Who Are We?
Barbara Guarino NBC-HWC, FMCHC, BS
I began coaching out of a continually growing and voracious appetite for true wellness and longevity. After my 25+ year journey— through microbiology & research, then programming & management where I watched the company I’d been recruited to grow from 63 to 1200+ employees, all while raising a family— My interest in medicinal plants/herbs & alternative medicine evolved. Early on I was captivated by lectures of Dr. Andrew Weil, the premise that plants were medicine, and that other intriguing medical modalities existed; Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Osteopathy, Homeopathy etc. My own children had allergies which I quickly learned I could control the symptoms of through what I ate (when breastfeeding), cooked & served as they grew.
My curiosity & love of learning, soon landed me unexpectedly in patient advocacy for chronically ill family members & friends. Witnessing first-hand the devastating effects of diabetes, COPD, dementia & their comorbidities, I knew I could experience the same if I did not take care of myself. When I was diagnosed as borderline pre-diabetic I had a wakeup call— Not wanting to travel the same path as relatives and friends, I began my own journey to achieve a healthier lifestyle; dropping weight by changing my eating habits, cleaned up my sleep habits & committed to increased movement/exercise. Through it all my love of alternative medicine & wellness persisted.
As the need for patient advocacy waned I pursued my interest in nutrition, alternative medicine, the gut microbiome & epigenetics. As a mother to a daughter with a chronic illness diagnosis & a brother I cared for with a brain injury, I have found Functional Medicine’s whole-picture approach to wellness truly a game changer. As balance in body, mind, spirit & environment persists, natural healing mechanisms have a chance to kick in.
Now, after a few successful careers, I have decided to focus on my joys: staying engaged intellectually & socially, working with people, learning, living healthy & increasing quality of life. I so enjoy walking alongside my clients as they journey to greater well-being. Together we navigate obstacles & celebrate victories, keeping a focus on the power of the present & a clear vision of where we’re heading. I enjoy helping keeping the “care” in “healthcare.” I look forward to serving you!
Anna Guarino NBC-HWC, FMCHC, Polyvagal Informed Coach, BFA
A Fusion of Fierce Play & Permeating Passion
Coaching blossomed in my trajectory as a blend of my love for heart-centered connection, the profound effect of powerful questions on our perception, and the freedom to explore & expand in fresh, creative ways.
In addition to my formal certification as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach through the Institute of Functional Medicine’s Coaching Academy and the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches, A Polyvagal Informed Coach through the Polyvagal Institute & Play Zone Pro, and my BFA, I have survived some “inner teachers” which have provided me with an intense experiential understanding of chronic physical pain, grief, women’s health issues, starvation, effects of high-stress environments, nearing-death, and a very restricted diet with severe food/chemical sensitivities. Some of these teachers are also known as hypermobility spectrum disorder (EDS-HSD —or what I call bones with wanderlust), mast cell activation(MCAS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). I like to think of my body as some assembly required, as I am often putting a femur or something back into socket. All of these factors have shown me so much about what it means to take care of our bodies, listen to them, and gently support them.
My passion about the power of balance is thanks to my experiences of contrast with the subject, and the opportunity to observe my own body’s drastic transformations, while creating a new normal. I’m still walking this journey to improve quality of life to the fullest— and am grateful for the invaluable insights, and empathy it evokes within my approach to myself and others. As I explore what sparks my energy with gentle focus, I’ve watched my thoughts evolve with this momentum from fear of pain and collapse (physical or mental), to reverence and wonder as I marvel at the magic in the journey. I have an open mind, having traveled over 10 countries, experiencing their diverse, beautiful cultures and various ways of thinking. I understand things are not often as they appear. In my spare time I explore nature, dance, painting, writing, music, Pilates, and authentic relating.
As I explore what it means to be alive. What have I learned?
Life is still in the unfolding, If we are too busy judging a temporary state, we’re judging a masterpiece before its done.
In every moment we have choices. I believe each moment contains a gift; some wisdom which otherwise may be unavailable without contrast. We have the choice of how to receive, and perceive our reality with the meanings we make of experiences.
Conscious awareness of our system is where the space to choose enters. Noticing where our nervous system is in any given moment allows us to assist ourselves with compassion back to regulation and readiness.
A balanced lifestyle from multiple angles primes the body for health, healing, and growth. When we give the mammal we live inside a foundation of safety, nourishment, energy, and support, the mind is flooded with different neurochemicals than those of stress, disconnection, and fatigue. Our metabolic resources are used for growth and repair, rather than threat.
Story actually follows state: Polyvagal Theory is suggesting through research that through neuroception, our bodies endlessly and subconsciously scan our environment, those around us, and inside of us for danger or safety cues. Our body then sends these signals up to our brain along the vagus nerve, and the brain makes sense of it by assigning a story or meaning that makes sense, However, 80% of the cues are going from the body up to the brain, unconsciously, while only 20% are coming down from the brain to the rest of the body. This means that addressing the body, the 80% —can often be more effective and efficient than trying to use the mind’s 20% to control the body’s 80%. So if we address the state, that is the cues the nervous system is picking up on, then the mind follows much more easily. The stories begin to change because the body is no longer sending danger cues to the brain, and so the signals the brain is making sense of are now different.
Obstacles are opportunities for innovation. The mind is negatively biased to remember and predict threats to survival, which is why conscious celebration of successes helps tip the scales toward a new bias. Change can be fun and empowered, in addition to anything else it is seen it as.
Play and Flow states heal, inducing the chemistry of creativity. Neurochemicals we produce while in these states are essentially the “open bar” of the body. Meaning, by taking advantage of production of the various cocktails of reward chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, epinephrine, endorphins, etc. through mindset techniques, helpful habit building, and strength leveraging, we can achieve way more potential, and feel good while doing it too.
What we truly value in life is fuel which gives us life. I’m here to have the conversations which spark new ideas & awaken awareness... The ones that matter to you. I like to think of you joining me on our “virtual vista” —grab a cup of something good & get ready as we look out at all the possibilities, and begin bringing the most delightful to life—directly and deliberately.
Let’s make shift happen 😉
