Holistic Life Navigation

[Ep. 352] How To Connect With Your Kids When They're Shutdown (Parallel Co-Regulation)

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 351] Transform Your Child's Behavior and Moods With This Snack

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 350] Embodied Parenting: Teens, Single Parenting, and Sleep Deprivation

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 349] You Need Capacity To Connect, Not Love

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 348] It's Been 11 Years & This Is What Parenting Has Taught Me

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 347] Let's Talk About Dysphoria In Kids

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 346] Kids + Dysphoria: It Doesn't Always Mean They're Trans

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 345] "We Think Gentle Parenting Is Cheesy"... How The HLN Team Parents

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 344] Come See Me In London Before I Get Sick Of Talking About Food

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 343] Why Being Seen Is So Hard (It's Supposed To Be)

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 342] I'm Quitting My Live 7-Week Course...For Good

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 341] GLP-1s, Obesity, & Emotions

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 340] Are You Being Traumatized By Your Food?

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 register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 339] Did This Woman Find The Cure For Chronic Pain? It's Not What You Think w/ Nicole Sachs

Luis and Nicole Sachs dig into the depths of pain. She believes pain is caused by fear, and the meaning we assign to the pain, keeping the nervous system in fight or freeze. If we think something is wrong with us, a stress response results, because we become our own threat. Nicole lived in her own cage of pain, fear and shame until she found Dr. Sarno’s work. He believes back pain is due to bottled up rage that is not societally acceptable. His work prompted Nicole to pause when the pain arose and ask herself if she was angry, and what was angering her. But she didn’t limit herself to anger. She played with it, and explored emotions. The pain dissipated with her practice. A reoccurrence of the pain in the early years of motherhood shook her to the core and led her to work with Dr. Sarno in person. In her journey she developed Journal Speak, built on Dr. Sarno’s foundation. Her formula is Journal Speak + science + the dissolution of shame = freedom. Tune in to hear more of her process and journey, plus how to start your own Journal Speak practice. You can find Nicole and her work here: https://www.yourbreakawake.com You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 338] How Nutrition Increases Your Capacity To Be Seen & Metabolize Stress

Feeling anxious? Your body might need to down-regulate. Feeling depressed? Your body might need to up-regulate. This modulation of finding balance can be achieved in two ways, through a simple supportive practice Luis offers, and through food. Food affects our biology 24 hours a day. What we eat can activate us into a fight-or-flight response, effectively inducing stress. Or, we can consciously alchemize our food to support our body to be in a place of balance. No shame either way. Eating to balance the nervous system helps the body build capacity to be seen. Luis recommends a snack practice to experiment with and see how your body responds. Here are a few ways to learn more: Luis's book Food Therapy, find it at your local bookstore, library, or as an audiobook: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book The next six month Embodied Nutrition Slow Group, starting July 7 https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

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[Ep. 337] How Blood Sugar Is Affecting Your Mental Health

PSA: psychiatry does not have any case reports of diseases that are validated! This shortcoming of the DSM is why Luis dropped out of psychology and instead chose holistic psychology. As Luis sees it, behavior is not a fixed identity. There is no biochemical data proving “mental disease”. What we can track is neurotransmitters, like seratonin. 50-90% of these are made in the gut. Cue nutrition. Food is a shortcut to influencing change in the brain’s biochemistry. Carbs influence glucose, which plays an active role in our mood. If you would like to track your glucose consider getting a glucose monitor like hellolingo.com for two weeks to gather data. Notice what you eat, how you feel, your activities, and your mood, all relative to the continuous glucose monitor’s data. If you would like to see Luis’ hellolingo.com glucose charts, tune in to the YouTube video version of this podcast. If you are curious about using nutrition to support your mental health, check out our 6 month Embodied Nutrition Slow group, starting July 7th 2026,: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

[Ep. 336] How To Lose 125 Pounds & Lower Your Stress Naturally

He lost 10 pounds in a month. She lost 125 pounds in 4.5 years. Why? Because they didn’t focus on the weight. Camille and Luis focused on tending to their nervous systems so that their bodies could shift from fat storage mode to fat burning mode. Camille credits her shift to focusing on ease, energy, and flow. She also focused on reducing her adrenaline overload, then she worked on reducing her insulin. She changed her relationship to food: instead of dieting and shame she learned how to tend to her adrenals. Luis noted that his body didn’t actually want breakfast, so he focused on intermittent fasting, at his body’s request. The liberation is in enjoying what you choose to eat because you want it, not because you crave it. Join Luis and Camille for the next Embodied Nutrition Slow Group starting July 7th 2026. Click here for the details: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/slow-practice-nutrition-group In the Slow Group Camille and Luis will discuss building a conscious awareness about the impact food has on the body. And they will help resource participants to explore how they want to be in relationship with food to cultivate the life they want to live. You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

[Ep. 335] Dopamine Kids: The 4 Ingredients For Addiction w/ Michaeleen Doucleff

Michaeleen Doucleff joins Luis for an effervescent meeting of minds in this joyful podcast. A reporter and an author with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Michaeleen’s knowledge base is vast and fascinating. In 2021 she published Hunt Gather Parent, and in March 2026 she published Dopamine Kids. Luis credits her work as changing his family’s life because of fundamental parenting shifts she shares that they implemented. Michaeleen learned from indigenous families to include kids into the family ecosystem happenings instead of building a family schedule ladened with play dates and extracurriculars. At the center of the dopamine discussion are screens and processed foods that crank up our dopamine, but not our pleasure. Kids and adults actually get addicted to the WANTING. Limiting our kids, and our own, time with dopamine magnets does not deprive us of pleasure, instead it allows us to reclaim pleasure. Can we feel the difference between wanting and pleasure in our own bodies? Can we teach that difference to the next generation? You can sign up for Michaeleen’s newsletter at MichaeleenDoucleff.com You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

[Ep. 334] How To Enjoy Your Peace When Others Are Suffering

Camille Leak, Grey Doolin, and Luis chat about protecting their peace amidst dysregulated political times. With the privilege of their safety, they are attuning to what is true for them and where their agency lies. So many are glued to screens, attuning to someone else’s story and suffering, bypassing the okay-ness of their own reality. This attunement to suffering doesn’t always resource them to mobilize, but instead oftentimes to collapse. Camille notes U.S. politics are edging closer to her boundary, and she is open to considering moving, but from a place of agency, not trigger. Another consideration is that if hopelessness. In the face of destruction, such as war, how is it that we can hold our own hopelessness when we culturally haven’t been taught how to do so? Ultimately, a question we can all ask ourselves is: what is truly ours to respond to? Learn more about Camille and her offerings: Website: https://www.realtalkbravespaces.com/ IG: @camille.leak Learn more about Grey and their offerings: Website: https://greydoolin.com/ IG: @grey_doolin You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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

[Ep. 333] You're Allowed To Change Your Mind: The Forbidden Art Of Canceling

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book Join Luis for a quick chat about the taboo art of cancelling plans. Once loath to cancel, Luis revels in the deliciousness of cancelling when his body needs to. Most of us live from our desire, or conditioned desire, and push our bodies past capacity to keep our schedules intact. But true integrity lies in our alignment to our body’s capacity, and therefore in our ability to hold space for ourselves to cancel. Drop in for a practice to discern if something is in alignment for you, and learn Luis’ latest public cancellation around his book release. Luis has capacity for your disappointment. You can register for the Embodied Parenting webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/embodied-parenting-webinar You can also read more about, and register for, the 6 month program here: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/parenting-group You can read more about, and register for, the workshop at Kripalu here: https://kripalu.org/experiences/food-therapy-how-eat-your-nervous-system ---- 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