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Kapha body-mind types will usually be of a bigger build. You may have been viewed as ‘overweight’ or ‘big-boned’ when you were younger, made fun of by your peers, or placed on different diets by your parents/caregivers. 
(all of which, is ridiculous).

Inherently KAPHA body types will always be a bit bigger!! AND there is nothing wrong with that.  

In fact it’s a gift 🎁

NOTE*** Just because you are overweight DOES NOT mean you are Kapha dosha body type. Excess Vata in the body commonly results in emotional eating and anxious ‘holding’ of fat stores. Most Kapha body-type individuals have always been big. If you were more often referred to as ‘rail thin’ than ‘big-boned’ as a kid, you’re probably holding onto extra weight from a stressed nervous system. Click here for a QUIZ to help you determine if you have Vata imbalance, and find tools for support.

Kapha body type is more well-lubricated than Vata or Pitta. 

Over thousands of years of observation in Ayurveda, Kapha has been shown to be less likely to experience bone density issues like osteoporosis, joint cracking, arthritis, or degradation of mental faculties leading to alzheimers & dementia. 

So what if you come by fat easily?

Fat is IMPORTANT. It’s nourishing. It’s part of the glue that holds your body together.

That being said, it’s important to keep your Kapha in balance.

Excess Kapha over a lifetime leads to diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, lung congestion, COPD, allergies, MS, edema and swelling.

Signs that you have excess Kapha? Feeling tired after eating, sluggish bowels, mucous in your stool, frequent colds, clammy skin, seasonal allergies, continued weight gain, stiffness in the body, energy crashes & oversleeping, laziness, low or negative moods, avoiding change.

All of these 👆 are a heads up that your body needs attention.

If you’re heavier than ‘average’ (whatever that means) on the scale, yet feeling fabulous? PERFECT. That’s the dream for you, Kapha babe!

If you’re feeling heavy, and uncomfortable? Let’s find you some support.

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂)

~

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂) ~

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Let's do an assessment of all the ways you're incredible today.

Your problems aren't the most important focus.

YOU ARE.

It's who you are underneath any struggles you’re managing, that deserves your attention/obsession. (cause **spoiler alert** you’re amazing)

Ayurveda shows you what a truly & deeply fulfilled life will look like for you, and helps you clear the cobwebs from the person you're meant to be.

You might have taken a quick assessment on my site on what imbalances are going on for you (​CLICK HERE​ for more on that). This info is important because it shows us the quickest path to finding your balance.

But what's way more interesting, is YOU IN BALANCE. Who you are. How you glow.

Want to do a quick assessment? Follow along with this 7:15 video, or read on below:

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂)

~

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂) ~

Ready for a reminder of who you really are? :

Grab a pen and scrap paper, and make 3 columns labeled V, P, and K

1. Grab a pen and scrap paper, and make 3 columns labeled V, P, and K

2. Go through the video or the list below, making a mark on the paper for all the traits you have of each. Let go of any current or past stressors, this is about how you've felt in those really great moments!
   

Vata - How much flowing air and ether do you have?

🌬️ You’re Creative. bubbling with new ideas and creativity 
🌬️ You grasp new information easily 
🌬️ You might be very spiritual 
🌬️ You’re enthusiastic, lighthearted, and laugh a lot 
🌬️ You’re friendly; a lively conversationalist & good storyteller 
🌬️ You’re open to new experiences and different perspectives 
🌬️ You’re super empathetic
🌬️ You have a general feeling that "all is possible" 
🌬️ You’ve been naturally thin (as a child or throughout life)
🌬️ You have delicate features 
🌬️ You’re often expressive with your body. It’s common to see a vata person talking with their hands or just kind of dancing around

Make a check on your paper for all of the Vata traits that describe you at your best throughout life.

Pitta - How much vibrant fire do you have?

🔥 Intelligent, witty  
🔥 humorous 
🔥 You can process emotions quickly 
🔥 You can quickly discern which action to take 
🔥 You’re concentrated, focused 
🔥 You’re understanding, holding space for others to process emotions without taking them on
🔥 You’re joyful, with unmatched energy & drive. 
🔥 Your lifetime body shape has been medium-sized and appears to be naturally fit (remember this isn't about today, it's about how you’ve been over a lifetime/before imbalance set in) 
🔥 You’re Radiant. 
🔥 Your eyes have a piercing glow. 
🔥 You may have freckles or reddish hair 

Does this sound more like the most vibrant version of you? Add a check for every pitta quality that describes you.

Kapha - how much grounding earth & water do you have?

🌳 Warm personality. A well-balanced kapha woman is just so darn warm and kind. 
🌳 You’re downright motherly (the kind of woman you just know is a good hugger). 
🌳 You’re steady, patient 
🌳 You’re dependable 
🌳 You’re thoughtful 
🌳 You generally enjoy everything about your life 
🌳 You’re super supportive and compassionate toward the people in your world 
🌳 A healthy kapha body is beautifully curvy with 
🌳 soft skin 
🌳 thick hair, and 
🌳 large eyes

Is this how you’ve felt on your best days? Give yourself a checkmark for every characteristic that fits you in the K column.

Then add the checks up in each column. The result you see is your PRAKRUTI.

We generally have higher or close to equal marks in 2 of the 3. For example, I got 7 Vata, 11 Pitta, and 4 Kapha. This makes me Pitta-Vata. Not commonly but sometimes people are tri-doshic (equal in all 3).

We all have Vata, Pitta, and Kapha traits, but we all show up with them in different amounts.

This result shows you the you you’re meant to be, with a lil’ more leadership vibe Pitta, a lil’ extra adventurous Vata, or some extra chill and grounding Kapha.

For the world to be a balanced place, we need a balance of these three types of people. For the world to be a balanced place. It is up to each of us to find our balance.

When you’re ready to bring that balanced version of yourself out of hiding, I’d love to have you join me, inside my Ayurvedic learning community membership, Practical Ayurveda.

🧘You’ll get access to every program I've created including Everyday Ayurveda, the course over 1,000 students have taken to find their unique version of a well-balanced life (because yours doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s),

🗓️ Guides, workshops, workbooks and templates going deeper into the right foods for you, how to approach your gut health, what’s going on for your hormones, how to get better sleep and more energy, and so much more,

📿 Short and effective ‘mini-classes’ that help you move your energy, get in a good headspace, loosen up tension (think Instagram reels but a couple minutes longer and customized to your specific needs),
👭 A private community where you can get tailored support from me,

🤸 Semi-monthly yoga classes with my teacher Aditya Bhatia in India (he teaches you so much more than postures… this is how we live as Yogis, no mat required).

And so much more to come.

It’s 27 bucks a month, and there’s no minimum commitment. You’ll be reminded monthly upon invoicing and can cancel at any time. Click here to give it a try.

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In Ayurveda, we look at everything through the lens of the 5 elements 👉 earth, air, fire, water, and ether.

I know right? Witchy af. But before you start ‘calling the corners’ (#shoutout to a cult classic that if you watch today you see the super problematic storyline), let's take a look at how different elements actually pretty clearly show up in the human body.

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂)

~

Wanna see what it’s like taking my classes & courses IRL? ​Hop into the Practical Ayurveda membership​ for just $27 (no commitment, cancel any time 🙂) ~

The elements often appear in 3 specific combinations, which make up the three Ayurvedic Doshas.

VATA dosha is made up of air and ether (space or nothingness). When looking at the many discomforts we humans deal with, there’s a handful that stand out as signs of increased Vata:

🌬️ Lacking a routine
🌬️ Trouble making decisions & following through
🌬️ Unfocused / overwhelmed mind
🌬️ Anxiety / spiraling thoughts
🌬️ Insomnia, restlessness or frequent night waking
🌬️ Feeling exhausted, yet the nervous system can’t relax
🌬️ Sensitivity to sound & touch
🌬️ Dry skin
🌬️ Bloating/gas after eating
🌬️ Constipation
🌬️ Weakness
🌬️ Brittle hair
🌬️ Cracking joints

See how these symptoms are all related to too much air & ether? Dry. Weak. Ungrounded. Spacey. This is the type of person who is stuck in their head, with lots of thoughts and ideas, and little grounding into action/completion.

Let’s compare this to Pitta Dosha. A person with increased Pitta fire shows up like:

🔥 Short tempered, irritable, angry
🔥 “Snapping" at kids/spouse
🔥 Excessively judgmental toward others and themselves
🔥 Competitive or argumentative
🔥 Controlling, manipulative, guilt-tripping
🔥 In a rush, over-scheduled, burnt out/adrenal fatigue
🔥 Resentful, blaming
🔥 Heartburn/acid reflux after eating
🔥 Sour smelling sweat
🔥 Acne, redness, rashes
🔥 Inflammation
🔥 Diarrhea
🔥 Migraines

Pitta imbalanced folks are HOT (and not in a good way, more in like a dumpster fire kind of way).

Then there’s Kapha, our earth & water folks. Earth & water elements in the body help you stay grounded and go with the flow. But too much leaves you stuck in the mud. Excess kapha looks like this:

🍂 Depression. Feeling “heavy” in the mind
🍂 Unmotivated
🍂 Unable to get out of bed in the morning
🍂 Lethargic & sluggish through the days
🍂 Stubbornness
🍂 Greed. possessiveness
🍂 Neediness, jealousy
🍂 Easily gaining or holding weight, feeling heavy in the body
🍂 Mucous/congestion
🍂 Edema or feeling ‘swollen’
🍂 Allergies
🍂 Slow digestion
🍂 Greasy, sticky stool

See how these symptoms all have a heavy, sticky quality to them?

See how much heavier the qualities of Kapha symptoms are than Vata?

IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE RIGHT?!! 🤯 << that’s your mind being blown just like mine was.

This is how Ayurvedic medicine uses a whole-body approach to healing.

We don’t spot-treat or treat any diagnosis like a stand-alone issue in your body. We look at you as a whole person and observe the qualities of your mind and body as a whole.

From there, it becomes soooo much easier to heal the root cause of all your symptoms of discomfort, (not just the one that’s currently yelling the loudest).

Want specific tips for balancing your dosha? QUICK ASSESSMENT:

1. Grab a pen and scrap paper

2. Scroll up and go through the list of vata, pitta, and kapha symptoms, making a mark on the paper for any symptom you’ve experienced recently

3. Add em’ up. Where do you have the most checks? Vata, Pitta, or Kapha?

We all have some level of imbalance in all categories. But the one with the most? Is the one we heal first.

Click below to tell me what you got, and you'll get more detail on your imbalance, and some simple things to try today. 🥰

​I’m pretty ungrounded, mostly Vata checks For me​

​🔥Yep I’m overheated, mostly Pitta checks​

​I’m stuck, too much Kapha here​

Imbalance looks different for different people. So the path to feeling better has to look different too.

There are endless health trends on the market that will not work for you. But when you find the things that do?

Better sleep,

More energy,

A happy gut,

A clear, calm, and focused mind,

...these things come so much easier.

If you’re like “Yes I’d like life to feel a bit easier pls”,

​You’re invited to join my school community, Practical Ayurveda.​

🧘You’ll get access to all the goods I teach inside my Vedic lifestyle program Everyday Ayurveda, the program over 1,000 students have taken to find their unique version of a well-balanced life (because yours doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s), plus every other course & program I offer

🗓️ Monthly guides and workshops going deeper into the right foods for you, how to approach your gut health, what’s going on for your hormones, and so much more

📿 Short and effective ‘mini-classes’ that help you move your energy, get in a good headspace, loosen up tension (think Instagram reels but a couple minutes longer and customized to your specific needs),

It’s 27 bucks a month, and there’s no minimum commitment. You’ll be reminded monthly upon invoicing and can cancel at any time.

​Click here to hop in.​

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When’s the last time you got down to the sweet sound of nothing?

It’s kind of hard to come by these days, amiright?

Here’s something to consider:

Fossils of early humans date back as far as 6 million years

Fossil DNA suggests people looking/functioning like us - anatomically modern homo sapiens - evolved around 300,000 years ago.

It takes a minute to evolve (or, a few).

Along with this skin, these eyes, and this posture, 

came a beautiful set of sensory organs,

adapted over millions of years to the sights and sounds all around us 

(which mostly consisted of conversation, song, and the work & creativity you engaged in on any given day).

And then came the 1930’s - the golden age of radio,

The 40’s, when television came into the home,

The 90’s, when the internet emerged,

The 2000’s, with intro of Facebook, Youtube, and sirius satellite radio,

And the 2010’s, when Spotify, Podcasts, Instagram and TikTok became a part of our daily sensory experience… often in amounts we don’t want to admit.

All of this NOISE. In less than 100 years.

Your body wasn’t built for this level of stimulation.

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

This Summer in Everyday Ayurveda we’re on a quest for the sweet sound of silence.

This isn’t a meditation challenge or a “thing to add to your list of to-dos when you’re really not in the mood because it’s summer” situation.

It’s an invitation to find room to breathe.

When you join Everyday Ayurveda in July you’ll also receive:

• An assessment of sound in your life. Identify the many pockets of your day where you can opt-out of overstimulation

• A quick access guide to 90-second guided practices for calming stress, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, and digestive upset

• Tools to help you dial back on multi-tasking/turn down the excess, so you can be here now for the beautiful summer ahead

• A collection of inspirational phone wallpapers to remind you to enjoy moments of relaxation in your otherwise full day 

The Sound of Silence summer quest is just part of what you learn in Module 7 of Everyday Ayurveda - Room to Breathe.

Some of the modules in this program are more action based - helping you set goals, meal plan and create the ideal movement practices for your body type.

But it’s summer! Let’s focus on relaxing and enjoying ourselves, present for our conversations, songs, work & creativity, 

so we come out of summer feeling totally restored.

Join Everyday Ayurveda Today.

“I am so glad the universe brought this course to me when it did. These are basic yet profound habits that we as a society have strayed away from and instead neglect ourselves until we reach a breaking point and cause ourselves dis-ease.

Well NO MORE! I value myself too much to allow myself to fall into that trap again.”

- Julie Rivas, Everyday Ayurveda member

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It is WILD how hard it is to break certain habits.

It’s always the dumbest ones. The things that we KNOW make us feel worse, yet we just keep doing it day after day.

For me, it’s eating chips like they’re the answer to every problem in my life.
… while ignoring the puffy eyes and achy joints.

For others, it’s drinking coffee all day, pretending that’s a fine substitute for water.
… while ignoring the gut rot and dehydration.

And for many people (maybe it’s safe to say everyone), it’s scrolling on our devices in bed - wayyyyy past bedtime.
… while ignoring the middle-of-the-night insomnia, the groggy mornings, and the general feeling of overwhelm & anxiety.

Bazillions of studies have shown us how terrible screen time before bed is for health.

Quick summary >

• blocks the production of melatonin (our sleepiness hormone)

• leads to chronic insomnia (the inability to fall asleep/to stay asleep all night)

• reduces REM sleep (this is when we process the day's events and commit them to memory, so if you feel like you can’t remember sh*t, that’s maybe why)

• damages retinas (especially if staring at the screen in the dark)

• leads to a loss of the ability to concentrate and difficulty performing daily tasks (#zombiemode)

Yet, even though we have this information, we be scrollin’ till 11:30.

The professional recommendation is clear:

“Stop watching tv or using your phone at least 30 minutes before bedtime”
(​national sleep foundation​)

Seems easy enough.
Is it though??

If you’ve ever tried to drop screens at night, you know how UNeasy it is.

Why? Because:

“Just stop using it before bed”
and,
“Just put it in another room”

are suggestions that don’t cover the sticky emotions that keep us glued to screen time. (Also sidenote - beware of any suggestion that starts with the word “just”).

The reality is screen time fills a lot of holes.

It’s there when you feel lonely or anxious, your thoughts are all over the place or you can’t focus.

It’s there when you’re burned out and need a distraction from your mental to-do list (or when you want to “just check one more thing off” online),

And it’s there when you’re feeling depressed or unmotivated, and just can’t get up and get moving.

You’ll notice which one of these 👆👆👆 is your issue pretty quickly when you try to curb the habit.

So being asked not to use screens for comfort, at the HARDEST time of day (when you’re tired, spent, done with doing the things),

is basically like being asked to wake before sunrise and meditate for 2 hours every day (as in it sounds amazing, but it’s just not going to happen IRL).

In other words… we need a workaround.

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

The sneaky secret to breaking bad habits

Instead of going all-in like it’s Monday and your diet just started, Let's get curious about letting go of this habit in pieces.

Fortunately (?) bedtime isn’t the only time we’re glued to our screens. They’ve become the filler for absolutely every free moment we have.

🚽 Heading to the bathroom from your desk? Bring your phone.

🍎 In line at the grocery store? Checkit.

🍸 More than a 3-second break in conversation while you’re eating lunch with a friend? Now seems like a great time. (seriously wtf is wrong with us).

👆 These are the pockets of our days where it makes sense to start.

Get GOOD at being alone with your senses in the in-between moments of your life, and it will change your life.

• Try leaving your phone in another room for parts of the day.

• Let go of the urge to pull it out in the parking lot before you head home.

