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Lifestyle

Holistic Sun Protection and Summer Skincare Tips

This is a picture of a woman in a light white blouse holding her hand up to sheild her face from the sun. It links to a blog post about sun protection and summer skin care tips.

We are entering the late-summer season here in Virginia, and this can be a complicated time for skincare! On one hand, your skin requires more moisture from being dried out due to heat factors, which might also be making you sweat more, which oils up your skin. Throw sun exposure in there and you have a recipe for confusion and potential skin damage.

Don’t let the humidity fool you, even if you live in the tropics, air humidity cannot completely protect your skin from the drying effects of the sun (and the AC). Whatever your skin type, these sun protection and summer skincare protocols will help keep your skin in tip-top shape for the long haul.

Sun Protection From the Inside

Don’t Forget to Drink Water. Skin health starts with deep hydration. 

  • Aim to drink about 2 cups of water an hour. I recommend adding Trace Minerals, electrolytes, or one of these hydrating herbs to your water. These products changed the hydration game for me. 
  • Add a little Aloe Vera juice in the morning to your smoothie or drinking water for more cooling and hydration.
  • Avoiding diuretics like coffee will also help keep you hydrated. If it’s hot outside and the days are long, you might not even need coffee for that morning boost. Experiment with skipping it when the weather is warm. Instead, try drinking an energizing juice with vitamin C to give you a refreshing alkalizing boost in the morning.

Eat for the Sun. Make sure you’re getting Zinc and D3 in your diet. I recommend a liquid D3 supplement under the tongue for maximum absorption. Now you might be thinking: won’t I get vitamin D from the sun? Nope. What we get from the sun are the building blocks so that our body can produce vitamin D. And those special rays that help your body make vitamin D are only out when the sun is at a 30+ degree angle from where you are on Earth. You can use the app DMinder to find out when that vitamin D window is where you are in the world. 

What’s also important to keep in mind is that vitamin D3 offers skin protection and most people are low in Vitamin D3. It’s one of the only vitamins I recommend supplementing with regularly.

Some foods that also provide sun protection from oxidative damage are: polypodium leucotomos (a fern native to South America that you can find in some oral sun supplements), blueberries, carrots, watermelon, aloe, coconut oil, grapes, olive oil, avocados, sweet red peppers, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, guava, pomegranate.

Practice. Ayurveda teaches us that when the element of Fire is elevated, like during summer, we not only get physically hot and burnt out, but we’re also prone to heat-based emotions that are intense and sharp, like anger. Sitali breathing is a cooling breath exercise that's perfect for taking it down a notch. Sitala reduces Pitta dosha. I like doing this after a workout while I’m stretching, or when I’m lying down enjoying a face mask.

How to do Sitali Breathing

  • Close your eyes, breathe with awareness in your diaphragm for several minutes, then open the mouth and pucker your lips into an O shape.
  • Curl your tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth about 3/4 of an inch.
  • Inhale deeply across the tongue and into the mouth as if drinking through a straw. Notice how your breath feels cooler? Focus on that cool sensation on the tongue.
  • Withdraw the tongue and close the mouth, exhaling completely through the nostrils.
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On your Skin

Exfoliate. Powdered coconut milk is a great exfoliant. If your skin is oiler, you can also try chickpea flour, almond flour or powdered honey.

Less is more. Avoid foundation and heavy blush and bronzer if you can, especially if you live in an area that’s already heavy (humid), in addition to being hot. Instead, reach for beautifying serums that have hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and polyphenols. Let your serum dry and then add a lightweight cream or oil. This summer I’ve been using Hanacure’s Nano Emulsion Cream. It’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t clog my pores or cause oiliness, but nourishing enough that it doesn’t leave my skin feeling exposed either. I like layering this under a nice face oil at night.

