Holistic Life Navigation

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.comYou can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.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. You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.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.You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.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/You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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/.You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.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/342788You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.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/. You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 .You can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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/aspiringwYou can register for the FREE Food Therapy session here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/food-therapy-supporting-adhd-with-nutrition Join Luis for a three-day in-person workshop connecting whole foods nutrition, somatic wisdom, and stress recovery at Kripalu. You can read more about, and register, here. Sign up for our 6-month Embodied Relationships group, beginning in October: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/relationship-groupUse the discount code QJSVR73G to save 10% if you register before August 31st.----You can learn more on the website: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/ Learn more about the self-led course here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/self-led-new Join the waitlist to pre-order Luis' book here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book You can follow Luis on Instagram @holistic.life.navigationQuestions? You can email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com