On today's episode, the HLN Team talks about getting sick, and how embodiment can change the way we experience being sick.They discuss: prioritizing the body through resthow sickness increases our sensitivity to our own capacitysickness and the inability to bypasshow symptoms are the way the body communicatesthe wisdom of slowing downtending to capacity with restFor more information about Holistic Life Navigation's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

On today's episode, Luis is joined by Natalie Ross, a marketing coach and self-described "witchy weirdo who loves helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs put themselves out there with confidence." Natalie shares how somatic experiencing changed her life, how she learned to market within a somatic framework, and how she helps clients learn to do the same.They discuss:trauma as initiation, and the reclaiming of ourselveshow the practice of somatic experiencing is endless and lifelongreimagining marketing through the lens of somatics: not a tactic or a strategyhow marketing is something we all already always dotransactional vs. relational marketinghow relational trauma affects marketing, both the creating and receivingYou can learn more about Natalie's work at: natalie.netRead more about and register for the next Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics

Today’s bonus episode is a replay of the most recent Community Somatics. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices, as well as a demo, as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.Community Somatics are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. You can view the upcoming schedule to attend one live here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events-1For more information on Karen Hurd's work, visit: http://www.karenhurd.com/Check out some of our previous episodes with Karen:Ep. 8 Healing Your Body With Beans (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 19 Caffeine & Adrenaline (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 34 How Dairy Affects Your Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 56 How Sugar Affects The Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 95 Beans: How They Create Life & Heal Trauma (feat. Karen Hurd)Read more about and register for the next Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics

On today's episode, the HLN Team is joined by Thayer Case, and they highlight, with a little humor, some psychology terms that have entered into the world of pop culture and been misunderstood. They discuss "triggered," "safety," "gaslighting," and "narcissism." They also discuss fragility and preciousness, the binary nature of language, and the value of specificity.For more information about Holistic Life Navigation's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.comYou can read about Thayer, and Maverick Psychotherapy Group, here: https://maverickpsychotherapygroup.com/thayer-caseYou can find Thayer on IG: @thayer_kyusan_case & @traumanerds Read more about and register for the next Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics You can learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

On today's episode, Luis is joined by the HLN team (Camille Leak, Marika Malaea, and Evan Adams), retreat co-facilitators Zach Kalatsky and Holly Kiefer, and retreat participants Ansley, Shana, and David, to share their experiences at HLN retreats. They discuss what to expect at HLN retreats, ranging from itinerary to inner experience. These retreats are a great way to practice somatics in-person and in community space, which can facilitate deep and transformational healing.Sign up for the newsletter for emails about early bird pricing for the next retreat at Menla in upstate NY from June 12th-16th 2024: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/If you'd like to learn more about Zach's work, click here: https://www.theforesthaven.com/If you'd like to learn more about Holly's work, you can follow her on Instagram: @holly_ag_If you'd like to learn more about Camille's work, click here: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/If you'd like to learn more about Evan's work, click here: https://www.emeraldlightsoundhealing.comYou can also find Ansley (@ansleydalbo), Shana (@consciousnectar) and David (healing_the_dgrosh) on Instagram.

On today's episode, the HLN Team talks about medical trauma, including their personal experiences, and how prevalent it is.They discuss:the necessity of boundary breaks during medical procedureshow embodiment practices can in preparingtransactional vs. relational medical experienceshow clients and medical practitioners can be supported by diethow overcouplings can be triggered in exams and procedureshow shame can be present in and after examsYou can find the webinar on medical trauma here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/store/p/healing-medical-trauma-what-to-do-before-after-webinarFor more information about Holistic Life Navigation's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

On today's podcast, Luis welcomes his friend Lindsay Christinee: environmental activist, entrepreneur, and author. After her father's passing, Lindsay began to deeply realize that, in western society, we aren't taught how to grieve. Lindsay shares about her cathartic experience of reading and writing about death and grieving.They discuss:how her passion - writing - helped her transmute griefhow different cultures and religions relate to death and grievinghow unaddressed grief can show up in different ways learning to slow downhow myth can aid in self-relatingthe medicine of transmutation and shape shifting You can purchase Lindsay's book, "Myths of the Underworld," here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Myths-of-the-Underworld/Lindsay-Christinee/9781646045549You can also register for their events:Euphoria Yoga in Woodstock, NY: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/relating-to-griefMaha Rose in Brooklyn, NY: https://www.maharose.com/relating-to-grief

On today's episode Luis is joined by writer and speaker Eldra Jackson III. Luis had seen Eldra in The Work, and was deeply moved by the documentary. At the time of filming, Eldra was serving a life-sentence in prison; he is now the co-executive director of Inside Circle, the non-profit who hosts the men's groups shown in the documentary.As a survivor of childhood trauma, Eldra had developed an internalized story that said that to thrive you must become a predator, in order to not become a victim again. This led to decisions and a lifestyle that ended in a conviction for illegal activities. Forced to continue bypassing his emotions, he went from from hiding fear, sadness, and grief, and moved directly into a survival response for a life in prison. During this time he was invited to join the men's group, where he began developing a different relationship with pain, so that he could grow, and show up for other people. Luis and Eldra discuss self-relating and self-parenting, transmuting trauma, and the medicine that lives right besides pain.You can learn more about Inside Circle here: https://insidecircle.org/You can watch The Work here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B077GGWH8P/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

On today's episode Luis speaks with Britt Piper, sexual violence survivor and educator.Britt shares about how she was sexually assaulted in college by a “good samaritan” who offered to help her with a flat tire. The event left her traumatized, and the emotional exhaustion of the trial, and repetitively rescheduled hearings, were re-traumatizing. She had expected to feel better after he was jailed, but nothing was “healed” or “went back to normal” afterwards.Her own coping mechanisms and emotional dysregulation landed her in a jail cell six months later. When she went before the judge, she was imparted wisdom that triggered a moment of clarity: "you need to learn to live *with* your trauma." Rather than something to "get over" or avoid, her emotions, and the experience, became something for her to learn to relate with.Over time, she has continued to grow her capacity, both for her emotions and her work. She has continued to speak publicly, and has also become a trauma-informed coach and practitioner.For more information about Brittany and her work, visit: http://brittanypiper.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

On today’s episode, Luis is joined by Blake Lemoine, software engineer and AI researcher, to discuss artificial intelligence and our relationship with it.Topics of their conversation include:· defining AI, and how the definition changes based on perspective· what "intelligence" is, and the meaning and history of the word· reasoning, kinds of intelligence, sentience, and animism· ethics, biases, and AIBlake highlights how showing care and respect to AI is important because it is a relationship and habitual, and conversely how approaching AI from a dominating perspective can be harmful to us as people and as a society.You can follow Blake Lemoine on X: @cajundiscordian

Today’s bonus episode is a recording of the most recent Somatic Drop-In. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.These Somatic Drop-Ins are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. To learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

On today's episode, Karen Hurd joins Luis to discuss epigenetics:  the study of how our behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way our genes work.They parse apart the difference between DNA and genetic makeup, and the way the DNA translates, due to the foods we eat and the habits we practice. Karen highlights how sugar, caffeine, and perfumes and fragrances are so ubiquitous, and have the biggest impacts.For more information on Karen's work, visit: http://www.karenhurd.com/Check out some of our previous episodes with Karen:Ep. 8 Healing Your Body With Beans (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 19 Caffeine & Adrenaline (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 34 How Dairy Affects Your Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 56 How Sugar Affects The Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 95 Beans: How They Create Life & Heal Trauma (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 165 How Chemical Fragrances Are Causing Your Anxiety (feat. Karen Hurd[Bonus Episode] The Top 3 Reasons We Get Depressed During The Holidays w/ Karen HurdRegister for the Somatic Drop-In here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/somatic-drop-in-2If you can't attend live at 4pm EST, no worries! The event is recorded, and everyone who registers receives a replay. To learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

On today's episode, Karen Hurd joins Luis to discuss the top three reasons (from a biochemistry perspective), why we get depressed, activated, and dysregulated during the holiday season.They are:1) chemical & natural fragrances2) refined carbohydrates3) sugarsThey parse each apart, and dive deeply into the way that the body responds to these highly concentrated substances. Karen even shares her recipe for potato-less mashed potatoes and gluten-free no-sugar pumpkin-less pumpkin pie!For more information on Karen's work, visit: http://www.karenhurd.com/Check out some of our previous episodes with Karen:Ep. 8 Healing Your Body With Beans (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 19 Caffeine & Adrenaline (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 34 How Dairy Affects Your Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 56 How Sugar Affects The Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 95 Beans: How They Create Life & Heal Trauma (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep.  165 How Chemical Fragrances Are Causing Your Anxiety (feat. Karen Hurd)To learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

On today's episode, the HLN Team discusses victim identity through the lens of somatics, and riff off an Instagram post Luis posted earlier in the year on the topic.They discuss:· living from the expectation of threat· the internal biology of oppression· the constriction that can come from over-identifying· overcouplings and how we carry the stories in our bodies· parts work, and how it applies to identity· how capacity relates to self-identity· co-regulation and co-dysregulationFor more information about Holistic Life Navigation's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X. They had Luis on their program called Midday Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode here.For more information about Jaguar Mary X, visit:https://www.kaliartproject.com/Register for The ManiFESTival here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/manifestival To learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

(Today's episode is a replay of a previously released episode.)We welcome back friends of HLN, James-Olivia and Nisha Mody!Nisha, James-Olivia, and Luis have a beautiful, existential conversation about a word that is all too easily thrown around -- manifesting.  They first explore what it means to decolonize manifestation, i.e. to go from being in domination of to relationship with, and then explore a myriad of topics including:the literal definition of manifesting: to make apparentspiritual bypassingearning vs. manifestingmaking apparent what is already present vs. seeking external validation or sources of safetywhy we may not want to manifest certain things about ourselvesFor more information on Nisha's work, visit: https://www.nishaland.com/For more information on James-Olivia's work, visit: https://inquisitivehuman.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/Register for The ManiFESTival here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/manifestival To learn more about the Library Membership, and sign up, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-library

Inspired by his lost love of online message boards, Luis put out a call for Tori Amos fans to come together and discuss how her music has impacted their lives.They agree that the magic of Tori comes from both her as a person and her music:· the music that navigates both ends of the spectrum, from anger and angst to beauty and dreamlike reverie, all within one song· the lyrics that are both emotional and rebellious , often combining the sacred and profane in one line· the way she brings rawness, authenticity, and the body to the piano· the holistic expression of her self that she brings to the musicYou can watch the  to piano shopping interview Luis' mentions here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTvyXMhoDuwYou can find Amiss Tori on social media: @amiss_toriYou can connect with Tori Amos' work on her website: https://toriamos.com/ Register for The ManiFESTival here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/manifestival Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

On today's episode, Luis welcomes back April Harter (@aprildawnharter) to talk about how shaming others into accountability, especially on social media, is a form of narcissism. They discuss:the somatics of shaming and of shamesecure vs. insecure attachmentthe desire to be seen and heard, and attachment needssustainability and embodimentsearching for safety and trauma responseYou can listen to previous episodes with April here:[Ep. 36] Racism May Be A Form Of Narcissism | April Harter[Ep. 16] Narcissism Comes From Unprocessed Trauma | April Harter[Ep. 6] Racism Recovery Part 2: Healing Racism Through The Lens Of Trauma | April Harter[Ep. 5] Racism Recovery Part 1: Healing Racism Through The Lens Of Trauma | April HarterYou can listen to April's podcast here:https://aprildawnharter.substack.com/podcastRegister for The ManiFESTival here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/manifestival Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

On today's episode, Luis speaks with Amanda Palmer about her artistry, her life, and the art of being disliked. At the same time Amanda co-founded the Dresden Dolls, she began blogging about her life and her career, which was the start of her continued relationship with the internet and internet culture. As Amanda's online presence increased, she always faced the extremes of responses, being both adored and hated. Oftentimes, the fear of being disliked stops people from putting themselves out there, and they discuss how to navigate the experience. They discuss how mindfulness supports the ability to be public. They have a shared realization that "you" are just a reflection for other people, and how both angry and loving comments are more about the person making them than about you. Amanda shares her experience of accepting help from wherever it comes from, and not being angry that it isn’t coming from where it’s “supposed to” come from.For more information about Amanda, visit: https://amandapalmer.net For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

Today's episode is a replay of the "Staying Embodied Through Global Crisis" event that Luis co-hosted with Camille Leak and Daniel Maté.They discuss:hows somatic practices can help us navigate unpleasant and activating sensations that arise during global crisisthe difference between offering support, and the ability to control a situationattuning to the presentthe impacts of social media & technology on our bodiesYou can learn more about Daniel's work here: https://www.walkwithdaniel.com/You can learn more about Camille's work here: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

On today's episode, Luis is joined by HLN co-teacher Camille Leak, and Rebecca Dollard and Janell Flores Bolte, graduates of the most recent Embodied Practitioner slow groups, to share their experiences in the container. They discuss:what's been internalized by the idea of the "right" way to run a businessworking with capacity vs. desire within a businessthe wisdom of slownessbeing held as a practitioner who holds space for otherscharging the rate you need to support your practice and capacityYou can find the podcast episode Luis referenced here: [Ep. 76] Navigating Capacity & Desire: How To "Stop Self-Sabotaging" w/ Luis MojicaThe next Embodied Practitioner slow group starts in January 2024, and is a 6 month container to dive deeply into the nuance of the topics explored in this episode. To learn more, join the waitlist, and apply, click here.You can learn more about Camille's work here: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/ You can learn more about Rebecca's work here: https://www.the-motherhood-mentor.com/You can learn more about Janell's work here: https://www.janellfloresbolte.com/

On today's episode, Luis is joined by Zach and Steven, his co-facilitators, and graduates of the most recent Embodied Masculinity slow group, to share about their experiences around masculinity, sexuality, emotions, social conditioning and more.They discuss:talking about puberty with other men, through a somatic lensthe loneliness of pubertyregaining the ability to be with other men in an emotional wayunshaming, and moving through stuck places with mentorship, respect, and understandinguncoupling masculine nature from self-hatredovercouplings with power and domination nourishing the feminine and masculine energies togetheruncoupling masculine from man and feminine from womanThe next Embodied Masculinity slow group starts in January 2024, and is a 6 month container to dive deeply into the nuance of the topics explored in this episode, in a group men's space. To learn more, join the waitlist, and apply, click here.Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

On today's episode Luis talks about navigating gender dysphoria without an urgency model. He speaks directly from his experience of gender dysphoria as an intersex person.Some of the topics he discusses are:how gender dysphoria doesn’t always go away, but we can change our relationship with ithow gender dysphoria is a spiritual experiencetending to the rupture of how the mind sees and treats the bodysome of the additional roots of gender dysphoria: cancer, medical treatment for certain illness, puberty, and agingsocial constructs and gender rolesLuis brings his usual curiosity and nuance to the way we experience our bodies, from an animistic and somatic perspective.Join the waitlist for the slow groups here:Embodied Practitioner groupEmbodied Masculinity group

On today's episode, Luis speaks with Buck Angel: human rights activist, speaker, and innovator.Buck shares his story of growing up biologically female, the ensuing internalized body dysmorphia, and the external transphobia and homophobia.  He talks about the wisdom of suffering, and how he was able to use pleasure as a doorway to healing.Buck's unique life experience taught him how to build capacity to love the body you have, even when it's one you dislike. He shares his story so it can be a resource for people who are trans, people who work with trans youth, or any person who experiences body dysmorphia.For more information about Buck, visit: https://buckangel.com/ For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

On today's episode, Luis discusses the many forms body shame can take, and how prevalent it is. Luis shares about his own experience, as well as highlighting recurring themes of body shame that he witnessed while working in private practice.Some of the topics include:the noticing of differences between bodies vs judgement the relationship between your conscious mind and your spirithow we internalize others judgementsthat our bodies are not fixed statesThe episode concludes with a somatic practice.You can register for the upcoming six week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course-sign-up

On today's episode, Luis is joined by Kat Kruse, a somatic coach, writer, and practicer of Embodied Thinking.Their conversation began when Luis had said that “our thoughts [are] the most impersonal and unoriginal things,” during a Holistic Life Navigation meeting, and Kat immediately disagreed.Kat shares how conceptualizing the mind as an alienating, mean thinking machine is part of the problem, and what reinforces the negative concept of the mind.They discuss:inherited thoughts vs. the personal intimate experience of thoughtthe process of embodying thoughts how concepts have somatic consequencesthe role of the mind in the creative process For more information on Kat's work, visit: https://www.katrinkruse.com/en/ For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Today's podcast episode is a replay from the “Trauma Rewired” podcast. Hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth discuss the following topics with Luis:Fawn response from a neurosomatic perspectiveShame as a protective mechanism and how to reframe it How to become self-aware of your fawningDifferentiating between sexual fawning and arousalFinding compassion during healingYou can listen to more episodes of the Trauma Rewired podcast here:https://illuminatedwithjennifer.libsyn.com/You can register for The Somatic Experience here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experienceYou can join the waitlist for the upcoming six-week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

On today’s episode, the HLN team talks privilege, and brings nuance to the complex topic.The discuss:privilege vs. privilegesthe assumptions behind privilege and marginalizationbringing curiosity to the experienceorienting to ourselves firsthow context impacts marginalization, and how it can be fluidhow shame and guilt are unhelpful to everyonehow performative allyship is a form of fawningThe process of making the unconscious conscious, as with all somatic practices, applies to noticing our privileges and marginalizations as well.You can register for The Somatic Experience here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experienceYou can join the waitlist for the upcoming six-week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

On today's episode, Luis is joined by musician, producer, and sound healing practitioner Evan Glenn Adams. They discuss Evan's solo music project Heavybird (@heavybirdmusic), and his newest album, "a lit candle in an empty room." The album was written during the pandemic as a way to understand and process his personal experience, with the hope of it connecting with other's experiences as well.They discuss:using songwriting as a way to navigate and process traumathe ways music has affected their livesmusic as a communal experiencethe differences between performing shows and offering sound healingsYou can find Heavybird's music here: https://heavybird.bandcamp.com/You can register for The Somatic Experience here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experienceYou can join the waitlist for the upcoming six-week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

On today's episode, Luis and Karen discuss how perfume and other chemical fragrances effect our bodies. Since they can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin, many of us are constantly bathed in them: either in our home, our workplace, or out in the world.In this episode, we cover the ways that the body reacts. Perfumes and other synthetic fragrances:Stimulate a physiological hormonal responseCan change the expression of DNA, and turn on and off genesAre more damaging and pervasive to the human body than microplastics (which often get more attention)Can worsen symptoms of illnesses caused by high estrogen levelsLuis and Karen also review some simple-to-implement suggestions on how to get started on the journey of detoxifying your body and home.For more information on Karen's work, visit: http://www.karenhurd.com/You can learn more about the six week course, and sign up for the waitlist, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/courseFor more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/Check out some of our previous episodes with Karen:Ep. 8 Healing Your Body With Beans (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 19 Caffeine & Adrenaline (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 34 How Dairy Affects Your Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 56 How Sugar Affects The Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 95 Beans: How They Create Life & Heal Trauma (feat. Karen Hurd)

