Enhance Your Meditation Practice with Crystals
You may meditate, but have you taken your practice one step further by using crystals? Learn the benefits of crystals and how to us crystals in your meditation practice.
Digestion
You may meditate, but have you taken your practice one step further by
using crystals? Learn the benefits of crystals
and how to us crystals in your meditation practice.
One of the main pillars of today’s mindfulness-based practices is the art of cultivating gratitude. You may hear it as a theme in yoga class, read about it in self-help books, hear about it in seminars and retreats, or see it every day in your social media feeds. Cultivating gratitude every day can be a powerful catalyst for creating a...
Ayurveda looks at a human being from the lens of abundance. In Ayurveda, perfect health is not simply an absence of disease but rather an abundance of vitality.Swastha Vritti means perfect health. It is the state in which the body, mind, soul, and senses are in a blissful equilibrium.In the era of video meetings and endless hours of screen time,...
The cornerstone of health in Ayurveda comes back to the simple concept of agni, our digestive fire. Balanced agni is the key to proper digestion and sustained energy.
It is not only what we do during cleansing that results in a healthier, happier state of the body, but what we do after cleansing that determines the longevity or transience of any changes we undergo. Properly coming off a cleanse is a vital stage for achieving cleansing success. In all stages of a cleanse, patience is key to honoring...
An ancient Ayurvedic sutra from the Suśruta Saṁhitā states: “A person who is established in the Self, has balanced doshas, balanced agni, balanced tissues, proper elimination of wastes, properly functioning bodily processes and who is peaceful and content in the mind, senses and soul is defined as a healthy person.” (Su. Sū. 15)It is evident from this classical text written...
The healing tradition of Ayurveda teaches that health and wellbeing depends upon our ability to digest everything we take in from the environment. This includes not only tangible substances like food and drink, but also our experiences, emotions, and the impressions we take in via our sensory portals, namely our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin. Agni is the Sanskrit...
Avoid the unhealthy fads of juice cleanses and the next newest thing and discover the healthy balance of the centuries old ayurvedic cleanse, panchakarma.
When you think of Thanksgiving, the first thing that tends to come to mind is the meal. While this day serves as an annual reminder of the joys of eating good food together, many people experience the annual side effects of overeating: mainly an increase in lethargy and a decrease in overall vitality.However, by incorporating basic Ayurvedic principles into your...
Your emotional state affects your mind and body. Learn more about your stomach issues and spiritual meaning to stimulate emotional digestion for a healthier body.
Widely known for its laxative qualities, Triphala can also be used to balance the doshas. Learn more from the experts at Chopra.
Let’s face it, although many of us strive to be the healthiest, best version of ourselves, sometimes our hectic lives can make us feel like this is not within our reach. Many of us succumb to the demands that our everyday lives bring and leave our health and well-being to the last second. However, our health should be molded into...
It’s hard to imagine our world without salt. In fact, it would be impossible since salt — or, sodium, rather — plays such an important role in the human body’s natural functions, and in Mother Nature. “Salt is closely tied, along with water, to the origins of life and, thus has numerous enlivening properties,” says Chaye McIntosh, the clinical director...
The Link Between Stress and Irritable Bowel Syndrome—and What You Can Do to Improve Your Digestio...
Jennifer Weinberg
You have likely experienced stress and digestive issues at some point during your life. These two common conditions are often closely related to each other as is evident in the case of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common gastrointestinal disorder that is often influenced by stress.Stress: A Pervasive Lifestyle Factor with Profound Influences on HealthWhen you experience a situation or...
Whether it’s a bug, food sensitivity, stress, or something else that’s ailing you, when you feel sick to your stomach, what you want is simple: to make it go away—quickly. These nine stomachache remedies swoop in to the rescue. They all hail from nature, and they’re easily accessible and inexpensive.No matter what the root cause—a bug, food sensitivity, stomach flu,...
Learn more about the proven health benefits of ginger and the uses of ginger from tea to meals and supplements.
Ginger tea is one of the oldest medicinal drinks. From digestive health to helping inflamed airways, there are plenty of benefits. Learn more at Chopra!
Maintaining your gut health goes beyond digestion. Your gut affects your estrogen, which affects weight & libido. Balancing probiotics and estrogen is key to gut health.
If you are someone who reaches for a warm cuppa joe first thing in the morning you are surely not alone. In fact, according to the National Coffee Association, 63 percent of American adults drink coffee daily. While many folks are looking for a morning pick me up, help with focusing, and/or an overall boost in energy, others simply enjoy...
