Exercise for prolapse

Strength training is ABSOLUTELY the way forward for anyone with prolapse.

We are told to fear movement and avoid it, but as someone that has CONQUERED prolapse and helped hundreds of other women do the same, I can tell you with absolute certainty, you need to strength train to beat this.

The question is HOW?

There are three requirements to using strength training to heal prolapse.

You MUST:

1. Harness the power of the breath-your breath is your core stability system and if you don't use it properly, your weak core will result in your pushing DOWN on your pelvic organs and OUT on your Diastasis recti.
   
   

2. Make room in the thorax. Without sufficient room in the thorax for expansion in movement and breath, we are left shoving too much pressure into the pelvic cavity, worsening existing prolapse. To get the LIFT you need, you have to make SPACE in the compartment above your pelvis, i.e. your thorax.
   
   

3. Stop trying to shed fat and instead learn how to build your body.
   Chasing the same old exercise methods and mindsets is part of what got you into this mess. If you want to overcome prolapse, then you have to ditch the diet and weightless mentalities and focus on BUILDING a stronger, better functioning body.
   Yes, that can and will involve leaning out, but in a holistic and health-promoting way. The binging, over-doing it approach to exercise results in women increasing their prolapse symptoms and sitting on the bench. The sitting out on the bench waiting for a miracle or surgery to fix everything doesn’t work either. If you want the confident and competent body of someone that is in shape, then you’ll have to try a new way that honors BETTER movement patterns, MUSCLE growth, REST and RECOVERY.

Using squats

to beat prolapse is just ONE way we strengthen the pelvic floor, quads and glutes!

If you’re ready to try a NEW thing, then it’s time for you to join Hold Up™ and conquer your prolapse!

In this program you will learn how to:

1. Exercise with and to combat prolapse for physique changes and feeling amazing in your body

2. Recover and restore after training

3. Change your mindset around your body, injury and exercise

4. Detox your liver for balanced hormones-this plays a role in your prolapse!

5. Improve your gut health-essential for better pelvic tissue, routine pooping and reduced pressure in the abdomen and pelvis
   
   And SO MUCH MORE!

Use the code SQUATS for 15% off when you sign up TODAY!
Monthly payment options available.

Heal your prolapse

Exercise, education and the essentials for overcoming prolapse!

This course is closed for enrollment

How your mouth-breathing is harming your gut and your pelvic floor

Airway health is all the rage these days with the popularity of James Nestor’s Breath and Wim Hoff’s breathing strategies, more and more people are awakening to the power of their breath.

I myself started my own airway health journey back in 2018, when I learned that my tongue was supposed to NATURALLY rest on the roof of my mouth.

Spoiler alert-it wasn’t.

As I studied breath mechanics more deeply I learned that my breathing limitations were MAJORLY contributing to my pelvic floor problems.

Yes. Mouth breathing and pelvic floor dysfunction are linked.
Mouth breathing and gut health struggles are linked.
And of course mouth breathing and pelvic organ prolapse are also linked.

Why?

Here’s the dirt on breathing.

When the tongue comfortably rests on the roof of the mouth, this signals to our nasal passages to open, making nasal breathing easier.
Breathing through the nose has NUMEROUS benefits.

• Stronger immune system and less inflammation. Nasal breathing filters our air, stopping our immune system from having to clean up all the articles we would otherwise INHALE if we were mouth breathing, hello NOSE HAIRS have a purpose! When we don’t filter particulates with our nose hairs, the junk we inhale gets lodged in our lungs and our immune systems need to clear it which keeps them too busy to do other things like clear inflammation in the body well.

• Better core and pelvic floor strength. When our tongue is on the roof of our mouth and we breathe through the nose, this signals to the diaphragm to MOVE when we breathe-if you don’t already know this, the DIAPHRAGM and the PELVIC floor move together to stabilize the torso and give you….CORE STRENGTH! So by simply pressing the tongue on the roof of your mouth when breathing you move your diaphragm and exercise your pelvic floor, it’s Better Than Kegels, which is why I made a FREE course on it.

• Improves Posture. The tongue on the roof of our mouth ALSO sets our posture. Tongue position dictates head position, think tongue on the bottom of my mouth-head falls forward, posture collapses. Tongue on the roof of the mouth keeps the head over our skeleton, neutralizes our posture AND even stabilizes our pelvis (providing we are engaging the back of the tongue as well as the front. (See pics)

• Keeps your gut health and digestion healthy. Mouth breathing is our fight or flight breath. It involves breathing INTO the chest which creates stiffness and lack of movement in our abdomen. This lack of movement slows digestion and leads to constipation, toxic build up of undigested food and can cause SIBO, bloating, cramping and overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. Breathing through the nose is the type o breath we use when we are in the parasympathetic side of the nervous system, AKA “rest and digest”. Simply breathing through the nose and moving the diaphragm better can be a HUGE game changer for gut health issues as well as any thing else in the body mediated by the nervous system, so like EVERYTHING….

• Calms your nervous system for better sleep and less pain. Some folks have found that by simply taking my free breathing course and dialing in their nasal and diaphragmatic breathing they have been able to alleviate pelvic pain caused to Interstitial Cystitis, hypertonic pelvic floors and pelvic organ prolapse. Why? Because mouth breathing actually changes your body’s biochemistry making muscles more tense and pain more INTENSE.
  
  
  
  

Ok so hopefully by now I’ve at least SOMEWHAT convinced you that nasal breathing is worth trying.
So what can you do to get started?

Sign up for my subscription library and get access to my digital courses, ALL of which teach breath work.

dirtystrength.com

And for MORE information on how tongue and breathing habits impact your health, come and listen to a couple of my Dirty Strength Radio™ episodes on how your tongue is causing your pelvic floor problems.

The Wise Women's Circle tips for managing fevers

The wise women community features a diversity of minds, expertise and experiences.

Because I wanted a collaborative feel and experience in our community, not just a one-sided me talking at you type phenomenon, I opened up the conversation to the other women there via a new series of posts called, “Wise Women Weight In”.

This week we started with fevers with fevers!

Fevers send lots of folks to CVS, the medicine cabinet and urgent care.

But a fever is actually GOOD for the body.
Fevers are a natural part of our immune response to various experiences of the body.
Fevers help the body to not only OVERCOME a challenge, but to comeback from said challenge stronger.

Checkout this excerpt from a Dr. Tenpenny article.

“If parents understood the importance of fever and how to appropriately support their child during a fever, parents would acquire a comfort level with caring for an ill child. They would rid themselves of unnecessary stress, unnecessary doctor and emergency room visits and most of all, their child would benefit from infection-fighting fevers. The concern of parents about fever is not justified but is understandable without appropriate information. Health education to counteract “fever phobia” should be a part of routine medical care for children.

However, contrary to the reflex need to give an aspirin to make a fever stop, an elevated temperature can be an expression of the immune system working at its best. The number of white blood cells is increased and cascades of molecules to flood the blood stream, in rapid pursuit of the host’s invaders. Fever impairs the ability of bacteria and viruses to replicate, creating an inhospitable environment for the invading organisms.”

And this from Weston A. Price:

“There are numerous recorded cases of cancers going into remission when the patient contracts an infectious disease, strep being the most likely candidate to cure the patient of cancer. Strep has been used in cancer vaccines, most particularly by the surgeon John Coley, MD who reported an almost 40 percent remission rate in patients with cancer who received his cancer vaccine. In modern oncology, the tuberculosis bacillus is still used in bladder cancer as it is injected into the bladders of those with this form of cancer. In fact, some pediatricians and oncologists have postulated the modern epidemic of cancer in children as the predictable outcome of our mania for preventing fever in our children, by giving them aspirin, tylenol and anti-biotics.” -Tom Cowan, MD Weston A Price. Com

I know fevers can be scary.
My little one used to experience febrile seizures (which are creepy and weird, but not associated with any longterm health problems) which really freaked me out, but I also think this is an area where parents have been misinformed and once again disempowered, so consequently feel scared and ill-equipped.

Believing that they aren’t qualified to care for their child once the number on the thermometer begin to rise, many a parent remove their children from the safety and comfort of their home and bed and bring them somewhere bright, noisy, “germy” and loud to be medicated and inspected.

Suzanne Humphries puts it best when she says,
"Trying to smack down a fever when a child is sick is like shooting your attack dog when someone is breaking into your house." — Suzanne Humphries, MD

For more information on why the fever process is beneficial, head here.




Ok so now lets’ get to the meat and potatoes the Wise Women are weighing in and sharing their strategies for dealing with fever.
See below!

