anxiety, mental health Ilyssa Lasky anxiety, mental health Ilyssa Lasky

Guide To Yoga Therapy: Realign Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Like any other treatment modality, it is crucial to understand just what Yoga therapy is, how it works, and when can it be the right choice for you.

Yoga Therapy; Realign Your Mind, Body, and Spiriti

Guide to Yoga Therapy: Realign Your Mind, Body, and Spirit

Therapy is an extremely important aspect of your mental health

Therapy is an effective tool for managing and improving your overall mental health. You may think of therapy as working one-on-one with a therapist, or in some type of group setting with other people who share similar worries or problems. These are extremely useful therapeutic methods and can help you achieve your mental health goals. There are other therapeutic interventions proven to be effective as well. Everyone is familiar with Yoga as a physical activity and relaxation method, but it comes as a surprise to many others that Yoga therapy is beneficial in the treatment of many physical and psychological challenges.  

Yoga Therapy is an effective therapeutic modality for many people

Like any other treatment modality, it is crucial to understand just what Yoga therapy is, how it works, and when can it be the right choice for you. First off, let us look at some of the issues that yoga therapy can help with. Harvard Health Publishing reports that Yoga therapy can benefit people with depression, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)*. With a significant amount of people across the globe who suffer from these disorders, it is an important thing to have an additional tool such as yoga therapy for treatment. While yoga therapy may not fully address all your needs, it is something that can be coupled with other types of therapies or medication. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most common intervention used to treat anxiety, but research has shown that Yoga therapy offers a promising alternative and/or complimentary treatment method.  

The focus of yoga therapy is learning how to focus on yourself

Yoga therapy focuses on understanding yourself. It takes the tools of yoga practice such as movement of the body (asana), breath work (pranayama), meditation, and counseling expertise and tailors them to you. Yoga therapy is a whole person perspective where you consider your mind, body, and spirit at once. For example, with the assistance of yoga therapy, instead of just focusing on the sensation of physical pain, you can start to be curious and see if there is a reason you are constantly getting migraines. 

Yoga Therapists are more than just yoga instructors

Yoga therapists take traditional yoga poses and modify them to meet the mental health needs of those using them. Specific poses and breathing exercises are given to maximize relaxation and stress relief. Remember that yoga therapists are required to train for hundreds of hours before becoming certified. While yoga instructors are great at what they do, yoga therapists have expertise in utilizing yoga techniques specifically for mental health purposes.  

Yoga is about balance, not just physical balance, but emotional and psychological as well. One goal of yoga therapy is to empower you to regain that psychological balance that has been knocked off course or missing. There is a strong two-way partnership between therapist and patient in yoga therapy. It is ideal for patients who are invested in taking an active role in their treatment. 

There are several important benefits of yoga therapy. The more people learn about it, the more it will be utilized in treatment. Here are a few of the most notable benefits: 

  • Learning relaxation techniques and calming methods 

  • Being educated on how to adapt to changing or demanding situations 

  • Understanding how to keep your focus and balance 

How Yoga Therapy can become an important part of your life

Yoga therapy can improve your mental health as discussed in this article. There is still a lot of research being conducted on just how effective yoga therapy is, but most signs point to it having some comparable results as anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications. Many people want to avoid medication as much as possible, and yoga therapy is a good way to see if that is possible. The highly skilled team at Obsidian Counseling and Wellness can help you figure out if Yoga therapy is right for you, and to help you get started with a customized program that meets your needs. Contact Obsidian at https://www.obsidiancounseling.com/contact or 224.255.4411. 

 

 

 

* https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/yoga-for-better-mental-health 

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burnout, mental health, depression, anxiety Ilyssa Lasky burnout, mental health, depression, anxiety Ilyssa Lasky

Mindful Walks and Places in Chicago You Can Take Them

Summertime is almost here, which means warmer weather, new flower blooms, and a few more daylight hours than in the wintertime. Starting in the springtime, our neighborhoods offer many opportunities for self-care and fresh air. Whether you are new to the Chicagoland area or have lived here your whole life, you may like to explore areas in your neighborhood from the lens of self-care. Below I will discuss mindful walks and some local places in the northern Chicagoland area where you can practice this technique.

Mindful Outdoor Walks

Mindful walks are an excellent way to connect to the present moment, break from anxious thoughts, move your body, and get some fresh air.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of awareness. When we are mindful, we nonjudgmentally notice what is happening in the present moment. Contrary to popular belief, the goal of mindfulness is not to have a blank mind but instead is noticing thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they happen. So, for example, if you are feeling angry, you state to yourself, "I am feeling angry." The goal is not to judge or change the feelings but instead to notice.

