Holistic Life Navigation

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 read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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 read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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 read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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 the mid-month newsletter.

Not a part of the HLN newsletter? You can join here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/join-my-newsletter

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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, Camille, Evan and Luis reminisce about the 7 week course, how it started, and what their individual entry points were: Marika’s was admin in the very early days, Camille’s was the famous ant crawling on Luis as he taught, and Evan, as a long time musician friend, started in podcast production. Each recounts their experience of the 7 week course. 

The course was the first offering HLN ever offered, and after teaching it so many times, the time has come that it's ready to evolve into a more robust self led course. So, while the live course chapter is ending, it’s just the beginning of a more accessible program. 

The podcast was recorded with a live audience of Community Members, who share their experiences of the course, and being in HLN spaces.

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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 and Camille riff on GLP-1s. They are not a silver bullet, nor do they teach you how to relate to food, but they can be a great temporary auto regulator and bridge while a new food relationship is built. 

In an era of overfed and undernourished people, Luis and Camille talk about how to get nutritional needs met. Resmaa Menakem speaks about culture vs strategy. Diet culture is a strategy. Our six month Embodied Nutrition Slow group, starting July 7, slowly and sustainably shifts the culture of how you relate to your body and what you consume. 

https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group

Contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions about the Embodied Nutrition Slow Group. 

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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]

Stress is a short term experience that results in elevated adrenaline that often manifests with higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, muscle tension and anxiety. Certain foods can increase our fight-or-flight stress hormones, putting our body on a hormonal rollercoaster, while other foods can increase our capacity for peace. 

Luis’ book, Food Therapy, has more of the philosophy and practices around how the body is a barometer for what to eat. Look for his bestselling book in libraries, bookstores, and as an audiobook:
https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book

If you want more in person structure around the philosophy and how to eat relationally, join our Embodied Nutrition Slow Group starting July 7th 2026.
https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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 and Nicole Sachs dig into the depths of pain. She believes pain is caused by fear, and the meaning we assign to the pain, keeping the nervous system in fight or freeze. If we think something is wrong with us, a stress response results, because we become our own threat. 

Nicole lived in her own cage of pain, fear and shame until she found Dr. Sarno’s work. He believes back pain is due to bottled up rage that is not societally acceptable. His work prompted Nicole to pause when the pain arose and ask herself if she was angry, and what was angering her. But she didn’t limit herself to anger. She played with it, and explored emotions. The pain dissipated with her practice. A reoccurrence of the pain in the early years of motherhood shook her to the core and led her to work with Dr. Sarno in person.

In her journey she developed Journal Speak, built on Dr. Sarno’s foundation. Her formula is Journal Speak + science + the dissolution of shame = freedom. Tune in to hear more of her process and journey, plus how to start your own Journal Speak practice.

You can find Nicole and her work here:
https://www.yourbreakawake.com

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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]

Feeling anxious? Your body might need to down-regulate. 

Feeling depressed? Your body might need to up-regulate. 

This modulation of finding balance can be achieved in two ways, through a simple supportive practice Luis offers, and through food. Food affects our biology 24 hours a day. What we eat can activate us into a fight-or-flight response, effectively inducing stress. Or, we can consciously alchemize our food to support our body to be in a place of balance. No shame either way. 

Eating to balance the nervous system helps the body build capacity to be seen. Luis recommends a snack practice to experiment with and see how your body responds. 

Here are a few ways to learn more: 

• Luis's book Food Therapy, find it at your local bookstore, library, or as an audiobook: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book
• The next six month Embodied Nutrition Slow Group, starting July 7
  https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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]

PSA: psychiatry does not have any case reports of diseases that are validated! This shortcoming of the DSM is why Luis dropped out of psychology and instead chose holistic psychology. As Luis sees it, behavior is not a fixed identity. 

There is no biochemical data proving “mental disease”. What we can track is neurotransmitters, like seratonin. 50-90% of these are made in the gut. Cue nutrition. Food is a shortcut to influencing change in the brain’s biochemistry. 

Carbs influence glucose, which plays an active role in our mood. If you would like to track your glucose consider getting a glucose monitor like hellolingo.com for two weeks to gather data. Notice what you eat, how you feel, your activities, and your mood, all relative to the continuous glucose monitor’s data. If you would like to see Luis’ hellolingo.com glucose charts, tune in to the YouTube video version of this podcast.  

If you are curious about using nutrition to support your mental health, check out our 6 month Embodied Nutrition Slow group, starting July 7th 2026,:
https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group

You can read more about, and register for, the Navigating Weight & Body Image With Somatics webinar here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/weight-and-body-image-webinar

You can register for November's Community Somatics here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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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]