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DEET Alternatives: Non-Toxic Insect Repellent that Works
As a lover of the outdoors, I have been searching for a long time to find a non-toxic, DEET-free insect repellent that actually works. While mosquito season is starting to wind down in some parts of the country, I want to share the research I’ve done on repellents. I had a few opportunities to test out bug sprays this summer – a camping trip to Stanley, Idaho, a river trip down the Desolation Canyon in Utah and a backpacking trip to Young Lakes in Yosemite. All of these places are well-known for having a lot of mosquitoes, and if you aren’t prepared, expect to be eaten alive. In addition to this, I’m one of those people who is especially susceptible to getting mosquito bites. The bugs really love me for some reason. On my Yosemite trip, my fellow trip-mates nicknamed me Mosquito-Bait as I attracted most of the mosquitoes, leaving less bugs for them. I started my search at my local, natural grocery store, Sprouts. After talking to the person working in the vitamin and skin care section about their bug repellents, I opted for a botanical-based spray that she had successfully used herself. While I tested a few others […]
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Mental Health is an Emergency
I had an interesting experience in yoga today. I had just checked in for class when a firefighter opened the door, looked right at me and said he and his team were testing fire alarms. The alarm would be going off soon. He quickly realized I wasn’t in charge, gave the instructor more details and she proceeded to warn the class of what was coming. The alarm didn’t go off as soon as anticipated, so the instructor started the class. She talked about Mental Health Awareness Month – the theme for the class that day. She said 1 in 5 people are diagnosed with mental illness in varying degrees, and how we should release the stigma attached to it. She talked about how no one is alone in the mental health struggle, and it’s okay to not be okay. As if on queue, the fire alarm went off, and continued to go off repeatedly for 10 minutes. As I lay there, in a modified child’s pose with my hands over my ears, I checked deep within, as I often do when challenging or unusual things happen in my life. What lesson did God have for me in this moment? What […]
Healing Chronic Illness with Amy Kuecks, Massage Therapist and Health Coach
Meet Amy Kuecks, a licensed massage therapist and health coach specializing in therapeutic massage for surgical recovery, cancer support, chronic illness, and well-being. She battled chronic fatigue for 17 years, but after Amy learned how to heal herself, she felt a call to help others do the same. Tell us a healing story that changed a life. I have a client that came to me with an A1C of 13.1. We worked on him 3-4 times a month for 6 months and when his doctor retested him, his A1C was down to 5.4. That was 2.5 years ago. He still comes in and is still diabetes-free. What has been the biggest challenge or obstacle you’ve faced in your life, and how did you overcome it? My own illness. After 12 years of working with various medical doctors with limited success, I refused to accept that my life was as good as it was going to get and began a holistic journey. I invested in me and worked with an acupuncturist, foot zoners, energy workers, and health coaches. I am happy to say that I have not had an episode since 2013. What advice do you have to give? Don’t give […]
It’s Not All Brahmana: Learning the Balance of Living Your Yoga