Cleanse. My skin dries out too easily for me to do mud masks year-round, but when I’m hot, humid and sweaty, my skin actually likes that drying effect that a mud mask provides. Here’s how to do one: Once a week, mix bentonite clay and a little activated charcoal with apple cider vinegar until you get a nice muddy consistency and slather on your face. You can even bring it down your neck and décollete to your breasts and underarms for a detoxing lymphatic mask. Let it completely dry and then rinse it off in the shower. Follow with a hydrating serum, lightweight cream or nourishing oil.

You can also try our Amalaki summer face mask recipe.

Nourish. My favorite summer oils are Rosehip seed oil and Carrot seed oil because they are light. Carrot seed oil also has the benefit of providing a little sun protection.

Protect. 1) Wear a hat & 2) Find a natural mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Be mindful not to over use sunscreen because it does reduce your body’s ability to make vitamin D3, which ironically you need for skin sun protection. I only wear sunscreen on places that have the most potential for damage: face, décollete, shoulders, upper arms, back of hands, around armpit and behind knees and elbows. I like using Life Extension Shade Factor Mineral Sunscreen in SPF 30.

Mist. This, hands down, is my favorite thing. Misting your face three to six times a day helps keep your skin moisturized (and is the most overlooked but important skincare routine!) and cools you off. Any natural face mister will work, it just requires purified water. Some have floral essence, aloe vera, essential oils and vitamin E; but unless my skin is burnt, I prefer the plain ones best, like the Evian Facial Spray (the fine mist this one emits is perfect). It’ll make you feel like a bougie old French woman (bonjour!), but a little goes a long way and your skin will show the difference. One bottle of Evian spray lasts me 6 months and I’m never found without one.

We hope you love these skincare and sun protection tips! For more practices, techniques and simple recipes for feeling both beautiful inside and out, check out our virtual Ayurvedic spa day workshop here. 

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Why You Should Dry Brush (or do Abhyanga)

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As always in Ayurveda, there’s a deeper spiritual significance to each tissue of the body. The Ayurvedic rishis (aka the seers of the past) recognized that the Rasa Dhatu was responsible for the spiritual qualities of:⁣⁣⁠
⁣⁣⁠
~ Clear perception⁣⁣⁠
~ Crystalline insight⁣⁣⁠
~ Faith and hope for our future⁣⁣⁠
~ Love and trust in god and the universe that everything is going to be okay⁣⁣⁠
⁣⁣⁠
That means getting our lymph moving = boosting faith, hope, and TRUST! I mean with that description I think we all could use a little lymph-love 💗 This is an especially supportive time (in the northern hemisphere) for dry brushing and starting to get out your cooling oils, depending on how hot it is where you live!

Read below for why you should be incorporating these practices into your daily routine 👇

The Lymph as Rasa Dhatu

In Ayurveda, our lymph is understood to be part of the rasa dhatu, one of the 7 tissues of the body.

Rasa Dhatu consists of our lymph and blood plasma–which serves as the first line of immune defense when we encounter allergens and bacteria. (Ayurveda also teaches us that the rasa dhatu, aka the lymph, is our first line of PSYCHO-EMOTIONAL defense!)

Lymph Needs to Move

Unlike your blood, which has a pump (the heart) rasa relies on the valve system to move. The valve system is this subtle pumping mechanism through the body that we can encourage to move with dry brushing and traditional Ayurvedic abhyanga massage.

When our lymph isn’t moving we get stagnation and immunity goes down. Our lymphatic system becomes less able to handle allergens or bacteria that’s coming in.

Abhyanga and Dry Brushing

Abhyanga and dry brushing is all about circulating the lymph. The key with these practices is that you want to be brushing or massaging towards your heart in long circular motions.

This helps to move stagnation, help rasa dhatu “flow,” boost our natural detoxification system, and get a healthy natural glow on. According to Ayurveda, it also has psycho-emotional benefits, too!

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How to do a Spring Cleanse

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Spring is the perfect time to do a gentle cleanse.

Ayurveda teaches us to mimic what is happening in the natural world. In Spring, the Earth’s core begins to heat up as fungi, bugs, insects, and bees make their way to the surface pollinating and helping to prepare the soil for the growth to come.

