Have you ever experienced a person walking into a room and the entire place lights up with warm joyful energy (think Jill Scott vibes)??! Their smile is a burst of sunshine that positively reshapes your mood and outlook. Just their presence alone draws you to them and you feel content and safe in your space. Well, I experienced that with Stacy Scates when I took her yoga class on a whim some years back. I previously tried yoga and didn't care for it. I may have been too young (I won't date myself by telling you how long ago that was), or maybe I just wasn't mentally receptive at the time. But all of that changed one Saturday morning when I decided to get up early (which rarely happens, I like to sleep in) and give yoga another try. It could have been the fact that she was me, a black woman with a wealth of knowledge and presence giving back to the community. Needless to say, I enjoyed the class and have been consistently going ever since. Yes, it really is that amazing!
Along with being a magnificent spiritual vessel through yoga, Stacy is a Holistic Psychotherapist specializing in Rejuvenating Somatic Therapy and Marriage and Family counseling. She is the Co-founder of Urban Moksha Ayurveda, a Ayurvedic lifestyle consultation practice that she started with Crystal, another phenomenal woman that thrives in helping the community. Stacy and Crystal's vision align perfectly with Noire Nutrition and how Monica and myself want to help change the narrative for women of color and our communities.
So get into this interview with Stacy and her thoughts on mental health, how to handle stress, and self-care.
What made you decide to become a psychotherapist?
As a child, I often questioned the meaning of life, and I was very curious about human behavior. As I got older, (about mid-’20s) I became interested in certain patterns of my own that were showing up across different relationships. Around that time I was also starting to become aware of how African Americans were more likely to be diagnosed with severe disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar. I understood this to mean that we are also likely to be over or inappropriately medicated. This is when I started to take the study of psychology seriously. I learned that less than 6% of therapists in the United States were people of color and even fewer were African American. The vast majority of therapists at that time and even now, are white, European Americans. This was alarming to me. How can they appropriately determine the wellness of our mind? How can they be culturally competent to see us and treat us and diagnose us? I wanted to learn as much as I could about psychology. I wanted to normalize the process of therapy. Also, I started going to therapy in my mid 20’s for depression and anxiety due to being in an abusive relationship. I learned so much about my patterns and the process was life-changing.
Tell me about your journey to becoming a holistic psychotherapist
My journey toward holistic psychotherapy started with yoga. My initial vision of offering holistic psychotherapy came to me almost 15 years ago while I was on my yoga mat. It was my goal then, to offer wellness services that consider the whole person--body, mind, and spirit. When this vision came to me I was in my mid 20’s and in an abusive relationship. I did not have more than a high school diploma and some college experience. I was in debt and severely underweight due to acute stress and deep depression. Long story short, once I resumed my yoga practice I started getting really clear images and messages on how to leave the relationship and move forward with my life purpose.
Yoga as it proclaims gave me an undeniable clarity of mind and a fiery determination to survive and thrive. I knew then that I had to learn as much as I could about how yoga works. Once I became more disciplined with my yoga practice the next step became clear, I knew that I would study psychology. When most of my peers were starting a family or finishing up grad school, I decided to go back to college to earn my BA in psychology. I graduated with my BA in 2009 and taught yoga all over Los Angeles-- (I’m still teaching via Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic).
While I was in school I was simultaneously finishing up my second yoga teacher training. In that training, I learned about Ayurveda and I was intrigued. To my surprise, two years later I would have the unique opportunity to study directly with the woman that led the Ayurvedic module in my yoga teacher training. I began my studies with her at the Center for Ayurveda in 2011 and completed my training in 2014.
To be licensed as a marriage and family therapist in the United States one has to complete a Master’s degree in counseling or clinical psychology. So, in 2016 I started my Master's program in counseling psychology at Pacífica Graduate Institute.
I have stayed committed to my yoga practice and to this day I honor the vision of holistic healing through the body-mind and spirit. My yoga and Ayurveda practice informs the way that I work as a Marriage and Family therapist. I offer a natural, and body-centered approach to healing. By weaving Yoga and Ayurveda with therapy I offer an alternative to psychiatric medications whenever possible. There is no one size fits all for healing, be it the therapy or Ayurveda. Each person is so unique and I’m honored to collaborate with my clients to discover their path to remembering wholeness through body-mind and spirit.
