Women Gone Vibrant| Ayurveda for midlife & menopause

Trauma is an integral part of human life. We have all had trauma to varying degrees, some more severe than others. On the severe end, think domestic violence, war, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault or loss of a loved one. But trauma can also be more subtle maybe caused by a divorce or a minor accident. In fact, life starts with a trauma called birth. Could you call it anything else, when you are trying to squeeze your head through a tight canal?

Looking at the definition of the word, trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. Our brains and nervous system can get severely impacted causing the body to go into fight, flight or freeze mode. This in turn can cause hormonal imbalances, digestive issues and so much more.

Clearing trauma out of our tissues is an integral part of healing ourselves. Bringing attention and intention to it brings freedom to our soul and aliveness to our body.

Schuyler shares with us her own journey from trauma through alcohol and cigarette addiction to a healthier life. She also shares what it takes, from a yogic and Ayurvedic perspective, to heal trauma.

• The 3 different types of trauma
• Signs and symptoms of trauma
• How the brain is impacted by trauma or PTSD
• The 3 parts of the brain and nervous system involved
• The link between the nervous system, hormones and chakras (energy centers)
• 3 components of healing trauma naturally and holistically
• The magnetic vortex of healing

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Every woman goes through menopause, whether she wants to or not. Of course, that only applies if she gets old enough.

Although discussing this phase of life openly becomes less and less taboo with every year, we still don't get all that much information from our elders, books aside. I don't know about you but while my Mom is willing to share when I ask, I also have to pull every detail out of her nose.

In this podcast, I want to clear up the fundamental question of "What is menopause" exactly. It can get kind of confusing as some women (and health care practitioners) refer to it as a point in time, while others refer to it as a phase in their lives.

So let's get it straight.

• The 4 phases of menopause
• Is Menopause a phase or a point in time?
• What symptoms may show up?

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Marcia Wilson grew up to be a biochemist (=gross body awareness) and evolved into a yogi (=subtle body awareness). She tells her story of how those two intricate studies inform her life, health and happiness as she moves through her 40s.

Midlife and menopause are often referred to as The Big Change; Subtle awareness is crucial for staying healthy and making life sustainable in this stage. In Ayurveda, we distinguish six stages of disease. Western medicine is only able to detect an imbalance in stage five which means when the imbalance is way manifested already.

Being tuned into your body will help you detect symptoms much earlier, prevent disease and create the body and life you want. Ayurveda and Yoga help you do that.

We explore the notion of what is sustainable in the mid-stage of life and beyond. Our daily practices and lifestyle choices need to honor the big change so that our nervous system can relax and our body can find back to equilibrium. If we were to ignore the subtle signs we would likely find ourselves in a place of dis-ease down the road.

• How subtle awareness informs our journey through midlife
• The impact of studying biochemistry (gross body awareness) vs studying a body centered science like yoga (subtle body awareness)
• The power of language to become your own healer…. no language, no power
• The importance of saying "Hell No" to things that no longer serve us
• The difference between spending and investing
• 3 essential tools we need to navigate our health and life in a skillful way.

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Almost 60% of Americans make new year's resolutions but only 9% feel they are successful in achieving them (from Statistic Brain). This number is way too low for my taste. And I also know that it doesn't have to be like that.

Are you amongst those setting resolutions but never really making them a reality? Do you fail miserably in implementing what you set yourself out to do at the beginning of the year? Or, maybe you don't fail, but you would like to have a more straightforward, grounded and efficient process of implementation?

• Turning resolutions into heartfelt intentions,
• heartfelt intentions into actionable goals,
• and actionable goals into tiny habits

is a clear strategy to turn lofty resolutions into earthy reality. Manifesting your dreams after all, it turns out, isn't all that difficult.

In my teens and early 20s, I termed resolutions bollocks. Then, I became a yogi and learnt to set intentions. I worked with them for years and frankly, they got me quite far. Intentions connected me to my heart's desires and narrowed my path in a way that propelled me forward.

