(Episode 68) Demystifying Internal Martial Arts with Brandon Gilbert

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Click here to download a transcript of our conversation with Brandon.

This episode we welcome back previous guest speaker Brandon Gilbert (Episode 58). In the last episode, Brandon shared about medicinal mushrooms and tonic herbs, but today he’s going to share more about his personal cultivation practices, including the ancient practice of Nei Gong.

Meet Brandon Gilbert, Founder of Hyperion Herbs

Brandon Gilbert has been deeply interested in studying Eastern philosophy since the age of 14. A serial entrepreneur, he started his first business in 2006 after going deep in the alternative health field to resolve his own health issues.

Brandon felt motivated to share his views and experiences with a larger audience. He created the YouTube channel HyperionTv.com in 2009, built up a following, then founded Hyperion Herbs in 2010 to share purely potent tonic herbs and make them accessible and easily available like never before.

Brandon has taught many classes and workshops both online and in person on a wide variety of subjects, ranging from alternative health and healing modalities, herbalism, internal arts and Eastern philosophy.

In addition to running Hyperion Herbs and Hyperion TV, Brandon spends and invests many hours every day training internal arts like Qigong, Neigong, Tai Chi, Chuan and various sitting practices.

Introduction to the Internal Martial Arts

In this week’s episode you’ll learn all about the nuances between similar (often mistakenly interchangeable) terms of internal martial arts such as: Qi Gong, Nei Gong, and Tai Chi.

Many of these internal martial arts believe that our spiritual self, qi, is interconnected with the physical body, shen. If you benefit one the other can benefit, and if you degrade one, the other can degrade as well. In this episode you’ll learn how they are similar and how they greatly differ with one another.

Unfortunately, in our modern-day society it’s the norm to always be stressed, to always be in conflict, and to be overstimulated. This creates blockages in your channels, creating physical and mental ailments. If you slow down and practice these internal arts, your body and mind will heal.

Be sure to listen in to hear the warning Brandon gives about jumping head first into these practices. If you jump into these seated practices before cultivating your body health issues can arise. You also may feel spacey or ungrounded as a result.

Often times, when you work on the body, feeling more internally comfortable and at ease in your physiology, your mental problems like anxiety or depression, naturally ease. It’s like your mind is taking a sigh of relief, releasing these heavy weights of mental problems.

Minds are stubborn and it can be really challenging to change them. Instead you can use your body to change your mind. It’s very empowering when you do these mindfulness practices through the internal martial arts.

Once you’ve listened, let us know your experience in the comments below!

Resources Mentioned This Episode:

Gain exclusive insights and support so you can begin your journey From Surviving to Thriving now.

Balance your yin and yang energies to shift mental, physical, and emotional patterns that would otherwise lead to accelerated aging, illness, and disease — click here to learn how with the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbit meditations.

Experience a life of endless possibilities by downloading this free audio guide.

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(Episode 66) Qi Gong for Everyone with Lee Holden

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Welcoming Lee Holden, CEO & Founder of Holden Qi Gong

Lee Holden is the CEO and founder of Holden Qi Gong. He's world renowned for bringing this ancient Chinese practice to the modern world. Holden has led eight successful shows on PBS, reaching millions of people through his warm, interactive approach to movement and healing.

This November, he will appear on Fountain of Youth with Lee Holden, a 13 episode show broadcast on PBS, where he teaches Qi Gong at a variety of scenic locations, including Yosemite, Redwood National Park, and Croatia.

Holden has worked closely with celebrity clients, Olympic and professional NHL and NFL athletes, and high profile government officials, including the Bush family, the Minister of Happiness of Dubai and the royal family of Jordan.

Through online and in-person courses, Holden teaches the transformative power of Qi Gong, a science that improves the energy life force of individuals by activating dormant energy through a series of breathing and meditative exercises. Practitioners can see results in as little as seven minutes a day.

Holden's teachings have helped more than 10,000 students meet their goals of healing from injury and disease, slowing the aging process, maximizing energy and feeling better in their bodies.

Lee received his official Qi Gong teaching certification from Master Montauk Chia. He went on to ghostwrite 12 books for Chia, including a bestseller about transforming stress into vitality, thus making this ancient practice accessible and comprehensible for all. Lee has also spent time learning from other Qi Gong masters in Japan, China, and Indonesia, along the way.

Qi Gong is currently the most popular exercise in the world with over 50 million people worldwide practicing Qigong every single day.

Listen in to learn:

• Lee Holden’s unique journey into this ancient healing art from childhood, to finding his mentor, and to his path to expanding his teachings through PBS to bring Qi Gong practice to thousands of people around the world.

• All about the ancient practice of Qi Gong, and how just 7 minutes of daily practice can transform your wellbeing.

• How you can improve your mindset and energy in seconds with “Qi Breaks.”  

• How to incorporate Qi Gong into your daily life — even with a busy schedule — so you can have more energy, clarity and peace of mind.

• The relationship between nature and your body and how Qi Gong practice can help you attune to your surroundings and experience nature in a whole new way. 

Resources Mentioned These Episodes

Learn more about Lee Holden and his offerings here.

Experience a life of endless possibilities by downloading this free audio guide.

Gain exclusive insights and support so you can begin your journey From Surviving to Thriving now.

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(Episodes 64 & 65) The Power of Intention with Ann Cecil-Sterman, Part 1 & 2

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Click here to download a transcript of Part 1 of our conversation with Ann.

Click here to download a transcript of Part 2 of our conversation with Ann.

Welcoming Ann Cecil-Sterman, Author of Advanced Acupuncture

Ann Cecil Sterman is the author of three major books, including Advanced Acupuncture, a clinic manual acclaimed as the first and only text with complete protocols for all the channels of acupuncture, a book used often as the sole basis for several online courses presented by many teachers around the world.

Ann works to return acupuncture to its inspiring classical roots, not just to the Han Dynasty writings, but even earlier. She teaches in three continents and offers a twice monthly online chat where practitioners new and established present cases and ask any level of question. She graduated from and then taught for six years at the acupuncture school founded by Dr. Jeffrey Yuen in New York.

During and after her time there for over 20 years, she received thousands of hours of direct transmissions from him in acupuncture, pulse, diagnosis, history, food, herbs, essential oils, stones, qigong and philosophy. In her busy Manhattan practice, which she loves, she specializes in seemingly intractable conditions.

In Part 1, you’ll learn:

• How time alone in England recently changed Ann’s views of teaching

• Why, as Ann states: “the greatest enemy to broad thinking and expansion of consciousness is fact.”

• Why you must raise your courage to question what’s considered true 

• Great advice for both healthcare practitioners and those of you who simply want more tools for your self-cultivation

• How you can access a resonance to your essence without needles or tangible tools, simply through the power of intention

• How Covid lockdowns catalyzed the profession of acupuncture to go into a different direction, and how this change will make the benefits of this practice more accessible to a wider audience 

• As Salvador states: “We have to learn, especially collectively, to see ourselves well.”

