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Ayurveda and Women's Health! Greetings!
Women's wisdom is nature's wisdom. Ayurveda calls for a strong, passionate relationship with nature. We are naturally healthy. Ayurveda is the pure knowledge of nature's intelligence. When we live with nature in all aspects, we are healthy in mind, body, and spirit. Not just in a "you have passed your annual physical" kind of way but in a radiant glow that shines from blissful experience. We yearn for this kind of life and we can have it.
I have a lovely butternut squash growing in my garden. It knows exactly what to be. I use organic gardening methods and try to notice when the week has been a dry one so I can give it some extra water. That's it. A good start in organic soil and a little "balancing" if the  week has been dry and the result is a perfect butternut squash. That squash raised in natural conditions is full of natural intelligence and when I eat the squash I am drawing that intelligence into my being, not just the calories. I am being reminded of the vibrations of nature with each bite as butternut energy mixes with mine, especially if I am eating in a settled state with reverence for my company and for what I am eating.
A vegetable raised in harsh conditions with chemicals that defy nature---well, mother is not happy. Indeed the old adage is true, "we are what we eat."
When we live with the vibrations of nature, we entrain to her intelligence with every cell and energy pulse of our body. The key to health for women is to live in Nature's embrace. I have just returned from the "Ayurveda for Women's Health" International Conference in Boston. This was a gathering of many Ayurveda doctors and professionals from India, the US, and around the world. This eNews will focus on women's health.
Enjoy radiant health, live divinely, and prosper, Rhonda |
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Women's Health:
We know change. We know the change of a monthly cycle; each part of it distinct. We know the change of emotions as we are in touch with emotive and intuitive energies. We know the changes with giving birth to a wee one or to a new idea. We know the changes of the seasons with some kind of primal instinct that draws us to be attentive to seasonal needs for us and those we love. We know the change of aging which for many of us is about increasing wisdom and self love and not a fascination with decline.
What does Ayurveda offer for women in particular? Some of the ways that Ayurveda serves women is through a customized natural approach to overall health. When one's health is in balance and a change comes like pregnancy or menopause, we go through the change with much more grace and ease. Rather than adding an isolated element such as particular hormone replacement or anti-depressant drugs to manage change in a woman's life, Ayurveda instead looks to underlying imbalances in lifestyle, diet, and belief systems. Then corrections are made in these areas with natural practices and foods to restore balance so that healing occurs.
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Tips for Women's Concerns.
Although an assessment of particular imbalances with customized recommendations for diet and lifestyle is most helpful for dealing with concerns, here are few tips in general for common concerns.- Menstrual cramps- Aloe vera juice- 2-4 Tbs daily- can be taken in juice such as organic pomegranate. Cooking with ghee throughout the month can ease menstrual cramps.
- Overweight- Avoid animal fat. Drink warm tea with honey to fight hunger cravings. Eat for pacifying Vata, Pitta, or Kapha as needed. Any of these imbalances can cause weight gain.
- Sadness/Depression- In Ayurveda terms this is the activation of Sadhaka Pitta (a subdosha of Pitta located in the emotional heart area). To ease Sadhaka try meditation, time in nature, or mild exercise like yin yoga or soothing massage. Sweeten your heart with roses or spritz rose water on your face. Read spiritual literature. Turn on the lights literally and figuratively. Eat quinoa, couscous, and amaranth.
- Pregnancy- Everything you taste, touch, smell, see or feel should be nourishing. Eat warm, cooked, organic foods that are easily digestible like milk, ghee, fresh vegetables.
- Menopause- Symptoms can be from any of the doshas out of balance and treatment is based on that assessment. Drinking 1/4 cup of aloe juice daily can help with hot flashes.
- Anxiety- Abhyanga--warm oil massage. Go to New World Ayurveda for a video . Use lavender essential oil in a diffuser or sweet orange oil for release of traumatic tensions. Regular meditation is the best strategy. Yoga. Balance Vata. Introduce regularity to your schedule.
- Dry Skin-Abhyanga. Use good fats in cooking like ghee and olive oil. Inner balance reflects in outer radiance.
- Osteoporosis -Diet high in vegetable protein and low in animal protein. Avoid caffeine. 15 min of sunshine daily, exercise. Natural calcium from sources like organic milk, sesame seeds, almonds, broccoli, greens.
- Urinary tract infections- 100% organic cranberry juice (D-mannose in cranberry juice is effective at attaching to the bacterium of many urine infections and flushing them from the body).
- Digestion of food- Hot spice water--see tip to the right.
Digestion of emotions- Adopt Ayurveda diet, routine, and lifestyle. Go to bed by 10pm and up by 6am. Walk outdoors in the sunrise. Gentle breathing exercises like pranayama. Practice truthfulness, sweet speech, and love.
