Bukant Naturopathic

09/05/2024

In my daily work as a Naturopathic physician I am humbled right and left

whether by a case I can't seem to crack,
or a mysterious illness that I DO figure out and help resolve,
or a deeply heartfelt thank you from a patient,
or a moment of helplessness and imposter syndrome,
or a glimmer of profound internal gratitude that I was given/found the opportunity to do this work in the world...

it's a roller coaster that I'm choosing to take 😁 because on the other side of the enormous challenge is the fulfillment, connection, and discovery. I live for these. ✨

Photos of most recent reviews on my Google site...My heart! I have the sweetest patients.

If you know me as a doctor, would you be willing to take 60 seconds to leave a review on my Google business page? You have no idea how much it supports my business as I grow into my new office space! Thank you a million! ❤

08/30/2024

Meet the Bukant family’s newest member, Shaia 🥹 This season for me has been so full of heart-aligned experienced and epic changes. I keep meaning to share more snippets of the summer, but I’ve found myself so immersed in life itself that I keep forgetting! This little love is one of those gifts. It’s a soul connection that I can’t describe 💞

08/16/2024

Seattle/Eastside friends! Looking to expand my referral network of amazing practitioners. Who do you love/recommend? (list below)

08/14/2024

I just arrived at a medical clinic for a primary care visit through my insurance plan—the first in mant years.

I’m sharing this post not to complain about an inconvenience but to highlight the reality that we need a new system.

Since college, I’ve gotten most of my medical care outside the insurance system through naturopathic and alternative medicine.

But, sometimes it’s helpful / necessary to have a foot in the system when needing to connect with specialists. get referrals, certain treatments, etc.

I decided to schedule a visit, in part with the hopes of finding a dermatologist, and in part as an experiment to see what a primary care visit is like these days.

I hear stories every week from my patients about their mostly negative experiences with the medical system through their insurance plan.

And when I say negative…some of these stories are inconvenient and disrespectful, while others are overtly traumatic and abusive.

I cried this week after hearing a new patient’s medical history and the lack of support they’ve received, the gaslighting they’ve endured.

The issues with our medical system are incredibly complex, and I do believe that most practitioners are doing their very best with the time and resources they have.

Given what I hear from patients, I’m curious to have my own medical experience to see what kind of care I receive.

When I arrived at the front desk, I was told that the doctor I scheduled with is no longer taking new patients. That they left me a voicemail two weeks ago (which I never saw/received, and that might be on me).

Then they said the next available new patient appointment isn’t until October 🤯

This isn’t for a specialist…this is for primary care

I wish I could say I was surprised. I waited two months, and now I’ll wait another two months. (It’s not a huge inconvenience for me, it’s just interesting that it tracks with what I’ve been hearing from patients).

I don’t have any pressing issues. But what about those who do? Urgent care is wildly expensive to visit while waiting for a P*P. These are huge problems.

Share your positive/negative medical stories (if you are comfortable doing so) below 👇🏼Whatever it is you’ve endured, know that you’re far from alone

08/08/2024

Today is a profoundly special day for me. I am absolutely BEAMING with joy, confidence, and hope.

Yesterday I moved into my new (very first) medical office.

And I just saw my very first patient in my new office.

Guys. I can't describe in words how good and right this feels.

Earlier this year, I realized that I was using the virtual work-from-home situation as a way to stay small, remain in my comfort zone, and avoid getting bigger and better and more accomplished.

And none of that aligns with my values. So I decided to take a leap and start looking for space.

Once I made this decision, the stars aligned. I found the most perfect spot at an incredible chiropractic office.

I know that I don't know all the ways this transition is going to change me, as a doctor and as a human.

But when I lean into the energy around this decision, it feels ripe, expansive, fun, bold and, dare I say, karmic.

I have a lot left to do to make this space feel like home, but one of my mantras in this season has become "Good enough is better than perfect" for everything from workouts to chart notes. So the fact that my office is only 2/3 ready is right on track.

Come see me in Totem Lake at Clear Chiropractic. I would love to help you move toward your own vitality physically, mentally, and emotionally through a personalized, integrative, holistic path. I'm here on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Visit my website www.savannahbukant.com/start-here to schedule a free 15-minute consultation (Zoom OR in person 🙂 )

Cheers to upleveling 💖 I'd love to hear about your most recent uplevel (even if it's tiny - because sometimes the smallest ones are the most massive in impact)

05/20/2024

I started my Naturopathic Medical practice in the heart of the 2020 lockdown.

At the time (I'm sure you can relate), I was in survival mode.

