but also foster a sense of grounding that can help us understand how we're really doing and ways to respond with compassion and nurturance. As Leslie says, "If you don't know how your body is feeling, you don't know what your body needs." We talk about ways in which exposure to stress and trauma can show up in our bodies and the importance of acknowledging when we're struggling, with acceptance and without judgment. Leslie also shares her personal journey regarding the ways in which yoga has helped her cope with stress and trauma in the workplace & heal her relationship with her body, emphasizing how this capacity for healing exists within us all.

Important Note: Our conversation about trauma and body image does include references to self-harm urges, so please listen at your discretion.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

To connect more with Leslie you can find her on instagram @thenewsyogi (https://www.instagram.com/thenewsyogi/) or her website (https://thenewsyogi.com/about/).

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

What's wrong with judging? The why and how of nonjudgmental stance

Many of us have heard people say things like, “try not to judge yourself so much” or “let go of your judgments." While we may intellectually recognize that judgments may not be all that helpful, we do not always feel well-grounded in why letting go of judgments is so important, or clear about what to do instead of judging. In this episode we talk about: 1) what makes a judgment a judgment and how judgmental statements differ from nonjudgmental ones, 2) the ways in which judgments can both help and harm us, 3) research supporting the importance of working toward more of a nonjudgmental stance, 4) specific, concrete strategies for responding to judgments effectively and shifting our relationship to judging. We end with a brief mindful practice that walks us through key steps involved in working toward a nonjudgmental stance in a specific area of our lives in which we are noticing judgment.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

Additional resources

1. Shallcross, A. J., Troy, A. S., Boland, M., & Mauss, I. B. (2010). Let it be: Accepting negative emotional experiences predicts decreased negative affect and depressive symptoms. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48(9), 921-929.

2. Geurtzen, N., Scholte, R. H., Engels, R. C., Tak, Y. R., & van Zundert, R. M. (2015). Association between mindful parenting and adolescents’ internalizing problems: non-judgmental acceptance of parenting as core element. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(4), 1117-1128.

3. Pepping, C. A., O’Donovan, A., & Davis, P. J. (2013). The positive effects of mindfulness on self-esteem. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 8(5), 376-386.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Finding our center: Grounding through body, breath, nutrition, & lifestyle

In this episode, I focus on concrete ways we can find our center ~ ways we can access a grounded sense of safety, stability, security, & soothing ~ even in really difficult times where we may be overwhelmed with stress, grief, fatigue, and pain. While we can and do access grounding through our body, full grounding doesn’t just involve the physical body. Thus, finding our center is a holistic process ~ involving body, mind, heart, & spirit ~ and one that can be unifying and create wholeness. We focus on four categories of grounding, informed by my understanding of western psychological principles, yoga philosophy & Ayurveda. For example, we discuss 1) body-based grounding practices (e.g., grounding through the senses, mindful movement & specific yoga postures, food, spices, & nutrition), 2) specific breath practices that regulate the nervous system and stabilize our physiology, 3) cognitive strategies (e.g., imagery, dialectical thinking, self-compassion), and 4) through lifestyle and routine.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Containers for grief: Ritual, writing, nature, art & meaningful connection

In this week's episode, I had the deep honor of speaking with Rona Fernandez, a 2nd generation Filipino-American, about her grief journey and the death of her beloved daughter Naima. She highlighted ways that various "containers" can support our grief process (e.g., space, time, nature, ritual, writing, art, sharing memories, social media, meaningful support and connection). She also offered some specific examples of ways in which we can explore and cultivate our own containers, especially when existing structures are not in place or do not resonate with us. Rona reads an excerpt from her powerful writing, "The Ritual," and shares how holding space for grief is important for both individual and collective healing. We also talk about ways we can fully support one another in grief rather than bypassing or adding to the burden of each other's grief, including being mindful of "grief dumping" without permission, and finding ways to repair when we misattune or unintentionally hurt people who are grieving. Rona is an incredible light in the world whose work, writing, compassionate advocacy, and unbounded love for her daughter, Naima, continues to promote healing not just for bereaved parents, but for us all.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

More about Rona: Rona Fernandez (https://ronafernandez.com/) is a writer, dancer, fundraiser, activist, wife and #stillmother (a mother with no living children) who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Rumpus, The Colored Lens, Devilfish Review and the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, as well as the groundbreaking anthology What God is Honored Here: An Anthology on Miscarriage and Infant Loss, the first collection of writings by Native women and women of color on this topic. Rona is an alumna of the VONA/Voices workshop for writers of color, the Macondo Writers Workshop and the Tin House novel workshops. She is currently at work on a climate fiction novel set in the near future in California. You can find her on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ronagirl) and Medium(https://medium.com/@ronafernandez).

