Episode 32: Uncovering the Mask of the Rushing Woman, with Dr. Sonya Jensen

Hey beautiful, it's Dr. Tabatha. I want to share something with you that I believe God is doing right now in women's health. We're in the middle of a massive movement and most people don't even know it. Every single day, 6,000 women in the U.S. enter menopause. That's over 2 million women a year, and by 2030, that's more than 1.2 billion women worldwide. So here's the thing, most of these women feel exhausted, bloated, anxious, disconnected from themselves, and the medical system is Doctors are handing out prescriptions and quick fixes, and no one is helping women heal from the root cause of their issues. That's where Fast to Faith coaches come in. As a certified coach, you'll be equipped to help midlife women balance their hormones, heal their gut, regain their energy, and reconnect their faith, the foundation that so many of us have been missing. And from a business standpoint, woo, this is one of the most lucrative untapped opportunities in the entire health coaching world. The global health coaching industry is expected to reach over $33 billion by 2023, and midlife women are the fastest-growing, highest-spending demographic in that space. Most importantly, these women stay with their coaches. They invest deeply because they are desperate for lasting transformation— body, mind, and spirit. So if you've been feeling that pull and that whisper that you're meant to do more, This is it. Now is the time to rise, to serve, and build a purpose-driven business that not only changes other women's lives but transforms your own in the process. Because when you help one woman heal, you help her family, her marriage, her faith, and her future. That's the ripple effect that we're creating with Fast to Faith. So join me, click the link to come watch this webinar. It might be the one thing that really moves the needle for you in this next— Season. I can't wait to see you in there. Hi, I'm Dr. Tabatha, the Functional Gynecologist. I'm a board-certified OB-GYN and functional medicine physician. I've embraced the world of functional medicine and wellness through my own personal health journey, and I'm super excited to share my wisdom and unique perspective as it pertains to women's health. So if you're struggling with hormone imbalance, weight gain, period issues, anxiety, and Insomnia, you name it, then you've come to the right place. I want to be your functional gynecologist. So welcome. Hi friends, this week I'm talking to Dr. Sonia Jensen. She is a naturopathic physician, mom of 2, a workshop and retreat leader, a yoga teacher, and the owner and founder of Divine Elements Naturopathic Wellness and the Longevity Lab. She's the co-host of a podcast, Women in Wellness, which is really awesome and you should check it out. And she's committed her time and life to empowering women and their families to live out their birthright. A happy and healthy life. I could not agree with that more. My purpose is to help women have a voice and a choice in their healthcare— mind, body, and spirit. Today, Dr. Sonia and I are talking about the mind-body connection. We really want you to realize that so many of us are suffering from rushing woman syndrome. We have too much on our plate. We are overloaded, stress to the max, and that causes hormone imbalances and all of these nasty symptoms and issues, and it can lead to chronic disease. So Dr. Sonia and I are talking about how do you intervene, how do you pivot and make different choices in your life, how do you tap into that mind-body connection and start healing old wounds and dealing with your emotional baggage to get healthy again, to reclaim your health and have emotional freedom and physical freedom from chronic pain and chronic disease. She is just so sweet with a huge heart, and you're really going to enjoy listening to her. I could listen to Dr. Sonia all day. She's wonderful. So Please take the time to listen with intent today and think about what is one little nugget that you can take from this episode and incorporate it into your life and start making some changes. Because in a few episodes back, I challenged you to do this and I said, you know, if you take one little nugget from each episode and you start making little changes, They're gonna add up. You're going to be a completely new woman by next year if you keep adding on with little changes and keep at it. So before I start the episode, I just want to read an awesome review from my podcast. Okay, so Jen6284 gave me 5 stars and said, Dr. Tabatha explains confusing and some Sometimes mysterious health topics in a way that anyone can understand. She shows us she is passionate about wanting to help listeners and clearly knows her stuff. We should all be so lucky to have a doc like her! Exclamation point. That is so sweet. So thank you, Jen6284. I really appreciate it because we need to get the message out there. We need to let big Corporations like Apple iTunes and Google Podcasts and Spotify and all these places know that you women want this information. You want to know what you can do to reclaim your health because you're not getting the answers that you've been looking for. And when you rate and review me and hit the subscribe button, that gives me leverage to keep going and Get my message out there. So let's do this together. I really appreciate it. And share these episodes with your friends, shoot the links over. If you do leave me a review, take a snapshot on your phone and pop it up onto my Instagram. Tag me @DrTabatha, T-A-B-A-T-H-A, and I'll send you an awesome gift. Okay, let's get on with the episode. Here we go. Well, welcome, Dr. Sonia. Thanks for being on the Functional Gynecologist Podcast.

