Thrive with Cate Stillman Podcast

Looking to design your life to fulfill your greatest ambitions? We’ve got you. Today on the podcast we’re exploring the mindset of dharma. Grab a cup of tea and tune in to absorb the ethos of awake living.

• The ethos of Master of You.
• What the 12 perspectives are for Awake Living.

• Have a Dream Session with one of our Coaches
• Start your Awake Living Free Training
• Check out our Current Events
• Have a conversation

• Cate reflects on John Lennon’s lyrics in ‘I, me, my’.
• Cate reviews fixed mindset vs. growth mindset

• 3:20 Orient towards thrive. 
• 3:50 Adopt a cosmo centric viewpoint.
• 6:13 Evolve your identity.
• 9:38 Nurture and nourish your five bodies.    
• 10:53 Heed the rhythm and the cycles.
• 11:39 Think big, test small, fail fast and learn always.
• 14:11 Invest in yourself.
• 16:42 Embrace a solid B minus.
• 19: 49 Trust your desire.
• 22:25 Leverage your strengths.
• 25:24 Learn, mentor, master, co-create. 
• 29:39 Shift from consumer to collaborator.

• “If you see where you fit in the whole, it shifts your perspective. And it’s orienting. And that’s so much of what we’re doing in orienting, we’re orienting ‘what is dharma’, what is our purpose, what is a more purposeful meaning life, what are we here to uphold.” - Cate Stillman 
• “You can change. Who you are is not static. You’re not a noun, you’re a verb. You’re an is-ingness a beingness that’s also in action.” - Cate Stillman
• “Life has rhythm. Life has cycles. The sun sets the sun rises. There’s a reason there’s a rhythm. And when you heed the rhythm you unlock deep energy. When you violate the rhythm you suffer.” - Cate Stillman
• “Aspiring towards greatness, absolutely. Aim high, aim true. But what can you learn along the way to get over analysis paralysis, that’s the faster path to success.” - Cate Stillman

Do you know what you want in life? Now, or in the next chapter? Many people don’t! Today on the podcast we’re defining Dharma. Find out what it is and how to uncover it. Tune in!

• What Dharma is.
• How to uncover your deeper dreams.
• Three questions to ask yourself..

• Have a conversation

• Cate reads from her upcoming book ‘Master of You’. 
• Cate explores the desire for more time.

• 4:24 Awake living with the 5 elements. 
• 9:50 Identity evolution.
• 12:50 Your deeper dreams.

• “Who you are is nature, and the more you can connect with nature the more you can awaken the power of you, and live your life on purpose. And live a life of deep meaning. And live a life of your own unique journey, your own unique destiny.” - Cate Stillman
• “The path of business, the path of the marketplace, actually parallels yoga philosophy.” - Cate Stillman
• “Are we indeed selling ourselves short? Or are we leaning actively into our potentiality, and becoming that?” - Cate Stillman 
• “You can learn how to listen to Dharma.” - Cate Stillman
• “Your duty to uphold yourself to your best potential, authentically and practically, while being part of transformational experiences that add connection and meaning to those whose lives you touch, is your Dharma.” - Cate Stillman
• “When you’re growing up in the Western World you get the question, what do you want to be when you grow up. You don’t get the question of who are you and what is your purpose to fulfill.” - Cate Stillman

• What is the history of Ayurveda?
• What is fascinating about the history of Ayurveda?
• Where is Ayurveda going into the future? 
• Did you foresee Ayurveda and Yoga trending like it has?

• Have a conversation
• Dr. Svoboda's website
• Dr. Svoboda's Facebook
• Dr. Svoboda's Instagram

• How Ayurveda ‘grew up’ as a response to human urbanization
• Why humans should be able to ‘know what’s right’ and heal – and why they often don’t
• The different traditions and lineages of Ayurveda that survive until today
• How Ayurveda is being used in the West – and what has been overlooked

• 3:13 “[Ayurvedic] experts got together and they discussed the problems inherent in living in an urban environment – something that we all need to be alert to today.”
•  7:45 “When you are in one area as any kind of animal, you create a lot of waste products, and if you’re in a city, those wastes tend to accumulate in the city – and if you yourself are in the city, they tend to accumulate in your organism.”
• 9:52 “As humans became more urbanized, more filled with ama, more toxins, and less connected to the life force, it became necessary for doctors to start directly interacting with humans explaining what was the right thing to eat and the wrong thing to eat, the right kind of behavior and the wrong behavior, and helping them to get rid of this load of toxins … so that the prana can work to heal them.”  

• 12:13 “It is very possible for anyone to get a reasonable perspective on what’s going on inside them and to feel within yourself whether something in front of you is something you should eat or shouldn’t eat. I’m always a bit dismayed when people become ‘listatarians’ … instead of understanding personally.”
• 16:27 “People can eat 24 hours a day, the lights are on 24 hours a day, there’s no connection to the normal external cycles that allows your organism to align itself healthfully.”

