Ayurveda

We are what we eat (and digest).

Ayurveda is about digestive health. What, why, when, and how we digest (food, experiences, interactions) is essential to the health of our whole being.

In order to maintain digestive health, Ayurveda advises adopting simple daily health rhythms or routines that act as a signal to hone in on how well we are connected to the changing needs of our bodies and minds.

The essential actions of life (waking, eliminating, cleansing, breathing, being still, moving, eating, working, playing, nurturing and resting) require attention, care and at times, adjustments based on time of year, activities, state of mind, and stage in life.

The simple acts of scraping the tongue and taking hot water in the morning, claiming time in the day for mindfulness practice, taking exercise outside, making a digestive support spice mix, brewing a calming tea and preparing cooked, warm, fresh, wholesome meals become powerful routines that help us to maintain balanced health and make possible a greater awareness to the joys possible in our lives.

I offer Ayurveda workshops, cooking classes, and seasonal community cleanses to the On the Mat Yoga Community. During this time, classes and workshops are all virtual.

 Yoga

My mother first took me to a yoga class in a church basement. Sweatpants attire, no music. I’ll admit I didn’t get it right away. But I kept seeking out yoga classes in college and eventually found my way to a regular practice. In my later 20s, Jane Cargill’s teaching style lit a fire inside, it was time to take a deeper dive to understand the philosophy behind the practice. I enrolled in teacher training with the transformative master teacher Natasha Rizopoulos. I was newly pregnant with my first child, just moving beyond novice level as a nurse practitioner and ready for the next chapter. I started teaching prenatal yoga having just crossed the threshold to motherhood, and then vinyasa flow class at On the Mat Yoga after a move to Concord seeking green space for my growing family. A few years later, and with my second child a toddler, I felt the pull to continue on for advanced teacher training. It was during this training that I met Kate O’Donnell and learned about Ashtanga Yoga and Ayurveda. Initially with some trepidation of the what seemed like impossible poses, I began to learn the primary series. A friend coached me until I felt ready for the Mysore room. So many surprises awaited! I love the daily touchstone of starting the practice each day, same poses, but it’s never the same. The practice takes discipline to do, but ultimately the hardest thing is learning to let go of the outcome and never forget to breathe.