When you sit down to a meal or grab a quick snack, you are not just eating for your health, but you are also eating for the health of your microbiome. Your microbiome, the ecosystem of microbes living primarily in your digestive tract, is a delicate and wise system that is responsible for governing almost every system in your body....
You may have heard about celiac disease more often in recent years due to the rise in gluten-free diets and the growing availability of gluten-free products. But what is celiac disease?Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that can develop when people with a genetic predisposition to the disease consumes gluten. When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, the body reacts...
Most of us were taught that to stay healthy, we need to avoid bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. This has led many people to take hygiene vigilance too far, with the constant use of hand sanitizers, household disinfectants, and other antibacterial products. While being clean is beneficial, the attempt to create a sterile environment can weaken our immune system and...
Almost two decades ago, the term “gut microbiome” was coined to describe the trillions of microbes that reside in your gut. Scientists once thought that these microbes were just hitching a ride and you’d be better off without them. However, we now know they are critical to your overall health and wellness.Clocking in at 3 to 5 pounds, your gut...
Are you tired of walking around feeling bloated? You feel bloated in your belly when air or gas is trapped in your gastrointestinal tract. It can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and even embarrassing to experience on a daily basis. Sometimes bloating can be an internal feeling of feeling full in the lower abdomen while other times there is physical distension that...
Breast health is too often ignored until after a problem arises. It’s an area of the body with powerful associations that sometimes makes women hesitant to seek care, despite the fact that the vast majority of them experience breast discomfort at some point. Whether it’s breast congestion, abnormalities such as lumps or cysts, diagnostic tests, or surgical procedures, any breast...
The Power of the Brain-Gut Connection: 5 Ways to Combat Stress’ Impact on Digestion
Jennifer Weinberg
If you have ever “choked under pressure” or felt your “stomach in knots” when faced with a difficult decision, you are familiar with the powerful ways in which stress can influence digestion. Emotions create physiological changes in your body, and stress is no exception. In broad terms, stress refers to any real or perceived threat or demand. Such stressors elicit...
Your mood can be affected by a variety of factors, including thought patterns, chemical imbalances, and sleep quality. But what about your gut? While you may not think of your gut as a vital contributor to how you feel, research is increasingly suggesting that perhaps you should.One theory gaining traction in the medical community is that your gut can function...
Can supplementing with probiotics really help reduce belly bloat and IBS symptoms? How do you know which ones are good and which ones are a waste of money?Well—to be frank, our poop and all the bugs that live in there are the great new frontier in medicine. Who knew!? The health of the 100 trillion bugs in your gut (which...
An unhealthy gut doesn’t always mean digestive issues—symptoms range from fatigue to acne, the 4R program addresses underlying problems with this gut health protocol.
It can be tempting to blame your metabolism for weight gain and other health problems. Although your metabolism influences your body’s energy needs, your digestive fire and physical activity, the foods you eat actually determine your weight and overall health.There are some foods that may increase your metabolism because they contain important elements that are vital to maintain a steady...
The digestive tract works like an assembly line in reverse. Instead of creating food, the digestive tract breaks it down into basic parts to make it easier to absorb and metabolize. As efficient as the digestive tract is, a large portion of the energy stored in food is not processed and metabolized by the human body. Undigested food travels through...
The microbiome is the world of microorganisms—too small to be seen without a microscope—that exists in our environment, as well as on, in, and within our body tissue.When the microbes on, or in, the body have established themselves as residents, they‘re considered the microbiome—the microbial populations in that environment. If you haven’t heard of the term microbiome before, add it...
Agni, or digestive fire, processes more than just food in your body—it helps you assimilate all aspects of your daily life including your experiences. If your Agni is strong, your body is better able to absorb nutrients and process events. If Agni is weak, however, toxins, or Ama, can start to build.As such Agni plays a crucial role in your...
Papaya is a sweet, tropical fruit that has so much flavor, but even more health benefits. It’s a unique looking fruit that’s large in size and has an inside full of small round black seeds. When it’s sliced in half lengthwise it looks like a boat! The inside is bright orange and the outside is green when it’s unripe but...
