Dr. Catherine Clinton is a licensed naturopathic physician with a focus on gut health, autoimmunity and psycho-neuroimmunology. She is a respected author, speaker and pediatric health advocate. Dr. Catherine practices in Eugene, Oregon.
When Catherine was in medical school, she became really sick with several autoimmune diseases. Over time, she slowly put her physical health back together, but soon realized that there was a missing piece. Only later did she realize how our thoughts have a massive impact on our health. This was incredibly empowering to learn how negative thoughts and limiting beliefs can be passed down from one generation to another.
At this point, Catherine also became fascinated with mitochondrial research. This was another important step in her healing journey, because mitochondria are the smallest building blocks of health and our biology. Along with providing energy, “they also are the most sophisticated communication network in our bodies.”
According to Catherine, “the ecosystem we live in holds the power to heal us. Let it.” Many people believe that they are living outside this greater ecosystem. But the truth is that there is an amazingly interconnected and synergistic relationship between our inner and outer terrain. In fact, our biology depends on our connection with the environment – such as the earth, soil, sun, plants, animals, and microbes. This is how we have evolved as humans over millennia.
Catherine explains the amazing concept of “rewilding.” It means reconnecting with the world around us and spending time in nature – from putting our faces in the sun and placing our bare feet on the dirt and grass (or on the asphalt if you happen to be in a city). She says that “Rewilding holds the answers to the majority of the complaints we see in the health realm,” from issues like poor sleep and even low energy.
Our disconnection from Nature is causing serious problems for our biology. It’s been estimated that people spend less than 3% of our time outdoors – and so 97% of our time is spend indoors. Fascinatingly, our gut health is more dependent on the air we breathe than even the food we eat, our genetics or our ethnicity.
Catherine talks about her work with the Institute of Heart Math and the power of the heart. Heart coherence not only impacts our physical, mental and emotional state, but it also impacts those around us. When we align our nervous system with feelings of love and safety, this has a ripple effect on everything around us – not just people but even animals. Later in the episode, Catherine guides us through a LIVE Heart Meditation.
Later, Dr. Catherine acknowledges that we are currently in the middle of the 6th mass extinction. Over the next couple of decades, there are over a million plant and animal species set to go extinct. This collapse is being seen across the board: “if the world isn’t healthy, we can’t be healthy. And even more powerful, if we aren’t healthy as humans, the world can’t be healthy.”
For Catherine, the time to act is now! We can use this rock bottom moment in time as an opportunity to come together and start a wave of change. When we choose to live from a more heart centered place, we reclaim our power. Making this shift is our hope for today and the future!
In the end, Catherine offers these words to her younger self: “We’ve got a long ride here my love, so be gentle with yourself.” Less worry, more love… here we go!
You can learn more about Dr. Catherine and her work here: https://drcatherineclinton.com/
You can also connect with her on Instagram right here
Podcast: Play in new window | Download