Tell me about your Ayurvedic practice with your partner Crystal.
Crystal and I studied together at the Center for Ayurveda. We first met in 2008 at a yoga studio that we both worked for. We knew when we met that we would work together and our healing and learning journey has been intertwined ever since. Crystal and I currently offer Ayurvedic lifestyle consultations through Urban Moksha Ayurveda. UMAyurveda.com
Moksha is Sanskrit for liberation. We’ve both been through so much on our journey to learn about our bodies and our minds. We are excited and compelled to make what we’ve learned accessible and available to as many people as possible. We have a podcast coming out soon called Joy Ease and Light. It will be an opportunity for us to share our experience with Ayurveda. We hope that by sharing our stories other people will have more ease in their healing journey.
Crystal and I both geek out on all things wellness. We love helping women feel more empowered and rejuvenated in their bodies.
Crystal brings both science and intuition to treat her clients. She has studied kayachikitsa (ayurvedic internal medicine,) and vajikarani (women's health, periods, pregnancy, and postpartum). As a mom, she enjoys working with other moms looking to find rejuvenation. It is also important to her to help people who identify as empathic or highly sensitive to understand their gifts.
My ayurvedic specialties include Rasayana Chikitsa (rejuvenation treatments) and Somatic Psychology Bhutavidya, (the study of the body, soul, and the root causes of its disturbances). I have a keen interest in working with movement and hands-on bodywork to help clear physical, energetic and mental blockages.
What are some key Ayurvedic herbs that should be a staple in people’s cabinets?
This is a good question. Ayurveda is a preventative, medicinal practice that comes from India. It helps practitioners to manage energy and vitality. One of it's main tenets is that everyone is a unique combination of the five elements—ether, air, fire, water, and earth. Because each person is unique we don’t have anyone size fits all remedies or herbal recommendations. What works for one may not work for many. So, to answer your question I will just share with you some things that I feel are must-haves in my kitchen.
I always have some fresh ginger root in my house. Ginger is anti-inflammatory and in the right amount can be good for all three doshas (body-mind type). I also love to have lemons and or limes on deck. I add the sour fruit to my water and it alkalinizes the water and stimulates hydration. I also tend to have Tulsi (holy basil) tea on hand. Tulsi is an adaptogenic herb meaning it adapts to physical, emotional, and environmental stress and helps the body to restore and balance amidst stressful conditions.
Another adaptogen I tend to have handy is Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is a great rejuvenating herb. These are just a few of the things I tend to have handy and they work for me. I recommend speaking to an Ayurvedic practitioner or your general practitioner to learn more about the right Ayurvedic herbs for you.
What have you noticed going on mentally in our community pre and post covid?
That’s an interesting question. I think Pre-Covid we were mentally distracted. We had the symptoms of anxiety, depression, work dissatisfaction, and fears about the future, but I think we were able to mask it better. We were able to hide behind our distractions and our grand hopes for future growth.
Post-Covid hasn’t happened yet. Our brain wants desperately to believe this is a post but we are smack dab in the middle of Covid. This middle phase is hard to comment on but the initial phase allowed us to slow down. Anxiety and depression are still there but I think we’re able to drop in a little deeper and give them better names. For example, anxiety is not just anxiety, it’s anger, and guilt and fear of death, and severe illness. Depression is not just depression, it’s a more specified disappointment, named grief, racism, poverty, fear of death, loss, and severe illness.
What I can say about working as a therapist during Covid is that we’ve dropped into something deep. Perhaps it’s because our physical body is out of the equation. There is less potential to be “killed” in the therapy office—so it seems that from the comfort of one's home—with that threat of the body removed, people feel safer to feel. For the first time, even though there was great uncertainty about what Covid would bring, there was what I would call a feeling of relief. I think people— as challenging as it may be—people are relieved to not have so many distractions. I find that people are relieved to find a better name for what they're feeling or to even for the first time, feel what they’re feeling.
What are some tips you can give to help people with self-care, anxiety, and stress?
