Nature Supports Wellness through Living in Rhythm: A Conversation with Desi Bartlett

Time in nature supports wellness in so many ways. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I talk with my patients often about the importance of being in nature for healing, and I love the following quote by Hippocrates, “Nature Itself is the best physician.” Nature can be a great support for you for your practice.  I had the opportunity to sit down with my body mind guide and healing arts muse, Desi Bartlett, to learn more about how the rhythm of our bodies mirrors the rhythm of the ocean.

In your practice, how does nature, and specifically the ocean, support health outcomes?

The beach and the majestic Pacific Ocean are my daily teachers. During the shutdowns of 2020, I would to go to the beach at dawn and sit and meditate. During that time, the beach was restricted because of COVID shutdowns, and I would wake up really early to connect to nature, before law enforcement arrived. I felt a little bit rebellious, claiming my right to connect with nature each day, and I remembered that humankind has been doing this since the beginning of time.

The ocean reminded me, and continues to remind me that life is cyclical.

War, disease, famine, and then the renaissance that arrives after these tumultuous events. I deeply feel the strife that our world is in, and carry deep hope for the renaissance that our children’s generation will usher in.

Desi Bartlett photo by Natiya Guin

Your social media often posts astrological guides that include the energetic changes that flow with the moon; affecting the ebb and flow of the tide.  How does the moon’s behavior affect the rhythm of our bodies?

My mother’s guru was Goswami Kriyananda at the Temple of Kriya Yoga in Chicago. I feel lucky to have grown up in this lineage and to have learned about yoga, meditation, and astrology as a child.

Astrology is a mathematical science based on the 360 degrees of a circle. The circle is a metaphor for the wheel of life.

Depending on what sign and degree the moon lands in, as well as the phase of the moon, we have a glimpse of the emotions of the day.

For example, if there is a Full Moon, it is the peak of the cycle, and a time to reap the harvest. If there is a New Moon, it is time to plant seeds. This applies to our emotional lives as well.

We can live in energetic harmony with the cycles of the moon like the farmers do.

In fact, I look at the Farmer’s Almanac daily to see what cycle of the moon that we are in. Just like the world has major cycles (the Yugas), we have monthly cycles of feelings and emotions.

Women feel this in the physical body with the menstrual cycle, which often aligns with the rhythm of the moon. What can you share about how the rhythm of the ocean can balance hormonal fluxes?

The endocrine system, which controls the hormones in our body, changes throughout our lifetime.

For example, a woman has a spike of relaxin 14 days before her menstrual cycle. Later in life, a woman’s estrogen levels decline and a man’s testosterone levels decline as well. When our hormones change, it is important to look at what we need to restore balance to our physical bodies.

If my body is signaling a decline in energy, I know that it is time to call you as my Naturopath (Dr. Natiya), and ask for bloodwork to test my thyroid.

The ocean helps me to remember that life is about balance. When the delicate ecosystem is out of balance, I can synchronize my breath to the waves, allowing me to go within and ask for guidance.

Photo of Desi Bartlett by Natiya Guin

At our most recent photoshoot on the beach in Malibu I noticed that your yoga asanas and the flow between each matched the sound of the ocean behind and underneath us.  Were you aware that you were moving with the waves?

Ah! I love this! I did not know that I was moving with the waves. As someone who studied dance for many years, I have a tendency to move to the music in my mind. The music that day was the melody of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, that music is available to all of us, everyday!

I especially love the beaches in Malibu…drummers, yogis, Instagram models, photographers and brides can be found everywhere. It is a good reminder of the different ways that we all express our creativity, as well as a reminder not to judge or compare.

You have a way of staying calm and centered even with balancing motherhood, designing yoga products, writing books, and offering a flourishing private yoga practice. This flow reminds me of the power and beauty of the ever changing ocean. How do you keep a flow within your busy life?

The Pacific Ocean is my teacher.

I connect with her every morning. Some days she sends me a message to wake up in the form of a cold wave or a jellyfish. Other days she rocks me gently and soothes my nervous system.

Remembering that every day is a little bit different, and that showing up every day is the work allows me to stay receptive to how I can be of service and to find joy in that expression.

Try this short healing meditation on your next beach walk.

Delighting the senses with the rhythm of the ocean.

