Much has changed in our world and equally my work with Somama Yoga & Ayurveda has transformed and grown ... in fact, it is now growing, literally! There came a time when I wished to know more of the herbs I was working with and their healing virtues too. And so, I am now growing some! Herbs, strawberries, flowers and orchard fruits. It's been a way of curiosity and connection, hands in the soil - ultimately, that's where our health begins.
Follow along and join our journey at Wild Clover Farm Wild Clover
10/08/2021
And we are live! It's been a true labour of love and I am so excited to be sharing Ayurveda's traditions of care as part of Contemporary Yoga's Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training. Ayurveda for Women's Health is brimming with insights, delicious and deeply nourishing recipes, gorgeous practices for self-care and of course the nurturing care of women becoming mothers - with giggles along the way. It is my most heartfelt and sincere hope that this course may bring the wisdom of Ayurveda alive for birthing women in our communities. Dive in, it's a treasure trove! Xx
Pregnancy Yoga Teacher Training 2021 - such a joy to be sharing Ayurveda's traditions of care 💖
14/10/2020
Regular yoga classes take a short break this term whilst I turn my hand (and soil, as it happens!) to a budding project with community health at heart.
*Gentle Yoga* with the Cancer Society continues each Wednesday morning at Community House (please register Cyndy.Smith@cancernelson.org.nz if you'd like to join this lovely group).
30/09/2020
Excited and delighted to be sharing in Christchurch this weekend 💕
Come and join us for an amazing Ayurveda Nutrition Springtime Workshop with Amy Massey.
Ayurveda’s traditions of care include daily and seasonal routines as healing practices to align our body’s rhythms with nature’s cycles. Spring is an ideal time to support the body’s natural cleansing, detoxification and rejuvenation. In this three hour workshop, we’ll explore Ayurvedic guidance for seasonal support of your body’s constitution (doshas), practical ways of caring for your digestion (agni), and seasonally-inspired nutrition including spices and recipe ideas.
It’s my personal pleasure to be offering Amy’s wisdom to our Christchurch community. I have enjoyed using seasonal spices as a personal and family medicine that supports our digestion and energy levels. If you’d like to offer this as a gift to yourself or whanau, a mindful approach to a weekly meal or personal Spring Cleanse - we’ll see you there. Love KeiShana ###
Heading to Christchurch for a springtime nutrition workshop - one of my favourite subjects! Come along and join us for an Ayurvedic understanding of nourishing your unique constitution with seasonal foods and an indulgence in delicious spices 😋
Come and join us for an amazing Ayurveda Nutrition Springtime Workshop with Amy Massey.
Ayurveda’s traditions of care include daily and seasonal routines as healing practices to align our body’s rhythms with nature’s cycles. Spring is an ideal time to support the body’s natural cleansing, detoxification and rejuvenation. In this three hour workshop, we’ll explore Ayurvedic guidance for seasonal support of your body’s constitution (doshas), practical ways of caring for your digestion (agni), and seasonally-inspired nutrition including spices and recipe ideas.
It’s my personal pleasure to be offering Amy’s wisdom to our Christchurch community. I have enjoyed using seasonal spices as a personal and family medicine that supports our digestion and energy levels. If you’d like to offer this as a gift to yourself or whanau, a mindful approach to a weekly meal or personal Spring Cleanse - we’ll see you there. Love KeiShana ###
An ONLINE Restorative Yoga Retreat, with Karla Brodie and Neal Ghoshal. In the deepest days of winter, this joyous retreat gifts space to rest, nourish and revitalise.
02/06/2020
Such a joy to share with 💖
by Amy Massey, Somama Yoga and Ayurveda As we re-emerge from lockdown, we are stepping out into the midst of changing times. The seasonal change is upon us as autumn transitions into winter and we are all navigating impacts of coronavirus in our lives and worldwide. Ayurvedic wisdom brings us bac
26/05/2020
As we re-emerge from lockdown, Ayurveda guides us with simple practices to bring a little warmth and calm while we navigate these changing times.
Enjoy the recipe for homemade chai, it's truly delish!
Thank you for the invitation to write and share this article
We are stepping out into the midst of changing times. The seasonal change is upon us as Autumn transitions into winter. Ayurvedic wisdom brings us back to balance with tips to soothe and strengthen body, mind, heart and soul.
30/04/2020
Turmeric / Curcuma Longa / Haldi
A powerful antioxidant, detoxifying and fortifying, with antiviral, antiseptic and antiparasitic actions. Turmeric supports blood, immune, respiratory, digestion, skin and cardiovascular systems.
With beneficial effects on the liver, stimulating bile flow and enhancing fat metabolism, turmeric is purifying of the blood, enhances interaction of estrogen and progesterone, turmeric imparts glow!
Turmeric aids digestion, especially of protein, and promotes nutrient absorption.
