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Food, Herbs, Lifestyle

Curb Unhealthy Cravings

When I feel the chill of winter near, I start to dream of warm, foamy chocolate; hot toddies; and long, luscious sleep. And this is a good thing. Naturally, the fall and early winter season season beg for more heaviness and warmth in both the foods we eat and in our lifestyle routines. The downside of this season is that it is also a time for overindulgence and strong cravings, especially when we couple the cold weather with the stressors of the holiday rush.

One of my favorite Ayurvedic authors, Dr. Robert Svoboda, says, “If Ayurveda were a religion, Nature would be her god, and overindulgence would be her only sin.” And I’ve definitely experienced my fair share of “sinning.” But the good news is that in the world of Ayurveda, there is no need for guilt and atonement when it comes to working with overindulgence and taming our cravings. In fact, it requires a heavy dose of self-awareness and self-compassion. All of us, to a certain extent, use substances (particularly food) to effect our mood and mind. And according to Ayurveda, when we lack self-awareness, we will actually choose the very foods that will bring us into deeper states of imbalance. Oh my!

So, those of us with more vata will crave energy-boosting sweet tastes for that instant energetic high—and a subsequent energy crash. Similarly, fiery pitta types will typically crave meat and spicy foods that create more heat and intensity in the short-run, but can lead to more internal inflammation over time. Kapha types will lean toward heavy fried foods or sweets—comfort food—that lead to more lethargy and dullness.

So how can we turn our body’s cravings into body wisdom? The first step is awareness. Start to notice the foods that you crave when you feel awesome and balanced. When you feel good, you will probably be choosing foods that make you feel even better! Then, notice the foods you choose when you are sad, angry, exhausted, or just plain stressed out. These are usually the foods that will be more harmful for your constitution. Easy peasy. The foods you crave when  you feel great are the ones that fuel you in a good way. The ones you crave when you feel bad, they’re the harmful ones.

There is a really powerful moment in time when we can move from an old pattern (overindulgence with food, shopping, media, sex—anything!) to a new pattern. Once you have connected with self-awareness, notice what you are craving. Take the time to check in and ask yourself, “What do I really need? Would moving in a different direction than my habitual pattern actually allow me to feel better tomorrow?” When we can shift the pattern, we release ourselves from the pains of addiction, and we free up energy to move toward our life goals and our spiritual journey.

How? Well, you can start small. Give a little of the poison. If your body/mind is used to getting a few glasses of wine or a big bowl of ice cream each night, simply taking it away from yourself can be like ripping a bottle out of a baby’s mouth! Try reducing the amount of what you deem to be an addictive or unhealthy substance by one-third each week.

You can also replace the substance with something else. For example, instead of too much alcohol, try a hot ginger-spiced milk and a long, essential-oil infused bath. Your body/mind may not even notice the ol’ swaperoo! Be compassionate with yourself. No one, especially not you, is served through harsh self-judgement. Sometimes we all indulge our unhealthy cravings. If we can indulge with awareness and moderation, the effects are usually quite benign.

So, practice self-compassion when you overindulge in dark chocolate, Facebook, or pizza. Put your hand on your own heart and say silently or aloud, “Oh, look, my darling, you just overindulged in (fill-in-the-blank). You must be really tired (sad, angry, lonely, etc.).”

I have found that the more I connect to this process, the less I actually use substances to shift my moods and energy levels. I also experience tiny miracles popping up all throughout my daily life as self-awareness turns into self-compassion. And who doesn’t need a big ol’ oversized helping of that?

~Katie

This article was originally published on the Yoga Journal blog on November 7, 2013.

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We are beyond excited to share this incredibly spe We are beyond excited to share this incredibly special gift with you….⁣
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Introducing….⁣
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✨The Glow-Worthy Meditations ✨⁣
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(Yeah, we were gonna wait to give these to you til the Morning of Glow workshop on Tuesday but WE JUST COULDN’T keep it in!!!!)⁣
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But you should still DEF come because that’s gonna be the very first time we steep in the Glow-Worthy energy together!!⁣
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This coming Tuesday 10/3 at 10am ET we’re throwing a Morning of Glow virtual workshop where we’re gonna be practicing some of the embodiment energy meditations from the book! Presence🧘🏽‍♀️ + Love💗 = Glow✨✨✨⁣
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 ✨2 FREE SPOTS TO LEVEL 1 AYURVEDA SCHOOL! Bring your bestie who also wants IN on Level 1 Ayurveda school and stay for the whole event where the winners will be announced! (Plus you’ll get all the books for class) ⁣
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Don’t worry Level 2 babes, you can still win all the other stuff! 👇🏼⁣
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✨3 WINNERS will get Katie’s Winter Skin and Sleep Kit ⁣
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✨EVERYONE! Katie’s Fall Recipe FAVES E-book⁣
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I mean are you as EXCITED as we are!!? Let us know and tag your BFF who you’re coming with❤️⁣
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How to join Morning of Glow: go to our link in bio and sign up for our email list. We’ll be sending out the zoom link to EVERYONE on our list, so mark your calendar for Tuesday 10/3 at 10am ET and then keep an eye out for the link! 💌⁣
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Get the Glow Meditations NOW at the link in bio🤍
Here’s ALL the deets for the *very exciting* eve Here’s ALL the deets for the *very exciting* events that we have coming up! (You’re gonna wanna save this post or send as an invite to your bestie)👯‍♀️⁣⁣
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➡️How to join: click the link in bio to register⁣⁣
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✨MORNING OF GLOW VIRTUAL WORKSHOP *PARTY!* (+ giveaway) ✨(also FREE!)⁣⁣
Tuesday, Oct 3 // 10am-12pm ET⁣⁣
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Part Oprah-style giveaway & part creativity workshop, we’re gonna be celebrating the heck out of my new book and we’re giving away TWO spots to Ayurveda school Level 1 plus other amazing goodies!⁣⁣
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➡️How to join: click the link in bio to sign up for our EMAIL LIST *we will be sending out the zoom link to EVERYONE on our list* so keep an eye on your inbox.⁣⁣
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Thursday, Oct 5 // 10am-12pm ET *First Book Club Session!*⁣⁣
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We are doing a deep dive for the next YEAR inside of our members-only portal and 10/5 is the first session! I’ll be taking you chapter by chapter through Glow-Worthy and steeping you in the embodiment of the Glow-Worthy way.⁣⁣
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➡️How to join: Current Spirit Sessions members, you’re already in! Not a current Shakti School Subscription member? Go to the link in bio & click “The Shakti School Subscription” to join us.⁣⁣
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Friday, Oct 6 @ 5:30pm ET at @common__house 
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Come hang with us @djcopavida & the team at @bluebirdbookstop in Charlottesville, VA to celebrate the launch of this book baby! We’re gonna get groovy on the dancefloor (but still be in bed by 9:30pm🙌🏼🙌🏼)⁣⁣
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➡️How to join: email us at info@theshaktischool.com to tell us you’re coming or just pop by - no RSVP necessary!⁣⁣
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Oh & one more thing… October is the LAST month of early bird pricing on Level 1 Ayurveda School (savings of $500+) so come to one (or all) of these events to check us out so you can get a feel for our program & sign up before the end of October!
🤓😂 Pretty much! :) 🩵 thanks @punk_history 🤓😂 Pretty much! :) 🩵 thanks @punk_history
Finished the free audio meditations from the book Finished the free audio meditations from the book this morning! Ok, I am officially DONE with the book and ready to party/play. Make sure to get on our mailing list to be the first to get FIFTEEN audio energy and body-based practices! 🦄🌈💡✨link in the bio

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