• Touch:  With bare feet walk into the ocean ankle deep and notice how the change in temperature makes your feet and ankles feel. How does the gentle hydrotherapy awaken your breath and your energy level?
• Sound: Listen to ocean (fluttering your eyes closed if the waves are small) and notice how powerful, full, or calming it is. Do you hear the sound only between your ears or does it radiate to any other parts of your body?
• Sight: Looking out at the ocean, try to expand your peripheral vision. How far can you see in front of and next to you when you consciously take in the whole scene?
• Smell: Take a deep breath and observe if you can smell the ocean, if it brings not only the salt but also hydration. Do you notice a change in how you breathe or how deep your breaths become?

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post How Nature Supports Wellness appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Natiya Guin and daughter on the beach. Photo by Katee Grace. https://www.kateegrace.com/contact

5 Tips for How to Have Healthy Skin from Within

Holiday traditions that we love range from sipping on warm spiked cider, enjoying fresh-baked sugar cookies, and taking long walks in the windy, brisk, even snowy air. With these winter wonders also comes increased risk of dehydration, inflammation, and stripping of the skin’s protective surface.

Implement These Internal Supports for Healthy Skin

1. Consider reducing alcohol consumption.

During the holiday season we tend to increase intake due to parties and cozy nights inside and with that comes dehydration of the body and especially the skin.

Try consciously planning when to drink and follow it up with increased water consumption. If you generally drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily (for example, a person who weighs 160 pounds may want to drink at least 80 ounces of water daily), add an additional 8-12 ounces of water per alcoholic drink.

2. Try some supplements to heal the effects of alcohol.

Thiamine, which is B1,  is often the most depleted B vitamin as a result of drinking alcohol. Try having a thiamine supplement or B-complex with thiamine daily. Additionally, Glutathione is our body’s strongest antioxidant and helps quickly reduce oxidants in the blood that can trigger inflammation of the skin. Take glutathione (away from other vitamins) to keep oxidants out of your liver and your skin!

3. Use Healthy Oils for Winter Air Repair

The dry winter air can strip the top layers of skin, removing the protective barrier by decreasing circulation and removing healthy oils.

To keep your skin hydrated, try increasing healthy oils in your meals such as avocado oil, Alaskan fresh-caught salmon, macadamia nuts, coconut oil, and chia seeds. Externally, you can also add extra coconut oil, olive oil, or shea butter to your daily routine to increase skin barrier protection. You can find these in the Evanhealy brand or ours, Deep Living Skincare.

4. Induce Sweating for Healthy Skin from Within

To combat reduced circulation in the skin from cold or windy air, try planning cardio exercises that induce sweating. This will bring fresh blood flow (and with that, collagen building factors) to your skin to even the tone, hydrate and plump the skin, and to eliminate any built-up toxins.

5. Yes! You can Supplement your Skin

In the fall and early winter, we tend to focus on immune support. Did you know that some of the most important immune system supportive vitamins are also fantastic for healing skin and reversing aging?

For example, NAC (N-acetyl cysteine) is flying off the shelves due to its immune supportive effects, but its ability to increase glutathione and reduce inflammation in the blood also reduces redness and inflammation in the skin.

Vitamin A is an immune-boosting must, and in high enough doses (generally over 1000 mcg for an adult) it is powerful at stopping breakouts. Vitamin C is second only to glutathione as the body’s best antioxidant. It heals skin damage including fine lines and cracks by increasing collagen and elastin.

When purchasing, look for trusted brands that keep fillers and dyes out, and high-quality nutrients in. These brands include Pure Encapsulations, Integrative Therapeutics, Designs for Health, and our line, Skin Within by Deep Living. Have a happy, healthy, and glowing holiday!

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post Holiday Hydration: Healthy Skin from Within appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Why We Need to Practice Safe Sun Care

We may be looking for some of the depression-lifting effects of time outdoors, seeking an infusion of Vitamin Sunshine, planning a beach day, taking our practice to a studio without walls, or needing to shift away from screen time. When going outside, it’s important to practice safe sun care. Consider the following four suggestions for keeping your skin healthy in and out of the sun. Here’s to sun salutations in the sunshine!

1. Optimize Vitamin D By Planning Safe Sun Exposure

You can count on lifting your mood, increasing bone strength, and heightening your immune system by increasing Vitamin D. But you may not realize the importance of planning your sunshine time when it comes to optimizing your body’s Vitamin D metabolism.

