Naturopathic Doctor - Doni Wilson - Herbal Medicine, Wellness Center | Holistic Doctor

A Naturopathic Ninja??

I went to my first Karate class today! What an awesome experience!

A new and wonderfully fun and amazing friend of mine owns a Dojo in Manhattan where she teaches Karate. Getting to know her inspired me to do something I never thought I'd do: Karate!

Growing up on gymnastics and dance, I love movement classes, in fact I have a minor in dance and taught both dance and gymnastics during college and naturopathic medical school. Many of my classmates remember me as a movement specialist!

Over the past decade, while growing my practice and my daughter, I have kept moving in yoga classes and at the gym (weight training, and, a recent favorite, Zumba). All of which have continued to be ways to nurture myself and connect with my body.

But Karate! Wow! It really knocked my socks off, in a good way! In all the various movement classes I've ever taken or taught, I've never experienced this sort of deep centeredness and at the same time ... connectedness.

First we "warmed up" with stretches and positions, not so different then those that were ingrained in my system from many-a-dance class. Then we practiced punches and kicks in varying directions and orders. All the while following the count of the teacher. The language of Karate class as a student consists of yelling (where else do we get to yell?) and the word "osu," which my friend explained means everything from yes to no, and ok too.

The best part was when we were paired up to "spare” with each other using the techniques just practiced. When standing across from a woman with a black belt who said to me "hit me," my reply was "really?" "Yes, please!" she said, and I did! She hit me too, and it was not at all what I expected. It was not so much a release of energy as it was an exchange of energy. As my friend explained, the hits and blocks in martial arts are about receptivity and the flow of energy.

What I can tell you is that the level of acceptance, playfulness and respect all at the same has me completed impressed and wanting to go back as soon as possible!

If you haven’t thought of a new fun way to get your body moving, consider joining me at the Society for Martial Arts Instruction at 4 W. 18th in Manhattan. sfmai.org.

Osu,

Dr. Doni

How Compassionate Healthcare Helps Women

When talking with a patient yesterday, I realized what it is that makes my approach to healing unique.

This particular patient, in her thirties, has not had a period in over a year. She eats healthfully, exercises, and would like to have a baby in the near future, but she would rather get pregnant naturally then to take synthetic hormones and medications, which is the recommendation she received from conventional care.

Whether we like having our period or not, a consistent menstrual cycle is a sign of good health! When the cycle is off track, no matter what conventional medicine calls it (amenorrhea, PCOS, peri-menopause, premature ovarian failure, luteal phase defect), the bottom line is that some things are out of balance (usually not just the ovaries) and it is possible to not only figure out what is out of balance, but also to rebalance it all again.

Menopause, an example of when not having a consistent menstrual cycle is normal, offers an opportunity to understand how the body shifts when estrogen and progesterone levels change. We can quickly see that everything shifts including glucose and insulin and even neurotransmitters like serotonin, are all of a sudden different then they were before, leading to abdominal weight gain, mood changes and sleep issues (to name a few).

The part that goes "unseen" are the receptors. Receptors are the locks in the doorways to your cells. If the lock won't open, the hormones (insulin for example) or neurotransmitters, are not going to be effective.

“It is just that your body is off track and it is not able to find its way back. If only we could push the reset button!” I said to the patient who simply wants her period back.

Instead, what we can do is listen, understand and support the body back to health.

The receptors on every cell in the body are responding to the current environment in the body. When the body is stressed, the receptors adapt. So in order to help the cells and receptors to recover from a state of stress, all we have to do is create (even mimic) a healthy environment in the body. Then things start working again on their own.

Sure, forcing the body to ovulate using a medication works, however the underlying condition (that inhibited ovulation to begin with) remains.

What if we step back, observe, identify what needs attention, support those areas by adjusting what is eaten and when, plus introduce nutrients, herbs and (in some cases) natural hormones that have been shown to create healthy function, and overall create a healthy environment inside the body so that the receptors can start responding in a healthy way?

I call this approach "Compassionate Healing."

Compassionate Healing involves...

1. Listening to your body: Symptoms tell us that something needs attention.

2. Understanding interconnectedness: Everything that is occurring is related in some way.

3. Providing gentle, loving support: Individualized natural therapies actually assist the body to return back to health.

That is what I do. And I find that it works!

Dr. Doni

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