Ayurveda is an ancient healing system to treat the root cause of an imbalance from a mind, body and spirit perspective. Treatments include diet, lifestyle, herbs, aromatherapy, meditation, yoga, etc. In this 60 min consult, get clear on what your imbalance is from an Ayurvedic perspective and 1-2 recommendations to start your healing journey!

Intuitive eating is asking your body what it wants, understanding the energetics behind it and nourishing it with pure love and trust.

The most difficult question becomes- is that my ego or my intuition?

This is where the science of Ayurveda gifts us with the knowledge of energetics.

Let’s keep is plain and simple.

Ask your body what it wants

Lean in to the energetics behind the food.

How will it make me feel? What is my body seeking to feel like after? Do both of these align?

Nourish your body with ultimate love and trust.

If it doesn’t settle well in your body, it is not the end of the world! You have 3-4 hours until the next meal to experiment again <3.

The science of Ayurveda gifts us with in depth knowledge of the five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether.

These elements reside in all living things especially our food!

An important part of intuitive eating is aligning the energetics of our food with our inner intuition (our golden compass!) ✨✨✨

Let’s take a look at the Intuitive Food Map.

🌳Earth- Feeling of grounded, nourishment and mild sedation

Food example: Root Veggies

🐳Water- Feeling of grounded, lubrication and creative flow

Food Example: Nourishing Soups

🔥Fire- Feeling of heat, motivation and metabolization

Food Example: Squeeze of lemon or lime

🌪Air- Feeling of movement, inspiration and freedom

Food Example: Cruciferous Veggies

🌫Ether- Feeling of subtle wisdom, space and connectedness

Food Example: All spices! Cumin, Coriander and Fennel

SO next time your intuition is craving any of the above feelings, try incorporating a food example that pairs with the energetics.

Have fun with it! 😚

Remember, food is just ONE way we can take in the energetics. There is an infinite amount of ways we can connect to our golden compass.

Do you want intuitive eating to be your everyday thang? Apply for the Sacred Ayurvedic Cleanse to learn the art of intuitive eating, so every meal leaves you feeling satisated and blissed outttt.✌🏼

WHAT IS AN AYURVEDIC CLEANSE?

An Ayurvedic cleanse is called a PanchaKarma. PanchaKarma means five actions,

which refers to the five treatments classically involved in a cleanse. Traditionally, a PK

is a sacred practice that is individualized to each person and completed over the course

of a month in a secluded environment. In our western culture, we use the term

PanchaKarma loosely. Hectic schedules and legal limitations don’t permit a traditional

PK, so we make it accessible for ourselves in our own versions of “PanchaKarma”.

SHOULD I DO A CLEANSE?

There are three different types of Pancha Karma therapies: tonification, purification and

palliation that serve different imbalances and constitutions. For simplicity, we’ll focus on

the purification type of Pancha Karma. In these types of PKs, a good candidate would

need to have strong ojas (energy), presence of ama (toxins), excess dhatu (tissue) or

excess kapha. PK (Purification Type) is NOT recommended for people who have low

ojas, weakness, exhaustion, weight loss, mental instability, very old age, very young,

pregnant or postpartum.

A traditional PK has THREE PHASES:

1. The Prep

2. The Techniques

3. The Post Care

1. The intention of THE PREP is to bring in all the toxins distributed throughout the body

to the digestive tract, where they can be dispelled using the techniques. THE PREP

involves a light diet with fresh, organic foods and avoids sugar, alcohol, fried foods,

gluten, dairy, and meats. The ideal duration is one week for Vata, 1-2 weeks for Pitta

and 3-4 weeks for Kapha. No matter the dosha, at least one week of the prep should

follow a mono diet of kitchari.

WHY KITCHARI?

Kitchari is the easiest thing for our body to digest. If the body doesn’t

have to think about digesting its current job, it can clean up past actions or karmas it

has been through. During the prep, the body also goes through Oleation and Swedana.

Oleation consists of the daily intake of medicated ghee, and sometimes Abhyanga. The

Swedana consists of steaming the body daily. The purpose of both is to soften and

loosen the ama that is stuck internally, so it is easily removed using the techniques in

Phase II.

The Prep also includes the setting of an intention for your experience. This will be

unique for everyone and will shape the individual experience.

