Episode 142: Using Human Design As A Tool for Health, Productivity, and Reframing Your Mindset with Erin Claire Jones
We often look for external resources to help us manage our health, mindset, stress, and really, discover “who are.” But much of what we are in search of is already innate within us, just waiting to be discovered. Human Design is a system that can help us uncover these gifts that we already possess.
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m joined by Leadership Coach and Human Design expert Erin Claire Jones for a conversation on how Human Design can be used as a tool in how we approach our work and health, and how we manage our productivity and mindset.
You’ll hear us discuss:
The depth and layers of Human Design
The impact Human Design can have on productivity, team building, communication, and success in the workplace
3 insights on how Human Design can support digestion
What Human Design can tell us about how to approach workouts
As a gift to listeners of the show, Erin is offering a 10% discount on her blueprint guide by using the code: NAOMI. See below for links on how to order your blueprint!
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“Human Design is not about making dramatic shifts, it’s becoming who you already are. It reminds you of what’s innate to you and gives you the tools to actually step into it. ”
Read the Episode Transcript...
Naomi Nakamura: Hey there and welcome back to this show. Over the past few months, I've been sharing bits and pieces of my own personal self-development journey that has radically transformed and shifted my mindset in really almost every aspect of my life.
And one of the tools that's helped me along the way, and that's really been profoundly impactful on my journey is Human Design.
Now, you've heard me talk about Human Design in past episodes, and you'll likely hear me talk about it again and again because it is so fascinating.
But you know, it's one of those things that right now I am really sinking my teeth into, and I'm trying to absorb everything about it. And there's so much to learn.
And it's really funny because this actually falls right in line with my Human Design profile of having a 1 and a 3 in it. And I know that's not going to mean anything to you if you're not familiar with Human Design. But you know, as you take a little bit deeper and you maybe figure out something about what does a 1 and a 3 in your profile mean? Perhaps you'll be like, “Yeah, that's totally Naomi”, because it totally is.
So joining me today on this episode about Human Design is Leadership Coach, and Human Design expert, Erin Claire Jones.
I first connected with Erin on Instagram.
And what attracted me to her is her history of working at startups. You guys know that I work in the tech industry. I've spent my own fair share of time at startups. And my interest is really in helping people bring their work and wellness in line together. And I feel that Human Design is such a powerful tool to help make that happen.
So now today, as a Human Design expert, Erin actually uses her background, her business background, and she helps workplace teams, find synergy in their work together, find efficiency, and be more productive, using Human Design. I think it's so transformative and it's such really a way our work is evolving. And it's such a powerful way, again, of bringing work and wellness together.
And so with that, we dive into that topic in this episode, but we also explore how Human Design can be a tool for our own personal physical health, particularly in how we digest food, and even how we approach fitness.
Like I said, there's so much to it. It is so fascinating to me, and I so enjoyed this conversation I had with Erin and I hope you do too. So, with that, let's get to the show.
Hi, Erin. Welcome to the show.
Erin Claire Jones: Hi, thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
Naomi Nakamura: I am so excited to continue this conversation with you.
We connected through Instagram, and I was introduced to Human Design, I guess this past spring. And I'm someone who I'm really into, I guess, different personality types of profiles.
So I've looked at the 4 Tendencies, the Enneagram, Myers Briggs, and what really drew me to Human Design is that all of those other types of things have an assessment that you have to complete about yourself.
And so there is a certain element of bias.
But with Human Design it’s not there. It's based upon your birth date, your birth time where you were born, and there really is nothing else there that you know, that is what it is.
And so, there's a couple of things I was really hoping to discuss with you because as I've been ruminating and learning about my profile, and my type and all the other things that come along with it, I have really tried to take into account how I can apply this in my practical daily life.
And it's really two areas, it's come down to effective how I work, and I've come to realize that it's a tool for health. as a health coach, that's something that's really intriguing to me.
So before we get into it, why don't you introduce yourself and who you are, what you do and how you came to Human Design and to do this work.
Erin Claire Jones: So my name is Erin Claire Jones, and I live in New York and I've been working with Human Design since 2015.
Human Design, which I'll talk about is basically a system based on your exact time, date and place of birth that really gives you your energetic DNA that helps you understand how you're meant to make decisions digest food, cultivate relationships, build teams, literally all the things, and it's less about telling people stuff they don't know and more stuff that they do intuitively know and have, I've never really kind of allowed themselves to step into.
I discovered it very serendipitously, it really wasn't my plan. You know, I had no idea what Human Design was growing up. But I was living in New York as I do now. And I was I had been working at a lot of different startups and companies, it was very interested in business and like, I was always kind of in any position that involved with like people.
But I was observing a lot of dysfunction. I was just like, people don't really know how to work together, like, and I just was kind of obsessed with that piece, but like, didn't really know what to do about it. I was just always kind of the one that people would come to an event.
And then when I discovered Human Design, which was at a gathering where a guy sat next to me, quite literally was like, “Erin, nice to meet you. I'd love to look up your Human Design.” And he basically started telling me all this stuff about myself that was so intuitive and so me I felt like stuff I never allowed myself to step into.
