. www.truepathwellness.coach When an interaction with someone is memorable, it is also engaging. It captures attention and creates a moment that lingers. The individual may not change, but they remember how they felt. When it is meaningful, it creates a connection. The person feels seen, heard and understood. Trust begins here. And when it is transformational, something within the individual shifts—a belief, a perspective, or even their sense of self. They leave differently than they arrived. This outcome is a core element of conscious leadership. Conscious leadership is not reserved for corporate heads or gurus; it is the practice of leading—and living—from within with awareness, intention and emotional mastery, while recognizing that every interaction carries influence. It is not reserved for big decisions or formal roles; it lives in the small, everyday moments where presence, energy and choice shape others' experience. A conscious leader holds a simple yet powerful standard: May every interaction be meaningful, memorable, and transformational—and if not all three, at least one. A conscious leader moves through each moment with awareness, asking: Am I engaging? Am I connecting? Am I creating space for transformation? They understand that while not every interaction will be transformational, every interaction can be intentional. This level of leadership requires a strong internal foundation. A conscious leader knows that the quality of their influence is a direct reflection of their inner state. www.DesertHealthNews.com May/June 2026 Natural Options The Valley's Leading Resource for Health and Wellness 10 Guiding women toward renewed health, lasting balance & whole-body wellness Individualized support to help you move forward with confidence: Complimentary Discovery Call Start the journey on your True Path to Wellness today! Tracy Townsend Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach 951.454.1648 • One-on-one coaching • Home wellness resets • Pantry clean-outs • Meal prepping tracy@truepathwellness.coach • www.truepathwellness.coach www.livewellclinic.org 760.771.5970 78900 Ave. 47, Suite 102 • La Quinta info@livewellclinic.org www.livewellclinic.org @LiveWellClinicLaQuinta @LiveWellClinic Sonja Fung, ND Naturopathic Doctor Medical Director Live Happy, Live Well Offering Telemedicine Naturopathic Primary Care Photodynamic Therapy GLP Weight Loss Integrative Cancer Care Sound Baths Last Wednesday of each month $30/person With high season behind us, a good spring cleaning is warranted. But let’s not stop at clearing out home clutter. Let’s also clear out the heaviness accumulated from many eventful months that can leave us feeling mentally foggy, bloated or fatigued. From a naturopathic perspective, spring is an ideal time for gentle “mental and physical spring cleaning,” beginning with the gut–brain connection, a key regulator of mood, energy and detoxification. The gut and brain are constantly communicating through the gut–brain axis, a bidirectional system involving the vagus nerve, immune signaling and neurotransmitters.1 In fact, approximately 90% of the body’s serotonin, a neurotransmitter essential for mood and emotional balance, is produced in the gut.³ When digestion is sluggish or the microbiome is imbalanced, symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, brain fog and fatigue may develop.3,4 This is also an opportunity to support the body’s detoxification pathways, which rely heavily on gut health. While detox is often misunderstood as extreme fasting or juice cleanses, true detoxification depends on effective liver processing, bile flow and regular elimination. When gut motility is slow or microbial balance is disrupted, toxins may be reabsorbed rather than eliminated, leading to increased systemic inflammation and diminished cognitive clarity.5,6 Gentle detox strategies focus on nourishment rather than restriction. Dietary fiber plays a central role by binding toxins, supporting healthy bowel movements and feeding beneficial gut bacteria.¾ Most adults should aim for about 25 grams of daily fiber for women, and 30–38 grams daily for men, depending on age and caloric needs.¿ Bitter foods such as arugula, dandelion greens and lemon stimulate bile flow, aiding digestion and liver function. Fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and kefir help restore microbial balance and reduce gut-driven inflammation.⁹ Lifestyle practices are equally important. Daily movement supports lymphatic drainage and circulation, while adequate hydration supports the clearance of toxins. Morning sunlight exposure helps regulate circadian rhythms, which influence digestion, hormone balance and mood.10 Targeted nutrients such as magnesium support both bowel regularity and nervous system relaxation, and probiotics can further reinforce gut–brain communication.12,13 A clear mind and resilient mood are often rooted in physical balance. Chronic stress alters gut permeability and microbiome composition, reinforcing anxiety and low mood.11 Practices that calm the nervous system (i.e., mindful eating, breathwork, meditation and reducing alcohol and ultra-processed foods) help restore vagal tone and emotional resilience.14 Spring cleaning does not require extreme measures. Small, consistent changes that support digestion, elimination and nervous system balance can lead to meaningful improvements in mental clarity, energy and overall well-being. Dr. Najar is a primary care naturopathic doctor and an associate professional clinical counselor at Live Well Clinic. Her focus is functional psychiatry utilizing naturopathic principles to work on root causes of mental health imbalance. She can be reached at (760) 771.5970 or www.livewellclinic.org. References available upon request. Spring Cleaning from the Inside Out Gut health, detox and mental clarity By Cristal Salcido Najar, ND, APCC Conscious Leadership The impact of energetic awareness By Tracy Smith Therefore, they commit to consistent inner work by developing awareness of their thoughts, emotions and behaviors, and practicing presence in real time. This is not about suppressing emotions, but about mastering and directing them with clarity and composure. An essential part of this mastery is learning to leverage stress, discomfort and fear as assets. Rather than avoiding these experiences, the conscious leader reframes them. Stress becomes information. Discomfort becomes a signal for growth. Fear becomes energy that can be used to move forward. What once felt limiting becomes a catalyst. This ability to transform internal resistance into forward momentum allows the leader to remain grounded under pressure—and intentional in uncertainty. Through mindfulness practices and frameworks like Daniel Friedland, MD’s PAUSE | NOTICE | CHOOSE, the conscious leader strengthens their ability to regulate their internal state. They pause to create space, notice what is happening within, and choose how to respond rather than react. Over time, this consistent practice builds resilience, balance, and a deeper sense of control and composure. Consistency and persistence are key. Conscious leadership is not a one-time realization but a continual return to awareness. As this practice deepens, so does the leader’s capacity to influence. And with that growth comes an important truth: it allows you to create space for others to change and grow. A conscious leader creates the conditions for transformation in others by embodying the work themselves. They cultivate environments where individuals feel safe, supported and gently challenged. They listen deeply, ask meaningful questions and hold a vision of others’ highest potential. Ultimately, conscious leadership is about living with intention—understanding that who you are being in each moment shapes what you create. By leading well from within, you not only elevate your own life, but you become a catalyst for meaningful, memorable and transformational experiences for others. Tracy Smith is an energy medicine practitioner and founder of Blissful Release Now. She is a facilitator of conscious leadership, guiding individuals to recognize the impact their energy has within the world. She is the author of Moments of Divine Inspiration, Women Who Trust, Dear Younger Me, Letters of Season, and Letters to Her and can be reached at tracy.blissfulrelease@gmail.com. www.blissfulreleasenow.com Sources: 1) Daniel Friedland, MD, Leading Well from Within: A Neuroscience and Mindfulness-Based Framework for Conscious Leadership (San Diego: SuperSmartHealth, 2016); 2) Pine, B. Joseph, II. The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations. (Boston: Harvard Business Review Press, 2026). The energy we omit in interactions with others can motivate and transform. A clear mind and resilient mood are often rooted in physical balance.
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