North Pittsburgh Wellness and Holistic Healing

We are a group working to become informed about the toxins in our environments and taking action to inform our school leadership and landlords and hold them accountable to testing and change.

Pennsylvania has the 4th oldest housing stock in the country. The median home here is 57 years old. For families who can't afford repairs, that age shows up as mold, lead, flooding, and cold drafts — things that make kids sick. This is the reality we're working to change.

More on the Healthy Schools Program:

https://womenforahealthyenvironment.org/our-work/healthy-schools/healthy-school-recognition-program/

We will also work along with the Pennsylvania Coalition for Informed Consent in their efforts towards legislation monitoring and relationship building to advocate for change.

We are open to ideas and suggestions for anything we can do as a community to advocate for healthier environments. All adults, male or female, are welcome. We encourage teachers, healthcare workers, and school nurses to join us

We will be reading and discussing: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

This book teaching exercises to physically release trauma that gets stored and stuck in our tissues and to reset our nervous systems. We will do some light exercises together mixed in with discussion.

This book explains how trauma physically reshapes the brain and body, affecting memory, emotion, and relationships, and explores innovative treatments like EMDR, yoga, and neurofeedback for healing beyond traditional talk therapy. Published in 2014, the book argues that trauma is stored in the nervous system and requires body-based approaches to help survivors reclaim their lives.
Key concepts

• Trauma's physical impact:
  Traumatic stress alters the brain's limbic area and brain stem, affecting survival instincts, concentration, and the ability to feel safe in one's own body.
• Beyond talk therapy:
  The book emphasizes that talk therapy alone is often insufficient because trauma is stored non-verbally in the body.
• Healing modalities:
  It introduces various therapies that help rewire the brain and body, including:
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
• Trauma-sensitive yoga
• Neurofeedback
• Meditation, drama, and sports
• Hope for recovery:
  Van der Kolk uses scientific research and case studies to show how these methods help people regain control and fully engage in the present.

Author

• Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.: A leading psychiatrist and researcher in the field of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) since the 1970s, known for his work on the neurobiology of trauma.

We will listen to an episode of holistic OBGYN Dr. Mindy Pelz (new episodes released each Wednesday) then meet on Sunday evenings to discuss. This group will be ongoing through the end of summer

We hope to learn new strategies for balancing our hormones and support each other as we navigate the physical and mental changes related to female aging.

About Dr. Mindy and the Podcast:

Dr. Mindy Pelz is a renowned holistic health and fasting expert, best-selling author, keynote speaker, and a mission-fueled woman here to teach you just how powerful your body was made to be.
The Resetter Podcast explores to empower you with knowledge, tools, and science on all aspects of health and wellness through meaningful conversations with some of the most brilliant minds that walk this earth.

https://www.drmindypelz.com/resetter-podcast