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Lifestyle, Spirit

Dr. Claudia on Using Love, Focus, and a Morning Practice To Re-pattern Our Energy

I am so delighted to share this love note and contribution to the Healthy, Happy, Sexy bonuses from Dr. Claudia Welch, my all-time fave Ayurveda Trailblazer.

Dear Katie,

I hope this finds you well, and send my congratulations on your book, and best wishes for your endeavors. May your work inspire many to good changes and kind hearts.
in Love,
CW

Using Love, Focus, and a Morning Practice To Re-pattern the Pranamayakosha

The Pranamayakosha

Prana. We hear about it in yoga classes and discussed in hushed, milk-of-magnesia tones, and often relegate it either to that place in our brains where woo-woo garbage goes, or to some high level position—too lofty or esoteric to be attained or understood by any but the most advanced and practiced yogis. Either way, many of us may have never actually consciously experienced prana—often translated as, “life force,” as a tangible substance or experience.

But it is indeed a tangible force, and we can begin to feel and experience it if we turn our attention from our external environments to the subtle sensations that pervade the space our bodies occupy. These sensations include variations in temperature, feelings of heaviness, hollowness, tightness, stickiness, and variations in the direction, gait, and pace of movement in different areas. We may even sense colors associated with different parts of this internal space. As we become more attuned to paying attention to our internal environment, our internal sensory apparatus becomes more refined. Our internal sensory apparatus allows us to see inside our bodies without aid of our external eyes, feel inside without nerve endings, hear inside without the aid of our external ears, even smell or taste what is inside without the aid of external organs.

With an even moderately refined ability to “turn on” our internal sensory apparatus, we can feel sensations and impressions, not only in the space our bodies occupy, but also in the space extending some inches or feet beyond the boundary of our skin. When we feel and experience these sensations, we are feeling prana. The combined field of prana that pervades our body, and extends some measure beyond, is called the pranamayakosha. This is our prana body, and it pays to become familiar with it.

Prana has a distinct feeling when it is unobstructed and flowing smoothly. Though invisible, at least to most of us, it does not feel empty. When it is flowing smoothly, it feels warm, full, and homogenous. To imagine what an unobstructed pranamayakosha feels like, imagine being in a comfortably warm bath of water that surrounds and permeates you—a porous version of you, and in which you can breathe. Like being a fish in water.

Only when the flow of prana is obstructed or constricted, do we feel lumpy, choppy, sticky, tight, black or hollow-feeling areas in the pranamayakosha. It is a sad truth that prana will not flow in the face of tension (or in the neck, back or legs of tension either, I’m afraid). Sad, because most of us hold some tension somewhere in our bodies, and that tension constricts the flow of prana.

There is a pithy saying in Chinese medicine that says, “Xue follows Qi.” If we translate this into terms and ideas related to Ayurveda and Yoga, we could say that the blood and other dhatus (tissues) of the body coalesce around whatever prana is doing. If prana is flowing smoothly, blood will flow smoothly and the bodily tissues, organs and systems will be well nourished by prana and blood. When the flow of prana is constricted or obstructed, blood flow also slows and our tissues, organs and systems suffer either from malnutrition, or stagnation.

If we are interested in irrigating our tissues and organs with energy and blood, it is useful first to dissolve or remove whatever may be constricting or obstructing prana.

What constricts or obstructs the flow of prana? Acute or chronic tension or stagnation. Tension constricts, and stagnation blocks a flow. Either way, the flow of prana is obstructed. Obstruction may be temporary, like when we are briefly shocked or scared, or it may be long standing, like when we have chronic anxiety, injury, tension or physical or emotional pain.

In my experience, most effective, non-surgical techniques for dissolving obstructions in the pranamayakosha, involve a combination of love and focus.

Love Makes Us Receptive To Change

Almost every time my guru would put his students into meditation, he would say to do our practices lovingly, without thinking of them as a burden. He said this so often that I stopped hearing him. His words almost ceased to mean anything to me. Until I was studying hormones and ran across this interesting fact: When we are in love, the hormone oxytocin increases. When oxytocin increases, it makes our brains more receptive to the creation of new neural pathways. And that comes in handy when we’re trying to meditate and transform our thought patterns and perceptions.

When behavior is either strong, or repeated enough times, the resulting patterns become set, like cement hardening over time, memorializing whatever impressions were imprinted when it was new and wet. Some obstructions in our pranamayakoshas may have been planted in early childhood. Or we may have repeated behavior—consciously or unconsciously—throughout our life that has constricted prana in certain areas of our body.

Our brains and pranamayakoshas are intimately connected. When one is softened, the other softens. When oxytocin levels increase, it acts as a softening serum for the cemented patterns in the matrix of the pranamayakosha, as well as the brain, so we may more easily clear impressions and obstructions.

This is why it is helpful to do pranayama—techniques that affect the pranamayakosha—in an attitude of love.