I love this post so much! I totally overused Tylenol on my oldest when he was little and my younger 3 boys have barely had it. I appreciate the wisdom of Dr. Tenpenny and Weston A. Price!
-Nora

Tofu compress on the forehead, ice cold wet socks with dry wool socks over the top at night.
I tried to always follow my daughters’ energy level and interest in activities. Food and water intake as indicators of health more than the number on the thermometer.
I also found that a spoonful of water at a time helped to keep them hydrated.

-Brenna

Check out calcium lactate and how it can help fevers. I found a chiropractor that wrote a blog about it. Pretty. cool to find out that calcium lactate is actually what the body is trying to access from your bones when it produces a fever, which is why you can be so achey.
I used it for the first time when my toddler had a 105 fever for awhile and was beginning to be very uncomfortable. It seemed to help~ Vinegar socks are another strategy and coconut water for hydration.

-Jeanette

I never give fever reducers unless the fever is sustained (longer than 6 hours) over 102 or reaches 104. I don’t call the doctor unless they’ve had a fever long than 2 days and I generally take them to the chiropractor first for almost all things. Neck adjustments for stomach issues, sinuses, ear infections and IR light for lymph nodes and sinuses as well help with no medication at all!

-Adriann

We just ride out fevers. I’ll do a lukewarm bath or cool rag if one of my boys is really uncomfortable. I”m comfortable with handling them this way now, but I still get a ton of pushback from family when I reject Tylenol.

-Rose

Uh oh, I might not shut up, Sarah, LOL! Fevers are friends. They are only a danger if there’s heat exhaustion in question. Fevers offer so many benefits especially to children. When we suppress them, we drive the illness deeper. A fever is not a symptom of illness, but rather a gift from our Abba to heal the body when there is illness present.
Hydrate with bone broth and coconut water like crazy.
Consider other symptoms that are causing discomfort.
Treat those with homeopathy.
Support the body with rest.
We diffuse and apply essential oils as well.

-Marie

There’s an old remedy of putting raw egg in socks to draw down a fever.
I found and shared it with a friend whose intent was to break the fever at the time for his daughter. I can’t speak to the wisdom of the medicine, but it seemed to work!

Not directly about fever but I just learned that cystic fibrosis could be viewed as a selection against cholera. I love seeing the intermingled webs.
-Sam

Let it ride! It isn’t always fun, but it’s one of your body’s cool DIY mechanisms.
A cool cloth to the neck until it gets uncomfortable enough.
Otherwise stay hydrated, drink electrolytes, rest and let it ride!

-Amy

I second a cool rage. I have a 5 year old with a fever recently and I just let her ride it out.

-Kayla

We are just scratching the surface here for helpful ways to manage fever and associated discomfort, but that I LOVE about this article is that it illustrates to you how MANY people are doing just that, MANAGING them and not MEDICATING them.

If you are interested in joining the Wise Women Circle, we are PRIVATE community focused on fighting fear and finding confidence in health and health maintenance using ancestral and Biblical wisdom.
You can join us here.

Poof! You're a scientist

Happy Wednesday!

I'm writing to you from the North Carolina Coast and I'm not mad about it.
I grew up a the coast and so I find that I can only stay way from it for so long.

Fortunately it's only about a 2.5 hour drive from Raleigh to get to the ocean so the boys and I periodically head out here to soak up the sun and salt water for a few days.

Poor Jeremiah is left in charge of his usual duties of being the primary breadwinner, but also has to fill the void of us for Bella and care for the garden and 30 baby chickens plus our turkeys and grown hens. So he has his hands full.
But then again he has the consolation of a completely quiet and mess-free house, so I think he'll be ok and let's be real, I'm the one with my hands full right now!

Full hands and full head.

I've been thinking a lot about how "science" lately and who gets to do science?

2020/2021 have both been years where you have probably heard more regular run-of the mill people spouting science and citing research than you ever have in your whole life and I think it's great that more and more people are getting engaged in researching and understanding various phenomena in nature and infectious disease. 
But the problem with that for me is that they are only ever sharing other people's observations and not enough of their own.
And I can't help but wonder if people are forgetting to use their own five senses to take in information because they have grown so accustomed to OTHER people telling them what is going on?

We hear : "Such and such study says" too much and not enough,
"You know what I'm noticing?"
or, "Hey! What about (x-phenomenon)?"
"It's funny you say that, because I've been experiencing___________."

It's mostly like, "This guy on NPR...." or "Dr.______ says or "Research shows...."

Like a gigantic game of telephone or he-said/she-said, where we are quoting people we know NOTHING bout because of the credentials and societal esteem.

For all of time, regular folks like us have looked to the learned populations for their expertise and I'm not saying that we should all suddenly consider ourselves and our abilities to critically read scientific papers to be on par with MIT scientists.

BUT!
ALL HUMAN observation has its limitations.
All humans are fallible and it is possible that just because something is billed as "science" if it doesn't jive with your own personal experiences or observations, there's something to that.

And let's not forget the fact that some areas of research that are of grave importance to YOU might not be a priority to the industry.

And when that's the case, does that mean we have to sit around WAITING for scientists to care about the things that directly impact us?
That OUR experiences don't matter until they are supported by peer-reviewed science?
And if the pee-reviewed science finally DOES come out and it contradicts what we have seen in our own bodies, our children's bodies the lives of loved ones, is that it?

Who has the final say?

And more importantly, who has told us that we aren't qualified to come to the table and share our own ideas. 
Maybe we aren't going to be round-tableing it with the brilliant or at least most popular scientists at their academic conferences, but we can control what happens at our own table.
Whose ideas are considered valid at our own kitchen tables.

And our we teaching our children that only SOME people can do science or are we telling them, that they TOO can make observations, conduct experiments, explore theories.
And if we are telling them, "You can be and do and think whatever you want!"
Are we modeling that for them as well?

Or do we show them that it's only certain people that are allowed to do the thinking and THEY tell us how to live?

Maybe we should start to ask ourselves,
"Do I make observations?"
"Do I believe them to be valid?"
"Who has communicated to me that there is a hierarchy in validity of thought?

Many of you are here reading my newsletter because "science" in its popular form wasn't there for you.
Your mold toxicity, gut health, auto-immune issues, pelvic floor problems, chronic pain, skin rashes, hormone imbalances, and vaccine-injured kids weren't being served by popular science, so you had to put on your own "scientist" hat and start doing your own research.

Because you weren't satisfied.
The science wasn't settled for you.
In fact some of the science actually HARMED you.

And some of you are here reading and you're like, "Hey I'm just here because I hate Kegels and you said you had answers and workouts."

But I'm telling you, no matter WHERE you are coming from, this world is going to be a better place and our collective body of human knowledge will be furthered if you start to engage MORE and become a scientist too.

Start making observations. 
Start conducting experiments. 
Start sharing your theories. 
Invite friends to your table to exchange ideas.
Critically discuss even your most favorite health and scientific experts' ideas.

Make THEM work for your trust and make their work work for you!

Because what the world needs now is a shift.
All hands on deck.
All people engaged in thinking, discussing and doing the work to make ourselves healthy in a world plagued by chronic disease and "unexplained" health conditions that are becoming socially acceptable and part of our new normal.

To go deeper with this topic, listen to Episode 74 of Dirty Strength Radio. 
 

Resolve your inner conflicts to find pelvic floor healing

Love.
Peace.
Gratitude.
And
Hope.
These are the keys to conquering #prolapse or any injury.

Maybe you’ve asked yourself, “Does my emotional trauma impact my prolapse?”
OR are “mental health and pelvic floor health” connected?

And guess what!?!
Emotional health, mental health and pelvic floor dysfunction are intimately connected.

The moment you being to hate your body for disappointing you it senses conflict and starts an entire cascade of biochemical reactions to protect you and itself from the stress of unresolved conflict.

The lack of peace leaves you in a constant state of coping and bracing which prevents you from healing.

The lack of gratitude for your body and it’s wisdom perpetuated the conflict and can even manifest in disease.
Your lymph becomes stagnant.
Your nervous system is in a state of stress and maybe panic.
Your ability to remove toxins from the body, clear inflammation and make beautiful and resilient tissue is put on hold.
Your digestion, sleep, and steadiness suffers.

When all these systems are perceived by you as misbehaving it becomes even easier to hate and resent your body for all its putting you through.
Or maybe you don’t even notice these changes because you mute them with busyness, caffeine, pain relief, chaos, work or even other people’s drama.

But what you really need is hope.
Hope that your body is wise, that God works all things for good for those who love him.
Hope that as you learn to love your body and focus on all that is going RIGHT with it you will begin to find peace in the challenging season you are in currently.
And you will be able to be grateful for this moment in time, this red flag that is your injury or health challenge that is telling you, “You have some inner work to do.”