• “The inability of crisis-based medicine to deal with these crises has led to the present situation in the West in which many alternative paradigms compete for the acceptance of scientists and public alike.” -Dr. Robert Svoboda
• “Ayurveda’s materia medica and therapeutic techniques have much more yet to contribute. I maintain, however, that Ayurveda’s most valuable contributions will be made to the new theory that medicine is trying to grow. These contributions will be derived from Ayurveda’s way of seeing the world, its darshana, a vision which will facilitate medicine’s ability to teach people not just how to avoid disease but how to proactively develop and maintain a healthy ‘state.’” -Dr. Robert Svoboda
• “Modern medicine defines health as the absence of disease, Ayurveda focuses on health as a positive condition that is independent of disease, an active state of being that can be promoted by appropriate behavior. When you can upgrade your health you may find diseases disappearing without ever having been directly addressed. The same Ayurvedic principles that are used to correct yourself when you are out of balance can be used to preserve your balance once it is corrected.” -Dr. Robert Svoboda

Dr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of over a dozen books and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. You can find out more about his work at www.drsvoboda.com and follow him on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

What are Ayurvedic herbs? They may be closer than you think. Check out this inspiring episode exploring Ayurvedic herbs, the wisdom of plants, and why connecting with your ecosystem is the best medicine. 

• What Ayurvedic herbs are.
• Why connecting to your ecosystem is key.
• Why single herb pill popping is ineffective.

• Living Ayurveda training
• Have a conversation
• Understand Ayurveda Herbal Formulations
• Kate O'Donnell's Ayurveda cooking and lifestyle books
• Podcast on Invasive Weeds

• Cate shares the parable of Ayurvedic graduates writing their final exam. 
• Cate’s favourite quote by Amadea Morningstar
• Why Cate loves chewing Aspen leaves

• 7:23 Learning the language of plants 
• 9:45 Plants as potent healing allies 
• 16:00 Connecting with the herbs in your ecosystem  
• 17:24 Creating Ayurvedic herbal formulas

• “Life is abundant, plants are intelligent. Plants are hundreds of millions of years older than humans. They’ve been on this planet way longer than mammals. They have so much wisdom within their cells, within how they grow, where they grow, who they grow alongside, and then what they can do in the human body. And that perspective of, all plants have value, all plants have medicinal value, that perspective is so needed right now as we continue to spray petrochemicals on healing plants; plants like chickweed, plants like thistle, plants like dandelion. Plants that I eat most of the year.” - Cate Stillman 
• “All plants are part of the science of life.” -  Cate Stillman 
• “What’s really healing, I find more than anything, is humans connecting with plants. Not encapsulated pills. Or plants that are dried and powdered and put into a capsule, and that capsule is then put into a plastic bottle, and that plastic bottle put onto a shelf, with a shelf life.” - Cate Stillman 
• “Plants are potent, healing allies.” - Amadea Morningstar
• “Part of the problem is we’re over harvesting plants not from our ecosystem, so we’re not actually connecting with our ecosystem. We’re not creating potent healing allies. Because when you do, you care for your ecosystem.” - Cate Stillman

Are you carrying excess weight? Ayurveda can help! Listen in for weight loss tips for Vata, Pitta and Kapha constitutions.

• How you can lose weight with Ayurveda 
• How to poop
• Weight loss tips for Vata, Pitta and Kapha dosha

• Have a conversation
• Check out our Ayurveda Tip Sheets
• "What Is Vata Dosha" Podcast Episode
• "What Is Pitta Dosha" Podcast Episode
• "What Is Kapha Dosha" Podcast Episode

• Cate shares tips for moving waste out.
• Cate describes the work of her friend, Brant, who helps people with gross obesity. 
• Cate’s shares her morning winter walk routine.

• 8:54 Tips for complete elimination
• 10:30 Weight loss tips for Vata
• 17:07 Weight loss tips for Pitta
• 21:40 Weight loss tips for Kapha  