After many months enduring the cold and dampness of winter, it’s likely that some extra Kapha accumulation could be present. This can take the form of excess mucus in the lungs and sinuses, a possible accumulation of weight, or a feeling of lethargy or depression.

Thankfully, with the help of Ayurveda and the willingness to slightly shift up your routine you can be easing into that springtime flow in no time.

So, what does it mean to detox Ayurvedically?

Ayurveda does not suggest some kind of crazy fasting or overly-restrictive cleansing. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

An Ayurvedic cleanse is gentle.

What most of us actually need is something that can allow our body to deeply relax.

In order to “let go” of all the unwanted stuff inside of us, your body needs to know that you have the space to step away from your daily hustle and grind, to step into the parasympathetic nervous system and deeply relax.

This is why, for example, as part of an Ayurvedic cleanse, getting warm, medicated oil rubbed on you was always part of the cleansing protocol.

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For this simple cleanse I’m gonna share with you, it’s not at all about restricting food intake. 

It’s all about giving your body and digestion the space and time to deeply rest.

We have this idea in our culture that cleansing must be about suffering and penance and purification, Ayurvedic cleansing isn’t about any of those things. It’s about sweetness and love and slowing down. And saying to your body “I’m going to let you do what you need to do to come into balance.”

NOT using willpower to force our bodies to further the goals of the mind.

So I put together this little spring Kitchari recipe and simple cleansing protocol that’s a really easeful intro to Ayurvedic cleansing.

Plus there’s some more amazing resources below if you want to take it even deeper.

Get the Guide Here

 

Additional Cleansing Resources:

For Learning More About How to Do an Ayurvedic Cleanse:

Ep. 07 Spirit Sessions Podcast: Detox the Ayurveda Way

For a Guide to Spiritual Spring Cleaning:

Ep. 11 Spirit Sessions Podcast: Holy Shit, How to Become a Tantric House Witch 

For Boosting Your Elimination and Achieving “Poophoria”:

Ep. 46 Spirit Sessions Podcast: Poophoria: Getting Perfect ?!

Happy spring cleansing!

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Katie’s Seasonal Allergies Arsenal

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We are currently being overloaded with pollen over here (if you’re on the East Coast in the US at least 😉) and it’s got me thinking about how we can all navigate allergy season with a little more support…⁣⁠
⁣⁠
Allergies are a typical imbalance associated with Kapha season (aka SPRING) 💐⁣⁠
⁣⁠
Ayurveda understands that allergies are the result of an outer allergen aggravating a specific dosha. ⁣⁠
⁣⁠
So, Ayurveda breaks allergies into Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-type allergies.⁣⁠ (And no, this isn’t based on your constitution, it’s based on the specific allergen that’s irritating your system!)⁣⁠ Seasonal allergies related to spring (and sometimes Fall) are usually more Kapha-related.⁣⁠
⁣⁠
An excess of Kapha dosha brings sluggishness, mucous and water retention (read: allergy symptoms). ⁣⁠
⁣⁠
In order to aid our Kapha seasonal allergies, we have to heat things up, boost circulation, clear out and CLEANSE our bodies’ pathways.⁣⁠
⁣⁠
Allergies don’t have to be your destiny.⁣⁠ Reducing the effects of allergies comes down to boosting agni + reducing ama + supporting immunity. ⁣⁠
⁣⁠
To reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of allergies we have to CLEAR OUT OUR SROTAS! Srotas are the circulation channels of the body–these channels are where ama gets STUCK, resulting in imbalances. ⁣⁠
⁣⁠
See below for my arsenal and reference this for future seasonal allergies attacks!

👃🏽 Nose care: Neti & Nasya! Add ¼ tsp salt to warm water and pour through both nostrils using a neti pot, then lubricate your nostrils with herbal nasya oil!

👅 Scrape your tongue! If you aren’t on the tongue scraping train START ASAP–this helps to remove the toxins that your body is cleansing through the night.

