Narrator  00:00

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  00:14

When you notice that, uh oh, I’m getting into that situation that might be overwhelming. Just take a moment and stop whatever you’re doing, just kind of drop it. Stop. But then, as you stop, take a deep breath.

Angel Tapia  00:41

Hello, and welcome to Wellness Evolution podcast. I’m your host Angel, and today, our guest is Dr. Alejandro Chaoul, the Founder and Director of the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute in Houston, Texas. He’s a Senior Teacher at The Three Doors and has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 1989, studying with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama and other renowned leaders. He is an Adjunct Professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Integrative Medicine Program, where he teaches Tibetan meditation to cancer patients, their families, and caregivers, and researchers, and how that affects of Tibetan Mind Body practices with Cancer Patients can be affected. Alejandro was recently named a fellow of the Mind and Life Institute. Hi, Alejandro, thank you so much for joining me today.

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  01:33

Hi, Angel, thank you for inviting me.

Angel Tapia  01:35

The American Academy of Pain Medicine reports that nearly 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. And that living with chronic pain can have a significant impact on a person’s relationship, and quality of life as well as physical and mental health. It also affects their mobility, independence, and ability to work. It’s also common for people with chronic illness to have symptoms of depression, anxiety, and increased stress. What do you see as the connection between that physical and mental pain that so many people may be suffering?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  02:09

You know, a lot of times we we only focus on physical pain as physical pain, meaning that, you know, if I have a pain in my leg, yes, I mean, it’s clearly a problem. And maybe that stops me not only from walking, but maybe from doing exercise, and from maybe depending on my job, in some parts of my job as well. And that’s an important part. However, this also have, as you well said, mental repercussions, right. So for example, if I can’t do the things I want to do both at a professional or work level, as well as at a personal level, it does start impacting my mental health, it starts impacting psychologically, it starts impacting the way I find to release stress, it impacts my leisure, it impacts the way I relate to others. And having chronic pain is that thing that keeps on bothering you. And so sometimes it may affect for example, your sleep and you keep on turning around depending on where the the pain is. Sometimes it’s just something that it keeps on bugging you, right. And so all these clearly affect your mental disposition and, many times, your mental health, and as you said, including things such increased anxiety, increased stress, and depressive symptoms. And so it’s really important to see how we deal with that, as well as deal with it, not just as a physical issue, but as a, what I would call or others would call, so kind of a Mind Body Issue.

Angel Tapia  04:00

So what are some of the warning signs that you think are important for people to take a look at when assessing if they might be feeling overstressed?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  04:09

One of the first signs is just a sense of discomfort. And discomfort could be physical, but also could be a sense of emotional exhaustion. It could be a sense of not being in the cheerful mood that maybe you usually are. So I mean, again, depending on each person, we were talking both being Latin, you know how in some Latin countries, you know, there’s this always liveliness. So if you are one of those and suddenly you realize what’s going on, you know, when you say, I don’t feel like myself. So that’s one indicator. Also what’s important, so that’s kind of a first person kind of noticing. A second person noticing is someone that either lives with you or knows you or works with you and says, “Hey, you didn’t look good today.” So instead of responding like what do you mean? It’s like, you know, maybe maybe there’s something there. Because if it’s someone who, who cares for me, and they’re mentioning something, maybe there’s something they’re pointing to, to a symptom in a way. And so I think it’s important to notice changes that don’t feel good. You know, as simple as that. Don’t wait until they become really serious. Sometimes these symptoms are hard to catch, at that precise moment when they occur. But maybe it’s a good practice to do a self reflection at night. So before you go to sleep, kind of reviewing a little bit your day, not necessarily about everything, but just kind of a sense of how did it feel. And maybe, suddenly you stop at a place, oh, that didn’t feel good. You know, and maybe it was something that you did, something that someone said to you or whatever. But instead of thinking of it judgmentally, it’s just a sense of, again, noticing it as a warning sign and saying, “oh, okay, should I do something about this?” And then you can decide, but at least, the more you notice it, the more opportunities you have to take care of it.

Angel Tapia  06:29

That leads me to that, you know, question that everyone says there’s good stress, and there’s bad stress. And is, do you believe in that? And what is the rule to determine what a healthy stressor looks like and what a negative stressor looks like?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  06:44

In a way, I think that there’s a difference between stress and stressor. Right? So, stressor could be the storm that might be coming tonight. And that means that will my internet work tomorrow? And will I be able to go to work or whatever, you know, my thinking. Or the stress could be COVID prolonging and the new delta variant, or stress might be, did I lose my job? Stress might be in a, you know, stressor might be in a particular relationship. But stress itself, it’s not that. Stress is how do we respond to that, right? And in general, what happens in that response is there’s a cognitive appraisal of the situation. But if you can’t, then first, you’re in this situation where I don’t know what to do. And maybe I fly away, or I get frustrated, because I couldn’t do it. And if if this happens over and over again, this changes from being acute stress, to chronic stress. Chronic stress is really what is the bad stress. The acute stress is the one that sometimes, you know, the boss at the last minute, tells you to do something more. And if you’re able to tackle it, it actually might be a good stress, or something that happens that you’re not expecting, but able to tackle it, usually, it can be good stress, unless it becomes again, over and over the same thing. Tuition is coming in, oh. It can become chronic stress. So usually, we say that the acute stress, it’s not the problem. It’s the chronic stress. But again, the stressor might be different for different people. What’s important here is that the moment that if we have our sensors about the stress, and we are in tune with our tools, our cognitive appraisal, then again, we’re much more ready for whatever that situation is to be able to use it as a good stress. Because the good stress, remember that the stress is the response to the stressor. Although many times we point to the stressor, as if it was the stress. You know, I say I’m stressed because of COVID, I’m stressed because of my boss, I’m stressed because of my spouse, I’m stressed. And in a way that’s not really right. Those are all stressors. But we have a choice. If you would see me I would be doing choice within quotes, right? Because it doesn’t feel clearly at that moment. It doesn’t feel that you have a choice. But you do. The question is, are we ready? Do we have the tools to really able to feel that it’s a choice. And I think that’s what’s really important to really have more tools so that whatever thing comes to you, you’re able to be more prepared to transform that stressor into good stress rather than bad.