Yoga as a practice in Western Culture has been debated more than ever recently. There are body pump style, Vinyasysa flow classes and Instagram ‘influencers’ touting tight bodies and upside-down challenges everywhere you look. This year, I had to dig deep in my practice to ask myself what yoga is to me and if pushing it is really the right thing, right now. The deep historic roots of yoga teach us to remember that it is a practice for life. In so many cases, athletes can’t play football, basketball, ski, or live their sport for their whole lifetime. Pro athletes have a few years and have to retire (all except Tom Brady I suppose). Yoga is a major exception, a practice you hope you can continue the entire time you’re in your human experience. There is a big piece of today’s yoga that I see missing lately – the balance, the sukha and sthira, the effort and ease, the way we come to the practice to calm our mind. From time to time it’s great to arrive on your mat, get into the now, and take away the rush, the endorphins, the hyper energy. I recently (in my 300HR training) […]
Discovering Your User Manual & GPS with Jami, Astrology and Human Design
Meet Jami. She’s an eternal seeker and lover of new experiences and new information. Jami is also an Astrologer and Human Design reader. What led you to Astrology and Human Design? I came to a point in my life when I felt unfulfilled by how I was showing up in the world. I realized I was listening to my intuition and gut but wasn’t following the advice. So, I decided to leave my corporate sales career of 12 years and take a break, to rest and to find what was calling to me. Astrology & Human Design divinely was led into my life only 2 days after I made the decision to leave and trust that whatever was calling me would find me. Amazingly, it was just waiting for me to make the move, and incredibly, that is exactly what Human Design teaches us. My first Astrology reading changed my life. I had no idea what Astrology really was or what it would provide to me, but I trusted that it was put in my path for a reason so I scheduled a session. In that 1 hour session, I had never felt more seen or understood by anyone in […]
Finding Your Superpowers with Cameron Nichols, Personal Life Coach
Meet Cameron. He’s a personal life coach who helps intuitive/empathic/sensitive leaders to stop drowning in fear and doubt, step into their authenticity and build confidence. Cameron is great at helping people become inspirational forces of nature and be catalysts for change in their corporate culture. What led you to become a personal life coach? Ever since I was a kid, I was in leadership roles in both school and church. When I entered the corporate world, I instantly knew I wanted to help train and lead people so this is where I spent most of my career. On the outside, it looked like I had everything–a happy marriage, a great job, a home, etc. but I still felt unhappy and unsatisfied. At work I had a big case of imposter syndrome and let go of a lot of my confidence. I was trying to be the ‘picture perfect’ leader, which took me out of authenticity and I found myself in some miserable ruts. One day I was out to lunch with a friend telling her about my current role as a leader and she said it sounded a lot like life coaching. I had no clue what life coaching was. […]
Life Lessons with Anastasia Galka, Holistic Health Coach
Meet Anastasia. She is a holistic health coach, yoga instructor and mom to three kids. She says yes to trying just about anything on herself as a human experiment and is a pretty incredible person. What led you to become a holistic health coach? My body fell apart after my 3rd baby. I had postpartum depression, anxiety, acne, diarrhea, and I hadn’t lost any of my pregnancy weight. I had been getting up 7-8 times a night nursing a newborn with one of my other children having nightly anxiety attacks for months on end. I had had 4 pregnancies, 3 babies, and 3 surgeries in 7 years. My body had been through a lot and it finally broke. I knew I needed help when I had one of those dark moments where I fell to the floor in tears and had that dark scary thought that “This will never get better.” I had a brief moment of clarity and reached out to my doctor, my therapist, and booked a hotel for myself for a couple of nights. My doctor prescribed depression meds and that really didn’t feel right to me at the time. I asked for blood work, and it […]
What Is Yoga Nidra?