Viewing my injuries and health challenges as communication from my body to me that something in my life (heart, mind or soul) needed to change has made ALL the difference in my healing processes.

And it will make a difference for you.

Emotions, conflict, trauma, and pain are experienced on an electrical and chemical level and if you refuse to acknowledge that, you are leaving healing on the table.
Your hubris could mean that you MISS healing.

Start pursuing love, peace, gratitude and hope and watch how your body changes!

Watch my Free Webinar in the root causes of prolapse to learn more about what prolapse is communicating to you about your body.

Trusting your body again after prolapse!

Pelvic organ prolapse is a nasty shock and will cause you to question everything you THOUGHT you knew about health and fitness while also encouraging hatred of your body.

If you don’t know me, I'm Sarah Smith, mom of three, physical and spiritual strength coach, pelvic floor specialist and PROLAPSE CONQUEROR!

I'm here to tell you with this short video series that TRUSTING your body again IS the way to conquer prolapse, BUT there's a method to earning that trust and I'm sharing my tried and true, three step process for TRUSTING your body again after prolapse!

This is Part 1 in a three part video series on how to trust your body again after being diagnosed with prolapse.

Start with Video 1 below!

To enroll in Better Than Kegels, and learn how to jumpstart your prolapse recovery training, click here!

You've been misled about prolapse. It's not a pelvic floor problem.

It’s not a pelvic floor problem.

Strengthening your pelvic floor, doing all the kegels and even having surgery isn’t going to fix your prolapse.

Why?
Because there are THREE root causes of prolapse

Three causes that will NOT be corrected by surgery.

And the important thing about these three causes is that addressing them will not only allow you to conquer prolapse, BUT will help you to address the other health issues you have as well.

I have helped thousands of women over-come their pelvic floor problems and I can tell you with certainty, I have never worked with a woman that has prolapse doesn’t ALSO have one or more of the following conditions:

Adrenal fatigue

Anxiety

Bloating and cramping after meals

Constipation

Chronic back, sacral, hip or pelvic pain

Diastasis recti

Digestives distress

Difficulty sleeping
Food intolerances

Frequent yeast or urinary tract infections

Hemorrhoids
Hormonal imbalances
Mouth breathing

Neck and shoulder tension

Poor posture

Routine injury
Short fuse

Sagging middle “mummy tummy”-my clients’ term not mine
Thyroid problems

Are these issues related to prolapse?
ABSOLUTELY.

And the beauty of it is that WHEN you address your prolapse in a holistic manner that targets the root causes behind the sinking of your organs, you will not ONLY conquer your prolapse, but you will make your body and mind stronger, healthier and more resilient than it has ever been before!

I’m here to tell you about the THREE root causes behind your prolapse or as I like to call them, the “Three M’s”.

Master the three M’s and NOT only will you conquer your prolapse, but you’ll be stronger, more balanced, vibrant and resilient too!

If you want to learn the THREE ROOT CAUSES of prolapse, take my FREE webinar now!

Is your prolapse a depletion problem?

We all know that prolapse is associated with “weak” pelvic floors.
Most of you here have tried all the kegels.
Many of you have tried *breathing.
Some of you may have even worked on your **biomechanics/movement patterns in daily life and exercise.

If you HAVEN’T tried the ** strategies above those are HUGE rocks for overcoming prolapse, so file that away, we will come back to that!

But NOT many people know that prolapse is in fact a depletion issues.

When our bodies are lacking in energy, nourishment, emotional support and healing, they sink.

Yep they 100% do.

In fact, the Chinese, who have been treating prolapse since the Jin dynasty (266 AD to 420 AD) so I think they know a thing or two about it, focus PRIMARILY on treating spleen chi depletion in the body when prolapse symptoms arise.

They believe that a lifting of the energy lifts the organs and treats the underlying cause of the sinking of which we feel the musckoskeletal consequences.



And while that may sound a little “woowoo” to you, think about it.
Do your prolapse symptoms increase when you feel down, depressed, anxious, heavy from the world, slouch and sad?

I know mine does!

And so let’s talk a little bit more about the indicators that YOUR prolapse is an energy issue and NOT just a muscular one, i.e. you are struggling with depletion!


#1. You don’t sleep well.
If you’re sleeping less than 8 hours a night OR you sleep 8-9 hours a night but its disrupted, then that sleep deprivation could be contributing to your sinking feelings in your pelvic organs.
When we are well rested we are better able to detox appropriately, digest foods, repair tissues, recover from workouts etc., but we also carry our bodies differently.
We have a lifted spirit and a lifted body!

#2. You feel like you’re going to crash late afternoon OR after a workout.

Feeling SUPER low energy in the afternoon especially after a workout is an indicator that your adrenals are struggling.
Your adrenal glands are located at your kidneys and when they are not happy it can be an indicator of poor kidney health, maybe not the kind that sends you to the doctor with urinary issues, but the kind that causes an increase in prolapse problems, including incontinence.
MANY of us type A ladies grow accustomed to using adrenaline to get things done in our lives.
You know that urge to start a new project, solve someone else’s problems, do a hard workout, add more stress to our lives because when we are busy we are more productive?
Yeah, that’s bad for your prolapse-and can also cause over-tightening of the pelvic floor which is not uncommon in women with prolapse!

Spleen chi deficiency and kidney chi deficiency are two forms of energy depletion arising in the body that will absolutely manifest in prolapse issues.

We push, push, push on our bodies and even though many of us have heard about “adrenal fatigue” we don’t really

#3 You have skin and food intolerance issues.

Yes, this is linked to gut health, but if you’ve read my articles here then you know that gut health and pelvic health are 100% linked, like if you struggle with one, you most likely struggle with the other.

But in this case I would say that your liver is the kingpin for issues.
A congested liver makes it difficult for the body to remove toxins and expired hormones.
The result?

Bad skin. Bad gut. Bad hormones. Bad feelings.

Spleen chi is directly impacted by the liver as well so if your liver in working overtime either because your 1. disrupted sleep interrupts your detox cycles, 2. your stress prevents adequate digestions which creates toxicity in the body OR 3. because your life style leads to intestinal permeability (over-exercising, consuming toxins, under-resting), your prolapse is a depletion issue.

#4 You have a short fuse.

Maybe not all of the time, but if often you find yourself snapping at your kids or hubs, losing it when a glass get’s broken or just feeling so much stress and tension in your body when something goes wrong, that can be a sign you’re emotionally and energetically deplete!

You may feel that perhaps your frustrations with your body are causing you to be ill at ease and that if you could just get your body back, you would be calmer and feel more like yourself, but the truth is that a spleen that is struggling, a liver that is congested and a body that is deplete may actually be the source of your issues!

#5 Your hormones are erratic

I don’t care if it’s strong mood swings, sadness, the need to sleep, painful periods, irregular periods, STRONG emotional responses to things at certain times in your cycle, or just other common indicators of hormone imbalances, your hormones acting wacky is a sign of depletion!

When our livers are congested, they become stagnant and negatively impact the health of the spleen, gut and gall bladder.
The energy imbalance that ensues can cause tight jaws, muscle aches, headaches, sciatica and so many other issues, but the important thing to know is that hormonal imbalances almost ALWAYS indicate a liver health issue and a liver health issues means energy in the body is blocked.

Without that energy flow we sink and our organs sink with us.

What to do about it?

One of my FAVORITE aspects about God’s design for the human body is that there are MANY ways to heal, many roads in to the root cause of pain, discomfort and sub-optimal functioning.

If you’ve made it this far in the article and you’ve said, “Yes, this is me,” to any or all of these indicators, then you need SMART programming.
You need more than just kegels and core-training exercises, you need to learn how to STOP sinking!

I have an entire program designed do help women address this issue called, Hold Up!
Hold Up! is a digital course that will help you change the 5 habits behind your prolapse, address the depletion we talked about in this article and teach you how to USE EXERCISE to heal your body and CONQUER PROLAPSE.

***But before you’re ready for that program, I want you to try two things for me!

1. I want you to start practicing breathing with your diaphragm three times per day for 5-10 breaths minimum!

If you don’t know how to do that, please take my FREE digital course.
I will teach you how to breathe in the most effective way possible to start supporting and lifting your body.


What students are saying about my course:
”I feel like I’ve gotten more oxygen in these past 36 hours than I have in my whole life!” -Archi

”Makes so much sense. I have suffered from burning in the bladder for so many years. Tried so many diets, nothing has worked. Using the breath and focusing on relaxing my pelvic floor is the first time anything has worked to relieve the pain and make me regular in the mornings. Thank you Sarah, I’m so glad I have found you.” -Julie

”Single most powerful things I have done in my life!
Thanks to you and 2020 for calming my nervous system.” -Sam

It works and it will get you some early wins to help LIFT your body and support your liver, gut, hormones and nervous system to help you feel less like you’re drowning.

