hello Dr. Gabrielle Francis: herban alchemist, rock doc, bestselling author, healer

Rock doc Dr. Gabrielle Francis, naturopath, chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist and all-around badass healer, got her start doing most people's dream job: traveling with the world's greatest musicians — Rolling Stones,  Beastie Boys, ACDC, Bruce Springsteen and countless more — making sure they were on stage night after night performing at their peak. (After all, asses in stadium seats pay the bills.)

While touring globally, she spent the breaks between concert schedules jetsetting to other parts of the world to accumulate massive amounts of education in different modalities and medicine. She incorporated those skills in working with rockers to keep their extreme lifestyles in check and vibrant, juicy, creative force alive and flowing.  

Dr. Francis' "extra" degrees and certifications make her pretty much a GOAT in her field... she's been trained in: • Ayurvedic Medicine at Kerala Hospital in India • Chinese Medicine at Bastyr University and Chengdu Hospital for TCM in China • Mayan Massage with Rosita Arvigo in Belize and numerous Curanderas and Midwives in Guatemala and Mexico • Energy Medicine at the Four Winds Energy Medicine School in Peru •  Curanderismo, the indigenous healing arts of the Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec and Inca, in South America • Thai Yoga Massage at schools in Chaing Mai and Bangkok, Thailand

If you're in New York and want to up your longevity game, book an appointment in her Soho digs or follow her on IG for tips and tricks on living (vibrantly) like a rockstar.   

xxx  

You seem to always be the calm within a storm, not just traveling and healing rock stars, but during covid, you’ve not only kept your medical practice, but you also volunteered as an EMT in NYC during the peak, how do you stay grounded during all the different energies and chaos?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

Thank you for that nice thought! Calm within the storm! I don’t always feel that way but so glad that I project it! I do try to make self-care a priority and see it as a necessity, not a luxury. This is especially true for healers.  I start my day with a Magic Smoothie that is loaded with functional food protein, fiber, gut repair, probiotics, omega-3 oils, green foods, red foods, collagen, and whatever other superfoods I am into at the moment. I have been doing this for the last 20+ years and I really feel that it is a game changer for grounding and strengthening me on all levels… physical, emotional and spiritual. 

I dance for exercise. My preference is belly dance, African dance, salsa and other drum-based dances. Dance is very grounding, and it keeps me connected to rhythm, movement and music. I also walk about 5 to 6 miles per day around New York City and in parks and nature. Walking and exploring are another way that I stay rooted and balanced. But the walking adventures also stimulate me creatively. Transcendental Meditation is my evening practice to clear my mind and rewire the neurons. It helps me to clear the negative energies of the day and open myself up to new possibilities.  

In your healing practice, you specialize in people living extreme lifestyles and, in many ways, you have one as well, how do you stay true to who you are, your voice, your self-expression?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

I enjoy working with people that have extreme lifestyles and I understand them… because I enjoy living life to its fullest, too! The extremes of life and life’s indulgences can be expressions of passion, wonder and creativity. However, if they are not balanced with spirit and soulfulness, the extremes can cause chaos. I really feel that time alone in nature or in self-care is my key to staying true to myself and my voice. I need that time alone for my mind to go deep and to allow my feelings to be felt and my intuition to be heard. Filling up every minute of every day does not allow me to be true to myself. I take time alone every day in nature to tap in and make sure that my life is congruent with who I want to be.  

You’ve worked and traveled with some of the world’s most famous bands and musicians, so you know first-hand the road takes its toll. What are some of your tips for longevity?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

Longevity comes from balancing the intensity of life such as stress, travel, work, relationships and toxic environments with lifestyle habits that can be easily incorporated into your life as it is. Not waiting until things settle to start taking care of yourself. So, my tips are for daily things that help improve well-being even in the most chaotic times: 

1. Start the day with a superfood protein smoothie.
2. Keep active and moving as much as possible. Choose to walk when you could drive, put on some music and do housework, just keep moving!
3. Eat local foods when possible and enrich your diet with fruits, vegetables, omega oils, wild fish, nuts and seeds, and clean proteins.
4. Drink plenty of purified water.
5. Socialize with friends and family and cultivate meaningful relationships.
6. Find a purpose in life that makes the world a better place. Go for that!
7. Connect to spirit in nature, people, art, music and creativity.

Musicians are known for their backstage activities… any sex longevity tips?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

They say that the guitar is extension of the male appendage. I guess playing it is like masturbating. Think of long instrumental guitar solos! Or maybe there is some hidden magic for sex longevity that comes from wearing Spandex pants and high heels when you are 70? I would say that to keep your creative juices flowing is the sex longevity tip that rock stars cultivate. The second chakra rules our sex organs, but it also is the energy center of creativity and abundance. Cultivate your creativity to keep your sexual longevity alive.