I was so intrigued, and he ended the conversation by being like, “I want to build a business with you, and we're meant to do.” I was just like, “Whoa.”
But he was like, it was an intuition that he had a gut feeling. But it was also, he just like could see a lot of potential compatibility in our designs.
And when they started to kind of reveal to me the different layers of Human Design, not only how it could support our individual transformation, but how it can support building teams that are just more like fully functional, and effective, I was just like, totally sold.
And so now my work is with individuals and teams to kind of really give them a blueprint to how to design teams at their best.
And I will say that for like my first probably three years sharing the work, people were like, “What are you talking about? This is so out there.” and I was like, “No one is ever gonna care.”
I think I did hit a point in early 2018, where it's like, all of a sudden people cared, you know, and so it's been such a wild journey since then working with so many thousands of people now, which is so wild to me.
But really also working with teams that I felt like it was like other to traditional maybe to corporate, but like, honestly, the receptivity has been unbelievable, because I think people are looking for new tools. And I think we really understand that people that we're working with and how to most effectively work with them, everyone benefits. So it's been a crazy journey, I'm so grateful to be where I am. And I do think Human Design is just such a powerful tool and kind of supporting people, and just like leveling up their relationships and careers in life.
Naomi Nakamura: I love that. I work in a tech company full time. And you know, I see those same dynamics in my team. And I can see how Human Design can really, I guess, bring out the best in all of us and help us to develop more of an awareness about each other so that we can understand each other.
But before we get into that, can you provide us kind of a high-level overview of Human Design?
Erin Claire Jones: So, I think if anybody just does a quick search on Instagram, kind of where we all look for information these days, people will find out what the different types are.
Naomi Nakamura: So, I'm a Projector. I believe you're a projector too. But like you said, there's so many different layers to it. And there's things like, what is your strategy and what is your authority? And what is your profile? So, can you explain what those things are to us?
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah, so those are a lot of different pieces.There are 2 billion different configurations. Everybody's incredibly unique.
At the highest level, there are five different types, so Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifestors.
And our type is kind of how we're designed to best express our energy in the world.
With each type comes a strategy, the strategy is how we're kind of meant to create opportunities for ourselves.
Then we have something called the inner authority, which is how we're kind of meant to make decisions in a way that uniquely works for us.
And then we have like a definition how to process information, the profile PC references around how we're kind of here and manifest our purpose.
So high level with a types piece because that's probably gonna be the most accessible piece of art.
And if you are new to Human Design, you can look up your profile at www.erinclairejones.com/lookup but we've got like I said, Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifestors.
So, Generators and Manifesting Generators are the ones that really have the energy and a life force to kind of build and create and make things happen. These are people that are meant to kind of wake up in the morning with a full tank of energy to use up their energy and sleep. satisfying ways like kind of crash and like recharge, but they haven't fully exhausted their tank, they might go to bed and feel like super restless or depleted or going crazy exhausted. And so it's just so important they use it their energy in ways that feel really good and really satisfying to them. I would encourage all the Generators and Manifesting Generators out there to just take inventory. Ask yourself, “What are the aspects of my life that kind of light me up the most are the most energizing the most exciting? Can I find more and more energy into those things? What are the things that are the most draining the most depleting the most exhausting? Can I take my energy out of those things, the more you invest your energy and things that you enjoy?”
The more energy you will feel and the more you will uplift literally everyone around you.
And then the difference here with Manifesting Generators and Manifesting Generators often thrive when they their energy and a lot of things at once. They're not going to really meant to do just one thing. They're gifted that kind of big in multi-passionate by nature and doing all the things and so often they've been made feel scattered or like they're doing too much, but they need that level of kind of stimulation and excitement to kind be successful. And they often can move very quickly but skip a few steps along the way.
And then the last because I would share for both those types is that their strategy is magnetism. Neither of them is meant to chase after anything life is meant to come to them. And they're kind of waiting for something to come to light at their gut before they go after it. Make sense?
Naomi Nakamura: Fascinating.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah. So, then we've got Projectors.
So you and I are both Projectors and Projectors are really here to kind of be our leaders, our guides, our advisors, our teachers that are always here to do all the doing.
And so much of being a Projectors really learn how to honor the ebbs and flows of your energy, leveraging the energy and it's there resting when it's not, and not going to losing yourself and doing all the doing often they feel will make amazing CEOs and leaders or therapists or coaches or managers like they're just so attuned and sensitive to other people's energy and so good at kind of managing and guiding and asking the right questions.
Yeah, as much as you can, kind of releasing that need to like, find your worth and how hard you're working or how much you're doing because it can burn you out so easily.
And often Projectors work really well with people one-on-one because they can make them feel so deeply recognized and so deeply invited in. It can often feel really good to be around a Projector.
And a strategy for Projectors is about waiting for a sense of recognition and invitation, ideas that you bring such a unique energy and guidance to the table that it's so important you feel really invited and recognized in terms of knowing who to share it with and that it's not kind of available for everyone.
So how did that Projector piece resonate with you? And you found that out? And does that feel like aligned with the way that you show up?