2. I also want you to take Epsom salt baths 3x a week to help detox the body and calm your nervous system.
BONUS points if you practice your breath IN the bath tub!

STAY tuned for Hold Up! coming soon!

In the meantime, tune into Dirty Strength Radio™ for more support, love and free coaching!

My personal benefits experienced from using an Infrared sauna and also, scientism

There are loads of articles on the benefits of infrared (IR) sauna use, but this ain’t one of them.

If you want evidence-based research on these things, then I recommend checking out the articles I link below.


THIS ARTICLE is simply about the changes I saw in my own body.

Our modern culture and obsession with “scientism” (research considered science that may or not be repeatable, scientific method-proof or without bias, aka-funded by the people that stand to make money off of the “results”.
Yes I made up that definition.

In the quest for regular folks to ONLY post “scientifically- sound” information on social media or even share it in conversation with friends, we have done something very silly and unscientific and that is we have lost an appreciation for anecdotal evidence.

A friend’s or trusted person’s testimony about their own person experience can in many cases be MORE relevant and helpful to regular folks like you and me, than a peer-reviewed journal articles conducted by strangers, on strangers.

YES we have to be discerning and responsible about what we believe, what we are willing to try with our own bodies and pocketbooks, but the idea that something ISN’T valid if it doesn’t have citations and footnotes from articles that let’s face it, most of the general public can’t even read and comprehend, is silly.

I’m not saying we should ignore science and or jump on every fad that comes down the pike, BUT I do believe that people’s personal stories can actually lead us to scientific discovery.
After all, all science is is people making observations about responses to changes in variable.

We are PEOPLE and we can make observations too!

In fact we regular people and our observations can drive scientific exploration and funding because science is a business.
It costs money to do science so then science needs to make money and if the public show that they are willing to pay for things, then the science will follow.

But I digress…

Ok, so SAUNA!

I have an IR sauna.
I purchased it in 2018 from High Tech Health because of their VERY low EMFs and VOCs.

I love it.

I typically sauna 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes.
The temperature reaches 145.

I TRY to mostly just read in the sauna, since it seems silly to buy a low EMF sauna and then BRING emfs in the sauna with you (i.e. my iPad) but I’m a human and sometimes I just want to. zone out and watch a show OR I need to do some work while I sauna and I just “kiss it up to God”-is that a thing for EMF’s? I don’t know, but I do it.

I do not plan my meals around the sauna-I MOST often sauna after dinner once the kids are in bed because that’s what I can do consistently.

And I typically drink an entire mason jar glass of water while I’m in there.


Ok, now lets get to the good part!

Why did I get an IR Sauna?

Most of you know me here as someone that values strength training, has worked hard to rehab my own pelvic floor ( I have pelvic organ prolapse ) as well as others and I LOVE supporting the gut.

I’ve learned over the years that BOTH pelvic health and gut health are tied strongly to LIVER decongestion.

A congested liver is bad for the gut and proper tissue growth.
It drains the entire system which creates a sinking of energy, organs and mood.

AND so after trying various other strategies to improve my overall health, I decided that an IR sauna was in order.
I had talked with multiple people that had explained to me how the routine gentle detox caused by an infrared sauna was just the ticket to getting their bodies to slowly release toxins in return to homeostasis.

”It has been known for decades that sweating is a wonderful way to get rid of stored chemicals, including heavy metals. In fact, a sauna is one of the detoxification procedures used in the Environmental Units in Dallas (Dr. William Rea) and North Charleston (Dr. Allan Lieberman) where the sickest of folks go to heal.” Dr. Sherry Rogers, Total Wellness, May 2000.”

What changes have I noticed from using the sauna?

1. The most noticeable change is my sensitivity to food and digestive distress
   When I purchased the sauna, despite having worked with TWO different functional medicine doctors that supposedly helped me clear out Candida and multiple parasite infections, I was still having random stomach aches, digestive issues and sensitive to various foods with no clear pattern.
   
   Just BAM for no reason I was struggling.
   
   After about 4 months of using the sauna routinely, I noticed that stopped.
   Stomach aches and digestive challenges no longer just appeared for no reason.
   I would get them, but for very specific reasons-more on that another time.
   
   I also noticed that I just wasn’t nearly as food sensitive.
   I could be less militant about avoiding certain grains and dairy because my body was cool with it.
   I didn’t go off the rails or anything, but feeling LESS fearful or stressed about food triggers relaxed me which also contributed to my reduced digestive issues.
   
   
   
   
   

2. My skin
   Before the sauna I had noticed that my back was more susceptible to breakouts. I wasn’t getting them on my face so much, but my back, so annoying!
   My acupuncturist explained to me that it’s excess heat or dampness in the body, which is ALSO associated with Candida.
   Using the sauna seemed to resolve this in about 2 months.
   
   While I do believe that sweating so much helped me to clean out my pores and clear my skin, I was pretty sure my back breaking out was a toxin/hormone/liver issue brought on my stress and Candida.
   I was lifting heavier at the time, which means more testosterone and other hormones, which means the liver has to work harder to clear out old expired hormones.
   I also wasn’t resting as much as I needed too, too much life in the sympathetic and not enough parasympathetic.
   AND I knew I had tested with some high levels of Candia multiple times.
   
   Since we know that sauna helps to gently detoxify the body especially of heavy metals and toxins associated with liver congestion and Candida, I’m not surprised that using it for a couple of months cleared my skin.
   Learning to value the process of resting and detoxifying the body because I saw the value of it via the sauna, ALSO contributed to my shifting my training program and expectations for my body that no doubt helped with toxin load as well!
   
   
   
   
   

3. Soreness
   
   I pretty much sauna every day that I train and I’m now rarely very sore from a workout.
   Keep in mind that being sore from EVERY workout is not normal.
   It can be a sign of over-training, so if you’re reading this and you do experience lots of soreness form every workout, I would recommend getting with a professional that can take a second look at your training program and make sure you are getting adequate rest and recovery-a MUST for good gains and results.
   
   But yeah, there are workouts that I do that challenge my body in a new way and I expect to be sore from it and it’s just not the case if I sauna and I usually do.
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Sleep
   
   When I first started with the sauna it would knock me out.
   
   I would sauna, shower and get in bed and pass out and sleep the entire night.
   And that was mostly the case for months.
   
   I don’t notice that as much any more.
   My body has adapted to the sauna and I think I have also caught up on a lot of MUCH needed sleep.
   I don't pass out and I may wake up from time to time, but in the beginning when I was probably severely sleep-deprived after a sauna sesh, I was ZONKED!
   
   I typically sleep 10 hours a night now, but if you are someone that struggles to fall asleep and stay asleep, I tell ya, try the IR sauna-just don’t bring your blue light screen in there with you which will wake you up!
   
   
   
   
   

5. Sickness
   
   If any of us (my husband or one of my three boys) feel under the weather, run down or like we are fighting something but are neither dehydrated or nauseous, we do the sauna.
   
   My boys (10, 8 and 5) do abbreviated sessions at lower temperatures and MAN it’s remarkable.
   They rarely get sick as it is, but when they feel a little run down, we put them in there for about 15-20 minutes and not only do they sleep harder, but they don’t get sick!

   
   Same goes for my husband and I.
   Any indication that we are not feeling well or are fighting something off, we get in the sauna and we don’t get sick, Praise the Lord!
   
   **I will say, having this baby over the past year (2020) has been a HUGE blessing.
   I totally trust in our immune systems and the decisions we’ve made/work we do in this household to invest in, exercise and protect them and to me having an IR sauna is part of our prevention program at the Smith household!
   
   
   
   
   
   Ok well, in the words of the great Levar Burton, “Don’t take my word for it, find out for yourself!”
   Get in a sauna!
   
   Many cities have IR sauna and cryotherapy spas that you can join and use.
   I think the lowed model for the HighTech health sauna is about $4k or so.
   Not cheap, I get it, but when I tallied up all the money I was spending on tests and solutions for my gut health issues, I have to say that sauna has paid for itself OVER and OVER again!
   
   We know that parasite infections, Candida (and I had both detected by various tests) are connected to heavy metals in the body.
   In fact, some research shows that Candida is PROTECTIVE against heavy metal poisoning because Candida complexes with the metals in the body to render them less harmful.
   
   Using the sauna to GENTLY detox my body seemed to help me with the symptoms associated with high levels of Candida in the body AND improve the overall health of my microbiome and intestinal lining.

