fbpx
#47 Human Design meets Ayurveda with Dr. Marie Weitbrecht

#47 Human Design meets Ayurveda with Dr. Marie Weitbrecht

naturopath paris carina greweling
THRIVE Podcast by : Carina Greweling on

#47 Human Design meets Ayurveda with Dr. Marie Weitbrecht

#47 Human Design meets Ayurveda with Dr. Marie Weitbrecht

In this interview, we explore Marie’s journey into her passion-driven business and how Ayurveda has given her clarity and strength. She shares her insights on Ayurveda and Human Design, explaining why these concepts can greatly impact our lives. The era of one-size-fits-all advice is over; now, it’s about supporting each person in their unique being and defining our “why” when sharing our mission with the world.

Marie also gives insights on how the Ayurvedic Doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha – relate to the Human Design chart, particularly to the types Manifestor, Generator, Projector, and Reflector.

Marie offers sessions in German and English. Mention the password “THRIVE” to benefit from a 100€ discount. Get in touch with Marie:

Website (only in German) 

IG (only in German) 

Discover more about Carina’s work here:

HORMONE THRIVE – My signature program for slow living, Ayurvedic self-care practices, healthy habits and natural hormone balance.
Free Metabolism Course – Optimise your metabolism and heal your digestive problems with Ayurveda
Youtube
Instagram

#12 Vata – The King of Doshas

#12 Vata – The King of Doshas

naturopath paris carina greweling
THRIVE Podcast by : Carina Greweling on

#12 Vata – The King of Doshas

#12 Autumn is known to be dominated by Vata Dosha, which can strongly stimulate this Dosha’s energy. For many people this can lead to a (relative) excess of Vata and we can literally lose our grounding, feel more anxious, nervous and overwhelmed.

In this podcast interview with Vata expert Kay Hebbourn we’ll go deeper into the understanding of Vata Dosha.

Tune in and discover:

  • Vata and why Kay decided to write a book about it.
  • What does Vata look like out of control?
  • What are the signs and symptoms of high Vata / Vata imbalances
  • What does Vata look like in control?
  • Why is high Vata often not seen?
  • Self-care practices to pacify Vata 
  • How to create an Ayurvedic ADHD toolkit

Connect with Kay on IG: @freshstartayurveda

Discover Kay’s work on ADHD: https://freshstartayurveda.com/

I hope you enjoyed the episode. Join the THRIVE community and hit subscribe!

Connect with me on IG @carina.greweling

Autumn Season: 7 Tips to Balance Vata Dosha

Autumn Season: 7 Tips to Balance Vata Dosha

Autumn is Vata Season

Autumn is here! At the beginning of autumn, when the air is still mild and the sun is still strong, a gentle Pitta prevails, which strengthens and warms us. As time progresses, the typical Vata weather begins: it storms, the temperatures drop, the sun is often hidden behind thick clouds. Vata has i.a. the characteristics of being cold, rough, dry and flexible and this is exactly what the weather in the cool and often stormy autumn describes. Not only do these traits dominate our outdoor environment while we’re snuggled up in the warmth of our homes with a cup of tea, they also affect the balance of the doshas in our bodies. Irrespective of our very own dosha mixture, which determines our constitution, the Vata increases in all people at this time.

Particularly affected are people who have either a Vata constitution or a Vata mixed constitution, or a Vata disorder.

An increase in Vata Dosha can lead to symptoms like: dry skin, hyperperistalsis, bloating, cramps, hypermobility, constipation, depression, difficulty sleeping through the night, anxiety and panic attacks, mental circles, hemorrhoids, pain, arthrosis, tinnitus.

However, Vata Dosha disorders in autumn are easier to avoid than you think.

7 Tips to Balance Vata Dosha

1. Always Stay Warm

The cold very quickly imbalances the Vata Dosha. But this is avoidable.