References & Additional Resources

1. What God is Honored Here (https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/what-god-is-honored-here)

2. At a Loss: Finding Your Way After Miscarriage, Stillbirth of Infant Death by Donna Rothert, PhD. She also has a blog (http://seeingthestrals.com/).

3. Rona's web site (https://ronafernandez.com/) which includes her blog and some pieces about grief and baby loss

4. Tear Soup: A Recipe for Healing After Loss (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tear-soup-pat-schwiebert/1101968561)

5. Still Mothers web site (http://www.stillmothers.com/) and Facebook page. There are several Still Mothers (https://www.facebook.com/wearestillmothers/) support groups on Facebook that are only open to mothers with no living children.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Wise mind, wise gut: Supporting the gut-brain axis

In this week's episode I discuss the gut-microbiome-brain axis and how it affects different aspects of our health and well-being. I begin by talking about the how the microbiome is one of the five natural defense systems in the body and ways that it is impacted by the foods we eat and how we digest them. I also highlight the impact of an imbalanced microbiome on a host of mental and physical health problems in ourselves, as well as its impact intergenerationally.  Throughout this episode I highlight scientific research that demonstrates the connection between our gut and our brain – emotionally and physiologically - and weave in evidence-based principles and strategies drawn from Eastern and Western medicine for taking care of this gut-microbiome-axis in order to promote longevity, holistic wellness, and healing. I close with a brief mindfulness practice intended to help ground us before and/or after meals, and to enhance awareness of the internal emotions, sensations, and thoughts we may be experiencing and bringing in to mealtime, in order to enhance our ability to digest and more fully process foods and their nutrients.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

References & Additional Resources

1. Bear, T. L., Dalziel, J. E., Coad, J., Roy, N. C., Butts, C. A., & Gopal, P. K. (2020). The role of the gut microbiota in dietary interventions for depression and anxiety. Advances in Nutrition, 11(4), 890-907.

2. Cryan, J. F., & Dinan, T. G. (2012). Mind-altering microorganisms: the impact of the gut microbiota on brain and behaviour. Nature reviews neuroscience, 13(10), 701-712.

3. Li, William W. Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself. Hachette UK, 2019.

4. Mayer, E. (2018). The mind-gut connection: How the hidden conversation within our bodies impacts our mood, our choices, and our overall health. HarperCollins.

5. Sanada, K., Nakajima, S., Kurokawa, S., Barceló-Soler, A., Ikuse, D., Hirata, A., ... & Kishimoto, T. (2020). Gut microbiota and major depressive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of affective disorders, 266, 1-13.

6. Simpson, C. A., Diaz-Arteche, C., Eliby, D., Schwartz, O. S., Simmons, J. G., & Cowan, C. S. (2020). The gut microbiota in anxiety and depression–A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 101943.

7. Yang, B., Wei, J., Ju, P., & Chen, J. (2019). Effects of regulating intestinal microbiota on anxiety symptoms: a systematic review. General psychiatry, 32(2).

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

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Grief without a physical death: Honoring a spectrum of losses

In this episode, I speak with Amy Wright Glenn about what it means to live in a grief-denying, grief-phobic culture, and steps we can take to work toward shifting this culture. We also talk about grieving losses that don't involve a physical death (e.g., estrangements, challenging relationships with caregivers, loved ones with mental health challenges, visions for who we think we might have been had it not been for trauma and other adverse life experiences) and how these losses can get encoded in our memories and stored in our bodies even if they occurred at an early age. We also discuss how our early models for relating to emotions affect our own processing of grief and relationship to grieving. We also talk about the intersection of grief and gratitude, and how the two can co-exist without gratitude bypassing or minimizing the genuine pain of grief and loss.

