Cultivating Your Own Vitality with Dr. Deborah Zucker, N.D.

“Vitality is the essence of what it is to be alive,” says Deborah Zucker, “it is our life energy moving through us and expressing itself uniquely in each of us.” She believes that health and vitality are one and the same, so taking care of our health is absolutely necessary for our total wellbeing. Our bodies will tell us when something is wrong. When our vitality is weak, it can manifest as illness, fatigue, or irritability, reminding us to pay attention and start tending to ourselves. Our health is everything, Zucker says. It isn’t just dieting, exercising, or getting enough rest. It’s about being honest about where we’re losing our energy and experimenting with ways to redirect it in the manner that makes us thrive. “If there are things in our life that aren’t aligned for us, we’re feeding all this life energy into things that aren’t allowing us to step into our full expression in life…every single choice that we’re making affects our state of vitality, of aligning with what’s our unique truth, our unique passions, our unique things that light us up and help us to shine.” For example, paying attention to our internal dialogue can help us see ways that we are sabotaging our self-care. She also discusses the importance of play and kindness, and advocates trying different things for short periods of time and evaluating their efficacy. (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Bio

Deborah Zucker, N.D. is a naturopathic physician and transformational health coach who helps people transform their fundamental relationship to health. She’s the founder of Vital Medicine and offers many virtual and retreat-based programs. She holds a doctorate in naturopathic medicine from Bastyr University where she has also served as adjunct faculty.

Deborah Zucker is the author of:

• The Vitality Map: A Guide to Deep Health, Joyful Self-Care, and Resilient Well-Being (LomaSerena Press 2016)

To find out more about the work of Deborah Zucker go to www.vitalmedicine.com.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• Why is it important to pay attention to discomfort
• What are shadows and how can we become more aware of them
• How is the breath like a portable altar
• What are some ways to begin to recover our energy
• How can we experiment with ways to restore our vitality
• How is our vitality like a fruit tree
• Why is play so important
• Why is it important to be gentle with ourselves
• What is the inner GPS and why is it important to recalibrate it
• How can you thrive through connection with others
• How does nourishing your own vitality contribute to the vitality of others

Host: Justine Willis Toms            Interview Date: 9/15/2016             Program Number: 3594

Share This Episode