2. THE TECHNIQUES include the cleansing tools. Traditionally, this would consist of all

five- Vamana (cleanse of the stomach-seat of kapha), Virechana (cleanse of small

intestine- seat of Pitta), Basti (cleanse of large intestine-seat of Vata), Nasya (deep

nasal/sinus cleanse), and Blood Letting. Most western, at-home PKs include only

Virechana and Basti and should only be done under the care of an Ayurvedic

Practitioner.

3. Finally, THE POST CARE eases the body out of the cleanse in a nurturing way. The

body is taxed after strong purification techniques, and it needs time to rebuild tissue and

ojas. So, the POST CARE can last anywhere from 1 to 6 weeks and consists of

reintroducing foods back into your diet. Right after the cleanse, your body is clean, but

your digestive fire needs to rebuild. It is best to start with light rice soup and ease your

way back to kitchari.

Often times when clients come to us with digestive disorders like SIBO, Chron’s, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, etc., the first thing they want to know is WHAT to eat. It is true that our diet is important since our digestion is king in Ayurveda. However digestion goes way beyond the physical body, it affects the spiritual and mental body too.

For example, you can be eating an organic, vegan, GF diet and still experience a major imbalance. Why? Because the gut is the second (some may argue the first) brain. It is not enough just to shift what the physical is taking in, but we need to shift what the mental body processes too.

Consider what is happening in your mind when you are eating your lunch.

Are you eating in front of your computer, stressed out and trying to finish a project?

Are you having a heavy conversation with a friend while eating?

Are you swallowing your food whole so you can move on to the next part of your day?

Our body can only focus on one thing at a a time. When we bombard our system with overstimulation, we are less likely to properly digest our food. It is more important to eat a less healthy meal slow and mindfully that an organic meal stressed.

One of the simplest ways to balance the mind is with awareness of the Conscious Eating Habits. These are our golden THREE conscious eating habits (there are 10 in total!)

✨Chewing your food thoroughly

✨Waiting 3 hours between meals

✨Eating in a calm, peaceful environment

We will be the first to admit, that our Pitta minds were skeptical that something could be this simple and actually have impact. That is why we ask that you try this on your own and validate the results through your personal experience.

If you are wanting to go deeper into healing your imbalances, sign up for an initial consultation here. An Ayurvedic consultation will fully evaluate your mind, body and spirit and provide a curated treatment plan for your healing.

Ayurveda is an ancient science dated at least 5,000 years ago to bring optimal health to the body through diet, lifestyle, herbs, aromatherapy, yoga, meditation, mantra and more.

Ayurveda gives us the tools to cleanse our physical and mental bodies. But what often gets left out is the soul aspect, which is truly the most important. All disease first begins with a spiritual disconnection.

Let’s explore this idea with what is relevant today. We are in kapha season, which means there are more respiratory diseases. (Interesting to consider given the current pandemic.) But if all disease is a spiritual disconnection- what does that mean for us if we have a respiratory infection?

Our Ayurvedic template says that a Kapha imbalance means there is excess Earth element. Spiritually, this can mean we are overly attached. Without judgment, bring awareness to areas in your life that express attachment. Do you carry resentment towards someone or a situation? Does your mind keep replaying something that has happened in the past?

Are you seeking comfort in materialistic items to compensate for your emotions? (This can be groceries, food consumption, retail products, etc.) Are you resistant to even admitting that you carry this with you?

If you answered yes to any of the above, this can be related to a Kapha imbalance. And if you are seeking tips to cleanse this dosha from a mind + body perspective, read our post from Tuesday, ‘Kapha Season’.

But remember, all imbalances start from a spiritual disconnect. SO, it is equally important to connect to our spirit or soul. One practice that has kept me spiritually connected has been the energetic cleanse. Being a healer, I am consistently working with other peoples’ energies. It is vital to my own health to differentiate between their energy and mine as well as detach from my clients. Implement our 3 steps below to practice non-attachment and release what may be clogging your auric field.

3 Steps for an Energetic Cleanse

Intention Setting- Set an intention for your space. It may be helpful to journal on the above questions ahead of time to get clear. Remember, our words carry energy too, so speak with tone and intention. What do you want it to feel like? What energies are you letting go of? What energies are you radiating?