Well, thank you for having me. I'm so excited.

Yeah, I'm really excited to talk to you. So I met Sonia briefly at a conference last year called Live It to Lead It, and I was just impressed by her energy and her enthusiasm, and she is just a wealth of knowledge. So I'm super excited that you're going to talk to us today.

Oh, thank you for that. I mean, you too. I've been watching you grow and your podcast and just seeing all the great things that you're doing for women and families. And oh, thank you.

Thank you. Awesome. Well, good. So you are up in Canada and you traditionally see patients in your brick-and-mortar practice, right? But you also do some virtual work.

Tell me about your Yeah, so I've been practicing now for over 10 years and mostly help women because I feel women are the center of the family and the communities, right? So I feel if you support women, you educate them, you empower them, they then can actually support those around them, their communities, their kids. And so I've been working with women mainly with hormonal health, with detoxification, and education around prenatal support and pregnancy so that, you know, when they have the children, they have the knowledge, the support, and the community to help them thrive.

Oh, I love that. It's so true. Women dictate healthcare, you know, like, when I worked in conventional medicine in a hospital-based practice, you know, We cared so much about the birthing center and pregnant women because that's— they're the ones who are deciding who's the pediatrician, who's the family practice doctor, who's the surgeon they're going to use. Women, like, control all of that. So you're right on with that. So what do you think are the major issues that women are faced with nowadays in their health? What are they coming to you for?

Yeah, you know, I find women, we're so good at taking care of other people that it isn't until our body starts to scream at us that we actually make a decision to do something about it. Or we reach a point where, you know, maybe we're getting irritable with our partners, we don't have energy to play with our kids, and we're not feeling like ourselves anymore, so something needs to shift. Or something scary happens where maybe there's a diagnosis that you just never thought would be you, and then that brings them into the office. So I feel like the biggest core thing that women deal with is self-worth, and from that space, it opens up this whole other can that brings on symptoms, whether it's their thyroid, whether it's gaining weight, whether it's brain fog, or maybe now it's the hot flashes and night sweats and vaginal dryness. Like, it just— it can manifest so differently for everyone, but I find— In my practice, what I've seen over and over again, our stress responses, our beliefs, our core belief of who we are dictates our decisions and actions. And then from there, what, depending on the choices we're making, will dictate our health. So they come in for various different reasons, but I find when you chip away at all of that, the core ends up being very, very similar for all of us.

Oh, it's so true. And I think some women, you know, they'll fight you to the death. They don't want to break that open and deal with it because it can be painful and it can, you know, take some time and effort. I realized, you know, my best friend recently was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor and she's apologizing to me and to her husband and to her friends for being a nuisance and a bother. I'm like, wow, we really are just— it's ingrained in our brains like you take care of other people, you don't worry about yourself, don't be a burden, and we're doing ourselves Such a disservice. So I love that you're breaking that down. What is the biggest misconception women have about the power of their thoughts and their feelings on their health?

I think the most powerful misconception is that it's— there's a disconnect between what we think and how we feel.

Yeah.

