Dec 2023 update

Hi all! This is a big update. I’m excited to share that I’ve been appointed the new Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors!! It’s truly an honour and a return to my roots in non-profit leadership. Although I’m honoured to advocate for inclusive and accessible naturopathic medicine across the country, I’m also sad to leave behind an active role in primary care.

As I transition into this new role, I want to make sure your healthcare needs are met and you continue receiving the care you deserve. I am extending my office hours in January to make sure you can book an appointment with me if you want, and I’m happy to help you find the right naturopathic doctor to continue to support you on your health journey. Please check your inbox for a list of of naturopathic doctors licensed in Ontario who have a particular focus in various aspects of health who are accepting new patients.

I’m also happy to provide a personalized referral recommendation if you’d like. I’ll continue to securely store your medical records as required by law. If you want to have your medical records forwarded to another healthcare provider, please provide written consent, and I’ll facilitate the transfer.

Thank you again for the trust you have placed in me, and I wish you good health and wellbeing. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance during this transition. I am here to help in any way I can during this time of change.

– Cyndi

Forest Bathing

Discovering Health and Happiness Through the Japanese Practice of Shinrin Yoku

In her latest book, Cyndi introduces readers to the art and science of forest bathing, the deceptively simple Japanese practice of spending time in the forest as a way to find peace, rejuvenation, and to promote health.

She shares her own personal history with the practice—how in the midst of an urban sprawl she lost touch with nature, only to rediscover it through the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing. In Forest Bathing, you’ll discover the health benefits of Shinrin Yoku, from restoring Vitamin D to balancing your microbiome, along with the rich mental and emotional rewards that spending time surrounded by trees can offer.

An easy and practical guide to begin your own forest bathing practice, you’ll learn how to tap more deeply into your five senses, practice true mindfulness in sacred woodland spaces, and experience the healing impact of nature wherever you are.

Forest Bathing - Dr. Cyndi Gilbert ND

*My office sits on the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land has also been home to the Huron-Wendat, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee Peoples. Toronto is part of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and allied nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. Today, the meeting place of T’karonto (Mohawk) continues to be home to many Indigenous People from across Turtle Island. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work in this community, on this land, and I commit to advocating for the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action.

It’s critical for me to actively acknowledge the participation of the naturopathic profession in ongoing processes of colonization and oppression. Naturopathic medicine has contributed to the devaluing of traditional health knowledge, and has also misrepresented herbal and natural health knowledge as its own, including, but not limited to, health knowledge from Indigenous, African, South and East Asian medical systems. I am committed to addressing this history bravely as part of my ongoing commitment to reconciliation, social justice, and the creation of equitable, inclusive spaces and systems.

8-stripe LGBT+ pride flag with black and brown stripes added to signify queer people of color. The Transgender Pride flag was designed by Monica Helms, and was first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 2000. The flag represents the transgender community and consists of five horizontal stripes, two light blue, two pink, with a white stripe in the center. Monica describes the meaning of the flag as follows: