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If we don’t listen to our bodies, our bodies will make us listen
Unfortunately, many of us have a habit of ignoring our bodies and pushing through. If we continue to do that over time, our bodies will raise the volume of the alarm until it is too loud to ignore, and we will end up with autoimmune conditions or other serious illnesses. If we don't listen to our inner wisdom, our bodies will make us listen.

A Game of Chicken
No one likes to feel uncomfortable, but the challenge is not the discomfort, it is the way we relate to it. If we resist it, through avoidance or anger, we will be feeding it energy, and it will grow. If we try to pretend it doesn't bother us, it will show up in other ways (maybe as digestive discomfort or a skin rash). On the other hand, if we understand it as temporary and offer ourselves the support we need to meet it, we will learn that we have the capacity to be in the flow and its power will naturally dissipate. This is super important because we simply cannot control the flow of the universe. No amount of struggle will stop the waves from coming. We don't need to stand in the storm and try not to get knocked over, we need to build a boat and learn how to surf.

Starting from a place of wholeness
Ayurveda starts from a place of wholeness, not a place of deficit. Ayurveda is not a set of rules; it is an invitation to cultivate a relationship with yourself and with your world. It is a beautiful practice of learning how to listen to your body's wisdom, and be responsive to your own changing needs. We don’t get there by following a list of rules imposed by someone else. We develop this capacity by paying attention to signs and symptoms as communications from our wise bodies, and learning how to support and nourish ourselves so that we feel well-resourced. When we are well-resourced, our gifts naturally shine.

restorative Yoga & Pranayama for Winter Workshop
Winter is a really great time to slow down and to replenish our energy stores. I'm leading a special practice today specifically for winter that will leave you feeling rested, grounded, and renewed. I'd love for you to join me.

Ojas Milk Recipe
This recipe for ojas milk has lots of brmhana (building and nourishing) ingredients and is great for balancing out the depleting qualities of winter. Banyan Botanicals is a great source for ashwagandha and shatavari, and if you use the coupon code RACHEL15, you will get 15% off your order. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps the body heal from stress. The etymology of the word is associated with the strength and vitality of the horse, and it imparts those same qualities. It is also sometimes called Indian Ginseng because it promotes mental focus and clarity. Shatavari is also an adaptogen whose name means "100 spouses." It is a replenishing herb that helps the organs and tissues of the body retain their juiciness. Both herbs are calming for the mind and nervous system as well.

It’s the little things
Happy New Year, friends! As we close out 2023, I'm feeling called to celebrate the little things, and to leave space for 2024 to unfold organically, rather than make bold proclamations. Sometimes the most meaningful moments aren't the big accomplishments, but the little moments of wonder we experience when we are being fully present.

Hello darkness, my old friend
Creation begins in darkness. We plant seeds underground and they germinate in the dark. Yes, the light helps them grow once they are seedlings, but the darkness is necessary for them to take root. We need darkness and rest to nurture our creative potential so that we can give birth to new ideas, and continue to regenerate.

Oil = Love
Did you know that the Sanskrit word for oil (sneha) is also the word for love? Abhyanga is truly magic, friends. It is a beautiful practice of self-love that nourishes the body, heals the nervous system, calms the mind, and grounds the spirit. Combined with yoga nidra, this will be the ultimate practice for healing. Come to the workshop today and experience it for yourself!

Two of the best practices for staying grounding this winter
In Ayurvedic medicine the rhythms of nature provide insight into healing and self-care practices through the principle, "Like increases like and opposites bring balance." When we align with nature, we experience more harmony and balance in our lives. Late fall and winter are the vata seasons, which means the elements of wind and space predominate. These two elements, when balanced, provide the space for introspection and the mobility needed to make sustainable changes in our lives. When vata is stabilized by the earth element, winter provides the perfect opportunity to turn inward and expand our connection to our truest selves. Winter self-care should include grounding practices that invite time to rest and restore. When we pause, we give ourselves space to filter out illusion and remember our inner truth.

Today’s WOrkshop: Yoga & Ayurveda for Fall
Unlock your body’s wisdom and align your nature with Mother Nature to support:
Better sleep
Improved digestion
Easeful elimination
Supple skin
A stronger immune system
Vibrant, grounded energy
Steady focus and concentration
Balanced mood
The ability to listen to and honor your body's wisdom
When you understand the how the qualities in nature also manifest within you, you will be able to flow through the seasons of your life with grace. I hope to see you this afternoon!