Fermented foods are receiving quite a buzz these days. Everything related to gut health is seen more on health and nutrition blogs and found on grocery store shelves. But will fermented foods’ benefits help you?What Are Fermented Foods?Let’s start at the beginning. Fermented foods are foods that have undergone the fermentation process. Fermentation is a process that uses bacteria or...
Apple cider vinegar has many medical uses and benefits. Learn the 9 best from the experts at Chopra today.
Kefir is a traditional food, originating in Eastern Europe and Russia in the Caucasian mountains. Derived from the Turkish word keyif, which means “feeling good,” kefir became a tonic that was enjoyed beyond Eastern Europe.What Is Kefir?Kefir is a slightly more-liquid version of yogurt. Often recommended for its impressive probiotic levels, kefir both does well as a stand-alone fermented beverage...
Fiber is something you are likely familiar with. Commercials on TV try to sell you dry fiber crackers and chalky powders to make you more regular. If you’re constipated, prune juice always seems to be recommended as the cure for what ails. But a high-fiber diet doesn’t have to be gross and unsatisfying. You can achieve healthy digestion while enjoying...
Probiotics is a word that you’ve likely heard—whether your friend at the gym told you about her kombucha drink that has probiotics or you saw an advertisement on TV trying to sell you on a probiotic supplement. When you read any article related to gut health, probiotics are usually the main focus and for good reason. Probiotics have been proven...
Chia seeds and flaxseeds are both excellent additions of your diet. But which should you pick for your diet? Learn more from the experts at Chopra.
The paleo diet, often referred to as the caveman diet or hunter-gatherer diet, is based on the premise that genetically you are almost identical to your stone-age ancestors. The paleo diet plan is set up accordingly: if your caveman ancestors did not eat it, then neither should you, hence the name paleo diet—short for paleolithic diet. This popular primal eating...
As Hippocrates said, “All health begins in the gut.” While your digestion is known as the root of your health, eating for a healthy digestion can be both complex and confusing. The overall quality of food has diminished through over-processing, and the busyness and stress of modern life can wreak havoc on your digestive systems. Below you will find some...
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls—the Thanksgiving table is full of food! Not to mention the pumpkin pie and other desserts. Every family has their own traditions and different dishes they serve on Thanksgiving, but every Thanksgiving table has one thing in common—there’s a lot of food! Your digestive system has to do a...
Gluten-free diets are common. Research shows that approximately 1 percent of the population worldwide has celiac disease (gluten intolerance), and nearly 10 percent of people in the U.S. are gluten sensitive. Gluten is the protein found in many grains in the form of gliadin or glutinens.Grains containing gluten include: Wheat Spelt Barley Rye Farro Kamut Triticale When to Go Gluten...
Most people know eating fiber is important. But what does that even mean? Why fiber? What is it and what role does it play in your health?Fiber comes in two different types: Soluble: It is just as it sounds—soluble—it can be dissolved. It absorbs water and turns into a gel-like consistency that slows down digestion. This is helpful for satiety...
Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” It’s true—and you are what you digest and absorb, too. You could be eating the healthiest food in the world, but if you are not able to break down your food efficiently and absorb the nutrients, then you are missing out on a big opportunity for nourishment.The first place...
Gluten can be found hiding in many common foods in the Standard American Diet. While you might not have a gluten allergy, known as Celiac Disease, it is possible that you have a nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). This condition, NCGS, is often overlooked as a potential root cause for conditions such as inflammation, IBS, joint pain, multiple sclerosis, eczema, and...
It can be tempting to curl up on couch after a large, decadent holiday meal. However, doing mindful movement after you eat sets up your body to move food along and keep you comfortable. Try these six yoga poses to help stimulate digestion and detoxification. Twists Why Twists? Twists are great nourishing and detoxifying poses to help aid digestion. Twists...
Focus on giving the gift of yourself with these creative holiday gift ideas. These creative gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other gifting occasion prove your heart expands more easily than your wallet.
At a public lecture, a psychology professor was reported to say, “Until you are 50, you won’t know who you are.” This seems overly optimistic, because much more than maturity is involved in discovering who you are; in fact, much more than psychology is involved. To answer “Who am I?” requires you to take a stand about reality itself, in...
Have you noticed that when a colleague says something negative about your work, you can’t get it out of your mind? Yet when three co-workers compliment you on a job well done, you don’t give it much thought.You can blame your brain for that. Science indicates that the human brain has a negativity bias, which means, according to psychologist Rick...
