https://expansiveexistence.com/

Expansive Existence, 1680 S Arlington Avenue, Reno, NV (2026)

11/20/2024

Perched between two tumultuous, tempestuous rivers- that river of thoughts and that river of emotions.

Magnetized by the palpable rush of the current, the foam licking at exposed skin, the whispers of agitated water droplets; an irresistible summoning to relent,

Lose form and become as fluid as the tributary, to merge structure, now indistinguishable from the destruction itself

But it was only ever a summoning, a grand invitation to be accepted or declined

We are creation incarnate with infinite opportunity to lose form or claim it

10/09/2024

What if I told you that your relationship with food is a direct reflection of your sense of safety in the world?

Healthy eating habits are in our intrinsic nature! It is only when we are out of balance that dysfunctional eating tendencies develop (including undereating or overeating).

My anorexia developed in middle school and intensified in high school and both of these were periods of intense disruption and unpredictability in the life around me. My restrictive tendencies have come and gone throughout different seasons of life. The one factor in common? My sense of safety and feeling the need to control in life!

Fixing our relationship with food is NOT ABOUT THE FOOD. It is a matter of dialoging with our inner self and gauging how safe we feel...focusing on cultivating a sense of security is far more impactful than a mere micromanaging of our diet mindset.

Do you undereat in periods of stress? (Control)

Do you overeat when you feel you are lacking love and support? (Using food as reassurance)

Do you micromanage your diet and fear eating “unclean?” (Not trusting your environment)

Do you get nervous around sweet treats and indulgences? (Lack of trust in self)

Rather than beating ourselves up and getting “better” at how we eat, we ought to take some time and space to consult with our higher self.

It is our divine birth right to delight in delicious and abundant food, without fear or restriction. Where do you lack a feeling of safety/security in your life?

10/01/2024

Do you experience nervousness knowing the holiday season, with all of its tempting sweet treats, is upon us?

I can smell the aromas now-the warm pumpkin cream streusel muffins, decadent cookies and pastries, warm beverages and delightful sweet treats of every variety. It is nothing short of a minefield navigating the barrage of indulgence characteristic of the upcoming season.

Food decisions can be quite challenging at this time of the year…

Maybe I will just start my diet next week?

I’ll have just this one cookie and skip breakfast tomorrow?

I’ll just tell them that I ate already, that will keep away the social pressure to indulge.

There are so many layers of emotionality and stress woven into the fabric of Fallthanksmas.

Back in my days of starving and then bingeing, I would skip food for days leading up to holiday events, only to overindulge in the foods that weren’t the most supportive to my wellbeing.

I remember being so frustrated by the push and pull of excitement about yummy treats, but then feeling terrible after. I didn’t know how to honor my hunger cues while honoring my soul’s direction enjoy and settle into comfort.

You don’t need to stuff your face- nor do you need to avoid all of the delicious temptations. Balance is possible, just as is an easeful mindset around it all.

If you need support as we approach this holiday season, send me a message or text at (775) 544-4742. I am launching my FearNot Food Program that will included customized nutrition consulting and meal planning support. We will dive into the why behind your food and body struggles and have you feeling confident in your relationship with food again!

02/07/2024

Are you tormented by painful dietary habits of deprivation or bingeing? I struggled with anorexia and exercise bulimia for years, only to find that the control/power/happiness I so desired was evermore slipping from my fingers...But the journey is in the healing and reclamation of self, my friends!

My anorexia began at the age of 13. After an intense bout of strep throat and the minimal eating that is typical of this condition, I spontaneously decided I would see how much longer I could prolong this deprivation. It offered a sense of control that I didn’t even know I craved! I was already very thin, so weight loss wasn’t my motivating factor, rather this elusive sense of leveraging control over something in my life.

As is the case of many eating disorders, my anorexia continued to escalate, but compensatory mechanisms eventually kicked in during my junior year of high school. At this point, I was running 6-9 miles per day and continuing to painfully calculate my calories, but I would crash and burn every weekend! The snacks I would concoct! Little cups of protein powder whips, handfuls of chocolate chips and peanuts, spoonfuls of yogurt and cereal, pretzels dipped in butter, handfuls of chips and crackers…anything to get those calories in!