I had just graduated from five years of medical school and was recovering. Then, the two job plans I'd lined up starting in Summer and Fall both fell through due to the lockdown, and I found myself starting a business from scratch.

Nearly all of my internal and external resources were funneled into surviving physically, socially, emotionally, and financially. And as a new doctor, working virtually and alone, I felt isolated and overwhelmed with imposter syndrome.

I didn't have an ounce of capacity leftover for the exciting and challenging uphill climb that comes with starting a business.

So when it came to business building and dreaming, I did the bare minimum. I worked IN my business, giving all my energy to my patients, but I barely worked ON my business. I was treading water and "hanging in there."

A lot happened along the way - I got a "mild" case of mold illness and mold brain, moved into a camper van, and finally settled into a clean apartment with my partner. And a few years in, I'm finally reawakening from this survival mode.

My soul feels like it's emerging for the first time.

I continue to move through the natural tumultuous waves that come with entrepreneurship and medical practice, but I feel more steady on my feet, and a greater resilience amidst the stressors.

I'm ready to step out into the world to serve with more confidence, grit, and heart than ever before.

I've started hosting and participating in more local events - mini-retreats at my yoga studio Root 2 Rise Yoga and the recent Ladies Night of Indulgence at Clear Chiropractic Kirkland.

In April I joined Kirkland's BNI chapter and feel energized connecting with other local businesses eager to support one another.

I am dreaming of moving further into my own zone of genius, which is teaching and coaching. I'm planning to create a low-cost monthly membership to help individuals create lasting healing in their bodies and minds. And I'm hoping to continue expanding in the direction of retreats and workshops, both for individuals and businesses.

This is the first time I've posted in a while, and it's refreshing to share my story and feel into the new momentum I'm creating. If this resonates with you, or you're in a similar life place or path, please comment or message me. I'd love to connect.

Here's to our ever-expanding capacity to create beauty in our lives and in our world.

Rooting for you,
Dr. Savannah

03/13/2024

Spring is about to Spring, and you know what that means..."cleanse culture" is about to cleanse.

I totally just made up this phrase "cleanse culture," but it's so true -

The wellness/diet/medical industry and all the influencers start hyperfocusing on detoxes, cleanses, and clean eating.

I'm not a fan of this approach to getting healthy, for a few different reasons. I take a way different approach for myself, my family, and my patients.

So I wrote a whole blog post about it! (Link below)

In this blog post I share...
🪻Why I don't recommend short-term cleanses
🪻Detoxification 101
🪻Who needs a "detox"
🪻The Bucket Analogy
🪻What I do instead of a short-term cleanse to support my body's pathways of elimination

I packed a lot into this short post. I'd love to hear about your "Aha moments" while reading. Comment below!

And happy Spring Equinox to you and your family. I'm proud of us for making it through the darkest days of the year, and excited to watch what grows and expands in the coming months.✨

Here's the blog: https://www.savannahbukant.com/blog/its-detox-season

03/06/2024

It's one of those times when a lot of my patients are starting to feel better 🥹 photo is me soaking up delicious sunbeams after a wonderful home visit today

This post is episode #2 of "Favorite Things" about being a Naturopathic Doctor

Watching people start to feel like themselves again is just a complete honor to witness.

But it doesn't come without a cost 😆 It seems like all of my "Favorite Things" seem to have a flip side...

The most wonderful days are when I follow up with patients and hear that they're so much more energized, sleeping better, pooping better, and didn't even remember that one awful symptom they were concerned about last visit.

And then there are other days...

(and if you're in healthcare/service industry, you know what I mean)

when it feels like EVERYONE is struggling and patients aren't feeling better.

These days are the hardest - especially when someone is really deeply suffering and in pain.

I do my best to care for myself physically and emotionally during these times,

because despite my best efforts to overcome the internal "savior complex," I place a lot of pressure on myself to help my patients heal. It's heavy when people I care about continue to suffer.

But the truth is, my influence over another person's healing process is minimal. I am a guide and a teacher. I am an investigator and a leader.

I can't make a person better. I am not the healer. I am not the one who does the healing. That's the patient's role.

And so days like today fill me and fuel me.

Getting heartfelt messages, glowing reviews, and sitting across from someone who says, "I'm starting to feel like myself again" ...

GOSH. The biggest gift! This is how I make it through the tough days.

People will always be ill. And people will always be healing. I am a space-holder for all of it.

I encourage you - if someone has helped you in some significant way, please tell them. It will inspire them to keep giving on the tough days. It could change their life, like it does mine. ❤

03/02/2024

I've been a doctor for over three years now.