• Leave it on DND when you’re with ppl IRL.

Look at the room around you.

Listen to the people, the birds, the sound of your own breath.

Touch your soft shirt or your own skin.

Smell your lunch, or your dogs paw (smells like fresh cut grass even in the winter how).

When you make a habit of doing these things, your screen becomes less of an appendage. You’re no longer carrying it around like it’s your precious screen-baby.

Suddenly you’ll find yourself living in the present. What a Gift. 🎁

And then suddenly, the idea of your phone being the last thing you see before you sleep and the first thing you see when you wake starts to feel less appealing (or gross even)…

And breaking the habit of taking your screen to bed with you feels so much easier.

Habit change isn’t hard.
We’ve just been going about it the wrong way.

Ready to break a few habits of your own, in favor of your happy, healthy, and present life? (***Remember, it doesn't have to be a big thing to make a big difference. Stopping the scroll, ditching impulse shopping, or quitting pressing the snooze button could all be life-changing for real).

I’ll help you.

Inside the 3 month Everyday Ayurveda program I’ll help you identify the habits that are keeping you stuck - WITHOUT making you feel guilty about it.

I’ll help you find what your unique mind + body really wants/needs instead, and give you simple tools for loving her the way she deserves to be loved, from the science of self-care that has endured for 5,000 years.

And I’ll help you make changes that last a lifetime - no ripping off the bandaid, diet starts Monday mentality required.

It'll feel something like this 👇👇:

"This was such a WONDERFUL experience! I literally enjoyed EVERY SINGLE MINUTE. It's the subtle things that you begin to recognize that lead to the life change. These things are small, the changes feel so simple but extremely impactful! Totally life-changing."

- Tracey Williamson, Everyday Ayurveda student

Carly at The Habit Ayurveda

p.s - Ayurvedically speaking,

Loneliness, anxiety, lack of focus = VATA imbalance

Burn out, over-working, inability to put down the mental list = PITTA imbalance

Depression, heaviness, lack of motivation = KAPHA imbalance

(not totally sure what I’m talking about? ​Take this quiz​ to find your Ayurvedic mind/body type)

There are oh so many ways to approach healing, with an Ayurvedic lifestyle custom designed for your current imbalances, needs, and lifestyle.​Join Everyday Ayurveda today to get to the root of your discomfort, and heal your whole body.​

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I have a beautiful, inspiring, joyful client, 

with the worrrrrsttttt ex-husband.

I sincerely hope you're not in this boat, but maybe you know the type:

😞 Doesn't hold up his end of their agreement to pitch in for extracurriculars and camps, leaving her scrambling to "figure it out",

😠 Just decides not to pay her child support here and there, despite making 6 times her income,

😡 Refuses to budge on his days with the kids, so she has to turn down experiences that fill her cup,

🤯 While simultaneously just deciding not to pick the kids up on other days/for weeks at a time,

😭 And, of course, gaslighting her to make her think it's her fault when she questions any of it.

The amount of space this man's bullsh*t takes up in her beautiful brain is brutal. She's been feeling like the only way out is through a lawyer, which is too expensive.

​​As an Ayurvedic Health Counselor, my #1 goal is helping people find space in their brains & bodies for happiness.

​It starts with painting a picture of the path you're currently on.​

With kids (one who's only 3 years old), there's no end to the bullsh*t in sight.
Another 15 years (at least).... so she asked herself:

What will that look like as their kids grow? As they become more discerning observers of this relationship?

How much time will she have to waste on him, that could have been spent on building relationships with those she loves, or with herself?

How emotionally worn will she be on the other side? How will this affect her future relationships?

What is it worth, to change this?

Suddenly.... it felt like no amount is "too expensive".

​It suddenly felt like this might be one of the most important, life-changing investments this dear woman could make in her future.​

And so, I literally jumped out of my chair with excitement the other day when she told me she's hired a lawyer.

Frig yes.

My client's life experience over the last few years is a pretty solid example of:

how most people approach uncomfortable situations.

Put up with it.

Try not to think about it.

Just hope it'll get better on its own.

Sometimes it's relationship or work stuff, but most often,
these 👆👆👆 avoidance tactics come up around our health & well-being.

• Feeling tired all the time, and just putting up with it.

• Gaining uncomfortable amounts of weight, and just trying not to think about it.

• Experiencing pretty chronic aches and pains, hoping they’ll go away on their own.

Is there anything like this going on in your life?

Maybe it's worth asking yourself:

1. What will that look like as your kids grow? As they become more discerning observers of your relationship with yourself? (or what has it looked like and how has it formed them?)

2. How much time could you miss out on due to that fatigue/pain/stress, that could have been spent on building relationships with those you love, or on loving yourself?

3. How emotionally worn will you be if you continue to disconnect from your body this way? How will this affect your relationship with yourself/others?

​What is it worth, to change this?​

What if you decided this is the "Summer of YOU", and made the choice to stop waiting for someday, and invest in the right support now?

Everyday Ayurveda is the perfect place to do just that.

Inside you'll find a one-step-at-a-time, easeful approach to full body health, rooted in thousands of years of proof of efficacy.

You'll find a community of over 100 others, ready to change the outlook on their future.

And you'll gain a practitioner in your pocket (me!) - someone you can reach out to for support any time, no need to book an expensive consult. I'm here to help when you need it, for even the littlest of things

If all of this sounds like something you could use in your life, Everyday Ayurveda might just be one of those game-changing investments.

(at a fraction of what my client is paying her lawyer, but with the same potential for making life way easier.)

You can join the 3-month Everyday Ayurveda community program today for $497, or 4 monthly payments of $137, and grab access to:

• Lifetime access to straightforward and Actionable video lessons (and all future updates),

• A stunning 140-page, full-color workbook with templates and worksheets to keep you on track and excited,

• 3 months of access to our private community where you can consult with me any time on your unique needs whether it's symptoms of illness, dietary issues, scheduling difficulties, or relationship issues. I’m here to help you implement Ayurveda in an easeful manner :)

• 3 months access to bi-weekly live group calls featuring additional Ayurvedic lessons and the opportunity to consult on your unique needs

• 3 opportunities to win $150 in Ayurvedic self-care goodies, hand-picked by me specifically for you and delivered to your door

Click here to say YES to Everyday Ayurveda

As much as we hold out hope, sometimes things don’t just get better on their own.

Maybe it’s time to stop waiting and invest the next season in healing past, present, and future hurts, with a vibrant Summer of YOU.

I'd love to help you do just that.

xo Carly

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What's one habit you'd really like to drop?

Mines eating potato chips.

To be clear with you (and myself), I have no intention of not eating chips (that would be crazy).

BUT - I'm more than ready to stop HABITUALLY eating chips.

As in eating them as a default response to watching tv, finishing a hard task at work, being bored, "feeling snacky", or as a response to my kids arriving home from school in 30min so "I better eat these now"….

Can you relate? I'm sure we all have these sticky af habits.

The kind we do without even noticing.

The kind where you're just moving through life and then BAM - you're face first in it without even knowing how you got there.

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

Habits like these are easy to get stuck in because they fill all kinds of holes in your life.

It's the thing you do when you're stressed, sad, bored, anxious, distracted, or just being on autopilot...

... but at a certain point...

They start making you feel worse instead of better because you know you're overdoing it.

Ooops.

This month inside Everyday Ayurveda we're choosing one habit to break up with (p.s - doing one thing at a time is kind of amazing).

• You'll honor the ways this habit has helped you (our bad habits provide comfort in many situations),

• You'll identify all of your triggers for unconsciously engaging in the habit,

• Reflect on what your body, heart, gut, nervous system is really needing in these moments, through the lens of Ayurveda (tools like herbs, breathwork, sensory stimulation/deprivation, nervous system regulation, chosen by you, with the help of me 😉)

• and slowly start to crowd out the bad habit with things that make you feel better.

As you implement little tools you find along the way, your body will sigh with relief and gift you with things like more energy and less brain fog. More chill and less stress.

 It'll feel so darn refreshing. 

You'll honor that motivation isn't something that lives in your brains 24/7, and plan what habit change will look like on days you're motivated versus days you're not (aka most days).

And you'll be kept accountable for your progress inside the private Facebook community, with prizes to be won for taking good care of you.

So whether it's snacking,

Scrolling,

Impulse shopping,

Vaping,

Procrastinating,

Staying up late,

Too much wine,

or too much coffee you're ready to break up with,

I'll help you find the thing your body REALLY wants, inside Everyday Ayurveda.  Click here to grab your spot. 

Carly at The Habit Ayurveda

P.s - Ayurveda teaches us that this life is meant to be a blissful experience for all the senses.

When we let go of things that leave us feeling heavy, groggy, or anxious, one simple step at a time, we make room for more bliss.  Click here to Join Everyday Ayurveda today. 

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I'm getting back in the groove post-vacay,

(⬆️⬆️⬆️ 90% still here in my brain.)

and back to writing my Monday newsletter, with fresh intentions to actually make each newsletter into a blog!
(big steps lol. And yes, it's Tuesday... but last week's went out on Friday so I think I've made pretty huge progress).

It's the end of May, so, the end of Mental Health Month.

***I'm pretty sure mental health deserves a front-row seat in our brains in all the months***

Also tho, why didn't they make mental health month in like February (which is by all accounts the most depressing month)?

Anyway, I guess I'm late to the party but to celebrate mental health month I'm sharing:

2 things I've added to my morning routine, that leave me feeling just delighted about life.

1. Weight lifting. After  last year's events , I'm focusing less on cardio/high intensity workouts (😂😂😂 who am I kidding I've never focused on those), and more on building muscle and feeling strong.

   I picked up some 12-lb weights from the fitness consignment shop, and  these posters with moves . So classic.

   Every morning I pick 3 moves, and do 3 sets of 8-12 reps, with stretching and rolling around on the floor in between.

   My arms burn, in that really good feeling way.

2. Reading to my plants. I got a greenhouse for my birthday. Really it's the perfect gift for a 40yr old, like "You may now transition from caring for human babies to caring for plant babies in a space far away from your loud children" lol.

   So I make my morning coffee, and sip it while playing  this music for plants spotify playlist , and reading  my favorite book  to my plants (and also telling them I love them and to please not die because I don't really know what I'm doing in there and it's probably too hot).

   Honestly this practice makes me feel like I can handle any amount of stress. I'm basically a Zen Superhero now.

These 2 activities take place in the early morning before my kiddos are even up. Ayurveda refers to the early morning hours as

"Brahmamuhurta" - the sacred time before the dawn.

(#thatsbeautiful)

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

As part of  adopting an Ayurvedic lifestyle  (<< click there to come do it too), I swapped late nights spent squinting over one more episode on Netflix, for early mornings spent feeling like the world belongs only to me, listening to the birds sing, singing back to them, and getting my mind right for the hours where I don't have as much control over my schedule, my thoughts or my feelings.

Ad it's made all the difference in the world to my mental health.

Do you long for some space to yourself in the mornings, with routines that make you feel loved? Do you wish you had the energy to get up and do the things?

Let me help you find your Zen Superpowers.

 Click here to join Everyday Ayurveda , and I'll help you find the perfect rituals for you, that fit into your life right now.

And it will be so lovely.

To your mental health & happiness, every month of the year,

Carly at The Habit

p.s - BONUS TIP. If the weather where you are is anywhere near as nice as it is at my place right now, you need to get outside and get some D.

... vitamin D that is. (get your head out of the gutter). Go get some sun on those lovely cheeks ;)

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“It’s all in your head.”

This blog is part of a series on my personal experience with Long Covid / Post viral illness. To get these stories delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email list here:

If you've ever been down the path of chronic illness you’ve probably had a doctor (or two, or ten) tell you that you’re “fine”.

“Have you been feeling stressed lately?” = the least helpful thing a doctor could say​.
(like, read the room fella we’ve all been stressed lately)

I can’t think of many things that feel more horrible than a professional telling you your symptoms are all in your head.

Sure, I am stressed or anxious sometimes. Every human experiences this.

… can’t say I ever recall it leading to months of shortness of breath, random uncontrolled vomiting, numbness and tremors in my extremities, and such heavy fatigue that I can barely get out of bed…

And if it is… isn't that a PROBLEM we should look further into??

After hearing those words myself one too many times, I couldn't help but get curious.

It’s all in your head.

It’s all in your head.

Well… let’s take a look at what’s in your head.

It isn’t just some mystical space where you conjure up crazy thoughts and stories to make yourself sick, that’s for sure.

Your brain is responsible for processing all thoughts, feelings, actions & reactions in the body and the mind, on the conscious level and the subconscious level, such actions of the autonomic nervous system. (read this for more on dysfunction of the ANS).

In other words, it’s kiiiind of a big deal.

My teacher and chronic illness expert Ashok Gupta explains the approach to healing chronic illness like this:

“Our bodies create a unique pattern of defense response depending on the need of each situation, so we can survive.

Your brain says what do I have to do to survive? And then the body triggers a unique pattern of defense responses to ensure survival.

In the case of chronic illness such as Long Covid, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chemical Sensitivities, Dysautonomia and other related conditions, parts of the brain have become hyper-defensive. They continue to retrigger defense responses to 'err on the side of caution'"

Ashok teaches that this overstimulation of defense response happens specifically in the immune system and the sympathetic nervous system,

resulting in too much inflammation in the body,

and hyper-vigilant, overreaction of the immune system.

TRUE FACT: When you have the flu it's not the virus that causes the symptoms. Symptoms are caused by the immune system and nervous system being triggered.

Often triggered by an event such as chemical or mold exposure, a traumatic accident, or a virus such as lyme, epstein barr or in my case Covid 19, the defense systems of the brain get switched on, and stay on.

When the sympathetic or fight or flight aspect of the nervous system stays switched on, the body cannot heal, and our energy is continuously drained, leading to constant exhaustion.

To add insult to injury, when this happens the brain becomes hyper-vigilant and hyper-sensitive to potential threats, which only reinforces the pattern of defense response and increases symptoms.

Aghhhhh it makes so much sense!

So, when symptoms are the result of a pattern of reactivity in the brain, the logical next step toward healing is to wire different patterns.

But how do we do this?

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

Here are 3 things that helped me rewire my brain, to slow inflammation & symptom flares:

1. Following Ashok Gupta's advice of reminding myself "This is Just a Loop in The Brain".

When I reminded myself that my symptoms were simply a stuck pattern of reactivity, it became easier to believe that this was something I could heal from. I was able to stop worrying that different situations would trigger a flare of my symptoms, and it allowed my body to release its hyper-vigilant defense response.

This did NOT happen over night. It became a continuous conversation with myself, reassuring myself daily that I'm okay, and that "we can take our time to unravel this".

2. Identifying the triggers for flares, and creating new habits that cut them off at the pass.

I was experiencing waves of fatigue and shortness of breath specifically in the early afternoon, and again after the kids got home. The accumulation of stress or activity from working through the morning, or prepping after school snacks and managing the noise in the house after school would often lead to me heading to bed for the rest of the day. I began taking breaks right after lunch, and again before picking up the kids, to lie down for 20 minutes and close my eyes. Sometimes I meditated, sometimes I slept... the important thing was just removing all stimulation and just focusing on relaxing my nervous system for that 20 minutes.

I must note here that the 20 minutes of down time ABSOLUTELY DID NOT involve scrolling on my phone. In fact, I had to drop that habit entirely for a while to give my nervous system space to relax.
I talk about some other habits I implemented in this article.

3. Getting sick.

This is a funny one, but I honestly felt a lot better after getting a few colds, and eventually a second round of Covid. This might not be the case for everyone so it's not necessarily something I recommend, but introducing an actual virus to my body may have reset my immune response. It felt like my body was reminded of what it's supposed to react to, so as the virus passed it remembered to relax.

I appreciated my body's response to getting sick again, because it removed a LOT of fear I'd developed of public spaces and people, which in turn, allowed my nervous system to relax more.

…

In the end, hearing the words "It's all in your head" was a gift,
​because it led me down a path of deeper understanding of my body as a whole. ​

The head is not an island. The brain is connected to the nervous system is connected to the gut is connected to the heart. It's all one big beautiful ecosystem and I'm so grateful to keep learning more about it.

Have you been told "It's all in your head"??
How did it make you feel?
And reading todays letter, how do you feel now?

Let me know in the comments :)

Upcoming Articles in this series include:

1. The most healing diet I've found

2. The most helpful supplements I've found

3. My daily routine through post-viral illness

4. Experiencing chronic illness - what I learned from a year in bed

If you have something else you’d like to see covered, I want to hear about it.

To your whole self,

Carly

p.s - Could you use some support as you heal? The Everyday Ayurveda Course might be your perfect next step.

p.p.s - Be sure to check out the other articles in this series on long covid, starting here on The Habit Blog.

First Steps to Healing.

This blog is part of a series on my personal experience with Long Covid / Post viral illness. To get these stories delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email list here:

Last week's article on my journey through post-viral illness was on  the subtle symptoms of dysautonomia  - aka dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

If you missed it you can read and check your symptoms  here .

