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The best books on Ayurveda for modern women
With the holiday season coming up, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite books related to Ayurveda. If you have someone in your life who is interested in yoga, holistic health, or Ayurveda, these would make great gifts – or perhaps they go on your own wish list! There are many wonderful classic texts on Ayurveda, but I’ve decided to focus on books that take a more modern approach. The beautiful thing about Ayurveda is that it was always meant to be adapted to the times and situations we find ourselves living in. Many people think of Ayurveda as a strict set of rules, but I see…
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Sleep deeper: 8 Ayurvedic tips for a blissful bedtime routine
There is a heavy emphasis on morning routine in Ayurveda, but having an evening routine is also important. How we spend the last few hours of the day can have a big impact on our sleep, which is our body’s chance to clear toxins, restore and renew. Creating an evening routine shouldn’t be complicated. In fact, you probably have some kind of evening routine already. For example, making dinner, bathing, brushing your teeth or washing your face. If you do these things at a similar time every day, you may notice that your body starts to get sleepy as you go through these evening tasks. A good evening routine is…
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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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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…
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What I learned from keeping a food journal for two weeks
One of our recent assignments in my Ayurvedic Health Counseling program was to keep a journal for two weeks tracking the state of our agni (digestion) and ama (toxins in the body). If you ever work with an Ayurvedic coach or practitioner, you may be asked to do something similar to help the practitioner understand what is causing your imbalances. I found the process helpful and it allowed me to make some changes in my eating habits that quickly had me feeling better. I want to share some tips for how you could keep your own food journal, some things to watch for, and some ways it might help you.…
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Align with the moon to find your most productive monthly routine
Something that’s come up for me a lot lately during the past few months of “home quarantine,” is figuring out how much rest I need, how much to push myself, and when to let it all go. With less external obligations, it’s actually been a beautiful opportunity for me to connect with the cycles of nature and live more in line with my own body’s energy. In last week’s post I wrote about how the energies of the doshas cycle through a 24-hour day. This week we’re taking a slightly broader view and looking at how the doshas cycle throughout the month, or through one lunar cycle. This post…
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Are you brave enough to stand still?
This year started with an epic month-long cold that would not let up. I found myself struggling to balance the enthusiasm of wanting to jump on the 2020 bandwagon of goals and to-do lists with the needs of my body. I spiraled into a depressed and anxious state, overcome with frustration and doubts about my own worth. In the middle of this time, I wrote this journal entry at the top of a page: “Are you brave enough to let yourself rest? Are you brave enough to do only one thing at a time? Are you brave enough to listen to your body? Are you brave enough to stand still…