And there's a disconnect between what's going on in the mind and what our physiology is doing. And I think when you link those two together, and there's an understanding that, you know, the moment we perceive a stress, and it could be A thought that we're having about an argument with our partner or a thought that we're having about something projected out into the future is going to create this whole new cascade of our physiology creating hormones to help us survive through that moment. And I think as soon as they create that link, they have this understanding of like, oh, you know, one, my thoughts can dictate my life, and two, I can be in control. Because I can create tools to help me shift my thoughts, to help me learn how I can shift my mindset so that my physiology responds appropriately when it needs to, to like actual stress.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. I see that in something as— well, I don't know if it's simple, but as simple as women talking meanly to themselves, thinking, I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm not good enough, I will look better when... And all of those thoughts they have in their minds are keeping the weight on. They're keeping them unhealthy. And it's trying to get my patients to understand, you need to talk nice to yourself. You need to talk how you would to your best friend or your child, because you have to nurture that body that you're carrying around, right? It's totally connected.

Yeah, I mean, this is the one vehicle that we get. And I think also for generations, it's been imprinted in us that there's so much fault in the woman's body when it comes to whether it's our beliefs or, you know, culturally things that have been passed down and the suffering that, you know, women have had to deal with over many, many generations. I think it's going to take a shift in how we all perceive our bodies and that they're working for us, not against us. Even life is working for us, not against us. So I think if we can anchor more and more into like how powerful our bodies are and our minds are, the easier it'll become to actually relate to it differently.

Yeah, yeah. I love to tell women to start moving their bodies and like paying attention to their breath. You know, I, I know that you're a yoga teacher, and I'm guessing that is where a lot of this comes from in your practice as well, just that rooting of being intentional, Noticing your body and your breath and working with it. Can you talk a little bit more about that?

Yeah, you know, our breath, it's our life force, it's our prana, it's what fuels our cells. Like, that oxygen is so important. And when we're under constant stress, when we're under constant rush of like just getting through the day, we constrict, right? We're not breathing, we're almost hyperventilating all the time. And When we are not doing that, when we are doing that, our sympathetic tone is increasing rather than our parasympathetic, which is our rest and digest and nourishing and healing. So when you can begin to notice your heartbeat, when you can take a few minutes in a day just to breathe, you start to feel more expansive. You start to feel more energetic. You start to feel like, oh yeah, there is work that is happening inside of me without me having to do anything. There's something that a good friend of mine always teaches, and I bring into a lot of our opening ceremonies when we're doing women's circles or retreats. And it's this idea of, you know, when we were in the womb, everything that we needed was provided. We didn't have to do anything. But then something happens when we come out where we feel like we have to prove ourselves, we have to keep doing, we have to gain acceptance. Like, all these patterns start to show up and we start doing, doing, doing, and we We have lost the capacity to just be and receive. So when we're breathing, when we're anchoring into our breath, we're receiving nourishment. And if we can create that practice every day, just in that physical body, it'll start to retrain the mind to start receiving nourishment in other ways, whether it's through food, our thoughts, our relationships, whatever that may be for somebody.

Yeah. Oh, it's so true. My, my friend who actually has the tumor, she created an event called the Be Event. Out of that same idea and philosophy. Um, she just celebrated her 5th year hosting it, and it's to empower women and know that they're enough just because they are them. You know, you don't have to do things, you don't have to accomplish, improve. You being alive and loving others is enough. Like, just be. And so I love that you're spreading that message too. That's so awesome.

Thank you.

So you mentioned you do these women's circles. You You do like retreats and workshops, right? Tell me a little bit about those.