Angel Tapia  10:22

So in talking about patient care and staff, family members, caregivers, in your work with MD Anderson Cancer Center, what do you think is the important way to provide support to family members that are diagnosed with an illness?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  10:42

For a long time, and maybe some people still today think of these illnesses like cancer as a physical illness, but what we realize is the impact that stress has in it. So for example, in terms of cancer itself, not only is just don’t doesn’t feel good, but actually has an impact on metastasizing certain cancers. So we have to think of cancer and many of these chronic illnesses, that it affects the psychosocial aspects as well. Health is really at the intersection of the physical, of the emotional, of the psychosocial. And so we need to see those parts. And today again, with COVID, we’re learning how the social component is important, the psychological and emotional components are important. And all of these are important in terms of health. So how do you support patients, families and caregivers, during chronic illness? Well, finding ways that address their psychosocial issues. So for example, when you’re diagnosed, whether it’s cancer or other chronic illnesses, what’s going on, sometimes you have exactly that fight, flight, or freeze response. A lot of people freeze. And then everything the doctor says right after that they don’t hear at all. How can we, as healthcare providers, help them understand, you know, give them time, may be repeat it, but then find ways of what are what do they need. So, for example, when I was working in the Integrative Medicine Center at MD Anderson, we would discuss the patient’s situation, not just as a, you know, whatever, 56 year old breast cancer patient with metastatic, you know, instead it’s okay, this is a woman who has this history, not only clinical history, but is married, lives in the US or lives in Dominican Republic, or lives in Russia or whatever, you know, and they’re coming here. They have social support, they don’t have social support, they have insurance, they don’t have insurance, what’s the what are all the things? As in medical anthropology, they say, it’s not just about the disease, it’s about the illness experience. What’s going on in this person that is living through this situation and how can we address it? And so then we see, right, are there things that we can address with things such as massage, or acupuncture or there things that we need to bring meditation or yoga or other things where we need to bring a psychologist? What are the different things that are useful? And where’s the research? Where’s the evidence for the things? And this is really important, because it’s not just about throwing all the kitchen sink, it’s about seeing what is useful for that specific situation. Do we have research backing up our decisions? Or if we don’t, are there safe options that we can at least try? And how can they also help the caregivers, which are also going through this? Maybe they’re not the patient, but we call them the second patient as well.

Angel Tapia  14:16

And we know that culture can really influence many things, including how people describe their pain, how they feel, just the communication that they have in a healthcare setting, whether they choose to talk about physical symptoms or emotional symptoms. How do you see some of the cultural stigma about wellness affect different communities?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  14:39

Oh, that’s a big one too. And one of the things we see in a center like in the in general in all the hospitals in the Texas Medical Center, being really the largest medical center in the world. You get people from all over the place flying here for for their health. So you see people from The Middle East, from Latin America, from Europe, and of course, from Africa, you see them, of course, from the US, from the North America, Central America. So you get a variety of people. Now, as you say, there’s lots of cultural differences. So for example, in some cultures, the patient doesn’t want to know anything. And they relegate every, “Oh, please give all the information to my brother to my wife to.” But they don’t think of this informed consent and, and that the patient needs to be the one who makes the decision. They have a very different different way of looking at, and the family sometimes can get really upset if the doctors tells the patient what’s going on with them. So I think it’s important to, from the start, bring that up. And some doctors are more aware than others. One of the advantages of, in general, most of the hospitals here, is that not only the patients come from all these countries, but the healthcare providers too. And so you find of all these different situations. So when when we talk about translation, it’s not just language translation it’s culture translation. You know, in some cultures, for example, female patients feel inhibited to be attended by male physician or a male. In some cases, also, the spiritual component is very important. In some it’s not. I think it’s important to, to know as much as you can from the patient, because the patient, is not just the clinical chart, that’s just one aspect of the patient. The patient can inform so much, that you might change the way that you bring, you know, the different therapeutic options for the patient, the more you know, for the patient. Of course, many of our health care providers, particularly physicians, in these hospitals, only have six to eight minutes with the patient. So partly it’s again, changing the system to support physicians being able to be more time, to be able to be rested and not start thinking, “Oh, I need to leave because I need to see my next patient.”

Angel Tapia  17:32

And when you talk about the diversity, it also makes me think of the spirituality and religion aspect of it. Those are such important lenses by which people look at mental health and physical well being. And I wonder how cutting through some of that dogma to show people that mindfulness is something that’s based more on the kind of that internal peace and well being versus just a religious practice, per se. I know that it’s something that can bring a lot of peace of mind and healing and just slow down those racing thoughts. Personally, in trying to share that within my family, being Hispanic, it’s always seen with some resistance, because they see it as very much a religious practice. So what are ways to kind of help those that don’t fully understand the, the mindfulness and how vast it is, as far as just it being something very internal and more about peace?

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  18:36

Yeah, that’s a good point. I think first religion, it’s, it’s, it’s a very important coping tool and spirituality is too. Now, spirituality doesn’t have to be religious, right? As one of my mentors, Rabbi Karff, would say, you know, there’s religious spirituality and there’s religious spirituality. So for those who find in spirituality, tools, that is fine, but for many, that’s not the place. Talk about music. Music is something that for many, it’s a way of connecting, connecting to that spiritual aspect of themselves. What brings meaning to you? That these practices actually are very useful in releasing, releasing stress in reducing stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and again, they’re not just used by themselves. So it’s not alternative medicine. This is in support, in conjunction with all the other aspects of medicine.

Angel Tapia  19:37

I feel like I could talk to you all day, because all of this I know is just touching on the surface of this, you know, bigger picture of just overall wellness and health, mental and physical and, you know, just the environment around us. So I want to thank you, Dr. Alejandro Chaoul for taking time to speak with me, to be able to connect with our listeners to share your knowledge and wisdom, and for us to be able to use these tips going forward. Thank you so much.

Dr. Alejandro Chaoul  20:10

Thank you. And let me end with a tip that I’ve been finding really useful, and that it’s called the Stop Formula. So stop as an acronym. When you get when you notice, right, going to that first question, when you notice that, uh oh, I’m getting into that situation that might be overwhelming. Just take a moment and stop whatever you’re doing, just kind of drop it, stop. But then as you stop, T is take a deep breath. And really try and bring that breath not just into your chest, but bringing lower to that abdomen to your abdomen, and breathe in and out a few times. As you all just observe, kind of notice how you feel. Be open and observe. And then if you’re ready, P proceed. Or maybe you need just a few more, take a deep breath and observe before you proceed. You know you could do it in 30 seconds, in one minute, maximum two minutes. And what you’re doing is you’re disengaging from that stress response, reconnecting to that relaxation response and giving you the opportunity to act instead of react and this can be very helpful.

