Feminine Form Sacred Technology
This little lickable is great for when you’ve got the ick (a.k.a. Cold and Flu season)
Add together:
Mix all together until a smooth paste.
Lick a teaspoon a few times a day!
Ingredients:
Directions:
I love a hot fall smoothie. It has both deeply nourishing elements, and some reducing spices to counteract the heaviness.
This is my go-to. So easy. So good for the time of the season!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canned organic pumpkin puree
- 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)
- 2-3 fresh organic figs, chopped (dried if you can’t find fresh)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- A pinch of Himalayan rock salt
- Whipped coconut cream (optional, for garnish)
- Chopped dried figs and a sprinkle of pecans and cinnamon (for garnish)
Instructions:
Feel free to adjust the sweetness by adding more or less maple syrup according to your taste preferences. This hot pumpkin smoothie with fall spices and figs is perfect for warming up on a crisp autumn day or as a comforting treat by the fireplace.
In deep reverence for our Crone Mama Fall, I am bowing before the altar of all things spicy, warm, orange, yellow and brown. (South hemisphere ladies, we see you in your bikinis!)
I am also owning the heck out of my basic self = 1. Yoga pants, 2. Furry Boots and 3. Pumpkin Spice
And so, our new team member, Eva, over here at Team Shakti has come up with this RIDICULOUSLY yummy, Ayurveda-inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte. We are currently *running* to go make this! With warming ginger, black pepper and nutmeg to help kindle your agni plus some grounding pumpkin and Ashwagandha - WHAT more could the vata in each of us need!? 😉☕🍁
Ayurveda-Inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte
Ingredients:
Optional: 1/2 tsp ashwagandha powder, 1 date (pitted or soaked) or 1/2 tsp of maple syrup to sweeten
Instructions:
Modification for Each Dosha:
We hope you enjoy this delish recipe!
Ingredients:
Instructions:
By Crystal Hoshaw
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.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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!
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:
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:
They also contain important electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium that support healthy hydration by affecting the amount of water your body retains.
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:
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/
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.
Craving more sweets this fall? A vata-pacifying diet actually calls for more sweet (madhura) taste. Beyond being comforting, soul-hugging and grounding, the sweet taste pacifies vata, invigorates the mind, strengthens the immune system, nourishes body tissues and enhances the ojas. Satisfy your sweet taste with these yummy fall muffins crafted from whole grains, a good dose of vata-pacifying spices and some orchard-fresh apples!
Gluten-free Buckwheat Muffins with Apples & Walnuts
Dry ingredients: ½ cup crushed walnuts; 1 cup almond flour; ½ cup buckwheat flour; ⅓ cup ground flax seed; 1 tsp each powdered ginger, cinnamon & salt; ¼ tsp each nutmeg, cardamom & allspice; ½ tsp each of baking powder & baking soda
Wet ingredients: ½ cup coconut oil, ½ cup maple syrup, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup non-dairy yogurt, ¼ cup nut milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 finely diced apples (medium-sized)
Instructions: Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients, including apples. Add wet to dry and mix well. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Pair a freshly baked muffin with a nourishing cup of Golden Yogini Milk or another Shakti-infused recipe.
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. ❤️
~give your liver some lovin’~
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!