Hi Friends and welcome to November. I have just returned from my annual trip to India to receive Panchakarma. I am feeling cleansed, relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to jump back into being of service. If you would like to learn more about Panchakarma visit my website or better join me for my monthly Panchakarma & Chai gatherings. Think PK might be right for you? July into August is looking good for 2020. Dates will be announced soon.

Welcome to September. Vacations are mostly over, kiddos are back in school and it is still super-hot here in Phoenix! A change of seasons seems so far away but it is the time to begin planning your Fall cleanse.

According to Ayurveda, the science of life, the process of digesting or not digesting is at the root of all disease. It is important to develop a relationship with how we digest our food and thoughts. This allows us to understand the path to a healthy and happy life.

All the talk and hubbub these days about “getting back to life” has me thinking about our individual reopening. Do we really want to get back to life as we knew it or are there lessons learned from this hiatus that Mother Nature has provided to consider?

Hello my sweet friends and welcome to May. I am feeling the need to speak on my observation from the last month of hunkering down and the spectrum of emotions that were expressed. My heart goes out to all who have been directly touched during this pandemic by critical illness or loss of a loved one. I am deeply moved by the dedication and sacrifice of our front line workers especially in the hardest hit areas. The majority of people have felt some level of financial loss whether it is the inability to be fully employed or a business completely shut down. And on top of everything, none of us are able to freely move about and experience life as we once knew it. There is no longer a quick and simple trip to the store.

It is hard to remember during difficult times that everything has a season. So many in the world are hurting right now. Never have all our lives collectively changed so much in just one month. For me the beginning of March feels so long ago. Yet I have a deep sense of peace that mother nature is forcing us to pay attention. We have all literally been sent to our rooms.

Spring has sprung here in Phoenix. We have had a good amount of rain. The days are warming up filled with lots of buds and greens sprouting from the earth.

We are continuing our exploration of the health indicators that our mind and body provide to give us insight to the state of our wellbeing.

My wish for all of you is increased peace, health, joy and prosperity.

As I teased in last month’s newsletter, we are beginning a journey through the ayurvedic indicators of health. Learning how to be an observer of our mind-body will give us insight to our state of balance and general well-being.

Hi Friends and welcome to November. I have just returned from my annual trip to India to receive Panchakarma. I am feeling cleansed, relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to jump back into being of service. If you would like to learn more about Panchakarma visit my website or better join me for my monthly Panchakarma & Chai gatherings. Think PK might be right for you? July into August is looking good for 2020. Dates will be announced soon.

Agni in August

Tomorrow, July 2nd is a full solar eclipse. These auspicious events are a great time to create space for introspection. I am using the time to contemplate what blocks my light and more importantly my reaction to the shadow.

Following an Ayurvedic lifestyle is a commitment to lifestyle choices and practices. The space you create for yourself becomes a required daily ritual. With consistency, these develop into routines you eagerly look forward too. But what about when we travel? Do you find your Ayurvedic practices never make it into your suitcase?

We have had a beautiful and long Spring here in Arizona. We were blessed with cool weather all the way through May. Now we are finally moving into Summer, which is the move from Kapha to Pitta season. In Ayurveda during the time when one season is evolving into the next, we put into place practices called Ritucharya. Ritu is “season” and each will have its own effect on one’s body, mind and emotions. Charya are practices or a regimen that is to be put into place.

Sleep is critical to our wellbeing. According to Ayurveda it is a keystone to our health. Sound and restful is one of the three pillars of health, the other two being food and sex. When our sleep is out of whack, it bleeds into every other area of our life. The consequences may be both short and long term. We become short tempered, anxious, distracted, depressed and eventually our health will decline. This leads to a host of problems including obesity, heart problems, diabetes and even an early death. When our sleep is balanced, along with the other two pillars, we are steady, stable, clear headed and have plenty of energy to live our dharma, or our life’s mission.

Traditionally, when we think of spring cleaning, we think of our homes. But what about taking time to clean the accumulated toxins in our minds and bodies? If you find yourself feeling sluggish, bloated, experiencing brain fog, or you have an overall sense of lethargy, then it is time to clean and polish your body, mind, and spirit. Returning to a place of radiance and bliss is not that hard—you were created to shine!

Spring Awakenings!

As we move through life, it is inevitable that we will experience pain and suffering. Over time, these experiences can lead us to close and constrict our heart space. The Charaka Samhita teaches, “hridaye chetana sthanam,” which translates to “the seat of consciousness is in the heart.” Consciousness can be defined as the state of being awake and aware of one’s surroundings and also the actual state of the mind being aware of itself and the world. Thus, if the heart is the seat of our consciousness, we should be encouraged to spend our energy maintaining an open-heart space. Focused work will give us the fluidity, flexibility, and strength needed to experience our true nature as conscious blissful beings.

Rasa: the feeling of sweet satisfaction.