🌀 Dry Brush. Boosts the lymphatic system, helps the channels of the body circulate and eliminate toxins.

🌿 Triphala + Turmeric. Triphala will help boost digestion and reduce ama (the source of allergies) while Turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammatory, anti-ama herbs.

🫖 Nettles. Nettles are your circulation-boosting, ama-clearing, waste-cleansing BFF. Brew a tea by combining 4 large tablespoons of dried nettles in a mason jar with boiling water - let steep for 1 hour and then strain!

🍒 Quercetin! Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with amazing anti-inflammatory powers. Studies have shown that quercetin can prevent immune cells from releasing histamines which means runny nose, hives, swelling = bye bye 👋🏼

🍵 GREEN TEA. Because it’s super high in quercetin, it helps to reduce the body’s immune response to allergies like pollen!

For more information, check out our podcast on allergies here.

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Hair Oiling 101

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There’s nothing like a weekly hair-oiling ritual to reset your system while communicating deep, loving, self-care to your own heart. So I wanna share with you some of my favorite herbs and tips for oiling your luscious locks!⁣

How to Prep for Oiling Your Hair:

  • Use a dosha-appropriate, high quality oil like sesame oil for Vata hair, coconut oil for Pitta hair, and olive oil for Kapha hair. To simplify, use the Banyan hair oil (use code below for a discount) which is an amazing hair formulation and the one I personally use!
  • You want the oil warm, not too hot. I like to warm my oil by filling up the sink with warm water and placing the bottle of oil in the sink to warm for a few minutes.

Hair Oiling Instructions:

  • Begin to massage the oil into your scalp using your hands. Make sure to cover the entire scalp while massaging your head for circulation and stimulation of marma points. End by pulling a little bit of oil through the length of your hair.
  • Leave the oil on for a few hours or overnight. You may need to wrap your head in a towel you don’t mind getting oil-stained or laying down a designated oiling towel over your pillow for sleep.
  • Give your hair a full wash after letting the oil sit overnight. It might take a double wash to fully cleanse the oil out.

Pro tip for rinsing: Try shampooing/scrubbing your DRY (still oily) hair before getting into the shower and getting your hair wet for optimum scrubbing results!⁣

⁣
The hair oil I’ve been using forever is the Banyan Botanicals Hair oil! Use the code Katie15 if you wanna discount!

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Ojas-Building “Hot Shake”

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We have to clue you in on one of our ultimate Ojas-building aphrodisiac tonics!
⁣⁣
Ojas is our core immunity- our bodies’ ability to renew itself. In the body, it’s related to our reproductive, hormones, and cerebrospinal fluid. ⁣
⁣
It’s also your psychophysical shield, helping us ward off stress and disease (both physically and emotionally). ⁣
⁣
Having strong ojas isn’t just about building it up, it’s also about not losing it. What (and WHO) we pour our creative energy into (if you know what I mean 😉😉) can deplete our ojas especially if we’re not being intentional. ⁣
⁣
But, when we make love with an attitude of complete surrender, and without fear or reservation, Ayurveda says that it can actually BOOST our sense of trust which in turn builds health. ⁣
⁣
Aphrodisiacs can help turn up our passion-pleasure-zest. What we consume also helps build our emotional-physical-resiliency, aka our ojas. That’s where this ojas-boosting love tonic comes in. ⁣
⁣
This warm, spicy-sweet milk is amazing for building ojas, and when combined with these virility-boosting super herbs, it gives our inner lover just the boost we need. Make it for you and your lover before or after your holy lovemaking sesh (or for yourself!)