On today's episode, Luis follows up with Camille about her experience with Khadija in the NICU and how her body was, and is, responding. Camille shows us firsthand what it looks like to use somatic embodiment practices to prevent serious overwhelm and potential traumatization.They discuss the following practices and topics:· choosing what to attune to vs. bypassing and toxic positivity · orienting to the present, and using the present as a resource· pendulating during intense experiences· how sitting with sensation and tracking the charge can uncover story · tending to sensation after the moment of rupture Camille talks about the difference between being calm, and being present and embodied, and how they’re not always the same thing. She also highlights how nutrition can be supportive to the nervous system during emotionally intense times, specifically by avoiding sugar and caffeine.  You can learn more about Camille's work here: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/You can register for The Somatic Experience here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experienceYou can join the waitlist for the upcoming six-week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

On today’s episode, Luis discusses an often-requested topic: navigating panic attacks. Luis shares his personal experience with panic attacks, starting at the age of sixteen, that lead to multiple hospitalizations, and tests that yielded no clear results. By learning a somatic approach, Luis has been able to prevent them before they happen, through understanding that panic attacks are an electrical charge that overtakes the body's systems.Luis discusses how daily embodied practices can help prevent or alleviate panic attacks, as we learn to notice our own body's signs of a fear response .The episode concludes with Luis guiding us through a somatic practice. You can register for "The Somatic Experience" here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experienceYou can learn more about the six week course, and sign up for the waitlist, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X. They had Luis on their program called Midday Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode here.For more information about Jaguar Mary X, visit:https://www.kaliartproject.com/You can register for "The Somatic Experience" here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-somatic-experience

On today's episode, Luis speaks with Sophie Strand, self-described writer, compost heap, and neo-troubadour animist.Together they explore identity as a strategy: sometimes useful, sometimes not, but never the truth. Often when there is low capacity for ambiguity, the identity is the strategy born from that, fueled by desire for stability.Luis and Sophie discuss:· not getting trapped in the idea of self, and leaving openness for fluidity and change· the mythical and animistic experience of nature and trauma· the restricting idea of “normativity”· the atomized self vs the communal experience of life· shifting focus from destructive to constructive behaviors, from isolation to relationYou can learn more about Sophie's work here:https://sophiestrand.com/You can learn more about the six week course, and sign up for the waitlist, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/courseFor more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

On today's episode, Luis has a conversation with Noah Michelson, editor at HuffPost Personal, over their shared love of Tori Amos, and the way her music has helped them explore their own traumas.Tori Amos shares so honestly (both through her music and her personality), and they discuss how it has a way of making others feel seen, and how it can be life saving to experience.The also explore topics including:art and transmutation of painful experienceshow musicians can awaken partswork intuitively the animism and manifestation of artthe ability to hold multiple meanings at the same timehow you can titrate your own experience with music and artthe wisdom and gift of trial-by-fire, and living in gratitudeYou can read Noah's article about Tori Amos here:https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tori-amos-fans-tour_n_6466702de4b06749be12705eYou can register for the waitlist for Luis' next six week course here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

On today's episode, Luis explores how we often overcouple anger with rage, violence, oppression, and harm, and how it doesn’t always have to equate.He discusses:the relationship between boundaries, anger, and ragethe difference between stress and traumahow rage is a thwarted fight response, repressed by a freeze or fawn responsethe relation between anger and fight responsehow rage is often released during incongruent eventsThe episode ends with a somatic exercise on how to release anger, and how to feel anger without identifying with it.You can learn more about the six week course, and sign up for the waitlist, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/courseYou can join the next Addiction Circle here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/samadhi-addiction-circleFor more information about HLN's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

Today’s bonus episode is a recording of the most recent Somatic Drop-In. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.This Somatic Drop-In focused on overwhelm, and the relationship between overwhelm, boundaries, and capacity. Luis invites participants to share, and together he and Camille riff on related topics, including the nuance of whether it's safe to express a boundary, or whether it’s safer to suppress a boundary and express it later. Luis also leads the group through an SE practice called the "walk up exercise."You can also watch the replay on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/m7jm3CE7JwoThese Somatic Drop-Ins are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. You can view the upcoming schedule to attend one live here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events-1You can join the Library Membership here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/membership-libraryYou can join the waitlist for Luis' upcoming six week course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

We welcome back friend of the show, Carolyn Waiters Carter, a human development professional, poet, and somatic relational coach. Carolyn generously shares with us a story of grief, grace, grit and gratitude. She feels called to to share her grief journey after her beautiful beloved only daughter China transitioned in November 2021 from a long heroic journey with kidney disease, autoimmune disease, and a rare cancer at the age 41. She shares the alchemic sacred wisdom and divine mercy that is held in darkness of grief and pain of suffering. She shares the dance of grief and gratitude, as a witness and companion with her daughter as she transitioned from this life to the next.We first explore the terrain of relational reciprocity between cycles of life and death and the ways in which Carolyn and her daughter supported and held each other through their collective grief and shared victories. She and Luis discuss the connection between love and grief, how she is in fact still in relationship with her daughter but in a different way, and the sense of deep gratitude and sacred privilege of  being with, and holding her daughter China from her first and last breath in the body.  To learn more about Carolyn and her offerings, visit: https://human-element.net/about/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X. They had Luis on their program called Midday Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode here.For more information about Jaguar Mary X, visit:https://www.kaliartproject.com/

On today's episode, Luis explores the sensations and stories behind our kinks, sexual desires, and turn-ons.Luis discusses the complicated relationship that can occur between overwhelm, fear, and turn-on. He invites us to explore the following question: "do I experience relief, openness, tenderness, and a deeper connection to myself and the other from sexual experiences, or does the thrill, the fear response, the stress and trauma response that these sexual fetishes and kinks bring up exhaust, disconnect, or shame me?"This inquiry is followed by a demo with Carolyn Elliot, which is a replay from an impromptu session on an episode of Carolyn's podcast.You can purchase Luis' recent webinar, "Sexual Fetish, Fawning, & Trauma" here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/store/p/sexual-fetish-fawning-traumaYou can listen to the full podcast episode with Luis and Carolyn Elliot here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alchemicaljourney/episodes/Queer-Magickian-Jesus-with-Luis-Mojica-e25iv29/a-a9vvb75

Today’s podcast episode is a repost from the “Soul & Psyche” podcast, where Luis and Otto Maier discuss topics that include art as therapy, the mystical experience, animism, and more.  Otto is a trained and Certified Psychedelic Integration guide, Jungian Coach, Ceremony facilitator, Kambo practitioner, and Breathwork facilitator for retreat centers around the world.You can listen to the “Soul & Psyche” podcast here.You can learn more about Otto's work here: https://www.soulpsyche.org/

In this episode, Luis is joined by Anita Brown, a grooveologist, yoga teacher, and writer. Luis and Anita have a fascinating conversation about the sole of somatics within Christianity.Both Luis and Anita were raised within the Catholic tradition and they discuss the impact of those experiences, the concept of embodied praying, and how religious pluralism shows up in their lives. Also, Anita shares with us how the integration of yoga as well as other Hindu and Buddhist teachings supported her exploration of Christianity. For more information on Anita's work, visit: https://www.grooveology.org/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can register for the next Somatic Drop-In here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/somatic-drop-ins

On today's episode, Luis discusses the somatics of lying. In his own words:“lying is what I do when I don’t have the capacity for how you may respond to my truth.”Some of the topics he covers include:lying as a strategy to give us spaceunderstanding (thinking) vs. experience (somatic)exploring what lying really is, how we experience it, and what are our stories around itlying and fawningThe process of releasing lying is twofold: once we build capacity for our own truth, we then have to develop capacity for how someone responds, or could respond, to our truth.Luis then takes us through a guided exercise around real and perceived threat.For more information about HLN's offerings, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.comYou can register for the next Somatic Drop-In here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/somatic-drop-ins

In this episode, Luis is joined by Simone Grace Seol, a life coach and business mentor. Simone explains why business can and has to be relational in order for it to be sustainable. Although it can be counterintuitive, Luis and Simone discuss why slowing down and building a relationship with the body and the nervous system actually provides people with the capacity to make money over the long term. They share how they've observed, both personally and professionally, how bypassing the needs and the capacity of the body initially ultimately leads to burnout which many people misinterpret as self-sabotage.They also discuss the difference between capitalism and materialism as well as how capitalism can be a catalyst for change.For more information on Simone's work, visit: https://www.simonegraceseol.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can register for the next Somatic Drop-In here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/somatic-drop-ins

On today's episode, the HLN Team discusses cancel culture.From the perspective of the person or organization being "cancelled", cancelling can only exist if you aren’t in your integrity or authenticity. Cancelling is often rooted in the fawn response, especially from the corporate perspective. In order to be "on the right side of history", organizations will often flip their messaging to reflect whatever feels safest for them.From the perspective of the group pushing for cancellation, mob mentality and the desire to be “correct” can be very prevalent. Personal narrative often gets the backseat to societal narrative, and the nuance involved in all subjects is lost.The conversation then shifts into identity, fluidity, and why dropping the need to self-identify for other’s sake can be a healthy response.For more information about HLN programming and services, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

Today's podcast episode is a replay from the special session Maureen Gallagher offered during the Spring 2023 six week course. Maureen discusses her own personal experiences, how she uses IRF, and then takes us through a demo with Victoria.You can learn more about Victoria Platt here: https://www.ielevateme.com/You can learn more about Maureen Gallagher, and her available courses, here: https://embodyingpsychotherapy.com/You can learn more about Luis' six week course, and sign up for the course waitlist, here:https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course

In this episode, Luis is joined by Anne Connor, a trauma-informed educator, energy healer and certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP).However, being an SEP is not all that Anne and Luis have in common.In this episode that both share how the identity constructs of "Wicca" and "Witch" once served them but then there came a time where they began to experience incongruence and constriction surrounding those identities and terms. They discuss why identity constructs can be both helpful and unhelpful, what it means to let an identity dissipate vs reject it, and how you can begin to notice when an identity construct no longer serves you. For more information on Anne's work, visit: https://taprootaccesscoaching.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can register for the upcoming webinar, "Sexual Fetish, Fawning, and Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/healing-from-sexual-trauma

Today’s bonus episode is a recording of the most recent Somatic Drop-In. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.These Somatic Drop-Ins are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. You can view the upcoming schedule to attend one live here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events-1You can register for the upcoming webinar, "Sexual Fetish, Fawning, and Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/healing-from-sexual-trauma

In this episode, Luis is joined by Lacou Flipse, a binge eating recovery coach and creator of the Pleasure Eating Process. Luis and Lacou discuss their shared history of binge eating, and how somatic awareness builds our capacity to bring attention to the feelings that are underneath the urge to binge. Lacou shares how much confusion and shame she once experienced around binge eating recovery, and how hard it was to talk about her story. However, through the practice of becoming embodied, she explains how we can feel how binge eating is no longer pleasurable, and instead turn eating into a prideful and honoring ritual. By working with our emotions and learning to feel satiated before we get to a meal, or “coming to food fed”,  we can bring the feeling of regulation, so we can truly experience the pleasure of a meal.Luis then leads Lacou through a somatic inquiry demo about the regulation of doing the work you love, and the dysregulation that can occur around marketing it. Both agree that the journey of recovery can be really pleasurable, and how releasing the idea of what recovery is “supposed to” look like is incredibly freeing.For more information on Lacou's work, visit: https://www.enlightenedmunch.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X. They had Luis on their program called Midday Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode, and others, by visiting them here.For more information about Jaguar Mary X, visit:https://www.kaliartproject.com/You can register for the upcoming webinar, "Sexual Fetish, Fawning, and Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/healing-from-sexual-trauma

In this episode, Luis is joined by Paul Simard, Executive Coordinator at Sacred Sons. Drawing upon ancient wisdom and modern technologies of human development, Sacred Sons utilizes the power of ceremony, ritual, and intentional spaces to deepen into authentic brotherhood and catalyze growth in men in order to teach healthy masculinity.Paul shares with us his own life events that lead him to begin questioning what it means to be a man, eventually guiding him into men's healing work. Paul and Luis also discuss  self-help vs. self-reflection, vulnerability vs. openness, and why being unstoppable -- i.e. never making time to pause and bypassing one's capacity -- has been extremely detrimental for men. For more information on Sacred Sons, visit: https://www.sacredsons.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can register for the upcoming webinar, "Sexual Fetish, Fawning, and Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/healing-from-sexual-trauma

In today's episode, Luis introduces some of the topics he's planning to cover during the free, three week email series he's offering, titled "Healing From Sexual Trauma."You can sign up here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-traumaSexual trauma can be caused by an array of experiences: if an event or events cause an overwhelm related to the charge of sexuality, it could potentially be a traumatizing experience.Luis discusses:the potential origins of sexual traumahow sexual fawning can be traumatizing, even with a "safe" partnerhow pleasure can become overcoupled  with shame, embarrassment, disgust, fear, or panicthe origins of our kinks and fetishesThe beauty of somatics is that we don’t need to know cognitively what is happening, or what happened, to heal from a traumatizing experience.If you missed the email series and live webinar, the replay will be posted for purchase here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/shopFor more information, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Sickness isn’t a punishment being done to you, but a request coming from inside of you.In this episode, Luis explores a reframing of sickness, and how symptoms are the way that the body speaks to us without words. Symptoms are the messenger, and not the problem. They are the body's way of expressing something that is in perfect accordance with what it’s connecting or in relationship with.Luis then leads us through a guided exercise of noticing, feeling, and bringing curiosity and nonjudgmental awareness to a specific illness and syndrome, followed by a gentle inquiry into what it may bring up for us.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.comYou can sign up for the free, three week emails series, "Healing From Sexual Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-trauma

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X.They had Luis on their program called Midday Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode, and others, by visiting them here.In this episode, Luis leads a somatic experiencing demo with Jaguar Mary X around a traumatizing event they experienced, and they discusses the way the trauma response works.For more information about Jaguar Mary X, visit:https://www.kaliartproject.com/For more information about Emerald Light Sound Healing, visit:https://www.emeraldlightsoundhealing.com/For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis is joined by Inge Sengelmann, a  somatic resilience educator and integrative mind-body healer. Luis and Inge have a interesting conversation about the role of identity and belonging. They discuss how their experiences as White-passing, multi-cultural individuals has impacted them, as well as what it means to find a sense of belonging inside your body rather than in external groups, the difference between grasping at and exploring a sense of self, and why being present is critical to forming a healthy sense of self. For more information on Inge's work, visit: https://embodyyourlife.org/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can sign up for the free, three week emails series, "Healing From Sexual Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-trauma

On today's episode, the HLN team is joined by Simone Grace Seol, and they discuss overcouplings as they relate to race and prejudice.Simone had posted on Instagram about the phrase “I don’t see color", and Luis was curious to explore the statement through the lens of somatics.They discuss:the difference between your mind’s reactions and the body’s reactionsthe difference between innocence vs hiding behind innocence, and using it as a blindspothow somatics can destigmatize the work of uncoupling biasesThe only way to feel and recognize someone else’s trauma (caused through systemic repression) is to build capacity for one’s own trauma. When you realize bias is something your body is doing, and not something you're intentionally doing it, it takes away the shame, so you can explore with curiosity.To learn more about Simone's work, you can follow her on Instagram (@simone.grace.seol)You can sign up for the free, three week emails series, "Healing From Sexual Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-trauma

We welcome back the HLN team for another raucous conversation! In this episode, the HLN team explores the constriction many entrepreneurs experience around setting and raising their rates.They each share their own background and overcouplings with money and how it has impacted their ability to set their rates. They also discuss how money helps feed capacity for their work, the difference between cost and value, why people aren't entitled to their time, and the role of agency on both setting their rates and shifting their lifestyles if/when necessary.  For more information about HLN programming and services, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.comYou can sign up for the free, three week emails series, "Healing From Sexual Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-trauma

In today's episode, Luis discusses sexual fawning, fetishes, sexual trauma, and the notion of liberating them from our bodies so that we can experience vitality.Inspired by the feedback from a recent Instagram post, Luis decided to record a podcast episode, and to create an email series and webinar.You can sign up for the free, three week emails series, "Healing From Sexual Trauma," here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/healing-from-sexual-trauma. The first email goes out July 2nd, so be sure to sign up before then. If you're already on the mailing list, you'll automatically receive this email series.To learn more, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

This is a beautifully vulnerable, authentic, and potentially uncomfortable conversation between Luis and his dear friend Caelan Manning as they explore their similar and different experiences with gender dysphoria.They first share how they met and clicked due to being kindred spirits with Luis having feminine gender expressions and Caelan being transgender. This robust conversation explores a multitude of topics including contemplating suicide, the gift in delaying medical transitions, and why surgery didn't heal their gender dysphoria.Luis also shares with us a song he created, inspired by Caelan's transformation.   To connect with Caelan, you can email him at: helloimcaelan@gmail.comFor more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

It can seem like it is or should be so simple but it much more elusive than we think: being present.In this episode, Luis explores why many of us avoid the highly sensational experience of being present -- low capacity. And while we often think having a low capacity for sensations means we avoid the "negative" sensations, it actually keeps us from experiencing the "positive" sensations as well.   Luis reviews a multitude of behaviors we all employ to help us bypass, distract us from, or manage sensations as well as guides us through two short but impactful practices: 1) a practice to help become aware of our current capacity for sensations and 2) a practice to support the body in expanding its capacity for sensation.  For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today’s bonus episode is a recording of the most recent Somatic Drop-In. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.Luis explores:Noticing constriction and expansion within the body, and pendulatingPracticing developing "the witnesser"Community intentions and shares, and a brief demo around numbnessThese Somatic Drop-Ins are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. You can view the upcoming schedule to attend one live here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events-1

We welcome back friends of HLN, James-Olivia and Nisha Mody!Nisha, James-Olivia, and Luis have a beautiful, existential conversation about a word that is all too easily thrown around -- manifesting.  They first explore what it means to decolonize manifestation, i.e. to go from being in domination of to relationship with, and then explore a myriad of topics including:the literal definition of manifesting: to make apparentspiritual bypassingearning vs. manifestingmaking apparent what is already present vs. seeking external validation or sources of safetywhy we may not want to manifest certain things about ourselvesFor more information on Nisha's work, visit: https://www.nishaland.com/For more information on James-Olivia's work, visit: https://inquisitivehuman.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Inspired by an article written by Lyla June, Reclaiming our Indigenous European Roots, Luis explores the dangers of denying and disowning our Whiteness.He first discusses why an overcoupling of Whiteness with "bad" can actually lead to fawning or performative allyship, i.e. behaviors that in reality do not support those who may be experiencing racism. But he further explores what many of us have not only gained but also lost in assimilating to the American White ideal and similarly, how only associating the parts of our lineage that may align with "Whiteness" with evil or destruction can eclipse a lineage that also may have aspects of beauty and connection.Luis also reads for us Reclaiming our Indigenous European Rootsin its entirety.  For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today's episode is a replay of the Q&A from the fawning email series that Luis sent out in March.You can also listen to the podcast episode on fawning here, as well as purchase a webinar Luis did on fawning.Luis is also planning to develop a self-led course around fawning. When he does, it will be mentioned through the newsletter.