In Part 2, you’ll learn:

• How to return to a state of joy

• How your thoughts can get in the way of building healthy mindset and emotions

• The power you have to align with your destiny

• Why your Heart-Kidney connection is so important for living out your purpose and experiencing endless possibilities

• The difference between manifesting and receiving, and how to become more receptive

• How your emotions (and thoughts) manifest in your body

Don’t forget to share your biggest takeaways from these episodes in the comments below!

Resources Mentioned in These Episodes

Balance your yin and yang energies to shift mental, physical and emotional patterns that would otherwise lead to accelerated aging illness and disease — click here to learn how with the Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbit meditations.

Experience a life of endless possibilities by downloading this free audio guide.

Learn more about Ann Cecil-Sterman and Advanced Acupuncture here.

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(Episodes 62 & 63) Simplify Your Diet to Heal Yourself & the Planet with Andrew Sterman, Part 1 & 2

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Click here for a transcript of Part 1 (episode 62) of our conversation with Andrew.

Click here for a transcript of Part 2 (episode 63) of our conversation with Andrew

Welcoming Andrew Sterman, Author of Welcoming Food

In the first part of this two-part series, you’ll learn:

• Why and how we need to return back to nature with food

• Basics of food energetics 

• How Cold can damage to your gut health 

• Weak digestion signs and symptoms 

• Why your supplements may be damaging your gut health

• Three pillars of designing a diet:

  • Meets individual nutritional needs

  • Meets energetic needs of our health

  • Doesn’t unduly tax the earth itself 

• Cooking for basic health maintenance vs therapy 

• Understanding and resolving “food conflicts“

• Spicy foods and the Scoville scale 

• Self soothing foods that may be damaging your health 

• How dehydration can cause illness and why it’s essential to hydrate using food (not just water)

• Why we need to eat fat and the problems with a low fat diet 

In the second part of this two-part series you’ll learn:

• The unhealthy strategies we commonly use with food to manage our emotions and the Fire in our lives

• The importance of simplification

• Should you eat dessert?

• What to do after eating to feel better and satiated

• What it really means to eat with awareness

• Why counting calories is not a successful strategy

• What to eat when you have a fever

• Why it’s essential to be accountable for your ailments

• Simplified meal ideas

• Why it’s important to make things easier to digest

• The harm of engineered food

• How taste and texture influence nutrition

• The power of intuition and how it’s is vital to cultivate dietary wellness

• Why you should start cooking (or cook more often) for yourself

Resources Mentioned These Episodes

Click to learn more about Andrew Sterman’s work

Click to download your free audio guide on How to Improve Your Gut Health in Just One Week

Click to learn more & join the VIP waitlist for the Yin & Yang of Nutrition online course

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(Episode 61) Awakening Your Essence: The Enneagram 3 Centers of Intelligence with Hemla Makan Dullabh

The life of your dreams is closer than you think.
Download your free audio guide to learn how to attract endless possibilities into your life

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Once you’ve listened, scroll down and let us know in the comments below:
Which area of your body did you feel at home in when you did the meditation with Hemla at [00:14:50], and how did that shift your perspective of yourself?

Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Welcoming back Hemla Makan Dullabh, Transformation Catalyst

Hemla Makan Dullabh is a transformation catalyst based in Los Altos, California, and is the founder of Seven Rays Holistic Center, which she established over 20 years ago. As a guide and teacher, she observes and advises, blending together various modalities, helping people connect with their whole being.

As a transformation catalyst, Hemla uses the three centered approach we have three centers of intelligence, and our journey with ourselves is to engage with all three centers connecting with body, mind and heart.

Hemla works with groups and individuals offering classes for corporate wellness and for communities. Hemla overlays her passion for color therapy in all the modalities she offers. Hemla was born in Durban, South Africa, and has been living in California for over ten years. She is an artist, teacher and mother of two boys.

You’ll gain deep wisdom in this episode, including:

• What the Enneagram Three Centers of Intelligence are and why each person feels at home in a different Center of Intelligence

• Why we’re so much in our heads as a culture, and what we can do to shift out of that pattern

• A beautiful meditation guided by Hemla that’ll help you clarify which of the Three Centers of Intelligence you call ‘home’ [00:14:50]

• How to create balance among your Three Centers of Intelligence

• How the Enneagram system can help you improve relationship dynamics AND go beyond your personality and social constructs to live life through the true essence of who you are

• The Heart as your inner observer and how you process emotions according to your Enneatype

• How your emotional state and how you respond to the world shapes your reality [00:40:00]

Listen to Episode 41 on the Healing Power of Colors and Episode 55 to journey through the Enneagram Personality Types — both beautiful and empowering episodes with Hemla.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

Click here to get your free audio guide on How to Attract Endless Possibilities.

Click here to visit 7 Rays Holistic Center and learn more about Hemla’s work.

Scroll down to the comments below and let us know:
Which area of your body did you feel at home in when you did the meditation with Hemla at [00:14:50], and how did that shift your perspective of yourself?

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(Episode 60) How to Optimize Your Brain Health with Lance Schuttler

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Visit Ascent Nutrition & enter the promo code NH10 at checkout for your exclusive discount

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Click here to download a transcript of this episode.

Welcoming Lance Schuttler, CEO & Founder of Ascent Nutrition

Lance Schuttler graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Health Science and is the CEO and owner of Ascent Nutrition, a unique holistic nutrition company. 

He is also a Contributing Health and Wellness Writer at The Epoch Times. His work also includes the topics of regenerative agriculture, resource-based economies and quantum technologies. 

He is a facilitator and collaborator of big ideas, visions and projects that spark creative and healing solutions in our world.

A wealth of knowledge is shared in this episode, including:

• Conscious Farming and why it’s important for our health and the environment and the challenges that are part of our reality 

• Lance’s path from a small town in Iowa his personal transformation from an experience with a family tragedy that led him to create Ascent Nutrition to impact the health and lives of those suffering 

• Ways to access the healer within you

• Neurogenesis, neuroplasticity and brain health 

• Essence (Jing), Kidneys and brain health 

• Marine algae and neurological health as it relates to the Liver

• Saturated vs unsaturated fats and why you need both for brain health

• Managing inflammation and how it’s more important than lowering cholesterol levels

• The proper balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils and how getting enough Omega-3s can help reduce systemic inflammation (and no wonder the average American experiences so many health problems related to inflammation).

• Difference between Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids and food sources and dosages for each

• How your blood sugar affects your metabolism of essential fatty acids (EFAs)

• Supplementing with Ascent Nutrition algae oil, a cost effective and environmentally friendly supplement to replace seafood for vegans — water extracted, hexane-free, without seed oils. 

