Ayurvedic Nutrition

I’m taking this course as part of ongoing training for my Yoga Alliance membership recertification. In the future, I don’t foresee me keeping this recertification up–not because I don’t love learning, you know that–but I don’t think it’ll be necessary for my future as a teaching yogi. We shall see.

Either which way, I’m taking Ayurvedic Nutrition through My Vinyasa Practice. I’ve had my eye on this company for a long while now–I had even considered doing my yoga training through them! They also have several other courses I look forward to taking in the future, and apparently I can even apply to work with them at some venture! That might be fun. But for now, let me wrap up this ramble and move onto some of my take-homes in regards to the course.

At this point in my training (a little more than halfway), my biggest AHA! is how imperative it is for future clients–as well as myself–to develop a better relationship with ALL foods. The instructor says ALL foods have some sort of nutritional value. In the past, I’ve poo poo’d certain foods by saying the exact opposite. The creator of the program is right, though–all foods are made out of something.

I’ve already tried to correct the language in my own house. I’ve had this line for years with my kid about how certain foods, that is, junk food, has zero nutritional value. He’s looked at me cross-eyed as I’m now trying to convince him otherwise. I hate that he thinks of junk food as a reward. I’ve always asked him if he was still hungry before embarking on the junk, but now I’ve started to ask him what nutritional needs he is trying to get out of the food. He’s playing along, but again — cross-eyed.

I think a big part of becoming an Ayurvedic Nutritionist means becoming a guide for others through the lens of Ayurvedic notions. The most major idea is to recreate one’s relationship with foods by simply considering a food as nourishing rather than good or bad. Another major idea is to tackle one’s relationship with nutrition by discovering which doshas, or rather, disposition, you were born with, which one you lean towards now, and how to bring them all into balance. There are three major doshas to choose from and generally speaking, one will be a little more glaring obvious than the others. Yes, as humans, we are a blend of all three.

I have such a wide and varied knowledge base at this point. I always say, master of none, but lover of all… and so I feel like I can really create a unique experience creating plans of enrichment for clients. About 15 years or so ago I created a holistic health questionnaire and never went anywhere with it. I think with the nutrition part added to it, now, I can really combine my offerings together into a cohesive document that clients can bring home and expand upon. I’m excited to look into this more over the coming months.

If anything else, it is always fun and enlightening to discover more about oneself.

Stay tuned! Only good things.

Here’s How My Harmonic Egg Session Went

Wait, what in God’s name am I referencing? 

An egg? 

An egg that is harmonic and can create a session?

Okay. So if you’ve listened to my podcast, you know that, along with my friend, we consider ourselves skeptical of woo woo ideas, notions, services and talismans. And since I’ve been inside the World of Woo for so long, I recognize the fact that my level of skepticism has waned and I’m far more open to try new, random things without needing to take a deep dive into believability.

And also, because, at the very least, these things create an experience of the senses, which ultimately is what life is about.

This is how I found myself resting inside a giant, sacred geometrical wooden egg with a soft, whitish lavender light above me, cushy zero gravity chair below me. I was covered underneath a sky blue and white plaid blanket, squished between two soft pillows, and had speakers pumping tunes from each side of the egg.

That’s right.

I sat inside an egg-shaped dome contraption thingamabob for 50 minutes to relax, and “heal”.

Here’s some info from Harmonic Egg’s main website:

An ancient technology rediscovered – Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used the healing properties of sound in their healing rituals, and the Aboriginal people of Australia to the present day still use their didgeridoo and drums to heal broken bones and muscle tears. ​

In the Harmonic Egg three powerful elements are combined. Energy frequencies of light (color) and music brought together in a geometrically shaped space with the aim of balancing body, mind, and soul with each other. This stimulates the self-healing ability of the body.

As of the herbal world, I have a tendency of believing combinations of – whatever – have a more lasting impact than a single entity. Theoretically speaking, combining the right music (scientifically proven to chill a person out), light therapy (again: science is backing the healing effects of certain tones) and the sacred geometrical shape of this egg could activate healing. 

Alright: I’m unsure if science is backing this one, but I KNOW in my heart of hearts, there is magic in the shape of a perfectly formed water droplet, in curvatures of a leaf, a sea shell, the perfect dimensions of… an egg?

Okay, maybe I need to research that one.

The website further tells us that:

Data suggests that energy therapy balances the Autonomic Nervous System, detoxes the body, reduces inflammation, increases circulation, and clears trauma at a cellular level.

The resonant frequency used by the Harmonic Egg® / Ellipse® has an ability to detect the vibration of your body and any imbalance. That imbalance is harmonized with the exact opposite frequency.

And as an aside, the creator of the egg had an experience inside another type of chamber, has a background in engineering, and TA DA! She created this Harmonic Egg.

Back to my Egg-sperience:

I was brought into the egg room by a technician-in-training. I was introduced to the person who co-owned the egg–a hypnotherapist, Reiki master and psychic among other things–and she introduced herself and plainly asked me to tell about myself to her.

