Could Ama be the source of your confusion?

CONFUSION = AMA

In Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine of India that seeks to treat and integrate body, mind, and spirit , Ama is undigested food that gets stored as toxin in the body. Ama also has an emotional, mental and relational component as undigested emotions and impressions create confusion. Both Ayurveda and Yoga are trying to bring clarity in our lives, so both are trying to remove Ama from us, so it’s important to know about Ama and recognize it when it’s present.

My teacher and Ayurveda Practitioner, Cate Stillman, goes further describing Ama by saying that “Ama causes confusion both on the cellular level - creating a slimy coating around cell membranes that dulls the cell receptors and endocrine optimization. Ama also causes confusion - or dullness - on the mental level leading to complacency and lassitude.” Ewwww, so gross!

Signs of Ama (regardless of your Ayurvedic Constitution)

• Excess body weight (i.e., Kapha is not Ama!)

• Lethargic upon arising (i.e., if you’re human, you’re a morning person, stop telling yourself otherwise)

• Grumpy upon waking (i.e., mmmhmmm!)

• Unstable energy (i.e., stop blaming your sugar level swings)

• Bad breathe (i.e., you’ve smelled Ama in the subway, you know!)

• Lots of white coating on tongue

• Traveling body aches and joint pain (i.e., maladiesRus or Achaques Galore)

If you see any of these signs showing up in your life you must address them before they turn into a permanent illness; Ama is slow moving in and very slow moving out AND Ama’s toxicity is the cause of permanent conditions. The long term solution is to cultivate healthy habits and to consider a gentle cleansing program once/twice a year. Let me know if you are interested in learning the basics of Ayurveda, which habits will keep Ama away and do an Ayurvedic inspired detox.

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Sally, there is never a good time for your wellness evolution!

Many times we know we want to spring into action and yet we’re stopped by our own inability to act.  Take for example my student and friend, let’s call her "Sally."  Just the other day, Sally was telling me how she knows she needs to make some changes in her life to evolve into the better woman she knows she can be for herself and for others.

I love you, Sally.  

Sally tells me that she even knows what strategies to put in place to become who she wants to be:  She’s gonna do a detox to give her body the space it needs, she's gonna start her days with yoga because she knows yoga works!, she's gonna start talking more with her live-in boyfriend to smooth out all of their communication kinks, and she's gonna revamp her career (or if necessary look for a new job).  Sally got plans and goals, that much is clear.  But then she tells me she's waiting for her life to settle.  You see, Sally has a lot going on, she got some family situation which may affect her traveling schedule in the near future, she has a new boss at work and you know how that goes, she is experiencing a stomach thing that she hasn’t figured out quite yet, and the boyfriend communication thing, you know, makes things at home a bit tense right now.  

Oh, Sally, my heart is heavy for you, because that's a lot, I've been there and I hear you, you're waiting for the right time.  The time when the yogic detox will go smoothly, because who want to do a half-ass detox? You’re waiting for genuine motivation to do your yoga first thing in the morning, because one needs to show up authentically to the mat, right? You’re waiting for the right words to say to the boyfriend, because presentation is everything when it comes to we-have-to-talk moments, isn’t that what your therapist says?  You’re waiting to get clear on what you want from a career because your Dharma deserves an auspicious space, because isn’t that how Dharma works?

Well, this is what I told Sally. There’s never a good time for your wellness evolution.  “Shift” is always hitting the fan, specially when you’re ready to implement your perfect evolutionary plans.  You either sit in peace while the “shift” drips down your walls, making your life feel like a total hot mess or you begin to thoroughly, imperfectly execute your perfect strategy.  

This is what I know to be true, the Universe will meet you right where you’re at, so where do you want the Universe to meet you at?  

If like Sally, you know you need a yogic cleanse to get you started, please join the community Reboot + Reset I'm leading at Abhaya Yoga- DUMBO, get a full description of the reboot and register HERE.   Let your potential emerge this Fall, if you have been waiting for the right cleanse for you, this is it. 

Freedom Scone

I called these decadent biscuitlike treasures, freedom scones, because all the ingredients break the prison of lethargy that other sweets tend to build around my day.  I find that a cup of hot herbal tea is the perfect companion to them (yes, I always have more than one, if you try them you will know why). I adapted this recipe from Jenny Nelson' Clean Eat, but quite frankly the scones are so good, it makes me feel a bit dirty eating them, and preparing them is a fun mess, totally worth it.  These guys are vegetarian, vegan and delicious.

These are the ingredients that you need

3/4 cup coconut oil + 1 teaspoon for greasing the baking sheet...don't try to substitute this with other natural oil,  coconut is the one that make this work, also measured the oil in liquid form (~77 F)

1/4 cup water

1 cup of coconut oil

1/2 cup of dates, pitted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup gluten free all purpose flour +1 tablespoon gluten free flour (for dusting)

Pinch sea salt

2 oz organic dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (you could skip this, I guess, but WHY?)

1/2 cup raw, organic walnuts, coarsely chopped (I have use other nuts, but the bitter taste of walnuts makes it my favorite)

This is what you do

Preheat oven to 350 F (you can place the jar with coconut oil near the oven and that helps melt the oil)

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mash the dates until you have a thick paste and set aside (see picture).  Add melted coconut oil to date paste with vanilla and water.  Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Dough should hold together. It may stay a bit runny, when this happens, I place the dough in the refrigerator for five minutes to make it easier to handle.

Form the dough into a round and place on a lightly floured (leftover dash of gluten free flour from above) surface and cut in half. Roll each half into another round. Cut one of the rounds in half and then cut each half into thirds and repeat with the second round so you have 12 wedges - it is OK if wedges are messy, it will taste just as good. Lightly grease a baking or cookie sheet with the coconut oil and place the wedges in the oven for 14-16 minutes (rotating the pan after 8 minutes).    Let them cool as the chocolate will be too hot to enjoy - trust me on this one.

Namaste