Some benefits of mindfulness

Photo of a female facing away from the camera representing someone practicing mindfulness in Chicago, IL at a local park. Our therapists can incorporate mindfulness into counseling sessions for teens & adults struggling with depression, anxiety, etc.
  • Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety

  • Improved memory and focus

  • Reduced Stress

  • Improved ability to regulate emotions

  • Improved satisfaction in relationships

  • Increased mind-body connection

  • Reduced rumination (which is when we get stuck on a thought or problem and play it repeatedly in our mind)

How do I go on a mindful outdoor walk?

1)    Go outside; this can be anywhere you choose, where you live, near where you work, or any place you would like to explore for today’s walk. (If the weather does not permit, you can practice this skill indoors as well).

2)    Start by noticing how your body feels with each step. Notice your breath. Think about each foot touching the ground (right, left, right, left) and the rhythm of the breath (in, out, in, out).

3)    Tune into your five senses: What do I see? What do I smell? What do I hear? What does the air taste like? What do I feel?

4)    Tune in to the rhythm of your walk, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot; the rhythm of your walk can be an anchor of awareness to return to throughout the walk.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to practice mindful walking; use these steps as a guide to finding what feels suitable for you. The goal is to connect with the present moment.

If you’re feeling creative

Think of some other activities where you can similarly practice mindfulness. Here are some examples that I have thought of:

Photo of people riding kayaks down the Du Page River in Shorewood, Illinois representing people practicing mindfulness to cope with stress, anxiety & more by being mindful outside.
  • Biking

  • Kayaking

  • Rollerblading

  • Swinging on a swing set

  • Drawing or painting

  • Yoga

  • Dancing

  • Gardening

  • Even doing the dishes! (I know that is an inside task but why not?)

 Please remember to use proper safety precautions when engaging in any above activities. 

Places to Practice Mindfulness in the Chicago Area

No matter where you are in the Chicagoland area, you can find beautiful places to practice mindfulness. As mostly Winnetka-based therapists, we love to visit the beaches along Lake Michigan, the downtown Winnetka bistros, shopping districts, and summer music festivals. Teens, young adults, and parents can get a break from the pressures of school with trails and parks, many near New Trier High School. But honestly, there are amazing places to mindfully walk & find inner peace throughout the Chicago area. So, here are some of our therapists’ other favorite places to practice mindfulness in the Chicago, IL area:

Forest Preserves of Cook County

  • Feature over 350 miles of paved and unpaved trails and 70,000 acres of wild and preserved land.

  • Walk along the trail, and tune into your senses. What does it sound like, are there any birds nearby, what does it smell like, do you see any flowers, what do your feet feel like on the trail?

  • These locations also include trails for walking and biking

  • The lagoons are lovely to look at and great for kayaking, fishing, and canoeing (rentals available)

  • Some of these trails are dog-friendly trails to bring your four-legged friend along

  • Picnic tables are available for an outdoor meal

  • Birds, deer, and other wildlife nearby- maybe try your hand at some photography.

Lake Michigan

Photo of Montrose Harbor and Lincoln Park at the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago, Illinois representing one of the many places in the Chicagoland area our therapists may recommend you go to practice mindfulness as part of your self care routine.
  • Walk alongside the lake, and notice the temperature change, the breeze, and the sand. What does it smell like, and what do the waves sound like?

  • Kayaks and paddleboards available for rental

  • Some local beaches may offer yoga or various forms of exercise on the beach; check-in in with your town to see what it has to offer.

  • Mindfully play in the sand, notice the texture, how the sand changes when mixed with water, and watch the hand fall between your fingers.

The Chicago Botanic Garden

  • Walk around and explore the many different gardens of the Chicago Botanic Garden. This year the Chicago Botanic Garden is celebrating 50 years and is featuring a variety of garden exhibits for individuals to explore.

  • 28 gardens and four natural areas on 385 acres, consisting of nine different islands.

  • Take classes, stroll the property, or sit on a bench and take in these gardens' sights, smells, sounds, and even tastes. 

Counseling Services in Northbrook, IL

Mindfulness can have a huge impact on a person’s mental health. Still, you may sometimes need more support in the form of a professional counselor or therapist. If you are feeling overwhelmed or need help working through some of life's challenges, please reach out for counseling services. If you live in the state of Illinois, our Winnetka & Chicago based therapists would love to help. Our teen therapists believe in providing evidence based therapy and often incorporate mindfulness into counseling sessions, particularly if you share that you are making efforts to practice mindfulness on your own.

