Ayurveda & You
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- 2 days ago
- 12 min read
Integrating Key Habits
Ayurveda: The Ancient Science of Living Well
Have you ever noticed how your energy, appetite, or even mood shifts with the seasons? Ayurveda — often called “the science of life” — helps us understand exactly why that happens and how to live in better balance with nature’s rhythms.
What Is Ayurveda, Anyway?
Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest healing systems, dating back thousands of years to ancient India. It’s a holistic approach to health — mind, body, and spirit — built around one simple idea: when we live in tune with nature, we thrive.
The word Ayurveda comes from Sanskrit: Ayur means life, and Veda means knowledge or science.So really, it’s the science of life — and it’s all about understanding you.
The Five Elements and the Three Doshas
According to Ayurveda, everything in the universe (including you and me!) is made of five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space). These elements combine to form three vital energies, or doshas:
Vata (air + space) — governs movement, creativity, and flow.
Pitta (fire + water) — rules digestion, transformation, and intellect.
Kapha (earth + water) — provides structure, stability, and calm.
We all have some of each dosha, but one usually leads the show. Think of it like your personal blueprint. When your doshas are balanced, you feel grounded, energized, and clear. When they’re out of balance — that’s when fatigue, mood swings, or digestive issues can show up.
How Ayurveda Fits into Modern Life
You don’t have to move to an ashram to live an Ayurvedic lifestyle (though wouldn’t that be dreamy?). Ayurveda is about small, daily choices that support your natural balance.
Here are a few simple ways to weave Ayurveda into your modern life:
🌞 Follow the sun. Wake with the sunrise and wind down as the day ends. Your body loves routine — and your sleep will thank you for it.
🍲 Eat with the elements. Choose warm, grounding foods in winter and lighter, cooling foods in summer. Listen to your body — it’s smarter than any diet trend.
🧘♀️ Move with mindfulness. Whether you’re on your yoga mat or walking your dog, move in ways that feel nourishing, not punishing.
💧 Hydrate inside and out. Sip warm water throughout the day and use oils on your skin — think of it as self-care that’s also self-medicine.
🪔 Create calm. Meditation, breathing, journaling — whatever helps you exhale the stress of the day.
Why It Still Matters Today
Modern science is starting to catch up with what Ayurveda has known all along — that our gut health, mental health, and immune system are deeply connected. The Ayurvedic idea of agni (digestive fire) is backed by research on the microbiome, showing that when our digestion is strong, our whole system functions better.
So while Ayurveda may be ancient, it’s definitely not outdated. It’s simply timeless wisdom for modern living.
Your Daily Dose of Balance
You don’t need to learn Sanskrit or memorize your dosha chart to benefit from Ayurveda. Just start where you are. Notice how food, movement, and environment make you feel — and adjust gently. Ayurveda isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.
So next time you sit down for a meal, ask yourself: Is this bringing me closer to balance?That’s the essence of Ayurveda — simple, intentional living that keeps you well from the inside out.
Enroll in our Heath Coach program to invite wraparound wellness into your life!
🌿 Ayurveda Deep Dive
1. Getting Grounded: What Is Ayurveda?
Let’s kick things off by grounding ourselves in the basics.
Ayurveda is all about balance—think of it as your inner compass that aligns your body, mind, and soul with the rhythms of nature.
We’ll explore the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and how they show up in our lives through the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Bonus: Learn how your energy shifts throughout the day, and how syncing your routine with natural cycles helps you flow more easily.
2. Digestive Fire: Tending to Your Gut
Meet your Agni—your digestive fire. When it’s burning bright, your energy is steady and your mind is clear.
We’ll chat about signs of sluggish digestion (hello, bloat!) and how to gently stoke your inner fire with warm foods, mindful eating, and some kitchen herbs you already have.
We’ll also talk modern gut health—your microbiome, probiotics, and what it really means to “listen to your gut.”
You’ll leave knowing how to nourish your belly for glowing energy and better moods.
3. Moods, Food & the Mind-Body Connection
Ever notice how certain foods lift your spirits and others leave you cranky? There’s a reason!
We'll dive into how the food we eat influences our mood, from leafy greens to omega-rich foods that support mental clarity.
We’ll unpack cortisol (our main stress hormone) and learn which foods and practices help us feel grounded when life feels wobbly.
Hint: breathwork, gentle movement, and a warm mug of tea go a long way.
4. Skin, the Mirror of Wellness
Your skin tells your story—it reflects how you’re feeling inside.
