My Approach & Guiding Principles

We are dynamic beings; a conglomeration of cells, tissue, proteins, neurochemistry, consciousness, feelings, heart, soul, spirit, awareness. All aspects of the Self are constantly informing each other - my skill lies in seeing the intersection of these aspects and guiding you in ways to help heal, nourish and rebalance each part. This may look like dietary recommendations, protocols, meal planning, lab testing for food sensitivities, physical movement and or detoxification, but it also may look like creating and using affirmations, mindfulness practices, the use of essential oils, yoga poses, recommendations for a particular kind of body work, an herbal remedy, a series of writing and behavioral exercises or a combination of any or all of the above. Below are the main tenets of my approach in practicing this work.  

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CULTIVATE POSITIVE SELF REGARD: MEET YOURSELF WHERE YOU ARE, WITH RADICAL ACCEPTANCE

Positive self regard is the very basis of health and wellness. If we are energetically turned on ourself, this will show up in our cells. In our will. In our thoughts. In our habits. In our proclivities, in our choices. Learning to relate to our own self with a sense of compassion, generous understanding, forgiveness as well as faith in our ability - is the soil from which health, growth and transformation can grow.  This is the place that many of our wellness issues actually stem from. If you don't believe you deserve to be happy and healthy, why would make choices that will produce ease and health in you and in your life? The very relationship with Self must be addressed. This is not about judgment or shame - quite the opposite: this is about learning to adopt curiosity, forgiveness, intentionality and allowance along with endless supplies of genuine compassion. Genuine compassion is empowering; it isn't about enabling yourself. Real compassion keeps you accountable, within the container of wisdom and loving awareness.     

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FOOD FIRST 

Eating a nutrient-dense, whole food, plant-based diet is the cornerstone of health. Your food is the main player, supplements are there to merely supplement your star performer: FOOD. Your food is the fuel you are putting in your body to run all your cells all day every day. What you put into your body (and what you don't put into your body) MATTERS! It matters A LOT! Change the way you eat first and foremost, then we add in and compliment with other additional therapies as needed. 

TRUST THE BODY'S NATURAL INTELLIGENCE 

The body is an enormously, brilliantly intelligent creation. All day our bodies are performing hundreds upon hundreds of precisely executed, alchemic reactions. The human body is a dynamic organism with an incredible choreographed physiological and biochemical dance happening inside of it at every moment. When we learn to understand, honor, listen to and work WITH that intelligence - we can make amazing transformations happen. 

EVERYONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL - HONOR YOUR UNIQUE NEEDS AND BIOCHEMISTRY 

There is no one size fits all answer for what to eat, how much to exercise or what practice to follow. What works for one person may not work for another. And that is perfectly okay, and in fact, to be expected. Each person has their own unique biochemistry, life history, experience, sensitivities, metabolism, lifestyle and constitution. I do a thorough intake gathering important information about your specific symptoms, health history, social and physical environments, medications and diet, and then tailor recommendations targeting your situation, needs and goals. We find what works for you. I focus on looking at your being as a whole and how all areas of your life - lifestyle, environment, relationships, stress and belief patterns -are all effecting your health.

LOOK TO THE WISDOM OF NATURE AS A GUIDE AND TEACHER

I have always looked to nature in order better understand my self, life and this universe. My time living and working in nature as an organic farmer has given me ample opportunity to observe the ebb and flow of the natural world. We humans are in fact a part of nature, not separate from it. We are a part of this wild, beautiful, intricately interconnected web of existence here on Earth. The same rules that govern nature govern us, and thus govern our physical and interpersonal health. When we surrender to the rules and wisdom inherent in this existence, we align ourselves so that the energy of this world can flow through us with ease, which is what health is: ease (remember, disease is DIS-ease). This energy flow and harmony are imperative for thriving health. And we are required to physically literally connect with the natural world in order for this to happen. 

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HUMILITY, NON-ATTACHMENT & REVERENCE

I approach this practice, this life and each of my clients and students from a place of knowing that I am one small creature in a vast and wondrous existence. I have my gifts that I bring and I offer those with enthusiasm, and yet it is important to always remember we only know as much as we know, and that new discoveries are alway being made. I present one lens, and its exciting to see from other lenses and important to honor and maintain respect and reverence for other perspectives, personal opinions, individual experience and the wisdom of a source greater than ourselves. I honor and create space for perspectives other than my own. 

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WE NEED EACH OTHER

We all need connection, support, love and community. We are pack animals, and intensely social creatures. We quite literally need to be seen, understood, heard and respected. This is an immensely important facet of health - one that is now thought to impact health right down to the cellular level - and yet so often this is still entirely overlooked by practitioners, by our own selves, and by our society. Loneliness is a major risk factor for health problems, especially in the elderly (Kabat-Zinn, J, Full Catastrophe Living, Bantam Books 2013) This is an area that I am extremely passionate about and I focus on the impact your relationships and social environments are having on you at every level.