HeyMonicaB: A Blooming Resource on Ayurveda

Taking a brisk walk daily is one of the best exercises for the body! Not only for the reasons we already know (gets heart rate up, helps break a sweat, lowers blood pressure, etc), but it also strengthens the large intestines and helps with constipation :)
Also in Ayurveda, it is taught that exercise should [...]

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(photo courtesy of Eric Lon)
Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhanam is what I like to call “instant calm.” Our nose is the quickest passage to our mind, so the prana reaches our brain immediately and gives a calming effect.
There are two channels that go through our nose. One is female and it’s cooling. The other [...]

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Didja know that each dosha has a season? Sure, yep. They do. Fall (and early winter) is the season of vata and it just blew in on the 21st of September. The air is a little more crisp in the morning and we bring out the sweaters and coats we had stowed in the back [...]

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This tea is great for aiding digestion and to help ground the body and mind. Pacifying vata is important especially during vata season because vata is the quickest dosha to go out of balance.
4 cups of water
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 pods of cardamom
1 tbsp of sucanat or rice syrup (optional)
Heat water in [...]

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Dr. Apte, director of Kerala Ayurveda Academy, writes on how Ayurveda can help balance us to beat the biggest health epidemic of our time.
Ayurveda Eye On Obesity

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You know when you feel a chest cold coming on. Tightness in the chest (you can feel there is mucus milling around down in there), phlegm-ey coughs, and any sinus junk is a sure sign that there is a kapha imbalance.
For those pleasantries, I recommend this ginger and tumeric tea.* Make a lot of this [...]

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*** Tumeric turns things yellow. Hands, Towels, Tea Cups, Skin, etc., Be mindful.***
Yesterday I had a hearty zit on my upper lip. Very hearty. And it was angry. Not only that but it was like the 3rd one because I kept squishing them and then they would reappear about 1/8″to the left. TMI?
Anywho, on this [...]

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To keep agni strong, Indian lemonade is a great appetizer to make before meals. It’s not quite lemonade as us Americans know it. It is much smaller in quantity and it is used as a medicine to aid in digestion.
The ginger and salt are heating to the body which “stokes” our internal fire (agni). That [...]

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Ok, I have received a significant amount of resistance when I ask people to eliminate yogurt, so I would like to discuss.
There is a lot of advertising about yogurt and acidophilus as healthy bacteria/probiotics, good for the “waistline,” etc., but truth be told, yogurt is a channel clogger. It is exactly like jumping into a [...]

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Hey! If you hop into the shower but don’t realize the water is still cold, isn’t it an intense shock!?
Drinking ice cold water is the same. It’s a shock to our warm and cozy 98.6 degree system and it closes the channels. Let’s do our bodies a favor and spare them the shock and extra [...]

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Has anyone else ever felt nailed to the floor by anxiety? Almost like you can’t move. Right? At least for me that’s true. I always tell people when they feel anxious or stuck is “Do something, just do anything. Even if it’s small. It will move you forward and things will become clear.”
I am a [...]

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If you’re one of those people who wakes up and poops first thing in the morning, fantastic! That’s a sign of good health. That means that your apana vayu (the down and outward energy responsible for elimination) is functioning perfectly.
If you don’t, I offer some advice to help you along:
• Drink 1-2 glasses of room [...]

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