Holistic Psychotherapy Blog – Page 3 – Alternative Psychotherapy & Reiki For Adults & Couples

Cultivating Self-Compassion

December 1, 2016
by Katarzyna Haberko-Sandaire

Following are 5 ways to begin practicing self-compassion and stop being so hard on yourself:
1. Treat yourself as you would a small child- consider what a child might want or need in a hurtful situation.
2. Practice mindfulness- When we find ourselves caught in a barrage of self-criticism, practice simple awareness of thoughts and feelings, particularly the “critical inner voice” — without trying to change anything; or just focus on your breath- a simple yet powerful Mindfulness Tool.
3. Remember that you’re not alone- to Feel is to be Human, and whatever you are going through is also being experienced by millions of others. Other also have similar/same feelings. If we can recognize our shared humanity — that not one of us is perfect — we can begin to feel more connected to others, with a sense that we’re all in this together.
4. Give yourself permission to be imperfect- we should never lose faith in our own potential just because we may fly off the deep end one night or stay in our apartment all weekend.
5. Work with a supportive therapist or coach- it’s a sign of strength and self-compassion to ask for some help and guidance.

MindBody&Soul

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR DOPAMINE LEVELS TO FIGHT DEPRESSION

October 31, 2016
by Katarzyna Haberko-Sandaire

Our brain releases a neurotransmitter, dopamine, which is crucial for the following body functions:
-Regulating movement
-Controlling the center of pleasure and reward in the brain
-Improving the cognitive functions (knowledge, attention, memory, decision-making, evaluation, problem solving)
-Regulating the secretion of prolactin.
Here is how to naturally increase your DOPAMINE levels:
1. Exercise– The exercise of every kind raises the levels of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin. Regular exercise provides happiness, strengthens the body, and reduces stress.
2. Avoid Addictions– Addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, and even shopping, provide an instant pleasure, but it is not a permanent solution. Additions only temporarily satisfy our needs.
3. Detoxification– regularly detoxify your system, as the accumulation of toxins and bacteria in the body prevents the dopamine production and weakens the immunity.
4. Increase Tyrosine– Tyrosine is one of the 22 essential amino acids used for the creation of proteins. In order to raise its levels in the body, your diet should include green tea, watermelon, almonds, bananas, avocados, and dark chocolate.
5. Music– Dopamine levels are also increased through listening to music, even though it may be short-term. Therefore, use music as a common way to raise dopamine levels.
6. Organize your life- The levels of dopamine are raised in the case of organized small daily tasks, even though they are hard at times. You should write your tasks down on a piece of paper, and check them off. This way, you will be satisfied as you note that you finish them one by one.
7. Creativity– The levels of dopamine in the brain are also elevated with a creative activity. This will also keep you focused. Simple act of dancing, singing, writing, sculpturing, painting, drawing, cooking, knitting, making crafts, and auto repair, increases your level of happy right away.
8. Get a Streak Going- In this sense, “streak” will mean a visual reminder of the number of times in a row you do something as you see ‘checking off’ one goal after another on your list. This is similar to organizing the tasks, and accomplishing them.
9. Supplements– Dopamine levels can also be raised through supplementation, such as:
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, Ginkgo Biloba, Acetyl-l-tyrosine, L-theanine (Green tea is a rich source of l-theanine)
10. Meditation– Meditation raises the levels of dopamine in a different way that cardio exercises. It improves your mood, creates mental energy, and relaxes the mind. Meditation is an efficient way to reduce stress on a daily basis.

MindBody&Soul

3 Mindful Bedtime Habits:

July 14, 2016
by Katarzyna Haberko-Sandaire

1. Disconnect from your devices: Looking at the blue screen minutes before sleep time keeps us up. Also if you have your phone or a tablet lighting up your bedside table, it’s going to disturb your sleeping patterns. It’s best if it’s not in your room at all. It’s creating activity in your mind that you have to pay attention to.

2. Don’t force it: We have to stop trying so hard to fall asleep. Our brains are too smart for that. The moment we’re trying to do something, we’re creating stress on top of it. So we don’t want to try and fall asleep. See if you can let go of the notion of trying to fall asleep at all.
3. Try any type of meditation: Bring mindfulness into your sleep routine. Try a Yoga Nidra (on my August 2014 blog post), which addresses stress management, anxiety, depression, insomnia and many other issues. Or you can do a gentle body scan practice where you’re being curious about just noticing sensations in your body and your breathing. When your attention wanders or becomes frustrated, see if you can just take note of that and gently come back to being with what’s here. When we allow ourselves to be with what’s here, the body naturally goes to rest, which is what it wants to do. Or simply give your mind something to do by focusing on your breath and nothing more.

Enjoy. Peaceful rest.

MindBody&Soul

3 Mindful Things to Do When You Get Home…

June 30, 2016
by Katarzyna Haberko-Sandaire

Using mindfulness to picture your perfect Friday—and put it into practice.
Bring these three mindful tips home with you and see what you notice. Help yourself to start your Weekend in the right note!
When you get home from work:

Set your intention: Before you even step foot in the door, take a deep breath, soften your body as a way of becoming present, and take some time to think about how you want this evening to unfold. Do you want to spend time with your family? Do you want to relax in another way?
Hug something: It could be an animal, a loved one, or if there’s no one else there, curl up in a ball and hug yourself. Hugging allows us to feel connected, soothes the body, and it sets us up to feel good for the rest of the evening.
Control your environment: Put on some soothing or playful music, bring some play into your environment, or put on some candles if you want it to be a relaxing evening.

MindBody&Soul

The Power of 3 to Fight Inflammation (Turmeric, Black…

April 29, 2016
by Katarzyna Haberko-Sandaire

Turmeric Tomato Soup
What You Need:
¾ cup cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in halves
1 can diced tomatoes (don’t drain the sauce)
½ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 minced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coconut oil
½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar- ACV
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
What to Do:
Fry onion and garlic in coconut oil over medium heat for 1 minute.
Add turmeric, cherry tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft.
Add canned tomatoes, stock, ACV, and basil. Bring to boil on medium-high heat, then cover and let simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
Blend using a blender or hand mixer until creamy.
Season with salt and pepper.