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Tips for Sanity

Tips for sanity blog banner

We have shifted into a new way of living.

Being forced with no other choice than to embrace the uncertainty of each day, it’s not always easy to feel motivated or excited about staying at home and keeping “distance”. That’s why it’s helpful to call up your best friend, your mom, or your neighbor to share tips on how to keep feeling inspired and spread positivity. That’s why our team is sharing our current and favorite mood boosting tips. Here are just a few insights to what we’re listening to, what self-care we're loving, and what we’re snacking on.

Katie Online

Katie Silcox
Our Founder & C.E.O.

What music are you listening to? A lot of Beach House and electronic dance music....just gotta move! You can follow me on Spotify @Katie Rebecca Silcox

What’s your favorite podcast episode? The recent This American Life blew my mind - it's called "The Test"

What are you eating? Lots of salmon, smoothies, broths, sweet potatoes, salads with a ton of oil and vinegar, and chips and hummus 🙂

What is your go to product right now? The Wellness Formula

What has been the most helpful for keeping your sanity? Having my sweet friend in town from France. We kept each other strong and sane within the chaos. Also, laying outdoors, gardening, trying to walk everyday and Body Yantra!

Amaury Roseline

Amaury Vaillant
Our C.O.O.

What music are you listening to? Bachata and salsa to keep me moving and upbeat during the day. Joan Shelly's Like the River Loves the Sea in the morning and acoustics in the evenings. Spotify @Amaury Roseline

What’s your favorite podcast episode? Hard to choose! But I really liked Dr. Zach Bush's interview on Rich Roll's podcast from March 26

What are you eating? Lot's of Kitchari and bitter greens

What is your go to product right now? Goddess Ghee's The Hempress in my tea and a massage ball for my neck and shoulders. 

What has been the most helpful for keeping your sanity? Not reading the news and sticking to non-sensational reporting like NPR when I do check the news.

Sarah Waldron

Sarah Waldron
Our Operations, Membership & Event Coordinator

What music are you listening to? I have been listening to a lot of soothing music at night or during work hours: Sigur Ros and Slenderbodies. When I need uplifting or something to dance along to: Trevor Hall, The Revivalists, and the Classic Rock station on Spotify have been my go-tos the past month!

What's your favorite podcast episode? From The Ghee Spot I love We All Need Self-Love Training Wheels along with Haters Gonna Hate. I also love Unladylike for it's random, yet relatable and important topics. It addresses issues and patterns that I've never heard anyone address on a public platform before and brings in a bit of humor as well.

What are you eating? Roasted Garlic Lentil Soup!!  I am making big batches of soup with fresh and grounding ingredients. My favorite so far is my usual homemade lentil soup, but with a bunch of roasted garlic pureed and mixed in. I am also sipping on a tea of lemon, ginger, and tumeric root all day long.

What is your go to product right now? I am loving Life & Pursuits organic body massage oil after my shower. It's so nourishing and absorbs pretty quickly. I've also been taking Pior Living's Chyawanprash every morning with my lemon water to help boost immunity and ojas.

What has been the most helpful for keeping your sanity? Nature!  Getting outside daily for walks with my dog and pausing a lot to take in the subtleties around me. Hunting for morel mushrooms or other spring offerings in the woods is helping me keep my spirits high and bring beauty into each day.  The fresh air feels great after lots of time in the house.

Mary Silcox

Mary Silcox
Our Head of Creative Content & Communications

What music are you listening to? Alicia Keys, Wanda De Sah, and Mandolin Orange.

What’s your favorite podcast episode? Oprah’s Super Soul- Episode with Shawn Anchor (Part 1 & 2) on The Secrets of Happy People and The Life Altering Power of a Positive Mind. So uplifting!!!

What are you eating? Tons of vegetables spiced with turmeric, cumin, & garlic, leafy greens cooked with backyard dandelions, a little bit of fish, blueberries, and roasted carrots dipped in almond butter. 

What is your go to product right now? Foria’s CBD intimacy lube (gotta keep it interesting), Banyans Breast care balm, and magnesium calm. 

What has been the most helpful for keeping your sanity? Facetime hangs with my sister & my mom, SUNSHINE, and my man.

