Hello, My Dear,
Welcome — we’re so glad you’re here. You have some lovely goodness in store for you this month:
Hot off the Press Celebration🥳: Introducing The Haven’s Chief Editor & Contributing Writer
🥰 February in The Haven
Read & Enjoy: *New* Publishing Schedule
Recommended Read: all about love by bell hooks
Body Care Recommendation: Laundry Detergent. Who knew?
Active Duty & Veteran Women’s Corner: Medical Care Advocacy Tip
Hot Off the Press Celebration
The Haven is ECSTATIC to welcome and introduce our Chief Editor & Contributing Writer —
Mira Hansen
Mira Hansen, Haven Chief Editor & Contributing Writer
Mira Hansen is a freelance writer and editor based in the PNW.
She has written and edited for a number of publications nationwide, primarily supporting small businesses and indie authors.
Mira cares deeply about the intersection of mental and physical wellness, the value of community, and the power of a good book. She’s partial to literary fiction, black coffee, and cats.
You can find Mira online at bymirahansen.com
If you are looking for a writer or editor for personal or professional projects, reach out to Mira — she is a gem!
Please join us in welcoming Mira to The Haven & Evergreen Team!
If you missed us last month or are new to The Haven—
READ:
🥰 February in The Haven
February is our second installment of sharing with you all things hormone, vaginal, and pelvic floor health, leading into Women’s History & Endometriosis Awareness Month in March.
The winter season and nature’s stillness continue this month while society awakens with the new year and calls in the energy of transitions — of both endings and new beginnings.
During this time when the energy of nature and the energy of the calendar compete, we encourage you to explore how you are feeling and honor what you discover.
Honoring yourself means discovering the moments in life when you can slow down, like nature, and find time for quiet reflection and practices that support you in feeling rested and restored.
Or, if you are feeling the draw of the new year's energy, use it to support your vision of what you want to feel and experience in your daily life. Harness that energy to invite in new things, experiences, and people.
Read & Enjoy
This month, we are launching our new publishing schedule!
We want to ensure you don’t miss any articles we publish and that you have the time to fully enjoy each piece we create for you.
To support your ability to read, learn, and enjoy The Haven throughout the month, we are shortening this newsletter moving forward. You’ll receive your additional articles (those that usually come in the next section) right in your inbox over the next two weeks.
We’re excited about this new publication schedule and hope the change serves you well.
What’s in store for you for the rest of this month?
Thursday, 2/20: 6 Insights You Want to Know About Your Pelvic Health
Monday, 2/24: On Sleep by Mira Hansen
Thursday, 2/27: Guided Meditation & Breathwork—Pelvic Relaxation
Mark your calendar for this educational goodness coming your way.
📚 Recommended Read of the Month
“We are not born knowing how to love anyone, either ourselves or somebody else.”
-bell hooks, all about love
I read this line several years ago as I was trying to discover what love looks and feels like to me — both how I want to experience love and how I want to give love in a way that always honors myself and those I love. This book and this line specifically healed something in me I didn’t know was hurting.
In all about love, bell reflects on the idea that self-love isn’t an inherent ability we are born with, like any other skill in life. It is something we need to be taught and to learn.
We need not internalize either our lack of understanding or inability to master this skill as a shameful shortcoming.
“Whether we learn how to love ourselves and others will depend on the presence of a loving environment,” hooks says.
These words gave me permission to accept and understand that self-love, like most things in life, is easier said than done, and what lies in the gap between the said and the done, in this case, has little to do with the self at all.
My struggle with self-love was not a flaw. It was every indication that I wasn’t practicing the art of loving myself — because I never learned.
The most transformative part of this revelation for me was placing no blame at anyone’s feet for my lack of self-love education.
As for myself and my journey — and as I hold space and compassion for others and their journeys — I’ve learned two things:
We can only meet others as deeply as we have met ourselves.
We can only teach what we know.
In my growth and healing, I knew that my energy better served me in moving forward, learning, practicing, and loving rather than housing any resentment or judgment.
After reading bell’s book, I have enthusiastically become a student of self. Sometimes, I pass those courses with flying colors, and sometimes I need to go back and revisit some. Either way, I am staying committed to this lifelong education journey.
I hope all about love will serve you well!
Bodycare Recommendation: Your Laundry Detergent
An important but often overlooked body care product is your laundry detergent!
Your laundry detergent cleans everything from your clothes and towels to your bedding.
What do all those things have in common? They come in contact with your body every single day.
It is such a natural thought to associate the act of washing your clothes with them being clean, sterile, and safe to have on your body; however, nothing could be further from the truth if there are residual chemicals on them from a detergent that doesn’t have the best ingredients.
Choosing fragrance-free can be your first line of defense when vetting your detergent ingredients.
I know this one might hurt — and I want you to know I get it.
Trust me, I LOVED a fresh-scented laundry detergent that made me want to jump into my pile of clean clothes once they came out of the dryer.
