Hello, My Dear,
Welcome to The Haven, Evergreen Women’s Holistic Care’s Monthly Publication.
The Haven is a place where you have a safe, informative space to explore yourself, your body, your needs, and how to honor each.
Healing and health begin with and in safety–a space where you can connect with your body, release what does not serve you, and receive what you deeply need.
We've crafted our articles, guided meditations, recommendations, and resources for you with care and with your healing and safety in mind.
You deserve abundant spaces in this world to be still, to feel safe, and to flourish freely and authentically.
We hope The Haven becomes such a space for you.
If you missed us last month or are new to The Haven—
READ:
❄️January in The Haven
The winter season and nature’s quiet time continue this month while society awakens and calls in the energy of endings, beginnings, change, and new things.
This mismatch of energy can be and feel confusing.
Whichever side you find yourself on, or if you feel like a combination of the two, know and be empowered to lean into what energy serves you best and leave what doesn’t.
No journey is all or nothing.
So, if one day you want to lean into the New Year's energy and the next you feel nature calling you in, do it.
If you want to sink comfortably into the winter season until spring or use the New Year energy now to serve you and shake off winter’s quiet—listen to yourself, honor yourself, honor your needs, and find your balance.
As you explore what serves you best this season, we hope you’ll take a moment to curl up in your favorite spot, grab a warm drink to sip on and enjoy these warm, cozy vibes in The Haven.
Read & Enjoy—
We received wonderful feedback on how the Vaginal Bodycare Section in December in The Haven was helpful and eye-opening.
For the next three months, leading into Women’s History & Endometriosis Awareness Month in March, we are sharing all things cycle, hormone, vaginal, and pelvic health with you.
This month you’ll learn:
Your Cycle Basics (which we’ll build on in later editions)
A Book that will transform your understanding of your cycle and help you repair
How Guided Meditation & Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing Support Your Pelvic Health
More body care recommendations to support your vaginal health
Resources for Active Duty & Veteran Women
and More!
Your Cycle Basics 101: The Three Phases
The phases of your cycle and what your hormones do during each phase are the blueprint to caring for yourself and your body throughout your life.
Guided Meditation & Breathwork: Pelvic Relaxation
This month’s guided meditation and breathwork will help you relieve stress, bring awareness to your womb, and relax your pelvic muscles and floor.
🗓 Mark Your Calendar! We’ll share this meditation with you on Monday, January 27th, here in The Haven.
EXPLORE: More Guided Meditations in The Haven’s Guided Meditation Section.
Recommended Read of the Month
This book looks weathered, not because it is old but because I refer to it OVER and OVER and OVER again to care for my hormone and cycle health and as a reference for clients and writing articles.
Period Repair Manual by Lara Briden, ND, is my top recommended resource to clients and every woman I speak to to improve their knowledge about their cycles and how to introduce natural treatments and practices for their hormone and cycle health.
This book has served me well during several seasons of my health and will continue to do so.
When I was experiencing acute issues with my cycle as I healed from laparoscopic surgery and a Stage IV Endometriosis diagnosis, I addressed and improved my cycle irregularity, calmed my premenstrual symptoms (still doing good work on that), eliminated my endo and cycle pain, and learned more about the needs of my hormones and the interplay of my lifestyle with my hormones and vice versa, this well-researched book was my go to.
I encourage you to add it to your library and reading list this year. If you are dealing with painful, irregular periods, I recommend you dive in sooner rather than later so you can experience some relief.
I hope this book serves you as well as it has served and continues to serve me and then some!
If you read it, please come back and share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Vaginal Care Product Recommendation: Cleaning Products, Specifically Your Toliet Bowl Cleaners
Last month we shared and discussed safe menstrual products, underwear, toilet paper, and soaps for vaginal care.
READ:
This month, we are discussing how toilet seat and bowl cleaning products impact your health.
These are two things you may not think are impacting your health.
They may seem small; however, as you now know from reading the Haven, the little tiny things over an extended time turn into big things for our health and well-being.
Your skin is a sponge with everything it comes in contact with. There are no heavy-duty filters that keep out the substances that aren’t good for you.
What your skin absorbs, your body either uses or has to combat.
Now think of the list of chemicals that are in our cleaning products these days, meant to clean effectively, kill all the germs, and strip all the soap scum and dirt; however, they are not created even for a moment to be safe on the skin or inhaled.