I mean, when you talked about in the beginning about it just really validates things that you've innately knew about yourself, but maybe never even allowed yourself to go there.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, when I found out that that was my profile, and the more I read about it, I was like, I felt so seen in a way that I'd never had before.
And as someone who has struggled with burnout and fatigue and adrenal fatigue, I had an epiphany because I feel like you know, I have a full time job, I have a side hustle but even before the side hustle, just from childhood, I felt like I was someone who, you know was always pushed to accomplish much, always pushed to be very driven and ambitious by nature.
But in learning about all these different types, I was like, “okay, you know back in a day on your resume I was like, it's really cool to put that like you're a multitasker. But multi-tasking is not for everyone at all.”
And I was like, I feel like I had been living my whole life as a Generator when really am a Projector. And first of all, there's that physical outward tension that like, “Well, no wonder I'm tired all the time. And I feel like I can never keep up with people.”
But then also that inner tension that I almost want to say angst, because you have all of these things that you tell yourself, it's been parented to you that you should do, you have to do these things, but then when I read about being a Projector, I was like, “Actually, I really don't have to do these things.”
And it's really been quite transformative in how I approach my job. As a program manager, and my full-time job of a program manager, I bring different cross-functional teams together. And I don't actually do the work, but I kind of lead them to do the work.
When I heard that, I was like, “Oh,” you know what, I think I told you this before. I was like, sometimes I'm literally think, “I can't believe they pay me to do this.”
And I have people who tell me, “You're so good at what you do.” And I'm like, “I really don't feel like I'm really working. I feel like I'm just being me.”
Erin Claire Jones: So good.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, but yeah, so it was very transformative to me, and it really just gave me the permission to rethink again, not only how I approach my job, but also the work that I do beyond my job.
Erin Claire Jones: Mm hmm.
I love that you know, and again, it's just like a human is that is not about making these dramatic shifts where it's like, wow, I feel like become something I'm not it's like you already are.
You already are but also you like, often haven't felt the permission, trying to be something that you're not. So it kind of just like reminds you of what's innate and gives you the tools to actually step into it.
So we've got Manifestor. So Manifestors are the ones that are here to initiate, get things started, not always here to do all the doing, but often here, just get the ball rolling. They've got such kind of creative, powerful energy at the beginning. And they often need a lot of freedom and autonomy and control.
They're not here to be told what to do, or guided or managed in any way, very much to do things on their own terms and their own way.
So, you know, if we think about them in a corporate environment, they might feel like a little bit confined, if they think they're being told what to do. Somebody is like micro-managing them. So they're often going to thrive when they can very naturally and easily chart their own path.
Or if they're kind of like just given a domain of freedom, where it's like, this is your domain, do what you please let us know how it goes. And they often are pretty uncomfortable with solitude and just kind of working alone and doing their own thing.
And I would also say which doesn't mean that they aren't meant to work with people but they might like kind of love that and honor that kind of time alone, because while they're here to initiate and get things started, they're not always going to do all the doing themselves. So, kind of like having the right support are going to help sustain and maintain something after you get it off the ground.
And while Manifestos are energy beings, their energy does operate in ebbs and flows as well. So honor those creative spirits with a combat like not trying to like be consistent in your stamina, you know, it's like taking rest when you need it allowing the energy to reemerge, and their strategies about initiating so they're very mature to make the first move, and also around informing if they are not letting people know what they're gonna do before they do it. It could be their family or their colleagues or whoever people can really resist them. But if they're just like keeping people informed of their actions, it can really create so much more ease in their lives. So that would just be like, I'm coming home late. I'm going this direction with this project I'm taking next week off whatever it is, it's just like, you're not asking for permission, you know, explaining yourself you're like, “I'm just keeping you in the loop and I know that it's going to make you feel so much more at ease because my energy will impact you either way, but it will be inevitably better”. I'm actually telling you what it is. You know any Manifestors?
Naomi Nakamura: I do and that resonates very much with who they are, I also find that a lot of them are either in leadership roles, or they're entrepreneurs who work for themselves.
Erin Claire Jones: Totally. They know how to get there themselves, you know, and I but I will say one other thing that Manifestors is that they often haven't felt the permission to kind of be as powerful as they are.
And so just knowing that like it is by like really standing tall in your power and who you are that you have such tremendous impact in the world. So being unapologetic, and that as much as you can, would be my encouragement.
And then finally, we have Reflectors. Reflectors are really they're kind of our collective mirrors. These are people that are incredibly sensitive to their physical space and environment and are always taking in everything in their environment and magnifying it.
So, you really get a good sense of how a team is doing or company or community just by how that Reflector is showing up.
So, I would encourage our Reflectors to just be like such ruthless curators of whatever space or people that are around because they're going to take it and magnify whatever that space is.
The Reflectors’ gift is not in their consistency but in their fluidity. So they're going to appear it's like a Projector, like a Generator, like a Manifester, like a Manifesting Generator. And so, the work is not going to be just one thing. But to really kind of what feels like them that day, you know, and allow it to kind of keep flowing and emerging and changing as they just as they keep evolving, you know, it's like, “Wow, I might really have a lot of energy like a Generator this week,” or “I might feel a little more like a Projector this week,” so to speak.
