woman

wellness & sustainability

Loving, honoring & respecting yourself is a lot like loving, honoring & respecting the planet. In my mind, they are really one. If humanity is to flourish here on Earth, medicine must shift to be sustainable. For the years I practiced as a naturopathic physician, I followed what I believe to be a very practical & holistic method of healing, which is also quite ecological. I offer the concept* as a way forward, a hope for the future, so we can thrive once again.

Quite easy, really. Three basic steps.

You are like a circle.

Firstly, if there is something in the circle that does not belong there, if possible, remove it. This is anything that could block healing, such as unhealthy foods, chemicals in your home & toxic relationships.

Secondly, if there is something not in the circle that should be there, if possible, put it in. This could be nutritious foods, deep breathing, fresh air, proper sleep, movement & exercise, sunshine, time in nature, touch, purpose, stimulation of the mind & healthy emotional connection.

Thirdly - once the first two steps are done, you cannot skip those steps! - then use the best & most appropriate of a variety of healing methods, including but not limited to herbal medicine, homeopathy, massage, hydrotherapy & acupressure, to boost the body’s inherent capacity for healing called the vital force or qi. The body has built-in mechanisms to heal. Much of the time, not always, the body can heal itself if we do not interfere with these mechanisms & instead support them. As a naturopathic physician, I respect the intelligence of the body & listen to, understand & work with it on a daily basis to sustain health & bring about healing. This is a reconnection to the concept of trusting the natural power of the body to heal when it is honored & nurtured.

These words are the best gift I can share if they do serve to reconnect you to the wisdom already residing within you, a wisdom that we have somehow been mostly disconnected from but that still remains. If we give this wisdom proper time & attention, I believe it can be truly transformative.

Also remember this. Do not worry about the things you cannot change. Put all your energy & effort into the things you actually can change & take full responsibility for those. You might be surprised at all the things you can do! Make the basics your priority. Focus on building a strong foundation of health & vitality. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.

Your feminine body is sacred. It has been said many times that our bodies are temples, but do we act as if this is true? Not so much. In seeing ourselves as part of the Sacred Feminine, we must honor our souls, our bodies, our minds & our hearts - Fire, Earth, Air & Water - each of these parts & the unity of the parts. This is holistic medicine. This is sacred medicine. Making this real every day means there had better be a really compelling reason for me to put a toxic chemical on my skin, for me to breathe in a toxic chemical in the air in my home or for me to consume a toxic chemical or artificial ingredient in my food. This also applies to taking a prescription drug, an over-the-counter drug or even an herbal or nutritional supplement. There might be a proper & sufficient reason to do so, but we must use caution & discretion. We have the power to choose differently for ourselves. Knowledge, wisdom, clarity, purity, respect, sanctity, boundaries, discernment. These are the themes to keep in mind.

My wish for you - vibrant health, longevity, understanding, love & dreams come true.

beauty & sustainability

One of the most amazing & empowering parts of being feminine to me is the experience of expressing the fullness of my beauty, shining brightly in unapologetic gorgeousness. I am clearly not the only one who feels this way. The beauty industry is big & ever-expanding. The Sacred Feminine does desire to be beautiful & to have beauty in her surroundings. However, this inherently healthy concept has spun somewhat out of control. Women have been made to feel insecure just so that they can be sold various products, & some women are resorting to quite extreme measures in order to achieve beauty. This often is harmful to both women & to the Earth. Is there really no way we can be beautiful & healthy & confident & sexy & do it without harming the planet? I say with complete certainty that we can be beautiful & healthy & confident & so sexy & do it all much more ecologically than we are currently doing it.

Our bodies as women are naturally very closely tied to the Earth. This influences our health & also our beauty. As we connect to & honor the vitality & purity of the untamed wild planet while also honoring our connection to the Moon, Venus & the Goddesses, we become filled with light, sparkling, nourishing, grounding energy. This daily connection is the best “cosmetic procedure”! 

The second best is always keeping a steady love of yourself, no matter what. Whether you are having a great day or a lousy day, just love, love, love yourself, both in your strengths & in your weaknesses. Allow what is sacred to carry you. 

The third best is a clean, healthy diet, breathing & the basics outlined above. 

Then we can play, play, play, using all sorts of clean cosmetics, skincare & bath products. Venus can indulge to her heart’s content, without too much concern for the planet when we choose ecological beauty.

here are a few of my very favorite clean beauty & wellness products:

fashion & sustainability

When you shop, look for intimate wear, clothing & accessories made of silk, cotton, linen, modal, cashmere, wool & alpaca. Pima cotton is a particularly amazing luxury & eco fabric. Purchase high quality items you really love & desire to keep for years. Take great care of them. A little elastane in a garment is fine but do try to limit polyester & nylon to select pieces. PVC is having a moment but limit it. So, say there is a choice between a denim jean made with cotton & elastane or a similar style made with cotton, polyester & elastane. Choose the first. Become accustomed to reading labels & weaning off the petroleum-based fabrics whenever possible. And just don’t do acrylic. It’s the worst. For health reasons, do not purchase clothing with wrinkle-resistant, anti-stain or anti-microbial chemicals/coatings. Look within your favorite brands for more ecological pieces. Tell companies that you hope to see more sustainable clothing & less fast fashion.

these are some of my favorite sources to find high quality items:

Barneys, NYC

quality garments, luxury brands & just fabulousness, RIP my beloved barneys

resources

Click on this link for more information about naturopathic medicine

American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

* Medical Disclaimer:
Information given on this site discussing health & wellness is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult a licensed naturopathic physician, other qualified physician, or other healthcare professional with questions you have regarding a medical condition. 

** note about nail polishes:
better to buy a few slightly more expensive eco polishes than a lot of cheap toxic ones.

three-free means free of: Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate=DBP, Formaldehyde

five-free means free of: the above three chemicals, plus Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor

seven-free means free of: the above five chemicals, plus Triphenyl Phosphate=TPHP, Xylene

eight-free means free of: the above seven chemicals, plus ethyl tosylamide