Angel Tapia  21:54

The Wellness Evolution podcast and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  22:22

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:01

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Danielle Ali  00:11

Hello, and welcome to our mini series Breathing Through Pain. I’m your host Danielle Ali, and I hope you will join me on this breathing journey as I continue to learn how to evolve my wellness. Each week, I will talk about a topic that can impact a person’s well being and a corresponding breathing technique. Life moves fast, and these episodes are meant to be five minutes or less to gently remind you to take the time and listen to your breath. Many people tend to attach meditation and breathing as one in the same. Today on our first episode of Breathing Through The Pain, we will briefly talk about the differences and lead you through a basic breathing technique. Deep breathing is a tool used in meditation. However, meditation is not a form of breathing and breathing is not a form of meditation. Breath work and meditation are used together. But most meditation is an observation of your breath. What we hope to do in this mini series is to manipulate and control our breath based on what our body may need to release. Doing breath work has been proven to help regulate your central nervous system when your body is overstimulated with feelings and emotions such as fear, anger, grief, and anxiety, which has been proven to impair your life. Today we will start with just 10 deep breaths and see how we feel. I’ll ring my bells twice and begin to breathe. Go on your own pace. Breathe as much as you can in and release as much as you can out. Between breaths if you want to take a short pause and then before you start your next breath do so. This is your time. Get comfortable. Get your mind prepared that the only thing you should focus on for the next minute or so is taking ten deep breaths. Ready? *Bell Rings Twice* *Bell Rings* Wait a moment, start to regulate your breathing back to normal. Maybe reflect on how you’re feeling now to how you were feeling before this small exercise. I know I feel as I just woke up. I hope you got if this helpful, and I hope to see you back for our next breathing session

Angel Tapia  05:12

The Wellness Evolution podcast and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  05:27

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:00

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network

Rebecca Council  00:13

You have to find that type of thing that works for you. And mine just came because I was watching my dog swim one day, and he felt better. And I was like, huh.

Angel Tapia  00:30

Hello, and welcome to Wellness Evolution. I’m your host, Angel. And today, our guest is Rebecca Council. She is a social media strategist who battles with chronic pain, RA, and OA on a daily basis. Today, she’s here to share some of her story and learnings with us. Hi, Rebecca, and thank you so much for joining me.

Rebecca Council  00:49

Thanks for having me.

Angel Tapia  00:51

I’ve known you for some time. And I know that you are an amazing soul. I’d love for you to share some of your story about maybe challenges, triumphs that you overcame, when you were first initially diagnosed with a chronic illness.

Rebecca Council  01:07

So the first time that I noticed it, I was working out. And I noticed that I was having a lot of pain in my knees. And so I went to my doctor, and she gave me a referral for osteo surgeon and realized that I had no cartilage in my knee. And so I have a bionic knee now is what I like to say. A couple of months after that, I started getting swollen joints in my fingers. It’s weird, because your joints are always the same size. But whenever you have swollen joints, just the joint, and your finger starts popping up higher. And it was weird. I really thought I broke my finger. And so she sent me to a rheumatologist. And I found out that I have rheumatoid arthritis as well. We’ve tried a lot of different medications. And we’ve decided that works, what works best for me, is a mixture of methotrexate and Xeljanz. You know, there are some days when I wake up in the morning, and I can’t physically get out of bed because my joints won’t move. There are times when my spouse has to like massage my fingers and move my joints and rotate my ankles so that they start feeling better and I can get out of bed and be halfway functional. You know, it’s a lot of crying, and I can’t do this anymore. And why does this happen to me and you know, all that stuff that you go through when you first get diagnosed and start feeling the pain until you realize that it’s just part of who you are. When you bring up all of the emotions that go into being diagnosed and going through surgeries and going through trying different medications, we always talk about just the correlation between the physical and mental wellness, and the importance of that. So what are the things that you see as far as challenges or motivation to get through some of those challenges that may happen? I love hanging out with my wife and I like being around my animals. And I think that even whenever I have what are called bad days, that just being able to lay in bed and have them like up on the bed with me or laying on the couch and having my dog just laying next to me on the floor is good. And she can often tell when I’m not feeling well because she’ll sniff me and then she just lays down on the floor. And if I start to move in a little bit of pain, she sits up and looks at me to make sure that I’m okay. And it’s weird, in the last year she’s become completely deaf. And her attitude of life has not changed. She’s still the same honoree dog that she’s always been. And so I like to think that I get some of my mood changing attitudes from her because she’s completely lost everything that, you know, she loved and she’s still happy. And so I’m thinking sometimes I need to think about stuff like that. It’s not something that I did, I didn’t cause it, it just happens. And so I think sometimes the way that you think about things can make you feel a little bit better or a little bit worse.

Angel Tapia  04:45

And I think that having pets is definitely part of our healthcare team. They bring so much to us and definitely help with helping us feel better.  Mood is a big part of that, companionship, and just releasing stress. There’s so many benefits of having those furry friends that can get us through some of those difficult times. What are some of the ways that you feel family and your wife has supported you throughout your surgeries and flares or just, you know, learning about yourself throughout this diagnosis?

Rebecca Council  05:20

She really has grown to understand, like my face changes when I’m feeling pain, and I don’t want anybody to know, because when you’re out in public, you don’t want people to know that you’re always in constant pain. And so she’s learned to like read my face and learn to read the way that I stand or the way that I sit. And so that way, she’s more gentle with, “Okay, I think it’s time for us to go, you know,” and I don’t, it doesn’t always have to be, “Oh, Rebecca is not feeling well, we’re gonna go, it’s just it’s time for us to go”. And we’ve set time limits on how long I will be sitting a certain way or standing a certain way or things like that. Because with arthritis, if your joints are stiff, if you’re still too long, sometimes that can cause a lot of pain to come on. I think without her, I probably would just lay in bed and like cry all day, on some days. And she understands like when I need a hot pack, or when I need an ice pack without me having to tell her that I need one because some days, I don’t really even know that I might benefit from having an ice or a heat pack on me. She helped me realize I’m not troubling her, I’m being an advocate for myself for what I need.

Angel Tapia  06:40

And I love that you said you all have cues and understanding. And part of that is saying it’s time for US to go, it’s not a highlight on you not feeling well. It’s unified we which I think is a beautiful sign of of support. And with that I wondered if there were any challenges that you experienced or stigmas while tending to your health, and being part of the LGBTQ community?

Rebecca Council  07:08

The LGBT community is probably one of the most understanding communities around because they have, there’s more than just one type of illness that affects the LGBT community. And we have lots of different stigmas that affect us as well. Unless they’re like my inner circle, they probably don’t know how much pain I get into. They probably think, “Oh, well, you know, she probably has a little bit of pain or, you know, I’ve seen her on social media and she has swollen joints.” I don’t really get a lot of stigma from them. I will tell you a story. I went, the first rheumatologist that I went to, she was very much a bad doctor. I was in pain that day. And it was a really good day for me to go. Because then I thought, well, if I’m having a flare, then she could definitely see it, right? So I was wearing a baseball cap and I wasn’t exactly in the best of moods, probably not a good choice to go when you’re not in a good mood. But she told me she said, “You know, you probably should take off your baseball cap. You have a really pretty face and it looks thinner if you’re not wearing your cap.” Okay, first of all, don’t talk about my cap. And you know, I’m not the skinniest person on earth, I will tell you that. And she said, “You know, you probably don’t have rheumatoid arthritis. You’re a little overweight. And so you probably have diabetes.” And I was like, no, I don’t have diabetes. She’s like, “Are you sure?” And I said, “Yeah, I mean, I get bloodwork done through my, my primary care physician. I don’t have diabetes.” And she’s like, “Well, let’s do some tests.” And I said, “Well, how about this? How about I leave, and then I report you to the board, because you’re trying to give me a diagnosis that I know I don’t have.” My A1C is perfect. Like it’s never been high, it’s never been low. Some places where you think that you don’t get stigmas, you actually get the most stigmas. And so I think about that, and I think about my place in my community, and they are just the most welcoming people that I think I’ve ever met. And I think it’s too because, you know, we come into a lot of stigma. We have people who don’t think that we should be able to love who we love, and we don’t, they don’t think that, you know, we should be able to fly our flags and the whole thing around pride. And so we have a lot of stigmas inherently just because of who we are. And so when you add in health situations, I think that they’re like, “Oh, okay, well she has this.” And so sometimes they ask me if, you know, if I mind talking about it, because you know, they want to learn. Maybe they have a grandmother who has it and so they want to like compare symptoms because you know, they take care of her which is always fun to do. There’s not a whole lot of bad stigmas around chronic pain, RA, OA, inside of the community itself.