So just honoring that, and the context of business we call these “people evaluators” just because their perspective is so useful. And so really checking in a big which environment as if you like my perspective is the most kind of recognized and invited it to and really kind of honoring that and as soon as a community or space no longer feels good, really giving yourself permission to go. So yeah, you know any Reflectors?
Naomi Nakamura: I do are actually.
Erin Claire Jones: Do you see that at all in them?
Naomi Nakamura: I do. Its harder to kind of pick out their aura but I can also see how they can be the most misunderstood.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah
Naomi Nakamura: So, I think, you know, as you say they go from different things. I can see how someone who's maybe a Generator or a Manifesting Generator, might see them as someone who might be flighty. Yeah, or not focused. When that's not the case at all, and that's not recognizing the value they bring.
Erin Claire Jones: Yes, totally. So again, it's just so important for them to feel recognized and invited in. And I would say also to the Manifesting Generators and Generators who are listening, I don't expect you all to keep up with you, you know, you go, you go ahead and you do your thing. But like, I think, whether it's as a mom or a boss, you know what I work with so many Manifesting Generators, like executives that are just like, “!hy is my team not like moving as fast as me?” I was like, because they're not meant to, you know what I mean, did stop expecting them to.
So, I think that it is so powerful to not only understand our designs, the designs, the people that we really surround ourselves by,
Naomi Nakamura: And I really find that value in the workplace. Like I said, I work with cross-functional teams. And I've been a remote worker for the past eight years.
So, you know, in the pandemic, many office workers have been forced to work from home. And I know that's been an adjustment for many of us and really had to change the dynamics of how we work together. Yeah, fortunately, that has not been a change for me something I've been used to.
But I can see now how the way we communicate with each other, we've had to change and hopefully people realize that at this point, because we don't have that in person interaction that now we realize how valuable that is for many people being in an office setting.
And I’ve seen that challenge in my own groups that I work with, where I see people also, who feel this disconnect so deeply, and try to vocalize what it is they're lacking, or why they're feeling a certain way, and maybe they don't have the right terminology.
And so it's not being received, I guess, unintentionally the way it's meant to you but you know, sitting back here and knowing what I know about Human Design and like, “Oh, I can see the disconnect there.”
So, what has been your experience with helping to build teams and bring teams together and help them just work together?
In my company? We have a different system called Team Space. I don't know what it's based upon, but we all have to answer these questions. And it's like, again, bias to questions. And so we have this like, platform where we see our team members and we see profile. But you don't really have context into what that means or what we're supposed to do with it or, and I feel like, again, with something that's not biased, and a lot more, I guess.
I personally think Human Designs a lot easier to understand than other things. Because, you know, again, it's who we are, and can make the workplace so much easier.
Erin Claire Jones: It does. And I think that like, and the point that you're making, it's just that so many other systems and this is not to devalue them, because I think all the systems can be useful in their own way. But like a lot of the other systems out there are questionnaire-based.
And so we're answering questions based on who we think we are, and also who we aspire to be like, if we're answering questions. Yeah, it's like, “I'm gonna have that in my mind when I'm answering it.” So just knowing that like, so much of the magic of Human Design is that it not only reveals the things that we are conscious and aware of, but also so much of the unconscious energetics that are kind of underneath the surface, and you are so right and that it can be so transformative for teams.
And that was actually what, like I mentioned earlier is what drew me to Human Design in the first place. I was like, I'm working in so many dysfunctional teams. I know there's a better way because like, the ideas are amazing that people are amazing, but people just like don't seem to really understand each other.
We get so tripped up and we kind of expect people to be different than what they are or more similar to us. And I think what Human Design does is reminds us how different we are and helps us understand how to uniquely work together.
It's like, Okay, this person's gonna be a better leader guy like you, you know, or this person works better independently, you know, maybe a Menifestor or this person like loves collaboration, you know, or this person like, is a natural marketer and or is really good at sales, this person needs their time with decisions, this person makes decisions quickly. Like there's so much specificity that helps us understand like, oh, ask them specific questions, ask them open ended questions, don't ask somebody like, it's just, it gives us so so much and life becomes so much easier.
And also, we feel so much more understood.
And there are even deeper layers of Human Design where you can start to kind of assemble all the charts together and start to see where the gaps will be missing within a team.
That is just like fascinating, so fun beyond fascinating. It's just like I work with you sometimes over hiring and building and just be like, okay, where are the gaps here? Like, we maybe don't have much stability in our team.
People don't reflect how they're really held together. There's a lack of commitment, or maybe it's really hard for us to attract all in all the right resources. And when we look at the vision pieces a little bit murky, and so it does again, just give us this like crazy knowledge Like what's missing and in a way that we can always articulate, like I worked with an executive team before where like, their biggest gap was like vision and accounting, which was so hilarious because like, not even hilarious, but it was like, because the vision wasn't coming naturally. It's not like they didn't have vision, but it wasn't becoming clarified, like, all their energy went to try to figure out the vision. Whereas if they had the one right person, like, it would just snap into place.
