Somatic Sole Barefoot Massage Therapy

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Conventional Health Advice, Pt2.

What is conventional health advice?

You know what I’m talking about but I’ll try to lay it out for you. Old diet trends and the idea that thin is healthy and any exercise is good. I recently wrote an article about how conventional health advice isn’t for everyone and I received a few questions. (Thank you! I love your reflections on my writings) I figured expounding on my experience could be helpful for many people.

How am I figuring out what works and what doesn’t?

Most definitely, it is a process and it shifts from day to day and week to week. It starts with not being okay with feeling lousy. I’ve had to continue to ask questions and do my own research. It helps that it is my job to know what people are coming in with when it comes to trends and health fads. For example, the rage a few years ago was weight loss via HCG and those people couldn’t have normal massage oil being used on their skin. Or how everyone thought it was a good idea to stretch the psoas. The current trend seems to be the Vagus Nerve. (Which I’m here for, by the way!)

I learned super quick that it was going to take a team of people to use their various expertise and angles to take a look at my whole story. And possibly the most important thing, is that I believed myself. I knew what I was feeling wasn’t something to get used to. Or power through. Or wallow in. Action needed to be taken but it wasn’t going to be overnight.

Find a friend.

One of my best friends and I started discussing food journals. We started cooking together. We learned we needed different dietary details but we could mostly create meals where we could easily edit them for each of us. Our kids ate together. And almost always, the kids left to play and we remained at the table talking and eating the kids left overs. (IYKYK) We still to this day swap meals and recipes to feel less alone.

Find a good doctor.

Imagine an experience with a doctor where you feel encouraged, supported, and believed. Imagine an experience thats generative and not depleting…surrounding your health. That’s been my experience with Little Black Bag Functional Medicine
I have a typical yet complicated auto immune expression that leaves me feeling sick. Many mothers and postpartum people experience this condition whether they realize it or not. Often it’s met with, “yah, motherhood is hard. *shrug*” But my tenacity and my learned drive to figure something out (thanks, mom), I refused to be okay with that reply. I’ve been uncovering and asking questions for about 7 years now. And it wasn’t until I started working with Dr. Alison DiBarto Goggin that I started seeing transformation. And feeling alive again.

Find a community.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have bad days. And it’s still a journey. And it’s not just her. I also have a medical doctor that’s pretty rad and a therapist who I love. I also have a 2 chiropractors and a pelvic floor therapist that I highly recommend. And friends that support me and my family. It truly takes a team.
Autoimmunity is still something we don’t know everything about. It’s a lot of an invisible condition in many ways. And the more I learn, the more I realize that sooooo many humans have auto immunity of some kind. So if that’s you, I see you. And if you’re unsure or just don’t feel great, I see you. And know that you’re valuable and worthy of feeling as good as you can. *big hugs*

Get connected to your body

Our current over culture values a top down approach. Your mind must think and muster the words to express a thought or feeling. What I’m suggesting is a bottom up approach. Can your mind translate what your body is telling you? A connection to your body is a key component to that (hello, massage! And other things..) and then how do you translate that information? For women, I highly suggest the work of Kimberly Ann Johnson. Through her book (and I host a book club 2x per year) and her courses, I’ve learned to track and easily note what my body is trying to communicate to me. That allows me to easily communicate to others what I’m feeling and needing.

A new course that I’m creating addresses this very approach. Cultivating your Body Wisdom and being able to translate that into actionable and accessible information will help you live better and have more connection to your health and well-being. Get on my list to know when the class begins.

Understand Expectations

In our culture, we want quick fixes and easy to understand routes. This auto immune condition has humbled me deeply as that is just not accessible. At this point, I would go to say that cultural desire may be part of the WHY our people have so many auto immune issues. I’ve truly learned that healing can’t happen overnight and instead it’s a journey to be in relationship with. And part of that relationship is with other people.

 

And know that I’m your ally. I’m encouraging you to keep learning more about your body and your experience both inside and outside. You’ve got this!

 

Sara Newberry, founder of Somatic Sole Massage in Saint Louis, MO, offers a sanctuary for mothers, blending massage therapy with reverence for the transformative journey of motherhood. Specializing in Myofascial Ashiatsu Barefoot Massage therapy and stress transformation, Sara’s holistic approach combines ancestral wisdom with contemporary practices to support mothers through childbirth and the postpartum period. Beyond the massage table, Sara fosters a trauma-informed environment at Somatic Sole, empowering clients to embrace wellness as a way of life, while also mentoring fellow therapists and nurturing a community dedicated to holistic healing.

Schedule a session with her here.

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