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Podcast

Ep. 163 The Deepest Meaning of Ayurveda with Sandhiya Ramaswamy

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According to Katie, this is her favorite episode ever! This week, Katie chats with Ayurvedic Practitioner and beloved Shakti Ayurveda School teacher, Sandhiya Ramaswamy. Their conversation goes way beyond the typical nutrition and lifestyle tips into deeper spiritual concepts of Ayurveda and Tantra such as Sadhana and Swastha. Did you know the way you eat your food is the way you make love? 

Join Sandhiya and Katie for a love-filled conversation about duality, ego, joy, ancestral medicine and how to stay mindful and present in a world of social media and breaking news.

In this episode you’ll hear: 

~ Level 1 Ayurveda School is open for registration! Join now and begin a deep soul-journey in January with incredible teachers like Katie and Sandhiya

~ How Sandhiya went from stressed-out corporate life to Ayurvedic healer

~ Sandhiya’s #1 Ayurvedic lifestyle tip

~ What does reclaiming our root healing traditions look like?

~ Why food is the primary medicine in Ayurveda

~ What are Sadhana and Swastha?

~ How to be established and centered in your divine self

~ Why Ayurveda is community healing

~ How to banish Ayurveda guilt

~ Katie’s new book, Glow-Worthy: Practices for Awakening Your Inner Light and Loving Yourself as You Are—Broken, Beautiful, and Sacred is available now!

Other links mentioned in this episode:

~ Connect with Sandhiya on her website, Instagram and Facebook

~ To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings by John O'Donohue

~ When Things Fall Apart book by Pema Chödrön

Or Subscribe on iTunes

Learn more:

Ayurveda Certification

The Shakti School Subscription

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The nervous system is the sacred home of Vata dosh The nervous system is the sacred home of Vata dosha - the energy of movement, change and communication within the body. When Vata is balanced, prana (life force) flows freely and we feel calm, creative and centered. But when life moves too fast (like too much screen time, coffee, cold food, rushing or stress) Vata becomes disturbed, and the nervous system forgets how to rest.⁠
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This is when we feel anxious, ungrounded or exhausted—living from the sympathetic (fight/flight) side of the nervous system instead of our parasympathetic (rest/digest) home base. ⁠
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Ayurveda offers simple, embodied ways to bring Vata and the nervous system back into balance through food, breath, movement and lifestyle routines.⁠
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Join me for a free live webinar: Healing the Nervous System with Somatic Ayurveda, where you’ll learn how to reduce Vata and restore calm through body, breath, herbs and feminine-form practices.⁠
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💛 Comment SOMATIC below to get the link to join us for this free live class.
When I lost my home in a fire, there was one simpl When I lost my home in a fire, there was one simple breath practice that absolutely saved me. This breath practice helps us move the heavy energy of grief through our body instead of holding it inside. 

Grief lives in the lungs according to Ayurveda, and this one powerful way to start moving that energy right now.

I’ll be teaching the full practice in our FREE class next Tuesday, Nov. 11th at 11am ET—Healing the Nervous System with Somatic Ayurveda.

Comment SOMATIC for the link to register. 🌬️💗
Ayurveda sees each phase of the menstrual cycle as Ayurveda sees each phase of the menstrual cycle as a unique expression of energy, emotion and physiology. 🌙

During your menstrual and follicular phases, your body is calling for grounding and rebuilding. 

Think: ghee, sea salt, olives, nut butters and omega-3 rich foods (or fish oil). Add in sweet and mineral-rich tastes like maple syrup, miso and shatavari to restore vitality and replenish ojas—your body’s deep reserves of vitality and strength.

As you shift into your ovulatory and luteal phases, focus on gentle detox and calm. Herbs like aloe, ashwagandha, gotu kola and lady’s mantle help balance hormones and the nervous system. Add warming spices like ginger and turmeric, while raw honey and mint can help keep your energy steady and heart open.

Ayurveda teaches us that when we eat with our cycle, we return to harmony with nature itself. 🌿

✨ Ready to go deeper into Feminine-Form Ayurveda and learn how to calm your nervous system through food, breath and movement? Join our free upcoming class Healing the Nervous System with Somatic Ayurveda. Comment SOMATIC for the link to join us!
As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, the air + ether elements continue to bring cold, dry and mobile qualities that can leave us depleted if we don’t stay nourished. We balance these autumn qualities with warmth, oiliness and sweetness.

(If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, reverse it! Think cooling + lightening foods to balance the seasonal heat.)

Here are some cozy Ayurvedic allies for November:

🌿 Mulled cider: Aromatic spices like cinnamon, clove and orange peel warm the air and soothe the senses.

🧅 Leeks: Gentle on digestion, great for gut health and pacify Vata with their sweetness and oiliness.

🥩 Grass-fed beef: Replenishes strength and ojas (vital energy) when eaten in moderation and with adequate agni.

🌼 Golden milk: Anti-inflammatory, grounding and perfect for sleep and nervous system calm.

🍒 Cranberry sauce: Astringent yet rejuvenating for rasa dhatu (body’s fluids); balances rich foods.

🥣 Soaked + spiced porridge: Builds warmth and steady energy; balances dryness and irregular appetite.

🌰 Nutmeg: A sleep tonic and digestive soother that grounds excess movement in the mind.

🌿 Licorice root: Moistening and rejuvenating for the lungs and adrenals; supports emotional balance.

🍯 Raw honey: A rasayana (rejuvenative) that boosts immunity when used in moderation.

💜 Fresh figs: Gently laxative and nourishing; build ojas while supporting healthy elimination.

🌿 Ashwagandha: Builds resilience, calms anxiety and restores nervous system vitality.

🍊 Persimmons: Moistening and sweet; harmonize digestion and bring beauty to the skin.

🎃 Winter squashes: Earthy, sweet, grounding and easy to digest.

🫖 Cumin, coriander + fennel tea: Supports digestion, detox and internal warmth.

💧 Warm water: The simplest Ayurvedic remedy for kindling agni (digestive fire).

🍯 Date syrup: Iron-rich and deeply strengthening; balances Vata’s depletion and supports the blood.

💛 Want to learn more about calming your nervous system through Ayurvedic nutrition, breath and somatic tools?

Join us for our free upcoming class, Healing the Nervous System: Somatic Ayurveda.

Comment SOMATIC for the link to save your spot. 🌬️
Pumpkin is one of Ayurveda’s most grounding and Pumpkin is one of Ayurveda’s most grounding and nourishing autumn foods—sweet, soft and soothing to both Vata and Pitta. 🍂 It strengthens digestion, helps calms the nervous system and reminds us that nourishment can be both delicious and deeply healing.⁠
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🥧 Comment PIE below to get our Plant-Based Pumpkin Pie recipe and bring both nourishment AND sweetness to your holiday table.

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