I could continue the details....but we are interested in the return back into power, isn't that right? No, I didn't attend eating disorder recovery therapy. And I didn't spontaneously nix the mindset either....it took a firm decision (and a re-deciding for many, many years) that I wanted recovery for myself. This wasn't to appease my worried loved ones or to receive external validation, it was for myself. And herein lies a wonderful discussion point….recovery out of necessity isn’t sustainable, unless that need to be recovered is a permanent fixture in one’s life. Once I started eating again, I initially felt incredible mental torment... so I want to emphasize that the why behind your recovery should be clear and of your own volition….like why do you want to recover?

Check out the link in the bio for my full story!

01/12/2024

Are you struggling with painful, heavy periods or even a nonexistent, unreliable one?

My first period as a teen was SO delayed....like I didn't start menstruating until I was 17. After getting it, I lost it again for an entire year as a 19 year old.

Would I ever be able to have a family?

Was I going to develop major stress fractures as an adult later in life?

In my mid-twenties, I struggled with INCREDIBLE cramps that would leave me writhing on the floor.

I tried all of the "physical" fixes...eating more calories, exercising less, managing my stress, sleeping better, balancing my hormones with topical progesterone, blah blah blah.

My moment of reckoning? My masculine and feminine energies were out of balance in my body.

My absent cycle was caused by redirecting my energy to my head...I was always in my head. This is a masculine tendency!

My heavy cramps were indicative of my inability to process emotions, so there would be a painful physical release of these bound up emotions and feelings every month!

The solution? I am now stepping into a reclamation of my feminine energetic body- feeling everything, processing it all, embodying the grief and the ecstasy, emphasizing being over doing.

I invite you to do the same- reclaim your divine feminine potential to harmonize your energetic being for optimized periods!

12/02/2023

Do you find yourself in comparison to “the woman who has it all together?”

Because no such woman exists…and if she presents as such, there is some SERIOUS compensation occurring.

You see, the embodied feminine woman is the antithesis of having it all together. Wild, raw, unfiltered womanness is chaotic, serendipitous, unpredictable, explosive. It can’t be contained in a tidy, structured box and it most certainly cannot be managed by arbitrary societal constraints of accomplishment and success.

In the process of trying to “have it all together,” we as women undermine our intrinsic strengths…the wild emotion that spontaneously moves through, the unforeseen creative force that births art and beauty, the ebbs and flow of tone and structure.

Order and organization have their time and place, but it is time that we as a society stop glorifying the women who religiously manage their household/husband/body/career/hair. Let’s return to honoring the intrinsic gifts and strengths of the feminine woman!

Comment below, how do you practice embodying your womanness?

10/25/2023

To heal from ***fill in the blank with personal health struggle***, you just need to eat ***this obscure food*** and invest half of your payback on ***a sophisticated supplement***

Health is not a game of Mad Libs, as convenient as that would be. Even in functional medicine, we tend to get overly reductionist as we boil down a complex health condition to its mere symptom profile. Although diet and supplementation can be palliative, these interventions are often insufficient to get to the root cause.

It is incredibly alluring to assume that by taking some melatonin and cutting out alcohol, a decade long bout of insomnia would be resolved, I get it! Or that nagging chronic pain? Maybe just doing a low inflammation diet and taking some glucosamine would resolve it?

Without a doubt, symptoms can be mitigated through diet intervention and strategic supplementation. But there are bigger factors at play. Your nervous system, your behavioral pattering, your daily thoughts, your relationships, and your stress burden all contribute more significantly to that health condition than mere food choices alone. Don’t forget to dig deep!

Need some support in your healing journey? If you would like to set up a discovery call to see if nutrition consulting is a good fit for your health/wellness goals, just reach out! I help individuals overcome metabolic dysfunction, eating disorders, and autoimmunity/chronic illness through diet, lifestyle change, and smart supplementation.
Consulting packages include an in-depth initial consultation, personalized protocol, bi-monthly follow-up consultations, unlimited email correspondence, diet plan recommendations, and didactic sessions.

***Text/call Tiana at (775) 544-4742 to schedule a FREE discovery call or set up a free session using the link in my bio***

10/25/2023

To heal from ***fill in the blank with personal health struggle***, you just need to eat ***this obscure food*** and invest half of your paycheck on ***a sophisticated supplement***

Health is not a game of Mad Libs, as convenient as that would be. Even in functional medicine, we tend to get overly reductionist as we boil down a complex health condition to its mere symptom profile. Although diet and supplementation can be palliative, these interventions are often insufficient to get to the root cause.