• Is DHA more important than DNA? [40:12]

• The #1 reason to reduce takeout and eating at restaurants to improve your health 

• How the use of DHA can be helpful for the treatment of ADHD

• How fat affects your emotional stability

• The best way to add supplements to your diet (and some cautions)

• One of the best & most unique supplements to support & strengthen your immune system

You’ll want to revisit Episode #45 of The Natural Healing Podcast as a reference to our discussion on adapting to change and how to alleviate Wind symptoms with essential fatty acids (EFAs).

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Click to subscribe and become a member of our incredible global community.

Click here to visit Ascent Nutrition & enter the promo code NH10 at checkout to get a special discount off any of the products we mention in this episode!

Click here to get on the waitlist for the Yin & Yang of Nutrition online course.

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(Episode 58) Medicinal Mushrooms & Tonic Herbs for Health and Longevity Brandon Gilbert

Visit Hyperion Herbs & enter the promo code NHC1111 at checkout to get an exclusive discount off any of the products we mention on this episode!

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Click here to download a transcript of our conversation with Brandon.

Welcoming Brandon Gilbert, Founder of Hyperion Herbs

In today’s episode, we’re welcoming Brandon Gilbert, the Founder of our favorite herbal tonic extract company, Hyperion Herbs.

Brandon Gilbert has been deeply interested in studying Eastern philosophy since the age of 14.

A serial entrepreneur, He started his first business in 2006.

After going deep in the alternative health field to resolve his own health issues, he felt motivated to share his views and experiences with a larger audience.

He created the YouTube channel HyperionTv.com in 2009, built up a following and then launched Hyperion Herbs in 2010. After the profound effect tonic herbs had on my life, He founded Hyperion Herbs to share purely potent tonic herbs and make them accessible and easily available like never before.

Brandon has taught many classes and workshops, both online and in person, on wide variety of subjects ranging from alternative health and healing modalities, herbalism, internal arts, and Eastern philosophy.

In addition to running Hyperion Herbs and Hyperion TV, Brandon spends & invests many hours per day training internal arts like Qigong, Neigong, Taijichuan, and various sitting practices.

Brandon’s unique and unexpected journey began from a small town in Indiana to teaching unexpectedly.

Reishi Mushrooms as a Beacon to Discover Your Life Path

According to Classical Chinese Medicine, Reishi mushroom is considered the #1 superior herb, and is therefore very important for self-cultivation. It is said that the spirit of the mushroom can call you onto your life path, though it requires work in advance. Brandon’s experience with Reishi mushroom affirms this, and helps us realize the importance of following guidance.

Brandon only follows what he’s passionate about and sells products he truly believes in.

He started a business with no entrepreneurial experience, no family history or mentors.

Started elixir bar in Louisville in 2006 with superfoods and tonic herbs.

In 2008-2009 as the internet started picking up with Facebook and Google, Brandon saw the opportunity to come out of brick and mortar business. After freelancing for a while, he made a big decision to quit teaching yoga, break up with a girlfriend and move all at once.

He then started his YouTube channel before launching Hyperion Herbs in 2010.

Today Brandon sources specialty herbal extracts through Hyperion Herbs.

What Sets Apart Hyperion Herbs Medicinal Mushroom Extracts

The unique attribute of Brandon’s herbal extract company is that he independently tests each and every product he considers buying. He asks: does it do what it’s supposed to do? He then Examines the personality and properties of the herbs as well to evaluate whether it translates as an extract.

Many companies that sell medicinal mushrooms today focus on the beta glucan content of the mushroom. Beta glucans are essentially sugar compounds that may support the immune system to fight infection and disease and while important, they are often mistakenly seen as most important thing about the mushroom.

Brandon believes however that the energetics of the mushrooms can have more value than the chemistry of the herbs and the metrics associated with the herbs. This is mostly because metrics are imperfect for herbs and natural products.

What makes Brandon’s selection unique and with integrity is that he tries everything he wants to sell before making it available. As he says: “I only sell it because I like it and take it myself.”

Warnings and Cautions with Medicinal Mushrooms

Although medicinal mushrooms are a potent source of plant medicine, they are not for everyone.

Medicinal mushrooms should not be taken by anyone experiencing an acute condition, including colds, flus and Covid. It’s also important to be cautious taking these mushrooms, and any tonic herbs, if you have an underlying or chronic condition.

Mushrooms are becoming very trendy and while it’s great to be enthusiastic, it’s essential to be cautious with tonic herbs, which essentially boost the body’s Qi and therefore increase the Yang Qi of the body, which can create heat and exacerbate acute conditions.

When you want to work with tonic herbs, it’s important to start with very small amounts.

Tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms can also be difficult to digest, so starting with small amounts is especially important if you have a weak digestive system.

Another way to be cautious is not to take them daily, and again, be especially cautious with anything acute including colds, flus and any type of inflammation.

Lion’s Mane: An Important Mushroom for Memory and Focus

Lion’s Mane is an important medicinal mushroom that stimulates brain nerve growth factor — important for cognition and nervous system function.

This is one type of mushroom where it’s important to note the presence of other factors besides beta glucans.

While beta glucans work on the immune system, they don’t work on nervous system function. This is another reason why beta glucans can’t be the deciding factor in selecting mushrooms — it neglects the energetics, personality and spirit of each mushroom.

Lion’s Mane from Hyperion Herbs focus on the compounds that target mental focus and cognition, as well as nervous system stabilization.

This mushroom can also be helpful to prevent Type 3 Diabetes, which is now recognized as a type of Alzheimer’s — since sugar accumulation leads to fungus that can build up in the brain as well. 

Medicinal Mushrooms tone your immune system to deal with dampness — this fungus treats fungus (like treats like) but not a raw mushroom! Instead, a raw extract of the mushroom to be taken at a very low dose.

Cordyceps: The Endurance Mushroom

In Chinese Medicine, Cordyceps supports the Lungs and Kidneys, as does Reishi, but Cordyceps is more effective as a Qi tonic whereas Reishi mushroom is more calming.

Cordyceps is best taken in the morning whereas Reishi can be taken at night to help you sleep.

Cordyceps can help increase blood oxygen levels.

In Chinese Medicine, the Lungs govern Qi circulation and the Kidneys grasp Qi which allows the Qi to circulate more deeply and deepen your breathing.

Reishi mushroom and Cordyceps both help with elevation sickness.

Both of these mushrooms are considered to be Qi tonics.

Qi tonics should only be taken if you’re healthy but also make sure to start with very low doses (1/8-1/4 teaspoon of extract) to protect your digestion, especially if you’re sensitive.

A formula that’s important to remember is Nutrition = Food + Digestion.

You have to be able to absorb what you’re ingesting, whether you’re ingesting food or herbs.

Extracts are concentrates of herbs and plants, so they’re even stronger and more concentrated.

A question many people ask these days is whether you should put mushrooms in your coffee? According to Brandon, mushroom coffee is fine if that’s what it takes to take the mushrooms.

