About me

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My name is Carolyn. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and lived on a farm until age 16. My parents were the most significant influence on my life. They loved and encouraged me to develop my curiosity, appreciate knowledge, and be confident in my abilities; those early years, and still in me, a love of nature and a love of sports. I finished high school and college in California and continued with court reporting training, resulting in a 30+ year career in the Los Angeles Court County court system.

 In 2009, I retired, and in 2014, I returned to my home in Arkansas with unresolved health issues throughout my life; I had anxiety. I refused to admit this, and the intensity increased after retirement. I had to take medication for high blood pressure. Shortly after, I developed almost instant depression, bipolar, highs and lows after four years of treatment from my clinical doctors and twice in a psychiatric hospital at my request; the physicians felt I was resistant to medication and had exhausted their resources. 

Within three months of moving back to Arkansas with a different treatment protocol and excellent physicians, I was on my way to recovery. How? Perhaps different medicines, different support, and, of course, being home and near family. Neither the doctors nor I know what caused the initial depression or what caused the turnaround. However, I kept attending group counseling outpatient sessions for the next four years. This took dedication. It provided much-needed support and structure. I was able to visit others suffering from similar conditions. I realized for the first time in my life that mental health was not a defect in thinking, a weakness, but a medical condition that robbed so many people of the fundamental enjoyment of life. The cures were yet unknown. Something else happened. I connected with a local psychiatrist who listened to my history and ordered a pharmacogenomic test for psychiatric medication. The results were that I was among 30% of the population who could not and should not take most medication due to my genes. I had gene-drug interactions. This explained my side effects in California; my diagnosis of treatment was resistant to my credibility, and the reason I wanted close monitoring at the psych hospital was restored.

Then, I made another discovery. The depression and anxiety were relieved, but I still had this constant spastic feeling in my mid-torso area above the stomach. It was more noticeable since my mid-20s. I had noise or activity in this region of my body. It felt like a physical unease And worse when the anxiety was high. The medication prescribed for my depression treated adrenaline. With the advice of the physician, I stopped the antipsychotic. After taking the new medication, within one night, the spasms were gone. The next day, I consulted with the pharmacist, and he indicated I was now balanced. The med controlled the rapid release of adrenaline and provided me with a reserve. 

Resolving the issue, I noticed my breathing pattern was off. My inhales were longer than my exhales. My exhales were short. My breath was shallow. A licensed professional counselor mentioned alternate nostril breathing. It helped. I contacted my friend in California, who had recently completed her 200-hour yoga training. She recommended a yoga instructor in Huntington Beach, and I viewed her website and noticed yoga therapy one-on-one sessions. I felt one-on-one, exactly what I needed, mentioned breathing exercises. I signed up after three months, and my breathing improved a lot. I was calmer and had more resilience. I was self-regulated. I was hooked. My therapist recommended I take training and yoga therapy based on my personal experience, and she is now my mentor. I have completed 200 hours of registered yoga therapy, yoga, and I am now over halfway through the 800-hour yoga therapy training and will be starting my practicum very soon.

Bottom line, I learned my path to healing involved addressing each layer of symptoms produced by the different layers of the body much as peeling and onion. I learned the importance of medical DNA testing when appropriate. I learned the importance of medical professionals and other modalities of treatment; I also realized my resistance to the treatment of anxiety from my early 20s and the stigma and vulnerability caused by my condition. The fact is that I had to admit I was not perfect or strong if it became a domino effect.

 Never give up; healing takes time, different modalities of treatment, and various kinds of support. Sometimes, healing demands we make changes in our lifestyles to heal. We need to have clarity, be aware of our feelings and body sensations, and develop the ability to communicate better with our doctors, counselors, and health providers. This is all about yoga therapy, using the breath to anchor into the present to develop our awareness, clarity, or objectivity and adding movement to develop Brazilians and self-regulate our nervous system TK.V, who developed yoga therapy, affirmed yoga therapy is a relationship, and it is the relationship we have with ourselves and others.