The first tip, is to get a therapist. There are some low-cost therapy centers across Los Angeles, and many therapists offer a sliding scale.
The second tip, if therapy is not an option, identify someone that you trust and you feel safe having honest conversations with. That could be a friend, family member, co-worker. Sometimes just being heard by another person can go a long way.
The third tip, stay hydrated and breathe. This one may be one to roll your eyes at but I’m telling you, it’s the simple things that have the greatest impact. Your body is mostly made of water, so if you’re dehydrated this impacts multiple systems in your body and can trigger a physiologic stress response. Staying hydrated can reduce the impact of stress. Breathing is also one of those things we take for granted. The nervous system is responsible for jump-starting our fight, or flight response, or it can trigger our rest and digest response. By shifting your focus to your breath and allowing your exhalation to be a little longer than your inhalation you can start to shift your nervous system into rest and digest. It may help to count your inhalation for 4 seconds and then count your exhale breath for 6 seconds. Do longer breaths if it feels easy. The idea is to feel at ease so if it feels stressful, stop or allow the breaths to be a little shorter. Maybe try inhaling for 2 seconds and exhaling for 4.
The fourth tip is the child’s pose. Yes, the yoga pose. My recommendation is to use a blanket or pillow under your forehead if you need to. The trick with this pose is to get the spot just between your eyebrows ( the third eye point) to rest comfortably and easily onto a blanket, block, or even the floor (if you can get there with ease). There is a Marma (hidden vital energy) point just between the eyebrows and that point calms the nervous system. Do this pose with the breath above if you’d like.
The last tip is to lay on your back and put your legs up the wall or drape your lower legs over the edge of your bed or couch. This is a yoga pose called Vipariti Karani or waterfall pose. This pose has been said to aid the lymphatic system and boost immunity.
There has been a lot of death and illness surrounding covid, what’s the best way for people to deal with that? Especially with being quarantined and unable to possibly go to a funeral or see their loved one in the hospital.
Great question. The number one suggestion I have about dealing with death is to call it by its name—we have to talk about it. Before Covid, there was more secrecy and fear around the word death let alone the actual process of dying. By talking about death we can alleviate unnecessary shame, guilt, and loneliness that may surface when dealing with death and chronic illness. As a therapist, my interests are primarily in grief and death. I am interested in helping families talk about death and chronic illness. Therapy can also provide a safe space and opportunity for family members to learn about what the dying person wants and needs.
Another important way to deal with death and illness is to create meaningful rituals. It is important and ideal to talk to our loved ones about death while they’re healthy. It gives your person a chance to tell you what is important to them and how they want to be remembered. When you have a sense of what your loved one wanted it can help to make your grief rituals meaningful and impactful.
Ritual is most potent when done in the community so I recommend collaborating with family, siblings, friends, or neighbors as you create your rituals. You can create beautiful memorials via Zoom and while that’s not ideal it’s important to honor your loved one in a way that is safe and fosters connection with other significant people in your life. If you can meet safely outdoors even better. Some helpful suggestions for your ritual.
Community (do it with others)
Fire (light a candle or burn incense or sage)
Someone should lend their voice in either song, or poetry, kind words, storytelling, or wailing. (Instruments can accompany too.)
Flowers
Water
Dance
Be creative
Stacy Scates, M.A., is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #114380 in Los Angeles, Ca. She was introduced to Vedic philosophies in 1998 and has been a yoga teacher since 2008. In 2015 she completed her studies with the Center for Ayurveda and went on to study Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Stacy’s Ayurvedic specialties include, Rasayana Chikitsa (rejuvenation treatments) and Somatic Psychology Bhutavidya, (the study of the body, soul and the root causes of its disturbances). As a therapist she is interested in working with individuals, couples and families dealing with grief, and anxiety around death and dying. If you are processing a loss, experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety, or if you want to feel confident and authentic in your creative process you may benefit from my services. I would like the opportunity to assist in your holistic wellness. Currently seeing clients via Zoom under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Ashley, Psy. D, LCSW #19001 Please contact me via StacyScates.com to book your first session.
Noir Nutrition
by Aziza Lucas, NTP
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