It is effective for cleaning but detrimental to your overall health and your reproductive and hormonal health.
Not all the skin on your body is the same, with the same protection, sensitivity, or thickness. When cleaning products touch any parts of your skin, it is absorbed and introduced to your body.
Now consider the sensitive and receptive skin of your vaginal area. The delicacy and thinness of some of its parts are less equipped to protect against consistent exposure to heavy, toxic chemicals.
Also, the proximity of your vagina and your pelvic area that comes in contact with the toilet seat bowl and the fumes from the bowl to your reproductive organs gives your body less time to identify, try to combat, and filter out the chemical and toxins that you’ve come in contact with.
I dislike a fear-based approach to living and feeling like you have to look around every corner for what might not be healthy for you. It is no way to live and introduces stress that doesn’t serve you.
Please always know that our recommendations are to inform you and not to induce stress.
Your awareness and understanding of the small things that you may not have considered or thought of allow you to include accessible and manageable ways that will work wonders for your health now and in the long term.
Based on what you’ve learned today in this section, consider the cleaning products you use for your toilet specifically.
Check out their ingredients.
Research the ingredients.
Start looking into non-toxic cleaning products.
You’d be surprised how well different combinations of baking soda, water, lemon, and vinegar can clean and disinfect.
Resources:
Check out Women’s Voices for the Earth’s Safe Cleaning Product Recommendations to begin researching what is best for you and your family.
Our recommendations are a great starting point; however, we always encourage you to continue researching 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 the resources available to you to learn more about your body, support your health, and help you heal.
Veteran Women
Veterans have access to acupuncture and massage therapy services through their VA Health Care through the VA’s Whole Health initiative.
From VA.gov:
Background and Policy on Acupuncture in VA:
Acupuncture is one of the complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches within the VHA Whole Health System of care included in VA Directive 1137 — Provision of Complementary and Integrative Health (recertified December 2022).
This allows acupuncture care to be covered by the Veteran’s medical benefits package, when clinically necessary, as determined by the patient’s care team.
In February 2018, a Qualification Standard was published that permitted licensed acupuncturists to be hired to provide acupuncture care at VA Medical Centers (VAMC).
Learn more at Va.gov/WholeHealth/acupuncture
Background and Policy on Massage Therapy in VA:
Clinical massage therapy is one of the evidence-based, complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches within the VHA Whole Health System of care covered by the Veterans medical benefits package when deemed clinically necessary by their care team per VA Directive 1137 — Provision of Complementary and Integrative Health (recertified December 2022).
VHA established the profession of Massage Therapy to be covered under 38 U.S.C. §7401(3) and associated qualification standards for Massage Therapists to be able to provide this service.Learn more at Va.gov/WholeHealth/massagetherapy
Active Duty Women
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy is a service available to you through Tri-Care. In all transparency, it isn’t always a straightforward process to get a referral, depending on your PCM.
If you are postpartum, post-surgery within your abdominal cavity, or experiencing bladder incontinence, cite these with your PCM when you make your request for Pevlic Floor Physical Therapy.
Self-Advocacy Tip:
This is for anyone and everyone: If you ever request care from a doctor or medical professional and they deny your request, you have every right to request they annotate their denial of your request in your record.
Holds the Doctor accountable for their decision. Some professionals need accountability to make better decisions.
This ensures you have an accurate history of your care.
In some cases, it may encourage them to re-examine their position on your care.
Please get in touch with us if you have more questions or need direct support on this.
Women’s Wellness on the Waterfront (San Diego, CA)
Through an empowering blend of education and practical tools, we’ll explore how you can support your short- and long-term well-being with holistic, accessible daily practices.
Whether you're seeking relief from stress, better management of your menstrual health, or overall wellness strategies, this 90-minute workshop will equip you with the knowledge to integrate simple yet effective practices into your daily routine.
CNSGSW has supportively allowed Evergreen to use its 80-person conference room for a Women’s Wellness on the Waterfront Workshop open to the base.
Thursday, March 27th @ 1000
RSVP is required since space is limited. RSVP at evergreen@womensholisticcare.com
Evergreen Women’s Holistic Care
Learn more about Evergreen’s Holistic Care, Integrative Bodywork, & Women’s Holistic Health Education offerings at www.womensholisticcare.com
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Haven Housekeeping
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 January in The Haven served you well and brought you valuable tools and perspectives to support you on your health & healing journey.
See you here again next month!
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