  • Always wear socks.
  • Lie down in bed at night with a warm bottle on your feet.
  • If possible, eat a warm meal 3 times a day.
  • Sweaters and scarves protect you from the cold wind.
  • Small amounts of hot spices warm the body.
  • Eat warming foods e.g. beets, carrots, hazelnuts, cashews, root vegetable soup with nutmeg, herbal teas, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, etc.

2. Enjoy Spices

Certain Vata Dosha reducing spices ground the body, improve digestion and boost the immune system. Season your food with spices such as:

  • Cardamom
  • Black pepper (in moderate amounts, even better the long pepper = Pippali)
  • Turmeric
  • Ceylon cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Nutmeg and mace
  • Fennel (lowers Vata through the bloating effect)
  • Coriander
  • Thyme or ajwain seeds
  • Mustard seeds (ideally yellow)
  • Asafoetida (Hing)
  • Cumin
  • Ginger and galangal

3. Sweet, Sour and Salty Lower Vata Dosha

Food is a powerful remedy. Food can either increase or balance the doshas (functional principles / bio-energies of the body). Vata is pacified with sweet, sour and salty foods and flavours.

Sweet (Earth + Water)

Sweet food grounds the body, calms it down, increases kapha and increases vitality. Examples: berries, apples, carrots, cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin, beetroot, milk, rice, maple syrup, honey in small amounts, cashew nuts – but beware, raw and whole grain foods increase Vata again.

Sour (Earth + Fire)

Sour foods warm the body, increase appetite, improve digestion, and hydrate. Examples: lemon, buttermilk, yoghurt, grapes, berries, sourdough, tangerines, vinegar, ideal also tamarind, amalaki, verjuice (wine & co) as a mild substitute for vinegar.

Salty (Water + Fire)

Salty foods hydrate and warm the body, improve digestion, and aid in detoxification. Examples: sea salt, rock salt, seaweed and soy sauce.

TIP:

If you have a Pitta imbalance you need to be careful with sour and salty foods as they can aggravate it. The same applies for Kapha imbalances that can get worse by sweet, sour and salty foods.

4. Drink Enough Fluids and Eat Enough High-Quality Oils

How’s your skin doing in cold weather? Is she dry yet?

Dryness is a dominant Vata quality. And a dry body is not only a consequence of Vata imbalance, but also a cause. It is therefore important to pay attention to the amount you drink, especially in autumn. Drink 2 liters of warm water in 200ml portions (10 small glasses) during the day.

Furthermore, the use of enough high-quality oils is important to moisturize your body from the inside out. The dry body can benefit from oily food. Ghee (clarified butter), sesame and olive oil protect the body tissues from dehydration and reduce Vata.

Vata types can enjoy foods high in water in the fall, such as zucchini, warm milk, berries, oatmeal, soups, and grapes.

In addition, a daily self-massage of the whole body with warm sesame, olive or ashwagandha oil does not only calm the nervous system and moisturize the skin but also lowers anxiety and stress. Rinse off with hot water about 15 minutes later or put on a pyjama and let it soak in overnight.

5. Herbal tea instead of coffee

Coffee is not essentially unhealthy. But in Vata disorders it is best avoided. Because coffee and other caffeinated drinks dry the skin and body, stimulate the nervous system and imbalance the Vata Dosha.

Much better for the body and brain are warm teas with Vata-reducing herbs like: ginger, cinnamon, fennel, thyme and licorice for the day. Herbs like lavender, chamomile, brahmi, lemon balm, and vanilla make fantastic bedtime teas for vata.

6. Regularity for the Vata Dosha

Regularity is opposed to Vata, the dosha of changeability. It increases the earthy Kapha Dosha and brings stability, harmony and calm. How can you bring more regularity into life?

Fixed times for going to bed (before 10 p.m.), getting up (preferably before 6 a.m.), regular eating times and relaxation rituals in the evening e.g. oil massage, walking, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy and quiet music help to slow down in the evening and have deep sleep.