If you are ready to begin therapy, please take the steps below to get started:

  1. Fill out a consult form here.

  2. Begin working toward better mental health!

Other Mental Health Services in Illinois

Our therapists offer a wide range of mental health services to support your entire family focusing on providing evidence based care including incorporating mindfulness as well as other effective therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and EMDR. addition to anxiety treatment and teen therapy, we also offer counseling for depression, teen counseling, parent counseling, trauma therapy, therapy for work burnout & more. Because we offer online therapy and in person therapy in Northbrook, IL we are able to help anyone in the state of Illinois and the Northshore of Chicago. And, our therapists specialize in working with LGBTQIA+ individuals.

So, whatever your mental health needs may be, if you live in Illinois we'd love to provide you the support you're looking for.

Photo of the Chicago skyline in the morning with urban marina in front and old wooden pier. Our therapists may recommend a person practice mindfulness when participating in everything from parent coaching to anxiety treatment or depression therapy.
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mental health Ilyssa Lasky mental health Ilyssa Lasky

Staying Sane When the View Never Changes: Handling Family Life During Quarantine

Quarantine Mask

One of the unexpected side effects of living in prolonged quarantine is the upending of family norms, family schedule, and even family tolerance of each other.  Families are currently stuck in a perpetual present absent of future planning and absent of private space.  Even in homes without enough rooms for each member to claim their own, the truth is there is little day-to-day variety including seeing other people outside of family members.  Or at the very least, being away from family members long enough to miss them such as after a day of work or school.

 As a result tensions rise, patience gets thin, and even the way someone sneezes can become unaccountably annoying.  So what can families do to help each other keep peace and stay sane while we continue to isolate for everyone’s safety?

 Parents

The good news is, children and teens are versatile and adaptable and really can thrive in a variety of settings as long as good parenting and good family life is maintained.  Ways to help your teens and children are outlined below.  But for the parents, however, the uncertainty and fear on top of that bring to do right by your kids while maintaining safety, and structure and…is overwhelming.

1)    This is a different type of situation that may call for a different kind of parent.

 That’s okay.

 2)    This is a different type of situation that may turn you into a different kind of parent.  

 That’s okay, too.

3)    Maintain aspects of your normal routine. 

 While they may argue to the contrary, children feel safer when they have a routine.  Routines are predictable and thus not as scary.  Keeping things predictable can lessen fear for children and remind parents there are things they can control.  Not everything about your normal routine can be maintained during this time, of course, but maintaining the same bed times, meal times, and chore times gives everyone a firm base to stand on.  Keep it simple.

4)    Take care of yourself/selves

 This means try to eat healthy, try to exercise (a walk around the block is great), and try to get enough sleep.  Find ways to decompress and take breaks.  If you have another adult in the family or older children, take turns watching the little ones so everyone can have some off time.

 5)    Make time for yourself/selves

 Private adult time is more important now than ever. Take time to talk with each other.  Date night can even still happen. I am a personal fan of The Art of Manliness’s “18 At-Home Date Ideas.”

 6)    Breathe! And assess

 While it sounds clichéd taking deep breathes is physiologically and psychologically beneficial.  If you are feeling overwhelmed or especially stressed out or just hit the “freak out” nerve, take a few deep breathes (having a private cry is also acceptable) and ask yourself a) Are we in immediate danger? B) How am I going to feel about this problem tomorrow? C) Is this situation permanent?

 And if by “this situation” you mean the quarantine and the pandemic – no.  It is not permanent. It is not the “new normal.” It will end.

Families with Children

 Children rely on their parents for a sense of safety both emotionally and physically.  It can be hard to know what to say when you yourself are also feeling scared and uncertain.  As the quarantine continues you may be noticing your children are having new emotional outbursts and behavioral problems that were not there before.  Remember, children do not have the brain development to fully perceive what they are feeling, the words to fully express it, nor the insight to identify cause and effect between their environment and their emotions.

1)    First of all, be patient.

A lot to ask, I know.

2)    Address your children’s fears

 Answer your children’s questions about the pandemic simply and honestly.  It is okay to say people are getting sick.  Just follow it up with how rules like handwashing, mask wearing, and staying home help to keep the family and their friends safe.

 3)    Acknowledge and validate your child’s feelings

 Children always want to feel heard, and now more than ever.  You can absolutely say to your child “I can see that you are angry because you can’t have a friend over.  It really stinks, doesn’t it?”  Or if you do not know what has caused the behavior you can also say “Yeah, things are hard, aren’t they?  Let’s figure out together what’s making you so sad right now,” and then whatever it is validate it.

Remember, validation should not be followed with “yes, but.”  For example, “I know you’re sad because you wanted to play the game, but we have to share.”  Instead, saying something like “I know you’re sad because you wanted to play the game.  Can you help me find an answer that will help everyone?”  This is validating and it also empowers your child to be part of the solution.