For safety, avoid midday sun exposure. Burning your skin will not optimize Vitamin D intake, plus it will cause harm! Consider getting about 20 minutes of mid-morning or late-afternoon sun light (without sunscreen) to optimize Vitamin D levels. For best results, practice this as close to daily as possible.

Science on Vitamin D and our Individual Nature

Every skin type absorbs Vitamin D at different levels due to varying amounts of melanin (which absorbs UV rays and reduces Vitamin D synthesis). As individuals, we also hydroxylate Vitamin D at different rate. Vitamin D travels through the liver and kidney before becoming active (1,25-dihydroxy Vitamin D). Your overall health profile and organ function are key elements to how much Vitamin D you utilize after absorption.

In addition, most people need more Vitamin D than they get from being in the sun. Consider speaking with your naturopathic doctor, functional medicine provider, or member of your healthcare team about having your blood levels of Vitamin D tested. You might want to add Vitamin D supplement with the addition of a Vitamin K2 driver, since these two act synergistically with each other.

Suggestions for Vitamin D Supplementation

K Force by Ortho Molecular or our Skin Within supplement by Deep Living (This contains other healing vitamins and herbs for skin and immune health)

Common food sources for Vitamin D

Shiitake and white mushrooms, fatty fish, eggs, soy, cheese

2. Props to Support Safe Sun Exposure: Hats, Breathable long sleeves, and Sunglasses

If you have been indoors more than usual this past year-and-a-half (as many people have), chances are your skin may be very sensitive currently. While you may want to visit the beach with just a little sunscreen and play all day, consider adding more complete coverage.

Hats offer more protection than even the best sunscreens..and they can be fashionable!

In an effort to further protect your arms and legs consider long sleeve breathable cotton or linen fabrics that block UV rays but allow ocean breezes. You can also look for UPF-rated clothing.

Sunglasses protect your eyes from harsh rays. Your eyes may have had a lot of blue light exposure and felt strain from excess screen time lately. As your eyes heal and adjust to more outdoor time, prioritize keeping them safe and hydrated.

3. Read labels: Review Ingredients

When you do put something on your skin. Empower yourself to have more control of your skin health! Titles can be misleading. Just because a bottle has a flower on it or says “natural” does not mean it is clean or safe…or even that it includes mainly organic products.

Read labels and look for some of the following potentially harmful ingredients. Avoid these. They include EDTA, BPA, aluminum, parabens, artificial dyes, and fragrances.

Opt for products with shorter ingredient lists. This may include herbs, flowers, or vitamins you recognize. Always check the EWG (Environmental Working Group) website for the latest safety research, facts, and to see how product ingredients score in safety.

Vegan Notes

Avoid the following common animal-derived skincare ingredients: gelatin, tallow, lanolin, squalene, and collagen.

Read your Sunscreen Labels

For the ocean’s sake and yours’, consider only mineral-based sunscreens (such as those with zinc as a primary ingredient). Chemical sunscreens are banned in Hawaii as they cause reef deterioration. Look for reef-safe sunscreens. Also choose organic and fragrance-free options. Suggested brand: Earth Mama Organics

Products to Avoid

The Walgreens brand, Panama Jack, and Sun Bum spray (70). These are listed as the most harmful sunscreens on the market according to the EWG.

After Sun Practices

Take care of your skin and keep your safe sun practices going by rinsing off sweat, sand, and sunscreen after being outside. Rinsing reduces skin irritation and clears pores to allow for more skin breathability.

Nourishing creams and aloe gels post-sun are ideal for cooling and soothing. (The vegan line by Deep Living contains hemp, which is rich in omegas). Avoid oils if your skin is hot or burned.

4. Confident Skin From Within

Take care of your full-body health and wellness for beautiful skin. Suggestions for safe sun exposure can help reduce sun damage ranging from solar spots, dehydration, and fine lines from oxidation caused by excessive exposure to UV rays. However, for those struggling with skin concerns ranging from acne to eczema, consider seeing your integrative dermatologist or naturopathic doctor to determine the underlying cause of your concerns.

Our skin is our largest organ. When it acts up, it is trying to tell us what is going on in our bodies. Listen to these messages. Meditate on your skin health goals. Send yourself love and support, knowing you are perfect just as you are. Give your body the love and support to heal.

For more positive skin affirmations use this Amazing Skin Meditation.

Have fun outdoors and practice safe sun daily!