It balances blood sugars, soothes gut mucousa and protects intestinal flora, helpful for indigestion, gas, bloating, IBS, candida, thrush.
Turmeric also decreases inflammation in the body and acts on the ligaments, supporting suppleness (great news for your yoga too).
The healing properties of turmeric can be more effective when taken with a little black pepper or ginger, heated together in oil or ghee.
Autumn is the perfect time to embrace a daily Golden Milk/Mylk Latte, my favourite brew is a blend of ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, dash black pepper.
Turmeric is a staple to include in your seasoning base for dahl or kitcheri. Make turmeric the lucky last spice to go into the pan with your oil, to prevent it from catching/burning.
As an at home beauty treat, make a gentle facial cleanser for your skin mixing 1Tbsp chickpea flour with 1/2tsp turmeric and a little warm water to make a paste consistency. Rinse well (note turmeric can stain skin if left to dry, so wash off while still wet. Turmeric also stains fabric so best not reach for a plushy new white face cloth - choose an older or darker coloured face cloth and towel).
Add a pinch of turmeric to a warm salt water gargle, take after meals or before bedtime. Or use 1tsp turmeric with pinch salt and a little sesame/coconut oil applied as a paste for gum health.
Astringent, bitter, pungent, warming, light and dry. Turmeric is tridoshic, vata is best to take turmeric with a little ghee or oil (a little heaviness and oil will aid digestion and helps prevent the light/dry qualities repeating on you with burping or hiccuping).
If there's one recipe in my collection that's worthy of acclaim, it's Fresh Turmeric Chutney - see below - enjoy xx
Recipe: Fresh Turmeric and Ginger Chutney
Delicious with dahl, kitcheri, veges – some eat it by the spoonful!
Soak dates in just enough hot water to cover them (takes about ten minutes to soften).
Make a seasoning by combining the ghee, cumin, coriander and dried turmeric together and cooking over low heat until aromatic.
Add the grated turmeric and ginger roots to the pan so they can soak up all the flavourful seasoning. Add the pre-softened dates with their soaking water to the pan.
Simmer ten minutes or until the turmeric and ginger has softened and water is completely absorbed. (You can add a drizzle of extra water if needed to soften the ginger/turmeric, just be careful not to water down the flavours or make it soggy!)
Mash the dates into the mixture with a wooden spoon or fork until you have a sticky-smooth consistency. Keeps well in the fridge for several days in a sealed glass jar.
10/04/2020
An exquisitely beautiful photography exhibition on conscious motherhood by dear friend Charlotte at .and.pop
Intended to open a dialogue about conscious motherhood, the exhibition is about to be unveiled online at https://www.oliveandpop.com/journal
She will send a link each week with another woman's story - and hopes we find "pure joy, love, freedom and connection in the moments captured of these women and their children..."
A spice of floral aroma and taste that is pungent and sweet. Warming and calming with sattvic influence on the mind.
Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, anti-microbial and anti-bacterial qualities of the phytochemical cineol (found in cardamom oil) making cardamom a helpful boost for immune function.
Cardamom has a scraping action, reducing ama to clear bodily channels, supporting circulatory and respiratory pathways, reducing kapha especially in the stomach and lungs. Uniquely, cardamom scrapes ama without aggravating pitta too much (cardamom is only slightly heating while many other respiratory tonics/expectorant spices can be very heating). Black cardamom is more lubricating of the respiratory pathways (soothing for coughs, colds etc).
Supports metabolism and healthy cholesterol levels. Also a rich source of manganese, helpful in managing blood glucose levels.
Carminative, the taste and aroma of cardamom stimulates digestive enzymes, reducing indigestion, gas and bloating, and antispasmodic too, reduces cramping.
Clears urinary pathways, supporting bladder and kidney health with diuretic effects.
Cardamom can be used as an appetizer or after meals. Chew a few seeds after eating to freshen your breath. Taken after coffee, cardamom can balance both coffee's acidity and over stimulating effects on the mind.
Add a flavour boost to plain white rice with a seasoning made from coconut oil, cardamom, cinnamon and mixed spice - delicious!
This fragrant spice is most often found in sweet dishes. Try cardamom seeds, cinnamon and ginger in your homemade bliss balls or add this spice combination to your morning porridge for a sweet and warming start to autumn mornings.
Include cardamom in a warm evening tea or milk tonic to induce calm and promote restful sleep.
One of the spices in chayanwanprash, immune formula.
Tridoshic, balancing of all three doshas (except if taken in excess, P+), sweet post digestive vipak and cooling potency virya. Black cardamom has heating virya.
Pregnant Mamas, take just a little and prefer black cardamom (the unripened quality and scraping action of green cardamom are not recommended for regular / excess consumption during pregnancy).