 

Ojas-Building Hot Shake Ingredients:

  • 10 skinless almonds
  • 5 dates, pitted
  • 2 cups milk (any kind)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha
  • 1/2 teaspoon kapikacchu
  • 1/2 teaspoon vidari kanda
  • 1/2 teaspoon maca
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  •  Pinch of ground nutmeg

Ojas-Building Hot Shake Directions:

  • If you wish, soak the almonds and dates overnight, then drain. (This makes them more digestible, but is not required.)
  • In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a low boil. Add the herbs and spice and whisk.
  • Pour the milk mixture into a blender, add the almonds and dates, and blend on high for 30-60 seconds, until completely smooth.
  • Enjoy with your lover (or inner lover 😉)
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What It Means to Get ‘Juicy’ and Why You Should Try It

By Crystal Hoshaw

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A few things might come to mind when you hear the word juicy, but I’m not talking about couture or the Notorious B.I.G. 

Getting juicy doesn’t have anything to do with squeezing into a velour tracksuit or sporting curves like the Kardashians. 

It’s an inside-out affair that has to do with every layer of the self, from the subtle to the most physical. In fact, being juicy is one of the telltale signs of radiant, whole-person health.

So what does it really mean? In simplified terms, being juicy refers to lubrication. 

So much of the body depends on lubrication for optimum health, from the joints to the mouth to the eyes to the sexual organs. 

On a more microscopic level, the skin relies on lubrication in the form of collagen—a protein—and ceramides, a fat necessary to protect the skin from the elements as well as pathogens.

Plus, there’s even an emotional element to lubrication, if metaphorical. Think bouncing back from difficult emotions, resilience in hard times, or letting things roll off you like a big rubber raincoat.

The best way to think about the type of lubrication I’m talking about is to picture a big, juicy grape. Then compare it to a raisin. The raisin is dried up and shriveled, and doesn’t contain nearly the same amount of water as the grape. 

When it comes to wellness, we’re going for the grape.

Giving juiciness a name: Ojas

While there’s no equivalent for this type of all-encompassing lubrication in Western medicine, there is a name for it in Ayurveda: ojas. 

Sometimes translated as “vital fluids,” ojas is the juicy quality that makes life feel abundant, insulates us from the cold, and acts as a pathway for pleasure. 

Without it, life is dull, dry, brittle, and tight. It not only lacks hydration—it lacks flexibility, adaptability, and that je ne sais quoi, in-the-flow vibe that brings about joy. 

The lubrication that ojas provides is also responsible for immunity, as ojas feeds the mucous membranes and ceramides layer that are integral in keeping out infection.

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Physical effects of low ojas

When it comes to the physical body, there are several physical symptoms that may point to a lack of ojas:

  • dry skin and lips
  • brittle hair and nails
  • scanty sweating
  • dry mucous membranes
  • premature wrinkles
  • reduced immunity
  • vaginal dryness

An extreme lack of ojas can actually affect the nervous system and the cerebrospinal fluid, which provides nutrients to and protects the brain and spine. 

The nerves themselves are wrapped in a layer of myelin, a plasma membrane that helps protect them and contains the electrical impulses they carry. 

Without myelin, the nerves can become like livewires, which can be the beginning of a number of neurodegenerative disorders. 

 

Psychological effects of low ojas

Since ojas impacts the nerves, brain, and spine, it may not come as a surprise that the juiciness of ojas—or lack thereof—can affect the emotions as well. 

Psychological effects of low ojas can include:

  • insecurity
  • anxiety
  • paranoia
  • feeling ungrounded
  • feeling unsafe, or like you don’t belong
  • fatigue and tiredness
  • brain fog and poor memory

Needless to say, ojas is a must on both a physical and psycho-emotional level. 

When it comes down to it, ojas could be considered the closest physiological correlate to self-love. As such, it’s the core as well as the byproduct of a healthy wellness routine that’s focused on deep well-being. 

In other words, ojas is the refined essence of life that makes us feel like we’re wrapped in a big, warm, protective hug.

How to get juicy from the inside out

Now you know how essential ojas is for feeling your best, inside and out. Here’s how to dive into juiciness in every aspect of life. 

Focus on the sweet

While diet culture so often tells us to shun sweet things, ojas relies on sweetness to grow and flourish. 