7. Let The Soul Dangle

Have you noticed that with Vata excess, it is clearly more difficult to simply let go, to think of nothing for once? It’s even worse in cold and dry weather. Here are a few tips:

  • Take time for yourself.
  • Don’t start the day with your cell phone or computer, but do light physical exercises. It grounds the body and clears the mind.
  • Oil massage (Abhyanga) with sesame or ashwagandha oil is very relaxing and stabilizes the Vata energies.
  • Avoid overworking yourself. If possible, avoid working late into the night as the evening is the perfect time for reflection and relaxation.
  • Vata types should definitely get enough sleep, around 8-9 hours.
  • Daily meditation is a powerful relaxation technique.

If you want to dive deeper into the self-care habits of Ayurveda that help you to feel balanced, energized and grounded, join us for the upcoming Easy Ayurveda Detox or join the group program for women HORMONE THRIVE.

Have a nice autumn darling!

High Sensitivity: How Ayurveda can gently help you

High Sensitivity: How Ayurveda can gently help you

Highly Sensitive Person (HSP): What is behind it?

Are you just sensitive or highly sensitive? Do you perceive sensory stimuli and emotions much more than others? Do you experience your environment as too loud, too bright, too hectic, too many impressions and too strong smells? Do you sometimes prefer to hide or withdraw into your cocoon?

Highly sensitive people react more strongly to stimuli than other people, they perceive them more intensively and therefore need more time to process them.

Neurobiological studies show that in highly sensitive people, the areas in the brain where sensory information is processed are more active than normal. You can think of it as a kind of data overload pouring into the brain without interruption. That means, the “upstream filter” works differently and less selectively with highly sensitive people. As a result, the increased receptivity to internal and external stimuli sometimes causes sensory overload and earlier exhaustion. Furthermore, the environment and its stimuli are not only perceived more deeply, but also stored in a wider range.

What is high sensitivity?

The term high sensitivity comes from the American psychology professor Elaine Aron. She estimates that this applies to 15-20% of people, but to widely varying degrees. Some only perceive smells particularly intensively, others visual stimuli or noises. In the more pronounced frame, there are fewer people.

They also perceive feelings more strongly, their own as well as those of those around them. Some are unable to differentiate whose feelings they feel so intensely, their own or those of others. Furthermore, they almost often look “behind the scenes”, have thinner skin and intense intuition, sense subliminal conflicts in their surroundings. In addition to that, they often have the impression of being different, they were often the dreamers when they were children and also later, absorbing more and thinking and feeling more.

Highly sensitive people have a particularly rich inner world, their talents include pronounced creativity, a sense of aesthetics, great empathy and differentiated and comprehensive thinking.

High sensitivity and Vata Dosha in Ayurveda

In Ayurveda we speak of the three vital energies Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are very different in each of us (our constitution). In highly sensitive people, the Vata dosha dominates, which is made up of the subtle elements ether (space) and air. Highly sensitive people have a high proportion of Vata, especially in the mental and spiritual aspects of their constitution. Often also on a physical level, they are naturally delicate and sensitive personality types, which are characterized by a slim physique, dry skin and artistic and sensitive abilities. However, the physical appearance can vary.

Dominated by the air and ether elements, Vata represents the principle of movement, characterized by a multifaceted personality with many different interests, talents and a pronounced sense of perception. Typical mental Vata traits are indecisiveness, a strong imagination, changing preferences, anxious and worried with many circling thoughts. Vata personalities are prone to mental and psychosomatic illnesses, problems with the musculoskeletal system, digestive problems, states of exhaustion, sleep disorders and tinnitus.

The sensitive Vata life energy

The sensitive Vata Dosha can already be influenced by small influences such as noise, smells and visual stimuli. This also means that highly sensitive people, i.e. people with a very high proportion of Vata, suffer particularly from our increasingly overstimulated Vata environment and society and the lifestyle that goes with it. Because this, together with our environment and working world, contributes to an imbalance of the Vata Dosha: Enormous speed, sensory overstimulation, stress, travel, strong insecurity (economic, professional, personal), etc. aggravate Vata. If the “daily battery” is used up, the life energy is tapped, which leads to health problems.