Yeah, so the reason why I started doing the women's circles, it was several years ago, and, um, my oldest was 5 and my youngest was 2. I have 2 boys, and I was kind of reaching that state of like, I haven't slept for 5 years, I've been nursing, and, you know, we have our business, um, helping other people. That there was a lot of like of me that was giving and not receiving, exactly what we're talking about. And I went to a yoga camp. It's— so I'm a Kundalini teacher and we have a women's camp here every year. And I was finally able to go because my son was old enough to be on his own with his dad at home. And when I was in that space, the stuff that shows up for women when we're together, the healing that happens is so amazing. And I was just like, this, this has to be something that women have access to all the time. So I came back and in my practice and I started doing these women's nights once a month to really anchor back into what we're talking about today. Because in the visits, you know, we're talking hormones, we're talking all these things, and I'll plant seeds about stress and other things that we can control, but a lot of it has to do with testing and, you know, like the left brain stuff.

Mm-hmm.

So with these monthly Women's nights, I was able to tap into the other side, into that right brain, into, into the patterns, into the belief systems that were creating the effects in their biology and physiology. So then merging the two has shifted so many people in so many different ways that I didn't think was going to happen. But seeing somebody's growth and shift and change, and not only theirs, but then they have this ripple effect happen within their families. I think it's just so necessary that we merge these worlds together.

Yeah, like you mentioned, mom is kind of the center, the core of the family. And if she's reclaiming her health and doing what she needs to do to be a vital part of society, she's going to inevitably make her children better and her husband better, right? Because they're going to follow suit. She's probably picking out the groceries and determining what they do in the evenings and on the weekends. You know, it—I love the ripple effect. I think it's so important and to band together as a community because I find that once women own their truth and they can just be honest with each other, they start learning from each other, and that's where you see the magic happens. All of a sudden, they can get their hormones into balance. They can lose the weight. They can, you know, stop this nagging autoimmune issue. I just feel like it's so much bigger than going to the doctor and getting a prescription. And the hard part is that it's work and it's not a quick fix, right? But it is so rewarding. Yeah, absolutely.

There's just so many layers. And we're— well, women, we're complex, right? Yeah, yeah. We can, you know, with like, you know, yoga teachings, we talk about how like You know, men can kind of go from point A to point B and get the job done. And you know this, like, their hormone is testosterone, right? Like, they're gonna fix it, they're gonna do it.

Yeah.

Whereas ours is oxytocin. So we need community, we need connection, we need that feeling of being able to band together and support one another. And we can be here, over there. Like, ours is like 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A.

Yes.

So many different places all at once. Just because we have the capacity to do it doesn't necessarily mean we should be in all those different places, right? So by creating that community feel, it can really feel really supportive on so many different levels.

Yeah, exactly. So when you have a patient who first comes to you for a medical problem, and she is just really just full-on rushing woman syndrome, she's got, you know, completely overloaded on her plate, she's stressed out to the max, and she can't bear to even Make an hour for the appointment, let alone lifestyle changes. Where do you even start with someone like that?

Yeah, the basics. First, it's, you know, anchoring into their why. Like, why, you know, there's a reason why she came in. Yeah, so really recognizing, spending a lot of time really looking at what brought her in and what she wants for herself. So that's like number one in that first appointment. And then from that space, it's like, okay, well, if this is what's going on, let's test your hormones. Let's test things so you can see physically that something is going on inside. Because we can't do the other work. We can't do the work on our belief systems, on the layers, if physically we are just completely done. If we can't get out of bed, if we don't have energy to cook meals, it's going to be really hard to get to that space if we don't get some Something shifted. So then from that space, like supporting the body, creating nourishment, not about taking things away, but really like teaching her to receive.

Yeah.

So giving her things that will nourish her body and upregulate things for her so she feels good enough, and then we dive deep to get to the bottom of what's going on.

Yeah, I love to start with little wins. Like, what are a few things that we can get her feeling better right away so that she is more apt to like take control and do what she needs to do, right? Talk about food. I just think food is life, and I love that you said add to not take away. You know, focus on what you can eat and what you should eat. Like, do you propose any certain diet, or are you super individualized?

