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Food

The Power of Healthy Digestion

The Power of Healthy Digestion

A simple approach to feel and look amazing

Have you ever had those days where you wake up feeling amazing? There is a lightness in your step, your hair seems to look especially good, and your skin is glowing? And, then the very next day you have the opposite experience? You wake up feeling sluggish, a little puffy, and your hair is oddly oily or too dry, and things seem to upset you easily? Most likely the glorious day you had before also started off with the perfect poop. Yeah, that’s right, I said it. Poop.

Of course there can always be many other contributing factors at play here, but oftentimes it is our digestion that determines how we feel, how we look, and how we see our inner and outside world.

In Ayurveda, digestion is all about agni. When your digestion is strong your agni is strong. And, when agni is strong, you can easily tap into that glorious flow state. A flow state is when you are in the zone. It’s when your mental clarity is at its peak, you feel vibrant, full of life, and your shakti is lit up. When your digestive system is weakened it becomes much more difficult to follow through with daily tasks and your energy is usually pretty tanked. In Ayurveda, this is associated with an excess of ama. Ama is anything toxic that accumulates in the body. You can think of it as the sludge that slows down digestion. It is only when we are free from ama that we are able to digest our food properly and therefore we can more easily digest our life.

So, how do you clear ama and get the perfect poop? First it is helpful to determine what imbalances may be present within your actual stool. We love what John Dilliard published over at the Life Spa on The Perfect Poop. I highly suggest looking at the chart he created in order to do your own stool analysis. This will help give you a better idea of how to move forward with your dietary choices based off of your individual dosha.

It is important that you are properly assimilating the foods you eat. Your morning movement (the one you do in the bathroom) shouldn’t be too loose, difficult to pass, and it should be free of all food particles. If you fall into either of these categories, you most certainly will want to focus on optimizing your digestion. It’s also possible that your morning movement could look totally normal, but your energy is still lagging behind. In these cases I would still suggest trying out some of the habits and tips mentioned below for increasing your digestive fire.

Food should make you feel sexy

When your gut is off - your brain is off, and most likely, you won’t feel quite yourself. Ever heard of the term gut feeling? The gut and the brain are in constant communication. There’s tons of research to support that having a healthier gut leads to an increase in mood, clearer thinking, and reduces the risk of depression and anxiety. (The Psychobiotic-Revolution: Science Gut Brain Connection)

So, how can you amplify your digestion today? 

  • Sip on warm water or herbal tea throughout the day 
  • Add spices like cumin, fennel, and coriander to your meals
  • Chew on ginger before/after meals
  • Consider taking Triphala at bedtime
  • Consider seasonal cleanses
  • Move your body
  • Abyhanagha 
  • Manage Stress

And...

  • Address food sensitivities 
  • Avoid cold beverages
  • Avoid negative emotions or excessive thinking
  • Avoid eating in excess or emotional eating 
  • Avoid cheese or other heavy dairy products
  • Avoid drinking too much (especially caffeine & alcohol)

The healing tradition of Ayurveda is very tuned into this concept of healthy digestion. So much of our well being (if not all) depends upon how easily we can digest the things around us. If there is a threat to our physical, emotional, or spiritual environment the state of our digestion will surely be affected. But, through careful attention and possibly a few lifestyle changes, we can improve the state of our digestion and the state of our being. When things are moving more freely through us we will always be able to move freely through our lives.

Shop our Favorite Digestive Aids

Banyan Detox Digest

Banyan Triphala

Banyan Cleanse Bundle

For Banyan Botanicals use code KATIE15 for 15% off at checkout

Prior Living Chyawanprash Use code SHAKTISCHOOL for 25% off

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When you meet this inner companion, the need for outside validation begins to fade. You realize that the most powerful healing force you’ve ever known lies with your relationship to your Higher Self or personal connection to Divinity.

Or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to have one of those few special friends in your life who serves in this role for you—tag someone below who makes you feel this way. 🤝🏽
On the summer solstice, the earth is closest to th On the summer solstice, the earth is closest to the sun. Solar energy reaches a peak, and we can experience this solar energy within us on a subtle level if we pay close attention.⁠
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The solstice is a time to let our UP + OUT energy flow, experience the higher frequencies of celebration and bask in the abundance of light.⁠
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P.S. Go deeper with us into an elemental study of nature and your body’s innate wisdom in our free Women’s Wisdom and Ayurveda mini-course. Comment WISDOM below to get access now. 🌼🌿
Nature always knows how to help us stay balanced, Nature always knows how to help us stay balanced, and Mama Nature is always offering us her health-giving gifts in the form of seasonal produce! Ayurveda teaches us to eat with the seasons—in summertime, that means letting our food nourish and cool us from the inside out.⁠
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Here are my go-to summer fruits and veggies to keep that Pitta calm, your digestion happy and your skin hydrated and glowing:⁠
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🥒 Cucumbers: The ultimate Pitta soother, hydrating and cooling.⁠
🍉 Watermelon: Sweet, juicy and the perfect antidote to summer’s heat.⁠
🍓 Strawberries: Antioxidant-rich, sweet and a little astringent—the optimal light pick me up.⁠
🍑 Peaches: Hydrating and satisfying: Is there anything better than a fat, juicy summer peach!?⁠
🥒 Zucchini (and all your summer squashes): Moist, cooling and easy to digest.⁠
🍒 Cherries: Sweet and astringent goodness with heart-loving benefits.⁠
🌽 Sweet Corn: Grounding and satisfying, a perfect addition to your summer salads.⁠
🫐 Blueberries: Cooling and cleansing, while also supporting overall digestion. Their antioxidant-rich profile is just a bonus!⁠
🍇 Grapes: Grapes are kinda like nature’s perfect summer candy, amiright!? ⁠
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A few little tips I’ll leave you with:⁠
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~ Fruit is best enjoyed on its own (not with heavy meals).⁠
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~ Keep it seasonal and local if you can, even if it doesn’t match this list perfectly!⁠
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~ Mid-morning or afternoon is the ideal time to consume fruit while honoring our agni’s rhythm.⁠
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Ayurveda helps us balance our mind, body and spirit from the inside out with ancient (yet timeless) healing spiritual principles. ⁠
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🌺 If you’re ready to take your journey with Ayurveda to the next level, join us in 2026 and become a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Coach. Learn more about Shakti Ayurveda School at the link in our bio.
The heart chakra is where we get a second pass at The heart chakra is where we get a second pass at our emotions—the sacral chakra says, “How does this make ME feel?” The heart says, “How does this experience affect EVERYONE?”⁠
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When we allow our emotions to rise into the heart, we can hold our own feelings alongside an awareness of the collective.⁠
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Join us on June 26th from 10am-12pm ET for our next Spirit Sessions deep dive into the Heart Chakra! ⁠
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🌹 Catch the podcast and join us for the next Spirit Sessions meeting on June 26th at the link in bio.
When you try to delete your shadow work instead of When you try to delete your shadow work instead of actually doing it… 🫠🗑️

Healing doesn’t happen in one meditation practice (or even one therapy session). True healing is actually a lifetime of learning to love and accept who you really are.

Authentic self-compassion isn’t about deleting our darkness or getting rid of our shadows. It’s about developing our capacity to hold it all. ✨

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