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"For an intelligent person the whole world is a teacher, hence one should imitate the world after carefully considering their meaning of such actions. Compassion with all living beings, granting of gifts, controlling the activities of the body, speech and mind; looking after the interest of others as his own, these are sufficient rules of good conduct."             
-Caraka Samhita

Ice, Ice, Agni

9/24/2017

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Ice. Cold. Frozen. Honestly, none of these words appeal to me. Even in the middle of the hot summer. Let's talk about our obsession with having our drinks freezing cold, because it's time to break a bad habit folks!! 

​Ayurveda says a big heck no to cold drinks. There are a few reasons why. Let's discuss. 


  1. Think of your metabolism as a fire sitting in the middle of your stomach. It's nice and hot and being stoked so evenly. What happens when you dump a big vat of ice cold water on a nice, well-lit fire? Well, it's gonna go out! And truthfully, it probably will take a while to get that fire going again in the same way. The same thing is happening to our metabolic fire when we dump ice cold beverages onto it. It's diminishing that nice hot fire! 
  2. Your internal body temperature stays consistent somewhere between 97-99 degrees, right? What happens when you introduce something to your body at freezing temperatures? Well, it's going to go into panic mode! Everything is going to constrict. Our bodies really don't know what to do with things outside the norm. 
  3. There is a theory out there that says if you intake ice cold water, you are going to burn more calories. Okay, maybe a little, but not enough to make it worth it! Think of your favorite coconut oil or animal fat that sits in your kitchen. What does it take for it to melt? Heat! Same is true for your body. Warm and hot liquids (water to note!) is going to help melt the toxins and built up fat. Not cold. Doesn't this just make sense? 

Well, I don't want to belabor this point, but it's so important! I know it feels like it's never going to refresh you or quench your thirst or anything. But I promise it will. If warm water or other beverages are completely out of the question, try room temperature. I promise you will get used to it! Trust me on this one folks! There are better ways to cool yourself down. Look for foods and drinks that have naturally cooling properties like coconut, cucumber, and cilantro. 

This stands true now more than ever as we start to transition into the cooler, dryer, and windier months of autumn and winter. It's important to combat those qualities with the qualities of the food and drinks we consume. 


Raise your glasses to your last iced drink! Cheers! 

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A Spring Cleanse: tip #1

4/17/2016

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Cleanses have become pretty popular in this day and age. Every where you look and turn, you see the latest juice cleanse, or sugar detox, or fruit-only diet. Well, from an Ayurvedic perspective, cleanses have a proper time and place in the year. They're not all the same, and the same cleanse shouldn't be done throughout the year. 

As our external environment changes with the seasons, so does our internal bodies. And more importantly, what goes on inside during spring, is going to be completely different than what is going on in the summer, autumn, and winter. That is one of the most important lessons of Ayurveda--how to adapt our bodies and our lifestyles with the natural ebbs and flows of Mother Nature. 

We are just a mere microcosm of a much greater macrocosm. One goal is to learn how to sync our bodies and natural rhythms with that of our environment. 

Since we are in the heart of spring, I thought it would be appropriate to share my experience with a mini-cleanse that I'll be doing this week. Although a full Ayurvedic Pancha Karma is much more detailed and thorough, I unfortunately do not have the ability to take off work and participate fully. But, there are some things I can do on a regular basis over the next 7-10 days to help my body detox some of the heavier elements of winter that are still lingering. 

Throughout the next week, I'll be posting different tips for you to try at home as well. 

TIP #1: drink warm water thought the day. In general, you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day. Begin carrying a small thermos around. Sip warm water every 15-20 minutes. Make sure you don't chug it down. The more you chug, the more it will just flush out of your system. You want your tissues and cells to actually absorb the water that you are taking in. Our bodies are made up of 70% water--how many times have you heard that?! Probably one too many. But, with that, it's important that we keep giving ourselves the right amount of water. Why is water a great way to help detox our bodies? Well, it just does a really good job of flushing out different toxins that have built up in our body. If you drink a glass of warm water as soon as you wake up, it help prepares your gut by getting it ready for digestions--it wakes up your metabolism, let's say. If you have proper digestion, then your body won't accumulate as many toxins. Don't like the taste of water? Add a splash of fresh lemon juice for taste. Along with this tip, something that is important, is that you want to try and avoid caffeine as much as possible. If it's hard for you to complete give it up, then try cutting back to 1 glass of caffeine. Remember, caffeine is a dehydrating substance for your body. If you want a proper "mini-cleanse" you want to stay as hydrated as possible. 

Stay on the lookout for tip #2! 

For more information on Ayurvedic cleanses or to receive a personalized cleanse routine for you, just shoot me an email! 

​Have fun!

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'Tis the Season of Warmth!

3/13/2016

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Happy almost spring time everyone! The weather is finally starting to warm up down here in Texas, and I couldn't be more excited! The warmth of spring literally melts away all that was built up during the winter time. Cold, sticky, slow qualities tend to be more prevalent in the winter--that which is on the outside, will be seen on the inside. Our bodies are influenced by our environment so much, its amazing to pick up on the similarities. 

But, with the spring season, all of those phlegm-y qualities start to melt. This is why spring is a great time for doing a cleanse! As the weather and the environment transitions into a new beginning, transitioning our bodies to take on spring with an air of freshness and zeal makes a huge difference. 

If you don't have time for a full on cleanse, try to incorporate some of these tips to take on spring!
  • Begin to incorporate heating herbs and spices into your diet like cardamom, turmeric, and ginger. This will start to heat up your body from the inside and melt anything sticky and cold that may have built up over the winter.
  • Start to spend more time outdoors. Go for a nice walk or spend time in your garden. A lot of stagnancy can get stuck in our lungs from the colder months. Take a few minutes everyday for conscious breathing--sending fresh air to the deepest parts of our lungs. 
  • This is a great time to start a new hobby as well. As our surroundings literally start to bloom and take birth, you can do the same. 

Spring is a beautiful season. Take the time to re-nourish yourself and get back in touch with who you are. Look back to your resolutions you created just a few short months ago and reflect. What were you able to accomplish? What didn't get started at all? 

This is a great time for reflection and rejuvenation. What will you do to replenish yourself?

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