The Shakti School

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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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Hot Girl Summer! ☀ Cool & Fun Tips to Stay Balanced this Season

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Isn’t summer just the best? Sandy toes👣 and sun-kissed glows☀️. Farmers’ markets and scents of jasmine, rose and honeysuckle wafting through the air. I don’t know about you, but I CRAVE summer – it means road trips, BBQs, outdoor concerts, barefoot walks and quality time with friends and friends. 

Full stop.

What I don’t crave is summer’s annoying skin rashes, hot flashes and indigestion, or feeling hangry, impatient and leave-me-alone frustrated. Sound familiar? Yeah, total hogwash! 

As fiery pitta 🔥 builds and the earth gets uncomfy, humid and hot, so do we! And, I don’t mean in a cute, “lightly flushed + glowing” way… No, I’m talking full-on hot, angry face. 🥵 So how do we keep pitta at bay and actually enjoy summertime? 

Easy! Ayurveda tells us how to cool our jets so we’re not walking around red-faced and moody all season – generally, stay hydrated, eat a summer diet and prioritize SELF-CARE. ((Good news! Ayurveda permits napping during the summer months! So allow yourself to take a conscious rest or siesta when the afternoon slump hits.))  

Hey, speaking of self-care, summer is the perfect time to unleash your sensual goddess and get your sexy on, girl – nudge, nudge, wink, wink. More on that later…

To help you beat the heat, stay mellow and enjoy summer’s sun-drenched days, I’m sharing some essential pitta lifestyle tips (SPOILER: yummy DIY recipes + HOT hints on how to rediscover your sensual self.) Get ready to roll with the heat by priming your body and soul for the season! Onward…

Katie’s 10 Favorite Pitta-Pacifying Foods

~foods that cool your body + calm your mood~

A pitta-pacifying diet includes heaps of hydrating, fresh seasonal produce that have cooling energies. During summer, it’s best to favor sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and reduce salty and pungent tastes. Here’s what you can always find in my kitchen during the summer months.

✨ Aloe Vera 

✨ blueberries 

✨ cucumber

✨ coconut (coconut water with slices of lime - yum!)

✨ leafy greens: radicchio, watercress, arugula, spinach

✨ turmeric

✨ stone fruits: peaches, pears, apricots

✨ melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon 

✨ mint, cilantro, basil, coriander

✨ beets

Sexy, Sassy Summer

~celebrate your divine sexual energy~

Balmy nights, bare legs, sun-kissed skin – summer is an oh’ so SEXY season, isn’t it? Connecting to your physical and energetic sexual centers is key to boosting your vitality and should be an area that is nurtured and attended to regularly. This summer (heck, anytime!!), I want you to tap into the HOT sensual goddess that you are and rediscover your feminine magic.

Try a few of these tips to reconnect with your sexual prowess… or have fun with a partner.

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💋 Light up your libido with a sensual photoshoot. No, really. Grab your sexy boy shorts, summery lingerie or go a la’ nude. Keep the photos to yourself to gawk at or share with another!

💋 Cultivate self-love. Stand in front of a mirror and note all of the intricate details you love about your body. Say them OUT LOUD, lady! You are special and deserve to hear it.

💋 Let loose your inner Beyoncé! Move your hips through dance to ignite your sexual energy. Your hips, located at your second chakra, are linked to your sexuality and pleasure.

💋 Go skinny dipping and relish the erotic feel and freedom of water on your bare skin.

💋 Write yourself love affirmations: I am desire. I am sexy. I am magnetic. Yes. You. Are!

💋 Try this meditation for building and healing sexual energy.

💋 Share a chilly treat with your bae – chocolate-dipped strawberries, ice cubes, whipped cream, need I say more?

💋 Incorporate intimate acts of deep connection with your partner, such as massage, talking, walking hand-in-hand, long hugs, kind words or simply gazing at one another. Pleasure is a journey, not a destination!

💋 Get busy! Wild and spontaneous or soft and sensual – sex is a magical and beautiful part of life. During summer, the body’s ojas are not up to optimal levels and sexual frequency may be reduced (but hey, you do you).

✨For more deep real-talk on sex, spirit and shakti-infused self-care,✨
subscribe to Katie’s Spirit Sessions podcast.