There are many types and styles of yoga and you’ve maybe heard of some of them. Yoga Nidra deserves its own special explanation. Yoga Nidra should be almost called something else – the name can be confusing. You don’t have to do Yoga or meditation to try Yoga Nidra. While this is certainly a yoga practice, it is a separate type of mind-body therapy session. Personally, my deeper understanding and training on the subject has made me realize the huge powers of this unique therapy. At this time (life in 2020) I strongly recommend Yoga Nidra to almost everyone. There are a few different styles of Yoga Nidra – derived from Tantra, Swani Satyananda, and more recently via Dr. Richard Miller, the iRest Yoga Nidra technique. To learn more about the science and history, here’s the wiki link. There’s some deeper information here as well. The system of rest, body scan, and attention inward is a huge, calming reflective time to rejuvenate your body and mind. In the last few months, we are all dealing with pain – maybe even PTSD. We’ve tried music, hobbies, wine, exercising, all kinds of normal tricks and help for release. For some of us, […]
Finding Peace in the Midst of Chaos
I hit a deer last week. Our car is a total loss. Miraculously, the deer crushed the front of our car and bounced off (instead of through the windshield), leaving my husband and me without a scratch. Why am I sharing this? There’s some important messages that need to be said. We are not alone. I’m convinced we stayed safe during the accident because angels were there to protect us. As you’ll see in the photos, we finished a bike ride 30 minutes before the accident – the climb was 1,111 ft (a powerful angel sign/number). Also, there were green orbs in our photos, taken on a dark, empty highway. Was I surprised by any of this? No. I know when angels are around. You’ll find unexplainable orbs and flashes of light frequently in my videos and pics here on My Natural Healer as I work with angels in the healing work I do, and I have for years. I witness miracles often as a result. Angels exist to help all of us. I encourage you to have conversations with angels and God, Jesus, whatever higher power(s) you believe in. They’ll give you guidance, comfort, protection and strength when […]
‘The Goop Lab’ Review | My Natural Healer
All I knew about The Goop Lab was the stories most of us have heard – dirty jokes about jade eggs and very expensive exotic treatments with questionable results. There is one thing I can do to educate myself, I thought, as we mulled the articles (bottom of this blog) over – and so I logged into Netflix and started to watch. Right from the beginning, you can see that this is not a doctor’s office. This is not someone telling you what to believe, this is not extremist in theory. Goop (and Gwenyth Paltrow) seem to be intent on being inquisitive. This is, despite articles and journalists urging us to think otherwise, entirely reasonable. In our time, new things are being discovered, old things being remembered, that can help or help certain people with certain ailments or issues. Educating about unique and different healing modalities, and helping people with information so they can decide for themselves. My Natural Healer emphatically shares this goal. So while sure, I wasn’t planning to view strangers’ vaginas at noon on a Wednesday, I had heard of Wim Hof and for the most part, some of the options set forth were reasonable. I felt […]
Improving Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Episode 36 – Ask Anything Topic: Improving symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis View this post on Instagram Episode 36 – you will learn: Question: Do you have any information that might help improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)? (0:42) A little-known resource of information that can help improve symptoms of MS. (2:09) Natural healing modalities that may improve the symptoms of MS. (4:35) Diet recommendations that may improve the symptoms of MS. (6:46) Link for more information: https://mynaturalhealer.com/improving-symptoms-of-multiple-sclerosis-ms/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Jan 23, 2020 at 10:35pm PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: Do you have any information that might help improve symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)? (0:42) A little-known resource of information that can help improve symptoms of MS. (2:09) Natural healing modalities that may improve the symptoms of MS. (4:35) Diet recommendations that may improve the symptoms of MS. (6:46) Links for more information: Book a free discovery call with me to reduce stress and anxiety that can further aggravate your nervous system and worsen MS symptoms, More information about the Medical Medium and his recommendations for people suffering from MS. Find a healer near you for the modalities that may help […]
Natural Remedies for Erectile Dysfunction