We’ll explore internal and external ways to love on your skin: from eating whole, vibrant foods to natural skincare rituals that feel more like self-care than a routine.
You’ll learn about hydrating from the inside out, detoxing gently, and making your own face mask or oil serum at home (because DIY is fun and empowering).
Think of this as skincare with soul.
5. Women’s Wisdom: Embracing Life’s Seasons
Our bodies change over time—Ayurveda celebrates each stage.
Whether you’re dancing through your 20s, navigating your cycle, or entering your wise woman years, there’s guidance here for you.
We’ll talk about menopause with grace (yes, that’s possible), using tools like herbal support, mindful breathwork, and reconnecting with who you are now.
It’s not about “getting back to who you were”—it’s about becoming who you are.
6. Daily Rhythms That Heal
Routines don’t have to be rigid—they can be rituals.
We’ll sketch out a simple daily rhythm that brings in grounding practices like breathwork, movement, mindful meals, and good sleep.
You’ll learn when your body wants to be active, when to rest, and how to build in practices that make you feel whole again.
This is your chance to create a lifestyle that supports your energy instead of draining it.
7. Food as Your Everyday Medicine
Let’s talk about real food—nothing fancy, just whole, nourishing meals that make you feel alive.
We’ll look at anti-inflammatory foods, gut-friendly choices, and mood-boosting meals.
You’ll see how to build a plate that supports your digestion, hormones, and energy without overthinking it.
We’re keeping it flexible, flavorful, and full of love.
8. Herbal Helpers: Nature’s Gentle Support
Herbs and natural supplements can be beautiful allies when chosen mindfully.
We’ll cover a few go-to favorites like ashwagandha for stress, shatavari for women’s health, and triphala for gut balance.
We’ll also explore probiotics, prebiotics, and how to know if they’re right for you.
This isn’t about popping pills—it’s about supporting your system with care and intention.
9. Build Your Personal Wellness Flow
Ayurveda isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s all about YOU.
We’ll walk you through how to create your own wellness rhythm based on your unique dosha, lifestyle, and goals.
You’ll reflect on what’s working, what needs love, and how to shift gently.
By the end, you’ll have a blueprint for your own holistic wellness path—one that’s aligned with your life, not someone else’s checklist.
✨ This guide is here to help you feel better in your body, find peace in your day, and live in rhythm with your nature. You don’t need to know Sanskrit or memorize a list of rules—just show up with curiosity and compassion. And maybe a cup of warm tea. Let’s begin.
🌀 Ayurveda-Inspired Wellness Study Sheet
✨ Ayurvedic Basics
What is Ayurveda?An ancient system from India that emphasizes balancing the body, mind, and spirit using lifestyle, diet, and seasonal rhythms.
Meet the Doshas:Everyone has a unique mix of three energies:
Vata (air + space): Light, mobile, creative. Needs warmth and routine.
Pitta (fire + water): Focused, fiery, intense. Needs cooling foods and downtime.
Kapha (earth + water): Grounded, loyal, calm. Benefits from movement and stimulation.
🌿 Gut & Immune Health
Agni (digestive fire) needs to burn bright! Support it with warm, cooked meals and avoid cold, processed foods.
Microbiome love: Feed those gut bugs with fiber, fermented foods, and prebiotics like onions, garlic, and bananas.
Probiotics can boost immunity and help with mood.
Balance > Sterility: A healthy gut isn't about being germ-free—it’s about harmony.
🧠 Mind-Body Connection
Food affects mood. Whole, vibrant foods support mental clarity. Sugar and processed foods? Not so much.
Cortisol check-in: Chronic stress raises cortisol and wreaks havoc on energy and sleep.
De-stress with: Breathwork, gentle movement, journaling, and nourishing meals.
💆♀️ Skin & Beauty from Within
Skin reflects gut health. Inflammation inside can show up as breakouts or dullness.
Dry brushing + self-massage with oils help lymphatic flow and glow.
Ayurvedic herbs like turmeric, neem, and manjistha support clear skin and detox pathways.
Hydration, sleep, and oils (yes, healthy fats!) are your skin’s besties.
🧘♀️ Women's Wellness
Midlife is a sacred transition. Ayurveda honors this with warm, nourishing rituals and emotional support.
Balance hormones through mindful eating, stress reduction, and supportive herbs like ashwagandha or shatavari.
Rest is radical. Your nervous system will thank you for meditation, tea, and slowing down.