Now that I have learnt about goal setting and habit evolution, however, I realize that using a triad of intention, goal setting and habits will get me to my desired destination a lot faster. And I mean a.lot.faster.

Having a clear action plan sets the wheels of the universe in motion. And because you are taking part in the intention download, goal setting and habit picking you get to be in the driver's seat of your life. And that applies to all areas of your life: health, relationships, finances, career, family, fun…. you name it.

• The distinction between resolution, intention and goals
• The importance of connecting to your heartfelt desire
• How to turn intentions into smart goals
• The triad of intention, goals and habits to create your dreams

SMART stands for S = specific M = measurable A = achievable R = relevant T = time bound

Register for the FREE webinar "Resolution to Reality".

Wed, January 24, 2018, 11 am - 12.15 pm PST

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Travelling can be uprooting and nerve wrecking for the most robust of us. With the holidays right around the corner you may find yourself in a car, airplane or, if you are amongst the nogaltics, in a train towards destination "loved ones".

Having traveled extensively myself over the past 20 years I know how uncomfortable plane seats and gas station toilets can be. You may arrive feeling molded to the cushion you sat on for the past however many hours. Arriving exhausted, with an aching body and overstretched mind is the last thing you want when visiting auntie Sue and uncle Tom for Christmas (or Thanksgiving or any other important occasion).

From an Ayurvedic perspective travel is Vata aggravating which means the air and ether elements go all out of sorts. For your body that means constipation, headaches, hard stools, dry skin, dry eyes and whatever other ailments come with dehydration. And if that's not enough, your nerves may be a wreck, you feel overwhelmed and anxious. You are way overstimulated.

Well, let's say this: it doesn't have to be like that if you put a few practices and strategies in place. And guess what, I am not even talking about extensive practices like meditation and such.(although that would be great). I am just talking about switching up a few things to make travels more easeful.

• The impact of travelling on your body and mind and what to do about it
• The simple equation: Like increases like, opposites reduce each other and how we can use this formula to travel skillfully.
• Seven precious travel tips from Ayurveda to keep your body grounded and mind calm

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Work can take over. Life can take over, leaving little room for fun and relaxation. That is if we are not intentional about how we use time and implement strategies to direct our day.

Annie is the mother of 2, well-preneur, yoga health coach and someone who intentionally creates ease in her life. She walks her talk. We chat about key tools to become master of your time, get a S#%! load done and create more room for quiet and fun.

We usually think of time as a fixed entity. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day, 52 weeks in a year and 365 days. It's fixed, right? Not really. When looked at time from a different angle we notice that time is expandable and contractible. Have you ever tried to sit still for 5 minutes, say trying to meditate, and those 5 minutes seemed like an eternity? Yet, if you used those same 5 minutes to get something "important" done those minutes would fly by?

We can harness time by being intentional about how we use it. I like to think about the different areas of life like burners on a stove. There is a family burner, work burner, fun burner, chore burner, partner burner and so on. On a daily, weekly and monthly basis I plan which burner I want to turn up. I make a conscious choice. And by choosing I create ease. (And YES, you can do that too. You are not a slave to your work, husband, family, circumstances and whatever else you believe is in the way of feeling easeful).

What you get from tuning in:

• What is work life balance? No, honestly. What is it really?
• The concept of burners and allocating your time consciously
• How to bookend your day to get a S#%! load done AND have spare time
• How to "play the accordion" of self care skillfully
• How to manage your family to achieve work life balance

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Tracey was obsessed about menopause. It is all she could talk about once she hit that phase in her life.

Tracey grew up in a family where topics like menopause was not exactly a topic to be discussed. Think British and think proper. Once she entered this phase herself she had no clue how to relate her symptoms with a possible diagnosis until hot flashes hit her. Aha, might this be the great transition?