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theshaktischool

TheShaktiSchool

See you in the Bahamas next month? 🐚🦋⁠ ⁠ See you in the Bahamas next month? 🐚🦋⁠
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In partnership with the beautiful Sivananda Bahamas Ashram @sivanandabahamas, next month I’ll be offering a weekend of rest, nourishment and remembering who you really are. ⁠
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🗓 April 15-18, 2026⁠
💎 Chakra Yoga Nidra Retreat⁠
🌴 Sivananda Bahamas Ashram ⁠
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If you’re longing for something deeper, something that speaks to the very essence of your being, this retreat is calling your name. Katie Silcox’s Chakra Yoga Nidra Retreat offers a luminous exploration of your energetic landscape, guiding you on an inward journey to harmonize your chakras—the vibrant centers of power within.⁠
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This is not your typical yoga retreat. It’s a soulful recalibration—a chance to meet and embrace all seven layers of your energy body. Through guided restorative meditations, gentle breathwork, and intuitive movement, Katie will help you awaken the wisdom and power of each chakra, allowing you to reconnect with your true self in a profound, healing way.⁠
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What You’ll Gain from This Retreat:⁠
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💫 A visceral, embodied understanding of the chakra system as living, breathing energy centers through somatic, bottom-up meditation approaches.⁠
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💫 A toolkit of practical rituals and techniques to keep your energy flowing smoothly—like a river of pure light—through your daily life.⁠
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💫 The sanctuary of Yoga Nidra: Learn to cultivate deep rest and release stress while accessing your inner wisdom through this restorative practice, while lying down and letting your body guide the way.⁠
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💫 A heightened sense of self-awareness and intuition: Gain clarity, understand your unique energy system, and embrace your authentic self with confidence.⁠
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💫 A renewed sense of purpose and inspiration: Feel energized and deeply connected to your soul’s desires, ready to live a life that truly reflects your deepest truth.⁠
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This is your invitation to reconnect, reclaim your power, and live the life that truly honors your soul’s deepest desires. Come ready to awaken, harmonize, and transform.⁠
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🌊 Register now at https://sivanandabahamas.org/course/chakra-yoga-nidra-retreat-april-2026/.
Who would have thought warm water, a regular bedti Who would have thought warm water, a regular bedtime, tongue scraping and a little oil massage were what your gut (and nervous system!) was longing for this whole time… 🤠💩✨

Ayurveda returns us to what is simple: when you tend your agni and nervous system first thing in the morning, the whole body starts to move and flow differently. 

Ancient rituals = very modern glow! 🔥

Ready to learn the rhythms (aka the ancient protocols) that actually support your digestion and vitality? 

🦋 Comment WISDOM and we’ll send you the free Women’s Wisdom + Ayurveda mini-course so that you can start resetting - mind, body and soul - right now.
Ayurveda understands nervous system balance throug Ayurveda understands nervous system balance through the lens of Vata dosha, the subtle force of movement that governs the nerves, mind and sensory flow. When Vata is high, we see anxiety, poor sleep, tension and overwhelm; the goal is to warm, oil, nourish and rhythmically soothe the system so the body can return to safety and coherence. 🌀

Herbs:

• 🥛 Warm Milk with Nutmeg is a gentle sedative that calms Vata; nutmeg supports GABA activity and sleep onset� • 🌿 Ashwagandha is a classic Vata tonic; clinically shown to lower cortisol and improve stress resilience� • 🌱 Kapikacchu nourishes the nervous system and supports dopamine pathways for mood stability� • 🧠 Brahmi is a cooling, sattvic brain tonic; supports memory while reducing mental overactivity� • 🌙 Jatamansi is deeply grounding herb that quiets excess Vata and supports restorative sleep� • 🌼 Chamomile is mildly warming and relaxing; shown to support parasympathetic tone� • ☕ Cinnamon, Clove and/or Ginger Tea these spices improve circulation and reduce Vata
 • ✨ Golden Milk with Saffron - an Ojas-building tonic; saffron supports mood balance and nervous system resilience

Rituals:

• 🍯 Abhyanga (warm oil massage) oils the tissues and down-regulates the stress response; shown to reduce sympathetic activation� • 🐝 Bhramari Breath - humming vibration stimulates the vagus nerve and quiets mental agitation� • 🌬️ Nadi Shodhana balances prana flow and hemispheric activity; supports heart rate variability and calm focus� • 👃🏼 Nasya lubricates and nourishes the head/neck region; supports sinus–brain pathways
 • 🛁 A bath with ginger powder is warming and circulatory; helps relax muscles and discharge accumulated Vata tension

Consistency is the medicine. Small, rhythmic acts of warmth and nourishment teach the nervous system that it is finally safe to soften.

