Holistic Life Navigation

Join Luis as he explores the effects of sugar, starch and refined carbohydrates on the body. Journey from the first bite to blood glucose levels spiking, all the way to the body's resulting stress response. Learn the balancing nutritional recommendations to employ before eating sugar, starch and refined carbohydrates to help mitigate the effects of adrenaline in the body.  You can get instant...

On today's episode Luis is joined by Kai Cheng Thom: somatic therapist, depth psychologist, and author. Back in August, Luis put up a post on social media sharing both his personal experiences and opinions about gender dysphoria, body dysmorphia, and youth in the trans community. The post received a lot of attention, and started a conversation with Kai that continues here. They discuss: relat...

Luis teaches us about his latest obsession: postprandial bloodflow. He talks about what it is, how affects it, and why it matters. He explains how it relates to comfort foods, emotional eating, and binge eating. The video ends with a somatic practice to explore how we related to food and comfort. You can get instant access to all of the HLN webinars and video courses here: https://hln.thinkific.co...

On today's episode Luis welcomes Ryan Abramowitz, author and artist of the book "Elegy For An Elephant", and Melissa McConnell, who introduced Ryan's book to Luis, to have a group discussion about the grief of losing a loved one to suicide, and how powerful artistic expression can be. Ryan discusses the process of creating and releasing the book, and how the way it has shifted...

On today's episode, Luis shares his reflections on his ancestry, and the experience of his ancestors juxtaposed against his present experience. He discusses the differences between cultures, and the practice of understanding and accepting ancestors. Luis speaks about how intergenerational wisdom and intergenerational trauma are both accessible to us, and how the relationship of movement, acti...

On today's episode, Luis talks about how fawning affects your sex life, and what you can do about it. He discusses: what fawning is, and why we do it the relationship between fawning and sex the longterm impact of prolonged sexual fawning why sexual fawning can occur with or without abuse [Ep. 2] Fawning: The Most Overlooked Trauma Response [Ep. 133] Fawning Made Me Sick w/ Martha Beck [Bonus...

On today's episode, Luis sits down for a casual conversation to connect with everyone, and share what's alive and present for him. He discusses:  co-dependency capacity and desire  his upcoming book integrity & fawning personal rupture & repair work narcissism You can find the links to some of the podcast episodes Luis mentioned here: [Ep. 5] Racism Recovery Part 1: Healing Racis...

On today's episode, Luis is joined by fellow podcast host Chion Wolf, and they share an interesting and meandering conversation. While moving from topics including atheism, the existence of extraterrestrials, and manifestation, they highlight the deep and beautiful themes of being humbled, living with curiosity, and relating to difference. You can listen to Chion's podcast, "Audacio...

On today's episode, Luis shares more about his personal experience with social media, and how he approaches responses and comments that have anger or upset. He shares how you can incorporate this approach into your life if you have a public presence, or in any relational situation with strong disagreement. He discusses the role of fawning, co-dysregulation, co-dependence, and shame, and how t...

On today's episode, Luis meets with Quinn Silverleaf, and they explore sexuality, sex, and gender through a somatic lens. They share their own unique lived experiences and viewpoints. They discuss: · ideology vs. somatic experience · integrating parts · the role context plays within our culture · separating male and female from masculinity and femininity  · congruency with internal experience...

On today's episode, Luis explores what it means to be free. Freedom is messy, and full of mistakes and hypocrisy. In the United States, the diversity of people, thought, and lifestyle creates a tapestry that can be either settling or activating to our bodies and nervous systems. Through personal and ancestral story, he discusses the role of agency, working with the discomfort of difference, a...

In today’s episode, Luis explores somatic empathy and pendulation - swinging between two different sensations or experiences. He explains why we need to develop the skillset to regulate our somatic empathy to stay present while taking in media.  When you watch someone in pain, this can create the sensation of "I feel pain your pain." Luis shares steps we can take to tend to that sensatio...