It's not like any other one right person that tells them what the vision is, but that activates it in them. And then also in the gap, but accounting, it means that like, you know, in this company ended up disappearing, because the money when it all sorts of weird places that no one knew.
And so it's just like having that person kind of keep an eye on it. So it's just like, there's so many layers like that are so fascinating. And when you kind of do it earlier with a team, it's just like, so transformative.
Naomi Nakamura: Well, I think about what you said earlier, but a CEO is a Manifesting Generator, you know, they have all this energy and they have all these things in their hands on all these different buckets, whether it be sales, marketing, development, all of these things.
But then if you think about like, I'm a Projector. I’ve worked in the tech industry for the past 20 years. It's a very fast paced, it's very, you know, you got to move quick and you have to be on at all times, especially when you work for a global company. Know last night I was on meetings on 9:30 pm. Tonight, I'm going to be on till 830 pm because I work with people in Europe, I work with people in Asia. That being said, because now I know that I am a Projector, and I know that I need my downtime. I actually carve that time out for myself, okay, on other parts of the day so that I could preserve that energy for when I need to be on but imagine for many years, I didn't know that, you know?
And when you start the day early because you're working with Europe and you end the day very late because you're working with Asia, and you're reporting to somebody who's a Generator and it's always go, go, go, go go. No wonder we get burned out. It’s not to see someone who's a Projector, Reflector or Manifestor can’t work in a fast-paced environment. They just have to know how to make it work for themselves
Erin Claire Jones: Ttotally. And also, one of the biggest shadows is just like being really for us Projectors is being really overzealous.
It's just like, not knowing when to stop trying to keep up with everyone burning ourselves out.
So again, it's just like for me, I have such a tendency to be overzealous and work too hard. But having that awareness has been such a tool to kind of pull me back from that.
And again, like you said, it's not like you're a Projector and therefore you can only be a manager you know. So, you can only be an entrepreneur like anything as possible.
It's about kind of building the right container for yourself to succeed with it. So, like as a Manifestor, you have the freedom.
As a Projector, you can automate ebbs and flows that you feel recognized.
So just knowing that it's not meant to confine you and limit what you can do, meant to kind of just like give you the knowledge and the tools to like help you build a container where you can actually succeed and probably a more powerful way
Naomi Nakamura: and probably be like your best self and create more value for the team and just also feel better yourself.
I would be so fascinated to observe A team or an organization or company that went 100%, yeah, into Human Design, and built their team out that way.
Erin Claire Jones: It's so cool. You know, one of my clients I've been working with for a year, we built out our whole team and like, she's obsessed with her team. Like, I can't take all the credit for that, you know, at all. But like, I just think that, like, it's so cool to hear a talk because she's like, this is the best time of my life. And also, like, the other leaders of the team are like, “Why is her team so amazing?”, you know?
And so, for her, for example, she's a Manifesting Generator. She's like, all about her gut response. And so, she's really led that authority, her gut response guide on her decision-making. It was more like, I think I should do this or maybe they look right, and she's really been gotten like, by feel and it's been like incredibly competent people, but it's been so cool to watch it grow.
And also, for her to really understand how to work with her people, and most of her team are all like much older men and they were a little bit resistant when I first started sharing with them, you know, and it's just so cool to see how much they love it now. I do lots of sessions with them independently, they just want to go deeper. So, I do so appreciate how grounded and accessible she was.
Naomi Nakamura: I love that because we spend so much of our time working.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah.
Naomi Nakamura: Whether it's physically there or not, you know, great portion of our day is spent on the job. For a lot of us, we’re a lot closer to our colleagues than we are to our own friends and family.
So, if you're not happy there, and you're not in alignment there, if you're not feeling seen, yeah, it's no wonder you're feeling burnout and you're feeling sick and you're just unhappy.
Erin Claire Jones: Totally. Yeah, hundred percent. I had to look up a NASA figure design because there's like a particular design where people are often like, like, not even a lot closer, but like often, like really close with our colleagues. And we have that.
So, it's just like, it's so funny. It's just like, an environmental piece, but it's just like it is often people go really crazy drawing relationships with the people that they work with. I can see like a little bit of guilt trap, but it's actually so good for them.
Naomi Nakamura: It is interesting because some of my closest friends or people that I've worked with 10-20 years ago.
Erin Claire Jones: So cool, so good for you.
Naomi Nakamura: I want to shift a little bit and talk about how Human Design can be a tool for health. And when I first heard about Human Design, I had no idea that this was a thing, and then I was watching, I think, your Instagram stories because you share so much great information there. And someone had asked about digestion and as a health coach, someone who's had my own gut issues, I really focus on that foundational piece with my clients. And I was like, wait, wait a minute, “Tell me more about that.”
Erin Claire Jones: Yes, amazing.
So, there's a deeper layer of Human Design that can speak to how we're designed to best digest food.
And I think what I appreciate about it is that it's not about like, what we eat, but more about how we eat it.
And when, you know, and I think that it is not often the first piece that I recommend people diving into because it is really good to kind of integrate other aspects of your design first.