In this episode, Luis is joined by Ean Wood, a writer, coach  and facilitator of men's healing work. Luis and Ean explore what it means to be in balance with our masculinity and femininity.Whether you are a man, woman, non-binary, transgender, cisgender, intersex, queer, straight, etc., this episode is for you. Luis and Ean discuss the non-binary qualities of masculine and feminine energies. They also share their own experience with the impact of testosterone on the human body and how many people are flooded with sensations yet left with out a form of initiation or passing of gentle wisdom as to how to navigate the flood of sensations. For more information on Ean's work, visit: https://www.eanwood.com/ For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

On today's episode, Luis speaks with Asha Frost about the release of her oracle deck, while bringing in transparency around the full spectrum of emotions and experiences with its release.Typically, whenever someone releases some offering or creation, we talk about it in a very stimulated and excited way. Rarely do we talk about how it can overwhelm the body, or how easy it is to burn ourselves out, despite going through a positive experience.Asha shares how she was in a freeze response for six months after her first book was published, and how she brought that experience and awareness to the release of her oracle deck.They discuss:the capacity to witness one’s own truth, the capacity for that truth to be witnessed by others, and the capacity to sustain it over timere-indigenizing how we relate with our bodiescapacity vs desirelearning to live and work within capitalism from a standpoint of embodiment and relational energyYou can learn more about Asha's work, and order her oracle deck here: https://ashafrost.com/the-sacred-medicine-oracle/For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, Luis shares with us his perspective and personal experience as to why trauma and art are similar. Like trauma, art is not the event itself but the expression. And "art" is simply how the body brings things from the unconscious to the conscious, i.e. anything we birth into existence. It can range from what we conventional think of as art, like painting a picture or writing a poem, to something more unconventional like building a toilet or how we may raise our children. To further illustrate this, Luis takes us into his studio and walks us through his own creation process as a musician. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today’s episode is a replay of an interview Luis did with Helena T.M. Grant  (@hgrantstyle) for the “Torchbearer Summit.”They discuss:how to let your business blossom from the body, rather than just the mindhonoring our capacity, both on a personal and business levelthe somatic difference between capacity and desireYou can learn more about Helena and her offerings here: https://hgrantstyle.com/

In this episode, Luis is joined by Dr. Will Siu, a psychiatrist who provides psychotherapy and medication management using a holistic and integrative approach. Luis and Will discuss the use of psychedelics.Will first shares with us his own life journey and the various events that brought him to psychedelics. Luis and Will discuss why the use of psychedelics  are not sufficient or necessary alone for healing but how they can support healing in conjunction with a learned and empathic healer. They also both explore how the physical experience of the body -- with our with out Psychedelics -- is more important that the mental story. As Will shares with his clients, "You are going going to feel your way out of this, not think you way out." For more information on Will's work, visit: https://www.willsiumd.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Today's podcast episode is a repost from the “Live Wire Love Story” podcast, where Haley discusses her experience of taking the six week course, “Finding Safety in Yourself”.  You can follow along with Haley at @livewirelovestory on Instagram, and listen to her other podcast episodes on Spotify here.

In this episode, we explore ADHD or RITC -- a Radical Inability To Conform.Luis shares with us his own childhood experiences with ADHD, Tourette's syndrome, and nervous ticks. Often people are prescribed medications to suppress these conditions but Luis questions what would it mean to allow ourselves to relate to them as expressions?Luis begins to reframe the idea of ADHD; pivoting from "I can't focus" to "I have attention for what interests me."  He also explains how guilt or shame resulting from an ADHD expression, i.e. a lack of attention to something you "should" be doing, can propel someone into a state of freeze, reinforcing the notion that they "can't" do something. So whether we have ADHD or not, he invites us into a practice to explore the spectrum of tasks we have to do or should do and how can we interweave them with activities that genuinely interest us and rejuvenate us, thus giving us more capacity for doing the "have-to" tasks. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

On today's episode, Luis shares his story of how a mold infestation propelled him out of his private practice, and into creating a podcast and his course.Luis and his family were suddenly and immediately forced to move because the infestation was such a health hazard. It was not only their living space they had to leave behind, but almost all of their belongings, and the room Luis' used as an office for private clients.Over the next few years Luis continued to build his capacity to be seen, and that work  allowed him to grow outwards, just as the mold itself had.For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis is joined by Daníel Colón, a multidisciplinary artist, content creator, and spiritual student. Luis and Daníel have a joyous conversation about why manifesting doesn't have to be about future desires but is really about reveling in the joy of the moment. Daníel shares with us his journey or surviving a near-death experience, playing with various identities, moving back to his motherland, and witnessing the generational trauma within his family. He and Luis also muse of the magic of being of mixed or in-between identities and how it can serve as a bridge as well as the difference between nurturing "negative" emotions, like anger, and identifying with them. For more information on Daníel 's work, visit: https://www.colormecrazy.world/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, we explore how rather than using the notion of "everything happens for us, not to us," as a form of bypassing, we can instead use it as a form of self-inquiry to get curious about the agency or benefits that remain even when things don't go according to plan.Luis shares with us his personal experience of implementing this practice when first lamenting his lack of mainstream, commercial success in his musical career. When he asked the question -- not stated the affirmation -- "how does this work for me?" some beautiful insights and opportunities emerged. Luis also guides us through a brief somatic practice that can help us being to notice how unexpected or challenging events may in fact serve us. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

In this episode, Luis is joined by Dr. Ingrid Clayton, a clinical psychologist and author. Her most recent book is Believing Me: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse and Complex Trauma,  a memoir of her personal healing journey.Ingrid generously shares with us a bit about her own healing journey and how even as a clinical psychologist it was very difficult for her to relate to her own trauma. She explains to Luis how gaslighting was a large part of her trauma experience as a child and how as an adult a key part of her healing has been releasing hope -- hope that certain people would see, hear and believe her. She and Luis discuss how releasing hope, projections, or expectation of others actually allows for more choice and agency in relationship dynamics. Luis and Ingrid also discuss why it is so important to acknowledge and incorporate joy and laughter into trauma healing as well as the detrimental impact of maintaining the wall between "healer" and client to all parties involved. For more information on Dr. Ingrid Clayton's work, visit: https://www.ingridclayton.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis invites us to challenge, question and explore the commonly held overcoupling that death equals loss. Luis explains why grief is often the charge from attuning only to what we have lost which is usually oriented in the past. How can we also begin to attune to what we have gained, i.e. the present?Similarly, bypassing is when we only orient to what we gain. But with holistic integration, we begin the practice to be able hold both the loss and the gain.Luis guides us through a brief practice exploring capacity for death and explains how this work is related to all types of death, not just the death of the body. For example, the death of a plan, the death of a relationship, the death of an expectation, and so on.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today's bonus episode is a replay of Episode 2. Fawning is often overlooked as a trauma response, and even more so, misunderstood. This episode is about Fawning - what I call "The Fourth F" after fight, flight & freeze in response to threat. Fawning is mistaken for "politeness" and "having manners", but it's actually a learned threat response. We fawn so that we can dissolve the physical discomfort held in our own bodies when we disappoint someone with our truth. This episode explains why we do it, what happens, and how to begin healing this body mechanism.To learn more, you can sign up for Luis' email series all about fawning, which you can join, for free, here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/fawning-series. There will be six emails, as well as a live Q&A. You must be signed up by Saturday, March 18th 2023 at 10pm EST to ensure you’ll receive the series. There are no replays or resends.

On today's episode, Luis & Yaya discuss what it was like growing up mixed race in the United States, and explore the medicine of being mixed. They discuss intergenerational trauma, and the stories get passed down through the body and through gestures.Yaya shares her life experiences, relational traumas, and how she navigates the burn-out that comes from being a self-employed practitioner. Taking time to slow down, prioritize, listen to the land, and practice self-care are her healing salves.You can learn more about Yaya's work here:http://www.activeculturefamily.com/about-acfFor more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, we welcome back Unique Hammond! She and Luis discuss the impact of nutrition on their personal healing journeys and the impact it has on the healing journeys of their clients. And you probably guessed -- we are gonna explore beans. Unique and Luis explore how nutrition actually provides the capacity for healing, i.e. why in the absence of nutrition, it can be extremely difficult for a body to receive and implement different healing tools. Unique specifically shares with us how nutrition allows here to develop the capacity to slow down, pause and question rather than reflexivley react. For more information on Unique's work, visit: https://www.youregreat.com/ For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/To sign up for the fawning email series, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/fawning-series

“Things come when they’re supposed to come.”Luis is joined by Camille as she shares how she has been processing the high likelihood of her baby having heart issues and Down syndrome.The news triggered a freeze response, but rather than developing into a shock trauma, Camille returned to the information in a safe space, and used the "Tracking The Charge" exercise, and pendulation, to navigate the sensations and ideas that arose.They discuss the ways in which spirituality and somatic practices can support each other, and how being present can help release attachment and future expectations. Camille shares how the ongoing practice of somatic exercises have allowed her to increase her capacity, and how each of her children has taught her something about herself, and pushed her to meet her edge.For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In the episode, Luis shares how awareness of our capacity can support us in business, whether we are entrepreneurs or employees. Capacity is simply the space inside of us to tolerate sensation. Many of us have been born into cultures, communities and families where we are taught to bypass our body's capacity for the sake of work for various reasons. However, bypassing our capacity can only work for so long before it leads to burnout. So how do we begin to unlearn the practice of bypassing our capacity? We begin to integrate a practice of checking in with our capacity and playing with it.Luis shares how checking in and playing with his capacity has helped him design and continue to evolve his business.  He also guides us through a brief practice of noticing our current capacity.Related podcast episode: Navigating Capacity & Desire: How To "Stop Self-Sabotaging" -- https://www.buzzsprout.com/278649/9801817For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.comTo sign up for the fawning email series, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/fawning-series

In this episode, Luis is joined by Music Carolyn, a recording artist and veteran music business professional, who describes her music as R & Chill, vacation soul, and meditation jazz.Music Carolyn tells us her story of how she came to realize she had all these internalized expectations of herself -- how much money she should make, how big her house should be, what her marriage should be, what she should provide as a mother, etc -- and that in order to save herself, it meant others around her would get less. She and Luis also explore what it means to get in touch with our authentic desires vs. what we should want, i.e. what is real vs. what is expected.Music Carolyn generously shares with us an original song, "The One", that illustrates her healing journey and what it means to have released her internalized expectations. For more information on Music Carolyn's work, visit: https://www.musiccarolyn.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/To sign up for the fawning email series, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/fawning-series

Luis is often asked, "How can I believe my body?" In this episode, he shares with us the difference between following the body and relating to the body.Luis guides us through a practice where we tease apart three critical yet distinct parts of ourselves: the mind, the body, and the witnesser. Very few of us are taught to experience these separately. However, when we can tap into all three parts separately, the conscious self becomes the parent of the mind and body. Which allows us to relate to the sensations, rather than reflectively acquiescing to trauma responses, by pausing to explore the meaning or root of the sensation.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.To sign up for the fawning email series, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/fawning-series 

Today’s bonus episode is a recording of the first Somatic Drop-In. Luis takes us through a variety of topics and practices as he invites us to drop in, play with the philosophy and techniques of somatic work, and see what we learn.Noticing constriction, expansion, and numbness in the body"Feeling The Now" exerciseCommunity shares, and a brief demoThese Somatic Drop-Ins are bi-monthly, public, pay-what-you-want offerings. You can view the upcoming schedule to attend one live here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events-1

In this episode, Luis is joined by Marth Beck, a Harvard-trained sociologist, world-renowned coach and New York Times bestselling author. Martha wrote The Way of Integrity which Luis lovingly refers to as "The Guide on How to Stop Fawning."Martha and Luis engage in a dynamic conversation about trauma response of fawning, how fawning impacted their lives, and how it felt to release that trauma response. They explore why the body hates to lie, i.e. the physical manifestations that occur in our bodies when we suppress our truths and desires as well as why we often times lose our integrity not because we are bad but because we are trying so hard to be good.  Martha also shares with us what she learns from her integrity cleanses, i.e. abstaining from lying for a year, and what it was like to coach Oprah through a somatic practice of understanding a fawn response. For more information on Martha's work, visit: https://marthabeck.com/ For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis shares how modern comforts and convenience can actually distract us from moments of peace and gratitude.Luis  invites us to explore our trauma ego -- the trauma ego needs to find threat even when none is actually present. As such, even when we have a roof over our heads, food in our refrigerators, running water, etc., the traumatized nervous system won't allow us to orient to that comfort or peace which can manifest as our bodies having incongruent or distorted reactions to situations.  For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

In this episode, we welcome back one of Luis's teachers, Maureen Gallagher, a Licensed Psychologist (NY, NJ), Somatic Experiencing Faculty Member, and Inner Relationship Focusing TrainerMaureen and Luis dive deep into Inner Relationship Focusing (IRF), sharing how it has been an integral  part to their Somatic Experiencing practices.  They explore what it means to have a relationship with various parts of you, in the same way you would with another being. They also explain how IRF helps us connect the "I" we consciously identify with and the other needs or motivations we may have in our body, allowing us to begin to release feelings of shame or guilt and instead pivot to curiosity of these seemingly "out of control" habits and behaviors. Maureen leads us through a brief IRF practice as well as shares details about her IRF course offerings.For more information on Maureen's work, visit: https://embodyingpsychotherapy.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

This is a bonus episode which features an interview with Luis and Jaguar Mary X.They had Luis on their program called Mid-Day Medicine Journey. It's a live, public radio out of Kingston, NY. You can find the entire episode, and others, by visiting them here.In this episode, they interview Luis about his experiences growing up that led him into somatics and trauma healing work.The accidental discovery of music as the catharsis for deep healing, personal mythology,  and emerging from hate with love are just some of the topics.

In this episode, we welcome back friend of the show, Jeana Brown founder of The Sweet Dark.Jeana shares with us how self-touch and how bringing ritual to self-care or daily hygiene helps to bring us into better communicaiton and relationship with our bodies.She and Luis explore why the intent of self-care and self-touch is not to erase surface-level tension in the body but instead use that tension as a signal or indication of something deeper happening in the body, i.e. coming into right relationship with the body by learning its language.Jeana has generously offered HLN listeners a 20% discount on Tutti, and all-in-one botanical elixir that can be used anywhere you have skin or hair. The discount code is ritual23.For more information on Jeana's work, visit: https://thesweetdark.com/ and on IG @the_sweetdark.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

We welcome back the entire HLN team in this episode! Luis, Marika, and Camille first explore their learnings from the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In particular they share how this movie helped to spark their curiosity around things such as animism, human supremacy, and examining the world from different perspectives. They further explore the idea of human supremacy and its relationship to trauma -- how many of us can come to believe that we are too good to experience trauma or we are above trauma and how that refusal or inability to relate to various events in our lives can actually produce traumatized nervous systems. For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode I share a replay from a webinar I did in which I talk about how my own trauma and chronic illness led me to this work.It's taken me 17 years to understand and put into words what I went through. It's also taken me 17 years to map out how to release stress & trauma with self-inquiry, nutrition, and somatics.I teach it all in my 6-week course. Listen to this episode to learn more about it.Registration is open until the 23rd. Go here to register today: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course-sign-up.

In this episode, Luis is joined by Monica Guzman, author of “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times" and the director of digital  storytelling at Braver Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to bridging the partisan divide.Monica and Luis engage in a very interesting conversation about navigating politics when it seems almost impossible to do so. Monica explores the polarity between judgment and curiosity as well as why we have come to equate disagreement with threat and how that dynamic has resulted in spaces where we judge each other more and engage with each other less. Luis and Monica also share common experiences that have nurtured their capacity for curiosity even regarding politics: 1) having dual identities and 2)their parents voted for Donald Trump but they did not. For more information on Monica's work, visit: https://braverangels.org/  For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Paula Engebretson joins Luis today in this interesting discussion between medication, holistic nutrition, and somatics.We often get the question if you can do this work while taking meds. Paula teaches us that the answer is individual and, for her, was YES!She explains how she lived with symptoms of ADHD and stress for decades before getting her official diagnosis, getting medicated, and then diving into our 6-week course where she learned how to navigate her mind, body, and business.For more info on Paula, please visit: https://imbusybeingawesome.com/To register for our 6-week course, which takes place on February 6th 2023, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/course-sign-up

In this episode, Luis explores why without overcouplings, comparisons are actually benign and without meaning -- they are just observations.He shares his own experiences with comparisons and body image as well as explains what "your truth is my myth" means to him and how it became a practice in helping him have to capacity to be with differences. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

In this episode, we welcome an incredible teacher of Luis, Byron Katie. She is a speaker and author who teaches a method of self-inquiry known as "The Work." Byron and Luis muse on what it means to relate to the ego and to our thoughts rather than trying to beat the ego or suppress our thoughts, i.e. what it means to be in a place of curiosity rather than judgement. The Work was born directly out of Byron Katie’s experience and she shares with us the impact it has had on her life as well as for other students of The Work.Also, we get to witness The Work in action! Byron guides Luis through The Work in relation to an intrusive thought he had right before the recording of this episode. For more information on Byron's work, visit: https://thework.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis shares how changing his perspective of trauma changed his life and how we was able to relate to others. We often over-couple trauma with the event itself -- but trauma is how our bodies respond to that event. When we come to see trauma as the force or reverberation that moves through our body, propelling us to survive threatening and/or overwhelming situations, we can pivot from viewing our trauma response as something shameful, that needs to be fixed to something beautiful for us to witness and relate to.And in that witnessing and relating, we can allow for the previously stifled expression to begin to come through in wondrous ways.  For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

This episode is an excerpt from our live session that took place last Tuesday.Luis had designed a 3 week email series about the process of Wintering, which is when we let our bodies retreat from progress and nurture our capacity through rest.In this live session we have 300+ people practicing, sharing, and weaving with us around this practice and subject.We learn a lot about rest, our resistance to rest, and how to begin healing that.We will be hosting a 3-week email series with a live session 4 times each year. Join the mailing list to experience the next one.You can watch on YouTube.