Prior to this, I had to fill out loads of paperwork and disclaimers. She was quick to tap into my energy by looking around my body, sort of said to herself, “I see what’s going on here” and gave me a very quick spiel about the egg. (To which I replied that yeah, I was very tired. I wasn’t thrilled about the assessment without more fanfare, but then again, assuming she had read my paperwork, she must have known about my profession. Still a bit alarming, though.)

The Egg-owner also made mention of smells I might encounter inside the egg — she suggested woodsy or lavender — as this was my “odor” and what my “detox” would smell like.

She also mentioned my past bouts of mono. (So yes, this is truly something asked on the paperwork — and I have a whole slew of feelings regarding EBV, but I won’t go into that here.) I laughed it off (it’s been about 10 years since I had my last flair-up) but she was quick to say not to negate the virus which I house.

She told me she had sobbed inside the egg only yesterday (and due to the wooden nature of the egg, it purportedly doesn’t absorb others’ energies, and is thusly self-cleansing by nature). She said I may sob too — I did not. She also told me I may feel more tired when I left, and how every time is different. I’ve been in this field long enough to know that this is the lingo for many modalities.

I took off my jewelry and shoes, popped into the chair. The technician adjusted it for me, pushing me back, lifting my feet. She gave me the pillows and blanket, had me figure out where to press the bell in case I needed something. The door slowly closed after they made sure the sound was on, and I was alone.

It took me about 5-minutes to calm down; I was excited, I was nervous. I felt my energy being tapped into again, and I assumed it was a part of the process.

Maybe that “tapping into” is more of an opening on my part?

The egg itself is rather spacious — I am a little claustrophobic, but there was so much room on either side of me, and in front of me that I felt fine. The music had a trickle of water running just beneath the tunes, and it seemed like generic, soothing music. As I mentioned, the light was a lavender white, plenty bright to see, not so bright to be bothersome. I closed my eyes and turned on Reiki.

I had expected the colors to change in the egg; they did not. I had expected the music to be louder and more vibratory; it was not. I suppose, overall, it was less a kick-in-the-psychic-ass, and more of a subtle soothefest.

With ten minutes to go, the music slowly fades out. You’re left alone with your thoughts and tinnitus. I wasn’t aware of this part of the session, so I half-wondered if they’d forgotten me (I’m often too timid in making sure I haven’t been forgotten), or if the music had shut off by mistake. But I told my thoughts that they were a wad of nothing, and tried to relax again.

SEE. I saw waves of purple/indigo with my eyes open. With the coloring of the egg, it was easy for me to see the waves of energy, be my own or not. I asked to see another color, and an orange came in, but it wasn’t bright. I’ve seen brighter colors before.

TASTE. Nothing.

HEAR. Just the tunes and my own tinnitus!

SMELL. I did have a short burst of cedar appear; but it certainly could have been MAJORLY influenced via the power of suggestion. But if that’s my detox scent, I dig it!

FEEL. I felt a bubble of joy burst up forth from my heart center at one point. While my intention was to relax, I projected a sense of openness to receive. I imagined my grandparents on either side of me, and told them this space was simply for love. I imagined their hands in mine.

Did I feel like I was inside a spaceship at times? Why yes, yes I did.

Did I have to go to the bathroom? Why yes, yes I did. I decided that since I was detoxing, this meant I was releasing stored fluids of emotions. Like what I did there?

I stepped out feeling rested, but I had questions.

Was this particular shade of light chosen for me and my paperwork and assessment?

Yes.

Was this music chosen for me as well?

Yes. It’s chosen to work with my system where I am in the moment, as opposed to force an outcome.

I’m guessing this means my paperwork was assessed in advance and a plan was made prior to my arrival. Perhaps she would have changed the tunes and light had I been completely different than she had thought. I don’t really know. It looks like owners who are listed on the main website need to keep up with training for the listing.

I am interested in learning more about the process.

Would I try it again? Sure, why not. We all need quiet space at times. It’s close by. I have a feeling there’s a world of Egg Culture out there that I’ve only begun to scrape.

If you want more information, the original website can be found here. Located across the world, you can search to see if one is located near you.

Swell Recommendations!

Here we go!

I’m not sure how often I will post recommendations — either annually, semi-annually, quarterly, seasonally — but I think it’s a superb idea to list current things I find swell in the world.

So for this first round-up, it’s going to be heavy on self-promotion, but I promise, it won’t always be this way.

Podcasts

Naturally I think my own podcast is super swell! It’s traveling along the lines of this blog — in terms of holistic health topics, spiritual topics — but I’m sure they won’t always meander the exact same path.

It is called Woo Woo BBQ. The premise is we’re going to roast — or toast — or maybe a bit of both — whatever we’re cooking up for the episode.

For now we are just on Spotify. We have the trailer, an introduction about who we are and why we’re doing the podcast, and three episodes. The episodes cover Reiki, magic mushrooms and El Camino de Santiago.