Skin That’s Good Enough to Eat

~homemade scrub for dewy, glowing skin~

Keep your skin cool, smooth and lickable with a DIY body scrub. Whip up this super-simple scrub using coconut oil (one of Ayurveda’s best pitta-pacifying ingredients), brown sugar and your favorite pitta-balancing essential oil. Ready to get your sexy back?

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🥥Sugar Scrub for Sooth, Supple Skin 

  • ¼ to 1 cup coconut oil 
  • 2 cups brown sugar or any organic sugar
  • 10-15 drops of essential oil
  • Mix oil & sugar until creamy
  • Add essential oil while stirring 
  • Add remaining sugar until you reach desired consistency 

Katie’s favorite cooling oils to calm fiery pitta: Jasmine, rose, chamomile, geranium

honeysuckle and sandalwood. Choose one or mix and match!

Cooling Blends for Sultry Days

~kick back with a refreshing cuppa~

A scorching summer day = cooling off poolside with a citrusy, refreshing drink in hand, am I right? Before reaching for a margarita, cue da herbs! Our plant companions (like, mint) can help us beat the heat while supporting our constitutional balance. And, it’s yummy! Mix up this delicious, totally guilt-free Ayurvedic-inspired limeade and get outdoors to kick back.

🥒Cooling Cucumber Mint Limeade 

  • 1 cucumber
  • 3 limes
  • 1-2 sprigs of mint
  • Honey or agave to taste (optional)
  • Peel & cube cucumbers, removing seeds if needed 
  • Put cucumbers, juice of limes, mint, sweetener of your choice & 4 cups water into blender 
  • Blend until smooth & sip away
  • Drink at room temp to allow the herbs to naturally bring down your agni

✨For more tasty recipes, visit Katie’s blog! ✨

Frayed Nerves? Try Sitali Breath!

~pacify the building heat in your body~

Sitali Pranayama, “the cooling breath,” is my absolute go-to yogic breathing exercise during summer. It helps lower our body’s temp, calm our nerves, take the edge off hunger pangs, and reduces fatigue, fevers and high blood pressure. It’s a super easy practice and will leave you feeling renewed, refreshed and energized. Here’s the deets! 

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

- Sit in a comfortable position with your head, neck and spine in alignment
- Close your eyes, breathe consciously for several minutes
- Form the lips into an “o,” curl your tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth
- Inhale deeply through your tongue as if drinking through a straw
- Focus your attention on the cool breath across your tongue as you fill up your diaphragm
- Bring your tongue into your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose
- Start with 2-5 minutes of Sitali breath and increase to 10 minutes over time

 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Not a tongue curler? 🙋No worries - lots of people aren’t! You can get the same results with Sitkari.

- Sit in a comfortable position with your head, neck and spine in alignment
- Close your eyes, breathe consciously for several minutes

- Press your lower and upper teeth together, and separate your lips so your teeth are exposed
- As you inhale slowly through your teeth, focus on the sound of the breath and the sensation
   of the air on your teeth
- Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose 

- Repeat Sitkari breath for 2-5 minutes and increase to 10 minutes over time


🙏 Finish with several minutes of meditation to notice the sensations throughout your body. 🙏

I hope that my recommendations assist you on your journey this season. I wish you the most balanced summer in your being.

Love yourself. Enjoy yourself.

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Parsley Magic, Moon Gazing and Dream Yoga – Yes, Please!

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As the spring equinox arrives in the Northern Hemisphere, we shed the cold, dry, dark of winter to welcome spring’s 🌼 blessings🌷— rejuvenation and rebirth, promising seeds and unfurling leaves, euphoric birdsongs and glorious blue skies. 

I hope this finds you dancin’ into spring with joy in your mind, body and spirit.

Or… maybe spring is kinda kickin’ your booty! 

While the transition of vata to kapha season brings incredible abundance and beauty, this rtu sandhi (seasonal juncture) can carry with it an intensity that’s as challenging as it is euphoric. 

Just as nature is thawing and cleansing the toxins and heaviness accumulated during winter, so are our bodies. And, not every sexy goddess’s body moves gracefully into new phases of the year. Mine included!

You may feel unbalanced, lethargic and blah as your body pushes out of hibernation mode to make room for the lightness of spring. Allergies, congestion and colds are common. And, with the rise in spring’s water element, your emotions (hello, anxiety!) can feel OUT OF CONTROL. 

Sound familiar? Spring can be darn HARD on your body, y’all. 