Angel Tapia  10:10

Is there any place where you feel like, as we’re talking about that self love and that acceptance, whether it be through through an illness or you know, your personal identification that you found peace for yourself and acceptance for yourself? Was there something that you think increased that openness of acceptance, because personal is always the most important, but are there any things that you felt kind of help aid you to get to that safe place?

Rebecca Council  10:42

Like the Arthritis Foundation here in Houston, when I first found out I had arthritis, I joined them and I was active in a lot of their events early on. And I found a rheumatologist who really cared and really understood and goes as far as he can to like, keep checks on us. And you know, he does x-rays on our hands and our joints to make sure that it’s not progressing that way. I think just having a community around that understood whenever I first got it, so that I understood better, was really helpful. I think just having those kinds of people in your life is really good. It’s helpful to have friends and people in your community who really understand what you’re going through. And even there’s Facebook groups, and there’s online groups. And even the Facebook groups are really supportive when it comes to arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis and things like that.

Angel Tapia  11:43

Do you feel like sometimes the idea that there are pharmaceutical and homeopathic treatments that can complement each other to support better health?

Rebecca Council  11:58

I think that everybody is different. So I think that what works for one person doesn’t always work for others. For me, what I do is I add a lot of tumeric to my food, just because I know that it has a lot of health benefits. I didn’t think that this would work at first. And so sometimes when my ankles are hurting really bad, I put frankincense oil on the bottom of my feet. My mom swears that putting onions in your socks works for her. And that’s where if that works for her, that’s great. I don’t really want my feet smelling like onions. To say that there’s combinations of things that work well, I think it just depends on the person. But for me, I do like the combination, because I don’t. I mean, I take a lot of medication and I don’t think that if I just took all medication all the time, I don’t know if I would always be willing to take the medication because some days when I’m filling my pill things for the week, I’m like God, do I have this much medication really. It’s hard sometimes but you know it’s a day in the life of somebody with chronic pain and rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. Sometimes you think oh, well, exercise works. I had an exercise bike for a while. And I realized that when I was getting off of it, I was in more pain than when I got on it. So we got road bikes and the physical bikes that you ride outside, for me, are a lot better than the exercise bike. For me whenever I get into the pool, dog paddling works well for me for my shoulders and my ankles versus swimming like doing the backstroke or the breaststroke or you know, just whatever. You have to find that type of thing that works for you. And mine just came because I was watching my dog swim one day and he felt better. And I was like, Huh, okay, this doesn’t hurt as bad as the other stuff. And then when I got out of the pool, I realized that I didn’t hurt as much as I did when I got in.

Angel Tapia  14:27

That is so cool. Lessons are everywhere. Lessons are everywhere. So I love this. I love this. I’m sure your dog is going to the dog park and is also bragging on you by the way. It’s a mutual love I’m sure of this. Well, thank you very much, my friend. I appreciate your time. I thank you so much for sharing your story and some of your insight on these topics so that we can make sure that we share with our listeners so that they know that you’re not alone in these experiences. Everyone is very unique, but we can always find things that we can relate to or that we can gain inspiration from to help us on our journeys.

Rebecca Council  15:19

True, thank you for having me.

Angel Tapia  15:35

The Wellness Evolution podcasts and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  15:58

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the gGobal Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:01

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Danielle Ali  00:11

Hello, and welcome to our mini series Breathing Through Pain. I’m your host, Danielle Ali. And I hope you will join me on this breathing journey as I continue to learn how to evolve my wellness. Each week, I will talk about a topic that can impact a person’s well being and a corresponding breathing technique. Life moves fast, and these episodes are meant to be five minutes or less, to gently remind you to take the time and listen to your breath. Living with a chronic illness has its own set of daily suffering and struggle. Being human has its own set of built in emotions and suffering we all collectively share. We’ve spoke about how the levels of anxiety people feel are rising. And we touched upon a bunch of techniques you can go through that might help you. But breathing is not a one size fits all. We all have different and unique connections with our body. Conversations around anxiety and how it can trigger a world of emotion and deregulate your nervous system is important. One technique that you can use to help stimulate the vagus nerve that activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which relaxes the body, is a technique created by Peter Levine, the Voo Technique. So here are the instructions; get seated, find a place to sit where you can rest. Place your feet on the floor and rest comfortably. You can close your eyes if you feel safe, or if you choose keep your eyes open but just a low fixed gaze. First you want to notice your breath. Right now, as it is, settle into your breathing. Just notice each breath cycle as it comes in and out. Don’t change anything. Now to begin, you allow yourself to take a deep breath in through your nose, fill your belly with air. Be sure you are truly breathing into your belly and not your chest. You will know that your belly is breathing if you breathe in and your shoulders don’t keep moving up and down while you breathe. When you breathe out, you’re going to make the sound with the word Voo for three counts, or as long as you can comfortably exhale. The longer the better. Allow the sound to vibrate and resonate in your chest, your arms, and even your legs. Feel and enjoy the deep vibrations the Voo presents and repeat the cycles, giving yourself time in between cycles. This breath technique you continue cycles for three to five minutes as long as you’re enjoying the breath cycles. We know that three to five minutes of breathing can actually change your oxygen levels in your blood and begin to stimulate positive change in your neurochemistry. After your cycles, bring your focus back to the room. Bring your awareness back to your body, maybe twisting your wrists or ankles. And when you’re ready, open your eyes and return to the room. Each cycle give yourself time to regulate your breath. This can cause a little bit of light headiness if you’re doing cycle after cycle so listen to your body. We’ll run through a cycle together ready.  One more. Wait a moment, start to regulate your breathing back to normal. Once your breath has regulated take note of how you’re feeling now to how you were feeling prior to the small exercise. I hope you found this helpful. Until next time.