Naturally, there may be mornings we don’t feel like doing our practices, and it might be hard to get to Love. When I feel this way, I find I can sometimes more easily find my way to gratitude. Even being grateful for a nice fragrance, sound, vision, or the fact that I just had the privilege of sleeping in a warm, dry place, or gratitude for the fact that I will likely be able to enjoy a particularly nice cup of tea or type of jam after my practice—gratitude is gratitude, and gratitude for any one of these small things is enough to get gratitude flowing in my veins. And, to me, the feeling of gratitude irrigating my consciousness feels similar to the experience of Love. In either case, I feel more receptive to change.

Focus Creates Change

Prana follows focus. Once love or gratitude has softened the matrix of the mind and pranamayakosha, we can employ focus, first to dissolve obstructions, and then, if desired, as a tool to etch new patterns into that now oxytocin-softened matrix.

There are many techniques that have been developed that serve to move and cultivate healthy prana. As long as they work, any of them are good. I often share a technique I have found effective to dissolve obstructions in the pranamayakosha. [This technique is described in the “Dissolving Obstructions” track on Dr. Welch’s “Prana” cd.] It involves cultivating a loving mood, visualizing the pranamayakosha and using focus and breath to dissolve obstructions.

Getting rid of patterns and pockets of obstruction in the pranamayakosha can happen instantaneously, but keeping the prana flowing smoothly requires practice and attention. It is helpful to practice throughout the day, but especially to devote some time every morning. Early morning is to the twenty-four hour period of a day, as birth is to a lifespan.

The Transformative Potential of a Morning Practice

Each morning we have a little window into a kind of energy present at the beginning of life, and we have the potential to set or reinforce new patterns for the day ahead. We know from science that what we do and experience in infancy and early life shapes our experience in the rest of our lives, and so it is with early morning shaping our experience from day to day. And if our days change, our lives change.

With love, focus, and practice—especially in the early morning, it may even be possible to shift old patterns that originated in trauma in our own birth, infancy or early childhood.

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TheShaktiSchool

The week before your period can also mean ICKY SYM The week before your period can also mean ICKY SYMPTOMS like bloating, headaches, fatigue, sore boobies & breakouts. Ayurveda teaches that this is often linked to imbalances in hormones (hello estrogen dominance?), ama buildup (that’s toxins), nutrient depletion and stress overload. That’s why food—and herbs—are your best allies in this phase.⁠
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Enter: the ultimate hormone-balancing, PMS-soothing treats you can imagine.  Made with cacao, dates, oats, Ayurvedic herbs (Ashwagandha, Shatavari), Maca, spices and mineral rich ingredients, these recipes are your new period BFFs.⁠
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In these recipes you’ll find ingredients like:⁠
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🍫 Cacao + oats, which are loaded with magnesium—your PMS bestie for easing cramps, stabilizing mood, calming the nervous system & boosting progesterone.⁠
🌿 Ashwagandha helps calm stress + anxiety.⁠
🌸 Shatavari supports female hormones + cycles.⁠
🌱 Maca gives an energy + mood boost.⁠
🧡 Spices like cinnamon, cardamom & fennel aid digestion + circulation.⁠
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If you’re looking to reduce PMS, support your hormones and satisfy your chocolate cravings in the luteal phase—this recipe bundle is your go-to. Swipe right to see everything you’re gonna receive. ⁠
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Want the full recipes? We’re sending them out in our newsletter this week. ⁠
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Comment “HORMONE LOVE” + I’ll DM you the next steps to get added to our list.
In Ayurveda, Agni is more than your digestion. Ag In Ayurveda, Agni is more than your digestion.

Agni is the sacred fire that transforms what you take in from the outside world into vitality, clarity and wisdom.

When your Agni is strong, you don’t just break down food with ease - you metabolize emotions, challenges and life changes. You have the power to burn through confusion, soften your defenses and transform what’s stuck or hard into insight and freedom.

Old hurts lose their grip.
Confusion burns away, revealing truth.
The “stuck places” in your body and psyche soften, making space for more.

Agni is not just a physiological process…it’s foundational to our psychological and spiritual vitality.

When you tend your sacred fire, you feel more grounded and resilient in times of change.

You see clearly what needs to stay and what needs to be released.

It’s easier to connect to the part of you that is already whole and needs nothing added.

And here’s the beautiful paradox:

Tending Agni doesn’t have to be about doing more.

Removing what dims your inner flame (like outdated habits, stagnant emotions and the “shoulds” that never belonged to you) is one way that we can increase our agni-power.

This is the work we do at The Shakti School: this community is about holding you as you release what’s dimming your light and step into habits, spiritual practices and purpose-driven action that helps you burn brighter.

🪔  Are you ready to reawaken your inner fire? 

