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An inside look into my step-by-step Ayurvedic morning routine
A daily routine can be a lifesaver. It can also be something that adds unnecessary stress if we take it too seriously or follow it too strictly! Throughout my life I’ve fluctuated between having no routine and keeping to a very specific schedule. As an artist, there have been times in my life where it felt impossible to follow a routine – for example when I was working 12-hour days on film sets: some days the call time would be at 7pm and other days at 5am! However, over time I’ve learned that for myself, when my work is irregular and unpredictable, it’s even more important that I create some…
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Five simple tips to calm Vata this fall
Vata is the force that governs movement within our bodies. Vata is at play when we take in food, and when we eliminate. It is present in the constant movement of our breath, bringing air in and out of our lungs, and in the synapses of our nervous system moving thoughts, emotions and sensations through our awareness. When Vata is in balance, creativity is flowing and enthusiasm for life is strong. Those with a healthy balance of Vata in their constitution tend to be spiritually-minded, free-spirited, and artistic. When out of balance, excess Vata can cause anxiety, fearfulness and depression. Because Vata is movement, those with excess Vata often have…
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How to come off a cleanse: the next steps for a spectacular seasonal transition
So you’ve finished your Ayurvedic cleanse, you’re feeling great, and you’re ready to eat something other than kitchari – the only question is, what do you eat now? In my own experience, and for many I’ve talked to, coming off a cleanse can be the hardest part. When you’re cleansing, you have rules to follow. You know exactly what you will be eating everyday, and you have a routine. But at the end of your cleanse, if you aren’t prepared, it can be easy to slip into old habits or just feel a little lost. It’s easy to find information on how to do an Ayurvedic cleanse, but it’s harder…
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How to get ready for your Ayurvedic cleanse
The first time I tried an Ayurvedic cleanse (or any kind of cleanse, for that matter) I was 23 and had just come home from spending six months traveling in Europe. My digestion was a wreck from all the travel, and from subsisting mainly off various forms of bread products. When I came home I met with an Ayurvedic doctor for the first time, who suggested a Vata-balancing diet — this means lots of warm, moist, cooked foods! I told her I wanted to do a cleanse, and she handed me a piece of paper with a recipe for kitchari (an Indian porridge made from rice and mung beans), and…
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Less is more: five areas of your life to simplify for greater health and joy
This week I’ve been reading Maya Tiwari’s book A Woman’s Power to Heal and was struck by this sentence: “Using Wise Earth Ayurveda to help thousands of women heal from the ravages of cancer into good health, I can say the single most significant factor in their healing had to do with simplifying their lives.” Now, this is quite a remarkable claim, but it doesn’t surprise me in the least. The more I study and work with Ayurvedic principles, the more I understand how stress and overwork are huge contributing factors in so many ailments. I’m certainly not making any claims about severe diseases such as cancer. (Although I trust…
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How to cleanse the Ayurvedic way: 6 reasons it’s different from other cleanses
Some people light up when they see the word “cleanse,” and others want to run the other way. Many have negative connotations with the word, or even negative experiences with cleansing. The word “cleanse” is tossed around a lot in our culture these days, and can refer to many different things. I see juice shops around Los Angeles all offering their weeklong juice cleanse packages, and every January my inbox is flooded with offers to join this or that cleanse that promises weight loss and glowing skin. Turns out, juice cleanses and New Year’s cleanses both go against the practices of Ayurveda (more on why, later)! Suffice it to say…
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Yin yoga, creative cooking, and the gift of sobriety with Jacqui Marti
Today I’m excited to share an interview with my friend and yoga instructor Jacqui Marti. Jacqui is a certified RYT- 200 teacher through Kindness Yoga, and yin trained by Kari Kwinn Yoga. Although we no longer live in the same state, her virtual yin yoga classes have offered me a beautiful refuge during this pandemic, a way to truly slow down and get quiet. In fact, I loved her classes so much that I asked her to team up with me and teach yoga for our She Who Flows group cleanse this fall! In this interview Jacqui shares what first drew her to yoga and how her life has changed…
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Top ten reasons to do an Ayurvedic cleanse
An Ayurvedic cleanse is a simple, nourishing practice that can be done safely at home. If you’re new to Ayurveda, it’s a wonderful way to quickly feel the benefits of Ayurveda in your own body! I practice a cleanse twice a year and find the benefits to be both physical, mental and energetic. Here are the top ten reasons you might want to consider practicing your own Ayurvedic cleanse! 1. Connect to the cycles of nature Many of us live lives that are out of sync with nature these days. We do little to mark the changing seasons or passage of time. Our holidays are disconnected from a deeper meaning…
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Prepare for a healthy fall: 8 Ayurveda hacks you can practice right now
Ayurveda works most effectively when we use it as preventative medicine. This requires a shift in thinking for many of us. We are used to waiting until we get sick before we go to the doctor. Perhaps you typically experience good health during the summer, but find yourself at the doctor’s office every fall once you come down with a cold or flu. The doctor may send you home with some medicine to relieve your symptoms, but there’s not much they can do to cure the cold once you’ve contracted it. The same is usually true for Ayurvedic medicine. While I swear by my soothing Ayurvedic teas, herbal honeys and…
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Five steps to get skin you love
Acne has been a consistent struggle for me since my preteen years. In my ongoing quest for “good skin” I have tried many things: from Proactiv to painful facials to rubbing olive oil on my face every night. I like to think I’ve done it all, and at age 31 I wish I could tell you that I finally have it perfectly figured out. The truth is, acne will still flare up and surprise me at times, but I do have a greater understanding of what causes it, some helpful tools in my toolkit, and a healthier emotional response to it. Part of me feels like a fraud (how can…