Author: Adena Rose

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Finding your rhythm and balance

Once I heard this word – Ayurveda – it seemed to pop up everywhere I looked.

The Yoga Journal article in which I found the story of the sage (I shared in my last newsletter, ‘What I did when I was down‘) also had articles about food as medicine.  About this idea that we could heal ourselves by knowing what to eat.

This was a whole new level of eating well, and this was the level I wanted to know about.<<tweet if you do, too

I had always loved to cook, so I wanted to truly know if I was eating right for me.

So I started school for Ayurveda, it was a cascade of self-exploration.  We can never really guess what’s going to be behind any new door we open.  After the first class, I decided to dive into the whole shebang, the practitioner’s program, and dedicate my life to this stuff.  Most people who start learning about Ayurveda fall in love, and think that’s what they want to do, too. But I will go ahead and say it’s a challenging path career-wise.

And, really – though it sounds so cheesy – the best part about studying Ayurveda is and using it for yourself and your family. Whether when health concerns arise, or where Ayurveda is at it’s best, as preventative medicine and living mindfully for the rest of your life.

When I was contemplating taking on another large load of debt to study (and be unsure of a career path on the other side), one of my classmates said, “think about it, if nothing else, it’s like investing in health insurance for the rest of your life.” This was all I needed to hear – and this was before all this Obama-care stuff. I could get behind this kind of plan.

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It’s been 5 years since that journey officially began.  The door that was opened led to another – the realization that there is no going back – you can ‘unsee’ what you’ve seen.  That’s the beauty of ayurveda and yoga – there’s no end to the journey once you begin, and the effort you give is always returned.

Thanks for listening and learning about my story. Perhaps it reflects yours somehow.

Where are you on your journey right now? Do you feel like you’re on the right path? Or totally off balance? Write me about it, I love to hear from you.

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Are you with me? Do you wish you had meal plan tailored to what you need?

Create one.

I’m looking for 15 like-minded people who want to keep conversations like this rolling and find their path to true well-being.  We’ll learn how to create our own meal plan, based on Ayurvedic principles.

Those who want to feel light, happy and energetic because they choose the right foods.  Those who want to feel peaceful, happy and balanced because they have a supportive morning routine.

 

Apply for the pilot program of The Healing Diet, starts in September 1, 2014.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m hosting a free call on Monday June 30th at 7 p.m. Come listen in, or get your questions asked. Either way you’ll leave with 3 practical tools you can to start shifting into a healing diet the very next day. Register here now, it’s quick and easy.

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Do you feel stuck?

I was stuck.

8 years ago I couldn’t get a foothold on what I wanted to do with my life.  This is not an abnormal position to be in a few years after graduating from college, but that doesn’t make it feel any better.  I was living in New York City and I felt like I was stuck in some strange loop of negativity between money and bills, lots of wine and a few cigarettes, friends and not-so-good friends, new boyfriends and tortured exes – not to mention city living for this country girl just felt wrong.  Needless to say I felt pretty lost.

Just before I moved there, an important friend (now my husband…) gave me a book about yoga.  I had taken a few classes before and wanted more – so in between my bad habits, I slipped in some yoga postures – in studios when I could afford those $5 community classes, and in my room when I couldn’t.

Yoga became my compass. >>tweet this if you feel me!

Many mornings I’d wake up with a sense of anxiety that I was not in the right place or doing the right things, and this lessened when I could practice yoga. I didn’t know if I was doing it ‘right,’ and at that time it didn’t matter.  Yoga was one thing that made me feel good, feel like myself.

If I wanted to break free from the loop of negativity I was in, I needed to figure out what could keep that intuitive window open a bit longer.  What was yoga giving me?  Time to be mostly still, and quiet. Time to reflect on how my body felt, what my state of being really felt like, and what I wanted it to be like.

The definition of insanity is to do the same things time and time again, and expecting a different result. I am not an insane person, so I listened to the little birdy on my shoulder ||intuition||, and started following more and more what felt right to me. I might have been moving 2 steps forward, and one back, but progress was happening.

These shifts brought me back up to Vermont – not worrying about whether I’d failed at my NYC experience or not.  Listening to my intuition, which told me I needed to get out of the city and out of the toxic living environment I was in, landed me right into my first 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Program at Yoga Vermont.  I was home.  That doesn’t mean all things were instantly perfect and hunky dory, but it was the first time I had had such a solid feeling of being in the right place.

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Pee when you have to pee

My yoga teacher, Kathy McNames, told us ‘Eat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty, pee when you have to pee, poop when you have to poop, and sleep when you’re tired.”  I did not yet realize that this was my first introduction to Ayurveda.

She also told us to learn which foods that we could eat before yoga practice.  She didn’t just tell us which foods (or not to eat), but told us to find out what worked for ourselves.

This kind of reflection was deepening my svadyaya or self study beyond the exploration in the postures. I learned that I couldn’t each much more than a banana or an apple before class, or I would turn myself all upside down and get acid reflux or the dreaded gas, in yoga class.

This was a helpful piece of information.  And how to make it my reality. I didn’t know what I was getting into….

Stay tuned for Part 2.

