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los angeles and remote
masha@workwithmasha.com
424-258-4974

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our goal as humans, whether we're talking about our health & wellness or living a fulfilling life, is to be integrated. - "integrated" means that all aspects of our experiences have a seat at the table--including what we don't like or understand about ourselves. rather than getting left out of the room or shoved into a corner, these things are invited to be part of the conversation because our bodies, minds & spirits work as a whole. - there are things we’ve been taught to dislike about ourselves, or to worry are wrong, and we tend to react w/ fear & frustration rather than curiosity. terms like "banish" or "beat" serve to "other"--isolate or blame--our bodies & experiences, pitting us against ourselves. - i recently got a “banish the bloat” email from a wellness company & posted a poll in my stories asking if folks thought this was diet culture language. - for context: bloating is one of the ways our bodies communicate with us about their experiences & needs. while uncomfortable, bloating is not *the* problem, but rather a *symptom* of a problem. to say that bloat needs to be banished is to assign fault & blame to our bodies for not “working right,” for having needs that aren't being met, or for communicating those needs to us. - i was thrilled to see that most of you were able to call out this language. for those who weren’t, i hope it gave you a moment of pause & curiosity. - why do i call out these seemingly innocuous instances of diet culture? because just like other systems of oppression (racism & misogyny, for example) diet culture is meant to keep us in shame, fear & hate. it is not a structure intended to make us more vibrant & fulfilled, and because it’s been in place for so long many of us can’t identify when it’s at play. - diet culture carves our experience into what’s working well & what’s going wrong, rather than encouraging us to be holistically present & curious. diet culture discourages our systems from striving for integration. but you have agency over how you want to experience your body & your life, and when you say no to diet culture you help shape a world in which we trust, honor & love our bodies--which is the fertile soil for health.

for most of my life, i felt crazy alongside classmates and peers who could have a few bites of a "treat" and put it down. throughout childhood, college, and into adulthood--even as i learned the "self control" of eating disorders--i thought there was something broken inside of me that i didnt have the lack of interest others appeared to feel about "off limits" foods. - finding @theantidietplan's post with the above thoughts helped me reframe those painful memories in the context of what i know now. - we grow up in a world that tells us in one breath to buy more candy and in the next that we should be stronger than eating it. this is the world that informs how we're parented, and how we're parented informs how we learn to feel about food--and, subsequently, about ourselves. - [side note: while there is no virtue in not craving what we culturally refer to as "treats," feeling out-of-control about cravings may have a physical component that compounds the programming we've received. it's possible to explore this with a holistic wellness practitioner using a non-diet approach!] - i'm grateful for what i've learned about myself and about the world that has allowed me to have compassion and flexibility in my food choices. i'm proud of myself for developing a trusting relationship with myself that allows me to make and honor these choices. - #antidiet #selfcare #selflove #showupforyourself #holisticmentalhealth #intuitiveating #selfhealers #nourishnotpunish #gentlenutrition #reconnectivehealing #traumarecovery #holisticwellness #reparenting #selfcompassion #radicalacceptance #eatingdisorderrecovery #edrecovery

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALIZED CARE & HOLISTIC WELLNESS. [for part one see the blog--link in bio--or yesterday's post!] - we’ve been told that wellness practitioners are experts, that their job is to tell us what’s wrong with us & how to fix it. and while they truly may be experts in diagnosing conditions & treating symptoms, a practitioner is not an expert in YOUR experience--and it’s the specifics of YOUR experience that are the key to sustainably addressing YOUR symptoms & system. - i believe that healing requires the following (very personalized) things: *an ability to listen to AND hear our bodies *an understanding of what they are communicating *access to a toolkit of things that help meet our bodies’ needs *knowledge of how & when to use the contents of such a toolkit. *in short: CURIOSITY, AWARENESS, TRUST, RESPECT, RESOURCES, LITERACY, PATIENCE & PRACTICE. - and in my opinion, the role of your practitioners should be as your PARTNER on the journey of wellness, to teach you & help you implement & practice these building blocks of healing & wellbeing. - i do think non-individualized wellness education plays an important role, especially at a time when many of us seek out health info on social media. for example, if no one ever told you about a more preventive or holistic approach you wouldn’t know to seek it out! but i think it's important for this info to go in-hand w/ a recommendation to consult a practitioner & determine what’s appropriate & effective for YOU specifically. - the truly magical thing to me about a holistic approach is the feeling of empowerment that can come from understanding & seeing how every aspect of what goes on physiologically, emotionally & environmentally is interconnected in our overall experience. but this awareness can definitely feel overwhelming, especially if it's new, and it may seem easier to turn away from it & shut it down. - please know that getting support so you can feel safe & empowered in your own experience is where the relief & sustainable solutions are. people like me are that support! if you have questions about holistic wellness or how to find appropriate care, please reach out! DM or link in bio 💕