There’s a lot going on in the world right now that can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless. It’s tempting to want to retreat into your own little bubble with thoughts like, what could little ol’ me possibly do to shift the political climate, the worldwide hunger epidemic, and seemingly growing divisiveness between people on opposite sides of an imagined...
1. Listen to Your Body’s WisdomOur body expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body, “How do you feel about this?” If your body sends a signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed.2. Live in the PresentThe present is the...
Articles
How to Find Gratitude in Your Hardest Moments
One of the main pillars of today’s mindfulness-based practices is the art of cultivating gratitude. You may hear it as a theme in yoga class, read about it in self-help...
Looking at Abundance Through the Lens of Ayurveda
Ayurveda looks at a human being from the lens of abundance. In Ayurveda, perfect health is not simply an absence of disease but rather an abundance of vitality.Swastha Vritti means...
On Agni and Āma: The Sacred Fire of Digestion and Metabolic Impurities
The cornerstone of health in Ayurveda comes back to the simple concept of agni, our digestive fire. Balanced agni is the key to proper digestion and sustained energy.
Practical Tips for Easing Back Into Eating After a Cleanse
It is not only what we do during cleansing that results in a healthier, happier state of the body, but what we do after cleansing that determines the longevity or...
The Importance of Daily Elimination
An ancient Ayurvedic sutra from the Suśruta Saṁhitā states: “A person who is established in the Self, has balanced doshas, balanced agni, balanced tissues, proper elimination of wastes, properly functioning...
Learn How to Improve Your Digestion With 6 Ayurvedic Practices
The healing tradition of Ayurveda teaches that health and wellbeing depends upon our ability to digest everything we take in from the environment. This includes not only tangible substances like...
How to Cleanse, the Ayurvedic Way
Avoid the unhealthy fads of juice cleanses and the next newest thing and discover the healthy balance of the centuries old ayurvedic cleanse, panchakarma.
3 Ayurvedic Tips to Nourish Your Body and Mind This Thanksgiving
When you think of Thanksgiving, the first thing that tends to come to mind is the meal. While this day serves as an annual reminder of the joys of eating...
The Link Between Your Emotions and Your Digestion
Your emotional state affects your mind and body. Learn more about your stomach issues and spiritual meaning to stimulate emotional digestion for a healthier body.
The Benefits of Triphala
Widely known for its laxative qualities, Triphala can also be used to balance the doshas. Learn more from the experts at Chopra.
The Key to Keeping an Active and Healthy Lifestyle with a Busy Schedule
Let’s face it, although many of us strive to be the healthiest, best version of ourselves, sometimes our hectic lives can make us feel like this is not within our...
The Healing Benefits of Salt Water
It’s hard to imagine our world without salt. In fact, it would be impossible since salt — or, sodium, rather — plays such an important role in the human body’s...
The Link Between Stress and Irritable Bowel Syndrome—and What You Can Do to Improve Your Digestion and Mind-Body Health
You have likely experienced stress and digestive issues at some point during your life. These two common conditions are often closely related to each other as is evident in the...
Natural Remedies for an Upset Stomach
Whether it’s a bug, food sensitivity, stress, or something else that’s ailing you, when you feel sick to your stomach, what you want is simple: to make it go away—quickly....
8 Incredible Health Benefits of Eating Ginger
Learn more about the proven health benefits of ginger and the uses of ginger from tea to meals and supplements.
The Health Benefits of Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is one of the oldest medicinal drinks. From digestive health to helping inflamed airways, there are plenty of benefits. Learn more at Chopra!
The Estrobolome: How the Gut Impacts Estrogen Levels, Metabolism, and More
Maintaining your gut health goes beyond digestion. Your gut affects your estrogen, which affects weight & libido. Balancing probiotics and estrogen is key to gut health.
Does Coffee Boost Your Metabolism?
If you are someone who reaches for a warm cuppa joe first thing in the morning you are surely not alone. In fact, according to the National Coffee Association, 63...
How to Improve Gut Health with Natural Probiotics
When you sit down to a meal or grab a quick snack, you are not just eating for your health, but you are also eating for the health of your...
How to Live a Healthy Life with Celiac Disease
You may have heard about celiac disease more often in recent years due to the rise in gluten-free diets and the growing availability of gluten-free products. But what is celiac...
What Is the Secret to a Healthy Gut Microbiome?
Most of us were taught that to stay healthy, we need to avoid bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. This has led many people to take hygiene vigilance too far, with...
