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Join Karen Penfold for a somatic, body based meditation for grief. David Kessler, an expert on grief states, "Enter your moments with compassion for yourself, allow space for your feelings and let yourself experience your feelings without struggling to resist or edit them." This meditation is an invitation to embody this message with a trauma informed somatic meditation, allowing space for your feelings by being present with your feelings, sensations and emotions.

Karen is an inspiring 11-year, two-time breast cancer survivor who was introduced to yoga while recovering from treatments, surgeries, and a broken pelvis.  Karen shares, “I could tell my body was healing and getting stronger, but something else was happening.  I was healing from the severe anxiety I developed from post-traumatic stress from my cancer battle"…"I then set out to learn all I could about healing PTSD, Anxiety and Depression using what I now know as Body-Based Interventions like Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Breathwork, and other mind-body practices of Somatic Awareness, Mindfulness, and Therapeutic Meditation.”   

Karen is a Registered Yoga Trainer (RYT) through YogaFaith with specialty certifications in Trauma Sensitive Yoga as well as Meditation and Yoga Nidra.  Karen leads four weekly classes from her Full of Hope Yoga home studio and sees private clients in person and Online for Trauma Recovery. You can learn more at www.fullofhopeyoga.com or contact her directly at [email protected]. “My passion is to help you find greater health and freedom from trauma so you can breathe, move and live - Full of Hope” ~ Karen Penfold 

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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Join Susan Whitaker in this guided meditation for planting seeds of light. This is a continuation of her last meditation, "Finding your Inner Garden", but it can also be enjoyed on it's own.

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

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In this episode Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT is joined by honored guest, Cynthia Li, MD.  Dr. Li's health challenges with an autoimmune thyroid condition and chronic fatigue changed her life and her practice of medicine. In this in-depth conversation about healing, she shares her experience of how Zhineng (Wisdom Healing) Qigong contributed to her radical remission and her observation of how science is evolving to measure and support the benefits of this ancient practice.

Cynthia Li, MD, is a physician, author, and speaker. She has practiced in settings including Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Francisco General Hospital, St. Anthony’s Medical Clinic for the homeless, and Doctors Without Borders in rural China. Currently, she has a private practice in integrative and functional medicine, and serves as faculty for the Healer’s Art program at the University of California San Francisco Medical School. She is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and Integrative Medicine for the Underserved.  She is a contributor to Thrive Global and Psychology Today. She is author of the book, Brave New Medicine: A Doctor's Unconventional Path to Healing Her Autoimmune Illness.
 
Below are her primary Qigong teachers that were mentioned in this episode: 

• Teacher Wei - www.daohearts.com  
• Master Mingtong Gu -  www.chicenter.com

Beyond this informative and insightful episode, she has provided a number of free resources below.

Sutter Institute for Health & Healing Videos:

• Easing Anxiety In Times Of Change with Cynthia Li, M.D.
• Connect, Awaken & Restore with Cynthia Li, M.D.

Article & Free E-Book:

• What Qi Gong Taught One Doctor About Healing
• How to Strengthen Your Inner Shield

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce.  Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen as Karen Penfold leads a somatic meditation to aid you to a restful sleep.  

Karen is an inspiring 11-year, two-time breast cancer survivor who was introduced to yoga while recovering from treatments, surgeries, and a broken pelvis.  Karen shares, “I could tell my body was healing and getting stronger, but something else was happening.  I was healing from the severe anxiety I developed from post-traumatic stress from my cancer battle"…"I then set out to learn all I could about healing PTSD, Anxiety and Depression using what I now know as Body-Based Interventions like Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Breathwork, and other mind-body practices of Somatic Awareness, Mindfulness, and Therapeutic Meditation.”   

Karen is a Registered Yoga Trainer (RYT) through YogaFaith with specialty certifications in Trauma Sensitive Yoga as well as Meditation and Yoga Nidra.  Karen leads four weekly classes from her Full of Hope Yoga home studio and sees private clients in person and Online for Trauma Recovery. You can learn more at www.fullofhopeyoga.com or contact her directly at [email protected]. “My passion is to help you find greater health and freedom from trauma so you can breathe, move and live - Full of Hope” ~ Karen Penfold 

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Nancy Birang BS, NC joins us to speak about the scientifically-proven healing properties of Herbs and Spices. 

Nancy is a Board-Certified Nutrition Consultant and founder and owner of Four Seasons Nutrition, an integrative nutrition consulting service for individuals, families and groups. She has been providing integrative nutrition consultation services since the year 2000. Prior to her work in nutrition, she worked as a clinical laboratory scientist in hospitals, clinics, research labs, and biotechnology companies.

In the episode, you will hear about:

1. What is the general distinction between herbs and spices
2. What makes herbs and species important allies for our health
3. How herbs and spices contain cancer-fighting properties
4. What are the precautions and should your oncologist be aware of which herbs and spices you are incorporating into your life
5. The scientifically-proven benefits of Garlic, Ginger, Turmeric and Cinnamon
6. How to incorporate these herbs and spices into your life and some amazing recipes too!

Click below to enjoy these herbaceous yummy recipes provided by Nancy:
Pumpkin Applesauce Loaf

Immune Boosting Fall Soup

Veggie Curry

Mediterranean Herb Soup

Ginger Herb Tea

The recommended books Nancy references in the episode:
Spice for Life, E. Bauman, S. Moorthy

Healing Spices, B. Aggarwal

Please let us know what you think and make sure to send us pictures of your creations from these delicious and nutritious recipes at [email protected]. 