Episode 35 – Ask Anything Topic: Natural remedies for erectile dysfunction View this post on Instagram Episode 35 – you will learn: Question: What are some natural therapies for erectile dysfunction? (0:24) Three natural modalities to try if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction (0:30) Why CBD can improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction (3:45) Link for more information: https://mynaturalhealer.com/natural-remedies-for-erectile-dysfunction/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Jan 9, 2020 at 10:20pm PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: What are some natural therapies for erectile dysfunction? (0:24) Three natural modalities to try if you are experiencing erectile dysfunction (0:30) Why CBD can improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction (3:45) Links for more information: Book a free discovery call with me to improve the overall function of your body (including erectile dysfunction) Find a healer near you for the modalities that may help improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction: Acupuncture Integrative medicine Functional medicine Naturopathic medicine Chinese traditional medicine Energy medicine CBD company to check out (offers online orders)
Keeping New Year’s Resolutions
Episode 34 – Ask Anything Topic: Setting new year’s resolutions you can keep View this post on Instagram Episode 34 – you will learn: Question: How do you keep new year’s resolutions? (0:16) The best goal-setting strategy that will help you achieve new year’s resolutions and any goal. (1:30) Why approximately 80% of resolutions fail by February (and how to not be that person). (4:06) Link for more information: https://mynaturalhealer.com/keeping-new-years-resolutions/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Jan 2, 2020 at 10:02pm PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: How do you keep new year’s resolutions? (0:16) The best goal-setting strategy that will help you achieve new year’s resolutions and any goal. (1:30) Why approximately 80% of resolutions fail by February (and how to not be that person). (4:06) Links for more information: Two important podcasts that will set you up for success (also available on Apple Podcasts): The Chalene Show – #508 Your Year in Review The Chalene Show – #510 Creating a Plan for the Next 90 Days Learn more about Chalene Johnson PUSH goal journal – really helpful, but not necessary to follow the PUSH goal system Other tips for reflecting on past achievements […]
Natural Remedies for Hair Loss
Episode 33 – Ask Anything Topic: Natural remedies for hair loss View this post on Instagram Episode 33 – you will learn: Question: Do you have any natural remedies to combat hair loss? (0:28) Why stress plays a role in hair loss (1:31) Healing modalities and supplements to consider seeing if you’re experiencing hair loss (2:20) Link for more information: https://mynaturalhealer.com/natural-remedies-for-hair-loss/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Dec 26, 2019 at 10:43pm PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: Do you have any natural remedies to combat hair loss? (0:28) Why stress plays a role in hair loss (1:31) Healing modalities and supplements to consider seeing if you’re experiencing hair loss (2:20) Links for more information: Book a free discovery call with me to reduce stress (which can play a big role in hair loss) Types of practitioners and healing modalities to try: Integrative medicine Functional medicine Naturopathic medicine Chinese traditional medicine Acupuncture Energy medicine Supplements to help with hair growth: Zinc Iron Biotin (B7) Fish oil Selenium Amino acids (L-lysine, cysteine) Melatonin
Setting Boundaries with Relatives
Episode 32 – Ask Anything Topic: Setting boundaries with relatives View this post on Instagram Episode 32 – you will learn: Question: How do you create boundaries with relatives? (1:00) Ideas for approaching family interactions wisely. (1:15) How to be upfront with expectations and set consequences. (2:45) Saying no and protecting your personal space. (3:33) Where to find a healer that can help you shift your relationships and how you react to other people and their emotions. (4:09) Link for more information: https://mynaturalhealer.com/ask-anything-setting-boundaries-with-relatives/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Dec 12, 2019 at 10:04pm PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: How do you create boundaries with relatives? (1:00) Ideas for approaching family interactions wisely. (1:15) How to be upfront with expectations and set consequences. (2:45) Saying no and protecting your personal space. (3:33) Where to find a healer that can help you shift your relationships and how you react to other people and their emotions. (4:09) Links for more information: Book a free discovery call with me to help shift your relationships and how you react to people and their emotions Find a healer near you
Caffeine Alternatives
Episode 31 – Ask Anything Topic: Caffeine alternatives View this post on Instagram Episode 31 – you will learn: Question: Do you have any recommendations for caffeine alternatives that still provide energy? (0:25) 6 recommendations on caffeine alternatives (0:35) Recipe for a coffee substitute you can make at home (0:45) Link for more info: https://mynaturalhealer.com/ask-anything-caffeine-alternatives/ A post shared by My Natural Healer (@mynaturalhealer) on Dec 6, 2019 at 6:31am PST In this episode, you will learn: Question: Do you have any recommendations for caffeine alternatives that still provide energy? (0:25) 6 recommendations on caffeine alternatives (0:35) Recipe for a coffee substitute you can make at home (0:45) Links for more information: Recipe for MUD\WTR alternative Four Sigmatic – elixirs and blends Wim Hof Method – find an instructor near you Maca is great to add to smoothies or overnight oats