One of the many, many responses I received read:

"As I read your email about dysautonomia, I got a little emotional. I felt so…seen. Heard. I have been saying for the past 25 months, to family to friends to doctors to anyone who will listen that “my nervous system seems to have lost the ability to regulate (inflammation response, immune response, pain response, temperature, fear/stress response, energy, GI processes, etc., fill in the blank)”. All this time, everyone (I was seeing over 20 specialists at one point) seeking to treat the symptoms. Even functional medicine doctors."

I have to say it's bittersweet to hear the story of another person who can relate. To feel heard and seen can be a relief, but it also means another person is struggling.

Many people are struggling.

Like my dear reader above, last year I went through the gambit of doctors, specialists and tests.

• Blood work, ECGs, Brain MRI, Chest CT, Ultrasound, 7 different prescription meds, iron infusions, B12 shots via my GP

• Visits to the Allergist, Cardiologist, Hematologist, and Interior Health Long Covid specialist

• Over $4,500 spent on Naturopathy, including all kinds of testing and supplementation (at one point they had me on 31 different supplements/tinctures 🙄)

And guess what? None of it was all that helpful. (some of it was definitely harmful)

As wonderful as these modalities are (and truly, they are. Medical & Naturopathic Science has uncovered so much about the human body),

none were able to reach the root of the problem, which was dysregulation of my nervous system.

Unfortunately, just like the gut microbiome, western medicine has yet to unlock the vast mysteries of the nervous system.

Even more unfortunately, what results is a lot of people just being diagnosed with anxiety, fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue, and then not really being treated.

Thankfully there are many modalities that have focused on the gut, the nerves and the breath for millennia.

Ayurveda being the prime example.

I want to clarify here that I didn't fault myself for looking outside of my own profession for support. In fact it was the opposite - receiving the feedback that all of my tests were coming back "clear" from a medical perspective was a big relief.

It was the confirmation that I needed that I won't die from this. That I don't need to focus on fear of "does x symptom = y disease", I can simply focus on healing.

And the first thing I tried that started to heal me?

Getting realllllly into my breath.

Interesting fact: Breathing is the only aspect of the autonomic nervous system you can control

So what if... breath is the key to initiating recovery?

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

three things I did to get present with my breath:

1. Breath support from a teacher

Just because I teach holistic health doesn't mean I'm impervious to illness. Just because I teach mediation doesn't mean I don't need support sometimes too. I needed a hand to hold mine as I got present with the discomfort in my body. A lot of feelings come up when you're unwell, no one should have to go it alone.

I reached out to my dear friend and Teacher  Aditya Bhatia  (<< that's a link in case you're looking for an AMAZING teacher for 1:1 support) in India. He held space while I cried, led me in breathing through and letting go of fear, and reminded me of the healing that takes place when you orient to love. He also taught me the power of prayer ♥️ 🙏.

2. Breathing as part of movement practice, starting slow to avoid post-exertional malaise

Folks with post viral illness / long haul are likely to experience fatigue. You have to be careful not to over-do it, physically or mentally, or you'll hit a wall and your symptoms will flare. That being said, movement is an important part of healing. Movement and breath brings fresh oxygen to the brain, and helps the lymphatic system & immune system clear out viral cells.

 This practice became a staple of my early recovery . I did it three times a day, often while sitting in my bed, and gradually increased my movement from there.

3. 20 minute interval reminders for diaphragmatic breathing.

Diaphragmatic breathing (deep breathing into your lower chest) takes you out of fight or flight and into parasympathetic / rest & restore state. No healing can happen in stress state and when you're working, cooking, cleaning, being a busy human, feeling sick or all of the above, it's easy to get stuck in the shallow breathing pattern that keeps you in fight or flight.

I used  this app  to play a bell every 20 minutes, reminding me to stop and take 5 deep breaths and just chill and be quiet for a moment.

…

That's it. That was my first step to healing.

Of course there are many steps in this journey, but like with everything, it's good to pace.

I spent a good 2 months really only focusing on this, and it brought me to a place where I could comfortably go for a hike again without hitting that wall of fatigue.

Let me know {{ subscriber.first_name }}, how's your breathing? This might be a small but mighty step in your healing journey too (or a loved ones if you pass this along :)).

Next week I'll be talking about.... hm what would you pick?

1. The most healing diet I've found

2. The most helpful supplements I've found

3. How to rewire your brain to slow inflammation & symptom flares

4. The V word (I said I wasn't going to talk about it but wow I've had replies to every email asking about it)

5. The life changing magic of chronic illness - what I learned from a year in bed

All of these stories are coming up, but if you want to have a vote on what's next just hop in the comments and let me know!

To your healing breath,

Carly at The Habit Ayurveda

p.s - Are you feeling ready to focus on small shifts like this one to help you heal?  The Everyday Ayurveda Course might be your perfect next step. 

Red flags.

This blog is part of a series on my personal experience with Long Covid / Post viral illness. To get these stories delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email list here:

Long Covid falls under the category of post viral illness - a diagnosis that was with us long before covid.

It can be triggered by the common flu, or even a cold.

Post viral illness is commonly associated with the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, and a variety of conditions that fall under the diagnosis of dysautonomia.

Dysautonomia is a disorder of autonomic nervous system (ANS) function.

The ANS is in charge of so much more than feelings of “nervousness”. It regulates the body’s involuntary functions—things that happen without thinking—like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, excretion, perspiration, temperature regulation, pupil dilation among others.

The autonomic nervous system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis, or equilibrium, in the body.

And, it's responsible for the body’s immune response.

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

When a virus is introduced in a body that is already malfunctioning, overreaction of the inflammatory & immune systems is likely to occur.

Are you experiencing Autonomic Nervous System dysfunction? Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

• intolerance to heat

• feeling cold all over

• cognitive impairment

• numbness or tingling sensations

• aching neck and shoulders

• low back pain

• noise sensitivity

• light sensitivity

• disequalibrium

• chemical sensitivities

• easily over stimulated

• lightheadedness

• generalized weakness

• palpitations

• tremulousness

• shortness of breath

• chest discomfort

• loss of sweating

• bloating after meals

• nausea or vomiting

• diarrhea or constipation

• pupillary dysfunction

• fatigue

• food allergies

• sleep disorders

• headache / migraine

• myofascial pain

• neuropathic pain

• dizziness

• tachycardia

• exercise intolerance

• claminess

• anxiety

• flushing

• low blood pressure

• histamine intolerance

• feeling wired

I’m guessing there was a lot of nodding while you read this list.
I did a lot of nodding when I read this list.

It’s common to try to fix the subtle symptoms of imbalance by “doing more”. More exercise, more supplements, more juicing or fasting or sitting at our desks planning how to feel healthier.

All of these things are important, and are the right thing to do to bring balance in certain situations…. and the wrong thing to do in others.

As a lifelong overachiever, acceptance seeker, people pleaser trained to “be my best self”, I was addicted to doing. Looking for the dopamine hit that came from taking a new action, I overrode my nervous system, trying to “solve for x”.

Which was useless, because “x” was my nervous system.

Sound familiar? Hop in the comments and let me know.

Carly at The Habit Ayurveda​
​

p.s - Next week I’ll be sharing the first steps I took toward healing and regrounding my nervous system. Want to hear about it? Be sure to get on my email list so you don’t miss a part of the story.​

p.p.s - As the symptoms of dysautonomia can be associated with many other conditions, please reach out to your primary care provider if you’re struggling. Bloodwork, hormone testing, getting your blood pressure and oxygen levels checked all provide peace of mind, which in turn help the nervous system heal <3

January 26th

marked one year of my life with post-viral syndrome - otherwise known as long-haul / post-covid syndrome.

As a formerly (self-appointed) thriving human who thought she was “doing everything right”, I’m on a mission to share my experience of chronic illness.

The bad and unexpectedly good moments,
the dark and the absolutely enlightening moments.

In upcoming emails I’m sharing the exact tools, supplements, tests and conversations with practitioners, therapists and loved ones that brought me out the other side of the last year feeling…

… maybe…

… even better than I did going into it.​
(despite still having some physical symptoms)

Post-viral illness (be it from Lyme, Epstein Barr, Covid or any number of other viruses) can include a myriad of symptoms. It’s important to note that post-viral illness can arise even after the common flu.

Looking for simple tools to bring you back to balance?

My symptoms through the year have included:

• chronic fatigue

• shortness of breath

• low immunity (chronic "ill" feeling)

• tachycardia (racing heart)

• numbness in left side of mouth, left arm, left leg

• insomnia

• dysautonomia (nervous system tremors)

• panic attacks

• onset of allergies (histamine intolerance)

• menstrual cycle irregularity

• brain fog

• multiple chemical sensitivity

and I’m going to dive into all of it, sharing what’s helped, what’s hindered, and what’s been a surprise as I walk the healing path. PLUS, I want to share the stories of our community too (please respond to any and all of these emails with your stories).