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce. Guests and information on this podcast are not an endorsement of those individuals or practices. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Susan Whitaker as she leads a guided imagery meditation that invites you to find your inner garden.

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

The holidays can be a time of great joy and celebration,  but for some, it can also be a time of grief. Wellness Within Founder Patti Brown, MS LMFT discusses giving ourselves the permission to grieve honestly. She debunks the concept that grief should be contained within a certain period of time, and discusses how navigating grief is deeper than trying to contain it to a prescriptive model. She offers insights including the significance of ceremonies and rituals, as well as thoughtful questions to ask a loved one who may be grieving during the holidays. With this being a short episode, not all important aspects of grief were able to be discussed, including how the element of shock can affect us. For more information, please see the resources listed below.

Wellness Within is the realization of a dream for Patti. After 20 years in private practice as a psychotherapist, she decided to honor the tugging at her heart and open a grassroots organization to serve a community dealing with cancer and its aftermath.  It is her life’s work to teach, support, and mobilize the body and mind for healing.  Learn more on our website at: www.wellnesswithin.org.

Patti actively incorporates her training in mind-body medicine to support a community of people struggling with a cancer diagnosis. The Center’s belief is based on honoring the integration of medical treatments with mind-body practices that enhance one’s quality of life with dignity and hope.  As the founder of Wellness Within, she understands the profound impact a life-threatening illness brings, and the significance of pulling together a caring, loving community to provide support, comfort and healing.

Resources mentioned during this episode:

Recommended books by Patti on this topic are "The Wild Edge of Sorrow "by Francis Weller,  "Bearing the Unbearable" by Joanne Cacciatore, and "It's okay that you're not okay" by Megan Devine.

After the death of her son Jimmy in 2014, Margo Fowkes created Salt Water, an online community that provides a safe harbor for those who are grieving the death of someone dear to them.  Links to Margo's previous conversational episodes with Patti can be found below: 

• There is always room for hope - A Conversation about Loss & Grief with Margo Fowkes ( part 1)
• An Honest Conversation about Grief & Vulnerability with Margo Fowkes ( part 2)

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Anika Mahavni as she leads a 15-minute guided meditation to help with harnessing your emotions.  Use this meditation to get to know your emotions more intimately and come back to it when you're feeling out of center.

Anika is a second-year medical student at Saint Louis University who is passionate about mental health. She began the practice of meditation 2 years ago and has found it to be one of the best practices for managing all kinds of stress. During the school year, she leads meditations for her fellow classmates incorporating body scans, visualizations, breathing exercises, and self-affirmations.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Join Susan Whitaker in a guided meditation for inviting gifts that arise from quieting the mind.

There are certain things that are essential to living a healthy, happy, meaningful life. Susan believes that yoga is one of them and had dedicated her life to sharing it with others. She has taught and practiced yoga for over 45 years. Susan specializes in adapting basic yoga poses to fit individual bodies and includes mindfulness, breathing, and concentration to connect a person more deeply to themselves. She approaches yoga in a gentle way and creates a class around who is present. She takes suggestions about what people need on any given day and weaves them together for a more inclusive experience. Susan establishes a safe atmosphere and encourages a sense of community for the class, even within personal exploration. Through breathing techniques, laughter, philosophy, poetry, and reverence, her classes are designed to give her students an accessible life skill that will serve them in their daily lives.

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us Fan Mail

Did you know that the American Cancer Society estimated that there were going to be 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the year 2021? There is growing evidence around less-publicized chemical exposures that have been linked to certain cancers such as breast cancer. So what are these chemical exposures that we encounter every day, and what can we do to reduce our exposure? Listen to this powerful conversation with Dr. Aly Cohen, author of Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World, as she provides key take-home tips that can help improve your health.

Dr. Aly Cohen is a board-certified Rheumatologist and Integrative Medicine Specialist, as well as an environmental health expert in Princeton, New Jersey. She has collaborated with the Environmental Working Group, Cancer Schmancer, and other disease-prevention organizations, and is co-editor of the textbook, Integrative Environmental Medicine, part of the Oxford University Press Weil Integrative Medicine Library. She is the co-author of Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World. In 2015, she created TheSmartHuman.com to share environmental health, disease prevention, and wellness information with the public. Dr. Cohen is working to integrate environmental health information into high school curricula nationwide. Her TEDx talk on her mission can be found on YouTube.

Click the links below to learn more, read her book, watch her TEDx Talk, listen to her podcast, or connect.

Co-author:"Non-Toxic: Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World", Oxford University Press, 2020

Co-Editor/Contributor: "Integrative Environmental Medicine", Oxford University Press, 2017

TEDx Talk: How To Protect Your Kids from Toxic Chemicals 

http://www.TheSmartHuman.com

www.AlyCohenMD.com

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

YouTube Channel

The Smart Human podcast

This podcast is sponsored in part by Koinonia Family Services, Consolidated Communications, and Merchants Bank of Commerce. This podcast is offered freely to ensure everyone has access to these practices and conversations offered by Wellness Within Cancer Support Services. If you feel inspired to donate to support Wellness Within offerings, please visit www.wellnesswithin.org/give or click the link below.

Support the show

This podcast offers health, wellness, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. Do not disregard, avoid or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your health-care professional because of something you may have read on this site. The use of any information provided on this podcast is solely at your own risk.