How to ground and nourish yourself with Ayurveda

  • Create places of well-being and oases of peace: Create your snuggly cave, your retreat or your creative space, according to your individual needs. It is important to recognize and use your own feel-good areas, places and times for relaxation and rest, as free as possible from additional environmental stimuli. This can be when you are in nature with a lot of “Prana” (fresh life force), at your home or together with people who give you strength and have a positive effect on you.
  • Warming and grounding foods on the plate: three warm meals a day, enjoyed in peace and quiet. The menu includes grounding and nourishing foods such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, whole grains as well as enough healthy high-quality fats such as ghee, the Ayurvedic butterfat, avocados, sesame oil (use carefully when you’ve a Pitta imbalance), extra virgin olive oil, coconut milk and others. And of course, warming and digestive spices like ginger, fennel, cinnamon, cumin, basil and saffron. Also golden milk nourishes and provides afternoon indulgence.
  • Get out of your head and into your body more often: Warm, grounding oil massages, meditation and gentle body movements allow us to calm down. Likewise, a relaxed yoga practice with asanas where you have contact with the earth with both feet and where you firmly root yourself. Or just do nothing and enjoying the moment ;o)

And ultimately listen to your own distinct intuition in order to be able to live your own strength! Check out my online group program for women HORMONE THRIVE that is highly Vata pacifying or book a 1-1 session with me to adjust your daily routine and lifestyle to feel calm, grounded and centered.

Ayurveda: What’s Your Digestive Type? Get Your Agni Balanced.

Ayurveda: What’s Your Digestive Type? Get Your Agni Balanced.

The Power of Digestion in Ayurveda

Ayurveda’s aim is to have a long, happy and healthy life. The key to it is our metabolism, as all diseases have its origin in an imbalanced metabolism. The metabolism is therefore the central point we need to take care of if we want to restore health. The term metabolism refers commonly to the breakdown of food and its transformation into energy. As a result, we metabolise everything that we drink and eat, and the substances that we do not need anymore are eliminated. This process is the basis for our body to maintain itself.

According to Ayurveda we need a harmonious and functioning digestion to stay healthy and to prevent illnesses and imbalances. It is about strengthening our digestive fire, Agni, or also ensuring that it does not become too strong. In other words, we want to bring our Agni into optimal balance.

The four Types of Agni

In Ayurveda, we assume that everyone was born with an individual constitution. This constitution is unchangeable, but it may very well be in balance or not due to our habits and lifestyle. This type of constitution is called Prakriti and defines a person’s unique constitution in balance. However, if we get into an imbalance, we call it Vikruti. Therefore, we want to find out what we currently have too much or too little of, in other words, if our digestive fire is too weak or too strong.

Agni is located in the solar plexus area, the 3rd chakra, in the small intestine area. We want to eat things that burn clean and smooth. Then we experience a glow. If that is not the case, we can experience bloating, headaches, skin impurities, gas and other symptoms of digestive issues.

Without Agni it would be impossible to digest food and emotions. Consequently toxins can accumulate in the body and mind if our digestive fire does not burn optimally.

 

Agni is the main source of life and if you worship Agni, you will be blessed with perfect health. – Dr. Vasant Lad on Ayurveda

 

Ayurveda talks about four different states of Agni: regular or optimal, irregular, too intense, and too slow and weak.

1. Sama Agni: optimal / balanced digestion

Sama Agni means that the Agni is burning hot and clean. If we have a normal and optimal digestion, we have a complete bowel movement once or twice a day. The bowel movement is an important factor in assessing our digestive fire. When you have a complete emptying you know it. The stools have the consistency of a ripe banana, shaped but smooth and soft. Ideally, you should empty yourself within an hour of getting up, without using coffee or other home remedies.

