Spiritual Health

Your Love Sign

Mental Health, Physical Health, Spiritual Health

With Valentine’s Day approaching it got me thinking about love. More specifically, self-love. Not the commercialized “TREAT YO SELF” kind of ‘self-care’ that may potentially leave you with buyer’s remorse, but the kind that at times can be difficult and hard to face. The kind that requires work, patience, vulnerability, humility, and honesty with yourself. That REAL self-love, you know that I’m sayin’? And if you don’t then I’m so happy you’re taking a moment to read this article. I had a best gal pal give me a book by Anuschka Rees called “Beyond Beautiful – A Practical Guide to Being Happy, Confident, and You in a Looks-Obsessed World” that was accompanied by the sweetest love note a friend could write. This book dives into body image, self-perception, and being more than a body. Link to the book.

Honestly, the book (and my friends sweet note) had come at a perfect time and continues to do so. And why you might ask? Because, “Feeling good about yourself is a basic human need. We all have an internal self-worth barometer that’s constantly being fed with new information from our brain and recalibrating exactly how good we feel about ourselves at any given moment.”

Self-love is like a garden that needs constant tending to.

For example: The other day I turned on my Nike Training Club app to start a quick 30 minute HITT workout. About 10 minutes in I decided to pause my workout and drop down onto my mat into a child’s pose. I was listening to my body and came to the conclusion that I was judging myself because I didn’t feel present in my body. I was stuck in my head (Do you ever feel this way?).. But why? I had a quote by Cleo Wade stuck in my head, “We Honor The Dream By Doing The Work”.

I wanted to feel present in my body, but I was stuck in my head asking myself “Am I doing the work?!” Instead of going through the motions to make it feel like I was “doing the work” it was time to turn inward to practice self-inquiry and ask myself:

What are things or experiences that keep me fueled and motivated to honor my dream?
What actions can I take to find balance to cultivate these things or experiences?
How can I fill my cup so that I can be there for myself and others?

Take this as your self-love sign and ask yourself these questions, bust out a journal, or even come up with your own self-inquiry questions. Please use this as a tool to start a conversation with yourself, others around you, or even on this article.

“If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?

-Ru Paul

Meditation for Women who want to clear their mind (but can’t)

Spiritual Health

I was 17 years old when I decided to try a formal meditation class. I don’t remember if it took place on a Monday or a Sunday, at 5am or 5pm, but I do remember the smell of nag champa and the feeling of quiet reverence as I walked up the stairs to the space. I also remember, and will never forget, the first bit of advice from the meditation teacher. He said, simply and clearly, directly to me, “try less”.

“Try less?”, I thought. “What the hell?”

I immediately became both frustrated and intrigued by the concept of trying less. I was so new to this practice; I couldn’t gauge my level of effort. It boggled my mind and stayed with me for several years, coming up randomly in my mind as a grew in my yoga and meditation practice.

I eventually (five years later) became a yoga teacher and started leading both power yoga classes and meditation classes. I purposefully did not cue “try less” in my meditation classes, simply because I hadn’t unpacked that cue for myself. I guess you could say I was sitting with it.

A few years into my teaching, I was invited by a fellow teacher to begin a meditation training with Dr. Lorin Roche and Camille Maurine. In this training, my teachers shared the amazingly rebellious notion that neither have to try less or clear my mind in meditation.

I don’t have to clear my mind? Wait, what? Isn’t that what meditation is about?

No, ma’am. You sure don’t have to clear your mind or try less.

What I offer to you is what my teachers offered to me – the 8 Rs.

Rest. Release. Remember. Rehearse. Repair. Restore. Relax. Recharge. Remember that you’re meditating. Then Rest again.

Imagine this as you read along:

You settle into a seated position, or lie down. As you rest in your posture, you feel your muscles release. As you release, you might remember why your muscles were tense in the first place. As you remember why you were tense, you then commence your rehearsal of the experience that made you feel tense. You problem solve, build a list of things to do, have that discussion that you’re putting off, budget your finances – all of this happens in your rehearsal stage.