In this episode, we welcome back Lorcan MacGiolla Bhrighde and Helen Henderson, collaborators on Indigenous Ireland.In this episode, Luis, Lorcan, and Helen discuss what it means not just to decolonize, i.e. remove constructs of colonization, but to re-indigenize their lives, i.e. reintegrate elements of their indigeneity.The three of them share how immersing themselves in indigenous languages and folklore has supported their journey to re-indigenizing. Similarly, they share the impact of re-indigenizing in their lives such as an appreciation and awareness of the balance of femininity and masculinity, a greater sense of connection to humans and other-than-human beings, the ability to find beauty in death, expanding from just biological relationship to social relationships, and gleaning wisdom from the seasons as to how to best support their bodies. For more information on Lorcan's and Helen's work, visit: https://www.indigenous.ie.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis is joined by Erica Hornthal, known as "The Therapist Who Moves You", is a board-certified dance/movement therapist and licensed clinical professional counselor.Luis and Erica explore the misconceptions of dance and dance therapy and Erica shares how she came to define "Dance Movement Therapy" based on her own experiences rather than what text books say.They also discus how we can use movement and dance -- non-verbal communication and connection -- to support our mental health by allowing it to unlock stuck sensations, thoughts, beliefs, etc. that we may not be able to articulate with words. Similarly, they explain that is exactly why so many of us may avoid movement. For more information on Erica's work, visit: https://www.ericahornthal.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/.

In this episode, Luis and Camille dig into the pros and cons of political correctness.Camille shares why she personally does not strive to be politically correct but instead seeks to understand.Luis and Camille also share their own experiences with safe spaces vs brave spaces, what it means to have a conversation vs. a debate, expanding capacity for conflict, and finding the beauty in rupture. For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

 We welcome back the entire HLN team in an episode where Luis, Marika, and Camille explore several things that can trigger us including:Attuning to joy and/or the nowReleasing the StoryExperimentation, Mystery & AmbiguityEmpathy & UnderstandingRuptureThey share their own experiences with these triggers, what they witnessed in others, and their own practices for expanding their capacity to be with these triggers to the point they are no longer triggers. For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores what it means to dis-identify with our thoughts and sensations. Many of us have come to believe, "I think, therefore I am." As such, we can become overwhelmed by the millions of thoughts that invade our by everyday.But what would it mean to relate to a thought rather than to identify with it? Luis discusses the practice of witnessing our thoughts from a place of curiosity, rather than internalizing them from a place of judgement. This is different from by passing or numbing in that we are not ignoring the thought or pretending that it isn't there. Instead, we can notice the thought and notice, "This thought is not me; it is something in me."Luis guides us through a practice of noticing our thoughts, witnessing the multiple sensations in our body in response to that thought, and how to question the thought.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

We welcome back the entire HLN team as they explore what it means to break the rules.In previous episodes, we've explored cultivating disobedience. In this episode, we hear from Luis, Marika, and Camille how they built the capacity to break the rules, i.e. do what they aren't "supposed to", and how doing so has impacted their lives. They share with us how they released their story, others' expectations, the "should"s, and the "have to"s -- fundamentally, an ego death -- when it comes to their careers, familial obligations, social interactions, and more. For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Luis welcomes Daniel Mate to the podcast to speak about the book he co-authored with his dad, Gabor Mate, titled The Myth Of Normal.They speak about:how writing the book invited repair for Gabor's and Daniel's relationshiphow Daniel practices uncoupling to have a good relationship with his fatherhow identity and behavior or two different thingshow personality is often born from a traumatic imprintFor more on Daniel's work, please visit: https://www.walkwithdaniel.com/

The episode is actually a recording of a live, virtual event Luis hosted for the HLN Membership and Course participants. HLN members and students often ask "How can I feel safe, calm or peaceful in a word that is dangerous or where there are so many horrific things happening?"In the wake of the US Supreme Court's over-turning of Roe v. Wade (as well as a recent shooting and the outbreak of war), Luis was asked to create a space to explore this dynamic. In this recording, Luis walks us through the difference between acknowledgement and attunement as well as a practice that can help us relate to the part of our bodies that may be bracing on the wake or a political or social event while gently challenging us to notice whether we are bracing for a present threat or an anticipated threat. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, Luis is joined by Fritzi Horstman, the Founder and Executive Director of Compassion Prison Project. In this episode, Luis and Fritzi explore what a trauma-informed justice system might look like and why it is urgent to bring humanity and compassion to those living behind bars and these acts will help transform our society. They discuss the connection between vulnerability and accountability, uncoupling behavior from identity, what it means to transform a body out of anti-social or criminal behavior, and the impact of trauma on prisoners, officers, and judges. For more information on Fritzi's work, visit: https://compassionprisonproject.org/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores why building capacity for pleaser is a critical yet often over-looked part of trauma-healing.Pleasure, joy, peace, etc. are an excellent resource when trying to heal our trauma. They are the counter-vortex, i.e. they provide the resourcing our bodies need to be with sensations that are more constricting.However, it can be very difficult and overwhelming for a traumatized nervous system to be with pleasure because it doesn't trust the openness -- it feels vulnerable and defenseless.  Constriction feels safer and is familiar to a traumatized nervous system. Luis guides us through practice to help us notice pleasure and then observe what our current capacity for pleaser is. He invites us to notice how do our bodies constrict around moments of pleasure, often with intrusive thoughts, and then how we can respond to the presence of those thoughts to little-by-little expand our capacity for pleasure.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

We welcome back the entire HLN team in this freestyle episode!Luis, Marika, and Camille explore a myriad of topics, including:The role of media Navigating Politics Judgement vs. CuriosityCapacity & TimeDeath as a TeacherDissociation vs. DetachmentAlso, we learn about yet another job Luis had in his past!For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores why attuning to the present moment isn't about bypassing but rather it is about inviting everything in. We can often bypass the beauty or calm of the present moment because our bodies are responding to a remembered past or an anticipated future. However, by allowing our bodies to feel the absence of threat, it actually provides our bodies the resourcing to respond to threat when it is actually happening.Luis provide a practice to help us check-in and question when our bodies are reacting to a remembered threat, the current moment, or an anticipated threat. Also, even when experiencing threat or a "negative" situation, are there aspects of beauty, calm, or safety we can still attune to?For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, Luis is joined by his brother-friend, Steve Rasovsky. Both Luis and Steve have had COVID and found a lot of wisdom in their experience. Fundamentally, COVID offered them both an invitation into the slowness an authenticity of their bodies because their flight response was physically inaccessible.Please note that neither Luis or Steve are medical practitioners and this episode isn't about the variants, vaccines, etc.Instead, Luis and Steve share with us what they learned from COVID, what they were able to release as a result of the experience, and how they continue to integrate those learnings into their lives even after recuperating. For more information on Steve's work, visit: https://theinnerapothecary.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores why we often procrastinate and how procrastination is a form of freeze response.We procrastinate, or go into freeze response, when our bodies experience overwhelm. However, rather than relating to that overwhelm, we often to to a place of judgement and shame: "Why am I so lazy?" "Why can't I get my life together?" "Why am I so irresponsible?" Luis also explores the stigma associate with rest and recuperation. Luis shares a practice that helps us to instead stay in a place of curiosity about the procrastination by asking things like "What part of me is overwhelmed right now?" "Do I even want to do this?" or "What do I currently have the capacity for?" and how he has applied this practice in his life.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, we welcome back James-Olivia! This episode is a bit of an ADHD masterpiece where James-Olivia and Luis explore a plethora of topics, including: Our attachment to stories about othersThe freedom to both follow and break the rules and shift with timeDecolonizing Marriage & IndividuatingHow to be free around those who don't recognize their own freedomBelonging & SpiritualityWhy it can be so liberating to approach everyone -- whether they are close relatives/friends or complete strangers -- from the standpoint of "Who are you? I don't know you?"For more information on James-Olivia's work, visit: https://inquisitivehuman.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores why we often feel compelled to justify or rationalize our boundaries with others by creating a negative story about them rather than just accepting our inner knowing or our body's response as enough.This negative stories we create and repeat about others serves as the proof we need for our boundaries, but does it truly serve us? Does the story create peace or pain? Does the story provide safety or does it mobilize us in a threat response?Luis shares a practice that helps to illustrate why we don't have to invite pain into our bodies to validate our boundaries. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, Luis is joined by Dr. Aimie Aigian, MD MS MPH. She is the leading medical expert on how life experiences get stored in the body and restoring the body to its best state of health through her signature model and methodology, The Biology of Trauma.Dr. Aimie shares with us how she came to observe and personally experience that the mind and the body are all one, inter-related system. She discusses how traits at the cellular level contribute to what many perceive as purely "emotional responses". Additionally, she and Luis discuss why nutrition can impact our capacity and ability to be present with our sensations and how there is power in that knowing. For more information on Dr. Aimie's work, visit: https://www.traumahealingaccelerated.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how and why we often force ourselves to be with or doings for other people simply because we love them.We often over-couple love with action, i.e. if we love someone, we should do things for them and if we don't do those things, our love is in question. With this overcoupling, love can move us to bypass our own boundaries which ultimately result in resentment towards the person we love. But what would it look like to uncouple love from action? What if we are able to expand our capacity for contradictions, i.e. "I love you and I don't want to be around you right now"? What if we could trust in the love rather than having to constantly prove its existence? We could release the burden to always do something with or for others.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, we learn more abut Marika Malaea, the Operations Manager of Holistic Life Navigation.Marika generously shares with us pieces of her own healing journey, including being adopted by a family of a different culture, the pressures and desire to conform to a Eurocentric standard of beauty, and how once she was able to be embodied, it actually did not feel good.She also shares with us how somatics have changed her relationship with politics and social media as well as how she navigates responding to emails after Luis has triggered people (which is quite often - lol).For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how being an empath can be a trauma response. Very rarely do we think about being a empath through the lens of joy. Instead, empaths often describe how they are overwhelmed by the pain, hurt, and suffering of others. Luis shares how recognizing and relating to a trauma response in conjunction with leveraging the practice of self-attunement can allow empaths to pendulate between the pain and joy they may experience from other bodies.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, we welcome back Ixchel Lunar!Ixchel and Luis discuss the role of time in their lives including how time is hyper local, what it means to attune to the rhythms and the cycles of the land, why we often judge ourselves and others for honoring the pace of their body, what they've learned from observing turtles and sloths, and how we allow time to be stolen from us. They also revisit the idea of decolonization: what does it mean to relate to time as a being rather than dominating it as a resource?For more information on Ixchel's work, visit: https://ixchel.love/home/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, we are joined by Eileen Knott. Eileen offers individual healing sessions for a variety of health concerns such as pain-both physical and emotional,  nightmares, obsessive thoughts, grieving, feeling stuck, and addictions. Eileen was also a student of the Holistic Life Navigation course last year.Eileen and Luis explore why healing in an ongoing, iterative process. Both share how and why "bad habits" persisted after having a magical or healing experience. They discuss how catharsis can actually be overwhelming for our bodies; however, time and embodiment practices allow our bodies to integrate that experience and learning.For more information on Eileen's work, visit: https://relaxandexpand.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Finally, she's back!! In this episode, Luis is joined by herbalist and astrologer Aemen Bell to discuss the many, many benefits of oatstraw.Aemen and Luis discuss how oatstraw is neither a depressant or a stimulant but rather a nourishing herb that helps to bring us into our true nature. They also discuss the wisdom they've gleaned from oatstraw, what it means to have energy from a source of nourishment vs a source of stimulation, and why so many of us are terrified of going slow.Additionally, Aemen walks us through the process of creating an oatstraw infusion.For more information on Aemen's work, visit: http://www.artemisrisingherbs.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how attuning to the now, i.e. remaining in our safe center even when ruptures may be happening around us, provides us the resourcing to deal with threat as it comes.Threat is very really and exists all around us. But the question we have to ask ourselves is, is my body responding to remembered threat, anticipated threat, or threat that is actually in front of us right now?Luis also discusses the critical distinction between acknowledging events around us vs orienting/attuning to them.  How can we be an engaged participant of the world while also realizing the realities of our immediate situations? Luis also provides a brief attunement practice -- an exercise to help our bodies begin to be aware of when our sensations are actually in response to anticipated or remembered threat rather than what we are currently experiencing.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

In this episode, we are joined by Maureen Gallagher, PhD. Maureen is a licensed psychologist, Somatic Experiencing faculty member, and Inner Relationship Focusing trainer. She is also a teacher of Luis.Maureen and Luis explore what it means for us to relate to our body's and sensations vs identifying with them. They discuss how transitioning to a place of witness or observer of their bodies supported them in becoming a compassionate guide on their own healing journeys. For more information on Maureen's work, visit: https://embodyingpsychotherapy.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how we can begin to move through numbness.We can often describe numbness as not feeling anything at all but in reality, numbness is a sensation -- it is the sensation of the lack of sensation. Numbness also carries with it a negative stigma; something that is wrong with us. However, numbness is our body's healthy response to overwhelm. It is our body's boundary to sensations that are too much for us, that we are not ready to feel just yet.Luis shares with us a practice that can support us in relating  to our numbness rather than bypassing it. For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

This Holistic Life Navigation's 100th episode! To mark this occasion, we pull back the curtains and we meet the entire Holistic Life Navigation team. Luis, Marika, and Camille share what brought them to trauma healing work, their perception of trauma healing as a business, and how their relationship with money has evolved over time. We also get to know a bit more about their past lives -- Luis was a real estate agent and Camille worked in corporate America! They share what they learned from those experiences and how it informs their approach to Holistic Life Navigation.For more information about Holistic Life Navigation, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how we can find safety in nature when human relationships don't feel safe.A byproduct of colonization is our tendency to view nature a resource we should dominate vs a relative we can relate to. Traumatized nervous systems can often find it difficult to r co-regulate with human beings -- but what about non-human beings? What other beings around might we regularly ignore that could offer us an opportunity for co-regulation?For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

Jaguar Mary X is an artist who says "I believe that it is my role as an artist to activate and be part of a remembering of the transforming power of communal space. I agree with Nina’s Simone’s dictum that the mission of the artist is to 'respond to the times in which I find myself.'"In this episode we explore their journey of becoming ungovernable, how they are challenging themselves, and the institutions they navigate.Being ungovernable is akin to previous conversations we've had about decolonization. One critical question to ask is "How have we internalize colonization or self domination?" In this episode, Jaguar Mary X generously shares their own reflections on transitioning from unquestioningly accepting every opportunity that comes our way to diplomatically challenging expectations. For more information on Jaguar Mary X's work, visit: https://www.kaliartproject.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how manifesting can keep us from building the capacity to be with the present. When focusing on what may come in the future, we are focusing on what we want rather than what we have. Manifesting isn't bad. But how can we also find ways to attune to the calm, joy, or beauty that is happening around us?For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

This episode is so deliciously wonderful. We had the honor to sit down and speak with A'Lelia Bundles, the great-great-granddaughter of Madam CJ Walker.This episode is all about resiliency and intergenerational wisdom. A'Lelia generously shares what she learned about her lineage as she was writing her great-great-grandmother's biography. We explore how a woman who was the very first person in her family born outside of slavery was able to navigate a society they didn't value her and go on to become the first self-made millionaire woman in the United States.For more information on A'Lelia's work, visit: https://aleliabundles.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Out of all the things we explore on this podcast, who would've thought beans would be the most controversial? So we had to invite Karen Hurd, the Queen of Beans, back to the show to help sift through some of these bean myths. In this episode, we cover the common concerns and fears people have about beans including:Why do beans give me gas?Don't beans have a lot of antinutrients?Don't phytates and lectins stunt growth?Should we avoid grains, nuts, and seeds in addition to beans?Luis and Karen also discuss the lovely interconnection between science, ancestral wisdom and self inquiry. For more information on Karen's work, visit: http://www.karenhurd.com/For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/Check out some of our previous episodes with Karen:Ep. 8 Healing Your Body With Beans (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 19 Caffeine & Adrenaline (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 34 How Dairy Affects Your Body (feat. Karen Hurd)Ep. 56 How Sugar Affects The Body (feat. Karen Hurd)

"You're not overreacting, you're overcoupled."In this episode, Luis explores how we can begin the work of recognizing when our bodies are being reminded of a past traumatic experience and how we can uncouple that from situations where there is no threat present.For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

"I'm not weird, I'm  just from somewhere different." Today's episode is all about honoring our "weird" -- the call to break from the norm, standard, or "right way".Aiyisha Castillo  is a Somatic Therapist, Intuitive Bodyworker and Yoga Teacher.  She felt called to enter into the holistic field after returning from a 2 1/2 year trip to Africa.  Her love for bodies and their innate wisdom is what guides her practice today.In this episode, Aiyisha shares with us why and how she has eschewed many of the mandates placed upon therapists, including sitting in a chair during therapy sessions. We also explore how her calling to approach therapy differently impacts both her and her clients.  For more info on her work visit: https://aiyishacastillo.com/For more info on Luis' work visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, Luis explores how we can affirm our bodies' boundaries while also exploring from a place of curiosity vs. judgement, i.e. how to turn judgment into curiosity to heal trauma. Our brains work really hard to categorize things into "safe" and "threat" consistently. Not knowing is scary because it invites vulnerability. When we have a traumatized system, we sense threat in most places. Judgment takes us from our needs, from our felt sense and we go into our mind to figure it out – to put an identity to it, to make it still or stagnant. Judgment is a fixed state but curiosity is the opposite of an adrenalized judgment state. What happens when we are curious in the same situation?  What happens when we follow the question of “What’s next?” For more information about Luis's work, please visit: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

Nisha Mody is a 'healing hype girl"! What stands out about Nisha is her practice of noticing the joy along with pain. This practice of seeing joy as complex, nuanced, and juicy is so important.It is very easy to mistake this practice for bypassing but Nisha shares with us how this is critically different. Bypassing is when we ignore the event or the impact of the event on us. However, a practice of noticing the joy along with pain allows us to be aware of pain but not constantly attune or relate to it. For more information on Nisha's work, visit: https://www.nishaland.com/.For more information on Luis' work, visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

"The first alter of our ancestors is the body." This quote from Amber McZeal beautifully illustrates the connection between relating to our bodies, the land, and our lineage. To move from colonization to decolonization, i.e. be in relationship with rather than dominance of, applies to our bodies just as it applies to land. When we're in relationship with our bodies, we're in relationship with the land and vice versa.  In this episode, Luis explores how, through ancestral healing work and exploring our lineage, we can reclaim beautiful knowledge and practices which can help us navigate overwhelm and anxiety.  For more info on Luis's work, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/. At the site you can also purchase the webinar about Decolonization of the Body.