Amy Wright Glenn earned her MA in Religion and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught for eleven years in The Religion and Philosophy Department at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey earning the Dunbar Abston Jr. Chair for Teaching Excellence. Amy is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, (CD)DONA birth doula, hospital chaplain, Birthing Mama® Prenatal Yoga and  Wellness Teacher Trainer and a regular contributor to PhillyVoice wherein she writes on mindfulness, spirituality, parenting, ethics, birthing, and dying.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

More about Amy: Amy is the founder of the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death (https://birthbreathanddeath.com) and the author of Birth, Breath, and Death: Meditations on Motherhood, Chaplaincy, and Life as a Doula and Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go. To connect further with Amy, follow her on IG (@birthbreathanddeath or @amy_wright_glenn).

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Embodied Ayurveda: Tools for balance & alignment

In today's episode, I speak with Ivy Ingram, an Ayurvedic Practitioner and yoga teacher, about the wisdom and science of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest holistic healing system's and originated in India over 5,000 years ago. We highlight specific Ayurvedic tools for managing stress and supporting and maintaining true balance and alignment in our lives, including how to take a preventative approach to health and healing. We describe Ayurveda's teachings regarding our constitutions and ways that learning about our constitutions can help us harmonize with our internal rhythms and those of nature. And if you have every experienced that 2-4pm crash, or the "tired but wired" or "second wind" feeling around 10pm, we encourage you to tune in to learn more about what Ayurveda recommends in these situations. Importantly, we talk about ways Ayurveda can empower us to shape the path of our own health and healing through listening both to the guidance of our inner wisdom and to nature.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

About Ivy: Ivy Ingram is an Ayurveda Practitioner and yoga teacher offering education and natural support for digestive issues, stress management, women’s health and other concerns. With a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, she has been helping clients experience deeper health and healing for over 17 years. She is a former faculty member of the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico under the direction of Dr. Vasant Lad. She received her Ayurveda Practitioner certification from Dr. Lad in 2014 after an intensive 2-year clinical training program. She also studied Ayurveda in southern India for 6 months and returns almost every year for further training with her primary teachers there.

A certified 500-hour advanced yoga teacher, Ivy began teaching yoga in 2002 after completing two 200-hour yoga teacher trainings, one with Integrative Yoga Therapy and one with Kripalu Yoga Center. She completed a 300-hour advanced teacher training in Ayuryoga at the Ayurvedic Institute, integrating the principles of Ayurveda and yoga as healing practices. She has also completed professional coach training with Presence-Based Coaching. A dedicated student of Vedic chant and Sanskrit, Ivy is fascinated by the power of sound, poetry and the spoken word in healing. To connect with Ivy, find her on Instagram @ivyingramhealth or on her website: www.ivyingram.com.

References & Additional Resources

1. O'Donnell, Kate. (2020) The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care: Rhythms, Routines, and Home Remedies for Natural Healing. Shambhala.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Self-forgiveness, repair, & committed action

In this week's episode, I focus on self-forgiveness from both a psychological and contemplative/meditative perspective: what it means to self-forgive and ways we can practice self-forgiveness. I share some of the psychological research to date on the benefits of self-forgiveness and then draw on this research to discuss some specific strategies for engaging in the practice of self-forgiveness: 1) acknowledgement and accountability; 2) self-understanding through the lens of self-compassion; 3) intra- and interpersonal amends-making and repair; and 4) committed action. I end with a guided meditation focused on self-forgiveness that incorporates many of these strategies.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

References & Additional Resources

1. Cornish, M. A., & Wade, N. G. (2015a). A therapeutic model of self-forgiveness with intervention strategies for counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 93, 96–104.

2. Enright, R. D. (1996). Counseling within the forgiveness triad: On forgiving, receiving forgiveness, and self‐forgiveness. Counseling and values, 40(2), 107-126.

3. Jacinto, G. A., & Edwards, B. L. (2011). Therapeutic stages of forgiveness and self-forgiveness. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 21(4), 423–437.

4. Pelucchi S, Paleari FG, Regalia C, Fincham FD. Self-forgiveness in romantic relationships: It matters to both of us. J Fam Psychol. 2013;27(4):541-549. 

5. Peterson SJ, Van Tongeren DR, Womack SD, Hook JN, Davis DE, Griffin BJ. The benefits of self-forgiveness on mental health: Evidence from correlational and experimental research. J Posit Psychol. 2017;12(2):159-168. 