I'm very individualized. I mean, we're all about fasting. We're all about increasing the good fats. Where I'm a vegetarian myself, but doesn't mean my patients have to be vegetarian. So there's, you know, you have to work with the individual. I'm very much about looking at the individual's constitution and then teaching them about the seasons and what can help support them. So the more we can educate them about their own body, the better choices they can make to create health. And then for women, as you know, depending on our cycles and where we're at in our seasons of our hormone story will also determine what kind of foods the body will thrive on. So I feel like the more we educate and the more variation that they can create within their diet and give themselves permission to do that, the easier it becomes. So it's not just like, I'm doing this diet for this amount of time. It's like, okay, how can we shift our lifestyle so you become healthy and strong in how you're eating and your relationship with food? Because that's huge. So then you can bring that into your family. Because that's the hardest thing, I think, for a lot of women. It's like, okay, if I change, then I have to cook different meals for the rest of my family. That's adding stress, right? So we don't want to add stress.

Yep. I know I went through that when I completely revamped my life and my diet. You know, my kids were like, what the heck are you eating? You know? And it takes a while for them to get on board with the changes, but it's totally doable, you know? A little bit switching out here or there, adding this and that. I just think it's so important to do. But yeah, it can be more stressful. So that's why I think the group support is so helpful too, because then you can like get ideas from each other. But you're right on with the individualized diet and eating a good variation seasonally. It's just how our bodies were created. We weren't created to eat the same 5 things all year round, right? It's not good for our health and our nutrition. So I love that you are incorporating all aspects. Tell me, you, you've kind of been on lockdown with COVID right? Your office has been closed. And you, you mentioned to me you're finally writing this book that's been in your brain for a while. Tell me the premise.

Yeah, so the premise of the book is— I mean, initially I thought the title was going to be Unleashing the Mask of the Rushing Woman, and that is going to be the premise of the book, is really looking at our false identities that we've been carrying around with us for generations and our own lifetime and diving into how that is so intimately connected with our hormones and, you know, and our story that gets given to us and also one that we participate in throughout our lifetime Because what happens is we reach a certain age and, you know, things are shifting and we're aging and we start reflecting on, you know, where we've been, where we are, where we want to go. And in that reflection, a lot of times the body gets blamed, right? Like, it's not working for me anymore. It's not doing the things it was supposed to do. So my book is, you know, it's part of my story of the things that I've been through growing up and really combining that healing that I went through and the insights that I got into myself as a woman and how I've seen my patients thrive after their insights within themselves and how the hormone picture then just starts to serve them rather than it dictating where their life is going. They are able to command their life then. So that's kind of the—

That's great.

The premise. And, you know, there'll be like the studies and the science and all that stuff in there, but really the juice of it is going to be our capacity to be able to just release the false identities and to get to that core of like who you really are so that you can live a happy life without restraints, really.

Yeah, definitely. And what are a few things women can do to start on that path of like really being true to themselves and figure out Their why, because what I see is women will come to me and they don't necessarily have an answer why they want to feel better. They haven't tapped into it because they've been so shut off and trying to be in survival mode the whole time. It's like they haven't even acknowledged what's going on, right?

Yeah, you know, it's like going back to those, um, the baby steps, right? So maybe giving yourself 3 minutes Yes. We can carve out 3 minutes in the morning or even right before bed. Or if you're a young mom and you're nursing your child, just closing your eyes while you're doing that and just, you know, taking a moment to start hearing that whisper that is within us. Because when we're in that rush, when we're in that survival state, when we're distracted by all the noise that's around us, it's really hard to listen to that why. And we're not going to get it out there Unless we quiet ourselves down for moments. And then just those 3 moments, what that does, it also creates this positive loop within our brain of like, oh, I'm doing something for myself. That actually felt really good.

Yeah.