🥗 Smart, Soulful Nutrition
Bio-individuality rules! What works for one body may not for another. Trust your intuition and symptoms.
The MIND Diet (Mediterranean meets brain-boosting foods) supports focus and memory.
Best brain foods: Leafy greens, berries, omega-3s, legumes, and nuts.
Avoid brain fog: Skip ultra-processed, fried, or sugar-heavy foods.
🌙 Lifestyle Rituals
Sleep is sacred. Align with natural rhythms—early to bed, early to rise.
Move your body daily. Walking, yoga, dancing—it all counts.
Mindful meals mean sitting down, chewing well, and staying present.
Celebrate stillness. Even 5 minutes of breath awareness can shift your whole vibe.
🌸 Putting It All Together
Ayurveda isn’t about being perfect—it’s about noticing and nurturing.
Start small: sip warm lemon water in the morning, take a few deep breaths before eating, stretch before bed.
You are your own best guide. Let curiosity lead, and enjoy the journey.
🌿 Ayurveda-Inspired Wellness Tips
☀️ 1. Defining Your Wellness Path
At Edge Yoga School, we start by asking: What does health mean to you?
Health isn’t a number on a scale or a label on a supplement. It’s how you feel in your body, mind, and spirit. It’s your energy, your calm, your joy. And the truth? It looks different for each of us.
Take a breath. Feel into your definition of wellness. That’s where your journey begins.
🌀 2. Foundations of Ayurveda
Ayurveda invites us to honor our natural rhythm. It teaches that we each have a personal blend of three energies—called doshas:
Vata (air + space): Think creative, spontaneous, but prone to anxiety or overwhelm.
Pitta (fire + water): Think passionate, sharp, can burn out or get irritable.
Kapha (earth + water): Think grounded, nurturing, but may get stuck or sluggish.
You’re not just one—your dosha mix is as unique as your fingerprint. When they’re balanced, you feel amazing. When one takes over, life can feel off. The good news? You can gently bring yourself back into balance with food, movement, breath, and intention.
🥗 3. Nourishment Beyond Nutrition
Food is just one piece of the wellness puzzle.
Ayurveda and integrative health both teach us to nourish on multiple levels:
Physical: Eat for your dosha and your current needs (season, stage of life, stress levels).
Emotional: Surround yourself with people and practices that uplift you.
Spiritual: Make space for silence, reflection, and connection—to yourself and something bigger.
Remember: nourishment is personal. What works for one person might not for another. Trust your body. Trust your cravings (the intuitive ones, not the sugar crash ones!).
🧠 4. Mood, Food & the Gut Connection
Your gut and brain talk all day long.
When you feed your gut well—with whole foods, fermented goodies, and fiber—you support mood, memory, and immunity. And when stress hits, your gut feels it too. That’s why slowing down your meals, breathing between bites, and eating in a calm space is part of your mental health toolkit.
Simple upgrades that help:
Add leafy greens and berries.
Sip warm herbal teas.
Cut back on ultra-processed stuff.
Add joy and gratitude to your plate.
🧘♀️ 5. Self-Care as a Daily Ritual
Forget bubble baths (unless you love them). Real self-care is listening.
Sleep when you’re tired.
Stretch when you’re stiff.
Say no when your plate is full.
Journal when your thoughts spiral.
Try adding grounding practices like:
Daily oil massage (abhyanga)
Walking barefoot in the grass
Breathwork before bed
Gentle yoga before sunrise
Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s how you refill your cup to keep showing up as your vibrant, radiant self.
💖 6. Women’s Wellness & Life Seasons
Whether you’re flowing through your menstrual cycle, preparing for pregnancy, or embracing menopause, your body is wise.
Ayurveda encourages us to shift with each season of life, not fight it. That might look like:
Soothing PMS with warm foods and rest
Supporting hormones with healthy fats and herbal allies like shatavari
Easing hot flashes by cooling your body with mint tea or coconut water
Honoring emotions that arise as you shift roles and identities
Give yourself permission to change. You are not meant to stay the same.
🌎 7. Holistic Coaching Wisdom
Integrative wellness means:
Seeing the whole person—body, mind, emotions, spirit
Holding space rather than giving advice
Asking powerful questions that help people find their own answers
Honoring each client’s bio-individuality—what works for them
As a student of this approach, you’re learning to listen deeply. Not to fix, but to support. Not to judge, but to walk beside someone on their healing path.