6. Rasmussen KR, Stackhouse M, Boon SD, Comstock K, Ross R. Meta-analytic connections between forgiveness and health: The moderating effects of forgiveness-related distinctions. Psychol Health. 2019;34(5):515-534.

7. Whited MC, Wheat AL, Larkin KT. The influence of forgiveness and apology on cardiovascular reactivity and recovery in response to mental stress. J Behav Med. 2010;33(4):293-304.

8. Woodyatt, L., Worthington, E. L., Wenzel, M., & Griffin, B. J. (2017). Orientation to the psychology of self-forgiveness. In Handbook of the psychology of self-forgiveness (pp. 3-16). Springer, Cham.

9. Worthington, E. L., Jr. (2013). Moving forward: Six steps to forgiving yourself and breaking free from the past. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.

The Wisdom of Envy

In this episode I talk about envy and the ways in which we can learn from its wisdom. I begin by talking about the neuroscience of envy and the ways in which it serves an important purpose in our lives, even though envy can be extremely painful and has its potential harms and costs. When we know how to work with and learn from envy, we can relate to it in a way that helps us meet unmet needs and live in closer alignment with ourselves and our values. In addition to offering some key strategies that can help envy become a less dominant force in our lives, I'll also share a meditation that I created focused on learning from the wisdom of envy. I hope this meditation will support you in navigating envy when it shows up in your life. Although I invite you to listen to the whole episode in order to help contextualize the meditation and understand the intention of each component, the meditation begins at 45:58.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

References & Additional Resources

1. Kristal, A. C., O’Brien, E., & Caruso, E. M. (2019). Yesterday’s news: A temporal discontinuity in the sting of inferiority. Psychological science, 30(5), 643-656.

2. Takahashi, H., Kato, M., Matsuura, M., Mobbs, D., Suhara, T., & Okubo, Y. (2009). When Your Gain Is My Pain and Your Pain Is My Gain: Neural Correlates of Envy and Schadenfreude Science, 323 (5916), 937-939.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Yoga as a mirror: Life alignment on and off the mat

In this week’s episode I talk with Einat Peled-Katz about ways in which we can seek greater alignment with our values and the truest versions of ourselves through our yoga practice. We explore not just the physical practice of yoga (asana), but the 8-limbed path of yoga, and ways in which each of these limbs can give us an opportunity to cultivate this practice of living in alignment. We also talk about yoga asana as a mirror that can help us learn more about ourselves. Through personal examples, we discuss how yoga asana can shine a light on how we are showing up in our lives off the mat and help us work through intense emotions.

To connect more with Dr. Foynes:

1. Check out the free 4-part video series on building resilience: https://melissafoynes.com/free-series

2. 1:1 Coaching Program: https://melissafoynes.com/1-1-program

3. Follow @drfoynes on Instagram.

More about Einat: Einat is a native of Israel. She grew up as a classically trained violinist and later served as an army officer.  She took her first yoga class in Boston in 2006 and for the first time discovered a physical activity which she actually liked. As her body grew stronger and more flexible yoga became a daily practice. The practice was a revelation. The experience of being embodied provided a means of self-exploration and discovery, and also allowed her to express herself creatively once again, something that was missing from her life for far too long. Yoga brought her balance, clarity and strength. It led her back to herself, but also placed her right at the starting line of a lifelong practice. Previously, she suffered from stage anxiety that caused her to set aside her violin.  Practicing yoga, not just asana, but the study of the teachings, helped her transform her old fears into opportunities for growth and courage. These days she loves playing violin with her two kids and husband. Einat's teachers include Natasha Rizopolous, Patricia Walden, Barbara Benagh, and Jane Cargill. You can connect more with Einat via instagram (@einatpk) or her website: https://www.einatpeledkatz.com/welcome

References & Additional Resources

1. Easwaran, E. (2017). The Bhagavad Gita for daily living.

2. Mitchell, S. (2007). Bhagavad Gita: A new translation. Harmony.

Please note that the information provided in this episode does not constitute professional advice or therapy, mental health services, or health care services, and is not intended to serve as a substitute for professional advice or services. If you are struggling with a mental health crisis or need immediate assistance, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.