Gynostemma: A Balanced Adaptogenic Tea

Gynostemma is a unique tea that also functions as an adaptogen. While it looks a lot like green tea, gynostemma does not contain caffeine, and is very mild and balancing. In fact, it’s one of the most diverse and effective adaptogens.

Adaptogens help you adapt to stress and regulate functions in your body.

Gynostemma is a powerful yet gentle adaptogen that can help bring balance to many of the functions in your body, which makes it an excellent introduction to tonic herbs for the highly sensitive.

Green tea is high in caffeine and cold in nature whereas Gynostemma is very adaptive, neutral and balancing.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a more popular adaptogen. Hyperion Herbs has this adaptogen available as a spagyric.

However, Gynostemma is superior as an introduction to tonic herbs. It keeps inflammation down and systems regulated.

Let us know your questions about any of the topics discussed in this episode in the comments below!

Resources Mentioned This Episode

Click to subscribe and become a member of our incredible global community.

Visit Hyperion Herbs and enter the promo code NHC1111 at checkout to get a special discount off your order of any of the products we mention on this episode!

Click here to get on the waitlist for the Yin & Yang of Nutrition online course coming in 2023.

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(Episode 55) What's Your Enneagram Personality Type? A Tool for Personal & Collective Transformation with Hemla Makan-Dullabh

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The Daoists believe that anything is possible, including miracles. But it’s essential to open your Heart and raise your vibration to begin manifesting a miraculous life. Learn 4 pillars that’ll help you transform your health and life in How to Attract Endless Possibilities, a new, free audio training with Dr. Setareh Moafi.

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Once you’ve listened, we’d love to hear your thoughts – scroll all the way down to the comments and let us know, what inspired you most about this episode?

In this episode, Hemla Makan Dullabh joins us once again (she talked about the healing power of colors in episode 41), this time to take us on a tour of the nine different Enneagram Types.

You’ll find a summary of the episode below and can find the full transcript by clicking here.

About Hemla

Hemla is a Transformation Catalyst based in Los Altos, CA. She founded Seven Rays Holistic Center over twenty years ago. Hemla has a background as an artist, teacher and she is a mother of two boys. Her work focuses on Awakening the Power within. Hemla helps people engage with their own inner healer. She is a guide and teacher, blending various modalities together to help people connect with their whole being. As a transformation catalyst, Hemla uses the three-centered approach. We have three centers of intelligence including body, mind and heart. Engaging in the three centers is essential to bring wholeness and wellness to our human BEing. Hemla works with both groups and individuals, and offers classes for communities and corporate groups. Her passion for color therapy is incorporated in all the modalities she offers.

What is the Enneagram System?

The Enneagram system is dynamic, alive & constantly evolving.

Family constellations work intersects with the Enneagrams. Type structure gives a layer of information to help describe a personality type.

Enneagrams provide us with a tool for understanding, and can be used for both personal and collective transformation. 

As Hemla beautifully shares, “Enneagrams are like a Spiritual Road Map to better understand oneself and others.”

Enneagrams can show what causes us to be triggered and what triggers others.

They reflect our personality, but this isn’t really who we really are. Within, your true being or true nature is who you really are. Your essence is who you are. We’re all trying to get back to that center of who we are.

Unveiling Your True Being

Our society, culture, upbringing, etc. have all layered on top of our true inner beings, and these layers take away from the truth of our being.

What makes us tic and react? Understanding this can help you grow and heal. With this awareness, we can bring change. Then the question becomes, what would you like to do with that awareness?

Enneagrams don't favor one center of intelligence. We are mentally thoughtful, heart-based and body-based. When all three centers are working together and we work with them, we can really be present in our human being and we can react from there. The idea is to bring all three centers on board.

Our work is to wake up to ourselves and to others (after our inner beings have been asleep).

Enneagrams give us an overview. You can search for clues online about your type, but it’s more effective to have a Typing interview with a trained Enneagram Practitioner who will take you through a long process, asking deeper questions. Often two numbers come up during this process. Without putting ourselves into a box, these numbers can help us to understand ourselves better.

Though the basis of the Enneagram System is Nine Personality Types, this is just the first layer of a multilayered system. Underneath is a psychological roadmap and even deeper is a spiritual roadmap.

We need to know what’s going on in the mind, with our fixations, and with our emotions, through our passions.

Observing these layers takes time and engagement, but we can work with them to understand our true nature.

There are three Enneagram subtypes, each of which find balance through a centering practice that will always be opposite what’s most comfortable for these types:

1. Head types tend to get stuck in thought and mental rumination, so their centering practice is to be more in silence.

2. Body types tend to move a lot, so their centering practice is stillness.

3. Heart types need connection with others, which can make them lose connection with themselves, so their centering practice would be solitude.

The Enneatypes cultivation is to go into a place of discomfort, which is the space in which we all grow.

Spiritual growth never comes from a place of comfort, it is always from a place of discomfort.

It’s not about fixing or changing something, it’s about recognizing something through observation and knowing what to do with it. 

Being present to what’s there, examine, listen in (instead of trying to fix it) -- these are all what the Enneagram is about, and that’s the change or transformation that happens.

As Salvador says, “let change evolve” as a natural process.

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A Tour of The Nine Enneagram Types:

Enneagram Type 1- Perfectionists/Reformers/Teachers - creating a perfect world, perfecting themselves and  others. All about their Sense of control for what they perceive to be perfect. To get that perfection. 

Challenge: sense of something wrong or not quite right. Finding errors.

Enneagram Type 2- Givers/Helpers - go out of their way to help others and do for others as a way of expressing care nurturing or love.

Challenge: lose connection with themselves and their own needs because they’re always outwardly focused.

Eanneagram Type 3- Performer/Achiever - Going, doing, achieving. Always striving for success, setting and reaching goals

Challenge: Lose touch with what they need inside themselves.

Enneagram Type 4- Individualists/Romantics - Want to have a different unique point of view, they don’t want to fit into what’s already there, they want to create a different structure or way of seeing and doing things.

Challenge: Sometimes that search for something different can take them away from the fact that there is already something complete and whole inside of themselves (as they’re always looking for something that’s missing).

Enneagram Type 5 - Observers/Investigators - like to observe and investigate from the outside before they can commit to or be involved in things. They love to absorb knowledge around areas they have deep interest in. Very cerebral. 

Challenge: Can often detach from emotions because their minds are so incredibly active. Guarded about people wanting their time and space. Observation before engagement.

Enneagram Type 6- Loyalists/Skeptics - Driven by need for safety and security. So they will want to observe and see if they’re safe, okay or not in any particular environment. Great at mitigating risks.

Challenge: Lots of doubt as trying to figure out right from wrong. 

Enneagram Type 7 - Epicure/Adventurer/Enthusiast -  Want freedom, want to be out there exploring. They don’t like it when options to try new things are taken away. Need freedom to explore different options.