Comment WISDOM and I’ll send you our free Women’s Wisdom + Ayurveda mini-course. This course is an invitation to reclaim your power, cultivate your light and immerse yourself in Divine Feminine Ayurveda.
I’ve been on a deep dive into natural hormone su I’ve been on a deep dive into natural hormone support—because your mood swings, sleepless nights and that weird bloaty rage aren’t just "you being crazy." 😬⁠
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They’re signs your cool aunt hormone (aka progesterone) might be MIA.⁠
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But here’s the kicker: PROGESTERONE is super sensitive.⁠
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To stress. To blood sugar spikes. To liver congestion. To xenoestrogens. To basically being a modern woman. So, NO IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT YOUR HORMONES ARE WHACK. ⁠
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So what’s a gal to do?⁠
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Here’s what I’m loving lately to bring her back in:⁠
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🌿 Liver love: Your liver is the queen of hormone metabolism. I’m loving warm lemon water, dandelion root tea, nettles, dill-for-days (!) beets, milk thistle and castor oil packs over the womb & liver. Plus dry brushing and self-abhyanga with cooling oils like coconut, monoi and honeysuckle. ⁠
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🍳 Blood sugar balancing meals: Try more healthy fats, veggies and grassfed or vegetarian protein - like 80-90 grams a day! ⁠
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🌻 Vitamin B6 + magnesium + zinc: These are the micronutrient fairy godmothers of your luteal phase. (Hello, pumpkin seeds and dark chocolate.) Also, do not skimp on the dates! ⁠
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🌸 Shatavari, wild yam, maca and chasteberry (Vitex). These are our Ayurvedic and herbal allies for feminine hormone harmony. Make sure to check any contraindications, but I am mad about maca lately. ⁠
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🧘🏽‍♀️ Less cortisol, more calm. Daily meditation, alternate nostril breathing and saying no to anything that isn’t a soul yes.⁠
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The truth is, our hormonal systems are WISE.⁠
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They are mirrors of our relationship with our inner feminine.⁠
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This is exactly the kind of thing we go DEEP into in our Ayurveda School.⁠
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Our 2026 Level 1 Ayurveda Certification is now open for enrollment – and I want you to know:⁠
This isn’t just another health course.⁠
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It’s a portal to becoming the embodied healer you’ve been seeking.⁠
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🌺  Start reconnecting with your inner feminine right now. Comment WISDOM for our free Women’s Wisdom & Ayurveda 3+ hour lecture series with me. ⁠
⁠
Here’s to progesterone peace and liver love,⁠
Katie
New in-person workshop alert! Join us Sep. 21 at S New in-person workshop alert! Join us Sep. 21 at Santosha Yoga for The Pelvic Floor: Where Anatomy Meets Energy with Katie Silcox and Liz Reynolds.

When the pelvis is tight and weak, the entire neuromusculature and energy system is tight and weak.

Join us for this deep immersion on how you can get out of pelvis fight, flight, freeze cycles - deeply reconnecting with your body’s foundation  and reclaim your power—physically, emotionally and energetically.

This immersive workshop explores the pelvic floor as more than just a group of muscles—it’s the root of your stability, vitality and sacred feminine energy. Through a blend of movement, breathwork, education and guided meditations you’ll deepen your connection to this powerful center of  strength and intuition.

Whether you’re healing postpartum,  navigating cycles of fertility and peri/menopause, or simply seeking greater embodiment, Pelvic Alchemy offers a supportive space to release tension, cultivate awareness and invite transformation from the ground up.

What to expect:

• Gentle yoga-inspired floor work and Pilates-based movement for pelvic floor health
• Breathwork to release holding patterns and energize the root
• Anatomy education made accessible and empowering
• Guided meditation and visualization for deeply awakening awareness and the pelvic floor - allowing your entire nervous system to deeply REST AND RECEIVE

What you will leave with:

• A new awareness of your pelvic bowl — the seat of your feminine power, vitality and intuitive knowing.
• Deep somatic movement, fascia release and yogic postures specifically designed to unlock tension and stored emotion in the hips, sacrum and  womb space.
• Tantric & Ayurvedic Wisdom for the Feminine Body: an understanding of how ancient traditions view the pelvic region — as a portal to pleasure, physical health, power, creativity and deep  spiritual embodiment.
• Energetic Mapping of the Pelvis - the energetic  architecture of your pelvic floor, including chakra connections, nadis and the subtle body — helping you understand your body as an alchemical  temple.

Get the details now over on @santoshayogacrozet or at the link in our bio.
Often we try to chase our soul purpose, trying to Often we try to chase our soul purpose, trying to pin it down with a job title, a passion project or a perfect 5 year plan. 

But true purpose doesn’t come from your career path. 

It emerges from your sankalpa—a vow whispered by your heart, anchored in the deepest part of your being.

A sankalpa (in other words, a heart vow) isn’t about what you want to achieve or manifest. it’s about who you came here to be, no matter what unfolds.

Dive in deeper to remember the vow your heart came here to fulfill—in Ep. 215 of Spirit Sessions Podcast, I’ll break down:

🌹 What a Sankalpa actually is (and what it’s not)

🌹 Why goals and vision boards fall short without clarity around your heart’s deepest intention

🌹 How to uncover the vow your soul is already holding deep within

🌹 The sacred role of grief, fear and anger on the path of aligning with your soul’s purpose

🌹 Why your unique Sankalpa holds the seed of true healing + service in the world

Want to discover your real purpose? It all starts with your sankalpa.

🎧 Comment “215” below and we’ll DM you the link to the full podcast episode, Ep. 215 Sankalpa: The Magic of Finding Your Heart’s Deepest Intentions from Spirit Sessions Podcast.

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