Padmasri’s Blog
Cinnamon – The Circulation Harmonizer
In Ayurveda, this spice is esteemed for its circulation powers, expectorant effects, and digestive properties. Let’s look at its energetics and actions on the body and mind and learn how to benefit from it in our daily lives.
Movement Snack: 360-degree Breathing
This movement snack explores 360-degree breathing with a strap (you can also use a resistance band, a belt, or something similar). For many of us, sensing the back of the body and even the sides doesn’t come so easily. The brain connection to that area is fuzzy… The strap is a great tool to begin creating the link.
Nutmeg – The Sedative One
Did you know that the nutmeg tree gives us two spices in one fruit? In this blog, we will look at nutmeg. In Ayurveda, this spice is esteemed for its absorption powers, carminative effects, and relaxing properties.
Movement Snack: Mobile Hips
This movement snack explores a sitting pigeon pose where you take one hip into external rotation and the other into internal rotation. In addition, it challenges us to hold our hips in external rotation without the support of the other leg, making us use our own neural-muscular control.
Cardamom – The Mucus Remover
Cardamom is an antidote to foods that increase mucus formation in the body such as sugar, dairy, bananas, AND ice cream… Let’s look at its qualities, tastes, and actions it has on the body and mind and learn more about how to benefit from it in our daily lives.
Movement Snack: Freedom for Your Pelvis
This sequence explores our ability to tilt the pelvis forward, backward, and laterally. It also challenges us to hold our pelvis neutral as we move towards child’s pose and back to tabletop position.
Cumin – The Digestion Promoter
Bringing cumin into our daily diet is an excellent addition to maintaining optimal digestion and addressing compromised digestion. Let’s look at its energetics and benefits according to Ayurveda and how to benefit from them in our daily lives.
Movement Snack: Strong & Supple Feet
his dynamic balasana-vajrasana sequence asks us to add some variable loading for the toes, ankles, and knees. With that, our joints get more resilient. We feel strong and firmly grounded on our own two feet.
Rose - The Blissful One
Rose petals’ rich aroma and soothing energy have been promoting vitality and inspiring and healing many for thousands of years. Ayurvedic healers use rose petals in herbal formulas, teas, oils, and skincare preparations to balance the five elements and slow down aging.
Movement Snack: Keep Cool with Spinal Lateral Flexion
Here is a side-bend snack to keep you cool and calm during the summer season or if you are experiencing signs of excess heat in the body (acidic digestion, heartburn, loose stools) and in the mind (irritability, anger, jealousy). Side bending can also improve breathing capacity and spinal mobility and increase the range of motion in the shoulders and hips.
Mint - The Refresher
When learning about mint, I was amazed by the large size of the mint family. It includes many culinary herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, and lavender! But I think when we hear ‘mint’, most of us think of peppermint and spearmint, right?
Movement Snack: Relieving Strain in the Eyes and Neck
Play with these combined movements of the neck and eyes to release strain in those areas and experience your head balancing lightly atop your neck with easeful breath.
Fennel - The Sweet One
Fennel is an ancient spice that has been used gastronomically and therapeutically for centuries. Fennel leaves are delicate in flavor and look like dill. In fact, they are members of the same family that also includes carrots, parsley, cumin, coriander, and celery… Fennel is one of the best herbs for digestion. I don’t think there is a day in my kitchen that fennel doesn’t show up!
Movement Snack: Building Resiliency in The Knees
The idea here is to bring movement to the knees to bring more awareness to the back of the knees and possibly more strength to the hamstrings. It also improves circulation in this area increasing lymph flow and reducing swelling.
Coriander - The Rich One
Coriander seeds and leaves have been used by many cultures for ages. Coriander can be found in regional cuisine worldwide and it is believed to be native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Let’s take a look at coriander’s qualities and benefits.
Movement Snack: Improving Motion of the Shoulder Blades
The idea here is to bring movement to the shoulder blades, creating optimal ranges of motion, greater neural control of motion, and improving circulation in this area to lift up the heaviness of Kapha, preventing its accumulation.
Fenugreek - The Overlooked but Highly Potent Herb
Our kitchen can be a powerhouse of herbs and spices that can efficiently aid our health when used daily. Fenugreek is one of these herbs but it is often overlooked! Let’s take a look at fenugreek's qualities and benefits.
Movement Snack: Energizing Snack
It is time to lighten up so we can stay inspired and revitalized during the springtime!
Turmeric – The Golden Wonder
Turmeric has been used in therapeutic preparations and all different types of cuisine over the centuries throughout Asia. In Ayurveda, turmeric has been used as a remedy for 4,000 years. It is considered the holy powder because of its proven medicinal properties.
Movement Snack: Upper-Mid Back Articulation
For this month, your movement snack is upper-mid back spinal articulation that you can do on the floor or on a chair. Keeping this area moving will help release stagnation and invigorate the body and mind to feel light and bright.