Today's episode is all about building capacity for difference: having the capacity to express our differences and having the capacity to receive the differences of others.Camille Leak is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Practitioner and the Community Manager for Holistic Life Navigation -- in these roles, she helps to facilitate uncomfortable conversations. She is also and a former student of  my 6-week course. Her approach to navigating difference really stood out to me during the course and I wanted to learn more about her journey and subsequently choose to invite her to join the team! In this episode, she shares a bit of her healing journey and how she maintains the capacity to explore things like bias, prejudice and discrimination on a regular basis. In particular, how leaning into curiosity helps us to work and communicate across difference. Camille's work focuses on honest discovery -- not saying the "right" thing or trying to change someone's mind.For more info on Camille's work visit: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/; LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/camilleleakFor more info on Luis' work visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Today's episode navigates whether we use our energy to change others or connect to ourselves.Why do we so often devote our energy to changing, motivating, or even talking about others? Releasing the need to change others in order to find safety in them, allows us the energy and space to begin to find safety in ourselves through self-relationship and embodiment.For more information visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today's episode is SO good. I welcome past students and current members of my membership to talk about the topic of the sovereign body.It's a strange idea at first: the body not being us. However, the more we practice it and notice it, the more obvious it becomes and the more helpful it becomes.Why? Because we're able to actually relate to it as its own being, instead of a thing that's supposed to work for us or that we own.Enjoy this episode with these gorgeous people who I can honestly call my teachers now.For more info on my upcoming courses & membership visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/You can learn more about some of the guests and their work below:Jeana Brown: www.gypsyroot.com; Instagram - @gypsy.rootLeena Chauhan: Instagram - @leenacharmColleen Duffy: Devil-Doll.com; Instagram - @DevilDoll_OfficialIxchel Lunar: https://ixchel.love/; Instagram - https://instagram.com/ixchel.loveKaren White: Instagram - @k.arenwhite

Today's episode navigates how to thaw and move out of a freeze response.In it, I attempt to release the stigma from freeze response as being unmotivated, lacking willpower, or lazy. Instead, we can actually honor the sophistication of the freeze response and understand that it needs help thawing.Somatic embodiment and self-relationship allow us to help the freeze response thaw so that the body can begin moving, feeling, and releasing. For more info visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

Today's episode is all about honoring our nature. Not who we want to be or think we should be: but where we are in this moment and how we can nurture that to thrive.Megan Kierstead is a coach for people with ADHD & neurodivergent expressions. In this episode she shares some helpful tools for being functional with a unique nervous system.Specifically: your feeling of dysfunction are really caused from the friction of the world not being made for you.This world is so diverse and vast. The majority create terms for the minority  like disabled, psychotic, depressed, ADHD, etc. These terms become identities that can really create dysregulation within us about how we relate to ourselves.Megan's work helps us see how beautifully unique we are and, once we start honoring that uniqueness, we find a whole new magical way to live.For more info on her work visit: https://www.megankierstead.com/For more info on Luis' work visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Today's episode navigates the difference between the questions Who Am I?  & Where Am I?Releasing the need to "know" myself for the practice of being with whatever is in myself at that moment allows me to be relate to all parts of me.Notice the difference in your body as you listen.For more info visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com.

On today's episode, I welcome back Brigitt Thompson.We speak about money through the lens of somatics & trauma. How we value it, what we have overcoupled with it, and pieces of wisdom & personal experiences from Brigitt's book Trust Yourself With Money.Take your time through this episode. Notice what comes up in your body to speak to you about your relationship to money and what you inherited through your family & culture.These values may not be yours.For more information, visit Brigitt's website: https://www.trustyourselfwithmoney.com/

In this episode, I speak about the four responses our bodies have to trauma: fight, fight, freeze, and fawn,Each response serves the purpose to help you survive a potential life threat. We're all here because of these automatic responses.Learning the nuance of each response helps us better recognize them when they're "turning on". Through this recognition, we create a relationship with them and then they're able to transform and release.On Tuesday June 28th, 2022 I'll be hosting a live webinar that explores these 4 responses deeply and offers exercises and techniques for moving through them, rather being moved by them. You can register here for that. You'll get a reminder and a replay.

I welcome my friend James-Olivia Chu Hillman back to my podcast to discuss their experience of practicing embodiment while also practicing self-inquiry.One practice is of feeling, the other is of thinking. Both interact, relate, and deeply affect the other.This is such a tender, deep, gorgeous conversation and I thank them for coming to it from where they truly were in the moment.For more info on their work, you can visit:Official WebsiteInstagram

Sexual trauma is not dependent on abuse. It simply means that an event was either threatening, or overwhelming, and it involved your sexual organs, sexuality, or your body/mind in a sexual context.In this episode I discuss how experiences like medical trauma & sexual fawning can create sexual trauma - even when sexual assault and abuse are not present.To join my webinar on Feb 1st about sexual trauma, please visit: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/. If you're seeing this after February 2nd, you can purchase the replay from my site.

Today I'm joined by an incredible woman named Robin Landsong. Her story is one of literal hell and miraculous survival. By age 8 she had already experienced such tremendous abuse and trauma. She found herself being the victim of an abduction and survived several near death experiences in Africa.She was hiding in a tree, after escaping a harrowing situation, when a woman in the village began singing to her. She didn't understand the language, but she felt a sense of safety and vitality awakening inside of her.She began healing, only to endure another decade of abuse and trauma until she left home and reconnected to healing her trauma for another 17 years until she developed her own form of trauma healing.Join Robin for a free 60-minute class on Nurturing Your Nervous System. During the hour she will talk about different ways to nurture your nervous system, have an open Q&A session and work with three participants to show how Singing Medicine can become a part of your healing. Schedule here.For more information, you can find Robin at one of these links below:Her WebsiteHer Facebook PageHer Instagram PageHer YouTube Page

Today I'm joined by my friend Karine Bell. We tend to have these long, rolling conversations when we chat and this time, we chose to record it.Karine is a trauma therapist and facilitator of Tending the Roots, an incredible virtual collective that holds space for working with somatic abolitionism, cultural trauma healing, and liberating ourselves from cycles of trauma.

In this episode I speak about the spontaneous healing that I began to experience from playing music as a teenager. Looking back, I can see how I was co-regulating and creating safety within myself. I describe it in this episode & offer a song of mine for your own nervous system to experience and relate to.To sign up for my next 6-week course, please visit: http://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Sometimes we don't have the physical capacity to handle the things we desire. Relationships, money, jobs, even feeling joy - these seemingly beautiful experiences can overwhelm our nervous systems and bodies depending on our trauma histories & present-moment capacity.This episode explores the difference between capacity and desire through 2 exercises that show you how your body responds to the things you think you want as well as how to tune into what your actual capacity is right now.For more information on my work, please visit https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

In this episode, I navigate how we lose our bodies when we grasp at the mind. I'm inspired by my friend & colleague James-Olivia Chu Hillman who wrote about this concept through their lens and experience. I share this here, as well as my own experience with this phenomenon.To sign up for my next course, please visit: http://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

Bill Riddick is a therapist & facilitator of the Charrette Process. In 1971, he played  a pivotal role in desegregating the school district in Durham, NC. During this particular charrette, he paired together a black civil rights activist with a white KKK leader. The result was profound.What he teaches me in this episode is that conflict heals through understanding & respect. Sharing information, curiosity, expressing feelings, and learning about those who oppose you can actually transform conflict into relationship.He is portrayed in the film The Best Of Enemies, which is how I learned about him. I hope you get as much from this interview as I did.

In this episode, I navigate the roots of comfort food. What drives our  body's desire to eat heavy, emotionally satisfying foods? I was inspired to talk about this after I heard Rupaul & Michell Visage talking on What's The Tee about why kale doesn't comfort them like a fried sandwich does.There's a biology behind our food habits and it relates to trauma. How adrenalized we are (or are not) affects which foods we move toward.When we understand the roots to these cravings, we get in touch with the unconscious parts of ourselves that drive many of our behaviors. Once in touch with them, we can begin relating to them and connecting to them.Our own connection to these parts creates a safety within us and then certain foods and substances become obsolete.To sign up for my 6-week course, visit: http://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/.

Meenadchi joins me today to discuss Non-Violent Communication. It's an incredible method designed by Marshall Rothenburg & it helps us identify our needs, emotions, and requests so we can be clear in our relationships.I, personally, hit a wall with NVC because I didn't find it to be trauma-informed enough for me. This is where Meenadchi comes in. They teach and lead NVC workshops through the lens of somatic embodiment, trauma awareness, and decolonial culture. In addition, they're the only practitioner I've ever met who holds sessions for expanding one's capacity for joy. Amazing!You can buy their book, or sign up for a future workshop, by visiting https://www.traumainformednvc.com/

In this episode I navigate the states of duty & desire. I talk about noticing which traditions and habits we've inherited and upheld from a sense of duty & which we've inherited and upheld from a sense of desire.I also include a short exercise around feeling the now &  noticing the difference between how now  feels compared to the duty we're dreading.To sign up for my next 6-week course, please visit http://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/.

Understanding that trauma is a biology,  not a mindset, is what makes somatic therapy so unique and beautiful. Traditional talk therapies tend to focus on the events and identifying how we think and feel about them, but they don't ask us where we feel the events.Trauma is not the event itself, it's the response to the event. I welcome Dr. Abi Blakeslee to my podcast to share her wisdom and insight around the biology of trauma and how that physical state of threat transforms into vitality through the practices of Somatic Experiencing.For more information on Abi's work, please visit: https://www.abiblakeslee.com.To work with a somatic therapist, visit: https://traumahealing.org/.

In this episode, I discuss the somatic experience of depression. Something we see as a fixed state may just be a part of us asking for a break, needing rest, and wanting to recover from overwhelm.I discuss the practice of seeing sensations as beings inside of us. Getting to know them, asking them questions, and letting them show you how they want to be related to. This means there's nothing wrong with us and we're not flawed - we're just responding to things in a healthy way.Notice what comes up with you and share it with a friend who may benefit from this practice.Join my next course: www.holisticlifenavigation.com

This episode explores the many nuances and layers around cultural trauma. The reverberations of it. How colonialism works itself into our language, then our values, and then our realities.This is a powerful discussion about a man who reflected on his own internalized racism and colonialism. He talks about how teenagers in Zimbabwe rebel against their own culture, in hopes to be more "Black American" and "civilized".Tapi opened Tapi Tapi Ice Cream in Cape Town, South Africa to teach people,  native and non-native to Africa, about indigenous African culture. He blends forgotten native foods & spices into ice cream. It has become a vehicle to reconnect people to their roots & to the roots of African culture.For more information on Tapi, please visit: https://www.tapitapi.co.za/ and you can see his work on Instagram @_tapi_tapi

Brigitt Thompson is a writer, author of Trust Yourself With Money, and a former student of  my 6-week course. Her personal experiences that arose from the course were so inspiring to me that I wanted to have her on here to reflect back to me, and you, my own work in her own language.What is most important to me is her statement: capacity feels like making room. This practice of making room is the foundation of my work. Making room for parts of us we judge, making room for desire, making room for our physical bodies to move and metabolize charge.Making room is what happens inside of us as we regulate and experience a parasympathetic response. Making room is the precursor to feeling safety inside of the body and it's such a beautiful, easy way to explain this work which can be abstract and difficult to understand until you begin practicing it. For more information on Brigitt, please visit https://www.trustyourselfwithmoney.com/.

I'm joined by indigenous medicine woman Asha Frost. We explore the nuances of cultural trauma and how to heal that collectively. Asha comes with a unique and powerful sense of unconditional love. Her presence makes this work, amongst natives and non-natives, safe and powerful because she sees us all as relatives and, essentially, needing the same thing: connection to the self, land, and one another.This conversation reminds me how the body is always connected. It's the mind that forgets, becomes distracted, or even represses natural expressions due to constructs and concepts. We talk about the cultural trauma that indigenous peoples experienced and continue to experience and how, together, we can weave culture and create the capacity to hold the collective pain that our newfound, colonized countries were founded on and still hold so much of.Asha also reminds me of how profound it is to not attach to concepts about other people. She says "I'm here for unity" and that's how our work intersects. We're here to practice decolonizing our psyches and bodies so that we can see individuals without projected constructs that would divide us.For more information on Asha's work, please visit https://ashafrost.com/.

I'm joined my science researcher & author Annie Murphy Paul. We talk about how the mind is far more expansive than just the brain - or even the body. Her work intersects with my work to bring new language and data that supports what indigenous and body-focused cultures have always understood: the body relates to everything around it and the brain is only one piece of the equation.This holistic understanding of how we relate, learn, and function is invaluable. Understanding this allows us to support our entire selves in learning and living. Our environments, our relationships to others, and our relationships ourselves are all interwoven, interdependent, and important resources that will help or hinder how we live and learn.For more information on Annie's work, please visit:https://anniemurphypaul.com/https://twitter.com/anniemurphypaul

Devie Rosie is my guest today. She works as a substitute teacher for Canada's public school system. She's also a breathwork facilitator who is, both, trauma-informed & has studied somatic psychology.We speak about how learning is dependent on safety, connection, and capacity. Together, we chat about ideas and philosophies on why school can be so traumatic and how, one teacher at a time, we can create deeper co-regulation with students and support their nervous systems to learn and stay present.You can visit Devie's website here.

I'm joined by Tess Whitehurst and we speak about how we learn to heal from watching nature and from being in the Earth. I love this discussion because we try to understand, together, the difference between trauma response and reaction. How we use our imagination to create things, yet that same imagination can keep us in a fear response.Tess shares her practice of valuing pain and seeing it as interconnected with joy & life. We both agree that staying open is what allows trauma & pain to release from our bodies.You can listen to the Magic Monday Podcast here.You can see more of Tess's work & books here.

There is a constant cycle of life & death occurring inside of our bodies at all times. Our DNA & how that DNA expresses can shapeshift at any time depending on our environments, mindsets, and food rituals. This is a blessing because the expressions that are not useful (illness & trauma responses) can also shapeshift into something new.In this episode, I am joined by biochemist & holistic nutritionist Karen Hurd to teach us how food and chemicals interact with our genetic expressions.For more information on Karen's work, please visit www.karenhurd.com.To get on the waitlist for my future courses, please click here.

This week Luis is joined by a pioneer in intergenerational trauma and author of "It Didn't Start With You", Mark Wolynn. They dive into language and the history of stored and inherited family trauma. They discuss how trauma unconsciously passes down through DNA and the expression of that through verbal and nonverbal trauma language. Mark also tells stories from his practice and talks about rewiring the brain through positive practices. "Scientifically, when a trauma happens, it changes us. So literally it causes a chemical reaction in our DNA, and this changes how our genes function.""We rarely make the link that our anxiety, our hyper-vigilance, our shutdown, our depression is connected to our parents and our grandparents. We just think we're wired this way, and that's what I keep running into, people just saying 'Well that's how I am, I'm wired this way.'" For more information on Mark's work and his book, visit www.markwolynn.com.

In this episode, Luis speaks with Natasha Levinger - energy reader, healer, spiritual coach - about energy work, attunement, Spirit, grief, and more."What a spiritual experience it is to be in a body.""Attunement is a beautiful thing. I was recently using it in an example of when we’re only attuning to others and not ourselves, that’s when it gets off balance. But attuning to people is also how we have empathy and how we connect and how we notice something’s off.""I easily talk to people who aren’t in bodies anymore. I love doing that. When I was nine, I used to look at the obituaries and write down new friends to talk to. I’m very much not an Earth-based person, necessarily? But again, it’s maybe counterintuitive, but the more I got into my energy body in the present, the more I was able to be like, “Oh yeah, I can see why I want to be on Earth, I can see what’s special about Earth and what’s special about my body.”"It’s the meaning that we attach to things that creates tension, or contraction, or makes us want to jump into someone else’s experience."To follow Natasha's work or listen to her podcast, visit www.highestlighthealing.com.

Luis speaks with Euphrasia Nyaki about her upbringing in Tanzania, the journey to somatic experiencing, engaging the ancestors, family constellation in her practice, and more."I think those two pieces - the somatic experiencing with the intergenerational work - I feel like that's just the gold. I see so many people who...their bodies are still behaving like their ancestors', unbeknownst to them, because it's in there trying to express itself out, right? But it lacks context. So as you start filling in the context, there's this separation and it starts to heal itself, essentially.""What we do with family constellation is to bring the invisible out of the subconscious mind.""One thing you said that I really resonated with was how SE (somatic experiencing) gives you the ability to feel the present. It's not just being in the present, you feel what it's like to not have a past or a future."To learn more about Euphrasia's work, visit www.somaticexperiencing.com/euphrasia-nyaki. 

This episode Luis reconnects with his dear friend, Lynida Darbes, to talk about spiritual integration therapy -- which involves "an awareness of the process we go through of constantly being called on to integrate our emotions or psychological  experience  with our spiritual evolution." "I think the falling off the cliff was pretty instantaneous, after all the pain. I think I either had to die or I had to do this “falling off the cliff.” And then... I was totally alive, just completely every tiny cell in my body was alive and turned on and open and full of love.""I must have learned early on that it’s all about allowance, that’s the word. You 'allow' and it’s the level of willingness in you of allowance that determines how much you experience.""That’s what I find true healing to be: when concept and ego kind of just dissipate and your body is dancing with what is. It’s magical. You don’t have to be cancer-free to heal. It’s more like your state of being versus your physical state.""The feeling of whatever happens, it’s teaching me something. If I look at it the right way, it will teach me something."To learn more about Lynida or to work with her: www.spiritualintegrationtherapy.com

Today's episode is a recording from an interview Luis did with Helena Grant for the Divine Instruments global event this past April. He speaks about somatic therapy and food and how that relates to trauma healing."We're talking about trauma because it's the unconscious root of all of our imbalances. What's amazing about trauma when you start understanding it somatically versus psychologically is trauma has nothing to do with the event that you've been through. Trauma has everything to do with how the body responds to the event you've been through.""The mind is so quick to go to feelings as ideas, feelings as experiences, feelings as meaning. Often when I ask someone, I'll say "What do you feel in that moment?" And they say "I feel like--" and whenever there's that word like, I know we're leaving the body.""We learned that at birth, we screamed out of pain and we were able to nurse or drink from the bottle. So food is the first thing we experience in this human body on this planet of calming us down, and as we get more embodied with our trauma, we learn "Is this food going over my trauma, is it pushing it down, is my trauma choosing it? Or is my body choosing it to nourish?" And you start getting clear over what drives those decisions."