How can acupuncture or other natural modalities improve your sex life?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

Acupuncture can work in two ways to improve your sex life. First it helps take you out of “fight or flight” mode and into relaxation mode. Relaxation mode is necessary for the male erection and for female lubrication. You must be relaxed to achieve better sexual performance. Second, acupuncture and other Energy Medicine techniques, help to increase the Qi, or vital life force of the body. The Qi is the source of our hormone production and energy which enhance sexual desire and longevity. There are many foods, herbs and essential oils that have been used throughout history as aphrodisiacs. Most aphrodisiacs have active ingredients that restore hormone balance or help to produce pheromones, the scents of attraction. Dig into the study of aphrodisiacs and make them a part of your daily health regime to enhance your sex life and desire. 

What are unexpected erogenous zones we can play around with at home? 

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

There are reflexology points in the both the hands and feet which are reflex and acupressure points that stimulate the sexual organs such as the ovaries, uterus, vagina and penis. There are reflexology charts that come in little pocket cards. Keep them handy and stimulate your own reflexology erogenous zones. 

What are some lesser-known or unexpected natural aphrodisiacs we can test-drive at home?   

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

Essential oils of rose, jasmine, frankincense, ylang ylang, sandalwood, vanilla and neroli are incredible aphrodisiacs. They can be put in an aromatherapy diffuser, blended in massage oils, or put into baths for an aromatic stimulation of sexual desire. Chocolate-covered cherries and organic red wine make a lovely romantic appetizer and aphrodisiac. Coffee with vanilla, cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg… a delicious aphrodisiac stimulant for a long night of amor.

You’ve been literally everywhere in the world, when it comes to the bedroom, what tips from other cultures can we Americans use or learn from?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis:  

Christiane Amanpour does a great job in exploring this in her Netflix Series, Love and Sex Around the World.  The East Asians really mastered the art of love as a spiritual path to enlightenment. The Kama Sutra is a Sanskrit text of the art of love, eroticism and pleasure. That would be a great way to explore new horizons with a partner. Tantra is the mystical path of Buddhism. Tantra practices use the earthly pleasures as a means of achieving enlightenment. Although Tantra has been reduced in the West to hot tub parties in Northern California, the actual path is one of the mystics in which things such as eating, dancing, rituals and even sex can be part of our path to experiencing the Divine.  I am not an expert on Tantra or the Kama Sutra, but the study and practice can make a sexual connection more soulful.  

How can natural remedies — even things like breathwork, energy play, acupressure — give you better, longer, deeper orgasms? 

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

The orgasm is a physical experience that requires relaxation for the blood to flood into the penis or clitoris. Once the blood flows in and increases arousal, there is deep contraction of the muscles of the penis and pelvic floor in women. Natural remedies such as acupressure and breathwork help to relax the muscles, allowing increased blood flow into the sexual organs. The acupressure can also help to strengthen the muscles that give a stronger contraction and a stronger orgasm.

You’ve flipped the script on age gaps… your husband is half your age, how do you stay juicy, vibrant, lustful and YOU sexually, energetically?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

For me new experiences, adventures and travel keep me lustful, desirous and joyful. When my husband and I have new adventures together, even if it’s doing something local in New York, it ignites passion and love. I also like to dress up in beautiful clothing that fits the archetype that I am feeling inside. That is a daily way that I add adventure and vibrancy to spice up the routine. My husband loves the way I dress and he gets a kick out of seeing what I am going to wear and what personality I am going to emulate that day. I think that adds to spice up our love and lust connection. 

You have a thriving medical practice, you’re an author, you’re an advisor to emerging wellness companies, you have a line of healing products... how do you find pleasure and keep your creative fire stoked?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

I find pleasure in almost everything I do! But going to see live music and traveling are top of the list for experiencing pleasure and creativity. I also really love hanging out with my big Lebanese family and just telling stories and laughing. That is so renewing for me. Creativity comes naturally to me. I seem to have a constant download of ideas channeling through me. Just being in New York City is inspirational and rejuvenating as there are so many different people from different cultures and that really stimulates my creativity and inspiration.  

We're all about pleasure, curiosity and of course, lingerie… what are your favorite pieces you own and why?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

I have a Cleopatra-looking nightie that makes me feel like an Egyptian queen sailing through the Mediterranean Sea with a boat that has purple sails and frankincense carried by the wind. I feel like I have transcended to another place and time…. on my way to see Marc Anthony. 

You’re always hunting, exploring, doing new things, feeding your curiosity, growing… what are some ways we can incorporate that into our own lives?  

Dr. Gabrielle Francis: 

Go new places, even if they are local. Explore your hometown and meet new people. Everyone has a story. Stop living life through your cell phone and trying to document your life…. try experiencing it instead. Life is magical and people are interesting. The connections we make with new people and new places can bring out new parts of ourselves just waiting to be discovered. Discover them, fearlessly! 

How has this infinitely inspiring rock doc ignited something in you? Whatcha thinkin'? 👇💋