I’m gathering and sharing these stories because Post-viral Syndrome is most commonly treated like Chronic Fatigue (ME/CFS)... which our health system provides very little support for

(which isn’t to knock docs - they’re often doing the best they can in the system they’re in).

This series is meant to support anyone who's going through long haul (or any other chronic illness), has a loved one who is,

or anyone who just wants to hear a story with a pretty happy ending around chronic illness.

Most importantly, I want to have this conversation WITH you. I’m sending stories like this one via email, and collecting responses from the community so we can all help each other heal.

Would you like to be part of the conversation? You can sign up for my email list here:

My next email is going to be about the subtle symptoms of chronic illness I had BEFORE I got the virus that tipped me overboard. Be sure to get on the list to hear all about it.

There’s so much content in the media about comorbidities like diabetes, obesity, heart disease as precursors to long-haul syndrome. I didn’t have any of these things, BUT there were definitely some red flags I was ignoring.

I’d love to hear from you if you're open to sharing - if you or someone you know is experiencing post-viral syndrome, what are the symptoms, and were there more subtle versions of these symptoms already happening before the virus? Hop into the comments or join my email list and reply back to my emails, I’d love to hear your story.
​

To helping each other heal in 2023,

Carly at The Habit Ayurveda

p.s - I ask for your respect in not replying to ask about my vaccine status. There are hundreds of thousands of people managing post-viral symptoms, many vaccinated, many not. This series isn't about that. It's about helping people. Let’s just focus on helping :).

I have to admit, I haven’t been keeping up with the Kardashians.

I've never known what the show is about, or anything about the lives of this family.

But recently a friend brought up an episode over coffee - the one where Kourtney and Travis do an Ayurvedic detox.

… k I’m interested.

Episode 7 of season 1 of The Kardashians (I guess there’s no keeping up anymore) finds Kourtney and Travis trying a Panchakarma cleanse after an unsuccessful IVF egg retrieval process.

Ayurvedic cleansing is used to remove toxins and undigested "matter" from the body (according to this article, you could be carrying anywhere from 7-20lbs of stuff in your intestines) leading to:

• increased mineral, vitamin and nutrient absorption,

• improved metabolism,

• increased immunity,

• and improved emotional well-being (I’m sure you’ve heard that up to 90% of the body’s feel-good chemical serotonin is created in the gut)

Looking for a whole body cleanse?

Ayurveda teaches that fertility (as well as “OJAS” - a general sense of vitality or vibrancy in life) comes naturally when we cleanse, open pathways and nourish all tissue in the body.

In the Ayurvedic study of human pathology, we learn that there are seven “Dhatus”, or types of tissue in the body.

Rasa (Plasma/lymph)

Rakta (Blood)

Mamsa (Muscle)

Meda (Fat)

Asthi (Bone)

Majja (Nervous system)

and Shukra (Reproductive tissues) Not only connected to fertility; On a psychological level, shukra dhatu is related to the ability to sustain creativity.

The food you eat nourishes each of these tissues one after the other in succession, from the lymph to the reproductive tissues.

A build up of mucous, feces, and other unwanted matter along the intestinal walls dampens the body's ability to properly absorb and assimilate nutrients and properly nourish the body.

Doing a Panchakarma cleanse, Kourtney and Travis were using ancient Ayurvedic practices to open, nourish and tonify all layers of tissue in their bodies, resulting in strong OJAS, and hopefully strong fertility.

Throughout the Kardashians episode Kourtney and Travis engage in a number of different practices common to panchakarma, or Ayurvedic cleansing.

This includes abstinence from sex and exercise, caffeine, alcohol and sugar, going to an Ayurvedic spa for FOUR HOURS A DAY for all kinds of oil treatments, foot baths, yoni steaming, and eating rice pudding and talking about ghee and castor oil and Kourtney’s tongue.

For anyone who hasn’t heard of Ayurveda or done an Ayurvedic cleanse, these things might sound (and look) hella strange.

But as you might have heard at the beginning of epi 8, Kourtney reported “Guys, I’ve never felt better than after my cleanse”.

I really, REALLY want you to feel like post-panchakarma Kourtney Kardashian.

In upcoming blogs I’ll be giving a little background to the practices shown during "the Kardashian cleanse epi", and more importantly, explain HOW TO DO THEM AT HOME (because you don’t need to go to the spa for 4 hours a day, in order to feel this good).

Feeling ready to dive into them now? Inside the 10-Day Ayurveda Detox you'll find all the deeply nourishing tools you need for a successful and revitalizing cleanse.Click here to enroll for just $47

Though it doesn’t appear to have been the thing that worked for Kourtney and Travis on their baby journey, Ayurveda is a wonderful tool for boosting fertility!

Here’s what Heather had to say after joining my 12-week program, Everyday Ayurveda:

Check out the Everyday Ayurveda program
Or, Start with the10-day cleanse - just $47

Ayurveda for Back to School

It's back to school for my littles this week.

And as a 39 year-old woman who was feeling pretty lost for the first 33 of them... I wish there were a few things added to the public school curriculum.

Like personal finance,

and history from multiple perspectives,

the functions of the human body, its cells, its organs, its hormonal rhythms,

AND YOGA.
​(and I'm not talking about yoga as a workout).
​

The word "Yoga" means union or connection with oneself, and the path of a yogi is eight-fold.

There are 8 “limbs” or focuses - the asanas (yoga postures), being only one of them.​
​The other 7 limbs serve as simple teachings for a life well lived, off the mat, to bring you along a pathway to personal enlightenment.

Yoga isn’t just stretching.

The 8-fold path is literally a roadmap to living a life of BLISS,
despite any chaos that surrounds you.

the 8 limbs of Yoga

#1 - THE YAMAS -

Self Restraints, with focus on the harmonization of one’s social interactions. Teachings for living a kind life, including non-violence, truthfulness, honesty, non-possessiveness and divine conduct.

#2 - THE NIYAMAS -

Disciplines that harmonize one's inner feelings and attitudes. Teachings for treating yourself well, including cleanliness, contentment, endurance, faith, and self-study.

#3 - ASANA -

The yoga postures, to release physical and mental tension. My teacher Aditya Bhatia (link to be his friend + student :)) taught me Asana actually means "joyful stillness". The intention of the postures is to help us find joy from any position in life.

#4 - PRANAYAMA -

Complete, full and joyful intake and outflow of breath. Teachings for regulating the nervous system, sleep, energy and digestion through the breath (if you’re the type to breathe shallow into your chest, this is your medicine).

#5 - PRATYAHARA -

Drawing the senses inward. Teachings for taking pause, to reduce overwhelm from our culture of over-consumption (over-doing, over-scrolling, over-stimulating, over-eating, over-purchasing, over-worrying).

#6 - DHARANA -

State of focused attention. Teachings for maintaining a sense of inner stillness and single pointed focus. Drawing away from the tendency to multitask & overwhelm the nervous system.

#7 - DHYANA -

Meditation. Learning to be quiet, outside and inside.

#8 - SAMADHI -

Bliss, my love.

Pause with me for a moment, and imagine a world where each man, woman and child is offered these teachings from youth?

What might be different about this world?

About how we treat each other?
​How we treat ourselves?

As Gandhi said, it is best for us to "Be the change we want to see". We can heal the world through first healing ourselves, so we may serve our communities.

We can gift this knowledge to the children of tomorrow.

“The yoga thing, the meditation thing, the herbal tea thing... They were all just "things", before I stepped on this path and it all started to make sense, to have a true meaning, a purpose. This course brought beauty back into my life. Every day I'm learning more about self-love. My body is cleaner, my mind is clearer. This course should be mandatory!“
- Annie Lanthier, Everyday Ayurveda course member

Priority Shaming.

I was scrolling the Insta reels yesterday and came across a life coach who was talking about finding your WHY.

Your WHY is like your purpose.
​What are you here for?
What’s really important to you?
What do you value in this one and only wonderful life?

All cool questions to ask yourself.
​

So, she’s talking about the WHY, and how it’s a great anchor for reaching your goals.

… and then she did that cringy thing I’ve seen so many coaches / teachers do:

She said: “If you don’t keep your WHY in the forefront of your mind, you’re not prioritizing yourself” (or something along those lines - I DEF did not save the reel to go back and listen again).

Is it just me? Or when you hear statements like that, are you really hearing “If you cared about yourself more you’d reach your goals, but you don't so…. Fail”

Whyyyyyy must there be shame embedded in everything we do??

All-in diets.

Strict exercise plans.