   
   Now for some science!
   Most of these sources are enjoyable to read and cite peer-reviewed science too!
   
   
   
   Resources on IR saunas:
   
   Mercola on sauna use for protection against disease
   Detoxify or Die
   Ten Scientifically Proven Reasons I’m Addicted To A Daily Sauna
   Candida and sauna

   Science behind heavy metal detox and sauna
   Maximize the benefits of sauna detox
   
   
   
   Sauna’s are AWESOME, but if you want to maximize the benefit of your sauna time, then take my nervous-system relaxing breath course, Better Than Kegels and literally change your body!
   
   
   “Having pelvic floor problems for about 16 years, I have tried many, many different methods for treatment and relief. Not until Sarah’s program of diaphragmatic breathing have I begun begun feel better and not had a need for daily medication to relax my pelvic floor. My new breathing practice has helped me to fall back asleep if I awaken in the night — a many years’ struggle for me.  I am a convert and true believer in her programs and so thankful to have found her!!!”

   ~Amanda ❤️ 
   
   ”It’s a miracle! I already have less pain and I haven’t been dizzy after just three days of breathing like this!”

   -R. Boer
   
   

Tap into the power of your breath

to soother your pain, digestive distress and pelvic floor problems!

Some will choose to be offended…

I used to censor myself.

I held back from sharing my experiences in healing my body and what out-of-the-box strategies worked.
I avoided championing concepts like medical freedom, informed consent and personal responsibility.
I stayed silent about cultural issues.

I filtered out my faith.

But then I realized that my social media community and the people that found me here and then met me in real life didn’t actually know what I was about.

I saw other people online sharing perspectives and solutions that I quite frankly disagreed with and didn’t believe were effective or TRUE for me and I felt the urge to share my own thoughts. But something kept holding me back.

I also noticed it wasn’t helping my my stress response. 

Finally, I recognized that if I did share more of myself and my beliefs, if people took offense, that was their decision.

If my thoughts about the world and my values make them no longer like me, well then they never actually liked ME and they probably wouldn’t enjoy workin with me, lol.

In a world of 8 billion people we are not all going to agree on everything.

Heck, I don’t even agree on everything with my dear friends or my husband, that would be weird, right?!

Speaking what we believe and what we value or see working is a choice that we can all make to know and represent ourselves better in this life, to ditch the shame and proudly proclaim things we know to be true.

And other’s choices to be offended by our thoughts, values end beliefs is exactly that, their choice.

Don’t let other people’s choice to be offended by you stop you from sharing yourself.

The people that need to hear your message and need the encouragement of seeing like-minded folks will find you.

You’ll feel better for just being you.

I’m not saying be combative, violent, mean or wicked, because well that’s “your truth”.

But I am encouraging the people here with unpopular beliefs in 2021 to not be afraid to stand up for what you know to be right and true, to what you’ve tested in the Spirt.

If people choose to be offended, let em’.

Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:5

xoxo,

Sarah

Hi! I'm Sarah Smith!

I help deplete women find their spiritual and physical strength to overcome pelvic floor problems and burnout!

I'm a mom of three, prolapse conqueror, strength coach and soil scientists that loves the Most High God!


Grab my FREE online digital course, Better Than Kegels!

Unfollow accounts and people that make you feel like you're not doing enough!

Encouragement from me to you, 

Go ahead and unfollow the things and accounts in your life that make you feel like you’re not DOING enough.

I’m not talking about the ones that INSPIRE you to do your own personal work.

I mean the ones that feel like pressure, that make you feel like as a mom, wife or woman you don’t measure up.

That’s a distraction.

Cut that crap out.

The enemy is in an all out war against women.

He has created a culture that shouts “You’re enough” while bombarding you with tons of distractions and temptations of how you actually need to be more:

organized

stylish

outgoing

fit

influencer material

popular

creative

culinary

educated

...

You name it.

God tells us on His word:

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

NO ONE is enough.

We all need Jesus for salvation and for life-

He says, “My strength perfect in weakness.

And tells us in Philippians, we can do ALL Things THROUGH Christ who strengthens us.

But the Lord does NOT want us worrying about being like everyone else. 

“Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' Or 'What shall we drink?' Or 'What shall we wear? The Pagans run after three things but your Father in Heaven knows just you need them.”

Matthew 6

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. 

1 Corinthians 3:19

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's [influencer’s] house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his (Instagram-worthy) ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Exodus 20

God will convict us about things we need to change in our lives.

He will discipline us to become stronger in character and spirit, but he doesn’t do it by making us feel jealous and insufficient by worldly standards,

HE does it with the Law and with the example we have in Christ.

So do yourself a favor today-throw out the magazines, TV shows and accounts here that make you feel dissatisfied, that make you feel like you need to do MORE to feel good about yourself.

And keep the ones that give you the tools and encouragement to honor your responsibilities and do YOUR work andYOUR growth.

Episode 10 of Dirty Strength Radio has more on this idea.

Why are modern moms deplete and what to do about it!

Depletion.

It’s a more common issue than most know.

Lots of mommas in 2021 experiencing the signs and symptoms of depletion with no idea of the root cause.

What signs you ask?

• digestive struggles

• hormone imbalances

• autoimmune conditions

• pelvic floor problems (especially prolapse or frequent urinating/incontinence)

• thyroid issues

• poor sleep

• skin and hair struggles

• irritability

• anxiety

• exhaustion

• migraines

• persistent soreness following exercise OR the inability to even motivate or move towards exercise at all.

Can you relate?

If so, what’s it all about?
Why do you feel so dang broken?

It’s depletion. And it’s happening more and more to women in developed nations like the US.

Why does it happen?

1. Mineral deplete soils that produce foods lacking essential minerals and nutrients

2. Lack of nutrient, practical and emotional support in motherhood

3. Pressure to do and be too much

What minerals are we lacking and why?

Motherhood (pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, healing from birth and mothering our children) takes a TON of energy and energy produced by the body comes from food and experiences.
On the food side, without the appropriate numbers of calories and supporting vitamins and minerals in the body, we struggle to get the essentials done while also maintaining happy, balanced, vibrant bodies.

Our soils in the modern world have been STRIPPED of the healthy microbial communities that help plants to absorb adequate minerals from the soil, so our food just isn’t as nutrition as it used to be. It’s missing key components.

Minerals, vitamins and nutrients like:

• Vitamins A, E, B3, b6, b12, K, D, C,

• Choline, Thiamine, Folate

• Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Selenium, Iodine
  

Sadly, new moms that are already in a nutrient deprived states make things worse but dieting and exercising to lose that baby weight and their chickens come home to roost shortly in the forms of hair loss, dry skin, thyroid problems, mood disorders, digestive distress and anything else from the list above!

Even as we lose sleep (it’s estimated that we can miss out on up to 700 hours of sleep in that first year of motherhood) we still feel have to return to work, run our homes, feed our children, honor responsibilities and we don’t properly address that our bodies now need MORE nutrition, both to restore what was used up during the actual pregnancy and birth, but also because our plates are MORE full now.

On the experience side of things, emotional stress, lack of sleep and lack of spiritual support also takes its toll on mamas.

We are told to exercise and clean up our diets to re-claim our bodies after babies, but how often are we told that spiritual connection, relationships, rest and nutrient support is ESSENTIAL for our recovery and longterm health.

I know from experience when you have three little kids under 5, it’s difficult to prioritize getting in a nutritious meal, getting together with girlfriends or even strangers (that could relate to where I am in life) at mom groups resting, spending time nurturing my spiritual needs and so there was a lot of coffee, burning the candle at both ends, rushed meals and workouts to help myself feel like, well myself.

None of this is bad per se, BUT the prolonged periods of not addressing my depletion DID lead me to a place where I was battling adrenal fatigue, intestinal permeability, pelvic floor problems and irritability.

It was a bummer and it took me a while to connect how I was feeling to how I had learned to treat my body during that VERY busy season in my life with little babies.

And so what should you do NOW?

First off, we have to acknowledge that these health issues (listed above) are related to our depletion.
We have to accept this and NOT beat ourselves up for what has happened historically, but rather look to changing our ways.
It’s also never too late to start working on depletion! If your baby is 7 months or 7 years old, there are still lifestyle changes you can make to help your body find balance and nourishment.


Secondly, we need to take depletion seriously and determine to honor restoration and replenishment as part of our health. No more beating on your tired, nutrient deprived body with exercise and excess commitments.

Now is the time to honor SUPPORTING your body with movement, nourishing foods, and quality time spend doing things that make you feel good.

Specifically broths, organic and pastured or grass-fed animal products like organ meats, tallow, grass fed beef and lamb.
Supplementing with actual supplements is fine, but whenever you can obtain your nutrients form ACTUAL food, I encourage you to do that!