You know, maybe I'm going to bring those 3 minutes in, in the middle of the day and do something else and read a book or whatever it is, you know, creating a commitment around yourself first and choosing things that are realistic in, you know, the season of life that you're in. And then from that space, asking yourself questions, right? When you're picking a food to eat, asking yourself the question, is this going to nourish me? Maybe you have a thought, ask yourself again, did that just nourish me? Having a conversation with a girlfriend or somebody, did that conversation nourish me? I think just questioning in the beginning can start to create— just open up this whole other world within us that can allow us to unveil Our why and what, what we need to do.

Yeah, definitely. If it's not serving you, let it go, right? Or turn the other cheek and do something different. I love that. Oh my goodness. So what do you think is the biggest thing keeping women stuck?

It's the certainty. And when we're in a pattern, when we're used to life being a certain way, we have Some form of stability, and I say that in quotation marks because it's giving us this false security. It's giving us this false stability and certainty of like, I know what I'm doing when I wake up until the point when I go to bed, and there isn't a lot of thinking that needs to happen. I just kind of go and I do it. And when we stay in that, we create patterns. Like, the neurons will come together and create a pattern to really solidify within us that this is life. Right? So it takes work. I heard this one neurologist say it's a metabolic expense to really break away those patterns and create new ones. So when we're doing the work or we have these inklings that, you know, life isn't working the way it should be working or our bodies aren't working the way they should be working, there's fear around the uncertainty of what that's going to look like. So when we Yeah. When we hold really tightly our identities, when we hold our beliefs so tightly, there's really not a lot of room for growth. There's not room for change because that fear factor starts to show up. So I think the more we anchor into, you know, faith and anchor into trust and anchor into the fact that the knowing is already within us, that nothing outside of us is going to give us that feeling, but to It'll come from within, the easier it'll become to unstuck ourselves from the old stuff.

Oh my gosh, you're right on. You know, I always say live in love, not fear, because that's living in fear. When you feel uncertainty, you push it away, you know, you don't want anything to do with it. And I think having faith makes it so much easier to accept uncertainty and not live in fear, right? So believing in something bigger than us, and that's going to carry us through, and that we don't have to be afraid. I think you are right on the money. Women find it easier— all people find it easier to live in that certainty, but it's all pretend, right? So it's not even real, but we feel like it's real, and it's safe to just do the same thing day in and day out. And then you get to the point you said, you start reflecting, and you're like, wow, I haven't done anything with my life, or I haven't accomplished what I wanted to because it was all too scary to try and do, right? So it, it's so empowering to do the scary stuff, like starting a podcast. You know well, like, you're putting yourself out there to be judged and ridiculed. But if you don't do it, you're going to be left with regrets.

Yeah.

And like, who knows what you would have missed out on. So I would have never met you or other women. So I think it's so important to take risks and, you know, not be crazy about it, but not to live in fear, just to embrace what, what's a bigger reason for me being here. You know, I don't have to live in survival mode. That's not what life is about, because I just think Especially in their 40s and 50s, women have just committed their entire life to other people, and then they all of a sudden are like, what the heck just happened? I was 20 yesterday, you know. My body's failing me, like you said, and the body gets all the blame, and the— or the husband gets the blame. And it's like, you just need to embrace the fear and do what you want. Are meant to do, right? So I love that you're writing your book and you're doing all of that. You're walking the talk, right? That's so important. Yeah, yeah.

There's like I I have tendency towards depression my entire life. Okay. Getting getting into these states of like it's almost easier to get into a cave rather than like move through things.

Mm-hmm.

And I had— there was this one moment where that insight came to me of like, wait, this is easier. And for other people too, when we have a diagnosis, it's almost easier to sit in that diagnosis rather than move through it and figure out the why behind all of that story. So it takes work to be happy. You have to shift from fear to faith in order to be happy. So it's important to recognize that within us, like you were saying, you know, it's just, it's there. Your birthright is to be happy and joyful and have all that you want and be able to manifest the abundance that life can provide. And it can sometimes feel easier to be on the other spectrum.