Goal-getting.

Even meditation for heaven’s sake!
Have you ever heard that tired-ass saying “We all have the same 24-hrs in a day. Look at how busy Oprah is; if she can meditate every day then so can you”

(thanks modern marketing for consistently making me feel like a fat, lazy, unmotivated ball of incurable anxiety)

This 🠝🠝🠝 is a perfect example of why I study Ayurveda.

Because it’s softer.

​In Ayurvedic tradition, purpose is turned to mantra.

Your mantra is not fastidiously written daily in a goal journal, or tracked for whether you “cared enough about your goals today” or whether you succeeded or failed at “living your truth” (yuck).

Your mantra is simply an invitation, which can be sung while we you the bed, or tend to the everyday tasks of life.

It’s a loving reminder, rather than a push.

Beyond creating your own, mantras are used to connect you to specific emotions you’re welcoming into your life, through chanting to the Goddesses of Hindu mythology. (a tradition not to be underestimated. Literally billions of people over thousands of years have repeated these words).

Mantra is often tied to a string of beads, known as a mala, worn as a symbol of your desire, and a reminder to yourself that your mantra is always here for you when you need inspiration.

It’s not about “prioritizing yourself” or trying to find motivation toward change.

It’s about lovingly releasing your burdens, to make space for change naturally.

Doesn't that sound nicer?

Everyday Ayurveda is designed to be taken at ease. You can print your course workbook and simply bring it to the park, the beach or the cabin, and take in the teachings at your own pace.

It starts with a short practice for finding your why, or a mantra for you use, whenever you need it.

​Click here to learn more about the 60-hr Everyday Ayurveda Self Study Program
​

To lovingly releasing your burdens,

xo Carly

Ayurveda for Weight Loss

Did you ever have a friend who could eat whatever they wanted and never get fat**?

When I was a kid my uncle kept a drawer full of chocolate bars, to keep weight on. As an 11 year-old sugar loving kid who was regularly referred to as “the chubby one” I was hella jealous.

Back in 1958 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published an article claiming a pound of human adipose tissue (aka fat) contains around 3500 calories.

And so began the calorie craze, with Docs and Nutritionists shouting from the rooftops that “All you need to do is decrease your caloric intake by 500 calories a day, and you’ll lose a pound every week!”

By the 90’s everyone and their mom were counting calories (my mom was, was yours?).

It’s still so popular today that it’s Regulated that restaurant chains in the U.S and Canada with more than 15 locations must list the caloric values on each menu item.
​
​K… but wait a sec? If this 3500 calorie thing is universally true, how is it that uncle David could crush 4 chocolate bars in a day and still be rail thin, while I was sneaking the odd cookie from the cupboard, and being told by my friends that “you’re not growing boobs you’re just fat”?
(kids can be so cruel).

The easy, modern answer we hear today might be: “it was his metabolism!”

…. Except do we know what that even means?

Metabolism is the chemical process of breaking down food in the body into protein, fats and carbohydrates (otherwise known as macros) - and converting them into energy.

According to this “landmark” study there are four phases of metabolism in a person's lifespan. Youth being the time when it's at its highest, and slowly degrading over time.

… Still left scratching my head over here. How does that explain a chubby 11 year old and her super thin uncle? How did 3500 cookie calories amount to another pound for me, but nothing for him?

We have to look deeper. And I'm NOT talking about counting macros. That’s the same bullshart.

‘Cause here’s the TRUTH: If your body isn't breaking down your food properly, there's no point in even counting macros.

From Ayurvedic perspective, we look at the following things when it comes to digestive health:

• How is the mucosal lining in your gut? Are you absorbing all that protein/nutrients you're eating? Are there other signs of malabsorption present?

• Is your liver producing sufficient bile? Are you eating on schedule?

• Are you drinking enough water to create good digestive soup?

• Are you overeating, slowing the process?

• Are you grazing, asking the body to put energy into multiple phases of digestion at once?​

• Are you stuck in a stressed state, impairing the other functions of your body altogether?

ANY of these things can lead to weight gain, or holding of excess adipose tissue. There’s Literally a hundred things we could talk about before even discussing what you're eating.

Inside Everyday Ayurveda you learn the common symptoms of imbalance that show up for your inherent body type, that might attribute to unwanted weight gain or loss.

Do you have:

• irregularity in bowel movements

• constipation

• gas

• bloating

• little or low appetite

• Hiccups?

These are VATA-type digestive problems.

Do you have:

• Loose bowel movements

• Acid reflux

• Heartburn

• Excessive thirst

• A sour taste in your mouth

• Irritable bowels?

These are PITTA-type digestive problems.

Do you have:

• Sticky, mucousy, or incomplete bowel movements

• Sluggish digestion

• Feelings of heaviness

• Frequent salivation

• Excess mucous, frequent cough or congestion

• Allergies?

There are KAPHA-type digestive problems.

And - believe it or not - none of these problems are cleared up by simply opting for a mandarin chicken lean cuisine meal.

(go figure).

When you learn Ayurveda you’re given tools for bringing the body to homeostasis (as in all systems functioning healthfully), specific to YOUR body type.

And it’s NOT just about food.

If we only focus on the food part, we might as well listening to Chet over at the fitness gym with his “boost your metabolism by eating 50 meals a day” nonsense.

The number of calories you’re taking in is only a piece of the large puzzle that makes up your ideal diet.

Your ideal diet is only a piece of the very large puzzle that makes up a healthy and well balanced you.

There are so many delicious foods out there, and you deserve to enjoy them, and STILL feel totally well, balanced, and thriving at a size that feels good to YOU.
​

​Get to know yourself from head to heart to toe this season inside the Everyday Ayurveda Course. Click here to join.​

​
Happy eating whatever tf you want,

xo Carly

p.s - ** I need to put a clarifier on my use of the word fat up top, because our culture uses it in demeaning or judgmental ways, yet having fat on your body is SUPER important. Your brain is 60% fat ffs.

p.p.s - Calorie labeling is a system that has NOT proven effective whatsoever in helping people lose weight or even make different food choices - It’s yet another thing that serves only to perpetuate disordered eating. Listen to this podcast for more on that.

Time to Rest.

DISCLAIMER**
I will never pretend to know the full scope of action of any given supplement, or how they interact with each other or with other medications. Though the list of supplements I'll share is for educational purposes only, I'll do my best to cite credible sources for my reasoning behind each, so you can make the best decision for your own self should you be looking for a supplement protocol.

Woof. Last week sucked.

COVID hit our house, and - just like with every other virus - the kids got sick for a couple of days, and then fully better (and back to being loud and messy) just in time for me to get it.

For me it felt like a bad cold.

I didn't get a fever,

no cough,

not even really a snotty nose.

I just ... felt like shit. Ya know?

Maybe I was one of the lucky ones who just didn't develop more severe symptoms.

But just in case that's not the case, I wanted to share the things I did, right from the day my son's symptoms first showed up, to try to be proactive about the whole thing.

There is ennnnnnndless info out there on which supplements might ease the burden of COVID, and I've posted what I used down below,

but what I think has been FAR more impactful, were these TWO little changes.

There are 2 things I focused on last week, that made a HUGE difference in my energy levels, sleep quality, and overall feeling of being sick.

1. Fasting

Holy energy preservation batman. Fasting goes a long way in making space for your body to do its restorative work. Every function of the human body requires energetic focus. Fighting a virus takes a huge energetic load, and adding the task of digestion is a burden.

Of course I didn't starve myself. But I did cut down to 2 meals a day, with an 18-hour fasting window over night. I had breakfast (usually fruit salad because it's high in fibre, antioxidants and nutrients) around 10:30am,

and supper (usually sautéed brussels sprouts and beets on a bed of dark leafy greens with hemp hearts and umami dressing, and a side cup of bone broth) around 4:30pm.

On days when I was feeling hungry, I had a Turmeric Latte in the evening. Otherwise I stuck to water > room temp, or tea hot with ginger or cinnamon.
​So. Much. Water.​
​

2. Sensory Deprivation

Known as "Pratyahara" in sanskrit, sensory deprivation is the medicine your nervous system is asking for when sick.

Like I mentioned with the fasting, I needed to conserve energy wherever possible. As a business owner with 2 little ones and a husband out of town for work (lucky), there was more than one thing being asked of me at any given moment.... It wasn't like I had an option to spend my days in a float tank or something.

I did my best to assert some boundaries with my miraculously all-better littles (aka they watched a lot of tv),

I let go of a lot of deadlines I had set for the week at work (good thing I'm the boss),

and only did the dishes when we ran out of any clean option (really, opting for a cup of broth when I ran out of bowls might have changed my life).