Locally produced organic fruits and veggies are another great way, but beware of salicylate or oxalate sensitivities!

I love humic and fulvic minerals and tissue salts for addressing depletion too!
Ain’t nothing like drinking dirt to get dirt-derived minerals!

Working with professionals that can help us address our health issues is part of this and who works best for you will depend on your specific health challenges.

Typically chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, functional medicine doctors, functional nutritionists are a good start!

Thirdly, we need to adopt a movement practice that nourishes us and helps us to nurture our bodies rather than beating them into submission.

Feeling strong can be a powerful antidote to many of the depletion associated health issues.
Pelvic floors, thyroids, guts, hormones, headaches, achy bodies ALL respond well to routine movement and strength training WHEN applied in a smart manner that doesn't foster burn out.

Bodies need to be moved.
Muscles need to be used.
Cores need to be strengthened with stability work (mostly breath work).

So yeah, you want to train your bodies, but you’ll need some gentle guidance to ensure that you’re not over-doing it!

To get started, grab my Free In 3 guide!

It’s a three day exercise and movement formula designed to help you train your bodies without STRESSING them out!

And DON’T forget the spiritual nourishment piece as well!

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31But those who wait upon the LORDwill renew their strength; they will mount up with wingslike eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Our God is a divine healer. He knows every piece of us, every struggle.
NEVER discount how routine spiritual nourishment through time spent worshipping the Lord, reading His word, crying out to Him and surrounding yourself with fellow believers can heal your body, mind and soul!

Listen to my recent podcast episode on this!

Losing weight is not necessarily self care or love

I talk to well-meaning women all of the time about their goals to be “healthier” and take better care of their bodies and most of the time to them that means losing weight.

Ladies, I can’t stress this enough.
Losing weight is not necessarily the best goal for you.
It isn’t guaranteed to make you healthier.

It might not help you love your body more.
And the chances are really great that in the process of losing weight, you could make some unhealthy decisions about how to care for your body.

The truth about weight loss is that the body lets go of excess fat stores when it’s cared for.
When lymph is draining.
When the gut is relatively healthy.
When hormones are balanced.

When the liver is detoxing.
When muscles are being used.

When you move (mostly) pain-free.

When the nervous system isn’t stressed.

When the immune system isn’t chronically fighting inflammation.
When you’re not tired, hung over, or anxious. 

In 2021, my lovely lady friends of Instagram, I challenge you to push back on the idea that losing weight will get you healthy and to embrace the idea that getting healthy will leave you at the the weight where you body wishes to live.

Here are 10 ways you can improve your health and positively impact your physique the sustainable and health-promoting way!

1. Improve your sleep

2. Walk daily

3. Remove foods that make you feel crummy

4. Drink less or never

5. Strength train-get a free program here!

6. Address pelvic floor issues that prevent your from moving

7. Improve your posture and breathing habits to build your core

8. See a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist

9. Spend more time outside in the sun

10. Listen to Dirty Strength Radio™

I was afraid and paranoid because I was ignorant

When I look back now to my prolapse diagnosis and weird pelvic floor sensations I had after baby #3, I can see now that IGNORANCE was my biggest problem. 

I was afraid of my body and what it would do, because I was ignorant, ill-informed...in the dark...clueless. 


Everything was, 
"Is this gonna make it worse?"
or
"Am I just going to feel this way forever?"
"Do I have to just avoid putting any pressure on my pelvic floor permanently now?"
"Is it too risky to hold my baby?"
"Am I doomed to gain lots of weight and lose my fitness forever?"
"What happens next??!!" 



I thought like this because I didn't know better. 
I didn't have the information I needed to understand WHAT had happened to my body, WHY it had happened and HOW I could move past it. 


The courage I needed to live life again came from EDUCATION that empowered me and got me MOVING AGAIN.

Education helped demystify what the heck was going on with my body and why it wasn't wholly a bad thing, but a SIGN that I needed to change my habits.

Empowerment came from that education and understanding of how my female physiology functioned and how to accept/nurture it to live my life agin!

Movement helped me see that my body still was capable and competent, that I wasn't broken, that pressure in the vagina and organs falling out of my body didn't have to be my new normal....I had options and strategies. 


But I can at any moment quickly transport myself BACK to that place of fear when I forget all that I've learned about the pelvic floor, all that I know now about what it does, how to support and strengthen it, how to honor my body. 



When I was ignorant, I feared worsening prolapse, I feared surgery, I feared people finding out I had prolapse (I have to laugh at that one since now thousands of people know about it now.)

When I was ignorant, I didn't even understand really where my pelvic organs were, or how posture to poop, lift or vacuum was impacting my symptoms.....or how my Type A personality and rubbish breathing habits had been causing me trouble LONG before babies even came into the picture. 

When I was ignorant, I was afraid of all the unknowns because there were OH SO MANY!


Education is the key to moving forward.
It casts out the fear, because it removes ignorance. 

Once you're engaged in your body and get what it's doing, you can work WITH it.
You can trust yourself to move and even EXERCISE again. 
You can make INFORMED decisions about future pregnancies, physique goals, lifestyle and habits, interventions when necessary.


Kick ignorance to the curb and come and learn ALL ABOUT your pelvic floor, core and female physiology!!!

Your postpartum body and all the new sensations do NOT have to be scary.
In fact, they won't be, once you understand them and have the tools to deal with them. 


Conquering your fear and your actual pelvic floor issues starts with getting WOKE about your health.
Ignorance is the enemy.
Wisdom through education is the way forward!

Enroll in Hold Up! and use the code BODYLOVE for a discount today!

Exercise and education

Conquer your prolapse!

Learn more

I was broken: Conquering pelvic organ prolapse with the right tools

Before I heard the pelvic floor PT diagnose me with prolapse, I suspected I had it, but to hear her actually diagnose me, stung my heart. 

It felt like a death sentence, "game over". 
I immediately felt like I had aged 20 years. 
I blamed myself for not taking better care of my body during and after my pregnancies. 

I saw all my fitness and movement actives going out the window. 
I saw my body forever changing due to perpetual lack of activity. 
I saw my organs falling out of my body. 

And then I sunk into depression, something I had battled a decade earlier. 

There was NO one there telling me
"It's going to be ok."
”You can start over.”
”You can re-learn how to move!”
”You can optimize your pelvic floor.” 
”You can train your body to be strong again” 
”You can support your pelvic floor with strong glutes, functioning cores, amazing breathing habits and lifestyle habits.” 

No one was saying, THIS IS NOT THE END! THERE ARE TOOLS! THERE ARE SOLUTIONS! THERE IS SUPPORT. 


I had to go out and find all that myself. 
I had to use trial by error to learn to engage my pelvic floor-also to better relax it because while I had prolapse, I also OVER-RECRUITED my pelvic floor. 


But 4 years later, I'm here to tell you that YES, there is a way forward. 
You can heal and conquer this. 
You're probably NOT already doing all the things, even if you think that you are. 

We have LOTS of dials to play with to help you move, and train and live symptom free again!

What dials??

Better alignment and posture habits -do you have the correct information on what “good” posture is?

The BEST breathing strategies-there’s a LOT of confusion about the breath and the UNDENIABLE life-changing role it plays in rehabbing your pelvic floor.

Strength training-you were told not to exercise, right? Not to lift heavy? WRONG!

Lifestyle-has anyone told you how your sleep, feet, guts and mindset are impacting your pelvic floor?!!!

I put it ALL here in ONE course, Hold Up! See more info below!


I designed it for women that need to have structure, but don't want to feel overwhelmed or like they are failing...the timeline is self-paced. 

I share movement tips and exercises that we can use all day long every day, in exercise AND in normal life.

I keep it real and encouraging, because I KNOW what it's like to feel hopeless, broken and embarrassed. 



There's a LOT of garbage messaging about what it is to be an "empowered" women these days.
There's a heck of a LOT more to being an empowered woman than being sexy, selling your body to get what you want and performing like a porn star in the bedroom.




And I'm here to tell you that, one way to feel empowered is to KNOW, APPRECIATE and ENGAGE with your body. 
To train it to do great things, whether that's just surviving daily life orcrushing goals. 

Conquer prolapse

Changing these 5 habits changes EVERYTHING!

Grab it now!

Detoxing your liver to support your pelvic floor

It’s NOT uncommon for the women I work with to in addition to having pelvic organ prolapse or pelvic floor dysfunction, to ALSO struggle with poor gut health.

It’s SUPER important to address gut health if you want to experience pelvic healing, BUT you can’t TRULY heal the gut and restore health to your vital organs if you don’t ALSO address your liver.