I’m giving a free call about a healing diet and Ayurveda, don’t miss it, register for that here and put it on your calendar now.

Love, Adena

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Enter Ayurveda

Enter Ayurveda

I had never heard of the word, but the teachings started coming to me.

I had always loved to cook, and even in college was one of the only people really excited about using the kitchen in the dorm.  This was not just to save money on the meal plan, but because I wanted to avoid a lot of processed foods and preservatives or chemicals in industrial ingredients.

Little explorations in hunger and eating around my yoga practice made me think more and more about nourishment.  My body felt so good when I was doing yoga, and I wanted to learn how I could bring even more awareness to what I was taking in.

Someone was getting rid of a bunch of old Yoga Journal magazines from the 90’s, and in one I found the story of an ancient sage – this story is about the way that what we really are what we eat, on many levels:

This sage had been a council for a great king for many years, and never taken any payment or reward.  The king felt the least he could do was to feed this man who lived alone in the forest, off what he could gather for himself, so invited him to the palace for a special dinner party he was throwing.

The sage joined the king in the palace.  He wore his simple clothes, and would not take anything more elaborate that the king offered. The king showed him around his palace, and offered his own chamber to the sage to sleep in for the night.  The sage tried to refuse, saying he would just make his way back to the forest after the celebration, but the kind insisted he stay.

The meal was wonderfully rich, like nothing the sage has ever tasted.  The ingredients were exotic, sent mostly from a neighboring estate, and prepared elaborately.  The sage was very grateful for being invited to the dinner, and went to bed full.  On his way through the king’s chamber, he finally noticed all of the riches and jewels. He has never really realized how wealthy this king probably was.  The sage picked up a small piece of jewelry, and decided to take it with him. As he placed it in his pocket, he realized the king had so much wealth, he would never have noticed if one small piece was missing.  The sage had lived in poverty his entire life, and this small jewel could sell for enough money to feed and house him for the rest of his days.

In the morning, the sage left early to make his way back home, and thanked the king for his invitation.  He made his was back to the forest, and before entering his little home, he felt the need to move his bowels, and did so.  Immediately after eliminating, he felt light and clear again.  He gasped and placed his hands over his mouth – he had remembered the piece of jewelry he had taken from the palace. He reached into his pocket with shaking hands, and then ran back to the palace, weeping.

When he had told the king what he had done, the king was not upset at all. He had been trying to give him money for years.  The sage returned the jewel, and asked, “Dear king, the meal you prepared was very beautiful and delicious. Where did you find all those ingredients?”

The king explained that he had sent for a special order from a famous neighboring estate, and though they charged more for their produce, they were said to be the best in the lands.  And the sage though, “that explains it…”

The sage was so pure, that his state of mind was affected by the greediness of the estate where the produce came from.   That essence of greed permeated through the product, which came into his body, and affected his mind.  And when the food passed through his body, he experienced enough clarity to realize he had been under the influence.

What we eat not only becomes the physical cells of the body, but it affects our state of mind. >>tweet this if you get me!

THIS blew MY mind.  I knew I needed more.  Does this hit home for you? Have you experienced this in your own body, or seen it in your friends or children?  I want to hear your story! Share one in the comments below.

Stay tuned for Part 3 – how I began to put it all together, and how you can, too.

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PS: Will you be on the live call with us?  This will NOT be recorded! Take away 3 tips you can use immediately to start eating for healing.  Register for that here.

PPS: If you know you want more apply now and we’ll see if you’re the right fit for my 10 week course starting September 1. Then let’s talk about it…and talk is FREE. Sign up for a 15 minute chat here.

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Red Clover Infusion

Since the dandelions have sprung up, I have been picking a few new roots everyday and making decoction fresh daily.  It’s been most of my Spring cleansing, and really uprooting any of the discoloration underneath my skin leftover from the bout of eczema I experienced in February.

2657348666_4ec325bf3f_zNature’s next medicine just arrived (for me and the bees!): Red Clover.  Red Clover is a very delicate, astringent and slightly sweet herb.  This makes it great for Pitta, as the weather gets warmer and the light strongest as we approach Summer Solstice.

I’m lucky to have clover opening in the field behind and in front of my house, and all along the road.  The reddish pink blossoms can’t be missed.  My husbands beehive is growing exponentially since they have bloomed – soon enough we will extract the first honey of the season made from that red clover nectar, processed through little magical buzzing beings.

So my morning (and sometimes late afternoon) ritual has involved filling a large mason jar with red clover blossoms, and then making an infusion which I then strain and sip throughout the day.  Just cover the clover with boiling water, and remember to cover – if you’re filling a mason jar, put the lid on, or cover with a small plate. Steep this way for at least 20 minutes, strain and drink warm or cool.

Clover is a great blood cleanser. This means it can help with acne, rashes, and headaches, anger, hot flashes, and excess menstrual bleeding.

I am learning and personally experiencing so much by trying these local herbs on myself.  I’m enjoying noticing how the gunas/qualities and the elements are expressing themselves in my environment as the season changes. I am almost blown away by the abundance of green, greens and resources there are around us so quickly after the winter leaves.

What are you noticing in your body as the weather shifts?  Have you tried Red Clover tea? What were you using it for?

 

Love, Adena