But the GREATEST move I made to conserve energy,
was to DELETE MY SOCIAL MEDIA.

A body engaged in scrolling is not a body at rest. The nervous system is being stimulated. Dopamine, cortisol, adrenaline all firing. I opted out of all that, and spent my quiet time working on a paint by number of me and my husband.​

Removing social from my phone helped me be with myself.

It helped me listen to my needs. The messages that get missed when I'm deep in the scroll (if you've ever stood up from the couch, phone in hand, parched and body aching, stunned that it's 11pm, you know what I mean).

Rather than 1am googling my symptoms, I listened.

Carly needs a bath now.

Carly needs water now.

Carly needs to go for a walk around the block. Carly needs some light movement now.

Carly needs to go to sleep now.

I got quiet.
I listened.
I did the things.
And I felt better.
:)
​

A couple of times I strayed from the 2 things above. I reinstalled the apps. I ate a bowl of Barbara's organic cheetos. And in both cases, I pretty much immediately felt more flu-ish.
​

Lastly, here's my Daily Supplement protocol. I did this for 7 days. PLEASE refer to the disclaimer up top, and click each item to do your own research / discuss with your doctor before implementing any high-dose vitamin protocol:

• ​7,500 IU Vitamin D​

• ​100mg K2​

• ​600mg NAC, 2x daily​

• ​250mg Quercetin, 2x daily​

• ​50mg Zinc, 2x daily​

• ​1000mg Vit. C​

That's it; what helped me the most through our week with Covid.

I'd love to know, have you had it? What helped you the most?

And if you haven't had it, well I wish you continued success in not having it lol.
​

Carly ​

ps - with any conversation on Covid it's common to question a person's vaccine status. I encourage us all to remove this from the chat. Each person's medical status is private. I am "pro" you doing what feels right for you, and encourage individuals to review up to date statistics to help them determine the best course of action for themselves.

pps - I talk a lot more about the little things we can do daily to bring rest & restoration to our bodies daily, inside my free class. Click here to grab a spot, and learn more about yourself through the lens of Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic Golden Milk Recipe

Warning - The answer to all of life’s questions lies in this blog.

Feeling snack’ish? Golden milk.

Inflamed? Golden milk.

Digestive upset? Golden milk.

Needing a warm embrace? Golden milk.

Golden Milk (aka a turmeric latte) is naturally sweet, nourishing and heavy. It's great for inflammation, and helps with digestion. It’s the perfect replacement for evening snacks, helping your body break down your dinner so you can get restful sleep.

Golden Milk’s key ingredients are loaded with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Turmeric and ginger have been observed to improve memory and brain function. Cinnamon and ginger lower blood sugar levels. Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon alike have antibacterial and antiviral properties, giving a delicious immunity boost.

And…. it’s tastes unbelievable. Like a warm hug from a warm friend.

TO MAKE THE BEST TURMERIC LATTE YOU’LL NEED

1 cup whole cow's milk or almond milk
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil
Pinch black pepper
½ - 1 tsp raw honey (optional)

In a small saucepan, warm the milk, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 2-4 minutes, or until you see steam rising out of the pan.

Add all other ingredients, except honey, and whisk until combined. Pour into a mug, sweeten with honey (if using).

Enjoy!

ps…. there are many Ayurvedic approaches to lowering inflammation, improving mood & memory, strengthening digestion and boosting immunity. To learn more about a balanced approach to overall health, check out a free class today.

I hate the kind where I've been over-doing it so much that my brain feels too fried to sleep.
(this is pitta-type insomnia. If you don't know what that means but you know you experience it, click here).

... but what I hate even more, is the kind that wakes me up - and KEEPS me up - in the middle of the night.

.. with racing thoughts,

... and restless legs.

The kind of insomnia that leaves me tossing and turning, and then exhausted and anxious the next day.
​
THIS is VATA insomnia.

When sleep loss becomes a regular occurrence, we’re taxed mentally, physically, and emotionally, and our judgment is often painfully impaired.

We want nothing more than to sleep, but we’re often afraid that we won’t be able to, which compounds anxiousness and stress, further inhibiting our ability to surrender to sleep.
​
I've talked to SO many wonderful humans who are facing this right now, and in case you're one of them, I wanted to share the things that have really helped me.

1. Nourish your body and nervous system with an oil massage. Doesn't matter what kind. If you have organic olive oil, great. Take a little jar of it and give your whole body a rub down. The word for oil in sanskrit is SNEHA. The word for love? is SNEHA.
   ​

2. Drink a cup of warm milk (or alternative) with brahmi powder.
   ​

3. Turn down the lights and turn off the screens, especially an hour before bed. Give the brain and body a break from all the stimulation. Come home to yourself.
   ​

4. Try calming scents like chamomile, lavender, maybe in a warm bath with epsom salts and candlelight. Yeah.
   ​

5. Use a sleep mask, a white noise machine, a weighted blanket. All such wonderful tools for the light sleepers of the world.

Especially during the winter months Vata imbalance can throw even the deepest of sleepers off their game. I use these 5 tools almost daily, and they truly make all the difference.

Insomnia is a common symptom of vata imbalance, and often shows up alongside other indicators of a more serious health problem.

I've got a free class all about it. I'd love to help.
​Click here to grab a spot in the Dosha Class.

Is Fasting Right for You?

I don't know if you've noticed, but fasting is kinda popular right now.

Intermittent fasting
Full day fasting
​​
Dave Asprey - the creator of bulletproof coffee - has a free course on all things fasting, including how to do a 3-4 day spiritual fast.

NOW BEFORE YOU RUN AWAY AND GOOGLE THAT - just hold up a second. Let’s talk.

As we in the west tend to do with our “modern science”, there are many fasting gurus who will give you a TON of information about the best way to fast.

Inside the top "ultimate guide-to-all-that-is-fasting" books and courses you’ll find things like:

Recommendations on complete blood panel testing to see exactly how your body responds to carbohydrates,

Suggestions on foods that you want to avoid that cause “hunger spikes”, such as kale.

Recommendations for the ideal time for exercise, to trigger your body to metabolize food more effectively.

Cool.

AND,
Hella overwhelming.

We think we want all this information….
We want to be ultra informed. I do it too.
But here’s the thing,

When someone first suggested that I dish out $1000 for this full blood panel/urine analysis/saliva testing to tell me exactly what’s making me feel not great, I honestly thought to myself 

“well… I already KNOW that there’s a lot of things I'm doing that make me feel not great. Why spend money to have someone tell me what I already know?”

Can you relate?

These tests show us what foods we should be avoiding, or what lifestyle shifts we should be making for better health.

… and unless you’re already practicing moderation,
exercising daily,
meditating,
properly spacing your meals with no snacks,
putting down your phone,
getting good sleeps
​… imma guess your body already knows what would make you feel better.

​
The trouble with all this scientific data is that it doesn't account for where we currently are.

I SERIOUSLY doubt that eating less kale is going to be the key to fat loss at this stage in my health journey.

As a human with working hours, little kids, all the responsibilities, etc, knowing the best time to work out is great… but ANY time is better than not at all.

Know what I mean?

When there’s too much information, you’re likely to give up.
When there’s too many changes at once, you’re likely to give up.
When there’s too much restriction, you’re likely to give up.
When the “ideal protocol” doesn't fit your schedule, you’re likely to give up.

So instead of going down a data rabbit hole in the search for perfect health - why not just start with this:

Paying attention to how what you’re eating makes you feel.

Your body is smart as all get out. Indigestion, “meat sweats”, caffeine shakes, afternoon sugar crashes, food hangovers… all clear signals from the body that “hey we overindulged on some stuff”, or “hey that food doesn’t really make me feel vibrant”.

Everyday wellbeing is simple AF my friend. And it starts with the question “what makes me feel vibrant”. That’s it.

The real work is in listening to the answer your body is giving you, and honoring it. If you can nail THIS skill, you’re golden.​
​
​

Enjoy your kale… and whatever else makes you feel lit ;)

Carly

P.s - fasting is definitely not new science. Intermittent fasting (otherwise known as proper meal spacing) has been a foundational practice in Ayurvedic tradition for forever, and is totally worth the hype - so many benefits.

If you’ve never tried intermittent fasting, you don’t need a book to do it. Just make your last meal 3-4 hours before you go to bed, and then don't eat again for 14-16 hours (14 is good, 16 is great). Just WAIT till you see how vibrant that makes you feel!

P.p.s - Inside Everyday Ayurveda we go deep on your relationship with food. If you’re done with big new trendy diets that don’t stick - click here and join us today.

p.p.p.s - Wanna watch a free class on Ayurveda before diving into a course? I got you. Click here to check out the class.