4)    Tell your child before you leave the house

 In a calm and reassuring tone tell you child where you are going, how long you will be gone, when you except to return, and what safety steps you are taking.

School-age children have a solid understanding of death and its permanence but they may not have a full understanding of diseases and microscopic organisms. For some children, Covid-19 may seem a ghostly and unseen threat that can whisk their loved ones away to the hospital.  Therefore, let your children know rather than “disappearing.”  Even a teen can benefit from a text message or a note on the kitchen table.

5)    Just give them hugs.

Maybe your child is just too inconsolable to help you find a solution.  Maybe your child is going along just fine.  Either way, times are scary and extra hugs and “I love yous” can go a long way.

 

Families with Teens

 Social isolation is particularly difficult for teenagers.  Developmentally they are hardwired to be supremely focused on their peers.  While this can be aggravating (questions about bridges and jumping come to mind) it is actually healthy behavior.  What then can be done for these young people who are naturally peer-focused but denied meaningful access to them?

1)    Share information about the pandemic and quarantine honestly

 Be calm and factual in order to help ease your teen’s concerns.  Discuss facts as they become available and be sure to correct and misinformation that you may hear.  Reiterate the importance of safety protocols such as hand washing and wearing masks in public.  

It is also not a bad idea to limit your teen’s consumption of news media if they are consuming hours of content. As an anxiety response they may be searching for an expert or authority that will say the magic words that will calm them.  Or they may be trying to control their situation by consuming all of the information so they are extra prepared.

2)    Stress staying home saves lives

The longer the quarantine goes on the antsier teens are going to get.  Review the importance of social distancing as a way to slow the spread of the virus and protect everyone.  Be sure to emphasize there is “no cheating” on the safety rules and that is it not okay to hang out with friends or engage in outdoor sports or gatherings.

3)    Be on the lookout for increased depression and suicide risk

 Talk with your teen about how they are feeling through all this.  Yes, that can be like pulling teeth in the best of times.  Watch for signs that your teen is struggling and may need extra support whether that is from you, another family member, or a mental health professional.  Most therapists, including Obsidian Counseling, are conducting virtual video sessions.

Increases in depression can be expected in anyone during this time, and this is particularly true for adolescents who are not able to enact their peer-focused developmental mission.  If your teen has a history of depression and/or suicide risk be particularly vigilant.

4)    Risky times call for risky behaviors

 This is always a risk with teens.  The same factors that may cause an increase in depression in your teen may also cause an increase in desire for risky behaviors.  Talk with your teen about how this is an especially important time to avoid vaping or smoking, for example.  Medical experts have warned that these habits can harm lung health and immune function, which means a potentially increased risk for COVID-19 infection.

5)    Make dinner a coming together time.

 It can be a conversational time “My favorite part of today was…,” “Today I am grateful for…,” or a time to share a quiet moment.  Dinner is a classic transitional time for the ending of the day and the beginning of the evening and winding down time.  Even if you have a sulky teen sharing company with others, even silently, is beneficial.

6)    Be generous with “private time.”

It is completely normal for teens to want more privacy away from their families.  Even if they are not up to mischief.  Given your teen(s) space for quiet time, music time, YouTube time, friend time, etc. 

 Teens are particularly keyed in to virtual spaces.  Encourage virtual hangouts with their friends whether it is FaceTime, Zoom, gaming platforms, or hobby based websites like Discord, which is a chat service for gamers.  

 If you have a gamer teen or a social media teen now may not be a bad time to ease any time limits or restrictions as they can connect and interact with their friends through online games or social media such as SnapChat.  Assuming, of course, this has not been a point of difficulty in the past.

7)    Empower your teen through responsibilities at home.

I imagine if your teen reads that sentence they will come for my head.  Allow me to elaborate: routines have changed and everyone is stressed.  You may need some extra help in caring for younger siblings or keeping the house clean.  While your teen may want to stay in their room all day and night, talk with them about how they can help out the other adults in the house.

 Maybe they pick out a few dinners for the week, or even help plan and/or cook it.  Or they can teach their siblings a dance, or a fun game, or just chase them around the backyard while you take a long, hot shower.

 Being asked to step forward to help the other adults (none of this “pull your weight” or “act your age” nonsense) can be empowering for teens.  Instead of “pull your weight” or “act your age” try “I could really use another pair of competent hands” or “I know you’d rather being doing X, but can I grab 20 minutes of your time?”

 

Everything about this quarantine is difficult.  If you have questions, concerns, or think you or a family member would benefit from talking to a mental health professional please do not hesitate to reach out to us here at Obsidian Counseling & Wellness.  We are offering video/ “telehealth” sessions to keep everyone safe during this time.

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