Luis and Psychologist Mackenzie Steiner dive deep into their own truths about minors surgically transitioning, who *actually* is trans, de-transition rates, how dysmorphia shows up in the brain, gender dysphoria, and gender affirming care options for children. 

They share wisdom and stories from their own individual experiences with body dysmorphia, and how they navigated the experience. Each opted for surgery as adults. The real gold is their respectful disagreement on if kids should be given gender affirming surgical procedures. In the end each still holds their same beliefs, but with a deeper understanding of why the other holds their opposing belief. 

You can read more about Mackenzie and her work here: https://naturesmosaictherapy.com/

You can listen to related episodes here:

[Ep. 225] "My Body Is Female, I'm Not": Using Somatics To Explore Gender w/ Quinn Silverleaf

[Ep. 261] "Ayahuasca Told Me To De-Transition" Born Female, Living As Male, Then Back To Female w/ Maddie Durbin

[Ep. 346] Kids + Dysphoria: It Doesn't Always Mean They're Trans

[Ep. 347] Let's Talk About Dysphoria In Kids

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Neurodivergent kids or teenagers often come home overwhelmed just from spending the day masking, or surviving the hormonal shifts. Directly engaging them often results in frustration. They need to rebuild their capacity from the day before they are resourced enough to engage with us. Let them disconnect and resource before initiating Parallel Co-Regulation. The goal of Parallel Co-Regulation is at least 15 minutes, no phone, no mining them for information, just doing a shared task together. 

Learn the practice and the nuance in our 6th month Embodied Slow Group starting October 6th. Find out more at
https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Stimulating foods loaded in sugar and carbs are everywhere, and especially advertised to our children. These foods cause spikes and dips in glucose which result in an adrenal response. This transforms nervous systems and brain chemistry, negatively impacting dopamine levels. Sometimes we call the result a tantrum, shutting down, or an inability to concentrate. 

We can change so much about a kid’s, or our own, lifestyle, but without a balanced diet the brain chemicals needed to focus and connect are simply not available. 

Luis drops his favorite balancing food options and his four favorite snacks to resource our kids, or ourselves. Chocolate is featured in one option. This is balance at its yummiest. 

You can watch the episode where Luis presents his glucose chart here: https://youtu.be/Y0YNZgXO1PE

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Luis gives us question-and-answer style examples of his upcoming six month Embodied Parenting Slow Group, starting October 6th. 

https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

Parents ask how to single parent, or co-parent with a sick partner, how to parent while sleep deprived without doing the "cry it out" method, and how to parent rebellious teens and siblings. And a big one: how do you regulate once in crisis mode? 

Capacity is key! Luis discusses nuances of each topic, and he gives a pendulation practice  to help build capacity. Balancing foods are also paramount in helping support our nervous systems to have capacity. Check out you local library or buy your own copy of Food Therapy: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Today's podcast is an audio version of today's email.⁠
⁠
Not a part of the HLN newsletter? You can join here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/join-my-newsletter

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Parenthood is brutal and brilliant, like drinking Ayahuasca for over a decade. Our upcoming six-month Embodied Parenting program starts October 6th, but it won't provide you with answers, nor a guide book. Instead, we'll dive deep into accessing and learning our bodies instincts and intuition to discover our own unique truth.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter, and for Embodied Parenting practices and resources:  https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/join-my-newsletter

Ready to dive into to the six month journey of Embodied Parenting? Learn more here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Today's podcast is an audio version of today's email.⁠
⁠
Not a part of the HLN newsletter? You can join here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/join-my-newsletter
⁠

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

We, or our children, can be gender non-conforming, or have body dysphoria and not be trans. There is nothing wrong with bodies in puberty (which is an inherently dysphoric experience): the problem is with our culture, families and society not having rites of passage, and not knowing how to support and hold space for teenage bodies as they mature. 

Dive into this podcast, and for a more in-depth exploration, join us for our six-month Embodied Parenting Slow Group, starting Tuesday October 6th. (There will be a live bonus session specifically about this topic offered to Embodied Parenting slow group attendees.)

For more of our podcasts related to dysphoria, discussions about the trans experience, and de-transitioning, check out podcast episodes: 169, 261, 262, and 280.

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Marika, Evan, Camille and Luis talk about their experiences as parents on today’s podcast. Marika came to embodiment and studied somatics after her son became an adult, while Evan trained in somatics before becoming a parent to his one year old. So the team discusses embodied parenting from a full spectrum of perspectives and experiences. 

They discuss how embodiment has changed their parenting. As well as which parenting experience has triggered the biggest trauma response for each of them.  And they spread out, with humor, why they think gentle parenting is (Brie) cheesy. 

A question we can ask ourselves relating to children, or our own inner child is, are we parenting from an urgent stress response of fear and overwhelm, or from a place of safety? Are we enmeshed with our child or empathetic towards our child? They discuss the value of giving ourselves permission to take space, interrupting the trauma response. 

Curious to learn more? Check out our 6 Month Embodied Parenting Slow Group starting October 6th 2026. https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

What we teach in Embodied Parenting is not enough to counter the modern nuclear family dynamic of one or two parents doing all the parenting in isolation. We all need a web of support. You can connect with other participants in the slow group and build co-regulating spaces and relationships to support yourself on your parenting journey. 

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]

Luis drops a brief announcement about his upcoming visit to the U.K.!

You can read more about the upcoming events below:

8/29: Alternatives Workshop

09/06 - 09/02: Broughton Sanctuary Retreat

or send us an email at [email protected]

You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system

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You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/

You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigation

Questions? You can email us at [email protected]