On this episode, Luis brings back biochemist and holistic nutritionist, Karen Hurd - from [Ep. 8 - Healing Your Body With Beans], [Ep. 19 - Caffeine & Adrenaline: How They Affect the Body], and [Ep. 34 - How Dairy Affects the Body] to talk about what sugar is actually doing in our bodies. "Some things take a lot of time to break down and enter into the bloodstream. That is not so with sugar. Whenever we put in sugar, it's what we call saccharide. Its molecular construction is such that it takes very little digestive effort - basically none - for it to cross the barriers that allow it into the bloodstream.""You produce insulin in response to the spike. So if you're going up really rapidly with your blood glucose levels, you're going to release a boatload of insulin to bring down your sugars just as rapidly. Insulin is very effective. It actually grabs these sugar molecules in your bloodstream and will convert them into something known as a triglyceride.""Sugar is so addictive and satisfying on so many levels and I think because initially it's this concentration of life force because we're breaking down all these foods into the building block of the life, which is the glucose feeding our cells so they can function."To follow Karen's work or take one of her courses, visit www.karenhurd.com.

In this episode, Luis talks with James-Olivia Chu Hillman about self-inquiry, regulation vs. relation, attunement, somatic embodiment, blame, certainty, animism, Disobedience School and more."I believe the willingness to change is the willingness to live, and the willingness to witness others without judgment as they change is the willingness to love.""What is my relationship with myself like and therefore all of my other relationships with everyone and everything? There's a thing that my dear friend Nic Strack who facilitates conversations with parents, and people who are self-parenting, re-parenting, preparing to parent: 'The relationship you have with yourself defines the relationship you have with your child.'" "Magical I think is exactly the right word for it, for me. A thing that I've come to recently is that everything doesn't have to make sense... Let me be more specific: I don't have to make sense in order to regard myself. Which I get kind of emotional even just saying it because it's fairly new in the last few months for me to even have that idea as something I'm willing to commit to. Like oh yeah, you don't have to be logical, the math doesn't have to add up, the machinery doesn't have to run smoothly. Everything doesn't have to make sense, I don't have to make sense, and there's magic that's holding it all together. I don't have to do this myself."To follow James-Olivia, you can find them on Instagram at @inquisitive_human or their website: www.inquisitivehuman.com.

In this episode, Luis shares a pre-recorded workshop he led for Tending the Roots Festival, founded by Karine Bell, about the way we use our food and treat our bodies as a direct result of colonization, which includes a Q&A at the end."Part of the most effective way to getting to the trauma and healing the trauma is creating a body that is so well-nourished that it reflects safety in its biochemistry. That the foods it eats grounds and supports and strengthens rather than depresses or depletes or activates. Food is a powerful medicine and tool for healing trauma because food can create a safe body or an activated-slash-depressed body.""What I do believe is that a lot of the things we call 'symptoms', and 'conditions', and 'problems' are unprocessed trauma responses that are stuck physiologically. So what's amazing about food - amazing and difficult and confusing - is it's, I mean, to say it's a necessity dilutes it. It's something that our bodies know, it's something our bodies need, it's something we depend on. 'It' being food, food being Earth.""Decolonizing and colonizing is simply the difference between being in dominance over or being in relationship with. It's that simple. Now where it stems from is quite complex, we've seen that in our history, in our social constructs, in our criminal justice systems. We see how complex it's gotten. But at the root of it -- it's a mentality of: Is this here for me or is this here with me?"Connect with Karine Bell's work at https://www.rootedandembodied.com and @karinebell on Instagram.

In this episode, Luis dives into animism with Daniel Foor, Ph.D., a teacher of Earth and ancestor reverence, and author of Ancestral Medicine: Rituals for Personal and Family Healing. "[Animism] is a way to refer to a set of values that basically says living humans are just one kind of person in a much wider field of kinship, community, and other kinds of people. Those other kinds of people include the ancestors, the plants, the animals, deities, nature spirits, planets... you name it.""If we can’t see other people, we can’t really see them on a soul level, we’re not going to be as useful to them. And there’s going to be something that doesn’t quite click. Making a study of the different forms and patterns and expressions of the sacred is important if you’re going to be in a healing capacity, because you’ll be more able to see people accurately.""Like any of the binaries we’re being asked to disrupt, there’s who we’ve been and there’s who we are now. And it’s not that we choose one over the other, but how do we bring all of what we are into the moment? And see the powers that are unifying, the earth that is beneath all of us, and the stars, the bigger frame that we’re being held in. It’s important to spend time resting in what’s unifying, as well." To learn more about the Ancestral Lineage Healing online course, ancestor circles and the work of Daniel Foor, visit www.ancestralmedicine.org.

In this episode, Luis embarks on  a new conversation with an old friend, Lindsay Christine, centered around Juneteenth. Christine shares what it was like growing up as a Black woman in this country, from the way she was raised to the narrow messaging we are sold about African American stereotypes."My skin tone and the weight that it carries in America really doesn’t have anything to do with me. It is to do with our society and the way it’s been structured and the way that it’s been set up, but racism doesn’t have to do with how good I am as a person or what I’m like internally. I think I was able to develop a sense of self that was separate from the idea of what it means to be Black in America. I know it’s a part of me, I know by many standards it defines me, but it’s not all of me." "The reality is there’s still work to do, but I’m not going to wait to be free until that work is done. I can be free in myself and they can catch up to me, and I’m going to keep doing the work.""Everything I try to work towards and do in my life is to just spark positive change not just for me but for the next generation."You can follow Lindsay Christine and sign up for the newsletter at her new project, The Wellness Feed, which is a hub for sustainable champions around the world. You can also find her on Instagram at @the_wellnessfeed. 

"The mystical experience is, qualitatively, one of connection. Everyone who is able to expand enough will report this interesting experience of all is one." -Joshua SylvaeIn this episode, I speak with Joshua Sylvae about the spiritual experiences that arise from somatic practices of embodiment. The body is this incredible vessel for experience. Sensations, desires, movements, memories, images - so many things happening in our bones.If we're not embodied, we miss all those incredible sensations. Embodiment, as we discuss, goes beyond a simple practice of stillness and peace. It helps us actually experience all the realms within and outside of us.Joshua Sylvae is a Somatic Psychologist and one of my teachers. I was so thrilled to have him on here to lend his wisdom and heart to this discussion.For more information on his work, please visit https://sylvae.net/.

I found Lorcan after I was searching for resources regarding the indigenous, pagan ways of the Irish people. My mother is half Irish and, when I was 13, I found myself reconnecting to my Irish roots through Wicca. Speaking with Lorcan was so lovely. He exemplifies the respectful balance of reconnecting to his indigenous roots while respecting the delicate nature of the word indigenous.It's thought that only people of color are indigenous, but this is a stereotype that furthers racial constructs & divides. Indigenous means what land you originally belong to. Connecting to our own indigenous roots doesn't mean we have the indigenous experience, however it can help us understand how to co-create with the indigenous peoples of the lands we live on now through commonality of values that come naturally from connecting to the Earth.This is because indigenous ways have several foundational practices in common. They are Earth-based, see everything as a relative, and are rooted in reciprocity. Connecting to your own indigenous bloodlines means you can access these traditions, rituals, and powerful ways of connecting so that you can relate to other indigenous peoples, as well as the lands you currently reside and travel on.In short: you get to use your ancestral wisdom to relate better to everything around you.For more information on Lorcan's work, please visit https://indigenous.ie/ or follow him on IG @indigenous.ie

 I welcome back Dr. Amber McZeal to speak with me about  decolonizing the psyche through a spiritual, somatic, and philosophical lens. I first had Amber on back in September. It was Episode 14: Decolonizing The Psyche & I recommend listening to it first if you haven't yet. It will help you with the language and understanding to fully receive this episode.For me, Amber is pure medicine. Her tone, her delivery, her essence, and her work. Just sitting virtually with her feels like something is shifting and softening in me. The fertile Earth in me is opening up to some new sprouts of growth that I didn't know were there.After really meditating on her work and our discussion from last year, I started finding the colonizer in me and, from that experience, discovered some clarity around what colonizing even means.I see colonizing as being in control of, dominating over, or opposing something's nature. I see de-colonizing as unlearning that so we can be in relationship with everything around us. This is what I've learned from indigenous elders and witches: everything is a relative. In this episode we explore personal experiences & philosophies in this episode to create more clarity and understanding so that we can guide ourselves, and others, toward unlearning the conditioning we grew up in and reclaiming the original ecosystem of reciprocity, respect, and relationship. For more info on Dr. Amber McZeal, please visit: https://decolonizingthepsyche.com/

My wife showed me Stasia's Ted Talk in 2018 and I was instantly taken by her story. Like most people I have on my podcast, Stasia discovered, through trauma, a gift and a tool that she could apply to her life and teach others to aid in their healing journey. And that tool was style.She found how much style impacts your psychology and emotional state. She first discovered this through her daughter, who was born with a myriad of medical issues and developmental conditions. Her daughter had low confidence and felt quite removed, but when she put on boy's clothing she felt alive and ran around the house saying "I feel outside how I feel inside!". And that was the moment for Stasia.From there she developed the term "inner-outer congruency". It's the practice of developing the capacity to express your internal experience through your style. This is huge for trauma healing because we often feel threatened around being seen. The ability to use your closet and your clothing as medicine to call up pain and then transmute it into glorious style is a true magical practice that Stasia teaches now.Have a listen, have a feel, and go back into the closet to see what's still waiting to come out.To follow, or work with, Stasia you can visit her website at www.stasiasavasuk.com or her Instagram @stasiasavasuk.

I love speaking with Carolyn. She's such a kindred soul in the way that she welcomes the trash of life as equally nourishing as the treasures of life. I find transmutation to be the exact work that I do. I'm teaching people how to feel a sensation that is threatening to the body and, rather than constrict against it, we expand into it which gives it more space to be free, move, teach us something, or simply dissipate.We talk about how this practice and lifestyle is the epitome of abundance. Especially in terms of how much capacity do you have to receive. Receive what? Everything!I will say that I went into some detail about my own sexual trauma history, so if you're feeling tender you may want to give yourself extra comfort before listening. I found it necessary to explain, through my own suffering, how transmutation was working me before I even knew what it was. Have a listen, notice what you feel in your body, and see where this takes you.BIODr. Carolyn Elliott is the author of Existential Kink: A handbook of life-altering magic, and cult-favorite creativity book, Awaken Your Genius. She runs a 7-figure online business specializing in helping people achieve dramatic positive change in their lives through shadow integration practices and applied occult philosophy.Carolyn is known for her uncanny and uncomfortable ability to trick really smart, high-achieving magical people into doing the things that they actually want to do. She’s the teacher of life-altering online courses, including WEALTH: the alchemical community where leaders come into their full power.You can follow her on IG @carolynelliott_

I love working with parents because it gives us, as adults, the opportunity to revisit our own nervous systems and learn which parts haven't fully developed. Which parts still hurt from our own wounds with our parents? Our children give us the opportunity to get triggered into those sensations and they can become our greatest teachers.We chat about how important it is for the parent to become embodied before we can even bring safety and regulation to our children. When we become embodied, we notice and feel our own capacity, our own triggers, and our own childhood wounds that can get easily projected onto our children.BIOAnna is a holistic parent coach. Her parenting approach embodies the truth that every person, including every child, is a whole being of mind, body, and spirit; and thus should be incorporated into parenting.After going through a spiritual awakening and facing her own shadows, Anna became aware of the cycle of generational trauma she was caught in. She is now breaking this cycle as a step-parent, and is helping others see the role generational trauma plays in traditional parenting, and how in using a holistic, conscious approach, parents can break this cycle and give children what they didn't get from their parents and parent-figures. She provides free content on her Instagram @the.holistic.parent and offers 1:1 coaching. She also has an online course that is financially accessible and is available world-wide, guiding healing amongst families in learning this new paradigm of raising children and breaking the cycle.

In this episode, I speak about my upcoming album titled Songs From The Land & a special ancestral & somatic healing ritual that I'm offering to the public.Through these 10 songs, my body awakened to many things. My relationship to the land & my body being the most profound. They took me through an 11 year journey of decolonizing which, for me, is removing the act of being in dominance over something and, instead, becoming in relationship with something. A journey I have only just begun.This personal experience has inspired me to find a way to honor and produce this album, while weaving the wisdom of what these songs and this land I live on (Esopus territory in what we call Woodstock) has taught me.I've created a special pre-order package for $100 which includes shipping. Each order will get you the signed 12" vinyl, a bundle of hand picked herbs for burning in our ritual, a 2-hour Zoom healing ritual, and a 25% donation to the Center for Native Peoples & the Environment.I am limiting this to 100 packages so that I can afford to produce the album into vinyl and donate $2500 to this center that I very much believe in. Those of you who purchase it will receive the digital files of the songs shortly after, as well as a monthly email with videos from me to prompt you into doing the somatic work in preparation for our ritual, which will be held in October.The ritual will be 2 hours long via Zoom and we will weave the wisdom from our bodies & our ancestors in a collective way to be witnessed, released, and shared.I am so excited for this! To purchase one of the 100 packages, please visit my bandcamp page here.

I saw Mira's Ted Talk about "Why Not Me?" and I was instantly hooked. I'm so attracted to people who find a way to use everything that comes their way - everything - for their own healing, gratitude, and life.I reached out to Mira because she lives by the Arabic word llhamdella, which means "I'm thankful for everything" and she means everything. Mira was born in Egypt and grew up during a war in Beirut, the capitol of Lebanon, where bombs were dropped.  Her grandmother, who lived in Palestine,  lost her home, yet they all continued to live by, and say, llhamdella.What is the wisdom in radical gratitude? First, it keeps our biology healthy. Our physical bodies breathe deep, remain opened, and can transmute charge and stress quite easily through our bodies. This keeps the mind open, and it also keeps the body in a state of safety. Even when our outside world is very unsafe.Mira is a beautiful example of how gratitude keeps us whole and allows us to be more abundant, generous, and open to life. She also reminds us how growing up with great co-regulators (parents in this case) make all the difference. This is why someone can see a scary movie when they're 4 and emerge with more trauma than Mira, who experienced actual violence.There's so much wisdom and beauty in this episode. I'm very grateful for Mira sharing herself so that I can now share this with you.Llhamdella.BIOMira Kaddoura is founder of Red & Co., a female & minority owned boutique consultancy that helps brands make a larger, more meaningful impact on society. Red&Co. created “Made with Code,” one of Google’s most important initiatives to diversify the tech industry & Netflix’s lauded brand campaign, “Make Room,” that positioned Netflix as a champion of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Red & Co.'s clients also have included lululemon, New Belgium Brewing, adidas, Planned Parenthood, Diageo and most recently Babyganics.Mira is an Egyptian-born Lebanese Palestinian fluent in Arabic, French and English. Her passions are her family, her mindful practices & learning to cook her mamas love-filled food. She sees nature as her greatest teacher. She’s most proud to be raising three multicultural, multiracial and multilingual daughters.Her recent TEDx Talk “How women can change the world by asking ‘Why not me?’,” shares a lot of her thoughts on the world. In 2019, Mira was awarded Ad Age’s “Women to Watch" & Adweek’s “Creative 100” and Portland Advertising Federation’s “Ad Person of the Year”. Her work has also won Cannes Lions, TED’s Ads Worth Spreading, D&AD Pencils, Effies, Clios, Communications Arts and Webbys.She is also known for her conceptual interactive art projects that challenge rigid cultural assumptions around feminism & biology as well as projects that highlight the media’s control on what we think is our individual Point of View. Her philanthropic efforts include, but are not limited to, sitting on the board of Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Dubai Institute of Design & Innovation and 600 & Rising a non-profit & advocacy group whose mission is to dismantle systemic racism & advocate for Black talent in advertising and public relations.You can follow her at @mirakaddoura on Instagram.

This episode explores the pain & beauty of being different. I met Carolyn on IG and we had a good old fashioned phone call which was so connecting and gorgeous that I wanted to have her on my podcast.Carolyn embodies my personal philosophy and belief system: allow your pain to teach you so that you can teach others. We focus on the topic of racial & cultural trauma, however anyone can relate to the experience of "something is wrong with me", but not all of us find freedom from that belief. When we do, skies the limit!Carolyn reminds me that we walk with our ancestors and we carry many lands, stories, and strengths within our bones. When we heal our trauma, our bodies, our hearts, and our minds open so that we can fully receive these gifts of past and present.BIOCarolyn Waiters Carter has served 27 years in the fields ofHuman Services, Non Profit Management, and ProjectManagement, including Decades of experience in Training andDevelopment, Program Design,, Community Economic, andWorkforce Development, Disaster Recovery, HousingRevitalization, Youth Development, and Racial Healing,Reconciliation and Equity.Carolyn is currently using her intuitive ability, passion for healing,personal development, beauty, justice, with her decades ofdiverse experiences and skills,  towards  self mastery coaching, self healing resourcing, ,focused towards supporting, nurturingand facilitating people, communities, and organizations indiscovery and activation of their highest self.Carolyn can be reached by phone at 504-505-5528 or email her at metamorphosis1@bellsouth.net. You can also follow her on IG @lunabloom4u

Music was the force that connected me back to myself. It was my Kintsugi - the Japanese art of putting broken bowls back together with gold. I was broken from trauma and the vibrations of music brought my back into my body and taught me capacity and, essentially, transmutation of energy.On today's episode, I invited by dear friend Fredo Viola on to speak about using music to process trauma. He is an accomplished composer, singer, and performer who's newest album releases on April 9th, 2021. This particular album, titled My New Head, is truly about transmuting pain into beauty & I use it as a compass for this discussion.You can purchase his album on vinyl, or digitally, at  http://mynewhead.com.BIOFredo Viola is a singer, composer and audio visual artist living in the United States.  He studied film making at Tisch School fo the Arts and released his first full-length album with experimental videos to great acclaim in France and England in 2008.  For more info about Fredo’s latest album, My New Head, go to http://mynewhead.com.  More info about Fredo’s projects can be found at http://fredoviola.com