🌬️ Comment SOMATIC for my free class, Healing the Nervous System with Somatic Ayurveda (the ultimate toolkit for grounding and nervous system regulation).⁠
March in the Northern Hemisphere means that as the March in the Northern Hemisphere means that as the weather begins to thaw, Kapha dosha (earth + water) starts to dominate, bringing qualities that are cold, damp, heavy, slow and congestive. This is why many people notice sluggish digestion, mucus, allergies or low motivation this time of year.⁠
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To stay balanced, Ayurveda recommends lightening, warming and gently clearing the system with foods that are bitter, pungent and astringent:⁠
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🌿Asparagus: Light, mildly bitter and diuretic⁠
🍓Raspberries: Astringent and light; gently scrape excess Kapha and support digestion⁠
🌱Dandelion Greens: Bitter, liver-supportive and encourages natural cleansing⁠
🥬Kale: Drying and bitter; helps clear heaviness and stimulate sluggish agni⁠
🌾Amaranth: Light, slightly drying grain that won’t aggravate Kapha⁠
🥗Spinach: Bitter and cleansing; supports blood and gentle detox pathways⁠
🥬Arugula: Pungent and heating; wakes up digestion and clears stagnation⁠
🫐Blueberries: Astringent antioxidants that help counter spring sluggishness⁠
💦Celery: Supports fluid balance and lymph flow⁠
🫘Mung Beans: Light, digestible and tridoshic⁠
🔴Red Lentils: Easier to digest than many beans; light but nourishing⁠
🌾Quinoa: Protein-rich and relatively light (good for Kapha)⁠
💚Brussels Sprouts: Bitter and fibrous; helps move sluggish digestion⁠
❤️Pomegranate: Astringent and agni-supportive⁠
🥦Broccoli: Bitter and scraping; supports the body’s natural detox pathways⁠
🫐Blackberries: Light, astringent and antioxidant-rich for spring clearing⁠
🌿Parsley: Fresh, mildly diuretic herb that supports kidney and lymph movement⁠
🌻Sunflower Seeds: Nourishing without being overly heavy⁠
🎃Pumpkin Seeds: Grounding and supports tissues but not overly oily⁠
🌶️Mustard Seeds: Sharp, heating and Kapha-reducing; excellent for kindling agni⁠
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🌸 If you’re ready to take your Ayurveda studies to the next level, dive into our free Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda Mini-Course right now. Comment WISDOM to access.
Meet core Shakti School faculty Sandhiya Ramaswamy Meet core Shakti School faculty Sandhiya Ramaswamy, Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, educator, chef and retreat leader. Sandhiya is one of the beloved teachers guiding our Level 2 Ayurvedic Health Counselor Online Certification that begins April 21st. 🌿 ⁠
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For nearly a decade, through her practice Alchemy Ayurveda in Dana Point, CA, Sandhiya has helped hundreds of clients and students experience Ayurveda as a true lived wisdom through consultations, workshops, cooking classes and retreats.⁠
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In Level 2, Sandhiya deepens the classical roots of the tradition while making the teachings profoundly practical. Students study essential Ayurvedic theory including Strotamsi (the living pathways of the body) and Samprapti & Vyadhi Marga (the disease process), building the clinical lens needed to truly understand how imbalance unfolds and how healing begins.⁠
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Her fan-favorite class, Cooking with Spices as Medicine, brings Ayurveda straight into your kitchen. Here, food is honored as the first medicine, the kitchen becomes the pharmacy and the spice cabinet your daily apothecary. 🫚💫⁠
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Through hands-on tutorials and ancestral wisdom, you’ll learn how everyday spices awaken digestion, support microcirculation, build ojas and prevent imbalance - using simple “micro doses” you can apply immediately in real life.⁠
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🙏🏼 If your heart is ready to deepen your studies and become an embodied channel for the living wisdom of Ayurveda, we would love to welcome you. ✨⁠
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💚 Level 2 begins April 21, 2026. Reach out with any questions. We’re here to support you.⁠
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& don’t forget to drop Sandhiya some love below. 👇🏼💗

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