Other characteristics of an optimal digestion are that you feel energised throughout the day. This Agni type has no afternoon low and no digestive discomfort. The immune system is stable and the mind is clear and alert. They are fueled from the inside out.

2. Vishama Agni: variable and sensitive digestion

This type is prone to digestive irregularities due to an erratic fire. The digestion is not steady, but fluctuating. Sometimes it is too fast and frequent, maybe even liquid. Sometimes it is too slow, sometimes too hard and often too seldom. The dosha associated with this type is Vata. When Vata gets stirred up in their mental body, it starts to affect their digestion. The energy from the digestion centre moves up in the brain and is missing in the digestion organs. As a result, Agni is too cold and the food cannot get properly digested. This digestive type often suffers from irregular hunger, weak immune system, and frequent digestive disorders such as: bloating, constipation, indigestion, digestive pain and cramps.

Also travelling and erratic eating patterns affect this Agni type. They often suffer from food allergies and intolerances. Furthermore they feel easily nervous, insecure, unworthy, worried and unprepared.

The bowel movement of Vishama Agni is marked by:

  • often dry and hard, small pieces, rabbit pellets
  • suffering easily from gas
  • bloated belly
  • dark colour and a strong smell
  • sometimes less than once per day or incomplete defecation
  • changes between diarrhoea and constipation

You don’t know your Dosha? Then take the Dosha quiz and learn more about your unique body constitution.

3. Tikshna Agni: too hot and too quick digestion

When we have too much heat in the system, our digestion runs fast or even too fast. It’s like you put oil on a fire. This digestive type often struggles with thin and loose stools due to a digestive fire that is too hot. There is too much bail in the system. The digestion process is too quick and the nutritions cannot be properly absorbed and malnutrition can occur. They sometimes have 3-5 bowel movements per day. This leads to constant hunger and they can eat huge quantities.

In addition to that there might occur: diarrhoea, heartburn, hyperacidity, gastritis and stomach pain. These people get easily hangry. When they are hungry, they need to eat something very quickly, otherwise they can get easily grumpy. We often find here very intense people who tend to impatience, irritability, frustration and over-working.

The bowel movement of Tikshna Agni is marked by:

  • often soft, unformed and diarrhoea-like
  • more than twice a day
  • a lighter colour, sometimes even yellowish
  • a strong smell

Sign up for my free “7-Days to Boost your Metabolism” course and learn the basic principles of Ayurveda for a properly functioning metabolism. Find better sleep, boost your immune system and have a strong digestion.

 

4. Manda Agni: slow and sluggish digestion

The sluggish digestion of Kapha constitutions is characterised by too little digestive fire. The stomach is too wet and they extract too little from the food. Therefore, they often need less food than the other two doshas, ​​which is very difficult for them because of their love for food. The weak digestive fire cannot digest large amounts of food. They are not very hungry, but often have a big appetite. Due to the sluggishness of their digestion, they tend to feel full and heavy after eating.

The lungs are right next to the stomach. As a result, there can be a lot of congestion, trouble breathing, mucus in the sinuses and even vomiting of salvia. This type easily get overweight, obese, congested and is prone to seasonal allergies. Feelings of sluggishness, depression, sadness, overthinking, lethargy, drowsiness and brain fog can be present.

The bowel movement of Manda Agni is marked by:

  • often slowly and less than once a day
  • possibly with mucus
  • sticks to the toilet bowl, the need of a lot of toilet paper
  • is light brown and clay-like

What you can do

An important step to a healthier body is to become aware of our bowel movements. All of this may sound strange at first, as we are not used to talk about bowel movements in our society. However, it is an important tool to find health in Ayurveda. It gives us a lot of information about what is currently not working properly. This helps us to see what we need to do in order to regain health.

If you want a deep dive into Ayurveda to embody daily habits that promote hormonal balance, mental clarity, overall ease and let you thrive in your body for a lifetime, discover my online group program for women

HORMONE THRIVE.