Challenge: Very future-driven. Always planning. Don't like to be contained in any way.

Enneagram Type 8 - Boss/Protector - They look for a sense of justice and truth. Often protecting the underdog. Very black or white thinking. Clear idea of this or that, true and just.

Challenge: Don’t show vulnerability very easily

Eneagram Type 9 - Mediator/Peacemaker - Always wanting to keep peace. Avoid conflict at all costs.

Challenge: Don’t express their own point of view or opinion in order not to cause conflict. Often go with what everyone else wants in order to keep the peace. They go along to get along.

Enneagram Triads — Body, Heart and Mind:

Enneagram Types 1, 8 & 9 - Body Triad - What they feel and sense in their body. The common emotion is anger, though, as Hemla explains in the episode, each expresses it in different ways.

Enneagram Types 2, 3 & 4 -  Heart triad - Connection, feeling things and emotions. The common emotion is sadness or grief though, as Hemla explains in the episode, each expresses it in different ways.

Enneagram Types 5, 6 & 7 - Mind (Head) Triad - Mental cerebral work and action gets done. The common emotion is fear though, as Hemla explains in the episode, each expresses it in different ways.

Shadow and Light of Each Enneagram Type

Each Enneagram Type has a passion, which is the more surface personality, as well as a virtue, which reflects what the Inner Being needs.

Enneagram Type 1 - Tend to repress their anger, their virtue is serenity.

Enneagram Type 2 - Pride in doing for others, with expectations (everything hangs on how others react) Their virtue is humility.

Enneagram Type 3 - Appearance to the outside world. Have to constantly keep up this image. Always trying to prove themselves worthy to others and to themselves. Their virtue is honesty. (ie being able to take time out)

Enneagram Type 4 - Envy is their passion. Consciously and unconsciously comparing themselves to others. Virtue is equanimity. There is space for everything in the universe. Nothing is missing. Everything is in perfect harmony or balance.

Enneagram Type 5- Avarice or extreme greed is their passion. An intense desire to guard everything that relates to themselves. Automatically detach from feelings because they’re afraid if they give too much there will be nothing left for them inside. Their virtue is about non-attachment and generosity. Trust there will always be enough. The universe will always provide

Enneagram Type 6 - Passion is doubt. Seeking security push against themselves. Virtue is to step into courage. 

Enneagram Type 7 - Passion is gluttony. Total Excess. Taking away their freedoms is like a death sentence. Starting things without finishing .Virtue is sobriety. Knowing possibilities are out there, but being okay with just one or two options.

Enneagram Type 8 - Passion is vengeance. Right vs. wrong. Can project anger and intimidation in order to seek control. Virtue is Truth. Everything is already in balance in the Universe, they don’t have to fight so hard for the control that they feel they need to seek, which leads to vulnerability.

Enneagram Type 9 - Passion is inattention to self. They can be so outwardly focused that they fall asleep to their own needs and forget to fill their own cup, which leads to self-neglect. The virtue for them is right action -- staying present to what their needs are in the moment.

Conclusion

One thing to remember is that we’re all composed of all nine Enneagram Types.

The deeper you go into personality types, the more you realize our complexity as humans. There’s always more to learn.

It’s also possible to overlap the systems, including the Five Element System, The Enneagram Types, and even Nine Star Ki, a system Salvador is currently working on in an upcoming book.

There is also some overlap with Numerology and Enneagram Types.

Hemla provides a much more in-depth understanding of each of the Nine Enneagram Types and their nuances throughout the episode.

We’d love to hear your thoughts – scroll down to the comments and let us know, what inspired you most about this episode?

Resources Mentioned This Episode

To contact Hemla Makan Dullabh, you can visit her website here.

Click to subscribe and become a member of our incredible global community.

Ready to live the life you’ve always wanted? Click here to get Dr. Setareh’s FREE audio guide to learn how to attract endless possibilities into your life.

Click here to listen to Hemla’s episode on Color Therapy in episode #41 of The Natural Healing Podcast.

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(Episode 54) Discover Emotional Freedom with LaDonna Silva, LMFT

Once you’ve listened, we’d love to hear your thoughts – scroll all the way down to the comments and let us know your biggest takeaway from today’s conversation.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How LaDonna’s personal journey working through her deepest wounds helped her become a fearless, open-hearted healer and therapist who empowers others to do the same

• What it takes to find emotional freedom despite hurtful experiences

• How to deal with difficult emotions, including anger and grief

• Why self-care is essential to live a life of less pain, burden and sorrow

Meet LaDonna Silva

Today we’re joined by our dear friend and colleague, LaDonna Silva — a licensed psychotherapist in the South Bay area of California, working in private practice with individuals, couples, and families. LaDonna also runs groups. Her specialties include working with trauma, grief, relationships and the LGBTQI+ community. Ladonna runs consultation groups, has taught at several local universities and loves teaching and presenting. She studied at the Process Therapy Institute for many years and trained in the Internal Family Systems model. She's passionate about the healing process and supporting others in finding their internal freedom.

LaDonna’s Journey to Healing

LaDonna’s personal journey began at the young age of 20, beginning therapy after a family secret of sexual abuse had been revealed. Marcia, the therapist, held space for LaDonna to process the pain of the childhood trauma and the secret that had been revealed within her family system.

LaDonna found her voice, liberated the secrecy in her body and life, and was invited by Marcia to be angry — an expression suppressed in her family system.

Working with a powerful licensed therapist, LaDonna learned to let go of the hurtful parts of her experience while treasuring the gifts.

Many years later, LaDonna returned to school to finish her Master’s degree in Psychology and then a Master’s degree that included somatic psychology, which resonated because so much of her own trauma was rooted in her body, as well as transpersonal psychology. She knew that she was going to go beyond the cognitive and wanted to include the body and the spiritual realm into her work.

LaDonna believes that spaciousness with loving welcome of everything is the essence of her work as a therapist today.

Healing Our Inner Wounds

Loving acceptance is a big part of what she hopes to help others achieve — the loving acceptance she’s found within her life of even the people who’ve hurt her has brought her a tremendous amount of peace.

Letting go isn’t just about letting go. It’s about extracting the essence of the good parts and then making peace with the parts that have hurt us.

The idea is to learn to live whole within yourself while finding the gifts that the wounds have brought.

LaDonna believes that it’s not only what happens to us but what we did with those things.

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Dealing with Difficult Emotions

Emotions that aren’t socially accepted can be challenging to deal with.

From LaDonna’s personal experience, she grew through learning to work through the anger she felt towards her mother, especially at a time when her mother was lost and vulnerable.

The lesson is to care for your own system while caring for others.

As LaDonna beautifully shares: “When we’re not including ourselves in the formula of care, we resent.”

Anger can be a protection, and is valid and real. It’s important to therefore make friends with anger as a protection from guilt and powerlessness.

