The best project you'll ever work on is YOU.

As I write this, the tree is sparkling with white lights, the paperwhites are blooming, and I'm cozied in my fuzzy leggings (the fuzz is on the inside!) and fluffy socks. My parents left yesterday as we celebrated the holiday early and the house is quiet. I'm warm in heart and soul reflecting on so much that I learned in 2017.  

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I'm creating a special program for our HeyMonicaB community in 2018. Together we will learn, inspire, connect and evolve.

Consider dedicating a year to transforming, thriving, and creating your best life!

Learn about the Blooming Year of Ayurveda here!

I am putting the finishing touches on a yearlong program filled with Ayurvedic lessons, tips, inspiration, connection, and love.

Picture live video classes. Envision inbox inspirations and vibrant PDF downloads to support your journey. Imagine a supportive community cheering...

 Alright, you guys. I'm going to tell you something, but only because I think you can handle it.  And I would rather you hear it from me, than hear it from one of your friends who doesn't have the correct information.

I will tell you on one condition and that is, you have to promise not to abuse it. If I give you an inch, don't take a mile. Don't get all willy nilly excited and tell thousands of your friends, "MonicaB said *hiccup* I could!"

Do you promise? Pinkie swear? Ok then, here we go. In today's Ayurvedic lesson, we need to talk about, alcohol.

Mind, body and...spirits! 

In Ayurveda, there is something called draksha. Draksha is medicated wine used for a variety of remedies including blood, liver, skin, and digestion problems to name a few. As we know, alcohol is absorbed very quickly into the blood stream. So, Ayurveda puts the herbs into the wine, which are then carried directly to the blood and dispersed where the herbs are most needed.

How smart...

Hey Monica B, I'm trying to breakfast easy, so I'm trying not to eat yogurt. Is non-dairy yogurt okay to eat?

In answering her question, I'd like to address two things. One, why Ayurveda does not recommend yogurt. Two, why "substitutey" foods are not a good idea.

According to Ayurveda, yogurt is not beneficial to anybody.

Yogurt is really not the best thing for our digestion and can cause problems. Why?

Because yogurt digests too sour and heating for pitta. It is too sour, goopy , heavy and cold for kapha. And it is too cold for vata, it's like putting their digestive fire under a snow pack. It's just too darn cold.

You might be thinking, "Sour? No, it's sweet." No, it's sour. It only tastes sweet because they have to add a ton of sugar to it because it's naturally really dang sour :) That amount of sour taste along with the cold and goopy qualities imbalances all 3 doshas. It completely dampens/extinguishes digestive fire and clogs channels. 

She...

Happy Holidays! We're in the thick of it and it can either feel stressful and daunting or ALIVE and JOYFUL! The good news is you are in the driver's seat and can create either scenario. But sometimes you just need a little guidance to get there.

I've created a Free Ayurvedic Holiday Survival Guide so that you can THRIVE during holiday, not just survive. YOU are the one who shapes your experience of the season — create the joy and feel the SPIRIT.

Show up in body, mind and spirit! When you walk in the door, YOU create the energy of the greeting. Give them a lottery-winning hug! When you're engaging with others, YOU choose to look in their eyes and fully listen. When you see the pickle platter is kinda empty, YOU can offer help to the hostess. If the conversation is dry, YOU pick something interesting to talk about. And when you say goodbye, give another HUGE hug as if it might be the last time you see that person.

See how that energy is more vibrant when we...

You might look at the photo above and think "Mm! Yummy and healthy!"

I look at that photo and think "Ugk. Digestion nightmare." 

Food provides the basic building blocks for our entire physical and mental bodies. We feel better or worse depending on the quality of foods we've been eating. And because we are no dummies, we know that foods like fresh veggies and fruits are better nourishment for us than a pan of brownies. (I'm not here to take away your fun. In moderation, sweeties are to be enjoyed and savored. But if you eat the whole pan...yeah, that's not good.)

So! Whatever we put in our mouths is either proper nourishment or not. And we usually know the difference between the two.

But here's something you probably don't know.

In Ayurveda, there are certain food combinations that should be avoided. While an occasional brownie won't hurt you, the consistent practice of incompatible foods probably will imbalance your digestion (gas, bloating, heartburn, diarrhea,...

