Let’s talk about sex, baby! Or in this case, dyspareunia or painful sex. We go over:

— Find out what dyspareuia is and the different types and categories (superficial vs deep, primary vs secondary)

— How common is dyspareunia and how many people are impacted by painful intercourse postpartum

— How dyspareunia impacts mental, physical and sexual health

— Learn why you do not need to rush to have sex at 6 weeks postpartum

— How postpartum sexual health declines across all domains

— Why painful sex is not just the responsibility of the woman or vulva-owner

Find out how my Reclaim your Pleasure workshop can help you release tension, pain and welcome in more pleasure even if you deal with painful intercourse

Pleasure is defined as the feeling of happy satisfaction or contentment. If you want more pleasure in your sex life, we need to cultivate it. Here are 4 tips to cultivate more pleasure and have better orgasms:

—Presence: being mindful and aware of the sensations in your body during daily activities can help you be more tuned in during sex

—Breathe: your breath is your superpower and directly impacts your pelvic floor, blood flow and orgasms. Breathing can also help you relax and release tension, allowing you to fully feel the sensations in your body.

—Foreplay: longer the better!

—Belief: you have to believe that great sex and great orgasms are available to you. If you have a history of painful sex, trauma, or body image issues, this can be especially hard, but keep holding onto hope.

At my Reclaim your Pleasure workshop on Thursday, Feb 23 at 8:30-9:30 PM EST, we’ll practice presence and breath, release negative self-beliefs, and move our bodies to unlock more pleasure!

Save your spot here: https://www.thepassionatephysio.ca/reclaim-your-pleasure-workshop A recording will be sent out to all registrants. If you can’t make it live, it’s all good.

Surabhi Veitch discusses the topic of shame surrounding pleasure and sex. The shame people feel when discussing sex is not uncommon and is often a result of societal taboos and cultural upbringings. I share my own experiences growing up in an Indian household where the topic of sex was never discussed and how I was shamed by one of my first boyfriends.

Join me to Reclaim your Pleasure on Feb 23/23 for 60-minutes of breathwork, visualization and movement to unleash the pleasure within you! https://www.thepassionatephysio.ca/reclaim-your-pleasure-workshop

Key points:
—The topic of sex and pleasure is still considered taboo and awkward in many households around the world.
—The shame that people feel when talking about sex and pleasure is not uncommon and is often a result of upbringing and cultural values.
—Many people struggle to comfortably use the proper names for body parts related to sex and pleasure.
—The lack of open and appropriate education about sex and pleasure contributes to the shame and discomfort people feel.
—The first step in dismantling shame around sex and pleasure is to educate ourselves and our children about the proper names for body parts and to talk about sex and pleasure openly.

I’m offering a workshop on February 23rd, 2023 at 8:30 PM Eastern Time to help you reclaim your pleasure. Early bird registration is open now and there is a replay available.

Surabhi Veitch interviews clinical psychologist and intimacy coach, Dr. Jacqueline Sherman (aka Dr. Jac), on sexual confidence, how to discuss difficult topics with your partner, and ways to boost body image and intimacy after major life transitions, experiencing loss or miscarriage. Dr Jac’s Sexfirmation Cards® are the first sexual wellness card deck for women!

Surabhi Veitch interviews antiracism educator, yoga teacher and anti-oppression advocate, Selam Debs, about her personal journey as a Black single mother navigating the complexities of raising a Black son in a white supremacist society. Selam opens up about the struggles she faced, the power of owning her story and her journey towards healing. Together, we delve into the impact of adultification of Black children, the harm of white supremacy culture on body image and parenting, and the necessary pain and joys of waking up to the truth. We explore the transformative power of motherhood and how it has shaped Selam's healing journey and her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for future generations.

Surabhi Veitch interviews Inemesit Graham, repeat guest, fitness and nutrition coach, and anti-racism educator, for a conversation all about self-care, joy, returning to your authentic self, and healing from anti-Black racism.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to do a pelvic floor self-examination and check if you’re doing Kegels correctly. Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT need someone to insert their fingers inside you in order to confirm whether or not your pelvic floor works. Trust yourself and your body. Just like you don’t need someone to hold your elbow while you do a bicep curl, you don’t need someone to confirm that your pelvic floor is contracting properly. You can check for yourself using your senses! I teach you how to use your eyes to look, your nose to smell, your hands to feel, and your ears to listen while you breathe and perform pelvic floor contractions and relaxations.

Sharon Fan and Surabhi Veitch discuss Sharon’s experience as an athlete, ultra-marathoner and runner, and having an unexpected C-section in the middle of the pandemic. We discuss how working together through virtual physiotherapy supported her in her return to fitness!

Emma Jack & Surabhi Veitch discuss burnout in physiotherapy and healthcare, what self-care looks like, why no one else is thinking of you (because they're too busy thinking about themselves), and what soulful business means. We also discuss how to inject more fun into your life!