Angel Tapia  05:19

Wellness Evolution Podcast and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  05:36

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:00

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Jennifer Gabiola  00:12

Being Asian, there’s a unspoken expectation in your purpose for being here, and it’s to work. You have to prove your value through your work. Through being successful, through how much money you make. It’s just on my healing journey, I had to really take a lot of time to unravel that.

Angel Tapia  00:39

Hello, and welcome to Wellness Evolution, where we understand that learning how to live with a chronic illness while maintaining your physical, mental, and emotional well being is challenging, but definitely not impossible. I’m your host Angel, and our guest today is Jennifer Gabiola, who has a passion for helping introverted leaders build brands that make a big impact.  Hi, Jennifer, and thank you so much for joining me today.

Jennifer Gabiola  01:05

Hi, Angel, I’m honored to be here. Thank you for allowing me to support your community.

Angel Tapia  01:16

I’m very excited to have this interview with you. I have known you for some time. And I know you have so much to bring to our community and amazing experiences. I know you’ve had 24 years of experience in branding and design, can you share with us what brought you to this career path?

Jennifer Gabiola  01:34

Sure, I’ve always loved art. And I always knew that, as far as my career, I would make money doing some sort of art. I love getting to the core essence of something and then helping to express that, communicate that clearly. So with branding and marketing, it’s like getting down to the core of that, and then expressing that in a really meaningful and concise way, so the right people know that they need you. And how that is connected with my business is I help introverted leaders really on their quiet voice and their fierce power to build brands that make a big impact. And so I incorporate heart centered strategy, exquisite graphic design, and really soulful, personal presence and style. I really take a really holistic approach to branding so that these leaders, these quiet leaders really embody that sense of quiet power. That way they can really make the impact they’re meant to make with their business. And what’s interesting is on my journey, my entrepreneurial journey, it wasn’t like a master plan. I feel like God has made my entrepreneur journey a spiritual journey. After I graduated college, I had a very successful career as a design director. And it was for 12 years. And unfortunately, I lost that job. And that was, I’d say the lowest points, one of the lowest points of my life, a real turning point, because I identified my sense of self with my job, and my image. And everything, who I thought I was, was based on everything on the outside. And so I lost my job. And I was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. When I was diagnosed, I was already burnt out at my job. So I knew that I had to find a way. I knew that I couldn’t sustain the same way moving forward. So when I was diagnosed, I took that as a sign that I really had to change my life. I knew that instinctively, I had to find a way to unravel what was going on on the inside. And to me, there’s a direct correlation between your spirit and your physical health. So being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was really a hidden blessing for me to really recognize my own strength in my own, like, who I really was, what what I was really made of.

Angel Tapia  03:53

And I think it’s amazing that you share that because the reality is, people see that when you have an illness, a diagnosis that creates some limitations, there’s all these false stigmas that can happen and it makes people see you sometimes in a limited way, when actually, as you said, it can open different ways of seeing things, of doing things, and being proactive and advocating for yourself. Were there any challenges or support that you think was pivotal when you were first diagnosed and kind of sharing that with friends and family?

Jennifer Gabiola  04:33

After I saw that rheumatologist, I had a friend of mine, who suggested I see a holistic nutritionist. And so, you know, I felt kind of desperate. So I was like, I have nothing to lose. So I went, and she suggested I change my diet. And she said, cut out sugar and flour, and bread, and I was like, “But I love. You’re talking about things that I love.” And she’s like, “Do you want to stay in pain? Just try it for a few weeks.” And I was like, okay. And literally within two weeks, like my pain subsided, I was shocked. And then around that time, someone suggested this book by Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life. Basically, this book talks about possible spiritual connections to different illnesses. And so I looked up rheumatoid arthritis, and it said, very self critical, doesn’t like authority. And I was like, oh my god, that was the first time that I really took a such a deeper look at myself. And I was like, that’s me. That’s me. And I again, even though I didn’t understand how I would heal, I recognize there was resonance with that I was like, that is me. Even though I don’t want to admit it, I’m very hard on myself. And I don’t like being told what to do. And so again, I was I felt like I was being led to take a really spiritual, holistic approach to my healing and not just changing my diet. I did go to yoga, which also helped. But also taking a deeper spiritual connection and taking personal responsibility on like, how I actually think about myself. And so my journey has been really a journey of self acceptance and self love, really, because thinking about how I was before to how I am now, it’s pretty miraculous. I don’t even recognize that person anymore. Because I feel like a more whole human being now.

Angel Tapia  06:24

And it’s amazing that you say that, because I do feel there’s that connection between the physical and the mental. We have to realize that all of the things that come into our, our physical body or psyche can be very connected, and one can definitely be dependent of the other in the experiences that we have in those outcomes of what we do. And do you also feel that when talking about the health, physical aspect, that there is also that mental connection, when someone is dealing with a chronic illness?

Jennifer Gabiola  07:01

Yeah, definitely, I feel, to me, the physical symptoms are a outward expression of what’s going on in the inside. That’s how I experienced my healing journey. The more I allowed myself to be more gentle and loving, and kind and easy with myself, the more my symptoms would subside. There’s no coincidence, when people hear that you have some sort of chronic illness, sometimes people perceive you like, “Oh, you’re disabled.” And for me, I never identified with that. It’s like, well, this is what I’m dealing with. But I’m not, I didn’t identify with the word disabled, because I felt like God gave me strength in it, maybe it’s packaged in a different way, but I’m not lacking something.

Angel Tapia  07:52

And I think that’s a great way to put it is that there isn’t anything lacking, there is a difference. And different things are not always bad things. They are ways to look at something and create something new to have perspective, to have a different angle, to be creative about to learn from. So I think it’s a beautiful way to look at it and know that a disability can be a challenge, but it is something that is not impossible to overcome and to come out with a better quality of life. Sometimes we are looking at our overall health versus before a diagnosis. Sometimes we’re not focused on those things. And then this brings it into perspective. So I totally hear what you’re saying. And you know, respect that point of view. I think it’s a very positive one. And when we talk about the mental physical connection, positivity is definitely a part of that. Now, I know that style makes up a huge part of your identity. I know that you love fashion, and it’s an outlet for inspiration and for growth. You work with a lot of introverted leaders and give them guidance. So I’m wondering, what are some of the key guidance tips that you’ve given people who may feel challenged and need to find their voice?