However, sweetness doesn’t just come from sugary foods like cookies and cake. There are a whole host of things that can bring sweetness into your life, like:

  • a tender hug from a loved one
  • giving yourself a slow, sensual massage
  • a heart-to-heart chat with a dear friend
  • a cozy cuddle-up with a warm blanket, a tea, and a good book
  • listening to uplifting, inspiring music
  • surrounding yourself with colors that energize you
  • placing fresh plants or flowers throughout your space
  • eating your favorite comfort foods (especially when cooked with love!)

When you reframe sweet to encompass more than just the tub of ice cream in the freezer, you can start to meet your craving for sweet from other places. 

It doesn’t mean you have to skip the sweet foods—it’s just a way to expand where you get your sweetness from. 

The bottom line is that when you crave sweet, it’s often a deeper craving than the desire for sugar. It often speaks to a more subconscious desire for:

  • rest
  • calm
  • love
  • affection
  • tenderness
  • softness
  • a sense that you’re safe, held, and belong

By regularly and intentionally giving yourself the sweetness you crave in a variety of ways, you can reduce your dependence on any single source. 

This can do wonders for the quality of your diet just as much as it can for the quality of your relationships! 

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Take hydration to the next level

If getting juicy is the opposite of feeling dried out, then hydration can help you get there. 

Hydration can happen on so many levels, from getting enough water to using your favorite moisturizer.

Here are some quick tips for getting deeply hydrated:

  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Add sea salt or trace minerals to your water.
  • Eat healthy fats like ghee and avocado oil.
  • Keep your skin barrier happy and protected with oils and moisturizers.

How much water is “plenty?” About half to one ounce per pound of body weight, according to Penn Medicine.

Salt and trace minerals can help add back important macro and micro minerals to the body. These are important for a number of reasons, including:

  • cardiovascular health
  • bone and skeletal tissue health
  • cell metabolism
  • maintaining pH balance
  • regulating nerve and muscle function

They also contain important electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium that support healthy hydration by affecting the amount of water your body retains.

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Make fat your friend

As mentioned above, healthy fat is one way to moisturize the body from the inside out. Adding healthy fats to your diet ensures your tissues are getting enough lubrication (read: juiciness). 

According to a 2021 review, omega−3 fatty acids can protect against metabolic disorders and chronic disease by increasing α-linolenic acid (ALA) in the diet. 

There are a number of great dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including:

  • walnuts
  • edamame
  • beans
  • chia seeds
  • hemp seeds
  • flax seeds
  • tofu
  • seaweed
  • fish like salmon, mackerel, and anchovies
  • MCT oil

Of course, you can always add an omega-3 supplement to your diet too. 

According to Ayurveda, ghee, or clarified butter, is considered an ideal healthy fat that’s used in cooking as well as body care. 

Along with being high in omega-3’s, ghee is a great source of butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid that may help reduce inflammation and support digestive health. It’s also high in antioxidants and fat soluble vitamins.

Healthy fats are incredibly beneficial for the health of a number of body systems, but it’s still important to maintain balance in your fat intake.

Moisturizing 3.0

You may know that moisturizing is essential for skin health, but there’s so much more to moisturizing than just applying lotion or serum.

Ayurveda recommends self-massage with oil, also known as Abhyanga, on the daily. 

This practice is incredibly soothing and relaxing when done with patience, presence, and care. It also often involves medicated oils or ghees that are deeply nourishing to the skin. 

These oils may also include herbal blends for encouraging specific health outcomes, and can be warmed to help open the pores for increased absorption. 

Applying warm oil to the entire body from head to toe each day is a wonderful way to send a signal to your body that it’s loved, nourished, and cared for. 

It’s also a sure-fire way to up your juiciness. 

The takeaway

Getting juicy goes beyond the surface level. It’s about bringing on the ooey-gooey love into every aspect of your health, from your emotions to your diet to your skin. 

With a few simple lifestyle habits, you can be dripping with juiciness—in other words, glowing with self-love from the inside out.