Yeah, well, and you hit on an important point. You know, the neurologists have told us They have found that you have change in your physiology when you try to go outside of what's safe and, you know, get out of survival mode. We're meant to survive, and so it's not— it goes against our physiology to do things that are scary and uncertain. So I don't want women to blame themselves or beat themselves up if they Haven't like gone after their dreams, so to speak. You know, but I just feel like it's never too late to make changes and to keep trying and moving forward because I just feel like that's what we're here to do, right? Yeah. So that was a great point.

Has brought you to today, right? Like all our stories and learnings and everything brought us to today. So today we can then rewrite a different story if we choose to. Yeah.

Oh, I love that. That's awesome. Oh my goodness! So I I did want to ask you a few other questions because you're doing so many amazing things. So you guys have a longevity lab up in your practice up in Canada, right? So tell me, what is a longevity lab?

Yeah, so essentially it's you know we wanted to create a way where people can like biohack their biology essentially. So our slogan is biohack your biology. upgrade your cells, and free your mind. So it's, you know, getting into this state where we start to really see the power within ourselves. We see the power the body has when given the right tools. We were talking about breath and oxygen, so we have an oxygen chamber to aid that capacity of your body to have more oxygen so that healing can actually happen. We have a mat called the BEMA mat that will increase circulation in your microcirculation so that nutrients Can actually go into your cell. Because as we know, we're living in like the most toxic time ever known.

Yeah.

To mankind. Like there's things that we battle every— not only our minds that we're battling, like our thoughts, but we are kind of battling the outside world with all the chemicals, the glyphosates, the everything that's showing up. And so it's almost become a necessity now to be able to hack into our body to teach it to be able to withstand These things that are showing up that are dictating then what our hormones do or dictating what our immune system or microbiome is doing. So it's important, we felt, to have tools where people can feel more in charge of their health. Like they can come in and do their circuit and feel like, yes, I did my superhuman circuit today and I'm going to go out and eat some really great food and I'm going to— I feel good and clear in my mind so I can make good decisions for myself. You know, creating a community environment where people come in and are able to just work on their health and have the power in their hands again. Because, you know, there are so many people, and you probably have the same experience, like women will walk into the office and they know more about what's going on with them than we may even know because they are the ones that are living it.

Right.

And so to put more of the power back into, I think, our community's hands is so important, especially in today's world.

Oh, that is so cool. I want that longevity lab in my office. That's gonna be my next goal. Yeah, I mean, that is true healthcare, you know. We— I come from a model of sick care being a conventional physician. Tell me what the difference is being a naturopathic physician. I'm kind of jealous that I missed out on some education here.

Yeah, well, you know, Well, my beginnings were I have a degree in cell and molecular biology, so I was going down, you know, a different path at that time. But that is— I love the human body, right? So I love learning about what was going on. And so I thought maybe I was going into physio or occupational therapy and massage therapy, like, you know, more physical work. And then I came across naturopathic medicine, and it just— everything about it just runs so true for me. And so when you're training as a naturopathic doctor, you're still learning all the physiology, you're still learning the biochemistry, biochemistry, all of it about the body. But I feel like the gift that we got to receive is the ancient medicine. We got to learn deeply about herbal medicine and what it can do and how it can support us, about biochemistry and the nutrients that we can utilize to, like, again, upgrade our bodies and our cells and our hormones and whatnot. And so we're able to tap into, like, Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, and Utilize these ancient tools and bring the and kind of bridge the gap because those old ancient medicines they recognize that we're a whole system and it's not only our our system like our individual body but we connect with other people and you know that there's communication there there's communication with the earth there's communication with the seasons like there's just everything is interconnected so. I find in our training it was amazing to be able to see that big picture and be able to bring that into the individual. That's wonderful.