🛠 8. Tools for Your Personal Practice
Here are a few tools and techniques to fold into your life or share with others:
Health History Intake: A beautiful way to open a conversation and really see someone.
Breath awareness (Pranayama): A reset you can take anywhere.
Daily routine tracking (Dinacharya): A way to find rhythm in your day.
Somatic check-ins: Ask, “Where do I feel that in my body?” then breathe into it.
Primary foods journal: Track joy, relationships, purpose, and movement—not just meals.
🧭 9. Remember: You Are the Guide
This path isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about coming home to yourself.
Start with one step:
A grounding morning routine.
A single meal eaten in silence.
A short walk after dinner.
A boundary set with love.
And above all, show yourself grace. This isn’t a sprint—it’s a cycle, a spiral, a sacred unfolding. You’ve got this.You are this.
💖 Women: Stress, the Thyroid & Hormonal Harmony
🌿 What’s Really Going on with Stress?
Let’s start here: stress isn’t bad — it’s your body’s way of trying to keep you safe. But modern life? It’s turned on the alarm bell…and forgot how to turn it off.
Your body doesn’t know the difference between a car honk or a true threat. When you’re overwhelmed, your nervous system kicks into fight-or-flight. Your heart races, your breath shortens, and your adrenal glands start pumping out cortisol and adrenaline.
🧠 When this becomes your daily rhythm, things start to shift in your body — especially your hormones.
🧬 How Stress Impacts the Hormonal System
When stress sticks around, it doesn’t just mess with your mood — it talks directly to your hormonal systems.
What Might Shift:
Cortisol climbs: It’s helpful in a pinch, but too much can disrupt ovulation, raise blood sugar, and lead to sleep issues.
Progesterone drops: When your body’s in fight mode, calming hormones like progesterone take a back seat.
Estrogen gets wobbly: This can lead to PMS symptoms, irregular periods, or mood swings.
Thyroid slows down: Chronic stress signals your body to conserve energy, which can suppress thyroid hormone production.
Your hormones work like a symphony. When one instrument (like cortisol) plays too loud for too long, the whole soundscape gets distorted.
🦋 Your Thyroid: The Unsung Hero
The thyroid is a small gland with a big job. It’s like your internal thermostat, influencing:
Body temperature
Metabolism
Energy levels
Menstrual cycle regulation
When stress pushes cortisol up, your thyroid may slow down to conserve energy. This can show up as:
Fatigue
Feeling cold
Weight gain
Brain fog
Irregular cycles
Stress isn’t the only reason for thyroid shifts, but it’s a big piece of the puzzle.
🥑 Nourish Your Hormones (and Spirit)
Let’s talk about food as medicine — not just for your body, but for your nervous system, too.
Stress-Loving Nutrients:
Magnesium: calms the nervous system (think: leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate).
B Vitamins: support energy and hormone balance (hello, eggs, lentils, and nutritional yeast).
Omega-3s: reduce inflammation (sardines, chia seeds, walnuts).
Selenium & Iodine: love your thyroid (Brazil nuts, seaweed, eggs, goat cheese).
It’s not about being perfect — it’s about tuning into how you feel after meals. Nourishing foods should feel like an exhale.
🌸 Gentle Lifestyle Upgrades
You can’t yoga your way out of a toxic schedule. But you can soften your life one practice at a time.
Try:
🌙 A digital wind-down an hour before bed
💨 A few deep belly breaths before meals
✍️ Journaling to unpack thoughts, not just to-do lists
🛁 A magnesium salt bath after a long day
🧘♀️ Gentle movement like restorative yoga or walking
Small changes add up. Think micro shifts, not overhauls.
🔄 When It’s Time to Rebalance
If you're feeling:
Tired all the time
Snappy or anxious
Bloated or sluggish
Like your cycles are “off” or MIA
...your body might be asking for a reset. Not a cleanse. Not a fast. A nourishing pause to come back to your center.
This might look like:
Prioritizing sleep and down time
Swapping processed snacks for whole-food options
Saying no more often (with love)
Creating space for joy and creativity
🧭 Final Thoughts from Michelle
You don’t need to “fix” your hormones — you need to listen to them.
Your body speaks in whispers before it shouts. And stress? It’s often the messenger. When we slow down, nourish well, and treat ourselves with compassion, our systems begin to recalibrate.
Start where you are. Sip warm tea. Breathe deeper. Light a candle. You’re not broken — you’re recalibrating.