The idea is if you’re feeling angry, you can share your experience and stay open to the response from the individual you’re dealing with without walking away feeling bad about yourself.

Anger is fuel and when channeled properly, can help bring inner peace through clear expression. When experienced resourcefully, anger can be one of our many healthy emotions.

Anger isn’t always a protection; it’s often an experience.

In most societies today, the expression of anger from men is more acceptable than women, and this can present its own challenges.

The most important thing to question is, what relationship do you have to your emotions? This awareness can be a gift to help you find emotional freedom. This also speaks very much to how we relate to grief.

The Importance of Grief

The greatest grief can come through losing a loved one. Many cultures have rituals and respect for grief, but in other cultures like ours there is often an avoidance or a lack of reverence for this emotion.

Loss of the innocence of a child, loss of innocence to our sexuality, loss of safety — the themes of grief often intermingle with these losses. And our culture doesn’t know how to slow down and be with the emotion of grief.

One of the most important ways we can honor our grief is to slow down.

Grief groups are also very important, as is ritual and making time to process our grief.

It’s essential to honor the grief.

In Chinese Medicine, the root of all diseases is emotional.

It’s all about opening the heart and working through the layers that are preventing us from opening our hearts. And it begins with learning self love and to first love ourselves.

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The Importance of Self-Care to Heal Our Inner Wounds

Self care brings self love.

In Chinese Medicine, the Earth element is about care, which begins with ourselves because if we don’t give it to ourselves, we have nothing to give to others.

A person who has an imbalance in their Earth element either meddles too much in other’s lives because they can’t pay attention to their own, or has nothing to give.

Cultivating self-care is something that allows us to naturally give to others when we do enough of it.

Many think of self-care as selfish and have reasons like lack of time or lack of deserving it to avoid self-care, but it is essential nonetheless.

Integrating therapeutic work to help you cultivate this self-care and to heal is a supportive way to move through the journey, and to recognize that we’re all in this together.

Click here to download a transcript of this episode to learn more.

Let us know what you think! We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on our discussion and conversation on emotional freedom with LaDonna. Scroll all the way down to the comments section below to share

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Resources Mentioned This Episode

To contact LaDonna Silva, LMFT, visit her website here.

Harmonize your Yin and Yang energies and cultivate freedom of movement throughout your body and life with the Microcosmic & Macrocosmic Orbit Meditations at www.setarehmoafi.com/shop.

Boost your immunity and optimize your gut health with our personal line of supplements — Ahara Botanics. Learn more and get 10% off your first order with promo code HEALTHY10 at aharabotanics.com.

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(Episode 53) Embracing Your Authentic Self with Tamara Nakhjavani

Once you’ve listened, we’d love to hear your thoughts – scroll all the way down to the comments and let us know your insights on our conversation with Tamara.

Meet Tamara Nakhjavani

Today we have a special guest, Tamara Nakhjavani — an eclectic healer and graduate of the energy therapy, Reiki, EFT clinical hypnotherapy, and shamanic practices programs at HCH. She's the founder of Seraphim Center for Healing and Education, a healing practice based in Oakland, California.

Tamara has been facilitating free Reiki clinics and teaching Reiki for nine years. She combines her knowledge gained at HCH with her developing psychic abilities and ongoing studies of Qigong to strengthen her clients and students' connection with the divine. Tamara is also a small business and nonprofit, transactional attorney, a longtime human rights activist, and a mother of a beautiful 12 year old girl.

Tamara is passionate about helping young children and adolescents, and is currently studying to become a licensed marriage and family therapist. She lives and works in Oakland, California.

Tamara’s Journey from Law to the Healing Arts

At the age of 16, during her second year of high school, her family moved to the US from her home country of Iran. Shortly after their arrival, her parents left her and her five year old brother behind, returning to Iran.

After graduating from high school, Tamara went to college on the east coast and studied molecular biology. She worked at multiple universities and companies as a biologist, and went to one year of medical school, following in the footsteps of her familial lineage which was primarily made of physicians.

By the time she arrived in California, she had severe PTSD and was very confused due to the multiple traumatic events she faced once she’d immigrated to the US, from Iran.

She eventually ended up in law school with the intention of becoming a practicing humanitarian lawyer but that didn’t go as planned. It was after she completed law school that she began her own journey to self-discovery through Reiki. Her first experience with Reiki shed light on a new path that led her to do the healing work she now does with her students and clients.

In this episode, Tamara shares her journey to healing through Reiki and her mastery of the healing arts. You’ll learn about how developing her intuition and spiritual connection guided her to a path of healing herself that ultimately allowed her to heal others.

You’ll learn why it’s important to find your authentic self, and how to develop the courage to live life authentically.

Click here for the episode transcript.

After you’ve given the episode a listen or read the transcript, let us know what you think! We’d love to hear your thoughts and comments on our discussion and conversation on the authentic self with Tamara. Scroll all the way down to the comments section below to add your thoughts!

The Microcosmic and Macrocosmic Orbit Meditations help to circulate energy throughout your body through the primary source channels of Yin and Yang, known as the Du and Ren Meridians, which are also the Fire and Water pathways of the body. In this way, these meditations also connect the Fire and Water energies, cultivating Heart-Kidney communication, which helps you realize and live out your life purpose. To purchase access to these meditations, click the button below:

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Resources Mentioned This Episode

Learn more about Tamara Nakhjavani at Seraphim Center for Healing and Education here.

Harmonize your Yin and Yang energies and cultivate freedom of movement throughout your body and life with the Microcosmic & Macrocosmic Orbit Meditations at www.setarehmoafi.com/shop.

Boost your immunity and optimize your gut health with our personal line of supplements — Ahara Botanics. Learn more and get 10% off your first order with promo code HEALTHY10 at aharabotanics.com.

---

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Thank you!

(Episode 34) Welcoming Food with Andrew Sterman (Part 2 of 2)

Click here to listen to part one of our interview with Andrew Sterman

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how has this conversation shifted your perspective on simplifying food?

In the second part of our interview with Andrew Sterman, we delve deeper into how to cultivate health through Classical Chinese Dietary Therapy. 

Everything we consume is not necessarily absorbed or digested by our body so regardless of how healthy we’re eating, if our digestive system or overall health is suffering, we may never reap the nutritional value offered by the healthy food we consume.

Cold food and drinks, for example, can inhibit the Stomach’s ability to digest properly according to Chinese Medicine and is said to insult the Lungs and Stomach.
A simple switch to warm and appropriately cooked food can lead to better digestive health and improved energy levels.

Andrew believes providing tools along with sharing his teachings are the best way to guide people to make healthier choices. In the two volume series of his books Welcoming Food, Andrew Sterman provides a foundation on nutrition—which is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of health. Andrew Sterman hopes one’s intuition will eventually guide them towards healthier and more nutritious food. 