Black cardamom has a slightly smokier flavour and larger seeds. Remove the hardened, dry outer husk and just use the seeds. With green cardamom, you can use either just the seeds or the whole pod in dishes. If you are purchasing ground cardamom, often both the seeds and pod of green cardamom are ground together. It is the seeds that are so full of flavour.
21/03/2020
Ginger / Shunti (dry) and Ardraka (fresh) / Zingiber officinale
Stimulates both respiratory and digestive systems (pranavaha srotas and annavaha srotas) + Promotes health of the tissues (dhatus). Ginger is known as Vishwabheshaja (universal medicine).
Kindling of digestion (agni), with expectorant action and calming qualities. Also may be helpful for improving appetite, indigestion, cramps, nausea.
Take as an appetiser and digestive aid before meals, chew a very thin slice of ginger with drop of lime/lemon, pinch salt. Or mix ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder with a little honey.
As a remedy for colds/coughs/congestion, take ½ tsp dry ginger in a little honey twice daily.
Try a generous slice of ginger root in hot water or ½ tsp dry ginger in hot water to drink as tea.
Delicious added to your homemade chai or golden milk (with turmeric).
Grate fresh ginger root into your dahl, kitcheri or soup (try adding grated ginger in the final minutes of cooking to retain full flavour and pungency).
Sweet, warming and pungent. Ginger pacifies kapha and vata with heating potency and sweet vipak (dry) / pungent vipak (fresh). Pitta constitution and Pregnant Mamas, use ginger in small doses noting heating effects.
*Precautionary note re bleeding and for those with existing medical conditions/taking medications: Ginger may thin the blood.
18/03/2020
Fenugreek / Methi / Trigonella foenum-graecum
Immune supporting and antioxidant rich with anti-viral and anti-inflammatory actions, expectorant (clears mucous and phlegm), carminative (alleviates gas / bloating, assists digestion and elimination), supports agni / metabolism. Loosens and expels ama / mucous from head, chest, sinuses, respiratory tract. Supports blood purification, circulation and lymphatic flow as well as blood sugar balancing.
Drink Tea, making a warming and soothing infusion of 1tsp fenugreek seeds in 1cup hot water.
Eat Sprouts, made by simply soaking seeds (rinsing and refreshing water frequently until sprouted, then store in fridge).
Nutritive Tonic, take the powdered seeds as a nutritive tonic by adding to your spice mix and heating with a little oil / ghee in a seasoning for your dahl, kitcheri, vegetable dishes, soups, broths etc. Mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and turmeric are a delicious combination.
Warming, soothing with pungent vipak. Fenugreek balances kapha and vata, increases pitta.
For those with Pitta constitution / conditions, use just a touch and take combined with coriander.
For those with current inflammatory conditions, fenugreek may be best avoided - reach for coriander instead for cooling, antioxidant rich, immune supporting action. For those with peanut or chickpea allergies, fenugreek may be a potential allergen as it comes from the same plant family.
Pregnant Mamas, fenugreek can be a little too heating during pregnancy - use coriander seeds/powder instead.
Breastfeeding Mamas, note fenugreek is a galactogogue (increases milk production).
14/03/2020
Some helpful insights, supports and understanding from Yoga and Ayurveda.
How Yoga and Ayurveda might help prevent being infected by Coronavirus
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As women, we are deeply attuned with nature’s eternal rhythms. Yoga and Ayurveda guide us through our days, monthly cycles, seasons, maternal passages and life transitions with traditions of care for body, mind, heart and soul.
Yoga invites us to explore movement, breath, meditation, relaxation and ritual for deeper awareness, cultivating presence and connection. Ayurveda uses qualities of foods, herbs and spices, daily rhythms aligned with nature's cycles, and lifestyle practices to enhance the body’s healing potential and restore balance in our lives.
Somama Yoga & Ayurveda brings this time-honoured wisdom together with evidence-based research and professional standards of care to deeply nurture, nourish and delight.
Discover the art and science of healing with these traditions in classes, consultations and workshops to naturally support women’s wellness:
Understand your body’s unique constitution.
Enhance digestion with Ayurvedic nutrition and recipes.
Support menstrual health and hormonal balance, from menarche to menopause.
Self-massage and care techniques for breast health, skincare, mind, mood and vitality.
Yoga for Women’s Wellness, a series of classes woven of therapeutic principles.
For women becoming mothers, Somama Yoga & Ayurveda nurtures you into motherhood with preconception, pregnancy and postpartum care:
Preconception consultations to enhance fertility, nourish your reproductive tissues and prepare your body for pregnancy.
Pregnancy consultations guiding month-by-month nutrition and lifestyle practices to nurture body, mind and baby throughout your pregnancy.
Postpartum consultations and care plans for your complete rejuvenation after birth.
Yoga for Fertility, Pregnancy and Mums & Bubs classes too.