i get a lot of questions about what my nutrition practice entails, & what makes it holistic. since i generally don't post the content we're used to seeing from wellness practitioners on social media--what you "should" or "shouldn't" eat, advice for treating medical conditions, or the promotion of specific supplements--i see how my role as a healer may be unclear! - a large part of what inspired me to practice wellness through a holistic lens was my frustration w/ not being treated as a unique & whole individual, and i believe that a truly effective wellness practice is rooted in, as @thepointacu writes, "a completely personalized, and personal, experience." - what does de-personalized medical care look like? a common practice is treating symptoms without consideration of their root causes--which means without consideration of the patient as a whole. - that was certainly my experience with allopathic (ie conventional) medicine. at various times, i was prescribed pharmaceuticals for depression, anxiety, panic attacks, migraines, asthma, allergies, an autoimmune thyroid condition & a chronic illness called cyclic vomiting syndrome. i was rarely asked about my diet, hydration habits, digestion, sleep hygiene, chemical exposure, history of trauma or whether i had a support system, among many other things that can both inform & improve symptoms. i was never referred for complementary treatment, like chiropractic, acupuncture or nutrition. - unfortunately, someone practicing from a holistic framework can be just as prescriptive in their recommendations, especially on social media. take a suggestion to treat constipation w/ magnesium instead of laxative, for example. it's a great recommendation, & certainly gets closer to treating the symptom at the root! but without knowing what specifically is contributing to someone's constipation, this recommendation will nonetheless lack the individualism absolutely critical to holistic treatment, overlooking the underlying reasons for a symptom & what they may be communicating about a body &its needs. - jump over to the blog (link in bio) to keep reading about what personalized healing entails & what to expect from a practitioner!

remember last month when i talked about tools for shifting perspective? - i used to love the reset of a new school year, so labor day weekend serves as a reminder of fresh starts, feeling hopeful & being present. - without the external structure of a return to school, i took a day trip to ojai this weekend to celebrate this intention. - the changing of seasons is a potent time of shift. you can tune into your senses to "see" with fresh eyes what's already changing. is the light beginning to look different? does the air feel (or sound) more crisp? what about the color or texture of the plants & trees around you? - according to chinese medicine, autumn is a time not just of standard seasonal change but specifically of letting go. it is what our bodies & environment naturally do at this time of year, but can be a challenging or painful process. nurture yourself by tuning in & tending to your internal environment. there are many ways to do this; start by focusing on your breath, and look into working with a practitioner for support! - produce is always a beautiful way to nurture, experience & appreciate even a subtle changing of seasons. whether or not we feel the shift into autumn at the end of the month, our produce will! - if you're a farmers market shopper, approach your next market trip with greater curiosity--visit stands you might not usually, becoming aware of what's new for the season. deviate from your shopping list, even if just to look! - if you do most of your shopping at the grocery store, it can still be a great experiment to visit a farmers market. you can examine, touch & smell almost everything, and many things can be tasted as well--just ask for samples. definitely ask about anything that is unfamiliar; farmers market folks are so friendly, & eager to share their wealth of knowledge about their products. - it's your turn to think about (& tell me!) what autumn means to you. *what are you looking forward to as the season changes? *is there a project that's been waiting for a fresh start? *what is something you're ready to let go of? *is there a favorite fall food that you're excited to come back into season, or a new one you're eager to try?

last week i had the pleasure of spending a few days in the kitchen with @sexylunchclub. - whether you need catering, subscription lunch delivery in DTLA, or a la carte ordering on many of the delivery apps, their thoughtful & delicious food has you COVERED. - working with this dedicated team was truly energizing and really pushed me in an incredibly rewarding way, and it was so exciting to work alongside a variety of chefs and their teams in @craftedkitchen. - plus, it was so exciting to see my handiwork in the social media posts of customers enjoying our food that week! - so grateful for this opportunity to challenge myself and work with some amazing people to make some delicious food 💕 - #kitchenlife #craftedkitchen #eatlocal #eatrealfood #sexylunchclub #selfcare #vegan #vegetarian #glutenfree #plantbased #LAfood #dtlafood #dtlafoodie

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