My dear friend, use this time of dynamic renewal to tune DEEPLY into yourself. Observe the exuberance of spring, and enjoy this sense of thawing and awakening. Set judgment aside to breathe deeply, turn your face to the sun and receive the melody of nature with open arms. 

I’m excited to share our April content to help guide you in seeking harmony and balance with kapha this spring. This month’s newsletter offers some simple Ayurvedic wisdom — like sipping parsley water and meditating by moonlight — to help you get the wellbeing you crave.

P.S. I’m thrilled to announce that my second book, Holy, is set to be released in Fall 2023. Look forward to a spirit-infused, sensual guide on how to connect with and 💗love your body.

Reduce the Springtime Imbalance of Kapha on Your Body

~gentle, time-tested methods for resetting~

Come kapha season, receive the abundance of spring with your fullest self by bringing balance to your internal systems with Ayurveda activities, spring diet and self-care rituals. 

✨ Wake up with the sun 

✨ Get outside for a walk, reconnect with nature as it
     flourishes 

✨ Eat your largest meal at noon when your digestive
     fire🔥 is strongest

✨ Consume less meat and dairy

✨ Eat light, easy-to-digest foods: broth-based soups and
     whole grains like amaranth, millet, buckwheat

✨ Favor foods that are bitter, pungent, and astringent:
     lemon, dark leafy greens, chilis, mung beans, radishes

✨ Use spices and herbs: cayenne, ginger, turmeric,
    black pepper, fennel, parsley, nettle

✨ Protect your immune system with 🌿parsley water🌿
     (yes, parsley offers extraordinary health benefits!!)

✨ Indulge in garshana (dry brushing) 

✨ Cleanse a cluttered mind by journaling

✨ Be playful, dance, invite newness and freshness into
     your daily routine 

Click here for more Shakti School wisdom on how to clear away kapha this spring. 

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Parsley is Spring Magic

~power up your health and immune strength with parsley~

I love 🌿parsley🌿. It’s the perfect spring herb. With several times the vitamin C of citrus and packed with flavonoids, chlorophyll, calcium, vitamins A, K and E, sodium, magnesium, iron, and loads of other minerals, nutrients and antioxidants, parsley is a powerful source of nutrition with incredible medicinal potency.

This potent, bitter wonder herb improves digestion, reduces inflammation, controls blood sugar and helps dry excess mucus. And, parsley’s magical green goodness can improve liver, bladder and kidney health by promoting urination, reducing urinary infections, and treating kidney and bladder stones. Yep, all of that and more!

Plus, come springtime, parsley helps drain excess kapha by flushing out winter’s heaviness and toxins — ‘cause, we all overindulged a little this winter, right?

I’m excited to share a super cleansing parsley water recipe from my friends at Blue Sage Ayurveda. It’s easy to make and crazy affordable… like $2 a day! 

Click here for my simple parsley remedy and to listen to my Spirit Sessions Ep. 102 Parsley is Spring Magic podcast. 


✨For more deep real-talk on sex, spirit and shakti-infused self-care,✨
subscribe to Katie’s Spirit Sessions podcast.

It’s Time To Start Moon Gazing

~add this mind-body practice to your spiritual routine~

Did you know that lifting your gaze to the moon can calm an anxious mind, reduce anger and irritation, and soothe inflammation? I was recently featured in InStyle Magazine, sharing how the timeless practice of moon gazing has been used for healing all over the globe.

Moon gazing is simply soaking in the calming energy and effusive glow of our celestial gift.

The moon’s liquid-like energy is feminine in nature and has long been associated with women’s health, vitality and spiritual wellbeing. Basking in the moonlight cleanses, replenishes and EMPOWERS our Divine Feminine force. And, it activates our sex and bonding hormones, too!

By incorporating moon gazing into your practice, you can add a level of internal peace that transcends what you achieve with your regular meditation routine. With the promise of warmer evenings ahead, why not schedule intentional time with the Earth and cosmos? 

How to meditate while moon gazing: 

✨Go outside and sit or lie down where you can see the moon. Connect to your breath as you softly let your eyes move to the moon’s light and shape.

✨Gaze at the moon as an object of meditation. Become curious about its shape and contours as if you were observing something you really loved.

✨As you breathe and observe, begin to gently pull the cooling qualities of the moonlight into you, filling your body with this healing light. 