(This is traditionally where you get frustrated and think you’re not meditating. As your meditation teacher, I’m here to tell you that this is a part of the rhythm of meditation. Keep going.)

As you sense yourself in rehearsal, you might step out to jot down notes of who to call or what to do after your meditation. You might have a seriously creative moment where you finally solve that problem or think up the next best step in your business. When you come back, you will feel that you’ve repaired something – lightness ensues; you feel restored. Then you relax because you remember that you’re meditating. Sense your muscles, and the deeper layers of your awareness, rest again.

This cycle could happen 2-3 times in the span of 10 minutes. As you become aware of where you are within the 8 Rs, the time spent in each R may stretch or extend – you might find yourself in a restful state for a long time.

Now I can appreciate the cue to “try less”. Rather than pushing or over-effort, sense what happens when you rest into your meditation. With this understanding of meditation as a rhythm, we can appreciate and respect said rhythms. Play with the rhythms. You may start to look forward to your practice the same way you look forward to the first sip of your morning tea (or pourover cup of coffee, if you’re boujee like me).

I hope you feel free to meditate knowing that you don’t have to clear your mind. Rather, develop a sense for what each R feels like for you.

Rest. Release. Remember. Rehearse. Repair. Restore. Relax. Recharge. Remember that you’re meditating. Then Rest again. Megan Spears RYT 500

Vulnerability

Mental Health, Social Health, Spiritual Health

Vulnerability: Probably one of the hardest qualities to obtain; and to most people it is probably a negative quality to have. In my opinion, I think it is one of the greatest assets a person can have. So, what exactly is “being vulnerable”? To me, being vulnerable is being your most authentic self, no matter what situation you are in. To expose yourself emotionally and show your true self.

You are probably thinking that you do that all the time, but look deep down and really ask yourself, is that a mantra you live by? If the answer is no, don’t worry, you are not alone. Being vulnerable is a lot harder than it seems and it is especially for women because we are constantly criticized for how we look and act. Society has us pictured a certain way for us to live by, but in reality we are all different and there’s no rule book to follow. We are our own worst critic, always comparing ourselves to others and how we perceive their lives (majorly through social media).

We are always trying to act and be the way we think society and others want us to act. “Not being 100%” is uncommon or frowned upon. That puts a toll on our mental health, self esteem, and our body in general. Changing our mindset and trying to be vulnerable is a job in and of itself. You are opening and exposing your true light…which is scary because others may not perceive it the same way as you; but it is a leap that should be taken to make great human connections.

I did not always think this way though. I was a very self conscious individual, always worried about everyone liking me and changing myself to fit in with the people I was around. I was on social media comparing myself and thinking I would be happier if I had what they had, but never thought to search within myself and observe what I had and what I was taking for granted. I felt lost. I had graduated from college two years prior and thought I had to live my life a certain way to be accepted into adulthood, I was not happy with my day to day lifestyle, and was always looking to Instagram to envy the life of my followers. I didn’t know who I was, there wasn’t anything defining or interesting about me. I developed depression and anxiety and could not figure out a way out.

I had the opportunity to attend Camp Kulabunga: a camp put on by Grant Kwiecinski (aka GRiZ) and his friends in Michigan that focuses on self empowerment and community. This retreat changed my life and how I live it. I realized what I wanted to do with the rest of my life and feel complete once again. One of the biggest takeaways I learned was the positive outcomes from being my true self: being vulnerable to others and how to shed that light to others around me. I met the most genuine people that turned into family and made the most authentic connections I have in my lifetime, even though it was only 4 days. I was able to open up without the fear of being judged, and in turn was able to hear other people’s stories.

Being vulnerable is like a domino effect, once you can be vulnerable to someone, they in turn will feel more comfortable to do the same. It is taking that leap to start it and see the ripple effect. In most cases, you are not alone. During my time at Camp Kulabunga, I heard so many stories that I related to and made me realize that my insecurity or fear is very common among others. It was so nice to talk to someone with the same issue and work through it together and to know I have someone to fall back to if and when i needed it. It’s ok to not be ok!

