Holistic Life Navigation

Weight loss is not about restricting the body into submission, or depriving ourselves of nourishment and joy. Weight loss is also not about the next miracle fad. It’s about finding balance with the body so that it can find calm, and come out of survival mode.

Survival mode, chronic stress, and PTSD result in an excess of adrenaline, which elevates glucose, releasing insulin and storing fat.

Curious to learn more about getting out of survival mode? Out first ever six-month Embodied Weight Loss program starts January 12th 2027. This group will focus on the emotional, psychological, and nutritional causes of weight gain, how to begin losing weight, and address how you relate to your body and body image while doing so.

Email us at info@holisticlifenavigation if you have any questions.

You can register for November's Community Somatics, "Embodied B*tchfest", here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/events/community-somatics-november

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

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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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

One of the biggest losses of the modern era is the loss of the village. Without the village we parent in isolation and use screens with our child(ren) to give us a break. But this plunges our kid(s) into their own isolation: isolation breeding isolation, and parental burnout.

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

What does wanting our kids to like us have to do with a kid’s sense of being too much to handle?

Drop in to find out in this tiny taste of the upcoming 6-month Embodied Parenting Slow Group, starting October 6th:
https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group

The live webinar has passed, but you can watch the replay here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar

Do you want your kid to like you?
Do you reflexively back track?
Do you freeze, acquiesce or fawn with your kid?

Join us as we navigate this messy beautiful journey of parenthood together.

Email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com if you have any questions.

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

Screen addiction in kids, and the isolation it fosters, is the most insidious parenting issue today. Kids and adults disassociate both lose themselves in the screen — the big difference is that many of us developed without the prevalence of screens, while our kids don't have that privilege.

Kids now retreat to their rooms, alone, orienting to TikTok and influencers, not their family or elders. Depression rates increase because we have taken away their connection to themselves, their family, nature, and their in-person community. As a result the bliss of boredom is missing from their lives, as is the resulting creativity.

A parent’s job is to create a container for children. If devices and social media make that container, parents are handing over their roll to the whims of algorithms. Devices, used judiciously, can be a tool, but used in isolation in lieu of human connection, screen use can be devastating.

Luis drops his top piece of advice around screens, his favorite resource in the books Hunt, Gather, Parent and Dopamine Kids by Michaeleen Doucleff. (You can listen to the interview with Luis and Michaeleen here.)

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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

They share wisdom and stories from their own individual experiences with gender dysphoria, 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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com 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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com

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 info@holisticlifenavigation.com