Diet as Medicine and Simplifying Food

Diet is medicine. We’ve all heard this before but what does that really entail?

Andrew Sterman suggests we look at the larger picture that often reveals a pattern of habits that accumulate with the potential to affect our health. With diet, we understand one slice of cake or a bowl of ice cream is not damaging unless you’re suffering from a health condition such as diabetes or otherwise.

When food is consumed often enough, it can potentially become medicinal and influence our health—for better or worse. This is what we need to keep in mind. If we want to support healing, we have to address and identify patterns and habits in our diet that can have a negative impact on our wellbeing. 

While food shortage and inequity in the access of food are prevalent around the world and should be rightfully acknowledged, affluent countries on the other hand have turned food into an entertainment industry with extravagant flavors and nuances emerging everyday to keep up with the demand. Andrew Sterman emphasizes that this is not necessary and simplification should be favored over overshadowing unnatural and indigestible food. When the ingredients are good, you would be surprised to learn how dramatically flavors are enhanced. 

We have to eat meals that we can personally digest or what Andrew Sterman calls clear meals. Meals should be prepared in a way that acknowledges the changes we experience in our lives and the diversity that exists in our digestive health. What may feel like a good meal to one individual may not feel like a good meal to another. 

Generally, Andrew Sterman recommends reconsidering how we think about food. For those who are healthy, for instance, switching fructose based sweets to maltose is a much healthier option for the liver. It soothes digestion and is traditionally used in Chinese Medicine.

Andrew Sterman asks that you also reconsider recipes, especially baking recipes that often call for two or more cups of sugar. Instead of completely eliminating foods that  you enjoy, look at ways to cut down the sugar and substitute it with healthier and delicious alternatives that balance your meal rather well. For instance, instead of using the two  cups of granulated sugar listed in the recipe, use one cup of barley malt and honey that expands the taste dimensions of the food and also nourishes your body. 

Sterman shares a wealth of knowledge in the two volumes of Welcoming Food, where he explains the energetics of food and also shares delicious and wholesome recipes.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how has this conversation shifted your perspective on simplifying food?

References:

Andrew Sterman’s website: https://www.andrewsterman.com/

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(Episode 33) Welcoming Food with Andrew Sterman (Part 1 of 2)

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—which insight most provoked your interest from our conversation? 

Click here to listen to part two of our interview with Andrew Sterman

About Andrew Sterman

Andrew Sterman is the author of Welcoming Food: Diet as Medicine for Home Cooks and Other Healers (Classical Wellness Press, 2020).  Book 1 explains Food Energetics and Healing from a Chinese medicine perspective, and book 2 is Recipes and Kitchen Practice, with each recipe decoded for energetics and strategy.  Based in New York City, Andrew works with clients in person and over video in the areas of dietary therapy, medical Qi Gong and meditation, and writes a regular column for the Golden Flower Chinese Herbs newsletter.  His inviting and intimate style of online teachings have a growing international popularity, drawing together home cooking, dietary therapy, healing through Qi Gong, meditation, and the idea that complex teachings can be made simple and put to use by everyone.  

Andrew first entered Chinese Medicine through Qi Gong and Tai chi in 1988. He began studying the healing potential of food at the same time by enrolling at the Natural Gourmet Cookery School. Seeking to deepen his understanding of food energetics, Andrew began formal study of Chinese herbal medicine, diagnostics, medical theory, and dietary therapy with Master Jeffrey Yuen in 2001.

Andrew’s parallel career as a professional musician enables him to travel extensively and learn from chefs of many cultures, further inspiring him to discover unique ways to incorporate food and healing into daily cooking routines.

At home, Andrew cooks for his wife, author and acupuncturist Ann Cecil-Sterman, and their two children.

Chinese Medicine and Dietetics 

Andrew Sterman found music at an early age, which has since remained an important part of his life as he continues to practice music professionally, but considers music a form of healing art as well—most recently helping artists navigate their health issues through Chinese Medicine.

In addition to training extensively in music, Andrew Sterman has been cultivating resources offered by Chinese Medicine in his formal studies and relaying them to his clients and also integrating them into his books by offering simple and manageable ways to incorporate healthy habits using Chinese Medicine. 

As a student of the 88th generation Daoist Master Dr. Jeffrey Yuen, Andrew Sterman looks for ways to extend the teachings of Dr. Yuen to his clients in an accessible way without belittling the vast and complex teachings of Chinese Medicine, especially regarding nutrition.

As an author whose work focuses on Food Energetics, Andrew Sterman says there is an overwhelming amount of force keeping us from changing our dietary practices for the better, often finding ourselves stuck in the same place without a clear understanding of how to move forward.

Sterman’s approach with clients struggling with health issues or those looking to embrace healthy eating includes keeping goals realistic in order to achieve progress, and encouraging clients to get creative when finding places to meditate or taking it slow when reducing sugar in their diet.

Since everything around us is constantly changing, Sterman emphasizes that we should embrace conscious evolution, where we take part in changes happening to us and those around us.

With diet being an important aspect of our health, a change in diet and healthy lifestyle may feel uncomfortable at first but it has a beautiful way of transforming how we think about nourishment and health.

Andrew Sterman also notices that he often introduces his clients to more food rather than placing restrictions on what they can eat. The misconception that healthy food is not tasty or very restrictive can also keep us from building a better relationship with food which often has the power to transform our health. 

Even those following a healthy diet and lifestyle can find themselves suffering from debilitating health conditions and Andrew Sterman often finds that a shift in perspective often helps ease or eliminate the suffering altogether. For example, Sterman encourages those consuming a lot of raw foods like salads and smoothies to instead cook and consume warm foods.

With balanced meals that incorporate western nutrient content while protecting digestion, Andrew Sterman has successfully helped clients struggling to conceive to those suffering from fatigue and digestive issues. 

Since food and diet are very personal, people can’t follow a single diet or regimen all the time. As we change, so should our diet. Although working with professionals specializing in nutrition from a Chinese Medicine perspective is ideal, a simple change you can start making today is avoiding cold foods and nourishing your body with warm soups and stews instead. 

Stay tuned for the second part of our interview with Andrew Sterman where we continue discussing self-healing with Chinese Medicine dietetics. 

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—which insight most provoked your interest from our conversation? 

References:

Andrew Sterman’s website: https://www.andrewsterman.com/

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(Episode 29) Your Issues are in Your Tissues: How Trauma Can Lead to Chronic Pain with Denise Alberto

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

Our guest today is our dear friend, Denise Alberto—a physical therapist and pelvic pain specialist. Denise is a Bay Area native who earned her B.S. in Psychology from St. Mary’s College and holds a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from University of St. Augustine.

Denise Alberto developed a keen interest in treating the spine, especially the pelvic/SI (sacroiliac) region. With continued education, she has developed a unique approach to treating chronic pain syndrome and pelvic region dysfunction.