Her Western medical doctor confirmed that she indeed had entered the peri-menopausal phase. That's when her obsession started. To be fair, it was a cute and positive obsession, but it was an obsession. She gobbled up books and researched like crazy. It was all so fascinating.

It was not until she visited her Ayurvedic doctor, however, that she stopped identifying with the label and actually realized she could do something about it. Instead of giving up her power to an outside person she took matters in her own hand and empowered herself along the journey. In this podcast, she shares with us her trials, insights and tribulations and how she came out the other end wiser and more attuned to her body than she ever has been.

What You get from tuning in:

• What symptoms you might encounter during menopause
• The concept of hormone disruptors, what they are and how to avoid them
• How culture can impact your menopause experience
• How menopause is lived in Bahrain, an island near Saudi Arabia

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The Bathroom is central station for grooming, vanity and healing. It is also a place to relief ourselves physically - think poop and urine - and calm down emotionally - think taking a long, calming bath, oiling yourself or freshening up after a long, exhausting day. The bathroom is also a place to keep your body well oiled and joints moving smoothly.

Growing old is a choice. An achy body is too. While linear age is unalterable, biological age is not. If we stock our bathroom with the right items, we support our body to stay young, vibrant and more alive for longer. Reaching for a high cabinet in the kitchen, walking upstairs or going for a long hike will no longer be an issue. You can find tons of inexpensive items to keep our joints well lubricated, your lymph moving and your circulation flowing, right over your sink.

Sarah and I talk about various practices that are easily done at home to relieve aches and pains. Most of all we talk about Ayurvedic self massage, a simple yet immensely profound tool.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, the first rule of thumb is….whatever you put on your skin should also be eatable.

What you get from tuning in

• Why products you put on our skin is of such importance to your health
• How to simplify your bathroom and keep only those items that feed your body and soul
• How to treat yourself like a goddess in the bathroom
• How to do Ayurvedic Self massage and what oils are best for joints and muscles
• A visualization of your current bathroom set up and feel. Is it supporting you?
• The components of a nourishing morning routine to relieve achy joints

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Many people struggle to find meaning and purpose working in the corporate environment.

Karina has worked as an electronic engineer in a big corporate company all her adult life. Initially wanting to become a dancer but having been talked out of it by her parents, she struggled with finding joy and meaning in her career. She asked to be laid off a couple of times in search of a more worthwhile path like being a yoga instructor, Thai massage therapist or aid worker in Africa.

With our conversation we want to inspire that finding meaning and joy in any task, in any workplace and in any setting is possible with the right mindset.. We want to inspire that happiness is not a byproduct of the work you do, but a feeling that arises from within, from deeply knowing yourself. Karina shares the steps she took and the practices she did that helped her remove the physical, emotional and spiritual blockages, toxins and barriers to clearly seeing her contribution to society.

• Tools to know yourself deeply so you can design the life you want to live
• How to create the job and environment you want to work in
• Crucial steps to take to uncover your purpose
• How an identity shift allows you to grow into the person you want to be
• How Karina manages to dress like a corporate lady with a green smoothie in her hand

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Tara has chosen a path to heal breast cancer that is completely outside of mainstream norm. She said 'No' to chemotherapy, 'No' to radiation and instead chose the natural healing route with diet, herbs and many other natural healing protocols. A path that in my opinion requires tremendous courage, trust and clarity given the approach of mainstream society.

In this podcast, she shares with us the ups and downs of her healing journey, what she does on a daily basis, how she copes and how she is healing.

• What made Tara choose an alternative treatment approach to her breast cancer
• How she mastered facing opposition with her choices
• What a natural breast cancer protocol may look like
• The importance of the immune system when healing from cancer
• What needs to be in place to allow a person to have the strength, courage and clarity to walk the natural healing route
• The importance of faith and surrender in the healing process
• The emotional roller coaster when faced with a terminal illness and how to navigate them skillfully

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