Check out the full InStyle article on moon gazing. Then head outside and soak in the silvery energy of this benevolent light source. Let me know how it goes!

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Katie’s Spring Time Ice Cream

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Katie’s Spring Time Ice Cream

“Oh my horror of Ayurveda horrors! Ice cream in the spring is a big no-no Katie Silcox!”

Yes, yes. But you still wanna’ eat it, right?

You, see I don’t believe in dogmatic Ayurveda food rules. (I ditched all fundamentalism a few years ago :-))

But what I DO think is really cool is using the principles of Ayurveda and the seasons to adapt and work with my cravings and desires. Ice cream in the spring included.

So, how do I do that in the spring? In this season there is a domination in the heavy, wet and unctuous qualities. And what’s so weird about imbalances in our system is that when we have imbalance, we will often crave things that are exactly the opposite of what we need. 

Which is why, before I got way healthier, I craved lounging about with an ice cream bowl on my belly exactly in the Kapha season.


End result - mucous, sad-face, lethargy and a lack of getting s%$t done. 

So, my hot little healer-woman, here’s a GREAT spring ice cream replacement that will totally douse your cravings, but also keep Kapha at bay.

It’s fruit-only sugar. A powerful protein and healthy-fat punch. As well as chock full of mind-tonic herbs that will keep you sharp all day. The secret ingredient is that it replaces the dairy of ice cream, which is super heavy and mucus producing with a wonderful Kapha-reducing replacement. Cauliflower! And I don’t even like cauliflower. 

 

Give it to me, Silcox:

2 cups frozen cauliflower

One cup frozen blueberries

One scoop of any good bone broth protein. My favorite is this chocolate kind from Ancient Nutrition.

One scoop Anima Mundi Qi Energy powder

One scoop Anima Mundi Shroom mocha milk

Add in 1/2 tsp ginger, cinnamon cardamom to spice it up and further reduce the kapha

2 cups water- add a bit more if needed

Blend in a blender til’ creamy smooth.

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How to Support Ourselves Through the Delicacy of Fall

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A Guide to Seasonal Transition

In the Ayurvedic tradition, paying close attention during seasonal transitions is an important way that we can connect to and honor the unique relationship we have with our bodies. In the areas north of the equator, we are approaching the Fall Equinox. This transition into Fall is all about the transition from light to dark. At all transitions we can be more vulnerable to an accumulation of ama (toxins) in the body and in the mind, which is why it can be a perfect time for gentle cleansing and emotional release. We also will start to experience shorter hours of sunlight, the mornings and evenings will get cooler, and the air will become more breezy and dry. As mother nature will be letting go (of leaves, of daylight hours, the work of photosynthesis), we too can mimic this behavior by practicing the art of letting go.

It could be time to let go of the high intensity schedule you may have had during the pitta time of year. This is the time to slow down and focus on more fluid and intentional movement. Morning and evening meditations, slow walks in nature (bundled up), and staying inside with a book and a cup of chaga can all be more appropriate activities during this time of the year.

While depletion is on the rise, it’s more important to take time for rest and reflection rather than keeping a busy schedule. You can also take advantage of this time of letting go to release any stored up emotions that may have accumulated throughout the early part of the year. Taking more time to journal, pray, and reflect can be a powerful way to welcome the beginning of Fall.

During the early stages of Fall, the pitta season is drawing to a close and the vata element is on the rise. As vata season becomes more predominant, it becomes even easier to encounter imbalances, especially in the qualities of wind and ether. Similarly, in the Chinese medicine tradition, such imbalances can have a major effect on the organs specific to the lungs and the large intestine. This is why it is crucial to take extra care and pay close attention to how you go about your daily routines. The most common imbalances at this time manifest as seasonal allergies, dryness, constipation, sadness, grief and anxiety, and a tendency towards dehydration.

Food For Fall Support

The best way to support this transition into Fall is with grounding and nourishing foods. Think of foods that help to counteract gas and bloating and focus on foods that nourish and strengthen the liver.

This is the perfect time for stewed mung beans, roasted winter squash, cooked dandelion greens with ginger and fresh turmeric. Apples cooked with a small amount of ghee and spices would also be a great way to hydrate the body and help to keep things moving. If you can, try to plan for a gentle cleanse. Ayurveda highlights the time between September 15th and October 15th as the ideal range for a kitchari cleanse. See our free cleansing guide below.