Denise Alberto has a distinct passion to help couples with unconsummated marriage and sexual pain issues. In addition, she emphasizes the mind-body connection in her post-traumatic stress recovery and resorts to local practitioners—among them are acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists—to help heal her patients.

Denise Alberto realized her passion for physical therapy early on, as she began working for a physical therapist after graduating from college. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Physical Therapy and started a thriving but demanding practice. It was during her early years of practice as a physical therapist that Denise Alberto realized her own health needed attention.

Denise’s personal journey to address her health led her to a very resourceful course on pelvic health that encouraged her to further pursue the specialty, eventually becoming a pelvic physical therapist. 

Denise emphasizes that in addition to using physical touch during treatments, she encourages patients to face the emotional entanglements of their trauma. It is only through facing these entanglements that we begin to experience emotional and physiological healing.

Denise elaborates that as a therapist she holds room or space for strength so patients are able to process and release wounds that are causing their trauma, especially since patients may feel at their most vulnerable during these moments. 

Chronic pain patterns are often accompanied by uncomfortable feelings or past experiences and Denise believes that additional support is often needed to tackle these feelings as she works with healing the physical body.

In these instances, she turns to other healers like acupuncturists, massage therapists and often refers her patients to psychologists. This holistic approach that aims to empower patients almost always results in healing. 

Practices to help support your body

Diaphragmatic breath: helps relax and support lung function (oxygen exchange).

Pelvic diaphragm breathing: can help move your viscera and ease tension in your organs. 

Psoas stretching: can help improve and strengthen tight or tense psoas muscles.

Yin Yoga: the following Yin Yoga practices can be helpful in improving your flexibility and introducing you to deep breathing:

Breathe Deeply: Yoga for the Lung & Liver Meridians

Yin Yoga Integration to Release Your Arms, Shoulders & Neck

Yin Yoga Integration for Flexibility 

References:

Denise Alberto’s website: https://www.denisealberto.com/

An article by Dr. Mirkin (coined the RICE method) on Why Ice Delays Recovery

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—how is your body speaking to you?

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(Episode 28) Sexual Healing as a Path to Longevity with Dr. Willow Brown

by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

Our guest today is Dr. Willow Brown, an internationally recognized teacher of Daoist sexologist and doctor of Chinese Medicine, who specializes in endocrinology. Her offerings provide a profound understanding of what it means to engage in sacred sexuality and live a sensual life. Dr. Brown has studied the human body and its correspondence with nature for the last two decades. Her style is a blend of many modalities—such as yoga, Qi Gong, acupuncture and cranio-sacral therapy.

Dr. Brown is also an international speaker and author. She has coached thousands of women, men and couples in creating a powerful connection, potent intimacy and prevailing unconditional love. It is her heartfelt desire to serve humanity out of shame, guilt and self-doubt that leads those in pain to her doorsteps. 

Dr. Brown’s path to the healing arts began after gaining a sense of self-empowerment that followed a deeply traumatic event she experienced as a teenager. She felt the need to reform sexual education after realizing the ambiguity and gap in sex knowledge prevalent around her.

After attending acupuncture school, she started teaching Daoist sexology to her patients and students. Dr. Brown learned a great deal about Jing Qi or sexual energy during her six month trip around Asia. Since Jing Qi was not covered in depth in her acupuncture school training, she expanded her knowledge on the topic by consulting books and using her own experience and intuition as a guide. 

The Ancient Wisdom Approach

Dr. Brown calls her treatment framework the Ancient Wisdom Approach, which is based on the four phases of the moon cycle and how they relate to the five Chinese elements (Fire, Wood, Metal, Earth and Water). 

Dr. Brown elaborates that every living being on Earth has a moon cycle as their water contents are being influenced by the moon’s gravitational pull.

The four phases of the moon cycle also relate to the seasons and as women menstruate, they experience fluctuations since the moon exerts its energy on us. It’s a lot of energy to navigate in a short amount of time but when we understand the Chinese elements as they relate to our physiology and the four phases of the moon cycle, we can learn to schedule and manage our life (including sex) much better. Dr. Brown believes the Ancient Wisdom Approach gives people—especially women in their fertile years—a lifeline so when they’re overwhelmed, a structured system exists to help guide them.

It is perfectly normal if a woman’s menstrual cycle doesn’t follow the moon cycle — you can still follow the transition of the seasons and tune into yourself and listen closely to your body and understand its natural rhythms. 

Becoming Sexually Empowered

Dr. Brown’s approach to treating people experiencing difficulty with hormonal changes—whether it’s menopause, perimenopause, postmenopause or andropause—is to trace the root of the problem and really understand if the adrenal glands are being nourished or depleted on a regular basis.

Once the endocrinological aspects of hormones are addressed— either through Chinese medicine, acupuncture, nutrition or just learning about the changes—our sexuality in turn will be much healthier and supported. 

Menopausal syndrome, for instance, is very common in high-stress societies and some of the most common symptoms are often attributed to being “normal”, when in fact they are not. Our essence, or Jing, is compromised when we’re constantly stressed and depleted so it’s crucial to slow down and tune into our body in order to allow it to come back to equilibrium. 

Sexual trauma is also an ever-growing problem in the world and it can have both physical and mental effects. Dr. Brown says it’s not uncommon for patients with past sexual trauma to come in with debilitating diseases, especially conditions that involve the reproductive system. 

Since our genes or curriculum are programmed during the gestational period, trauma can hinder our lower chakra, directly affecting our curriculum and keeping us from unfolding our destined life or keeping us from living a fulfilled life. 

What is Sexual Health & a Technique to Improve It

Sexual health is knowing what brings the most pleasure to you and allowing yourself to explore your natural sexual desires. When sexual health is neglected or out of balance, other realms of your life can suffer. A common problem is low libido. 

Since we’re all products of sexual energy, lack of libido can have a profoundly negative impact on our lives. When the underlying trauma or unexplored aspect of our lives are addressed properly, Dr. Brown finds that people often expand in more ways than they realize. 

Dr. Brown shares a simple but powerful practice that can improve our sexual health called Turtle Breathing. Turtle Breathing lays the foundation for all Daoist sexual practices and it can also tonify your adrenal glands. You can practice turtle breathing while standing or sitting.

Imagine you have a turtle shell on your lower back and as you inhale, you’ll push that imaginary shell toward the space behind you and as you exhale, allow the shell to come back toward your spine. In the beginning, you may find your abdomen more engaged but this will subside as you practice turtle breathing often.

Dr. Brown guides you through the turtle breathing practice at 50:39 of the podcast. 

Sexual energy or orgasmic energy can also be drawn in with a mindful practice like turtle breathing, improving your intimacy and sexual health!

Once you’ve listened, let us know in the comments below—on a scale of 1 to 10, how are you in relationship with your sexuality? What is inhibiting you from being at a 10?

References:

Dr. Willow Brown’s website: https://drwillowbrown.com/

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