Living Well Ayurveda

02/18/2025

This time of year, New Orleans weather is as unpredictable as it gets, which is one of the many reasons I love this veggie biryani by Laura Plumb from her incredible, approachable “Ayurveda Cooking For Beginners.” The dish is easily adaptable for any season and dosha by simply swapping the spices and veggies. I opted for the autumn spice blend (cinnamon, ginger, fenugreek, cardamom and freshly grated nutmeg), because of the weather. We went with carrots and green beans for the veg. The golden raisins paired beautifully with toasted pumpkin seeds (the recipe calls for cashews, but we are pacifying pitta so pumpkin seeds were the swap). This dish originated in South Asian countries and is often cooked using chicken, but is just as flavorful and filling without meat. Bonus: Your home will smell divine when you cook it. Have you tried biryani? What’s your favorite?

02/17/2025

Do you need to slow down, rest and digest? That’s a trick question: We all do! Which is why I created a yoga class for that exact purpose. Please join me on Sundays at Pilates with Beth studio in Metairie for Sunday Rest, a 75 minute restorative yoga class designed to help you recover, reset, and restore for the week ahead. Slow it down with pranayama (breathwork), Dharana (meditation), and restorative yoga asana (physical practice) and take this opportunity to reconnect with your inner self, leaving refreshed and renewed. The class is open to all levels of yoga experience, from beginner to advanced, with modifications provided throughout the class. The first class is on Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. Class sizes are small and spots are limited, so click the link below to claim your spot! Also, if you love or want to try pilates, schedule a class with Beth while you’re booking!

https://www.pilateswithbeth.com/schedule-pilates-with-beth

01/25/2025

Are you on ? Join me — along with (vetted) yoga and meditation teachers, musicians and more from around the globe — for free meditations, (and soon) live events and courses. Currently I have three meditations available via the free version with more to come. Also, I’m workin on offerings for the app’s paid premium subcribers. Please follow my teacher page and try the meditations. I’d love to see you there. Link to page: https://insig.ht/A6Nt85DNrQb

01/23/2025

On the blog today, if you have tight hips, this is the stretch for you. Over time, it’ll turn your hips and psoas muscles to honey. 🧘🏽‍♂️🍯🧘🏻‍♀️

Tight hips? Try this stretch. It feels amazing and is so restful. Bookmark it for any time you need or want to revisit it. Which I promise will be often!

01/19/2025

Steamed bananas with the right combination of spices can be a satisfying and supportive breakfast. Find out why and get the recipe at the link! 🍌🫚

Steamed bananas are a suprisingly satisfying and supportive breakfast. For those who aren’t into a big breakfast, steamed bananas are an easy, delicious and supportive choice. This light, but satis…

01/14/2025

It can be challenging to eat Ayurvedically in restaurants when you’re trying to be mindful of food combining guidelines, as well as your dosha (unique constitution) and any doshic imbalances. For example, typically it’s discouraged to combine fruit with other foods (because fruit takes longer to digest) or dairy with any other food with the exception of rice pudding, dates, oatmeal, dates and almonds, so it’s important to pay attention to the ingredients in a dish. At first blush, the waffle, with fruit and whipped cream shown in the photo for this post would violate all the above! However, the waffle is made with almond flour, the whipped cream with coconut cream, and the fruit is a cooked compote. The reason this works is that we are not combining dairy with anything since the whipped cream is non-dairy, and when fruit is cooked it is broken down more so it is less likely to hamper digestion, causing gas and bloating. Most important, the meal was delicious and satisfying! As always, it’s best to listen to your body rather than blindly follow rules and guidelines and moderation is key.