• “It’s not just what you eat, it’s when you eat.” - Cate Stillman
• “If we’re not moving waste out, waste and weight can become synonymous. So non-functional tissue taking up mass in the body that has weight to it can be undigested or poorly digested food that then becomes a waste product as opposed to a functional tissue in the body. Even if we look at fat tissue, what’s the functional amount of fat tissue in the body, according to the textbook of Ayurveda, written by Dr. Visant Lad, it’s two handfuls! Two anjali.” - Cate Stillman
• “When the nerves are relaxed the bowels start to be able to let go, so instead of being constipated or contracted what happens is the body is more able to release waste.” - Cate Stillman
• “Life is rhythmic, there is a rhythm to things. There’s a rhythm to digestion, there’s a rhythm to absorption, there’s a rhythm to feeding, there’s a rhythm to fasting. And this starts to build a deep sense of trust in the person with their body. They start to be able to actually trust and on a very deep level love, on a cellular level feel that the essence of consciousness is loved, and love their body again.” - Cate Stillman
•  “For the Vata person it means a few times a day they’re going to lay down and put their hands on their belly and relax. That will actually accelerate (weight loss). It means for the Kapha person even skipping a meal at night now and then, just having tea or having broth at night, that’s going to take the weight off a lot faster. For the Pitta person to wind down and let themself adjust to efficiencies the more they do that the faster the excess will come off and the more they’ll naturally find their best weight.” - Cate Stillman

What is the Ayurvedic diet? Cate explains it’s not all kitchari and mung beans. Check out the podcast to learn about the Ayurvedic diet and thriving for your constitution with food!

• What the Ayurvedic diet is.
• How to thrive in your constitution with food.
• Why the ecosystem and seasons offer the biggest insights from Ayurveda.

• Have a conversation

• Cate describes her health hurdles before Ayurveda entered her life. 
• Why Cate recommends ‘Eat Wheat’ by Dr. John Douillard.
• What to do if you get the food blahs. 

• 5:05 Cate’s take on the Ayurvedic diet, perfect digestion and Sama Agni.
• 9:12 Best foods for the three constitutions.
• 21:51 Seasonal insights from nature to guide diet.

• “When I look at the Ayurvedic diet, I look at what is food? What is food according to Ayurveda? What is nourishment according to understanding your constitution? So we get into a different level of complexity where it’s not like these yes and no lists. It’s more, notice the impact that different foods eaten at different times have on you and see if you can find seamless digestion. What they call Sama Agni. Perfect balanced digestion.” - Cate Stillman 
• “Ayurvedic diet rule number one, like increases like and the opposites reduce each other.” - Cate Stillman
• “Vata accumulates in the colon so anything that’s too airy they’ll get bloated and gassy. Pitta accumulates in the small intestine so anything that’s too fiery, like hot sauce, they’ll tend to get the runs from because there’s already a lot of bile in their small intestine. And Kapha accumulates in the stomach and it’s mucus. So we’ve got gas, bile and mucus (and these are translations for Vata, Pitta and Kapha) are the forces as they go out of balance in the body.” - Cate Stillman
• “What we want to do is let the body feed itself, get more matter over mind. Most of us have way too much information in our brains about how to eat. I’d rather not rely on our brains about how to eat! Build body awareness. Build body wisdom, body intelligence about what to eat. The body is physical, it’s part of nature.” - Cate Stillman

Water + Earth = Kapha. Our Ayurveda intro series continues! Find out more about the stable and nurturing qualities of Kapha and how to thrive as this dosha. Tune into the podcast!

• What is Kapha dosha.
• What are Kapha imbalances.
• How Kapha types thrive.

• Check out our Ayurvedic tip sheets
• Take a Dosha Quiz
• Living Ayurveda training

• Cate likens Kapha energy to that of pond life.
• Cate describes her Kapha husband and sister.
•  Cate explains why calming Kapha isn’t necessary.

•  9:18 Qualities of Kapha.
•  10:06 Physical traits of Kapha types.
•  18:07 Kapha imbalances.
•  22:23 Best food practices for Kaphas.

•  “Yoga is the path of enlightenment. Ayurveda is the path of thrive in body mind and spirit.” - Cate Stillman.
• “Kaphas are blessed with endurance.” - Cate Stillman
• “Emotionally people like hanging out with Kaphas. They’re mellow, they’re calm, they're reflective. They can listen, like really listen.” - Cate Stillman
• “The more we understand our nature and our tendencies that bring us out of balance, the better we’re able to actually cultivate the opposite.” - Cate Stillman
• “Kaphas work is to become a flowing river.” - Cate Stillman
• “When Kaphas go out of balance it comes from not doing enough. It comes from not being as involved in the world. It comes from not being physical.” - Cate Stillman

Are you achievement oriented? Do you have a powerful intellect but sometimes lose your cool? You might have a predominance of Pitta Dosha. Find out how to shine without burning out on the podcast!

• What is Pitta dosha.
• What it is like to have a Pitta constitution. 
• What happens when Pitta goes out of balance.

• Check out our Ayurvedic tip sheets
• Have a conversation

• Cate explains how Pitta shows up in her personal life.
• Cate describes the extreme side of a Pitta imbalance in the mind.
• Cate details the mini rejuvenation breaks she takes during the work day.

• 4:22 The function of Pitta in the body and mind.
• 7:19 That qualities of Pitta and how it feels in the body and mind. 
• 10:03 The nature of Pitta imbalances in the mind.
• 12:58 Physical qualities of Pitta.
• 19:32 How to calm and balance Pitta.
• 20:11 Practices to help the Pitta mind unwind.
• 22:38 Foods that aggravate and calm Pitta.

