On the Job

I’ve been blessed to have a job (and a career) that I absolutely LOVE! I don’t take this for granted because being able to help people is a privilege. As a little one, I knew I wanted to be a physician and today, I am the managing clinical director of an integrative women’s health firm where I use conventional medicine, acupuncture, and herbal therapy to help people heal from complex health challenges. Together with our firm’s team of providers and practitioners, we do things that matter, we dream wildly, we live differently, and we lead with love. I am also in my first year as the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that focuses on healing from the trauma and stress caused by anti-Black racism. In both of these positions, I am able not only to help people and bear witness to transformed lives, but also serve my community.

At Home

Blankets, pillows, and candles welcome me with open arms. I like to snuggle under blankets and decompress from the fullness of the day with a cup of “self-care” tea. My “relax” tea combines fennel, chamomile, and oat flowers to bring me a moment of calm while my “love” tea opens my heart and brings a smile to my face as I talk with Danny about our respective days. Most days, I start the day with green matcha which awakens my senses as I prepare for the day. Ginger tea gives me an afternoon uplift while turmeric tea (with a lemon twist) brings me focus and clarity when I’m working from home. Mint tea is my soothing after lunch beverage of choice. As you can see, I believe there is tea for every occasion. I enjoy being home because it is a respite, a wonderfully safe place to be, and a refuge from the drama and stressors of the day.

Danny says…

Laurena is a lovely human being who is motivated by her desire to help others. She is also extremely caring and compassionate, with a focus on keeping family first. Laurena is a joyful person and is passionate about food, friends, and fun. She also constantly comes up with wonderful ideas and outings for our weekly date nights, giving us an opportunity to explore the DC Metro area. We are a great balance for each other and that balance will help as we begin our journey as parents. Laurena was meant to be a mom, and the child that gets to have her in their life will be very lucky!

Favorite Things

Cooking

I love to cook. However, unlike my mom who can whip up a “Michelin Meal” with merely condiments, I usually need a recipe. I can read, so I can cook. For me, the joy comes in bringing a dish to fruition. I like the whole process from picking out the dish to making the list of what I need to bring it to fruition. And yes, I absolutely LOVE grocery shopping, not just for recipe ingredients but on any day of the week. Once in the grocery store, I like discovering new herbs and spices that I may not typically use. I definitely like watching the masterpiece come together from chopping the vegetables and smelling the aroma of a home-cooked meal to preparing the sauce and serving it up. The best part of cooking, though? The eating! Food is my medicine and medicine is my food.

Learning

I’ve spent more than half of my life in school. One would think that after 32 years of formal education (from kindergarten to acupuncture school), I would be sick of school… and I am. However, I’m a nerd at heart and I absolutely love to learn new things. I like learning about people, places, and things and whether it be a new language or a new workout routine, I enjoy the process of learning. I can almost feel my brain expanding when I’m reading a book, learning a new recipe, developing an existing hobby, or learning more about the people in my life. Learning new things not only keeps my mind sharp, but it also keeps me feeling great, mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Being with Nature

If I could choose to be anywhere in the world, it would be outside. I’ve learned so much from being in nature. The seasons bring with them their own special gifts. My favorite season is summer. I love sunbathing on the beach as the sun’s warm rays hit my skin, the smell of barbecue every weekend in someone’s yard, the sweet/sour taste of a cold glass of freshly squeezed lemonade, the sound of laughter at cookouts, and seeing all the beautiful flowers in bloom. Autumn brings hiking: the sun peeking through partially bare tree limbs, crunching on the dried leaves underfoot, drinking apple cider, smelling the crisp air, and listening to the babbling stream. Although winter is my least favorite time of year, being cold-natured, a perfect winter day brings the warmth of crackling fires in the fireplace, hot chocolate, the fresh pine scent of the Christmas tree, and beautiful landscapes of bare limbs covered with snow or ice. We all come alive again in spring: the smell of freshly cut grass, the birds start to chirp earlier in the morning, the pollen begins to tickle your ears, nose, and throat, and everything starts to turn green and bud. Spring tastes like… oranges. Yes, there’s no place I’d rather be, at one with Mother Nature.

The Flying Trapeze

Immediately before the Rio Olympics in 2016, a group of us got together for a friend's birthday. More importantly, a star was born... Laurena had become...a trapeze artist! It really should have been an Olympic sport.