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:Classes Fall 2011  Rhonda Egidio, Ph. D. is offering classes at various sites in the Kalamazoo area. Rhonda is an Ayurvedic Practitioner with great passion for sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda and the simple yet effective practices that can make important upgrades to our digestion and overall radiant health. For more information visit: http://RadiantLifeAyurveda.com
Note: early rate are for registrations and payments received one week before the event. Ayurveda Intensive Ayurveda Basics Intensive. Settle in for a full day of learning about Ayurveda including preparing and eating an Ayurveda lunch together. Saturday September 24. 9am-3:30pm. Early rate $75, Regular $90. details - - - Ayurveda at Awake and Aware:
Upgrade Your Life to Radiant! Saturday October 1 & 8. 1:00-3:00pm. $40 early rate or $50 regular. (aka Ayurveda Basics. This course or equivalent knowledge is needed as a foundation for other Ayurveda courses. Special priced to get you started.)
Ayurveda Fall Detox and Rejuvenation. Tuesdays, October 18 & 25. 7:15-9:00pm. $65 early rate or $75 regular
Eat for Radiant Health: Ayurveda Seasonal Menu Planning. Tuesdays, November 1 & 8. 7:15-9:00pm. $65 early rate or $75 regular
Fall Detox and Eat for Radiant Helath combo for $120 Early rate or $130 regular. Early rate is 1 week before the class. details for Awake and Aware Ayurveda classes
- - - Ayurveda at Suzanne's Organics A Taste of Ayurveda: The Wisdom of Life and Strategies for Radiant Health. October 21, 5:30-8:30pm--; $50 includes dinner. details. Ayurveda at Unity of Kalamazoo Upgrade Your Life to Radiant! Wednesdays September 21 and 28, 6:30-8:30pm or Thursdays October 6 and 13, 10am - noon. $50 regular, $40 early. Details. Watch for future classes in Spring Lake and Lansing, Michigan |
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Personal Ayurveda Assessment and Coaching Individually Priced
Fall Kick Off Special Package.
Get your changes in place!
Personal Assessment with written report (value $120) + 3 coaching sessions (value 3 x $60 = $180) + Radiant Life Ayurveda thermos (value=$20) to start you off for drinking spice water daily. Total value $320. Mention coupon below for the price of $255.
 Rhonda Egidio Ph.D., provides Ayurvedic assessments of primary health concerns, diet, sleep and lifestyle. The assessment includes pulse and tongue diagnosis to determine your Constitutional Dosha balance (prakruti) and your current imbalance (vikruti). You will receive a detailed written summary of your dosha states/ assessment results and a list of personal recommendations to support you in restoring balance
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Fall is approaching. Learn how Ayurveda can help you to make the most of this season of change by making food and lifestyle choices to restore your radiant health. Check out a workshop or consider a private consultation as you ever move on the path of light.
Cheers and blessings,
Rhonda Egidio
Radiant Life Ayurveda rhonda@radiantlifeayurveda.com
269-345-2991
http://www.radiantlifeayurveda.com
Ayurveda information shared here is for general educational purposes and is not intended to substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult with a qualified medical professional in these matters.
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Upcoming Events
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Ayurveda Intensive September 24.
Ayurveda at Awake and Aware-various topics. October 1 & 8, 18 & 25, November 1 & 8. Taste of Ayurveda at Suzanne's Organics October 21. Ayurveda at Unity of Kalamazoo September 21,28 or October 6,13.
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Featured Tip for Digestion and Weight Loss
Hot Spice Water
In a liter/quart thermos:
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
Add seeds to thermos and pour boiling water into the thermos. Let steep for 5 minutes. Then sip this hot spice water throughout the day. You can add more boiling water if you drink it up. But the next day make a fresh batch.
The effect of the hot water alone on the side of the tongue signals your body to digest. If you have just eaten it will digest what is in your system. If you have not just eaten, the signal will be to digest stored fat. Since this is where toxins often hang out, drinking the hot water will pull out ama (toxins) along with fat and discharge from your body.
The 3 spices are digestive spices so this is an added bonus for digestion. Once you start doing this, you will feel much cleaner as digestion will be more complete.
Hint--if purchasing a thermos, get a good one that will keep water hot for 7-8 hours. Also a pop-top type thermos is good so you will not need to completely open the thermos each time which allows the heat to escape.
Here is a drink to your health.
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In Our Community
Kalamazoo Farmers' Market on Bank Street, between Lake Street and Stockbridge Avenue
June - October:
Tues, Thurs & Sat from 7 am to 2 pm or until the last seller leaves the market.
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Recipe of the Month
Take-along lunch:
Thermos Lunch
1/4 cup split mung dahl beans
1/4 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup fresh chopped vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, broccoli
1 teaspoon Vata or pitta churna (or grind 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp coriander seeds.)
2 cups boiling water 1 teaspoon ghee Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add churna/spices and vegetables and saute for several minutes. Add the rice and dahl and stir. Add the boiling water and cook only for a few minutes. Pour everything in a stainless steel thermos and close lid tightly. Keep closed for about 4 hours. It will be done cooking in the thermos by lunch- time. Recipe from MAPI.com |
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Save
$65 |
Personal Assessment + 3 Coaching Sessions + Radiant Life Ayurveda thermos.
Value is $320, available to you in September for $255. Arrangements need to be made in September for appointments completed by December 2011 The thermos is ideal for hot spice water--see the tip--as it keeps water hot 7-8 hours or more and has a pop-top | | Offer Expires: September 30, 2011 |
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