Cleansing Techniques- Burn palo santo, sage or incense and whirl around your space in a clockwise direction while saying your intention. Open a window or door to let stagnant energy diffuse.

Make a Consistent Practice- If you are a healer or work with energy regularly, we recommend doing an energetic cleanse at least 1x per day. A consistent energetic practice is VITAL to our mind-body-soul connection. Otherwise, it can lead to burn out and disconnecting from the truth of our own energy.

What is your favorite way to cleanse?

Xo,

Angelica + Rachel

There is a lot of hype around the beloved adaptogenic and power herb, Ashwagandha. With her numerous benefits, some may ask, why wouldn’t I be taken this herb on the regular?!

We are here to get down to the truth of the matter. And answer these two important questions.

When you should take an herb for support?

Will Ashwagandha support my imbalance?

When should you take an herb for support?

Our Western culture likes everything fast and easy. We have everything at the tip of our fingers, and an amazon package after our next breath. Because of this mindset, we treat our diseases and imbalances the same. Headache? Pop two Advils. Anxious? Two drops of CBD. Constipated? 1 cup of detox tea. (Oh gosh- if you are reading this, I hope it is not too late!)

The philosophy of Ayurveda is to always treat the root cause of our disease. For example, the anxiety you are experiencing may not just be from a stressful work day. It can be from the lack of sleep you are experiencing due to improper routine and lifestyle. So taking an herb may help, but it may result in long-term dependency.

We never need long-term dependency on anything except meditation ;). Ayurveda uses herbs in the short-term as part of your environment for healing. But after the body has healed properly, it no longer needs it. For example, as a practitioner, I may recommend an herbal formula that aids with heartburn along with proper diet and routines. Once my client has created the optimal environment for healing, they will no longer need the herbal formula. This is because we addressed the root problem and her new environment supports optimal digestion.

The best way to treat a root cause is first through diet and routine specific to your current imbalance.

(If you haven’t already, take our current imbalance quiz here. If you do know your current imbalance, you can download our Free Ayurvedic Balancing Method worksheet here to get access to your 4 week Morning Routine Challenge.

\_\_\_______________________________________________________________

Will Ashwagandha support my current imbalance?

The answer is, it truly depends. In terms of doshas, the herb Ashwaganadha is best for Vata imbalances and is used to treat a multitude of diseases. However, due to its slightly heating nature, there are other stress-relieving herbs that are better for Pittas. Due to its tonifying and grounding nature, there are better herbs for Kapha.

However, I would always first recommend working with your Ayurvedic practitioner, so he or she can help you get to the root of your imbalance and understand the qualities of your symptoms.

Secondly, I would recommend to first start working with your diet and lifestyle routines; because while Ashwagandha, and herbs in general, have many benefits, they should be treated as a bandaid, not as an entire solution.

Ayurveda states that all imbalances start in the digestive system. Therefore, diet, routine and lifestyle are paramount in healing digestion. I have helped heal many clients without the use of herbs at all, using, instead, changes of diet and lifestyle alone.

To be clear, Ashwagandha, if sourced and labeled correctly, is not unsafe to take and has many incredible benefits, such as:

Relaxes and Tonifies the Nervous System: Optimizes sleep/improves insomnia, brings mental clarity, eases Vata-type headaches, relieves stress

Nourishes the Reproductive System: Specializes in building the female reproductive system and boosts sexual vitality

Rejuvenates All Tissues of the Body: Lubricates the joints, supports the adrenal glands, aids with multiple sclerosis

High in Antioxidants: Great anti-inflammatory and adaptogen

If you do choose to take Ashwagandha, or are recommended its usage by a practitioner, we recommend Paavani’s Ashwagandha powder as ½ teaspoon in 1⁄2 cup of tepid water in AM or PM, at least 1-2 hours away from meals.

However, you are your best healer, and your body knows how to intuitively heal itself when given the optimal environment, love, and care.

If you desire support in determining the root cause of your imbalance, we are here to guide you through:

1:1 Complimentary Sessions

Free Resources to help guide your Nutritional Choices

Free Imbalance Quiz

Peace, love and Ashwagandha,

Xo,

Angelica