Holistic Life Navigation

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/

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]

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/.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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]

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.

You can get instant access to all of the HLN webinars and video courses here: https://hln.thinkific.com/collections

You can read more about, and register for, the retreat at Broughton in the UK here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/broughton-2026

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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]

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.

You can get instant access to all of the HLN webinars and video courses here: https://hln.thinkific.com/collections

You can read more about, and register for, the retreat at Broughton in the UK here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/broughton-2026

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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]

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.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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]

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.

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]