Herbs for Fall Support

Perhaps one of the best ways you can additionally support yourself at this time is through the power of herbs or mushrooms. Try adding some reishi, chaga, or lion's mane to your morning or evening beverage. These mushrooms are considered major superfoods and are strongly anti-inflammatory, promote longevity, better immune function and mental clarity.

Tulsi, ashwagandha, licorice, and gotu-kola are all some of our favorite ayurvedic herbs for fall. Tulsi and licorice make a delicious tea to sip on all throughout the day. We also love this blend from banayan to support yourself through the fall Adrenal Support. (Use code KATIE15 for 15% off). 

Practices for Fall Support

The fall tendency is to become more mentally scattered, anxiety can rise, and emotions can become a little more intense. Try focusing on exercise that incorporates more fluid movements like walking, gentle yoga, and body weight mobility circuits.

Meditation in morning and evening sun can be most effective and taking the time to journal can help to ease any extra stress. In particular, it could be helpful to use writing prompts such as I let go of or I release. Taking the time to reflect on what has and has not served you in the six months would be constructive and intentional practice as you move forward into the season of release and surrender.

This is a crucial time for building and tonifying the body in preparation for the winter months ahead when the body tends to become weaker and more susceptible to illness. Take the extra time and dive into the healing practices of Ayurveda.

Katie’s Autumnal Must Haves

Reishi

Chaga

Open Heart Rose Powder

Adrenal Nourish

Golden Milk 

Vata Spice Blend

Use code SHAKTIPOWER for 10% off everything from Paavani Ayurveda

Use code KATIE15 for 15% off everything Banyan Botanicals

Click here to access Shakti School's Ayurvedic Cleanse Guide

Want to go deeper into the healing power of Ayurveda? Seasonal transitions can often be the perfect time to set new intentions. Join Ayurveda School to learn more about cleansing, herb support, and get certified to help support others!

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The Star of the Weeds: The Dandelion (Recipe!)

Dandelion Pesto

The Star of the Weeds: The Dandelion

The common weed that often springs up willingly in your lawn or garden, the dandelion, is actually one of the best things you could be eating in addition to all of your other springtime foods. In the plant kingdom the proper terminology for the dandelion is Taraxacum. I like this because it makes me think of the hindu goddess, Tara. Tara is known as one of the wisdom goddesses and is a form of Shakti. Tara, like the goddess Kali, helps to slay all of our inner demons! Like the goddess Tara, the dandelion acts similarly in its ability to remove and clear toxins out of the body. Tara also stems from the root word star which also channels the Dandelion perfectly: the star of all the weeds.

The Dandelion is so incredible because it’s loaded with properties that help to boost your immunity and overall wellness. It’s packed with vitamins (A, B complex, and C) and minerals (iron, potassium, and zinc) and it is because of its tremendous healing properties that it has been used in many and differing ancient medicinal practices as a liver tonic, a digestive tonic, and even a skin tonic. It can also help with water retention with its natural ability to pull fluid from the body.

Benefits of Dandelion

  • Decreases Water Retention and Bloating The dandelion has diuretic properties that help to relieve fluid from the body
  • Detoxes the Liver The polysaccharides in dandelion help to detoxify the liver
  • Blood Detoxifier The vitamins and minerals in the dandelion plant help to filter and cleanse the blood
  • A Powerful Antioxidant with its heavy beta-carotene content
  • Prevents UVB Sun Damage The flower of the Dandelion and the lead actually help with oxidative stress from the sun and can help to reduce aging skin

Dandelion was used for its therapeutic benefits in Native American practices for the skin and the stomach. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it’s used for combating inflammation, stomach ailments, and detoxification. In Ayurveda dandelion is most used in detoxification, liver cleansing, and for kapha dosha imbalances. It is best used in the springtime when excess kapha has accumulated from the winter. 

Dandelion is bitter in flavor and can be used in a variety of culinary dishes. It’s so delicious sauteed with a little ghee and spices, brewed as a tea, or (my personal favorite) made into a pesto! Check out this amazing dandelion pesto recipe below. 

Dandelion Pesto

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of dandelion (chopped)
  • 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
  • ½ cup pine nuts (or walnuts) 
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated) 
  • *option to substitute vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast here
  • 2 cloves of garlic 
  • ¼-½ cup of olive oil 
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • 1 tsp sea salt 

Directions

Add all ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor *except for the parmesan. Blend until it has reached your desired consistency. Add in the parmesan and blend until it is fully incorporated. 

