Holistic Life Navigation

[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 November's Community Somatics 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 ---- 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 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 ---- 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 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 ---- 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

[Ep. 331] "Had I Listened To Her, I Wouldn't Even Be Doing This" - Healing The Inner Child w/ Dr. Nicole LePera (The Holistic Psychologist)

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book Luis welcomes back Nicole LePera to the podcast to chat about her new book, "Reparenting the Inner Child." They discuss what it's like being real and messy in the public eye, and the role the fawn response plays in that experience. They explore how the inner child shows up in daily life, how tending to one's capacity expands the work outside of the session or practice space, and how to reparent without merging with the inner child and regressing. They also discuss humanizing others without bypassing themselves — or their own needs — in the process. You can order Nicole's book here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250393135/reparentingtheinnerchild/ 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. 330] Stress Demands More Nutrients

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book Neuronutritionist Timothy Frie joins Luis today. Tim learned early in his studies that the neural pathways of appetite and food-seeking are the ones most impacted by stress, and that stress increases nutrient demand. He connects the threads for us on how he followed this curiosity, healed his body and disordered eating patterns, to how he now teaching practitioners Neuronutrition. Neuronutrition is the intersection of neuroscience, neurobiology, neuro-psychology and somatic psychology. Somatic psychology is at neuronutrition’s core, allowing us reconnect to our bodies innate wisdom. From there we can ask, and answer, “what does my body need?” The question of food is not what is disease causing, but instead what is health promoting? You can read more about Timothy and his work here: https://www.timfrie.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. 329] What Being Goth & Recent Imposter Syndrome Taught Me About Belonging

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book Kickin’ it old school, Luis does a solo meander around the topic of belonging. Videoless podcasting, as he is today, allows his vision the enjoyable option to focus on whatever it wants, like the ant walking on a nearby plant. (Fun HLN fact, Camille decided she wanted to learn from Luis when she saw his reaction to a bug walking on him in a presentation.) Luis recorded this podcast while teaching at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium. Before getting on stage, Luis found himself unexpectedly shaken. He tended the sensation, allowing it to show him a part of himself that was shrinking. This part was protecting him from not belonging to the group of licensed mental health workers he was teaching. "Belonging" in modern times means conforming societally in a relationship of extraction and consumption. Whereas, ancestrally, there was a wisdom and a reciprocity to conforming and belonging. Belonging meant a connection to earth, land and ancestors. In these modern times Luis’ goal is finding safety in not belonging. He prefers belonging to himself, and from that place of safety building his own misfit tribe of weirdos. 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. 328] How Screens, Processed Food & Burnout Are Driving Your Freeze Response

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book Dopamine, amino acids, hopelessness, and beans! Let's dive in with Luis and Camille as they explore burnout and freeze alongside ADHD. If we get our dopamine from ultra processed foods, devoid of micronutrients, lacking L-Tyrosine, we do not replenish the building blocks to make more dopamine. We find ourselves hopeless, unmotivated, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Frozen. Whether we are diagnosed neurodivergent or not, ultra processed foods, and screens, can put us into a state of freeze and burnout. Our next 6 month Slow Group, starting April 7th, will be focusing on counteracting these symptoms and nourishing bodies holding ADHD, as well as freeze and burnout. We may not have the ADHD diagnosis but we may have the experience of ADHD symptoms. We are not trying to fix ourselves. We are learning to relate to ourselves and to the ADHD/burnout symptoms. We also learn to relate to screen usage and nutrition because it can either enhance or reduce our capacity. Luis closes the episode with a beautiful and simple practice that can help us navigate burnout. Email us at info@holisticlifenavigation.com if you have any questions. 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. 327] Exhaustion Is A Boundary: Are You Breaking It?

PRE-ORDER the upcoming book now: https://www.holisticlifenavigation.com/the-book "How do I stimulate myself to get through life without burning out and getting sick?" Today Luis explores this question, sharing what he wrote in a recent newsletter. He also discusses other upcoming offerings, where you can learn more in a nuanced, somatic environment. You can watch the replay of the webinar here: https://hln.thinkific.com/courses/food-therapy-focus-without-burnout Haven't joined the newsletter yet? You can do so 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