And then I would also remind people that with all elements of Human Design, like, take the things that resonate, leave the rest, you know what I mean? It's just like, if you're like, I don't know, that doesn't feel right to me then honor that, you know.
So, I just want to remind people, again, it's not meant to put you in a box in any way.
So just like there are three pieces that I would look at when you're looking at digestion.
One is like, there's an aspect of whether or not you're meant to be kind of a more consistent or inconsistent eater. It's not really perfect language here, but somebody like you is a more consistent eater. And basically, what that means is that like, your brain works fast and needs fuel and so if you like are fasting all the time, you might just not be operating optimally and like a cognitive way, you know, mentally and like offering insights and speaking in a really powerful way.
But like for you, it'd be like good, like, wake up and eat a snack and then I'd get on a call, you know, and snack and breakfast, lunch and dinner, just like keeping yourself fuel can be worked really healthy.
Whereas mine's a little bit more inconsistent, where it's like fasting might be more natural for me like eating when I'm like hungry drink when I'm thirsty, but like, I might not have that same regularity of the fasting piece is.So interesting because I think I work with people that are more like you and they like try to facet it's more challenging for them, you know. So that's a good kind of first piece to look at before I move on to the other pieces. Does that resonate with you?
Naomi Nakamura: Oh, yeah, I have dabbled in intermittent fasting because they do believe there's a lot of value to it. And it can be very helpful for a lot of people in their self-healing journey. But I have never been one to be like, into it. I've done it. But it's not something that I'm like, committed to. I'm just like, like, I have an app on my phone to try. I remember pulling it up one time, and it's like, it has been 400 and something hours since your last fast, like, okay, big deal, you know? But I am a consistent eater.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah, good. Good. Yeah. And again, we'll do this stuff intuitively, you know what I need to be like, force and do it. I think for me, I was like, Oh, yeah, this feels way better to me. So that's the first piece of look at.
There's also something else called your determination. And basically, think of it as your like digestion profile. Like, what are the ideal conditions for you, whether it's what you're eating or how you're eating, it digests.
And so, for you, for example, I know we've talked about this in our session before, but you are very sensitive to the acoustics of a space. And so, it's actually most important that like, this sounds that are coming in your ears are right for you and you eat so like, where you don’t really like crying babies.
Naomi Nakamura: Yes. When I go out to eat, it's really bothersome. I think for me more than most people, if they're screaming babies, there’s screaming children in the space, like, I literally have to either move to another table away from it, or I have to leave the restaurant.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah. And so, the point of that being sorry to me to call you out on that, but I know
Naomi Nakamura: I own up to it. Everyone who knows me knows that.
Erin Claire Jones: But I appreciate you like actually just like not being like “Oh my god.” There's nothing wrong with thinking. “I can't eat here.” Like it's just that you really need, like the sounds that are coming in your ears to be pleasurable and feel good.
And so that's the thing you can control, like, “I'm gonna eat at home, put on music that I really love,” or you're like, maybe not having super serious conversations when you eat.
So, for you, it's like the acoustics actually makes such a difference.
Whereas, you know, just so you guys can understand another example. Like, for me, it's what we call nervous energy, which I was so resistant to at first. But it basically means that I thrive when I have like a lot of stimulation around me when I eat. Like I'm not designed to be super sedentary, it's good to like stand-up and go somewhere and come back to the table and like eat when I'm walking me when I'm standing up. And just like, well, there's movement, and I think that status and I have always very naturally done and very much question.
Naomi Nakamura: I'm thinking about parenting. I mean, I'm not a parent, but I'm like, imagine if you have a child like that, and that's not you. I can see how that can be really challenging in a parenting situation.
Erin Claire Jones: And you could also be a parent where you’re calm, and you like want no activity, you know.
So, again, I heard recently, a client was sharing that she like wasn't able to get her child to like really But when they like got in the car, we’re on the move, the child…you know what I mean?
So just like, it is so useful to know this thing, because we're often doing intuitively especially when we're young.
But again, like I said, take it or leave it, but some other examples are like some people are meant to kind of eat their bigger meals with a sunset, other people when the sun is up, some people like it's really good to like, kind of purify their food. And what I mean by that is to separate the ingredients and not like eat a soup, but it's like, I'll eat the sweet potatoes and then I'll eat the rice and then I like the beans.
Naomi Nakamura: You know, I have a cousin who has to eat like that. And we all look at her like it’s the strangest thing in the world. But when she eats, the food on her plate cannot touch each other. Yeah, she has to eat one thing at a time. And I remember I didn't recognize this about her till she was an adult and I was like, “Oh.” She's like, “yeah.”
Erin Claire Jones: Amazing. Sounds like she's doing the right you know.
So, there are just some people it's good to like eat food that's above body temperature other people below. There's just so much diversity here and again, I just think it helps us understand like what our unique digestion profile is and it’s is something to experiment with.
And a third piece is around kind of what is our strongest sense around food and so for you, it's basically you are very sensitive to kind of the aesthetics of your food.
And so like for you, it's about making food beautiful, like going to the grocery store, be like, Ooh, this looks good. Ooh, this looks good. And like making your plate like you were like colorful and just like, my partner also has this and like, he'll just like bring in lunch and it's like, on a tray with like this, like, you know what I mean? Just like so beautiful on like, why does this look so good? You know, so it's, he's just so attentive to that. So, I think making things look beautiful is really important to you.