Hunger becomes a problem when agni (our digestive fire) is calling for food at the wrong times because this is a fast way to collect ama (toxins) and gain weight.

Let's say we skip breakfast but then at 9:30 a.m. we're starving, so then we bring on the pancakes, and the bacon, and the sausages, and the oatmeal, and the coffee, and the orange juice. You get my drift! You have a big breakfast.

What happens when noon comes around? Are you hungry? No. But then at 2:30 p.m. agni's like, "Hey, I'm hungry!" So you have a late lunch at 2:30 because your breakfast was late.

Then, are you hungry at 6 o'clock at night? No, because you had a really late lunch. Maybe you're not hungry until 8 or 8:30 p.m. and you have dinner then.

That's too late.

Those times are all wrong, but agni's calling for food because we didn't eat at the right times according to the clock. Making sense? 

We want to eat at the right time. Otherwise we are not in harmony with...

Any time is the perfect time for a little gratitude, let's bring it to the party!

Our bajillion blessings far outnumber the not-so-great things (sometimes we give these too much air time!). Writing them out helps us really feel the abundance that surrounds us on a daily basis! 

Print one for your eyes only, or print out a bunch to share at Thanksgiving and everyone can fill out their trees! Hang them up or have each person talk about their 3 favorites. Heck, turn it into one big gratitude party! That's what Thanksgiving is bout afterall!

Page 1 - Write what you are grateful for in the circles, can you fill up the tree?
Page 2 - Write WHY you are grateful for each of them

>>GET YOUR GRATITUDE TREE HERE<<

The most important part is to connect to what you've been blessed with and WHY.

Even in the most challenging times, we are gaining perspective and wisdom and we can be grateful for the...

If you prefer, check out the Video HERE: 5 Healthy Digestion Tips for Thanksgiving {Based on Ayurveda}

For us Americans, it's Thanksgiving this week!

*parade* *family & friends* *good food*

For the non-Americans, these digestion tips will apply to any celebration that includes a big family/friends gathering and a feast.

In Ayurveda, what we eat is not nearly as important as how we digest we eat.

Meaning, we can pop anything into our mouth but our body might not digest the food that well. For example, we eat a salad and instantly feel bloated, or the jam-packed burrito sits in our gut like a rock, or the spicy chicken wings leave a burning discomfort in our chest. 

If our body does not digest the food properly, it doesn't nourish our body properly, which is the whole point of eating. The goal of a celebration is to be with friends and family while sharing a meal, good laughs and creating good memories...

 My friends, for those of you who feel consistently sluggish, moving your body is the key to get energized. We are not meant to sit for hours on end in front of a computer or tv - it's just not natural! Since we are little beings of nature so we need to move, sweat, and tone our bodies. 

Moving is essential to keep disease and sickness away (immunity booster) and it tones all the tissues of the body. Food and exercise are the building blocks for the physical body. So if we're only doing one of those things right, we are only half way. That said, I know it can be frustrating when you know you need to do some sort of exercise, but you're not sure exactly what is best for you. But that's what I'm here for!

Since Ayurveda is individualized, each dosha does better with certain exercises.
Not sure of your dosha yet?  Take the quiz.

Exercises for vata

Vatas, you need to slow down. Slooooooooooow dooooooowwwwwn. Okay, even slower. ;) Because vata is so wiggly, windy,...

It's dark at dinner time now! It's easy to "hooray!" for an extra hour of sleep and "hooray!" because it's easier to wake up. But it's more than just a switch of an hour. 

Time change in Ayurveda affects vata (energy of movement) because, well, we've made a fast change. *Poof* just like that, we gained extra sunlight in the morning and lost it at night. It can take some of us weeks to adjust but the 6 Ayurvedic tips below will help you slide back nicely into nature's rhythm quickly.

6 Ayurvedic Tips to Survive the Fall Time Change

1. Wake up before sunrise. For those of you who are not a super-fan of this highly effective ayurvedic recommendation, your opportunity is GOLDEN right now! This should be easy! Of all times of year to start practicing, now's the time. Waking before the sun as a daily habit, gives us an extra energy boost because we rise in the energy of vata, the energy of movement, which keeps us going all...