Sources:

Ahmad R. (2015). How Much Water Do You Need Each Day?. https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2015/may/how-much-water-do-you-need-each-day

Bali S, et al. (2019). Ghee: the much maligned cooking medium, now slowly reclaiming its

therapeutic reputation. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sharadendu-Bali/publication/356498949_Ghee_-_The_Cooking_Medium_for_Good_Health/links/631d8079071ea12e3624b02a/Ghee-The-Cooking-Medium-for-Good-Health.pdf

Borycka-Kiciak K, et al. (2017). Butyric acid – a well-known molecule revisited. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5497138/

Chycki J, et al. (2017). The effect of mineral-based alkaline water on hydration status and the metabolic response to short-term anaerobic exercise. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5676322/

Gaffney-Stomberg E. (2018). The Impact of Trace Minerals on Bone Metabolism. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-018-1583-8

Han F, et al. (2019). Neuroinflammation and Myelin Status in Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, and Normal Aging Brains: A Small Sample Study. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/pd/2019/7975407/

Kumar Saini K, et al. (2021). Omega−3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs): Emerging Plant and Microbial Sources, Oxidative Stability, Bioavailability, and Health Benefits—A Review. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/10/10/1627

Mohammadifard N, et al. (2017). Trace minerals intake: Risks and benefits for cardiovascular health. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2017.1406332

Morell P, et al. (n.d.). The Myelin Sheath. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27954/

About Crystal

Crystal Hoshaw has been a student of yoga since 2004 and a student of Ayurveda since 2007. She earned her Ayurvedic Wellness Coach certification from The Shakti School after years of on-site study in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Thailand. She marries her knowledge of Ayurveda, mindfulness, and yogic philosophy through coaching and courses at www.simplewildfree.com. You can also find her on Instagram. 

 

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Tips for Autumn Thriving and Lovin’ on Your Liver

Just… WHEW! As we shift from summer’s on-the-go intensity to the calmer, more introspective winter months, let’s pause and take a cleansing breath, shall we? 🙏🙏🙏

Change is in the air, and we’re in that blurry space between summer and fall. During this time of flux, you might experience Mamma Earth’s seasonal changes in yourself: dry leaves = dry skin; windy weather = gassy belly; swirling, erratic leaves = scattered mind; naked trees = raw, exposed feelings. ⚡POW!⚡

Repeat after me: Grounding. Warming. Routine. Release. That’s my autumn mantra for vata-balancing goodness. 

⭐Grounding: Rather than maintaining the activity of summer, now’s the time to slow down and adopt different rhythms. Savor simplicity and cultivate balance in the stillness. Stabilize your mind with rhythmic breathing and leave space in your day to rest and reflect. During your yoga practice, try less postures with longer breaths. 

⭐Warming: Introduce vata-based nutrition: root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and beets; soups and broths; and late-summer harvested apples and pears. Lube your skin with oil massages, take a bath with ginger powder and use warming essential oils like geranium, mahanarayan and vetiver.

⭐Routine: Make conscious effort to stick to your daily routines of sleep, work, exercise and eating. Routine is always a good idea, especially during fall when erratic vata can knock you off balance. 

⭐Release: Autumn invites time to pause and reflect on what is holding you back from reaching your life’s true dharma and purpose. Just as the leaves eventually release and let go this season, YOU TOO can release what is not serving you. ❤️

Cleanse Your Liver with Ease this Fall

 ~give your liver some lovin’~

Summer Blog

Ode to the liver! As our body’s primary detoxifying powerhouse, we want to keep our livers in tip-top shape. 🎺Enter a liver detox!🎺 Before vata can take over this fall, help your body get rid of old pitta heat accumulated over the summer. A simple liver detox will help you restore and enhance liver functionality, boost your immune system and prep your body for the winter ahead. 

✨Limit caffeine, alcohol, sugar and dairy and swap excess fats and proteins for more vegetables, bitter greens, aloe vera, rice and berries. 

✨Eat lighter, smaller portions (broth-based soups are great!) Steam or lightly saute your foods.

✨Prioritize your Zzzzz’s. Liver detoxification happens during sleeping hours.