Let Your Heart Break So Your Spirit Doesn’t
One of the great teachers of our time, Valarie Kaur, asks us to look upon the faces of strangers who are suffering and to grieve with them; to see their children as our children; to see them as part of us. Imagine what the world would be like if we saw each other as kin and not foe, and honored each other's suffering as our own.
We have a choice in these moments to harden ourselves and shut ourselves off to pain, or to open our hearts and, as the poet Andrea Gibson wrote,
"Let your heart break so your spirit doesn't."

Balancing Act
Have you been feeling a little blah lately? Nature is transitioning, and unless we are also transitioning along with nature, we can feel tired, anxious, spacey, and ungrounded in the fall as the air and space elements start to take center stage.
Most of my clients are experiencing flare-ups of back pain and insomnia, which makes a ton of sense from an Ayurvedic perspective. Want to know why? Come to this workshop! When you understand the how the qualities in nature also manifest within you, you will be able to flow through the seasons of your life with grace.

solving the puzzle
It took a fair amount of time, research, and trial and error, but I was determined to figure it out. That is basically how I operate. I love to solve a problem, I'm always up for learning something new, and I don't give up easily. I have just the right amount of faith, curiosity, patience, and stubbornness to keep trying long after others have thrown up their hands.

Happy 1st business birthday!
Lessons Learned from 1 Year in business:
Nature Takes her time
The path is created by traveling it
Trust the process
The heart already knows the way.
Connection is the soul of the practice.

Yoga is more than exercise
Every part of our practice (studying philosophy, mantra, mudra, pranayama, meditation, asana, etc.) is yoga. But the true yoga is living your yoga. What is the purpose of our time on the mat if not to guide us into becoming more engaged, compassionate, and aware beings? Your personal practice informs your life, and your life informs your practice. And, this is a lifelong practice of cultivating peace in the world, starting with cultivating peace with ourselves.

VERMONT FLOOD RELIEF
Vermont was devastated by floods and many people lost their homes and businesses. Additionally, many of our local farms were completely submerged and lost all of their crops for the summer and winter seasons. Please join me in supporting VT Flood Recovery Efforts by donating time, money, or resources. This page contains a list of organizations raising money. It will continue to be updated. Please share additional requests for support and I will add them to this page.

balance your nervous system: meditate
Moving the body circulates energy. If you move in a rhythm (walking, running, dancing, practicing yoga asana), you give the wind element purpose and direction. Wind is the only one of the five elements that moves, and when it moves erratically, it can be destructive. Think about how it feels outside in a windstorm, and you might notice that anxiety feels a lot like a windstorm inside. Wind can also be used to generate power, and moving in a rhythm transforms the wind inside your system to be generative rather than destructive. If you have pain, stress, anxiety, or other signs that your nervous system is out of balance, move your body, and notice the effect it has on your mind and spirit. Choose movements that enhance your vitality rather than deplete you, and that you can do while still maintaining a steady, rhythmic breath.

balance your nervous system: move
Moving the body circulates energy. If you move in a rhythm (walking, running, dancing, practicing yoga asana), you give the wind element purpose and direction. Wind is the only one of the five elements that moves, and when it moves erratically, it can be destructive. Think about how it feels outside in a windstorm, and you might notice that anxiety feels a lot like a windstorm inside. Wind can also be used to generate power, and moving in a rhythm transforms the wind inside your system to be generative rather than destructive. If you have pain, stress, anxiety, or other signs that your nervous system is out of balance, move your body, and notice the effect it has on your mind and spirit. Choose movements that enhance your vitality rather than deplete you, and that you can do while still maintaining a steady, rhythmic breath.

Balance your nervous system: nourish
The nervous system likes predictability. If you eat your meals at roughly the same times each day, the nervous system will start to trust that you will always take care of it and give it the energy that it needs. Grazing, skipping meals, or eating irregularly puts the nervous system into scarcity mode. That stress can affect hormone circulation, and can lead to overeating when you finally get a chance to eat. It also leads to behaviors that mask the symptoms, again like using caffeine and sugar to provide false energy.

balance your nervous system: slow down
We have a choice to make as individuals and as a society. Do we keep up the same unrelenting pace season after season and year after year until we burn out? Do we ignore all the warning signs of imbalance and disconnection, paying attention only when the alarm gets too loud to ignore?
Or do we choose a different path?