Jennifer Gabiola  09:15

A lot of people think of introverts as someone that’s shy or antisocial. But being an introvert just means you need regular quiet times. And I never really identify with labels, but it was only until, I don’t know, maybe four years ago when the word introvert kept coming into my space. So I looked more into it and I felt like God was guiding me to dig deeper into how I’m naturally built. And the more I did that, I tended to attract other people like me, other introverted leaders, but it’s a specific type of introvert, an introvert who really has the sense of power, but they just want to be able to express that in their own way. Styling has always been a sacred practice. So it’s really about connecting with the core essence of who you are and the inside and then from there giving yourself permission to express that from the inside out. So why I love style and why style has really helped me find my voice is because it’s given me an outlet in like this sense of permission to express my power and unapologeticness in a way that feels like life affirming. Like, when I take photos or wear outfit that really, I’m feeling, it’s like, something inside me comes alive. It’s my spirit. And so that’s why I really feel like style is meant to be a deeply sacred spiritual practice, because it is on my journey that has been like the underlying current in my journey is that I always feel my way towards how I’m being led. How I dress, what am I drawn to, like, deep in my spirit. And then with style, it just gives me the sense of freedom and liberation to express my spirit from the inside out. And that just creates the sense of magnetism that people can feel. Your energy doesn’t lie. So when you can walk into a room or, or be on online on Zoom, or something, a video call, your presence speaks, before you speak, really. It’s your energy. And so the more you can root into that energy, you will just become more impactful with your life and your business.

Angel Tapia  11:16

You are a great source of support for your community of introverted leaders. And how do you then refuel? How do you make sure to stay healthy and positive as possible?

Jennifer Gabiola  11:28

Good question. I used to be a workaholic, and a perfectionist. And what I’ve learned is that I like to call my process this Turtle Way. In order to create this sort of sustainable way of life, sustainable business, I have to move at my own natural pace. And sometimes it’s slower than other people, especially, you know, in our culture, it seems like you have to hustle all the time to be successful. But for me, I’ve tried that it’s just not sustainable. I feel like that contributed to me getting sick. When I wake up in the morning, I have a gratitude practice, I pray. I really take time to discern and tune in and really discern what am I being led to do that day. And I literally work at excellence and do those things that day. I don’t try to overwhelm myself anymore. Because I’ve detached my sense of self from proving my self worth through my work. That in itself was something I had to really work through. And so just being, in general, being Asian, there’s a unspoken expectation in your purpose for being here, and it’s to work. I don’t know why. But it’s like, you have to prove your value through your work. Through being successful, through how much money you make. It’s just on my healing journey, I had to really take a lot of time to unravel that, because I, that’s when I look back at how I was successful is because I pushed myself hard, because I was subconsciously trying to prove that I mattered. And I had to really be brave and give myself that space to like unravel that. And even though that’s not what I was taught, I just had to find a way to give myself the opportunity to find value in who I was outside of what I produce, because I’m not a machine. But that’s what I felt I felt like a robot. Seeing work as more of an opportunity to serve others, to enjoy what I’m doing, to enjoy this gift that God has given me. There’s a sense of like presence, and enjoyment and working in excellence that is like, I guess, values for me. And I have to like really be mindful to pay attention to my body, asking myself what I need throughout the day, taking breaks. I love taking naps, going out in nature. And again, like treating myself to doing things that give me joy. I love vintage shopping, not even always to buy something. It’s just again, it’s just like paying attention to what gives me joy. Joy is such a powerful lifeforce energy. And I feel like the more we can access that, it really helps to activate that sense of life into ourselves so we can continue to pour into ourselves.

Angel Tapia  14:20

I appreciate that for sure. I’m going to be a total creeper here and share that I know you have found the love of your life. And it’s an amazing person who has brought so much joy to you. And I just wonder how was that experience of accepting love from someone else?

Jennifer Gabiola  14:39

Whoa, wow. So his name is Dez and we’ve been together, this November will be 23 years. Yeah, so he was actually the person in my life that was really really pivotal on showing me how to love myself outside of what I do. Because we met when I was already in the thick of my previous career. So I had a way of operating in my life to just keep things moving forward. But what drew me to him was that there was a ease, an ease to him, like, he wasn’t trying to, like get anything from me. He was just like, whatever. It was just like just this innate sense of be who you are like, that’s fine. And then when I lost my job, he was like, “I’m here for you. And even if you want to be a clown in the circus, I got you.” And I was floored. I was like, “Are you serious?” Like I was so used to having this internal pressure, like I had to be something that I’m not in order to be loved, I have to be something else. And he was like, just be yourself. And I was just like, what did that even mean? I don’t even know what that means. And so it’s just like him giving me that grace has been like, life changing, because I had never met anyone that would be that accepting. But the reason how he was able to do that, for me, is because that’s how he naturally lives. He’s very comfortable with who he is. And so it’s a blessing. I really, truly feel like God brings you certain people at certain points in your life to help elevate your growth. And he, he was critical in that because I feel like if he and I never met, I would be in a really much worse off place, especially with my health because I was such on that trajectory of overworking myself. I mean, I was really, really a workhorse. And so I feel like he really helped change the course of my life to really slow down and really appreciate who God made me to be and to be okay with that. And what I do is what I do, but who I am, that’s, that’s worth loving.

Angel Tapia  16:46

And I love the fact that being able to sometimes see acceptance from someone else does strengthen the acceptance that we have within ourselves. And usually we find that from family and from friends and from the support that we receive from community groups and from different leaders. And I think that it’s so important to have that community. It is part of wellness to have our inner health and wellness and then also our relationships to also emulate health and wellness and growth. Thank you so much for taking time to connect with me, to connect with our audience. I would love for you to share with our listeners how they can learn more about you and get in touch with you for any questions.

Jennifer Gabiola  17:32

Oh sure. First, I want to say thank you, Angel, for allowing me to share my story and support your community. I really appreciate the opportunity. And people can connect with me. My website is dawningsoul.com. D-A-W-N-I-N-G-S-O-U-L dot com. And you can also find me on Instagram @dawningsoul.

Angel Tapia  18:00

The Wellness Evolution podcasts and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  18:27

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:01

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Danielle Ali  00:11

Hello, and welcome to our mini series, Breathing Through Pain. I’m your host, Danielle Ali. And I hope you will be joining me on this breathing journey as I continue to learn how to evolve my wellness. Each week, I will talk about a topic that can impact a person’s well being and a corresponding breathing technique. Life moves fast, and these episodes are meant to be five minutes or less to gently remind you to take the time and listen to your breath. Living with a chronic illness comes with its own set of daily suffering and struggles. Being human has built in emotions and suffering we all collectively share. According to a report by the American Psychological Association done in early 2021, more than 84% of Americans have feelings associated with stress, the most being anxiety. Today, we will be guiding you through a technique known as Earth Breathing from the Comprehensive Resource Model Manual by Lisa Schwarz on integrative medicine. Earth Breathing provides an opportunity to connect further within ourselves and the environment around us and to say consciously aware of the present moment to help reduce our fright-flight response to stress. There are several different ways to ground yourself when things seem to be too much. Earth Breathing is just another tool you can use. The instructions for Earth Breathing are as followed. Imagine the energy coming up from deep in the Earth. Coming up from the bottom of the receiving foot, spiraling up the receiving leg to the base of your spine or womb space. Holding the breath there for four to five seconds. Then exhaling down the other leg and foot back into the earth. Be aware of any tightness or any place where the energy feels blocked or stuck. You may stop breathing into these places, asking yourself if there’s anything that needs to be expressed. Continue the breath, creating a cycle of energy between the Earth and the base of your spine. Up your receiving leg to the base and down the other leg back into the Earth. Are we ready? Let’s begin. *Bell rings* Wait a moment. Start to regulate your breath back to normal. Once your breath has regulated take a note of how you’re feeling now to how you’re feeling prior to this small exercise. I hope you found this helpful. Until next time.