Come and join this conversation where Anika Dhalla shares her passion for advocating for clients to find their freedom with food and ditch diet mentality. Anika and I discuss her experience with diet culture growing up as the only Indian family within a rural Canadian community, how diet culture impacts various communities around the world, how fat or weight doesn’t give you the whole picture, why decolonizing your food is important, and why genetics needs to be considered in chronic conditions like diabetes.

Sophia Dhrolia (she/they) and I discuss their journey into parenting, including IUI, challenges with fertility, IVF, C-sections, postpartum pre-eclampsia and so much more. From meeting their wife (on Plenty of Fish!) to their Bollywood romance, we talk about how they had kids as a queer couple. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll learn so much from this incredible human. This is an absolute must-listen and one of my all-time favourite interviews.

Kegels, or pelvic floor contractions, are a strength exercise often recommended for people with pelvic floor concerns like leaks, prolapse or pain. The problem is, Kegels often make these symptoms WORSE, and can be really problematic. Kegels can worsen pain with seggs, exacerbate leaks and even create more symptoms of heaviness.

Tune into this Mom Strength episode so learn why NOT to do Kegels!

Are before and after pictures representative of a person’s health? Should we celebrate someone when we see these pictures? Does it make you feel less than or ashamed of yourself? What are we not seeing when we see these photos? Do health and fitness coaches also show photos of their clients who don’t have drastic changes in their body?

Check out this episode to hear my thoughts on why I think before and after pictures are sad. Especially if you’re postpartum or a new mom, please don’t assume that a smaller body is healthier either. Health is not determined by your size and neither is happiness.

When someone asks if you’re pregnant and you’re not, when someone points out you must be going out for a run because you’re trying to lose weight, when someone says you’ve put on a lot of weight, what do you do? How do you respond?

If you’ve been shamed for your body or had inappropriate comments from family, friends or perfect strangers, this episode is for you.

Remember this is not a YOU problem, this is a THEM problem. The problem is not your body, it’s the systems that enable people to constantly objectify women and our bodies. It’s the systems that enable white woman more power and privilege over Black, Indigenous, Brown, Asian and other racialized folks.

Listen to this episode to hear 2 body-shaming incidents that happened in the past couple days, my thoughts around it, and 12 truths I want you to know about your body. Lots of love to you, and remember that the power is within you.

Surabhi Veitch interviews occupational therapist, Sarah Putt, where they discuss OT, working in early intervention, the challenges of being a mom and her experience into a pregnancy complication!

We discuss:

Sarah’s pregnancy journey

Working in occupational therapy

International travel (with young kids!)

Starting a podcast

The power of embracing our fears

Self-care and relationships as mom

Surabhi Veitch interviews Dr. Whitney Baxter, naturopathic doctor, on practical strategies to improve your digestion and gut health while providing methods to help understand where your symptoms may be coming from. We know this can be an awkward topic for some, but the conversation needs to be had, so join us and learn about this common and surprisingly interesting issue!

We discuss:

Symptoms of unbalanced digestion

Importance of tracking your system

Impacts of social eating

Ways to improve gut health

Tips to deal with constipation

How unbalanced hormones affect your gut health

Getting comfortable talking about poop

Surabhi Veitch interviews Breanna Naccarato on how to navigate life after a tragic loss, strategies to conceive after loss, and trigger-free training programs after stillbirth. We dive deep into pregnancy loss without sugarcoating anything, providing practical wisdom for all women. Whether you have experienced loss of this form or not, this discussion will provide you with words of encouragement to help navigate through this situation or care for others experiencing loss.

We discuss:

Breanna’s personal experience of stillbirth

What’s life is like after stillbirth

How to support someone who has experienced stillbirth or loss

Trying to conceive after loss

Strategies to minimize physical and emotional pain

Trigger free programs and exercise after stillbirth

Surabhi Veitch interviews Christa Gurka, physical therapist and 7-figure business owner. We chat strategies to start a business while being a mom, growing your business to the next level and parenting tips that make sure your kids get their best start. As a successful business owner and mom to older children, Christa shares valuable lessons, words of encouragement and empowerment for newer moms and entrepreneurs.

Surabhi Veitch interviews Dr. Whitney Baxter, naturopathic doctor, on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), including symptoms, treatments and tips for living with PCOS.

We discuss:

What is PCOS?

What are the main symptoms of PCOS?

How does a PCOS diagnosis work?

The main causes of PCOS

Is there treatment for PCOS? (short answer - yes!)

Which is better? - Natural vs Medical Treatments

Importance of nutrition in treating and preventing PCOS

The healing benefits of movement

Birth can be magical, beautiful and powerful. With negative birth stories and horror stories shared widely, I have been hesitant to share my very positive, beautiful birth story. However, I realized that in sharing my story, it doesn’t take away from anyone else’s story. Every birth is different. And I know the importance of hearing positive stories when media is quick to portray long, arduous and painful labours ending in emergency surgeries. While those can happen, I also know that I needed to hear positive birth stories during my pregnancies, and so I gift you this reading of my 9-page birth story of my first baby.