01/12/2025

Restore Retreat at CM Branding Company’s art studio yesterday was a dream come true for me as a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic counselor. It’s an incredible feeling to create a space for women to relax, rest and replenish themselves; learn new tools or reset existing routines; see it come to fruition and watch in real time as the retreatants begin to unwind and get into rest and digest mode. I can’t wait to do it again. Next time, I’ll remember to take more photos. Thank you, Caroline for sharing your studio with us. And thank you to the participants and sponsors. 💛

01/06/2025

Due to a generous, anonymous sponsor I’m able to offer one more free scholarship spot to the Jan. 11 Restore Retreat in New Orleans. (Thank you, you lovely human!) There also is one paid spot left (all paid spots are sliding scale). If you’d like to claim the scholarship, email me at livingwellayurvedayoga@gmail.com. (You do not need to explain why you need the scholarship.) If you want to claim the last paid spot, visit the link below for tickets and retreat details. See you soon!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/restore-mini-retreat-with-living-well-ayurveda-tickets-1115728155949?aff=oddtdtcreator

01/05/2025

Some words of wisdom on walking and meditation in the Reel and here in the caption from Buddhist teacher and author Thich Nhat Hahn for your Sunday. “There are many ways to calm a negative energy without suppressing or fighting it. You recognize it, you smile to it, and you invite something nicer to come up and replace it; you read some inspiring words, you listen to a piece of beautiful music, you go somewhere in nature, or you do some walking meditation.“

12/23/2024

ONLY SEVEN SPOTS LEFT: Join me on Saturday, Jan. 11 in New Orleans for a restorative retreat in an artful setting. This in-person, four-hour event includes pranayama (breathwork), Dharana (meditation), restorative yoga asana (gentle physical practice for all levels) and an Ayurvedic workshop (talk) session to help you connect to your true nature. Held in the studio of artist amid her lively and expressive artwork, the retreat is limited to 10 attendees, so don’t wait to claim your spot!

This event is priced on a sliding scale to keep it affordable and inclusive. Many of us are struggling to even pay rent or the mortgage right now, so two free “scholarship” spots were made available on a first come first served basis and there is ONE SCHOLARSHIP REMAINING. Email Melanie at livingwellayurvedayoga@gmail.com to claim the scholarship spot. Use the subject line “Free Spot.” You do not need to explain why you are requesting a free ticket. Ease into 2025 with me.

Additional details at link below!

(Pssst: This would make a great gift. 🎁)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/restore-mini-retreat-with-living-well-ayurveda-tickets-1115728155949?aff=oddtdtcreator

12/22/2024

In Ayurveda, doshas aren’t just our personal constitutions. They also correspond to seasons and times of day. For example, 2 to 6 a.m. is one of two vata times (the other being 2 to 6 p.m.). Each doshic time of day corresponds with activities that complement the dosha. Vata relates to the element of air and spiritual and breath practices so this time of day is ideal for pranayama (breathwork), dhyana (meditation) and asana (physical yoga practice) or other movement such as a walk outside. The dosha clock looks like this:•Vata: 2-6 a.m.•Kapha: 6-10 a.m •Pitta: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. •Vata: 2-6 p.m.•Kapha: 6-10 p.m. •Pitta: 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Waking up during a.m. vata time sets you up for an energetic day attuned with nature. Waking up early is challenging for many people however, so a good ratricharya (evening routine) is essential to getting the right amount of sleep. As the saying goes, a good day starts the night before. This could mean eating a light supper at least two ours before bed; disconnecting from devices at least two hours before bed; gentle stretching and calming pranayama; enjoying a sleepytime Ayurvedic drink (such as spiced milk); and, or Abhyanga (oil massage and a warm bath). Do you have an evening routine? What does it look like?

12/21/2024

Today marks the winter solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest day of the year with the least amount of light. In Ayurveda, living in tune with nature on this day might mean slowing down. Light a candle and reflect in your journal or during meditation about what is no longer serving you and how you might let go and be more at ease in the coming weeks and months. Sit in silence, rest, move with intention and reverence, and nourish yourself with warm, nutritive foods and beverages to emulate nature and the stillness of the season.