After all, isn’t that a major part of clean laundry? The cozy, intoxicating smell!?
Unfortunately, those heavy fragrances introduce some of the craziest and most harmful ingredients out there. Even if you don’t have sensitive skin, heavy fragrances can be subtly irritating. Plus, think of the residual soap, suds, and heavy fragrances on your underwear that are constantly introduced to your vagina and some of the most sensitive and absorbent skin on your body.
As you’ve learned here before, the small things compounded over time can change, transform, and improve your health — or they can do the opposite.
Choosing a different, harmless laundry detergent can be a small way to make a huge impact on the long-term health of you and your loved ones.
Here are some options for you to explore:
Something to think about and consider, and we hope you do. Please don’t discount or disregard anything when it comes to your health, no matter how small.
Note: Our recommendations are a great starting point; however, we always encourage you to do your own research. to find what aligns best with your needs and what you want for yourself and your health.
Active Duty & Veteran Women’s Corner
As you navigate the demands of service or prior service and how it has challenged your health, we want to ensure you know about the resources available to help you learn more about your body, support your health, and heal.
Medical Advocacy Tips:
1. Review your medical appointment notes after every single appointment.
Every time you see a medical professional, even if it’s just a sick call on the ship or at your command, your medical care professional or doctor is obligated to submit notes summarizing your appointment and interaction.
After your appointment, review and take appropriate action on the following:
Ensure your medical professional accurately represented what you needed, what you discussed, and the way ahead.
If you disagree with what is in your post-appointment notes or if something is missing, send your medical professional an email stating the discrepancy and provide the correction. This will act as your official request that they update your medical record. Make sure to keep that email for your own personal records. I’ve provided an email template for this below:
“I reviewed the notes for my appointment with you on [DATE/TIME], and I did not find them to accurately reflect what we discussed. You stated, XXXX’ while XXXX is missing. This email serves as my formal request for you to update the appointment notes so my medical record is accurate. Thank You.”
If you have to go back and forth with the professional about this consider switching providers if that is an accessible option for you. Either way, hold your ground. Make sure you’re (professionally) setting boundaries.
2. Ask your medical care professional to annotate their decision to deny any requests you make for care.
If you request care — a test, bloodwork, a procedure, medicine, etc. —and your medical professional doesn't professionally agree it is something you need for care, politely ask them to annotate their denial of your request in your record. I’ve provided an email template for this as well below:
“Thank you for considering my request. Please include your denial of my request for XXX in my medical record and your post-appointment notes so my medical record is accurate.”
3. Hot Take: Energy matters in medical and health care environments. If you currently have a provider you wouldn’t be happy to run into on the street and chat with, you might want to consider switching.
Your medical and health care status is oftentimes one of the most vulnerable situations you can find yourself in.
When it comes to medical appointments most of us were taught to get in and get out — to keep it moving.
You don’t have to accept that mindset anymore.
You are going to appointments to receive care, and you deserve care. If you don’t connect with a provider and wouldn’t be open to seeing them outside of their professional capacity, that’s a sign. Your whole being is telling you something about them does not align with you, and that is something to listen to and honor.
When was the last time you felt cared for in the way you deserved by someone you don’t like? Probably never, right?
Let this empower you to make the best decision for your needs. Listen to yourself, trust your instincts, and set your boundaries.
If any of these tips resonate with you, share them in the comments so we can continue to provide you support exactly where you need it.
Women’s Wellness for the Waterfront
San Diego, CA
To support active duty and veteran women with their health and healing through the lens of the unique challenges they experience in service.
What To Expect & Enjoy
First and foremost, a safe, compassionate, and community-focused energy within an environment curated to support your nervous system calming, your brain slowing down, and your ability to remain mindful and present.
Presentation and exercises to learn more about your hormonal, gynecological, and pelvic health to support your health daily.
Brunch catered by Handmade Meal Prep Co.
Sound Healing by Senna, owner of Sahkahra Acupuncture & Apothecary
Breathwork & Guided Meditation by Alana, Founder of Evergreen Women’s Holistic Care
Journaling Excercise
Mingle & Informal Q&A with Alana & Senna
Takeaways
Period Repair Manual Natural Treatment for Better Hormones and Better Periods by Lara Briden
Exclusive Sahkahra & Evergreen Savings on Services
More than anything, we want to make sure you have the safe space, environment, and all the added touches to feel the love and support of your community since we are no longer able to have this on base as originally planned.
Come learn about your health as a woman in a safe, compassionate, community-focused, nervous system-calming environment.
Evergreen Women’s Holistic Care
Learn more about Evergreen’s Holistic Care, Integrative Bodywork, & Women’s Holistic Health Education can support you on your health & healing journey at www.womensholisticcare.com
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The Haven is for you.
If there are topics, subjects, or information you’d like to see or learn in upcoming newsletters, please send us your thoughts so we can serve you in the way you need.
We hope The Haven served you well and brought you valuable tools and perspectives to support you on your journey.
In the meantime, and until next time—
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