Angel Tapia  04:42

The Wellness Evolution podcast and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  04:58

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network

Narrator  00:00

Be inspired, supported and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Gina Hessburg  00:12

I heard it so many times and I did not want to hear, “Well you have to advocate for yourself.” And I’m like, “But I’m the sick person? Aren’t there supposed to be people advocating for me and helping me?”

Angel Tapia  00:30

Hello, and welcome to the Wellness Evolution podcast, where we understand the importance of living your best life while learning how to live with a chronic illness, physical challenge, or mental illness, and finding emotional well being for growth is very important to all of us. I’m your host Angel. And today, our guest is Gina Hessburg, a producer, art buyer and now a self published book author. She’s passionate about raising awareness for optic neuritis and to help others with their fight for their side. Hi, Gina. And thanks so much for joining me.

Gina Hessburg  01:04

Hi, Angel. Thanks for having me.

Angel Tapia  01:05

I want to share with everyone a little secret that Gina and I met after she signed up to receive information about our advocacy opportunities through the GHLF grassroots advocacy arm, 50 State Network, I was making follow up calls to patients and Gina answered the phone and we just hit it off. She was very funny, energetic and shared details about her diagnosis of optic neuritis and her interest in advocacy. I think your journey is very amazing. And they would learn so much for you today.

Gina Hessburg  01:38

I had my first optic neuritis attack in 2017. It’s an autoimmune response where your optic nerve, which is part of your brain, inflames. I had a very, what I considered, a very healthy life, I was extremely active, I had a lot of energy, I could work easily 10 to 12 hour days, come home go for a six mile run sometimes, you know go see some music at night after that. And I hit a point in my life where I was under a lot of stress and overdoing it. And I got a really bad infection. And I had my first optic neuritis attack about three weeks after that. And then subsequently in the last four, four and a half years have had three more. Going through this journey, I’ve just learned a lot and have been overwhelmed by how difficult it can be to navigate our healthcare system and to find support and to to understand what you can do and how to get through it. It really is a space where people will tell you, “You have to you just have to advocate for yourself.” And when you’re going through a health crisis, adding that layer of having to advocate your for yourself feels like bull****. When you’re a patient and you’re in the heat of it, it’s like a part time job because you’re going to doctors, you’re organized paperwork, you’re trying to get records transferred, you’re dealing with health insurance issues. There are so many days where I was like, I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do it. Like I just want to quit. And when I would have those thoughts, I’d have to pull back and say what do I need? What do I need to do today, for myself to feel better? If I could just focus on what had to happen that day, I could get through it. If I didn’t look so far down the road. So maybe that day it was taking an Epsom salt bath. And that was it. And maybe the next day it was a doctor’s appointment. I think in any situation, you have to just sort of look at the little steps and the day to day and not get so far down the line of how am I going to get better? How am I going to figure this out? It’s just what can I do today?

Angel Tapia  03:58

So when you talk about those adjustments that we have to make for our health or our sanity for understanding the process that we’re going through, it makes me think about all of the challenges and just shifts that COVID really brought to everyone’s life; isolation, fears, health challenges, or mental wellness. And that’s just to name a few of the experiences that I think collectively, everyone was was sharing in one way or another during the beginning of the health crisis. I know that you found a COVID companion that really helped you and your supporters throughout that journey. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?

Gina Hessburg  04:41

You’re referring to Raphael, who I like to refer to as an inflatable friend, or a pool toy or a novelty toy. He is a blow up doll man that-

Angel Tapia  04:54

Raphael is an outlet to Gina’s anxiety and feeling of isolation. During one of their chats, they even practice breathing. Raphael had one hand on his heart and the other on his six pack. The inside joke is that he was much calmer and less deflated after that exercise. It’s an unusual but inspiring story about how a blow up doll became a COVID companion at the height of the pandemic. Please note that there will also be sensitive information that may be triggering to some people.

Gina Hessburg  05:22

People like to create a different narrative for but he’s literally just a prop. I had had him for some time I had had him in a drawer and I had used him to scare people or for profit parties. And I found him again, at the beginning of the pandemic, I had just I had been traveling when things really escalated. And when I got home, I isolated for three weeks because I had been through a couple airports. And we knew nothing about COVID. And I, I found Raphael is his name, and I pulled him out of the jar and I blew him up and I just stuck them at the kitchen table with me while I was having coffee. And I just wrote an Instagram post empathizing with what people were going through this whole overwhelming feeling of the unknown. People didn’t know about their, our health as a collective. A lot of people were facing financial uncertainty. And I encouraged people in this post just to pause. When the universe tells you to pause, you got to pause and listen. So Raphael actually appeared prior to my third attack. I started to just post with him intermittently in my Instagram, but I noticed some of my colleagues, creatives in the advertising industry here in Minneapolis, were starting to respond and interact. And they didn’t necessarily respond on Instagram, they would send me private messages, and ask what Raphael was doing or make suggestions or make jokes. So he started to take on his own identity and his own personality sort of formed by people’s interaction and their own intimacy with him, per se. And then, when I had my third attack, and I was having, I had to move from my apartment, and also compounded on top of this, I’m on a lot of prednisone, I’m recovering from a spinal tap. And so Rafael’s role in my life at that moment escalated greatly because he became my coping mechanism. He became my way of processing and understanding all this chaos that was going on around me and in my life, and all these compounding stressors. And then he also became a way for me to stay connected to the outside world and to my friends, and in a in a positive and creative and funny way. I mean, I was highly emotional, I, I was raw, and I those feeling things, those make people feel weird. So I had this buffer, because if a blow up doll says, weird s**t, no one’s gonna question it, they’re gonna go with it. And so I think he, he resonated with people because he was seeing what they were thinking and feeling, but they didn’t know or felt that they could. So he became this conduit, and he became a distraction. When you’re in the heat of all this stress, and you’re in the doctor’s office, by yourself because of COVID. And you’re, you are a unit. And so you only have so much time with a doctor, you can’t process all this stuff. And there’s nobody there advocating for you, and helping you process this. So it was it was extremely frustrating. It was hard to watch people on social media or on the news who refused to mask or to alter their behavior. And not because of just getting the virus, but that it overall taxed our medical system, and it denied people, like me, access to healthcare, that could help them or save them.