It is incredibly alluring to assume that by taking some melatonin and cutting out alcohol, a decade long bout of insomnia would be resolved, I get it! Or that nagging chronic pain? Maybe just doing a low inflammation diet and taking some glucosamine would resolve it?

Without a doubt, symptoms can be mitigated through diet intervention and strategic supplementation. But there are bigger factors at play. Your nervous system, your behavioral pattering, your daily thoughts, your relationships, and your stress burden all contribute more significantly to that health condition than mere food choices alone. Don’t forget to dig deep!

Need some support in your healing journey? If you would like to set up a discovery call to see if nutrition consulting is a good fit for your health/wellness goals, just reach out! I help individuals overcome metabolic dysfunction, eating disorders, and autoimmunity/chronic illness through diet, lifestyle change, and smart supplementation.
Consulting packages include an in-depth initial consultation, personalized protocol, bi-monthly follow-up consultations, unlimited email correspondence, diet plan recommendations, and didactic sessions.

***Text/call Tiana at (775) 544-4742 to schedule a FREE discovery call or set up a free session using the link in my bio***

04/17/2023

Body composition is more a result of your Hormones, not Calories.

Think about it...

Girls rapidly put on fat during puberty, even though they are growing and expending more energy

How many people do you know who eat very little and still carry around excess fat?

Have you ever tried exercising like a madman to find that weight loss inevitably stalls?

It is time to stop the calorie-in, calorie-out conversations, unless we are talking about whether you eat enough (and most people don't).

At its core, our metabolism is most powerfully driven by our hormone composition. Hormones are dictated by our environment, genetic makeup, circadian rhythm, sleep, stress management, and activity level. It is ridiculously reductionistic to attempt to manipulate our metabolism by cutting back on calories. This leads to fewer resources in the form of enzymes and macronutrients, but long term calorie deprivation can also perpetuate unnecessarily high levels of cortisol, which actually exacerbate fat accumulation and muscle loss.

So what's a hard core dieter to do?

If your goal is to improve your body composition, whether that be through fat lass or muscle gain, your #1 goal is to transition your body to a state of hormonal bliss. This can be easier said than done in our fast paced society, but it is imperative that we take steps where we can! Here are some practices to begin implementing:

*Bring awareness to your thought processes and emotional management, as this is the basis for our stress load

*Eat more and eat more frequently. Ideally, these are whole foods instead of processed junk, as junk perceived as just that by our physiology, leading to more deranged metabolic processes

*Stop fearing food!! This one is key. Your physiology responds to your psychology. We can literally induce fat gain if we convince ourselves that eating that extra bowl of fruit will produce such an effect.

*Manage your sleep and engage in gentle movement. For many people, pushing too hard on the metaphorical gas petal (or the literal treadmill belt) can produce a paradoxical effect- excessive exercise is also perceived by the body as a stressor that can contribute to fat gain)

04/06/2023

We are Human BEINGS, not Human DOINGS.

Are you DOING too much at the expense of your BEING?

Shifting gears into doing mode has its utility...achieving goals, hitting desired outcomes, etc is a facet of life. But not at the expense of the more majestic process of being and existing in this human form! We are infinitely spiritual beings undergoing an ephemeral existence in our human bodies, let's not squander this impeccable opportunity!

Aside from missed opportunities, leaning too heavily into doing mode is also arguably the most notable factor in perpetuating and causing chronic stress and its associated symptoms (anxiety, depression, physical health symptoms)!

!GASP! Could it be that overDOING it could be the cause of my digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, ....you name it?

Internally, the DOING mode manifests as rumination, obsessive thoughts, unrelenting adherence to how circumstances should be. This is our discrepancy monitor- the internal gauge comparing discrepancies between a current situation and an intended outcome.

When we expect circumstances to go a certain way and our discrepancy monitor assesses that they are proceeding otherwise, we experience anxiety, which manifests as controlling behavior, rigid thinking, and chronic worrying. Rigidity in the mind is reflected as blocks in the physical body...which is why we suffer physically when our mental health is less than optimal.

So don't let your discrepancy monitor be activated! Tune into the present moment. Experience all of the complexities and nuances associated with the unique sensory input at that very moment in time and stop living in the past or the future.

You only exist in the present moment. You only ever have right now.

Expansive Existence

11/20/2024

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10/01/2024

02/07/2024

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