Naomi Nakamura: It's funny you said that because I'm not a cook at all. I can get by in the kitchen, but I have a lot of friends who are cookbook authors and I was talking to a friend of mine. She's the one who actually introduced me to Human Design. And she makes the most simple meal look beautiful with ease and I do not have that skill.
However, I appreciate good food on Instagram. Yeah, and I have so many photos saved just because like, I'll never make it, but it looks so good to me.
This is one thing that gets me whenever I see a picture of a chocolate chip cookie. I have to have one. Erin Claire Jones: It’s the visual. Yeah.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, I can't create the visuals. But I appreciate the visual.
Erin Claire Jones: Totally. I love that. Yeah, you'll appreciate it more like I just like, it's important.
Whereas some other people might be like, they have a really strong sense of smell like their smell like their foods gonna smell good. Or maybe it's, they're really into sensitive tastes. Or maybe it's like there's so much alive when they close their eyes. So there's so many, or maybe they touch their food and like go to the grocery and catch other things.
So those three pieces are the pieces that I really kind of recommend diving into. I do think it is so interesting, because again, I think there's we are all meant to digest and operate so differently.
Naomi Nakamura: And the interesting thing here is that the things you just shared about me are things that are not new to me. This is not something that I shifted to match what my profile says these are things that were already innate to me. But you just saying that was like, actually, that's true. And it kind of validated that I appreciate pretty photos of food.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah. And it's like a you see that, you want to eat it, do it. It is. So, I love that.
And again, it's often not about telling people stuff they don't know, like I said to the woman recently who she's the one where like, it's about kind of keeping the food separate. And she was like, that's literally all I did when I was young, you know, and then she was kind of conditioned out of it, but that's why it's so powerful to kind of be introduced as early as possible so you can just honor that you're meant to do really uniquely.
Naomi Nakamura: I just love this because as a health coach, so much of what I do is helping people figure out what to eat what's right for them, what's not right for them, what might be a food sensitivity, but this is just a whole other level of digestion that I think can be such an important part again, of someone's healing journey.
Erin Claire Jones: Hundred percent, hundred percent.
Naomi Nakamura: Again, I just think it really is. It's such a different way of looking at it, which I love. Or it's against, not that we like shouldn't eat this food like…
Erin Claire Jones: Absolutely. You know, I always experiment with different things. But I do think giving a little bit of attention to like how we eat it. You know, my partner, it's about eating like the sunlight or the sun and not just like giving attention to how we eat it can actually make such a big difference.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, it's bringing joy.
Erin Claire Jones: Yes, yes, yes, hundred percent.
Naomi Nakamura: Now, you brought something up to me as well. But again, really resonated because there's a period in my life where I was so out of line with this, but you said something about and it was just in passing about the way I approached workouts.
And you had said to kind of just go with how you feel that day?
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah.
Naomi Nakamura: Well, I was just gonna say for many years in my life, I trained for long distance race. I did endurance training for half marathons and marathons and so much about that process is sticking to a plan.
And there were some days I did not feel like the plan. But you know, it's like, I have to I should, and then you force yourself to do it, and it feels so much out of alignment, and it just does not feel right. And then it leads to physical injuries, at least to mental exhaustion. And then you just end up doing something that's, you know, you're doing it to feel good, but, you actually end up not feeling good.
Erin Claire Jones: So, I think one is that like as Projectors, Projectors are very diverse in terms of type, but like, we're not designed to really exert ourselves like crazy. You know, I mean, none of us have unlimited energy, but we're often working with like a little bit more that absent flows.
So, it's like, doing what you feel like but there is an aspect of our design that could speak to whether or not we should be moving consistently or more in the flow, and you're meant to move more in the flow, which is good.
So it's just like, if one day, I'm actually not in the mood, it's like, okay, but I will the next day whereas for me even though I'm a Projector, it's like, moving my body consistently and having regularity there is actually really healthy.
And so again, often when I share this with clients, they're already intuitively doing it. But this is just like, the extra nudge of like,
Naomi Nakamura: You don't have to, you don't have to do with like, your, your training schedule for the day.
Erin Claire Jones: 100%, you know, and so, and some people are professional athletes, and it might look different for them. Who knows, but again, I would just tune into it, like, some types like might want to exert themselves a little bit more. Other people might when they're stressed out, like, again, I just shed so much light on these different kinds of layers.
So, we just more than anything over and over again, feel the permission to kind of be who we are.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, it really leads into bio individuality.
Erin Claire Jones: Hundred percent.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, yeah.
Erin Claire Jones: And another thing that I would say just around health is that there are areas called Open centers and our design which are basically no we walked through years before but these are basically the areas where you are the most sensitive and open and vulnerable to other people's energy.
And I do often see when people are going to live in off track, and they're kind of energy centers, a lot of physical stuff manifest there.
