Episode 184: How to Use Your Breath to Manage Stress, Sleep Better and React Less with Maya Bahar Castle

In this episode, Dr. Lisa discusses the benefits of breathwork for ourselves and for our kids with certified breathwork coach Maya Bahar Castle. Listen in to find out how different breathing techniques can be used to: calm your nervous system down, lower cortisol, support mindfulness, enhance sleep, reduce anxiety and more! It doesn’t take long…even a few minutes of intentional breathing can have profound impacts on our mental, emotional and physical health and well-being. Maya also shares some ways to incorporate breathwork into you and your kids’ schedules. Every little bit helps!

Maya Bahar Castle (@breathingwithmaya) is a Certified Breathwork Coach and homeschooling mama. Prior to leaning into motherhood and breathwork practices, she enjoyed more than a decade long career in EdTech.  She’s honoured to guide journeyers through down-regulating forms of Breathwork that bring awareness back into one’s body, still the mind, connect to intention and restore the nervous system. She works with moms and children in Toronto, and when she has a spare moment, you’ll find her writing away.  

In today’s episode we cover:

  • Maya’s experience with homeschooling her son
  • How breathwork transformed Maya’s postpartum anxiety
  • The importance of grounding and responding instead of reacting to situations in your life
  • How you can breathe in a healthy way
  • The difference between healthy breathing and breathwork
  • The breathwork practice that has been proven to lower your cortisol level in 5 minutes
  • How breath can influence your hormones through your menstrual cycle and ease the transition through perimenopause and menopause
  • The importance of introducing breath work to your kids
  • How you can incorporate breath work into your day and remember to breathe properly

You can connect with Maya on Instagram @breathingwithmaya

Check out Maya’s 5-minute breathing exercises for kids: here and here.

Listen to the Hubermann Podcast episode on how to breathe properly here.

What Else is Happening?

Dr. Toni’s next HypnoBirthing session for expecting parents looking to decrease fear and anxiety to support their natural instincts around labour and birth is this fall. Join her at https://www.hypnobirthingcalgary.com/register

Join Dr. Lisa’s Facebook group Wild Woman Adventures Toronto if you want to get out in nature, connect with other women and push yourself out of your comfort zone. Activities include: sunrise/sunset SUP, tree-top trekking, a new moon workshop and more!

Thanks for joining us!

Email us or connect with us on  Facebook  and  Instagram.

We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.

You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page.

Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!

Stay safe and healthy everyone!Disclaimer:The information provided is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 108: 5th Wave of the Pandemic Survival Kit: How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety When You Don’t Have Any Time

In this episode, Dr. Lisa and Dr. Toni review simple yet effective ways to manage your stress and anxiety, especially when there is still so much uncertainty around the latest wave of the pandemic. If you’re feeling worried and overwhelmed dealing with unexpected school closures and online learning, listen in to learn how to support your mental, physical and emotional health during this challenging time.

In this episode, we cover the importance of:

  • Lowering your expectations
    • Use the “good enough” mantra to help you get through
    • Get clear on your non-negotiables or deal breakers 
    • Have a “not now” list 
  • Celebrating your successes with a “Ta-da” list, not matter how small it is
  • Getting outside daily
  • Making the mundane fun by injecting play and fun into your day with your kids
    • pairing up activities – dance and sing along with your kids’ favourite movie 
  • Prioritizing and planning one thing you enjoy doing each day, even if it is for 5 minutes at the end of the day
  • Getting the kids involved with age appropriate chores around the home like sweeping and cleaning up, making beds, emptying dishwasher, fold laundry, putting groceries away
  • Quick nutrition hacks like hard boiled eggs, 30 second smoothie bowl (mix protein powder with yogurt and berries), buying whole roasted chicken, buy frozen veggies and fruit, make things in bulk, getting meal delivery
  • Deep breathing throughout the day to increase your ability to be calm and mindful
    • Pair with activities like doing dishes, washing hands, sitting in meeting
  • Activating your vagus nerve with humming, singing and gargling
  • Using essential oils to support calm and stress reduction
    • in bath with epsom salt, back of tub during shower, on tissue or diffuser: lavender, citrus like orange, lemon and grapefruit, peppermint, Easy air, Serenity
  • Enjoying a cup of relaxing tea
    • tulsi and lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, kava, ginger
  • Completing the stress cycle with releasing emotion 
    • Cry it out to your favourite song or sad movie
    • Moving your body, even if it’s jumping jacks or punching a pillow
    • Laughter
    • Hugging for at least 20 seconds
    • For more info, see this episode of Brene Brown’s Podcast with Emily and Amelia Nagoski and this episode of the Ten Percent Happier Podcast.
  • Talking to your kids about feeling different emotions and how to deal with them
  • Setting yourself up for a good sleep with relaxing bedtime activities:
    • Meditation to sit with your feelings without judgement
    • Gratitude practice or journal
    • Journal for brain dump to get out your worries and things to do list