Angel Tapia  09:22

I do want to ask through the evolution of finding your voice and being able to really advocate for yourself and the interests in advocating for others. How do you really strengthen your resolve to stay focused and to stay engaged?

Gina Hessburg  09:39

It’s important for me to try to share some information to support others going through this process. I know it’s what people do not want to hear. I did not want to hear. I heard it so many times and I did not want to hear it. Well. “You have to advocate for yourself.” And I’m like, “But I’m the sick person. Aren’t there supposed to be people advocating for me and helping me?” Like I literally had a nurse at the Mayo, call me and put me on a three way call with my insurance company because she couldn’t figure out how to navigate the menu system to get the answers for my insurance company, to tell my doctor what to do, how to process a claim so that I wouldn’t have to pay for something. And I felt like crap, why did I have to do that? I just want people to know that, yes, they have to advocate for their self, but they’re also not alone in advocating for themselves. Because everybody who has entered the healthcare system as a patient is trying to do the same thing.

Angel Tapia  10:52

This really opens up that conversation of it is a job, it is something that requires time and focus and dedication and speaking for yourself and creating opportunities where you’re being heard, and your health is a priority for yourself and for others, for those that are part of your medical team, in the health care system at large. When I think about all of the work that goes into that and caring for yourself physically, I also think about what are the things that we do to maintain our mental wellness, because there’s something that is always linked in my mind is how we feel physically, and then how we feel mentally and how those things really tie together. So what are some of the things that you do to make sure that you keep a balance there within your mental health state, and wellness?

Gina Hessburg  11:47

Well, Angel, do you mind if I even back up a little bit on with that question and just say that there’s a deficit in our medical system with addressing mental well being when people are going through a health crisis. I think for me, when I you know, I was on prednisone, I had lucid, suicidal thoughts. And I raised my hand to my doctor, and I was gaslit. I was told that on that dose, I shouldn’t be feeling that way. But I was.

Narrator  12:15

We want to remind our listeners that if these warning signs apply to you, or someone you know, it is so important to get help as soon as possible, particularly if this thought or feeling is new, or has increased recently. For help, you can text hello to 741741 to speak to someone from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Gina Hessburg  12:38

To me, at that point, I was like, what the f–k is the point of trying to save my vision if I feel like I want to die? Every day, my process for self care and mental well being is paying attention to how I’m feeling at any given moment, which sounds like a lot of work. And sometimes it can be, but it’s constantly pivoting. And it’s constantly being in the moment and the recognition of how am I feeling? Oh, I ate that. I don’t feel so good after eating that, Oh, I feel tired. Maybe I need to take a 20 minute disco nap. My head feels overwhelmed. I can’t process all this right now I’m going to go for a walk. So it’s a constant balance of paying attention to anything and everything. It’s not just one protocol in one box to check. A goal of mine is to carve out time for enjoyment every day no matter what that is. And sometimes I have to be more diligent. Sometimes I can tell that inflammation is up. And so I have to be very cognizant of what I’m eating. And I have to avoid gluten, dairy, and sugar. And I hate that. And then sometimes I’m feeling good. I mean feeling strong. And so I go get a piece of pie or an ice cream cone.

Angel Tapia  14:04

What are the things that you found most helpful when looking through your journey with optic neuritis? And looking through your journey of mental wellness challenges? What are some of the things that you think folks should really pay attention to or that they can use to help throughout that learning process?

Gina Hessburg  14:23

Knowing my overall arching goals. So sometimes I’ll write those on the mirror with some lipstick, so that I’m focused right. I don’t get lost in the minutiae of the 987 steps that’s gonna get me there. But what are my overarching goals? Feel good, be joyful and simplify. There’s kind of usually where mine fall. So reminding myself that those those are where I’m headed and then those other little steps fall into place. But I think a good intuitive gauge is am I in a flow or am I just pushing back on everything? Am I holding on to everything? Or can I move through the day, and pivot and sort of bounce off of things and let things roll over me? And just shift when it feels like it needs to shift? Which sounds very, I don’t know, hippie ish. But I think you’ll start to sense. It’s not just about like, I don’t have a stomach ache anymore. It’s about like, Am I moving with the right current versus swimming against it?

Angel Tapia  15:34

I would love to know what your definition of wellness is. What do you think about when you hear the word wellness?

Gina Hessburg  15:44

I know if I am, well, if I’m feeling joy, because if I’m joyful, I physically feel well. I feel like I’m emanating my light, my energy is good, and I feel like I’m progressing and moving forward in my life.

Angel Tapia  16:04

Thank you so much, Gina for your time, I appreciate you sharing your story with us giving us your insight and experience. When Gina shared her mental health experience during COVID, I could relate in my own way. It’s still hard to hear how as a society, we were each in our own bubble, feeling isolated and creating ways to stay positive, healthy, and safe. This was also a clear reminder of the importance to seek help if you’re experiencing any thoughts of suicide. If you or someone you know is having these feelings, particularly if this thought or feeling is new, or has increased recently, for help you can text Hello, H-E-L-L-O, to 741741. Ask to speak to someone from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Wellness Evolution podcasts and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  17:22

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Narrator  00:01

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.

Danielle Ali  00:11

Hello, and welcome to our mini series Breathing Through Pain. I’m your host, Danielle Ali, and I hope you will join me on this breathing journey as I continue to learn how to evolve my wellness. Each week, I will talk about a topic that can impact a person’s well being and a corresponding breathing technique. Life moves fast, and these episodes are meant to be five minutes or less to gently remind you to take the time and listen to your breath. Living with a chronic illness comes with its own set of daily suffering and struggles. Being human has built in emotions and suffering we all collectively share. Anger is a natural emotion that some find it hard to give space. Today, we will be guiding you through a technique known as Fire Breathing, from the Comprehensive Resource Model Manual by Lisa Schwarz on integrative medicine. Fire Breathing, one of my favorites, is a powerful tool that has been used by indigenous people for centuries to cleanse and clear the being of what no longer served them. Think of yourself as a dragon and your fire is you releasing all your anger and unease. The instructions of Fire Breathing are as follows; to execute this breath, begin by inhaling through the nose and fully extending the belly and then exhale contracting the belly to the spine with an explosion of breath from the back of the throat through the mouth making *deep exhale* sound. Begin slowly and gradually increase the speed and length of the inhale and exhale until there is little awareness of the inhale so that the sound has a continuous *exhale.* The speed can be adapted to the needs and the ability of yourself. Are you ready? Let’s be dragons. *Bell Rings Twice* Wait a moment, start to regulate your breathing back to normal. Once your breath has regulated take note of how you’re feeling now to how you were feeling prior to this exercise. I feel empowered. I hope you found this helpful. Until next time.

Angel Tapia  04:12

The Wellness Evolution podcast and content are intended for informational and educational purposes only. Any content shared is not intended to substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a physician or qualified health provider.

Narrator  04:27

Be inspired, supported, and empowered. This is the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network.