I was given a very unique name growing up: Luis Monroig Mojica III. I am the third generation of this name lineage and I never quite understood it until recently. Like a seed that sits dormant, waiting for nutrients. My name sat there out in the open waiting to be nourishing with curiosity and inquiry.Growing up, I would often ask what my name meant. I was visibly white but my name and soul were not. My grandfather and father would always say "Spanish Indian". This never made any sense because he came from Puerto Rico. So I would say "Which tribe?" and no one would answer. It was like an unthinkable question was asked.Then several years ago I received results from a DNA test that said I my Latino DNA came from Indigenous Puerto Rico & North Africa: Los Tainos y Los Guanches peoples. Amazing! So many confirmations came flooding in. My affinity for the tropics, my pagan nature, and my deeply profound connection to Native American culture.Since then, I've been connecting with friends, elders, and scholars around these first peoples and learning more about them - my ancestors. This episode is part of that journey.I welcome Akutu (Grandmother) Irka Mateo to tell me about her journey of reclaiming her indigenous Taino heritage in a world that claimed it had gone extinct. She shares that story, her own wisdom, traditions, and a very powerful medicine song.Let this be a reminder to us all: we're all indigenous to somewhere. Your heritage can unlock some profound body wisdom and gift you with a compass to navigate yourself with. This does not create "tribalism" as a way to separate from one another. Instead, it shows us how alike we all our as we are all children of the same mother, Earth, and because of that we are all related.BIOAkutu Irka is a Taino medicine woman (bohutio), ceremonialist, singer-songwriter, and teacher. She practices animism and ancestors’ reverence in the tradition of Caribbean and South American indigenous spirituality. Guided by her compassionate spirit guides, Irka conducts the healing ceremonies through spontaneous sacred chanting and the playing of Taino ancestral instruments, such as the Mayowakan (drum), rattles, and playing Pre-Hispanic ceramic whistles – replicas of which she makes herself. For more information on Irka, you can visit her at:https://sacredtainohealing.com/http://irkamateo.com/

Today's episode is about one woman's journey to reconnect with her indigenous roots. Like Kai says in this episode: our bodies are our ancestors. Our bodies carry their stories: traumas and triumphs. Oral traditions once passed down those stories so we had context of why our bodies do what they do and why we express certain behaviors and patterns.Kai grew up in America seeing images of Filipino children living in poverty - the only representation she saw. Until, one day, she saw an image of a Filipina woman in a magazine who looked powerful, wise, and radiant. So she decided to go find her.Kai embarked on a journey to the Philippines and traveled through the mountains to connect with this woman, get tattooed by her and begin the journey of reconnecting to her indigenous heritage to heal her own trauma & connect more deeply to the Earth.BIOAngelica “Kai” Bautista was born in 1979 on Tongva land post colonially renamed Los Angeles, California. She is the youngest daughter of Filipinx parents from Pampanga and Balanga, Philippines. Having roots from a land with a complex history of colonization and untold genocide by multiple nations including  Spain, the US, and Japan, there was a wide disconnection from her identity. Kai found herself digging into her ancestry after reading about an elder named Whang Od Oggay,  who was the last Mambatok (hand tap tattooer) from the Butbut tribe in the mountains of Luzon, Philippines. Prior to this, she had no idea that there were still indigenous tribes from her ancestral land. Kai has backpacked and traveled extensively for the past 20 years and has naturally found herself with healers, priestesses, curanderas, and shamans within the mountains, jungles, lakes, coasts, etc. of the world. It was not until 2016 that  she traveled back to her roots in the Philippines, as an adult, in order to get tattooed and meet her idol Whang Od Oggay in the mountain village of Buscalan. Since then she went  back to learn indigenous medicine  and is now a Binabaylan (One who walks the path of the Babaylan). A Babaylan is a pre-colonial shaman, healer, mystic, and warrior. She is an energy worker  and reiki vessel who understands the spectrum of life and death after four death and near death experiences. She is a shadow and root worker who delights in helping people move dense blockages within the psyche, spirit, emotional and physical body. My personal IG is @Angelikai11 and my e-mail is KaiStillWild@gmail.com

Trauma is when events so big, so scary, and so overwhelming cause a reaction in the body the breaks us off from ourselves. Trauma is an inevitable rupture we must all experience throughout our lives. When those ruptures repair, we are left with deep wisdom and insight into life. We are given new perceptions, have more resilience & capacity in our bodies, and often emerge with more gratitude for life - even the trauma.My guest today shares how the journey of fertility and the desire to become a mother ended up teaching her so much about herself & her own unresolved traumas. For instance, realizing how poorly she mothered herself for most of her life and how this would become a priority before she could expect herself to mother someone else.BIOTheresa is a Health and Life Coach who loves helping others heal, dream and thrive. She's founder of Anahata, a community based organization centered on healing, and host of the radio show and podcast, "i want what SHE has." As long as she's practiced her self care for the day, she also makes time to organize the City of Kingston's Heal Well Focus Team, serve as a member of Ulster County's Restorative Justice Task Force and uplift as a member of the Girls' Inc. of Ulster and Dutchess Counties Advisory Committee. And she sends a big hug to all those wanting to be mamas. You can do it!

Healing intergenerational trauma is nuanced, unique, and personal. No two people will do it the same way. Vincent has found a pathway to ancestral, intergenerational, and cultural-collective trauma through the process of transitioning.We speak about the spiritual experience of being transmasculine. The process, for Vincent, helped him balance his feminine and masculine energies into a place that's become more authentic, ambiguous, and free to be whatever feels natural.I alway say that nature is androgynous. How could it not be? Our biologies are on thing, but the energies that move through our biologies are an entirely different creature. A creature that cannot be tamed, regardless of how hard we may try.BIOVincent Frano is a primarily self-taught, queer artist. His works are autobiographical accounts from his daily life; where domesticity, nature, and science are all manifestations and reflections of spirituality. Frano’s work explores a series of visual languages that evolve with time. Each piece expresses his understanding of Life through an innate animistic view.You can learn more about Vincent & his work by visiting: https://www.vincentfrano.com

Today's episode welcomes Holly Howard who is a business consultant, music therapist, and founder of Ask Holly How. Her work is unorthodox, radical, and powerfully transformative. I wanted to have her on because she believes that one's business is an extension of their own psyche and body.Holly speaks about the term "scarcity supremacy". She sees white supremacy as an extension of this - and I agree. In America, we can see it in our history everywhere. Our original flight response from Europe was steeped in threat and, I believe, that trauma response just got projected into slavery, classism, sexism, and any other kind of phobic othering that we've seen in the massive cultural & collective traumas throughout our history and present day.Still, how do those trauma responses affect our businesses? How do we create a more bio-diverse experience in our business? From our employees & customer base to the our sourcing of materials - so much depends on how secure am I within myself?Holly answers some of these questions and introduces her holistic, avant-garde business philosophies to us in this episode. Holly is not on social media, yet she has a very successful business. To learn from her, sign up for her newsletter at https://www.askhollyhow.com. 

Today I welcome back April Harter to speak about racism being  a branch of narcissism. It is important to go back and listen to previous episodes I've recorded with April. In this order:Episode 5 & 6: Racism Recovery: Healing Racism Through The Lens Of Trauma Episode 16: Narcissism Comes From Unprocessed Trauma Her concepts, philosophies, and approach to narcissism & racism are very pioneering. There's no one else really talking about this the same way she is. Specifically how she, as a black woman, finds compassion for racists and narcissists because she understands that they both stem from trauma and social learning.In this episode, we speak freely about her understanding of racism being a relational addiction and, in that, a form of narcissism. The racist is addicted to using the other race to feel better about themselves. From that place, they are soothed. This is part of what's been taught and passed down through the centuries in America.For more information on April's work, please visit her at https://www.narcissismrecoverycenter.com.

Today's episode is probably my favorite of all time. I speak with Claudia Serrato who is, among many other things, a womb ecologist & indigenous culinary anthropologist. We speak about reawakening our  bodies with ancestral foods from our heritage, as well as wild foods ancient to the lands that we currently reside on. We speak about decolonizing our bodies and minds through our diets. We also talk about decolonizing the taste buds of our children as they develop in the womb.The foundation of our conversation is about honoring our land through food. We both agree that, through honoring our land, we become aware of our connection to all living things and we lose the social constructs of classism, racism, sexism, and any other concepts that separate us.BIOClaudia Serrato is a  womb ecologist, indigenous culinary anthropologist, chef, professor, mother, & co-founder of Across Our Kitchen Tables.  She is a Xicana woman living on Tongva land in what we call Los Angeles, CA.To connect with Claudia, and stay updated about her important work, you can follow her on Instagram @xicana_indigena or by visiting https://www.instagram.com/xicana_indigena/

On today's episode, I welcome back Karen Hurd to teach us about dairy & how it affects the body. Personally, I have linked all of my childhood illnesses to dairy. I had high cholesterol, was 50 pounds overweight, suffered from debilitating asthma, and had really painful cystic acne all over my face, neck and back.Medications suppressed the symptoms for me, which offered some relief, but they did not go away until I removed dairy from my diet when I was around 18. I am 33 now and I have none of these conditions anymore. They've all completely reversed.So I had Karen on to tell me what dairy was doing to my body and why so many of us will find relief from inflammation, auto-immune conditions, and chronic illness just by removing dairy from our diets.For more information on Karen's work, visit her website at http://www.karenhurd.com/.

In this episode, I bring my colleagues back for a roundtable discussion about vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma is when your body experiences someone else's trauma. This can happen through media, witnessing horror in person, or while listening to someone recount a traumatic event. Vicarious trauma is especially common for therapists and medical professionals.Some things we discuss are:- The difference between somatic empathy & vicarious trauma.- How to physically notice when you're becoming overwhelmed by a person or event.- How we, as therapists, maintain our center while holding space for trauma.If you're interested in working with, or contacting, any of the therapists from this discussion you can find their info below:Linda Dukess: http://www.lindabernsteintherapy.com/Alexis Katz: https://www.alexiskatzlcsw.com/Laurie Robbins: http://www.robbinscounseling.com/Daniel Schidlowsky: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daniel-schidlowsky-kingston-ny/342788

On today's episode, I speak with three men (Michael, Danny, & Todd) about what it was like to grow up with the pressure of the masculine archetype. Through embracing the feminine, we found balance and restored our natural, authentic way. I wanted to record this special, 2 hour sacred conversation about our experiences in hopes to give others a reference of what it looks like when men come together, talk about their truest feelings and experiences, and create space that is receptive, loving, and healing.So often, men are characterized and pigeon-holed into specific roles that limit our full selves. I've held space for many men in my practice and in men's circles and hear the same stories over and over again about the desire to be more feminine, more balanced, and engage in intimacy and affection with other men.The father wound runs deep in most of us because they grew up without a compass for being an integrated man, and so we're left with society's story about men. The rockstar, the superhero, the knight in shining armor - cinematic drag kings depicting one aspect of maleness, masculinity, and power & magnifying as the normal standard of male.So, as we come into our male bodies, we fall short in comparison and experience a ton of shame and competition. Our male peers, going through the same pressures, project their own pain onto the boys who are the most unusual, the most feminine, and the most vulnerable.The healing comes from the non-binary. Not being masculine, or feminine. Instead, letting those words show up as energy that comes, that goes, and that shape shifts, rather than attaching these polarities to our identities and having to live up to one while we suppress the other.BIOSMichael MillerMichael is a student of embodiment, singing, Kirtan, somatic coaching, shamanism, energy healing, and life. Through Bhakti and Vocal Coaching he supports others to discover their True Voice and live wild, passion-driven lives. Michael currently resides in Topanga, CA where he enjoys spending his free time in nature, singing, creating music, writing, and practicing Kung Fu. You can find out more about his Bhakti and Vocal coaching work at: https://www.michaelpatrickmiller.com/Daniel KerryDaniel is a stay at home dad, a mentor for men in 12 step recovery, and a life coach. Currently, his focus is parenting but he is very open to hear from you if you'd like to reach him. You can do so by emailing him at danielseankerry@gmail.com .Todd NickensTodd J. Nickens is a screenwriter, Director and graphic novelist. A Brooklyn native, Todd received his Master’s Degree in Media Studies from The New School. He was a 2016 quarterfinalist in the Cynosure Feature Competition for his screenplay Pump & Punishment. Todd is a member of Origins Films: a writer’s collective for artists of color. Todd is currently working on his latest screenplay, entitled: Heavy Metal: Isis, as well as developing his screenplay, Daku Ronin, into an animated feature film. You can contact him by emailing him at brooklyngaffer77@gmail.com.

Meghan Fisher is my guest on this very special episode. I found Meghan's work on Instagram and was immediately taken by it. She started a personal project of shadow expression & integration which she called Chronicles Of A Sasquatch. Images & videos of her in this sasquatch outfit followed with deep, meaningful, and confessional texts. I loved it and wanted her to come onto my podcast to talk about the process.The first part of this episode is an interview with her about her shadow work and sasquatch expressions. The second part, is a somatic therapy session between her and I where her body takes us through the forgotten memories that its still holding onto, as well as how those stored moments are currently showing up in her life.For more information on Meghan, you can visit her Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/meghanalexisrose/. 

This interview came after my scheduled guest had to cancel last minute. I put out a call asking for others to write me their stories of transforming trauma into wisdom. Nicole was the first to write, and her story is a continuation of last week's story: addiction born from unprocessed childhood trauma & the desperation to find safety. This time, it's from a woman's perspective.Nicole Garvey shares her story for the first time, ever, about how unprocessed sexual childhood trauma began expressing itself through multiple extramarital affairs. The thing we must always remember about trauma is that it gets stored in the body so, even when we forget it or intellectually identify it, the body continues to cycle and express itself similar to how it experienced trauma in the first place. This is the case with Nicole's experience.Nicole's experience also teaches us that, once we integrate and release our trauma, we become empowered by it, more wise because of it, and so much more empathic & compassionate from it. She now has this gift from her experience to offer safe space, unconditional empathy, and guidance to those who cross paths with her or work with her as clients. How lucky for all of them, and how lucky for me to have gotten to sit down with her.BIONicole Garvey is a LPC-Associate living in East Texas with her husband and three children. She is passionate about guiding clients through the process of self-discovery by utilizing a bottom-up approach of befriending the body to heal the mind. Her personal journey has poised her to understand and treat the complexities of trauma, including but not limited to: sexual abuse, addiction, anxiety disorders, infidelity, motherhood, spiritual abuse, eating disorders, and PTSD. If her story has touched you and you would like to reach out to her, you can find here on Instagram @Nicole.Garvey.counseling .

Today's episode explores the somatic experience behind pornography addiction. Like most addictions, porn addiction is a desperation to find predictable safety. It stems from a childhood, particularly during puberty, of developing without consistent co-regulation. For men, it can be the secret password to be accepted into the club of men. I invite Benjamin Obler to this episode. Ben experienced pornography addiction that grew so powerful that it became a wedge between him and his wife - as well as a wedge between him and himself. I had the pleasure of working with Ben for a while. What inspired me about Ben was his very balanced masculinity. This is not a man who is toxic in his expression of manliness. He is well read, articulate, perfectly feminine, and balanced in being, both, tender and firm. He breaks the stereotype for porn addicts. He brings a childhood history of trauma to the table, yet we only discussed a small fraction of it in this episode. Ben's experiences, male role models, and what he believed about himself growing up led him to not feel safe with other human beings. The fear of rejection, the freeze of fear, and the isolation of shame consumed him. Pornography was a realm he could exist in, safely, freely, and find predictable comfort and regulation.It has very little to do with sex or sexuality and everything to do with trying to find safety and security. As someone with my own history of sex addiction, I understand this and I welcome you to this episode and ask you to join in with an open mind, open heart, and open body so you can feel what it brings up for you. Notice where you connect, where you get triggered, and where you get inspired.BIOBenjamin Obler is a writer, editor and teacher. He wrote the novel Javascotia, from Penguin Book UK. His short story “The White Man’s Incredulity Furrows His Brow” won the short fiction prize with Puerto Del Sol in 2015. His essays have appeared in the Guardian, Longreads, Electric Literature, and the Times of London. He teaches with Gotham Writers Workshop of New York City and other outlets. Find him at:https://www.aspiringwritersyndrome.com/https://www.instagram.com/aspiringwritersyndrome/https://aspiringwritersyndrome.medium.com/

This is a beautiful episode, recorded on the day before Winter Solstice about the life-giving qualities of death. The inevitable transformation into the unknown that we all must experience. I spoke with Murphy Robinson & Jamie Waggoner who bring an insightful and unique conversation about death to the episode. We speak about how to die well, what death means to us, and the life force that is present even in death.To work with Muphy & Jamie, or to see their offerings, please visit the following links:Murphy's Website: http://www.mountainsongexpeditions.com/Jamie's Website:  https://www.jamiewaggoner.com/Jamie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmwaggonerJamie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pythiaofthepines/Current Online Class: http://www.mountainsongexpeditions.com/wayoftheweaver.htmlIn this episode I refer to Episode 17: Using Grief To Transform Your Life w/ Loren Michelle. In that episode, Loren shares about how she changed her life and found a deeper life force and meaning through the grief from the sudden death of her son. I strongly recommend listening after you hear this episode.The episode ends with my song "Black Magick" off of my upcoming album Songs From The Land. It captures the moment in my life when I first moved to Woodstock, NY. I met a Lakota & Cherokee two-Spirit man who gifted me a handful of Barred Owl feathers. I braided the feathers into my hair and this song came through me, all at once, about the sacred mountain (originally home to the Esopus tribe of the Lenape people) I lived and walked on. The song will be available on September 20th, 2021 when the record is released. You can sign up to be notified by email here, if you'd like.BIOSMurphy Robinson is a priestx, wilderness guide, activist, and a student of the sacred hunt. They have been casting circles since they were sixteen years old, and have taught both magic and wilderness skills across the US, and occasionally in Ireland and Sweden. They have pursued special study of spirit journeying, the Norse runes, archery as a magical practice, and meaningful rituals to honor the animals and plants who die to feed us.  Their work often serves The Huntress and The Lord of the Dead. As a queer transmasculine priestx, they explore healthy and healing ways to reclaim the sacred masculine. Jamie Waggoner is a priestess whose interests center around folk magic, mythology, oracular traditions, trance and ritual arts, and building sacred communities. She believes that magic is real, present all around us, and a profound tool for justice and transformation. Jamie trained as a priestess with the Sisterhood of Avalon for thirteen years, and now leads independent workshops and rituals across the United States. Jamie lives in Alabama, the ancestral homeland of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) people.

Today's conversation is around the topic of healing through Astrology & the planets themselves. I was drawn to interview Britten because of her experience with finding safety with the Moon and then creating a workbook out of her experience for others to follow in her footsteps. We chat about the Moon, co-regulation, healing through Astrology, and the androgyny that is nature & the universe.About BrittenBritten LaRue is an intuitive life coach, writer, and teacher. Blending astrology, the tarot, somatic healing techniques, and deep self-inquiry, Britten helps clients deprogram from unhelpful conditioning and hear their own truth. With a long background in academia, Britten brings the rigor of her training to the wisdom of her life experience, including grief, trauma, addiction, motherhood, sexuality, and divorce. To Work With HerVisit https://brittenlarue.com or follow her on Instagram @brittenlarue.

