Mindfulness is a word you hear everywhere, and most of us have a general idea of what it is. But it’s also an easy word to brush off. When someone recommends trying mindfulness, meditation, or breath work, a common internal response is often, “Yeah, yeah, got it”—and we mentally move on to the next thing. In fact, our booking team often hears requests like, “Please don’t book me with someone who’s just going to tell me to breathe.” The first truth is, mindfulness is both an art and a science, and it’s profoundly effective. However, without understanding the science-based, and neurobiological reasons behind it, people often overlook its potential as a powerful resource both in and outside of therapy. The second truth is, forming helpful coping strategies is HARD—it takes time, patience, and deliberate practice every day to see changes and develop new habits. It may be an important question to ask yourself if you’ve given mindfulness an honest shot.

The hard truth is, many individuals suffer in silence after childbirth, unaware that their childbirth experience can be viewed as traumatic. Birth trauma can come from adverse physical experiences, mental and emotional experiences, and interpersonal experiences. No one can label your experience other than you.