• “It’s discriminating in nature. It’s separating the wheat from the chaff. It’s separating the truth from the BS. That’s the natural power of Pitta in the mind.” - Cate Stillman
• “In the paradox is the healing. One of the paradoxes of Pitta in the mind is to have compassion, to actually soften and try to see with empathy all sides of the situation. For a lot of Pitta types this can be the hardest work.” - Cate Stillman
• “So in terms of digestion, this is one of the easiest ways to identify if you have more Pitta. You’ll tend to have a stronger appetite, you’ll tend to be able to eat more frequently than other people. The whole ‘hangry’ word for people who get angry when they’re hungry, that’s more a Pitta type.” - Cate Stillman 
• “Because they’re such hyper-metabilzers if they eat a high carb diet they’re body is going to burn through everything really quickly. Having a substantial meal in the middle of the day that’s higher in protein and higher in fat can really help a Pitta person.” - Cate Stillman
• “Pitta’s have to learn how to turn off. Because their mind is so strong they have a desire to go and go and go. Developing a strong discipline to not working after the sun goes down can be a phenomenal lifestyle change for Pitta; to actually unplug. The time between 6:00pm and 10:00pm, that’s the time of Kapha. That’s the time of earthy watery energy. It’s the time of connecting and being with our people and relaxing, enjoying, reflecting on the day. A Pitta type with a Pitta imbalance will tend to burn the candle at both ends and keep working after dinner, checking email, multitasking, getting everything done before going to bed, and that leads to a Pitta imbalance. They’re violating the rhythm of rejuvenation.” - Cate Stillman

Are you constantly moving? Do you have a ton of ideas but poor follow through? You might have a predominance of Vata Dosha. Find out everything about how to make the best of this Dosha on our podcast!

• What is Dosha?
• What is Vata Constitution?
• What are Vata imbalances?

• Take a Dosha Quiz to Find Balance and Learn Your Ayurvedic Body Type
• Deepen Your Self-Healing Body Wisdom with Ayurveda
• Navigating Stress and Ambition Podcast episode

• Cate explains why Ayurveda can seem hard to learn and understand
• Cate shares the difficulty of having Vata predominance in the modern world
• Cate dives deeper into how Vatas can create resilience

• 05:13 - Understand the meaning of Vata  
• 14:54 - Physical qualities of Vata
• 17:35 - Emotional traits of Vata
• 20:41 - Keeping your energy as a Vata
• 22:48 -Symptoms of Vata Dosha

• “Some people have less than, less than a teddy bear, fuzzy cozy personality. People can have roughness in their skin. These are ways that we might see the quality of rough. Vata is also subtle. Even when you start thinking about how huge this universe, you live in actually is.”
• “They have, in so many ways, these incredible, innate superpowers that are all about being like a super-sensitive instrument. And what can be so hard about being a Vata, about having Vata predominance in your constitution is that the modern world is hyper-stimulated.”
• “Netflix says its biggest competitor is sleep.”
•  “the biggest issue for most modern-day Vatas, is that life in the modern world is very challenging, right? There's a lot of draws in your attention. There's a lot of opportunities, there's too much to do. The endless to-do list can all get done and you are limited. You're limited in your energy.”

Find out everything about how Ayurveda can help you live your best life. Tune into this episode and learn about Doshas, Elements and Gunas.

• Understand what Ayurveda is
• The connection between Yoga and Ayurveda
• Understand the different Doshas

• Take a Dosha Quiz to Find Balance and Learn Your Ayurvedic Body Type
• Deepen Your Self-Healing Body Wisdom with Ayurveda

• Cate shares her first encounter with Ayurveda
• Cate talks about her medical struggles growing up

• 2:45 Different takes on the meaning of Ayurveda
• 16:33 Is Ayurveda really effective?
• 19:59 Looking at disease from an Ayurvedic perspective
• 24:13 Doshas, Elements and Gunas

• “Where Ayurveda to me is, maybe has a slight edge, or is really super fascinating is, because it was so deeply tied to yoga. To the path of enlightenment, not just the path of spirituality and awakening, but the path of what is your true nature. What is you, what are you as a fully awakened human being.”
• “You could heal yourself through understanding your Prakruti and your vikruti, through understanding your constitution, and understanding the current situation of imbalances.”
• “I look at the dosha's Vata, Pitta, Kapha, of those forces, those are verbs. The five elements, earth, water, fire, air, ether, those are nouns, and then the 20 gunas, is it hot, or is it cold, is it have, or is it light, is it moist, or is it dry, is it sharp, or is it soft, is it rough, or is it oiling, or smooth. “