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post Safe Sun Guide: 4 Suggestions for Catching Some Rays appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Photo by Brooke Ziegler

Connecting to Health through Time Outdoors

In many ways, getting out of the studio and into nature during the Covid-19 pandemic have unintentionally deepened our yoga practice, our connections to each other, and our connections to the earth. As a naturopathic doctor, there a number of benefits I see that relate to spending more time outdoors in nature.

Moving beyond Walls

Without our usual cozy yoga studios to house our mindfulness practices, we have moved outside and connected to each other (our quarantine crew or our family) and to the earth by finding creative ways to practice yoga and meditation. No doubt we all had our share of Zoom classes and YouTube “stress reduction meditation” during our multiple lock downs. But as our need to heal our eyes from screens, our minds from worry, and our bodies from staying inside constantly, we are being drawn to nature.

Om Outside The Home

Families living under one roof have at times in the past 12 months felt like guinea pigs in a lab. People have been moving within a confined space for much longer than usual, with rules about when and how to leave if at all.

Through our resiliency we have found unique ways to play, to learn, and to work. In doing so, we have deepened our family roots. Yet when we safely emerge to a spot on the beach or travel to a desert to be together without masks, we unexpectedly feel like we have returned home. We have returned home to ourselves. We have been moved to practice in nature and in doing so reconnected to the earth and to our families.

“Pandemic-related stress has made girls in our Girl Powerful program feel confined to their rooms and lonely. What the girls can control in their lives and what they can do to feel good (mind, body, soul) has been our most frequent conversation. We encourage girls to take action and create a safe space outdoors to unplug and connect with nature. This helps youth think clearly, feel free and alive and hit their inner reset button.”  –Sonya Serge, Co-founder of Girl Powerful

Photo by Brooke Ziegler

Vitamin Sea and Theta Therapy

Being near the ocean and other large bodies of water can actually have a medical effect–and science explains some of the reasons why. According to marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols, author of the Blue Mind, just being near the water engages relaxation. Research backs this up by showing that being near the water reduces levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. And we experience an increase in Theta waves in our brains (which also occurs during meditation or falling asleep). Our nervous systems lean more toward a parasympathetic state (rest and digest) instead of the sympathetic state that has become the “new normal” in today’s world. (In the sympathetic nervous system state, the body shuts down or slows proper digestion, while our pulse, blood pressure, and cortisol levels all rise since the body thinks we are running from a bear…or a virus).

Negative ions flow from the ocean to our bare feet and into our lungs, circulating in our blood and gently reminding our brain and our gastrointestinal tract to increase serotonin production. Serotonin strengthens our motivation and improves our mood.

Vitamin D and Time Outdoors

Most of us have required supplementation with this crucial vitamin (it is actually a hormone). We need our Vitamin D levels to be high enough to support bone density, mood regulation, and hormone health. When we spend daily time outside without sunscreen (while avoiding the damaging midday UV rays) for about 15 minutes, the sunlight helps us to absorb Vitamin D through our skin. For supplementation, keep in mind that Vitamin D must travel through the liver and kidney to be activated, so it is important to do what we can to maintain organ health.

Hydrotherapy: Heat and Cold

Switching between warm/hot and extreme cold water as a formal therapy has a long history of use, thousands of years in fact, throughout the world. It arrived in the United States in the late 1800s. Hydrotherapy is used to reduce pain and anxiety. It can reset the mind, metabolism, and nervous system. The practice is to go from warmth to cold quickly (and always ending on cold). The alternation in temperature reduces inflammation and supports detoxification by changing flow of blood in the body’s small vessels. It also stimulates nerve endings. As Wim Hof, also known as the Iceman explains, “We have become alienated from nature. But the cold is capable of bringing us back to what we once had lost.”

Earthing and Time Outdoors

By practicing yoga directly connected to nature instead of through a studio floor allows us to experience another layer of healing and connection. Feeling the sand or dirt under our feet brings us a sense of deep grounding and connection. Moving and balancing on the uneven natural floor of nature challenges us to stay present and movable in our flow. From the book, Earthing, The Most Important Health Discovery Ever! Ober, Sinatra, and Zucker explain, “ Contact with the earth restores your body’s natural electrical state.”