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is a big fan of dry shampoo to get away with washing her hair less frequently.

Dr. Toni loves the Beatles documentary Get Back on Disney+ featuring some fitting songs like I’ve Got a Feeling I’ve Got A Feeling – The Beatles Rooftop performance in 1969 #ivegotafeeling #getback #thebeatles and Let It Be – The Beatles – Let It Be (Official Music Video)

Thank you for joining us today!

Email us or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.

Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!

You can also support us by visiting our Patreon page where you can find out how you can join us for our monthly patron webinar where we do a deeper dive discussion about all things perimenopause,

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Disclaimer: The information provided in this presentation is not meant to replace treatment with a licensed health care practitioner. It is for informational purposes only. Consult with a Naturopathic Doctor or other licensed health care professional to determine which treatments are safe for you.

Episode 19 – Interview: How to Stay Motivated During the Pandemic, Have Better Productivity, and Use Technology to Download Your Brain (and Sleep Better!)

In today’s episode, Dr. Lisa talks with Valeri Hall-Little, Efficiency Business Coach and Tech Guru, about how busy mamas can leverage routines, mindfulness and technology to maximize productivity, efficiency and energy while minimizing overwhelm and mental exhaustion.

Valeri discusses how to use simple tech tools (such as apps for: meditation, note-taking, task-management and streamlining to-do lists) to help you step back from the daily grind and improve the flow of your day (even if you are working from home right now and are trying to care for your kids at the same time!). She also emphasizes the importance of taking breaks from work and technology, when needed, to recharge and refocus.

In today’s episode, we cover:

  • The importance of sticking to a routine, juggling your schedule with your partner according to the times each of you are the most productive and harnessing the times when you can focus on work
  • Different morning routines to set the tone for a productive day, even if you only have 2 minutes
  • How combining movement and mindfulness can jump start your focus and attention during the day
  • The importance of using technology that serves you and makes your life easier (and avoiding technology that drains and overwhelms you)
  • How to easily compile and access all your online resources using tagging with Pocket
  • Why now is a good time to play with your technology and increase your mastery with tech tools that help you like Evernote
  • How taking the time to “sharpen your saw” and plan is key so that you’re working on the right things and doing it as effectively and efficiently, and not getting stuck in busy work
  • The need to recognize that the most productive thing you could be doing right now is to stop working and take a break
  • The importance of the ergonomics of your workspace at home
  • How noise-cancelling headphones can Increase your focus and decrease interruptions while working from home

Get Valeri’s FREE Ultimate Guide to Untangle Your Tech

Today’s Mama Must Have:

Dr. Lisa is using the Insight Timer app and Tapping Solution app to calm her brain and not get into overwhelm.

Valeri is using the Calm app as a sanity saver – not only to meditate, but also to fall asleep to the ocean soundscape function. She is also listening to Calm’s sleep stories and masterclasses, starting and ending her day with it.

She is also loving Zoom to connect with family and friends, especially for special birthday celebrations.

Thank you for joining us today! 

Email us or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. We’d love you to subscribe, leave us a review and a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode.

Please tell your perimenopausal mama friends about us, too!

Stay safe everyone!