Add to your favorite pasta dish, salad, or use a dip! 

Resources:

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The Brain, Gut, and Heart

The Brain, Gut, and Heart

Our Gateways into Resetting for the New Year

Every year around all parts of the globe there are celebrations of a new year. In America, it falls on the first of January with the common expectation to set some sort of a resolution for the new calendar year ahead. As I’ve mentioned in my monthly Shakti Letter every January, I don’t really love the idea of New Year’s resolutions. Instead of setting resolutions, I like to think about setting goals that will support any idea of a resolution. For example, if you don’t want to binge eat ice cream every night, rather than restricting ice cream all together, why not integrate a mindfulness practice to cultivate more presence with your behavioral patterns?

Do you know what you are?
You are a manuscript oƒ a divine letter.
You are a mirror reflecting a noble face.
This universe is not outside of you.
Look inside yourself;
everything that you want,
you are already that.
Rumi

You are your biggest resource when it comes to getting more of what you want. The key is being connected to your higher self, the part of you that intuitively knows what is best for you and your success. One of the best ways to reconnect to your higher self, is to do a full body reset. The reset is intended to stoke your internal fire (your metabolic processes) and the fire of your soul. These tips and practices will activate your spirit while also allowing the body to find more space for restfulness, ease, and clarity. This kind of reset can be done at any time of the year (and multiple times throughout the year).

Reset Your Gut 

This will look differently for each person, but a very simple way to reset the gut and break bad habits around food, is to commit to eating real and whole foods. Ditch the sugar all together and focus on foods that are as closest to their natural form as possible. Cook your own food and eat in a way that works for you. Try for Ayurveda-focused eating: eat with the season, eat for what’s going on in your life, and eat for your body type (not your best friend’s body type, your sister’s or your husbands).

In general, aim to boost Agni (digestive fire). Add digestive spices to all your dishes (fennel, coriander, cumin, and ginger). Eat light. Eating light does not mean fasting. It’s fully possible to eat grounding and nourishing foods while also eating light. Give your digestion a break. Create longer gaps between meals. Consider eating your largest meal earlier in the day and go lighter in the evening (simple soup or broth).

Carrot and Soup

Take Triphala (use code KATIES15 for 15% off). Triphala is the sacred trio in Ayurveda composed of the dried fruits amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki, and can be super helpful in getting your digestion in check and the whole body operating more functionally.

Move your body in the morning. Dry brushing, stretching, and oil massage will help to get the lymph circulating and the internal organs stimulated which will help with digestion and energy production.

Reset Your Brain

One of my favorite teachers, Tara Brach, said,

 “In moments of presence is when we reconnect with goodness” 

Goodness is a positive brain state. It’s when we can be in a flow state, when we are productive, and most energetically alive. How can you best find your connection to goodness? You may already know what activities bring you into your own innate goodness (and if you do, do more of those). But, for most people, these are some practices that are bound to help.

Reset Your Brain

Explore meditation. Even just five minutes a day can drastically improve the quality of your day. In life we are in a continuous flow of remembering and forgetting (our higher self). When we take time to slow down we often come back to remembering.

Immerse yourself in nature. Take a long walk, go to a park, or find a mountain and get to the top!

Try a week-long digital detox. This is such a great way to get more centered in your True Self. Unfortunately, as a society we’ve become far too addicted to devices and distraction. It’s essential that you find your own healthy limit with how much energy you invest in mindless scrolling. Exercise for you. Again, stick to what works for you. What makes you feel the most alive and full of energy afterwards when it comes to movement practices? Maybe it’s daily stretching, taking a walk, or maybe you have a lot of Kapha energy and need a morning run. Whatever it is, do some sort of movement that elevates your energy.

Reset Your Heart

Matters of the heart can be difficult to heal. And more often than not it takes a lot of time. By resetting the gut and the brain first, you will have better luck when it comes to healing the heart. If you are experiencing any trauma related emotions, it is best to work with a professional in somatic experience who can help you navigate that space.

Manage your stress levels. This is something you can start doing now. Stress plays a huge role in emotional well being (which also leads to a lot of physiological effects as well). When we are stressed, we are disconnected. Become more familiar with the ways you disconnect so that you can best prepare yourself for when it comes up.