Your liver’s job is to produce bile. Bile helps your enzymes break down fats so you can extra energy from them and prevent them from clogging the digestion process.
Livers also filter your blood and removes toxins (ahem, booze) and old expired hormones.
It also stores pieces of protein (amino acids) can synthesize fats, break down cholesterol and store sugar for energy to be used when necessary.

It’s a WONDER of an organ.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine , “stagnation of the flow of liver qi frequently disrupts emotional flow, producing feelings of frustration or anger. Conversely, these same emotions can lead to a dysfunction in the liver, resulting in an endless loop of cause and effect.” (link)

And did you know that the LIVER is a PRIMARY organ involved in your menstrual cycle?

When your liver isn’t functioning properly, emotional problems, rib pain or fullness, dizziness, headache, cramping, tendon problems, menstrual problems, jaundice, weak or blurry vision, and digestive disorders can ensue.

**Attn: pelvic floor peeps,

The liver stores blood when you’re resting and releases its to your tendons when you’re active.
When liver blood becomes limited due to congestion and stagnation in the liver, one can experience “tightness” in the tendons of the pelvic floor and throughout the body, neck, shoulders, etc.
So you can see why it’s worth devoting some attention, right?!!

Your liver is directly connected to your gut via the portal vein.

If we are suffering from gut dysbiosis, inflammation and toxin overload or toxic microorganism build up in the gut, that vein can directly transport these issues to the liver via that vein.

For example, lipid polysaccharides (toxin released in large numbers by bacteria in the gut) are one of the major culprits and that causes liver damage and inflammation in the body.

Poor liver health results in:

• hormonal imbalance

• gut health and digestion struggles

• nutrient deficiency

• muscle tightness and restricted blood flow

• low energy

• and more!

If you want to learn more about why gut health, nutrient deficiency and hormones impact the pelvic floor, then head here and here.

So what to do?

There are TONS of supplements and “cleanse diets” on the market to help “flush out” your liver and help you lose weight and I would caution you to be super discerning when they come across your path.

Many people rightfully find some of these approaches ridiculous.
After all, the liver detoxes, you don’t need to “detox” the liver.
Right??
Well, yes and no.

As I mentioned above, livers in bodies that have been struggling for a while DO in fact benefit from some support.

Individuals with adrenal fatigue, hormone imbalances, chronic gut health struggles or all three, DO in fact benefit from some liver support, when applied gently.


So today I’m sharing my THREE favorite ways for you to support your liver!


But first, who should consider trying these strategies?

1. Individuals with prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction

2. Peeps with a history of under-eating

3. Folks with current or a history of gut health issues

4. Anyone struggling with exhaustion, depletion and lack of vitality

5. Those that take or have taken a lot of prescription medications or routinely drink alcohol

Dandelion Root Tea

I’ve talked here before about the benefits of bitters for your liver and digestion ( read here!)

Sipping on dandelion root tea throughout your day is a gentle way to detoxify your liver because it gently stimulates your liver to produce bile to help remove toxins from the body and get digestion moving again.

I’ll warn you, it kind of tastes like dirt, but then again, so does coffee.

You can purchase bags of dandelion root tea, loose tea versions OR you can simply find dandelion in your yard and make your own which is the MOST effective form of any herbal tea, IF you’re up for the challenge!

Additionally, Dandelion root is used for the treatment of muscle aches, loss of appetite, upset stomach, intestinal gas, gallstones, joint pain, eczema and bruises. It also increases urine production and serves as a laxative to increase bowel movements.

Some people use dandelion to treat infections, especially viral infections and even cancer. It’s also used as a skin toner, blood tonic and digestive tonic. (Dr. Axe)

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is a member of the daisy family and probably my FAVORITE liver supplement. I take milk thistle nightly in the form of a pill.

It’s incredibly mild so unless you decide to start taking 3 pills a day or more, you’re not going to experience much of anything, but may start to notice some changes in liver-function related symptoms of the body.

Sleep for example improved for me when I started taking milk thistle.
Wakefulness at night, particularly waking around 3 or 4 am is often related to your liver detoxing.

Milk thistle is SO pretty and such a cool looking plant, that I’ve decided to cultivate it in my garden in order to make my own extract. But a simple over the counter supplement made by a trustworthy supplier is certainly adequate for getting started on your liver support journey!
**discuss all supplements with your healthcare provider, I am not prescribing it or diagnosing conditions. This is purely educational information.

Liver

Interestingly enough, one of the BEST things you can do for your liver is to consume LIVER.
Yeah, I’m not really a fan of the smell, taste or consistency of it, but organ meats have LONG been contributing to the health of humans on this planet and I do think it’s a shame that many of us have lost our palate for them.

Fortunately there are FREEZE-dried pill options that don’t taste or smell at all!!
And that’s more my jam.

But IF you like liver, then I would say start there.

Fried chicken livers are quite popular as is beef.
Just be sure to choose organic and or pasture fed versions.
There’s no sense in you eating the liver from an animal that is chock full of antibiotics, pesticides and herbicide from their GMO feed.

Movement and breathing

Can movement help your liver?

100%!

Your lymphatic system is part of your circulatory system but unlike the the circulatory system if doesn't have a pump like the heart, it’s pump is YOU, you’re movement and your breath!!!

It’s job is to remove toxins from the blood and help them exit the body.

The lymphatic system of the liver is not super well understood, EXCEPT that we know lack of movement and stagnation is BAD for liver function.

When you take my Breath Like A Bad Ass, It’s Bettter Than Kegels, course OR Connect Your Core and Pelvic Floor ™ you will learn how your BREATH and movement practice creates a PUMP effect that moves and massages your vital organs in your abdominal cavity, liver included!

When we stop moving and breathing fully with the diaphragm, then the lymphatic system is stalled and can become stuck, contributing to congestion of the liver.
So if you want to keep your liver healthy and functional to improve sleep, pelvic health, digestion and detoxification, you BEST move your butt AND your diaphragm!

Learn to breathe, strength train AND care for your liver all in one digital course!

Check out HOLD UP!

Conquer prolapse by getting to the root cause of your problems in one simple, self-paced digital course!

Learn more

Sarah Smith is a Functional Pelvic and Gut Health Educator Level, Strength Coach, Original Strength Pro, Level 2 Russian Kettlebell Instructor and postnatal fitness specialist and functional pelvic floor and with a Masters in Soil Science and Agriculture.

She helps women feel confident, capable, content and STRONG in their bodies. As someone with pelvic organ prolapse, Sarah understands the mental and physical challenges of over-coming this condition speaks frankly about the most progressive strategies for moving forward and finding your strength IN SPITE of prolapse and pelvic floor problems!

Sarah is a published author and has a decade experience conducting research at The National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, University of Arizona and North Carolina State University.

She uses evidence-based strategies to help her clients grow strong, and conquer their pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti and gut health complications and other injuries or health conditions. 

Sarah is a mom to three wild boys and one English Bulldog.
She loves kettlebells, leisure walks, chickens, soil, coffee, not folding laundry and watching people move-in a non-creepy way.

How caffeine can rev up your pelvic floor symptoms!

Morning tea or coffee is what gets me out of bed, but I think it's important that we discuss how caffeine intake can negatively impact your pelvic floor. 

Everyone’s caffeine sensitivity varies. 
Some people (like me) can't tolerate any caffeine. 

Others are fine with limited amounts and still others THINK they are unaffected, because have restless, interrupted sleep and reversed cortisol spikes (low cortisol in the morning, high in the evening). 

But how can consuming caffeine impact your pelvic floor?

Three ways primarily. 

1. Pelvic organ prolapse symptoms increase when the body is tired. 
Sleep depletion can manifest in not only sinking moods and motivation, butt sinking organs as well. 
When we are depleted, everything feels heavy. 

Restoring our energy through RESTFUL sleep and mitigate symptoms AND give us the energy the we need to move and train our bodies in a manner that supports strong movement, good alignment and an emotion lift!

So next time you feel your symptoms flaring up, check on your SLEEP!


2. Digestive distress 

Sleep is when our gut "resets". It conducts repairs, detoxification and a whole host of other activities when the body is placing the least amount of demand upon it. 


"So when your circadian rhythm is off it begins to severely affect your quality of sleep. When you experience low quality sleep, your gut health is compromised. Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea may disrupt the microbiome. 

Considering the high prevalence of undiagnosed sleep disorders, if you’re experiencing gut issues you should wonder if your sleep is having an effect."
 -Dr. Steven Lin 

High levels of caffeine intake during the day make it difficult to fall a sleep at a reasonable hour and STAY asleep, and we aren't even addressing blue light or alcohol right now, because they can be major factors as well!