And so discovering that and diving into that is really powerful because like, for example, for me, I don't know if this happens for you, like, our energy center that's open as Projectors is around, like our gut, and so often over like working too hard and doing too much, it can show us like gut issues, you know, whereas for Generators and Manifesting Generators, if they're like actually not having strong boundaries and saying yes, so they don't actually the energy for it also get issues if they're not listening to their gut.
So, I think exploring those energy centers is really powerful, and helping us understand where we can get taken off track, and kind of like tools to bring us back on track because again, there's often physical manifestation in those areas.
Naomi Nakamura: And that is so much what I've been talking about on this show the past few months is, you know, gut issues you can do all of these things. Those are great, but there's like you have to go beyond drinking, eating, you're taking your probiotics and doing all these things is so much of what's going on inside you.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah.
Naomi Nakamura: Because if you have that tension inside you, and you don't address it, it's gonna embody itself physically.
Erin Claire Jones: Totally.
Naomi Nakamura: And that's how we get sick.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah, just built up. Yeah, hundred percent. Yes. It is really interesting. And that's been really useful for me and just like understanding those centers, I'll see a lot of Manifesting Generators with thyroid problems because like they're here to like, let things come to them, but they're really kind of like, not you know, they're doing a lot of the initiating and no way. Am I a health expert, you know what I mean?
Naomi Nakamura: It's a just another perspective of looking at it. This is totally, I really see this kind of work, just being going arm and arm with what we know about science. It's just again, another way of looking at the human body.
You know, we know there's so much different energies in this world. It's just another energy system to look at.
Erin Claire Jones: Yes, exactly. So again, it's So useful. And I do remind people that like, Human Design is always meant to be a thing that's really empowering for you. And it's also meant to be a thing that you like, integrate and implement in your life. It's not just like more information. It's just like tools that you can actually play with. Just find more flow and all the ways.
Naomi Nakamura: It's just for me, it's just been validating to give recognition to things that I already subconsciously knew about myself.
Erin Claire Jones: Totally.Hundred percent.
Naomi Nakamura: And just feeling that that release, it really gives you a sense of freedom.
Erin Claire Jones: Yeah. And it really helps you lean into again, finding joy. And I think a lot of people have this perception like they need to find themselves they go through midlife crisis, but this is just this is a really awesome way just to build that self-awareness. And again, you're not having to learn anything and having to create anything you're just eating into who you already are. Kind of.
Naomi Nakamura: Yes. So cool. Well, on that note, thank you so much for joining me today. I love everything you share on Instagram and if you aren't following you yet? Where can they find you there?
Erin Claire Jones: So, I’m at @erinclairejones on Instagram. And also ,my website is www.erinclairejones.com, and people can book they can book so they can do blueprints.
So you have your blueprint, the blueprint is basically a 30-page written guide to your unique design.
We can do a discount code for your audience if you want. That's a great place to get started. I also do one-on-one sessions. We also did a session.
It’s an opportunity to kind of dive deeper to go into all that digestion stuff up like and the work on the environmental piece and just kind of like help make it really actionable in your life or even look at like a partner or a colleague or kid.
And then I also offer workshops called Flow which are basically going to 3-hour immersive. We're going to go to all those energy centers that I mentioned and kind of really explore how we can use that knowledge you're going to bring us more to flow in our lives and also better understand how to relate to people that are really different than us.
Naomi Nakamura: I love it. And if you are listening and you are a leader of a team or a group or organization, parenting person,
Erin Claire Jones: It's why I got into Human Design in the first place and it is so powerful, how much it can transform teams.
Naomi Nakamura: That’s really what drew me into you is because you talked about how you brought this to teams in the workplace. And I was like, “Oh my gosh, I wish my team..” Changes the game.
Erin Claire Jones: It really does. And I do think that people are more and more receptive to it. When I first started, what are you talking about? And I'm like, Oh, my God, this is amazing.
So, I just think that like, it gives us such a level of detail and specificity. And I will say that why I fell in love with Human Design is that like, even though it can feel cosmic and that it does come from the stars and our birth information, the information it offers us is so grounded and so tactical and so actionable in such a beautiful way.
Naomi Nakamura: Yeah, after learning about Human Design, I kinda leaned a little bit more, and again, totally just curiosity reading into the chakra system, because that's an aspect of it as well as into you know, I had a birth chart reading, like if this is based upon this, I kind of want to understand a little bit about that.
I know some people think that that is like hokey stuff, but again, I really see that as another energy system that we have to lean into. I really think all these things come together. I just think we need to look at things maybe through a different lens and not one versus the other is how these things can all work together.
Erin Claire Jones: 100% Yeah, so good.
Naomi Nakamura: Thank you so much for joining us.
Erin Claire Jones: Oh my God, thank you so much for having me. Such a pleasure.
Naomi Nakamura is a Functional Nutrition Health Coach. She helps high-performing women prioritize their health so they can be more productive, take care of business, and do big things in this world!
Through her weekly show, The Live FAB Live Podcast, programs, coaching, and services, she teaches women how to optimize their diet, support their gut health, reduce their toxic load, and improve their productivity, bringing work + wellness together.
Naomi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and can often be found exploring the area with her puppy girl, Coco Pop!
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