How are screens - televisions, smartphones, iPads, and more -  impacting our bodies? In today’s episode, Luis breaks down how our bodies react to the news, social media feeds, and other forms of online media. Today’s society has access to more experiences than ever before. Whether we know it or not, our bodies react to these experiences - whether painful, terrifying, or upsetting, and we lose the...

In today’s episode, Luis sits down for a casual chat with herbalist Aemen Bell, who is also his wife. From sharing how she healed her lung condition as a teenager to spilling the tea on one of their first dates, Luis and Aemen touch on everything about food, herbs, and relating to the land.  Join the couple as they speak about her origins with herbal medicine and the joy she finds being a beacon f...

Do you know what the freeze response is? In today’s episode, Luis explains how this natural tension in the body happens when we’re scared, threatened, or nervous. He does so by looking at videos from the animal kingdom.  When we need it, the freeze response is helpful. It can protect us from a physical threat. But, when it results in fatigue or procrastination, it’s not so useful. It’s through som...

Today’s episode is a casual conversation with the Holistic Life Navigation Team: Luis, Camille, Evan, and Marika. The team shares their personal experiences about dissociation and what happens during that trance-like state when we ‘zone out’.  Looking at dissociation through a somatic lens, the team shares what happens to the body when we dissociate and how to attune to the sensation and give our...

In today’s episode, Luis shares what a possum protecting itself from a coyote can teach us about the ‘freeze and collapse’ response. While it is essential to survival, our bodies can turn on that same response even when there’s not a life-threatening event happening.  Allowing nature to be our teacher, Luis looks at the event through the lens of overcoupling disagreement with life-threatening dang...

In today’s episode, Luis and Camille discuss how our bodies interpret threats and how to decipher the somatic reality of whether or not it’s happening to us now.  When we think of something happening to us in the future and the past, the same biochemistry is triggered as if the experience is happening in real time. Luis and Camille share why this happens and how to attune our bodies to a feeling o...

What foods can I eat to help me move through a stressful situation in a more tolerable way? In today’s episode, this is the exact question Luis answers for listeners seeking a way to use food to help them regulate their nervous system.  Luis shares how foods directly affect our mental health and nervous system. He also shares how to use food to support our emotional and mental health and the exact...

In today’s conversation, Luis and Camille Leak reflect on past experiences to chat about privilege, marginalization, diversity, and inclusion. Breaking down what these terms mean and what it looks like when someone experiences them, Camille also shares how to cultivate support and understanding from both sides.  Breaking down tough terms, Camille also talks about how microaggression differs from b...

Why do I binge eat? In today’s episode, Luis explores the connection between stress, trauma, and binge eating to help us understand why this behavior presents itself. Sharing his personal story about trauma, Luis breaks down the physiology of prolonged stress and how bingeing offers a temporary feeling of security. He takes us through a 5-minute exercise, he then shares how to learn what’s behind...

In today’s episode, Karen Hurd explains the physics of neurotransmitters and chemical releases, and how the foods we eat alter the chemicals in our brains. From breaking down what happens when our bodies feel “hangry” to “I’m going to take over the world,” Karen and Luis share how foods impact our emotions.  Every thought and movement in our bodies is governed by hormones. Karen shares how balance...

In today’s episode, Luis talks about the somatic exploration of how porn affects our bodies physically and mentally.  Luis breaks down how the somatic experience and the physiology behind porn use are similar to the thrill of drug use. He addresses how compulsive porn use at a young age can impact men’s development later in life, and their ability to relate to both themselves and their partners. ...

In today’s video, astrologer and author Britten LaRue is back on the podcast to talk about authenticity, transformation, and not over-identifying with your sign.  Discussing emergence astrology,  she shares how astrology can guide us without restricting us as we change and evolve to whatever comes up in life. She offers tips on how to be open to contradiction to be our most 'authentic selves&...

In today’s episode, Luis answers a listener’s question- “Why do we sometimes feel tightness in our solar plexus?” Luis breaks down the mechanics of this natural response and what we can do about it. Using the “Voo” technique , Luis guides listeners on how to release stored tension and regain a sense of calm.  Peter Levine, PhD. “Voo” technique https://www.nicabm.com/reducing-overwhelming-feelings-...