“Being vulnerable is like a domino effect, once you can be vulnerable to someone, they in turn will feel more comfortable to do the same. It is taking that leap to start it and see the ripple effect. In most cases, you are not alone.”

-Isabela Collins ATC

Once you are vulnerable with someone, it connects us on a deeper level. Once I started exposing myself emotionally to friends I have known for years, our relationship flourished. I noticed how close we got in the last couple months than we ever had been in the 5+ years we have known each other. I appreciate our friendship and the relationship we established because of how deep it goes. It’s not all small talk and going out/drinking, it’s about being there for each other and seeing each other flourish and grow.

There are so many positive aspects of vulnerability that we don’t realize because of the negative stigma it has to the name. Being vulnerable takes courage, but the outcome outweighs the risk. Next time you are having a conversation with someone and they ask you how you are, try not to say “good”, show yourself and have that meaningful conversation I know you are dying to have!

Note: “Camp Kulabunga is not a music festival. It is a sober, tech free event for personal exploration and community. To check out GRiZ and more information on Camp Kulabunga, visit @griz and @campkulabunga on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The Origin Story

Financial Health, Intellectual Health, Mental Health, Occupational Health, Physical Health, Sexual Health, Social Health, Spiritual Health

Everyone loves a good origin story, right? From superheroes, world leaders, actors, and to all the influencers of old, we can always trace their history back. So, here’s a Positively Balanced Origin Story: Why we are here today, and how we are bridging the gap in women’s health.

Positively Balanced was founded right when I graduated from undergraduate school. I knew I wanted to create something that meant we aren’t going to be positive all the time, but we can be hopeful for better days. I also wanted a statement that highlighted the aspect of balance in our lives that isn’t always perfectly balanced.

So Positively Balanced was born. For 3 years it was a way for me to share my position of health, fitness, education, class schedule and events. However, I knew Positively Balanced would be something bigger, I just didn’t know quite what it was yet.

A few events started to cause a shift in the direction of Positively Balanced. A friend came to me in search of information on infertility, another with questions about menopause, and then another about postpartum exercise and lifestyle. Each time, I had the same answer: “I’m not sure, but let me do some research on who might know and also how I can help. So my love for women’s health began. I enrolled in and attended courses and seminars. I read books and did the research.

As I did my deep dive into the works of women’s health, I began to notice a significant lack of knowledge, education, and resources for women.

There were some resources and some research; however there are still huge gaps in so many areas and aspects.

Then, I found out I was going to be having a baby and it took my love to new heights. I began to experience first hand the lack of support, lack of resources and knowledge and the consequences of such. It was like adding fuel to a fire.

This past year, I became so passionate, I shut my business down for 6 months just to focus on what it was I could actually do to make a difference. I graduated with my master’s degree and began working as a women’s health athletic trainer specializing in pre and postpartum health, as well as rehab performance exercise. I saw all types of patients, but my focus and study took me into the women’s health realm.

I realized that women’s health was the evolution that Positively Balanced was meant for, the work had to be done. I remember telling my good friend about these crazy ideas I had during one of our walks. After I babbled for a good while, she looked at me and said “Well then, why don’t you do it?!”

The Be HEaRd Women’s Health Platform was formed. I only remember posting about searching for contributors twice on social media. Within a week, I had so much interest I knew we were destined for greatness.

Starting in January 2020, you will have over 20 founding contributors (we call ourselves HEaRd), writing to you along with a few special guests popping in here and there. We will provide you with honest, current, and relevant articles that cover a variety of dimensions of health.

Our goal is to “Bridge the Gap” in Women’s Health. The gap between generations, research and application, The gap between the phases of life, and so much more.

Women’s health platform is starting the conversations, empowering women with knowledge and supporting you with a wonderful community!

(The dimensions of health is something we will discuss in the Founder’s Note each month, and if you are interested in learning more sign up to be placed on a preorder list of my short ebook coming out soon.)

PS: Stay tuned for more information on and WHY we are HEaRd!

Thanks for joining us on this adventure,

Cassandra McCoy MS, ATC, LAT
Founder of Positively Balanced LLC

Spiritual Health

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