On Spotify * On Instagram * On the Web

Shopping

The last time I traversed to Salem, MA, it was during Covid shutdowns so I wasn’t able to make it inside this store. But I think, if you have any need for witchy items, you should check out Hauswitch. I’ve ordered some various items from them, and I’m sure I will continue to do so. They’ve got a lot of fun things. |I have no affiliation with this place, just FYI.

Reading

More self-promotion here, and yes, I’ve mentioned it before here. But if you need an easy read, full of woo woo things, love triangles, banter about destiny vs. free will, prophecy, silly dogs and wary cats, then this book is for you. Join Violet as she discovers who she really is, and why it matters. Set in suburban Atlanta, read on to find what happened When Violet Got Bored. On ebook or paperback; free to Kindle Unlimited readers on Amazon.

Like spooky, historical fiction? Check out The Hauntings of DoG Street: Chowning’s Tavern on Kindle Vella. It follows a modern college student who begins to realize she has a natural gift speaking with the dead… in this case, people who lived in Colonial Williamsburg, back when it was just Williamsburg, during colonial times!

Who is the Man in the Hat? What does he want? First 3 chapters ALWAYS free.

Have a kiddo? Phenix & Fox: Shooting Stars is my children’s book. It’s in paperback, ebook, and a coloring book variation. This summer it will be released in full color via hardback. And you heard it hear (haha) first: the book will be released sometime soon via Audible, read by none other than me!

Animals

It’s bird-watching season in my part of the woods, so I highly recommend some nesting birdseed blend for your flight babies. If you have a local Wild Birds Unlimited near you, they’ll let you order online and pick the seed up! |I have no affiliation with this place, either.

Eats

I found these at Whole Foods, I think. Babybel has just introduced NON DAIRY wax cheese! AAACK! I freaking loved it! My kid hated them. It reminded me of something — some flavor from my childhood — but I couldn’t place my finger on it. If you have eaten them and have an idea? Email me and let me know! |And you’re right if you’re thinking that Babybel is not sending me money, or free cheeses.

Oils

Rocky Mountain Oils has been, quite probably, my favorite brand for close to ten years. They recently interviewed me via Zoom for a short feature. You can watch it here, or visit them on the web here and check the oils out for yourself. I love the chakra blends and immune system blend. Yes, I’ve already blogged about this in a few places.|It looks like they do have an affiliate program out there, but no, I’m not a part of it.

I think that’s a good enough start for the first List of Swell Things! (Of course I’m thinking of Oprah’s Favorite Things when I type that. Of course!)

Stay swell out there.

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Essential Oils + Serendipity

I use several brands of essential oils, but my favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils. I started using them around the time of their merger with Native American Nutritionals. (I think that’s what the other company was called! It’s been so long.)

(Unrelated, it’s hard to focus as my cat, Pilot, is staring at me and rolling all around me.)

There he is!

In January of this year, I got a chat sent to me from Rocky Mountain Oils via Instagram. While I know I’m literally in the business of love, trust, acceptance and all that, I’m quite terribly skeptical, slightly cynical, and not very trusting. (Look, I’m a WIP like anyone else!!!)

This “passion project” of one of the owners of the oil company was presented to me as a Zoom interview by an assistant. The assistant would interview me and highlight what I’m doing in my tiny little corner of the world.

Did I mention how much I love their oils? I use their chakra oils weekly on myself and incorporate them into my practice pretty often. Also, I assure you, I’m not making any money if you click on the link or order from them. I’m just sharing what’s swell.

At any rate, the interview turned out to be a real thing. I was a nervous wreck. I’d seen some of their other videos (and by the way, I intend to watch as many as possible). There are SO many fascinating women out there doing their thing, their wonderful, amazing thing–and I find them all so inspirational. This passion project is such a lovely idea.

Prior to the interview, I had prepared some information which was going to last about 5 minutes. Only when I got on the call, I was told that interest was dropping off at the 2-3 minute mark and I should try to keep it that short.

I blubbered through the darn thing trying to figure out what I wanted to touch upon. A great lesson in adaptation. But hey, all the same, I put myself out there.

I had truly just asked the Universe how I was supposed to have these kismet moments, serendipitous happenings anymore?

I rarely leave the house!

And the Universe said, you can still sync up, you can still get caught in the flow… through Instagram.🤪🤪🤪🤪

You can watch the madness here.

A Novel for Bodyworkers/Yogis/Magic Lovers

A little bit of self-promotion here.

I wrote a book about a bodyworker. Scenes take place in yoga studios, dojos and meditation rooms. There are crystals, runes, reiki, and elixirs.

While the story itself was therapeutic to write, the fun came in describing the world we holistic health people know and love. I call BS when BS needs to be called, I call confusion when Destiny vs Free Will is on the mind of our characters, and sneak in some recipes at the back of the book.

Read more about the book here.

Purchase on Amazon here. Free for Kindle Unlimited readers!

If you enjoy it, please leave a review!

Happy Reading, Fellow Light Workers!