It's easier to prevent disease than to recover.
Are your habits supporting your deeper health and well-being?
As we deepen our relationship with our body, and our awareness of the results of our actions on how we feel, weeding out the habits that break us down and substituting habits which build us up is skillful action. When we go to sleep; when we wake up; what we eat and drink; what we don’t eat and drink; whether we meditate or spend time in Nature or move our bodies; whether we are kind to ourselves; whether we take time to digest our daily experiences-- these daily habits support us in feeling great, or just OK or really crummy.
In our high tech, fast paced world, where new superfoods and supplements are coming out all the time, it's easy to overlook the impact our daily habits have on our current and long-term health. We might not be getting good sleep for some time, and then we wonder if we should take a new "energy supplement" because we're dragging. Our digestion is off because we snack, and eat too fast, and we look for probiotics as the cure. Our hot flashes are getting worse, but we're still drinking wine at night, and coffee during the day, both of which heat our blood.
The truth is that returning to the foundational health habits that Ayurveda teaches, and which are designed for us yogis, is often a big part of the cure to what ails us. Superfoods and supplements taken in the right way at the right time, for those who need them are gifts, and can be included. But they don't take the place of proper diet and lifestyle (tailored to your constitution and lifestage).
Most of us have some good habits in place around diet and exercise, and yet there is often more we can do to refine and adapt these practices to the changing conditions of our lives. And it's not always about doing more things, as much as a different approach to what we're already doing. Like everything, we can get into ruts without realizing it, and forget about or we may never have learned some of the positive actions we can include daily to restore our energy and peace of mind.
Changing habits is hard, I'm not gonna lie. But not as hard as digestive upset. Or constipation, or unwanted weight gain, or hangovers from food and other overindulgence, or bloating, or severe hot flashes, or headaches. You might imagine that adopting an Ayurvedic approach means you can't enjoy chocolate, or a glass of wine, or a hamburger. The truth is that we get to enjoy our favorite indulgences too. It's just a matter of when and how. And whether we can metabolize the residue. The truth is that the closer to balance you are, the more you can afford an indulgence without throwing yourself out of whack.
Life is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. There is a place for everything. It's just when the chocolate and the wine and the hamburgers overtake a cat nap, a conversation with a good friend about what's really going on, or a variety of in-season produce to feed our microbiome, that they become toxic. I aim for 80% +. If we follow a healthy diet and routine the vast majority of the time, and reap the good effects in how we feel and function, then we can afford the occasional indulgence, and really enjoy it. Learning how and when to indulge is a secret I love to teach. There are better and worse times for everything.
I've been teaching Ayurveda since 2014. Half way through my first habit course, the women I worked with reported they were:
-“surprised by how powerful this is”
-“surprised by how (the changes) have come so easily”
-“to be honest with you, I didn’t expect to have such positive outcomes,”
-“(I am finding the capacity to) really slow down my life, do less and quiet down.”
By the end of 12 weeks (and this included moving through the holidays), I heard:
“-I’m so thrilled to have made these changes and I appreciate the gentle yet powerful approach.”
-“I learned so much! I’ve made changes to improve my physical digestion…mental digestion…and have created a nourishing morning routine. I also have a new framework for viewing myself, my health, my life.”
-“I felt really nourished by you, Shannon; and I want to continue learning.
I love being part of the container in which this work of building health habits, and a life you really want to be living, happens. If your current self-care isn't quite working for you anymore now that you've hit mid-life; if you're ready for your next upgrade and refinement in your diet and lifestyle rhythm; if you want to feel better day in and day out, and know what to focus on when you aren't feeling your best, I would love to be your Ayurveda guide and a member of your support team.
This week I'm offering a special promotion on my one on one health coaching package for 5 new clients. I'm offering a substantial discount and adding in some bonuses to signing up for Fall coaching this week.
To qualify for this promotion, you need to book a discovery session with me by Friday, Aug. 25. That session can be anytime through the first week in September.
Book into my calendar here. I'd love to find out what's going on with you, tell you about one on one health coaching, and see if we're a fit to work together. No pressure! I love to have these conversations.
In addition to discounted one on one coaching packages this week only, when you book into my calendar this week, if we decide to work together, you'll receive these bonuses:
*My dosha course, Your Elemental Nature, ( yours to have and use anytime, not just during our private work)
*Seasonal Yoga Membership
*Daily Routine KIT
(BONUSES TOTAL $500 in added VALUE)
Go here to schedule a time to talk with me about one on one yoga-health coaching.
There's still time to book into my calendar for a spot by Aug 31, to receive the bonuses and discount on yoga health coaching.
Love,
Shannon