Today's guest is wise woman herbalist Lata Kennedy. Lata grew up in India and left home when she was just 16 to escape from a traumatic environment. Becoming very poor, she quickly turned to the Earth's wild foods & medicines to find a sense of belonging, security, and a skill that she could use to offer in exchange for food.Quickly, Lata began healing her body, healing her trauma, and creating a deep connection to the world around her through the use of wild herbs as medicine. She moved to NYC and opened a small herb shop called Flower Power, which is thriving 30 years later. She uses her shop to serve her community, educate people about herbs, and create a safe, magical space in a very crowded, industrial NYC to help people connect back to the Earth.I am very grateful to Lata for being my wife's herbal teacher and mentor, and then my wife taught me. We get to continue the lineage of herbal healing through educating our daughter, and my wife's new herb shop Artemis Rising gets to serve our community in Woodstock, NY. This is just one of many herb shops and healing centers that have been created from Lata's students. Every day people looking to heal themselves and connect to the land, stumbling into an old apothecary in the East Village and being changed for life. Like the mother dandelion, Lata's generosity & wisdom have spread all over the world.For more information on Flower Power, please visit:Website: https://flowerpower.net/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerpower_nyc/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowerpowerherbs

On this episode, I speak with Patric Mwalua who is the founder of the Mwalua Wildlife Trust. His organization was started with, as he says, "pennies in his pocket", when he began transporting water to endangered animals at the Tsavo Sanctuary in Kenya. His Water is Life Truck is an ongoing supply of water to water points in the wildlife areas. The delivery of water with this truck can be essential to the survival of wildlife in times of drought and helps mitigate wildlife conflict with surrounding villages as it reduces the instances of animals destroying property in search of water.His organization is involved in community projects that include planting trees to heal deforestation, building water catchment systems to store the rainwater when it comes, community gardens for the families in the area to create food security, & ongoing work to sustain the future of his community.Patric and I spoke about the sacredness of water, how empathy gave birth to his organization, and reminded me about the true spirit of generosity.Make A Donationhttps://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mwtwaterfundforanimals?utm_term=Vq6ADgNdZFollowhttps://www.instagram.com/mwaluawildlife/https://www.facebook.com/mwaluawildlifetrust/Official Websitehttps://www.mwaluawildlifetrust.org/

I, like many other children, was diagnosed in the 90s with ADHD, nervous ticks, & Tourette's Syndrome. The doctors wanted to put me on an anti-psychotic that would have had nearly catatonic effects. Lucky for me, my mother was a nurse and said "hell no!". So I began learning mindfulness, with the help of my mother, at the age of 9 and further managed and healed my diagnoses with whole food nutrition, herbal therapy, and somatic therapy for the unconscious trauma I was holding.I invited Shannon Myers to chat with me about her work, her story, and how she assesses, treats, and works with ADHD. She visits and educates the entire family on their relationship dynamics, food habits, environment, and any lifestyle habits that would contribute to overwhelming the nervous system.In addition, she assesses whether or not the individual is experiencing trauma or an actual brain imbalance. Most of the time, it's trauma that's misdiagnosed as something else. This means that we over medicate our systems when they really need to be nourished.To work with Shannon, please visit her website https://theintegrativecounselor.com/ or follow her on Instagram @the.integrative.counselor.

This episode finds me in another group discussion with my 3 colleagues about co-regulation. Co-regulation is the event of attuning to another system that makes you feel safe. Essentially meaning: my body feels safe with your body.We talk about how co-regulation is the foundation for self-regulation, healthy relationships, and feeling safe with others in the world. For more information on my guests, please visit their links below.Alexis Katz: https://www.alexiskatzlcsw.com/Daniel Schidlowsky: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daniel-schidlowsky-kingston-ny/342788Laurie Robbins: http://www.robbinscounseling.com/

Today I interview Chelsea Goodwin & Rusty Moore. They are both little slices of history for the transgender movement. Both activists who founded Transy House  in 1995 to give housing to transgender people who needed safe space. Transy House eventually closed in 2008. I was happy to speak with them about their journeys in coming out, their recounts of trans and LGBTQI history, as well as a myriad of other realms, eccentricities, and landscapes living in Chelsea's mind.To listen to Chelsea's radio show, In Goth We Trust, go to http://www.facebook.com/ingothwetrustshow.

In this episode, I speak about the difference between empathy & being an Empath. Being empathic means the lifelong practice of understanding everyone. Being and Empath is the experience of feeling everyone.The untrained Empath, so to speak, is in a constant physical state of overwhelm. They may avoid people altogether. And this experience of physically feeling people's energies to the detriment of one's own body is a response to unprocessed trauma.That trauma doesn't have to mean abuse or even childhood issues. It can mean birth trauma and trauma while developing in the womb, which I speak about in this episode.Healing trauma and creating safety in the body sets up the necessary environment to practice unconditional empathy and allows the Empath to learn the difference between what's mine and what's yours.I reference Mark Wolynn's book titled It Didn't Start With You, which poignantly explores the phenomenon of inter-generational trauma. You can find more on  his work here: https://www.markwolynn.com/.

Unique Hammond is my guest on today's episode. She suffered for many years from Crohn's, which literally stripped all the joy from her life. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, and couldn't even be touched because her skin was so sensitive.Then, Karen Hurd's work found her and she implemented the Bean Protocol. Within weeks she began healing what had been many years of illness. She went on to learn how the way she was showing up to her life was throwing her body and mind out of balance.The first step was healing her body, and the second was healing her mind. Unique is now a practicing holistic nutritionist, a bean protocol coach, and author of the book "Your Taste Buds Are Assholes". For more information on her work, visit: www.youregreat.com or follow her on Instagram @uniquehammond.

Today I have Karen Hurd back on the show to talk all about adrenaline. This unavoidable, absolutely vital hormone that we need to live. Our modern world and industrialized food system has made it very easy for us to overtax our adrenals and create more adrenaline.And what does that mean for the body? Inflammation, digestive upset, anxiety, emotional imbalances & activating trauma responses are just a few things that will be set off by excess adrenaline.Karen Hurd walks us through the biochemistry of adrenaline on the body and how we can begin helping our bodies heal & repair from all the stimulation.For more information on Karen, as well as her courses, please visit www.karenhurd.com.

Kounthea (Koon-tear) Richards is a coach, mother, and wise woman who was propelled into a major transformation in the midst of overwhelming illness & trauma.A lupus diagnosis changed her life when she was in her early thirties. She was slowly becoming crippled, was hospitalized on several occasions, and suffered a miscarriage. She was beginning to realize that, despite her holistic way of living, her thinking and her feeling needed more work.Unprocessed childhood trauma and 30 years of repressing her emotions are what Kounthea began to identify as the root of her deadly auto-immune disease. So she began feeling, began crying, and began working with her thinking.And then something miraculous happened: she went into remission and has been ever since. I spoke with Kounthea about how her trauma and suffering led her to know and experience herself much more deeply.To work with Kounthea, please visit: https://www.kounthearichards.com or follow her on Instagram @kounthea_richards.

Grief is the somatic experience of overwhelming love & overwhelming loss hitting the body at once. This episode explores Loren Michelle's story of grief. A story that is radical, unusual, yet deeply moving & inspiring.Her story is about the death of her son & acclaimed professional skateboarder Pablo Ramirez on April 23rd 2019. Loren was a client of mine at the time. Our work, which was originally about balancing her work/life identity, was quickly propelled into something much deeper: giving herself permission to do whatever the fuck she wanted to do.To her surprise, it was adopting a lot of what her son did: skateboarding, graffiti, chopping off her hair and bleaching it, and selling her company. From the outside, some might think Loren was having a breakdown or regressing. However, she was and is more alive than ever before.She went on to create the Pablo Ramirez Foundation which, as the website states, "promotes a positive lifestyle through skateboarding, music and art for kids and young adults. We are devoted to helping youth grow positively and with confidence, to create, to respect and to express themselves."For more information, and to donate, please visit www.pabloramirez.org. You can also follow Loren on Instagram @mammasplifff.

Narcissism, at its root, means to numb. April Harter is redefining this term from being someone who is self-obsessed & arrogant to something much more complex and nuanced. April Harter is a therapist that works with people to heal their racism and other narcissistic tendencies. She specializes in narcissism and has come to understand it as a result of childhood trauma, particularly involving attachment securities. Secure attachment is a fancy way of saying that one could rely on their guardians to feel safe, seen, and loved while growing up. Narcissism, as April understands it, is a direct result of someone with relational trauma who didn't get to develop safety and self-regulation within themselves while growing up.This is why she sees narcissistic behavior as something that can be healed if the person is willing to do the work at processing and healing stuck trauma, because once you are safe and comfortable to feel your discomfort, then you simply do not need numbing behaviors anymore.For more information on April's work, visit her at https://www.narcissismrecoverycenter.com/ or on IG @narcissismrecoverycenter.

Gail Morrison, aka Gaiamore, is an artist, eco-therapist and teacher of earth-based spiritual practices. I had her on to share her personal journey with us, how her journey to listen to her body when it was full of cancer led her to the Earth-based practices.In this episode we discuss paganism, co-regulating in nature, and she leads me in a short but powerful divination session with a tree in NYC's Greenwich Village.For more information on the Earth Deck, consultations, & readings please visit www.naturedivination.com.Visit Gaiamore on Facebook: www.facebook.com/naturedivination.Email Gaiamore at: gaiamoore00@gmail.com

Dr. Amber McZeal is a gift to the world. A writer, vocalist, sacred scholar, and activist she utilizes sound therapy and guided somatic imagery to engage the knowledge of the body. She is a pioneer, and inventor, of the process that she calls "Decolonizing The Psyche". In this episode, we speak about how our psyches became colonized and how we can begin to decolonize them, returning to a sacred center of self that respects the "other" as different in expression, but same in Spirit. We speak about race as a construct for division, a myth. Something to understand so we can unlearn it and redevelop our brains and bodies so that we can show up to our world with greater compassion and respect for our fellow human beings.To quote Amber: "We humans have the same desires & needs, but different cultural manifestations".Amber's work: https://decolonizingthepsyche.com/Join Amber's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/817992224926466Read about Resmaa and his book: https://www.resmaa.com/Join Karine Bell's "Somatic Abolitionism":  https://www.rootedandembodied.com/

Today's episode features Dr. Carolyn Elliott, creator & author of the transformative work that she calls "Existential Kink". It is a radical practice of shifting your energy of disgust into pure turn on.Turn on, in this case, being quite expansive: genital turn on, happiness, full body light-up - essentially transforming a negative charge into a positive one. Transforming how the body experiences situations so that everything can actually work for you, not against you.Carolyn discovered this work out of her own suffering. Addicted to heroin, poor, and in an abusive relationship she noticed how, unconsciously, her body and mind were loving the very things that she consciously claimed to hate or not want in her life anymore.As a Somatic Therapist, I love her work. It is the essence of how I work with the body. Noticing where we hold and constrict around energy and, slowly, learning how to expand and move the energy to transform stress & trauma into vitality. I find Carolyn's work to be a compliment to trauma healing. It may not be for everyone, but those courageous enough to try it will have lots of fun and, possibly, faster results than just straight up talk therapy.To take one of Carolyn's courses, visit: www.carolyngraceelliott.com.To get her new book Existential Kink, visit: www.existentialkink.com

Today's episode is a discussion with Natalie Ross. She is the co-founder of the collective Earth Speak, which offers a beautiful virtual community that includes monthly meetings, videos, and podcasts that all serve as resources for connecting to yourself more holistically and with the Earth in mind.I interviewed her after a quote I read of hers that said "Judgement is the death of intuition". Have a listen.For more information on Natalie's collective, visit www.earthspeak.love.

We hear about how important it is to "have boundaries", but what does that even mean? We have to be able to feel our boundaries before we can ever express them. Can we have too many boundaries? What do boundaries have to do with racism? We explore it all in this episode where I am joined by 4 of my colleagues for a round table discussion about boundaries through the holistic lens of somatic therapy. If you feel inclined to reach out to anyone at the "table", feel free to contact them below.Linda Dukess: http://www.lindabernsteintherapy.com/Alexis Katz: https://www.alexiskatzlcsw.com/Laurie Robbins: http://www.robbinscounseling.com/Daniel Schidlowsky: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/daniel-schidlowsky-kingston-ny/342788

In this episode, I discuss the somatic exercise of finding safety in the body. Safety is the opposite of threat, and threat is the root cause of all trauma.Our bodies speak in sensations. Trauma & stress express themselves through constriction of the body. Where peace & safety express themselves through openness and relief in the body.This episode walks explains how we can find the safety in ourselves & create a practice of building upon it. At about 14 minutes in, I begin an embodiment meditation. Around 28 minutes in, I feature an 8 minute sound healing that was composed by Evan Glenn Adams (Emerald Light Sound Healing) to help you deepen into your state of safety and regulation even further.This work is the foundational practice of creating a regulated nervous system.To hear more of Emerald Light Sound Healing's work, visit: http://www.emeraldlightsoundhealing.com/

In this episode, I interview Dave Berger. He is one of my teachers and his work is deeply rooted in the physiology of trauma: how trauma shows up in the body. We speak about chronic pain, the need to relax around the constriction for healing, and how to become embodied so we can listen to our bodies before reacting to things and people.For more information on Dave's work, visit https://www.daveberger.net/.

Beans are the word! Karen Hurd is a strict whole food nutritionist that discovered the life-saving benefits of beans over 30 years ago when she used soluble fiber to save her 18 month old daughter's life. Her philosophies, education, and protocol have helped thousands and thousands of individuals heal from serious chronic disease, as well as boost the health of people living an already balanced life. I interviewed her to find out the science behind beans, debunk some common myths that might keep you from eating them, and she generously gave use a foundation of where to begin in our healing journeys with food. I review it all at the end because it's so much information.I have been on her protocol for about 6 weeks. It is the most accessible, simple, & inexpensive protocol I've ever been on, next to being macrobiotic. I lost 8 pounds, all of my bloating is gone, my skin looks beautiful, and my sense of clarity and sustained energy is quite unparalleled to where it's ever been before.Karen still maintains her private practice and, because her waiting list is endless, she has dozens of affordable, pre-recorded courses on her website. Visit www.karenhurd.com to get started.

Addiction is the result of not knowing how to find safety in yourself. So we go out into the world and find people, substances, and situations that make us feel safe. Then we become dependent on them. This is not a character flaw or a behavioral issue, it's a vulnerable experience as a result of childhood trauma. In this episode I am joined by David McNamara. David is a recovery coach, substance abuse counselor, filmmaker, Zen practitioner, & former cocaine addict. David is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, which led to a somatic experience of being "weak" and "disempowered". Cocaine reversed that sensation, helping him feel alive and powerful and he became dependent on it for over 20 years until he discovered meditation and began working on his childhood trauma somatically. In 2019, he founded Samadhi; a holistic recovery center based in Kingston, NY for those suffering from substance abuse and related disorders and addictions. All services are completely free. What a blessing!Anyone, anywhere in the world, can visit https://www.samadhiny.org and click on the "Calendar" tab. Right now, you can check out the site and discover endless resources from group work, to somatic therapy, to trauma-informed yoga. All for free, to help serve you in your journey to heal and be in touch with your whole, beautiful, and innocent self.

In this episode, I am joined by licensed psychotherapist & racism specialist April Harter. She is the founder of the Racism Recovery Center in Colorado. April is a black woman who provides services to white people who want to explore & heal their covert or overt racism. Yes, you read that right. April sees racism as a trauma response and, through healing her own racialized trauma, she's able to hold space for individuals & groups so that a major cause of racial trauma can be identified & healed: racism itself.This is second part of our 2.5 hour interview. If you haven't heard Part 1, do so first. In the second part of our conversation, April talks about the importance around creating intimate relationships with people of color & how easy it is to respond with defense mechanisms that are racist & completely covert.The takeaway? By not bypassing my own feelings around racism, I'm able to hold space for someone else's *experience* of racism without becoming defensive from a place of guilt and overwhelm. This is compassion, trust building, and how we can begin heal trauma between the races.For more information on April's work, visit https://www.racismrecoverycenter.com, or follow her on Instagram @racismrecoverycenter.

In this episode, I am joined by licensed psychotherapist & racism specialist April Harter. She is the founder of the Racism Recovery Center in Colorado. April is a black woman who provides services to white people who want to explore & heal their covert or overt racism. Yes, you read that right. April sees racism as a trauma response and, through healing her own racialized trauma, she's able to hold space for individuals & groups so that a major cause of racial trauma can be identified & healed: racism itself.Our interview was so deep and juicy (2.5 hours) that I broke it up into two parts. In this first part, we talk about everything from lineage traumas, white supremacy, poverty trauma, and the cultural traumas that all of our ancestors (of every ethnicity) experienced when leaving their lives for a new life in America.The takeaway for me? Work on your own capacity to hold your own trauma and you can be an authentic ally for anyone in need. In this case, white people exploring their own unresolved trauma so that they can physically & mentally show up to people of color, hear their stories, and provide an open heart vs. one of guilt, defense, or performative allyship. Through this, we heal our racist defense mechanisms and thinking. One by one, we can heal the racist systems as well.For more information on April's work, visit https://www.racismrecoverycenter.com, or follow her on Instagram @racismrecoverycenter.

Trauma is an internal event in response to a threat. It is vital for our survival. It's part of us and our lives and, as long we understand how to listen to it and use it, it doesn't have to run our lives. In this episode I explain what trauma is, how to tell when you're in a trauma response, & how we can release trauma from the body to restore vitality to our system and our lives.

This episode was recorded in my back garden. You can hear the birds and occasional car as the Sun was setting over the mountains. I had the pleasure of interviewing my wife, Aemen Bell, about her own healing journey, her herbal philosophies, and the many healing benefits of Yarrow. Yarrow is a common herb that is most likely growing right by your yard around in early Summer. It is a powerful herb that can clean the blood, heal skin conditions, and even be a possible ally for helping to heal the Coronavirus. For more info on Aemen's work, you can visit www.artemisrisingherbs.com or follow her on Instagram at aemen_bell.

This episode is about Fawning - what I call "The Fourth F" after fight, flight & freeze in response to threat, yet often the first one we use. Fawning is mistaken for "politeness" and "having manners", but it's actually a learned threat response. We fawn so that we can dissolve the physical discomfort held in our own bodies when we disappoint someone with our truth. This episode explains why we do it, what happens, and how to begin healing this body mechanism.

My experience of trauma is a unique one. I was born with a hormonal condition and I developed breasts in the 5th grade. Here I was; a boy with breasts. I was sexually assaulted, viciously bullied, & absolutely hated myself and my body.I coped with overeating, which led to a myriad of health complications. I had complex PTSD, Tourette Syndrome, high cholesterol, debilitating asthma, cystic acne, and I was 50 pounds overweight.A strange and surprising awakening occurred when I began writing music - and my healing journey began. I discovered herbs, whole foods, vegan nutrition, somatic therapy, and self-inquiry. All of which, over the course of 14 years, would completely heal my physical chronic illnesses and my mental and emotional trauma and shame.It's through that journey that I developed this unique holistic therapy that I call Holistic Life Navigation.