✨Your liver is a hotpot of emotions. Quiet your mind with meditation, pranayama and yoga.

✨Add herbs that support a liver cleanse: bhumyamalaki, kutki, guduchi, amla + turmeric.

✨Cleanse your colon. Yes, really. Your colon is home to the vata dosha and a therapeutic enema (basti) can be a powerful step in cleansing toxins and buildup.

✨If you’re seeking a more in-depth, traditional Ayurvedic cleanse this fall, get started with Katie’s kitchari recipe!

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According to the Vedas (the spiritual root texts o According to the Vedas (the spiritual root texts of Ayurveda), your soul has four goals or desires, which the texts call the purusharthas, “that which is for the purpose of the soul.” The Ayurvedic tradition takes these four core human motivations and gives us permission to enjoy and pursue them, while not becoming overly attached to any of them. ⁠
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In this way, we can enjoy pleasure, seek success and purpose, strive for material gain and seek out the practices and mentors that will teach us how to live a more integrated, enlightened, soulful life. ⁠
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By no means will this quick overview do justice to the complex tapestry of what these four motivators are or how we can succeed in their fulfillment, but it will offer a little peek at the four aims that are paramount to our sense of total health and happiness.⁠
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Are you ready to dive deeper into Vedic philosophy and Divine Feminine Ayurveda?⁠
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If this philosophy is lighting you up, you’re gonna’ love our free course, Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda. Comment WISDOM below to get instant access to the 3+ hour video series now!
🚨Only 5 bonus gift spots left! → The doors ar 🚨Only 5 bonus gift spots left! → The doors are open for our 2026 Ayurvedic Wellness Coach Certification - and we have already welcomed several of you ladies into this upcoming Level 1 Year! 🌹🎉⁠
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If you know in your bones that 2026 is your year for heart-centered community, deepening your Ayurveda wisdom and evolving your own spiritual growth, now’s the time, ‘cause…⁠
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Y’all are registering so fast that there are only 5 spots left to claim this free $200 gift, so if you know you’re in for 2026, don’t wait.⁠
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This training is more than just learning Ayurveda - it’s a spiritual homecoming. ⁠
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If you’re ready to walk that path with us, be one of the next 5 women to join us in 2026 Level 1 Ayurveda School and I’m personally sending you all of your course books + your beautiful manual as a special love-gift. 🎁
One of the keys to good digestion in Ayurveda is k One of the keys to good digestion in Ayurveda is keeping things SIMPLE. Less complicated meals give our digestive fire a chance to rest and truly metabolize the fuel we’re feeding the fire. ⁠
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Peas are light, astringent and slightly drying—aka they help balance kapha’s natural heaviness and tendency to hold onto all the things (mucus, water, emotional clutter... you name it). Plus, they're packed with protein and fiber without being overly dense.⁠
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On top of that, soup is basically kapha’s best friend. It’s warm, light AND easy to digest. Broth and veggie-based soups are the perfect go-to option for spring dinners that aren’t too heavy! Enjoy! 🌿
When the Universe sends you a gentle nudge to grow When the Universe sends you a gentle nudge to grow and you respond by eating four too many cookies and texting your ex. 📞🍪✨ (We’ve all been there 😉.) Sometimes chaos is just a part of the human curriculum - we’re all beginners in this weird and beautiful school of life.
Ayurveda is a means for uncovering the truth of yo Ayurveda is a means for uncovering the truth of your Soul.⁠
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Quick reminder that this practice is not only about achieving a state of perfect health, getting rid of all your wrinkles or even getting the perfect poo. 💩 The reason that we strive to honor our health, to put IN that which is nourishing to our bodies and to reduce our “ama-generating” habits is so that we can begin to hear the soul’s whisper become clearer and clearer.⁠
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Yes, we could all probably use a two-week Panchakarma (it’s true!), but sometimes, the best thing we can do for our health is to go outside, let the sun wash over our face and get quiet enough to remember our inner knowing for just a few moments.

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