Mother Nature inspires and informs the practice of Yoga. We bow to the luminaries, we fill our lungs with oxygen, and we connect to the earth. In this way we remember that we are not separate from nature, we are very much a part of her.
– Desi Bartlett

Photo by Brooke Ziegler

Imitating Nature

We all need to let go, laugh, and have a bit of fun with our yoga practice. Try creating new postures inspired by nature and animals. Can you make the shape of a wave, a cactus, or a mouse? Teaching each other, getting creative, and playing is good for our mental health. In fact, research strongly shows a correlation between laughter and increased dopamine levels.

May we remember the depth and creativity we have found by practicing in nature so that we can come to the earth more often and know that she supports us. Grab your round mat or just your bare feet and reconnect to yourself and heal by spending time outdoors and practicing outside in nature.

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post Namaste In Nature: Benefits of Time Outdoors appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Desi Barlett and Natiya Guin share practices to increase awareness of the 5 senses.

Yoga Connects us to the 5 Senses

There are so many ways we can increase our awareness of the 5 senses and our sensuality throughout the day. These can include yoga practice, mindfulness, meditation, how we eat, and how we move.

Read Desi Barlett and Natiya Guin’s discussion of Yoga and Sensuality, the companion piece for this story.

Desi Barlett in Meditation. Photo by Natiya Guin

Touch: Tactile sense in skin receptors, connected indirectly to the Vagus Nerve

Self-adjustment in Yoga

Take your hands to your heart while in savasana and notice what thoughts come to you, or gently use your hands to lengthen your spine in seated twist and see if you can enjoy the feeling of supporting yourself.

Compassionate Touch

Tickle your children’s backs while tucking them in at night and notice how they sleep, do a partner yoga pose with someone you enjoy working with who needs emotional support, or offer a shoulder massage to a friend who has had a rough day and notice how they unwind both physically and emotionally.

Sight: Optic, Trochlear, Ocular motor, and Abducent Nerves

Horizon

Take time each day to look off into the distance as far and wide (peripheral vision) as possible, it is a great way to become more aware of your surroundings but it also heals your optic nerve and eye muscles that are tired from staring at objects close to you like phones and computers.

Hearing: Vestibulocochlear Nerve

The Breath

Take a quiet moment to listen to your own breath, not trying to change anything. Is it fast or slow, is it shallow or deep, is it clear or congested? Now add the sound of the breath in the back of your throat on the inhale as you begin to breathe in through your nose and out through your nose (Ujjayi). Can you hear the ocean in your throat? Does it bring a sense of calm or relieve tension in your head or body?

Smell: Olfactory nerve, indirectly connected to the limbic system

Aromatherapy

When choosing aromatherapy consider how you want to feel. Aromas that wake up the olfactory nerve such as citrus can be wonderful for brightening your mood or preparing you for an important meeting. If you want to calm your mind at night, consider breathing in the smell of lavender, and to reduce stress and anxiety consider the scent of rose. Aromatherapy can be used in a room diffuser, in a bath, in a massage oil, as a steam inhalation, applied to skin, or simply inhaled.

Cooking

Try adding a hearty amount of one new fresh herb such as basil to your next meal and notice how the smell makes you feel as you chop the herb while cooking, as you stir it into the sauce, as you breathe it in before you take your first bite at the dinner table. Has this increased sense of smell caused your mouth to salivate or your stomach to growl?

Taste: Trigeminal, Glossopharyngeal, and Hypoglossal Nerves

Mindful Eating

Slowing down while eating is a simple way to enjoy taste. Can you choose an organic whole food to eat and chew each bite as long as you can, until there is nothing left to chew? Did you notice flavors you haven’t before?

Keep your focus on the 5 senses throughout your day and your practice to integrate yoga and sensuality.

Natiya Guin

Dr. Natiya Guin is a family medicine doctor and safe skin leader who enjoys healing skin from within, increasing client self-confidence, and magnifying whole person health outcomes. Deep Living Skincare by Dr. Natiya

Her vegan, organic line by Deep Living is founded on the belief that skincare should not only be healing, it should be safe. Her products are designed for all ages and are designed to be shared with the whole family.

Photos in article and meditation by Dr. Natiya Guin

Testimony about the author:
Dr Natiya is an amazing naturopathic doctor, who will guide and nurture you in discovering health, expressing your creativity and support you in seeing your magnificence. -Dr. Moira Fitzpatrick

www.natiya.com

The post Yoga Practices to Increase Awareness of the 5 Senses appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.