"One of the biggest obstacles I face when coaching people to optimal health is getting them to understand the importance of going to bed on time...The most popular form of caffeine is coffee. An eight ounce cup of strong coffee contains about 300 mg of caffeine. Caffeine has a half-life of about six hours. So, if you have coffee at 3 p.m., you'll still have 150 milligrams (mg) of caffeine in your blood stream at 9 p.m. Six hours later, well into the psychogenic repair cycle of immune function, you'll have 75 mg of caffeine stimulating your adrenal glands to produce cortisol. Ideally, you should not drink anything containing caffeine after lunch and throughout the evening."

-Paul Chek (more here!) 



3. Urge to pee
Whether you battle with interstitial cystitis (an increasingly common problem in the world of pelvic health whereby women believe they have a yeast or bladder infection for months even years, only to discover they have inflammation/irritation of the pelvic floor and bladder tissues) OR you just notice that your pelvic floor dysfunction or prolapse symptoms are worse some days, or at certain times of day, caffeine might be the culprit. 

MANY women discover that by reducing or eliminating their caffeine intake they can regress their pelvic floor symptoms. 

Why?
Well for one thing, 



-Caffeine strongly affects the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: the linked system of hypothalamus and pituitary glands in the brain, and the adrenal glands that sit atop the kidneys. The HPA axis influences the body’s ability to manage and deal with stress, both at rest and during activity.

-The adrenal glands secrete two key hormones: epinephrine and cortisol. Epinephrine, or adrenaline, increases respiration rate, heart rate and blood pressure; while cortisol frees up stored glucose, which we need in greater amounts during times of perceived stress.

-John Berardi, Precision Nutrition.



So if you've taken my courses or watched my IGTV videos, then you KNOW how stress and being in the Sympathetic state of the nervous system can increase pelvic floor symptoms. 

If your caffeine intake is constantly pushing you in to that full blown or mild fight or flight state, then it could be a major culprit behind NOT JUST your pelvic floor issues, but your adrenal fatigue, gut health and so much more!




Ok, so what to do?

Try experimenting with your caffeine intake.

1. Stop all caffeine intake after 12pm to improve your ability to sleep. Depending on how sensitive you are to caffeine, that a may or may not be enough, but it's a start!

OR 

2. Slowly ween yourself down to little to no caffeine and see if your symptoms improve?

You don't have too quit cold turkey, but rather start mixing some decaf in with your full caff and gradually work yourself down. 
Same goes for teas. 


Personally, I drink NO caffeine now, but it took me a little while to get here. 

First I went 1/2 caff and then eventually I still felt anxious, clammy, my heart would flutter and I had to pee so often that I decided to kick the habit altogether. 

I DO drink decaf coffee, which has a small amount of caffeine in it, but compared to how I used two feel, I feel little to no effect. 


Maybe this is a big rock for you and your pelvic health, maybe not, but it's a simple one to explore and experiment with, so I say GO FOR IT!

If you haven't registered for Breathe Like A Bad Ass. it's Better Than Kegels, do so here. 
My FREE breathing course will help you come out to that Fight or Flight state and get into rest and digest calm the body and reduce your symptoms. 

xoxo,
Sarah

Women need different programming than men

women have different training needs than men do!

On a basic level we have different sized Type 1 and 2 muscle fibers than men do, making us better adapted at using fat for fuel than men.

We recover faster within a workout from all-out effort training than men do.

We can do lots of low rep, high weight strength training and while we will add on some bulk in the form of muscle, we MOSTLY increase the power and efficiency of our muscles.


We lose weight more slowly than men and hold on to more fat (it's how we fuel physical exercise) than they do.

Women need longer recovery periods between training than men do, because we use stored glycogen more slowly than men do.

We perform differently over the course of a month when we menstruate.

Post-menopause we lose our ability too metabolize fructose.


But I think the MOST important truth about fitness training for women is that biologically, exercise and physical ability ISN'T the body's priority.
Keeping us fertile and ready to make babies is.

And it doesn't matter if you aren't planning on becoming pregnant.
It doesn't even matter if you are past menopause.

There are biological implications to the fact that we are equipped to grow, birth and feed babies and THAT my friends means LOTS of different things for our fitness practices, but the one common theme that I have learned from studying hormones, pelvic floors, gut health and the nervous system is that all female bodies need to feel something in order to perform well and that something is

SAFETY.


If you want to ask your body to do things for you, you FIRST have to communicate to it that a it is safe.

When it doesn't feel safe, then it tells your body-"HEY, shut down the reproductive hormonal pathways and brace for stress."

The problem is that women of child-bearing age NEED all of these pathways like ovulation and menstruation to be in working order in order to respond well to exercise and training.
They are a non-negotiable, regardless of our reproductive plans and priorities.

Safety=performance
We need the body to feel safe, challenged, sure, but SAFE!

How do we do that?

Well I'll tell you how we DON'T do it.

We don't starve it.
We don't beat on it.
We don't let it sit around sedentary creating mechanical stress.
We don't fill it with alcohol and other toxins that it struggles to process.
We don't let it grow accustomed to sitting and then march it to the gym and tell it to perform like a movement-accustomed athlete.
We don't hate it.


There are LOTS of programs out there that unfortunately encourage women to do a number of these things, but mine are NOT amongst them.

In fact I see that the KEYS to helping the body feel safe in fitness and exercise are the following:

1. Calm the nervous system with effective diaphragmatic breathing BEFORE and after exercise and as often as possible.

2. Learn how the body functions well enough so that you can recognize red flags an respond to them appropriately and respectfully.

3. Value QUALITY of movement over quantity all of the time.

4. Rest and recover adequately

5. Build balanced strength and muscle


These are attributes can actions that I'd like to see you value and prioritize as well as you embark on fitness journeys today, next week, next year!

These and many other female-specific themes so happen to also shape my programming and my coaching style.



Today all the sales on my programs are ending.
So grab them NOW to get to work in a manner that repeats your unique and powerFULL female physiology!

Want to strength train?

Kettlebells For Cool Kids™ is my kettlebell instruction course that teaches you everything you need to know about training with kettlebells in a manner that honors PROPER technique, your core and pelvic floor needs (hello! women are different and we need to talk about this.Vaginas, births and hormones are game changers) and respects your BUSY schedule.

You don't need to know ANYTHING about kettlebells to do this course, but you do have to have a CAN-DO attitude and a willingness to work on skill-based training that makes you feel bad-ass.

You get 3 workouts per week ALL of which are designed to teach you the skill of training with KB's.

Oh and DON'T forget all the 90's themed PLAYLISTS!!!!

**Kettlebells For Cool Kids is for women that have been CLEARED by their pelvic floor PT for exercise and understand how to manage pressure, have neutral alignment and can lift weight without symptoms.
If that is NOT you yet, then grab Connect™ FIRST and learn how to strength train with that program.

This program is ALSO majorly on sale right now through Monday (12/2) at midnight.
Learn more here

Want to strength train, but FIRST attend to your core and pelvic floor needs?



Connect Your Core & Pelvic Floor™ is for the woman that has core and pelvic floor problems. Weakness or over-recruitment, we are addressing them BOTH.
Prolapse or leaking.
Movement is NOT off the table for you.
You just need to spend some time learning and understanding what it happening with your body now so you can work WITH it and confidently train it to be strong and powerful again OR for the first time.

You get instruction and education on re-building core and pelvic floor strength AS WELL was a movement and strength training program to get you started with your return to movement.

Learn more about Connect™ here. Enrollment AND major sale pricing go away Monday (12/2) at midnight.
Use the code HOLIDAYHEALTH
Connect Your Core and Pelvic Floor™


Not ready to grab my course but you’re hungry for MORE?

Get on my email newsletter list for lots of free goodies, info, support female fitness hacks!~

Keep in touch

Get free workouts

Sign up

 About Sarah…

Sarah Smith is a Functional Pelvic and Gut Health Educator Level, Strength Coach, Original Strength Pro, Level 2 Russian Kettlebell Instructor and postnatal fitness specialist and functional pelvic floor and with a Masters in Soil Science and Agriculture.

She helps women feel confident, capable, content and STRONG in their bodies!

Sarah is a published author and has a decade experience conducting research at The National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, University of Arizona and North Carolina State University.

She uses evidence-based strategies to help her clients grow strong, and conquer their pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic organ prolapse, diastasis recti and gut health complications and other injuries or health conditions. 

Sarah is a mom to three wild boys and one English Bulldog.
She loves kettlebells, leisure walks, chickens, soil, coffee, not folding laundry and watching people move-in a non-creepy way.