Yeah, I felt like I was blessed to have osteopathic training. You know, it's very holistic, but we definitely didn't get the intense herbal and ancient Chinese training. So, you know, I love relying on colleagues like you for— to learn more and keep understanding more every day. So that, that's great that we get to connect. So that's right.

Yes, exactly.

And I just think it's so important to keep learning, right? Because what I learned in medical school was already antiquated. You know, so much science has come out since then and continues to come out every day. Like, we know probably 1% of what's going on, right?

I know.

You got to be a lifelong learner. You have to have an open mind, you know. That's why when patients come to me and ask me about stuff I've never heard of, I'm like, let me research it, let me find out, right? Like, maybe they're on to something. More often than not, they are. So—

I think it goes back to what we were talking about before. If we hold on to our beliefs and identities so tightly, there's no room for that learning or growth. You know, and it's just as practitioners, it's our duty because I feel it's such a privilege that we get to guide people in their health journey that we need to keep an open mind and keep learning and seeing from other perspectives too. Like, just because I'm a naturopathic doctor doesn't mean a medical doctor doesn't have insight and things to bring to the table, right? I feel like the less we divide and the more we come together, The better it is for all of us to learn from each other. And then from that space, we can really help heal people.

Exactly. And you hit on an important point. Like, we don't fix people. We guide them. We help them on their health journey. You know, we help educate them and encourage and motivate. But really, it, it takes reclaiming that, that yourself, like taking it in your own hands, making different choices. And I think That's what I really want women to understand, is there's no doctor out there that's gonna fix you. Even the best, most amazing doctor, you— it's within you. So yeah. Oh, I can't wait to go to one of your workshops or retreats. This COVID thing needs to be over.

I'm so missing that connection. I keep having women connecting and wanting me to do it And it's just, it's— I know there can be some greatness that can come out of that too, but there's just something about being in person with other women, and there's like an energy around it. Then we eat together. There's just, you know, that community feel. I'm really, really missing it.

So I know, I'm used to hugging my patients at the end of the visit. Now I'm like gonna have to wear a mask. Come on. Like, I don't know if I'm ready for this new normal. It's It's not cool. Oh my gosh. Well, please tell my listeners where they can find you and follow you because you're just amazing. Oh, thank you.

Um, so I'm on Instagram, Dr. Sonya Jensen, Facebook as well. Our website is divineelements.ca. We also have our podcast, which you're going to be on, uh, Women and Wellness. Um, yeah, that's, that's kind of where you can find me right now.

Awesome. Yeah, Women and Wellness is an awesome podcast. Definitely check that out. I'll have all the links in show notes for you guys because Dr. Sonia is one force to be reckoned with. So keep listening to her and following her. So thank you so much for connecting with me today. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

This was so fun.

Yeah, I will talk to you soon. Yes. All right. Bye, hon. Okay, I really hope you got something out of that. I want you to definitely Definitely choose something that we talked about today and start implementing it. Maybe you're gonna take 10 minutes to be quiet and listen to your mind and process your thoughts, deal with your emotions. Maybe you're gonna go on a weekend yoga retreat and really dive in and deal with your crap. Maybe you're just gonna start eating better. Maybe you're gonna get deeper with your girlfriends and have some true honest conversations and get real. Whatever it is, I want you to pick something and I want you to work on yourself because that is the only way you're going to reclaim your health, is take ownership. Accept the fact that you are a complex creature of mind, body, and spirit, and all needs to be in good working order for you to feel good and have an amazing life. So if you know anybody who needs to hear this episode, please share it with them. And I'd be honored if you would give me a review so I know if I'm talking about the right stuff, hitting the right topics. Send me a message, tell me your questions. I want to hear from you because this is for you, this podcast. So please reach out at Dr. Tabatha, T-A-B-A-T-H-A, on Instagram and Facebook, and I'll make sure that I respond to you. Now go out and have an amazing week. Give yourself some love. Don't give up and incorporate one new thing into your life. All right, take care.