Take time for prayer. Praying doesn’t have to be a religious act. Prayer can be mantra reciting, it can be through repetition of a positive affirmation, or it can look totally different.

Keep a journal and write in it. Getting your thoughts on paper will help you to sort through your emotional hang ups or will simply help to process the day. It is in journaling when I gain some of my best inspiration.

Manage your time + make the time to unwind and relax. In our go, go, go society there can often be pressure associated with non-stop doing. Push against this societal norm and make space for doing nothing. It is in that space where you will be able to find stillness, your body can decompress, and your heart will have the time to heal and make peace. Check out this Inner Bliss Meditation to start finding ease and more aliveness in the heart.

Reset Your Heart

And, Sleep! 

High quality sleep is vital for optimal brain function, heart health, mood, hormones, and the list can go on and on. It’s crucial for resetting your whole nervous system into a state of balance and resiliency. And it’s not just about the amount of sleeping hours you get in a night, but the quality of your sleep too. The largest sleep study ever conducted (on 1.1 million people) showed that it’s quality, not quantity, that matters most. (1) And, at least half of all Americans say they suffer from insomnia, and nearly 9 million are using prescription sleep medication. (2)

To jumpstart your sleep, start by limiting the use of blue light at night. These are my favorite Blue Light Blockers. Turn off the screens three hours before bedtime.

Up your healthy fats. Make sure you are getting enough healthy sources of fat throughout the day: avocado, olive oil, ghee, and fish oils are all great sources.

Ditch the caffeine and alcohol + add in the magnesium. I know this can be hard, but higher amounts of coffee and alcohol really disrupt the quality of sleep. Try it out for a month and see how you feel. Replace your evening nightcap with a warm Ojas Nightly Tonic from Lifespa.

Finding ways to reset your system will be super helpful year round (sometimes even mini resets throughout each day). We are learning to lean into these times of uncertainty and uncertainty can be a really difficult realm to navigate. The key is to be present. When we are present in each moment it’s easier to make decisions in our day to day life. As human beings it is our habit and condition to want life to be different when life isn’t easy. The truth is life will always be uncertain, so it’s all about how you set yourself up for success and respond to it.

By finding ways to focus and connect to presence, love, and your inner spirit you will be guided with much more awareness and acceptance of what’s to come.

 

Resources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010336/

https://aasm.org/cdc-analysis-finds-low-rate-of-prescription...

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db127.pdf

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Ayurveda in the Spring (antiviral tips included)

Ayurveda in the Spring

The beginning of spring is such a magical time of the year. For many of us there is a feeling of relief having survived another winter when there is less sunshine and blue sky to keep our moods elevated. During this time, most of us are overjoyed with the sight of the newly forming buds, the daffodils poking their heads out, and the return of all the chirping birds.

In Ayurveda this is the time when the water and earth elements are most present. When water and earth come together it can make for some pretty beautiful happenings: the growth of new seedlings, flowers bloom, trees grow and reproduce, ice melts, and rivers flow freely. However, when water and earth combine it also forms mud! This mud, or kaphic overload, can take up space in our physical bodies which can cause some imbalances like lethargy, allergies, congestion, and more mucus. And what’s worse: it's often when we're feeling out of balance that we tend to reach for the things that will further take us out of balance such as overeating, laziness, overconsuming sugar or alcohol, or going down a social media spiral. Here are some things you can do to avoid getting stuck in the mud AND that will be extremely helpful for boosting your immunity.

Practices to Pacify Kapha

  • Wake early
  • Dry Brush
  • Exercise first thing in the morning: take a brisk walk, do some jumping jacks, or go on a short run
  • Keep warm
  • Get an invigorating massage
  • Add stimulating music to your playlist
  • Go out dancing!
  • Laugh and spend time with loved ones

Foods Tips to Pacify Kapha

  • Add foods that are pungent, astringent, and bitter: aloe, nettle, dandelion, quinoa & barley, turmeric, mung beans, mustard greens, lemon, spiced broths
  • Add apple cider vinegar to your foods
  • Consume less meat
  • Avoid dairy
  • Add activating spices like Cayenne, ginger, black pepper, and mustard

Herbs & Supplements to Support Immunity, Viral Infections & Decrease Kapha

Herbal Nature Study

It’s important to take care of your health at all times, but especially during flu season and other viral epidemics. These foods, supplements, and practices will help to boost your immunity and to ward off viral disease.

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