It challenges me. Every day. Sometimes in extreme ways. And some days I feel like throwing in the towel.

But I'm still in it, because of everything beautiful on the other side of the challenge.

This is the start of little series called "Favorite Things" - where I share what I love most about being a Naturopathic doctor and lifelong student of healing.

Why am I talking about this?

Because what we focus on expands.
Where our attention goes, energy flows.

And when we cultivate heartfelt states like gratitude and joy, our heart & brain become more coherent in a way that promotes healing on all levels (check out the latest blog post on my website that touches on this topic - www.savannahbukant.com)

So in today's episodes of Favorite Things?

*The learning is infinite*

Learning is a continual process of exploration and discovery.

EVERY DAY I'm researching for patients, learning more about conditions and therapies and how to heal, expanding my mind.

And for me, this endless learning is a two-sided coin. Sometimes it's exhilarating.

But other times: if my stress-mode is dialed up and I'm disconnected from my center, the joy of learning turns into complete overwhelm.

As a high-achieving person, it's easy for me to drop right into criticism ...

"I wish I'd known x sooner, when I was working with [insert patient]. I could have helped them even more."

Or while I'm researching, sometimes the overwhelm turns to despair...

"There is so much to learn. I feel like I'll never know enough."

When I'm thinking like this, I ask myself two things:

1) Is brain inflammation / lack of brain support creating the conditions for emotional turmoil? (Guys, this is key). And,

2) how can I interrupt this pattern, soothe my system, and bring myself back to center to remember what's more true?

And here is what's more true than the overwhelm when it comes to this never-ending growth journey:

✨Learning is not an obligation, but an opportunity that I choose

✨ I get to move through a continual process of discovery, which is exciting

✨ The more I learn, the more fully I can help the next patient. This is why medicine is called a practice. I will continue to evolve, and this is a good thing.

✨ Life is a game that I cannot lose. Mistakes are a part of the game. I have nothing to lose.

Thanks for being here 💛 Give me an emoji in the comments to tell me how you feel about this topic!

02/26/2024

Hey friends, I need your help! I'm creating something new, and I would love your feedback.

If you are a high-achieving human dealing with stress/anxiety, would you take 3 minutes fill out the following survey?

https://forms.gle/53fcd7h32J4zeyu6A

Reading about your experience will help me understand the needs of people like you who are looking to get out of stress mode. My goal is to make sure what I'm creating is as useful and effective as possible.

I will be giving away TWO free jars of my homemade fire cider a week from now. If you want to enter the drawing, make sure to write your name in 🙂 And if you send this to any friends, and they fill it out, I'll put your name in as many times as there are friends ;)

With love and gratitude,
Dr. Savannah

I'm creating an online course to help people shift out of stress mode into calm and reconnect with their bodies. If you don't currently feel stressed or anxious, think back to a time when you did feel this way to share about your experience in response to the following questions.

11/08/2023

I have a confession.

Most of my "workouts" are only 20 minutes long 😆

I put "workouts" in quotes because I know YOU will know what I mean by this word, but I also don't use this word like I used to

The word "workout" means something *so* different to me now
In the past number of years I have recreated my relationship with "working out"

and it is no longer a SHOULD (this is the most impactful piece)
no longer something I pressure and expect myself to do, beating myself up around (feeling bad about myself for skipping, etc.)

My MOVEMENT PRACTICE emerges instead from an internal desire to feel + treat myself well

It moves from an embodied *understanding* of the vitality and power and freedom that open up on the other side of the practice

from KNOWING how movement shifts my blood flow, nervous system, brain state, emotional baseline, blood sugar, hormones, lymphatic system...literally everything

With this understanding, the SHOULD becomes a DESIRE to care for myself well.

It comes from knowing the body AND my body and a deep desire to honor + respect her with my actions

And so, when my lunch break comes around (I mostly work from home), and I have time for 20 minutes of simple mobility, shaking, yoga, deadlifts, pull ups, sprints...

HECK YES I'm getting after it!

Because I make my own rules
Because I know my own body
Because there ARE no rules

Because doing SOMETHING counts as EVERYTHING (the number one is infinitely more than zero)

Because every little self-care action not only counts; they actually add up exponentially

Here is your encouragement to take the little step, the small "toward move" in relationship to your own well-being

To throw out the old paradigm of all-or-nothing, black-or-white, should-or-should-not

And to notice when those creep in, impacting how you treat yourself

To anchor into what YOUR values are, and commit to them
I'd love to hear about your personal experience with this topic or anything related 🫶👇