13 Health Conditions Linked to the Gut Microbiome
Almost two decades ago, the term “gut microbiome” was coined to describe the trillions of microbes that reside in your gut. Scientists once thought that these microbes were just hitching...
8 Ways to Overcome Belly Bloating
Are you tired of walking around feeling bloated? You feel bloated in your belly when air or gas is trapped in your gastrointestinal tract. It can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and...
The Benefits of Therapeutic Breast Massage
Breast health is too often ignored until after a problem arises. It’s an area of the body with powerful associations that sometimes makes women hesitant to seek care, despite the...
The Power of the Brain-Gut Connection: 5 Ways to Combat Stress’ Impact on Digestion
If you have ever “choked under pressure” or felt your “stomach in knots” when faced with a difficult decision, you are familiar with the powerful ways in which stress can...
How to Improve Your Mood with a Healthy Gut
Your mood can be affected by a variety of factors, including thought patterns, chemical imbalances, and sleep quality. But what about your gut? While you may not think of your...
Do Probiotics Really Work?
Can supplementing with probiotics really help reduce belly bloat and IBS symptoms? How do you know which ones are good and which ones are a waste of money?Well—to be frank,...
Heal Your Gut with the 4R Program
An unhealthy gut doesn’t always mean digestive issues—symptoms range from fatigue to acne, the 4R program addresses underlying problems with this gut health protocol.
9 Foods That May Increase Metabolism
It can be tempting to blame your metabolism for weight gain and other health problems. Although your metabolism influences your body’s energy needs, your digestive fire and physical activity, the...
Gut Instincts: Why Microbes and Probiotics Matter to Your Health
The digestive tract works like an assembly line in reverse. Instead of creating food, the digestive tract breaks it down into basic parts to make it easier to absorb and...
Microbiome 101: It`s a Small World After All
The microbiome is the world of microorganisms—too small to be seen without a microscope—that exists in our environment, as well as on, in, and within our body tissue.When the microbes...
5 Ways to Nurture Your Inner Fire
Agni, or digestive fire, processes more than just food in your body—it helps you assimilate all aspects of your daily life including your experiences. If your Agni is strong, your...
Papaya Fruit: 3 Health Benefits and 5 Recipes
Papaya is a sweet, tropical fruit that has so much flavor, but even more health benefits. It’s a unique looking fruit that’s large in size and has an inside full...
Eat These 5 Fermented Foods to Improve Digestion
Fermented foods are receiving quite a buzz these days. Everything related to gut health is seen more on health and nutrition blogs and found on grocery store shelves. But will...
9 Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has many medical uses and benefits. Learn the 9 best from the experts at Chopra today.
4 Health Benefits of Kefir, Plus 5 Recipes
Kefir is a traditional food, originating in Eastern Europe and Russia in the Caucasian mountains. Derived from the Turkish word keyif, which means “feeling good,” kefir became a tonic that...
5 Ways to Incorporate More High-Fiber Foods in Your Diet
Fiber is something you are likely familiar with. Commercials on TV try to sell you dry fiber crackers and chalky powders to make you more regular. If you’re constipated, prune...
5 Health Benefits of Probiotics
Probiotics is a word that you’ve likely heard—whether your friend at the gym told you about her kombucha drink that has probiotics or you saw an advertisement on TV trying...
Chia Vs. Flax: Which One Is Better?
Chia seeds and flaxseeds are both excellent additions of your diet. But which should you pick for your diet? Learn more from the experts at Chopra.
Uncovering the Paleo Diet: What You Need to Know
The paleo diet, often referred to as the caveman diet or hunter-gatherer diet, is based on the premise that genetically you are almost identical to your stone-age ancestors. The paleo...
7 Ingredients That Help Your Digestion
As Hippocrates said, “All health begins in the gut.” While your digestion is known as the root of your health, eating for a healthy digestion can be both complex and...
7 Strategies to Aid Your Digestion on Thanksgiving
Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls—the Thanksgiving table is full of food! Not to mention the pumpkin pie and other desserts. Every family has...
Is a Gluten-Free Diet Right for You?
Gluten-free diets are common. Research shows that approximately 1 percent of the population worldwide has celiac disease (gluten intolerance), and nearly 10 percent of people in the U.S. are gluten...
5 High-Fiber Recipes to Cleanse Your Digestive Tract
Most people know eating fiber is important. But what does that even mean? Why fiber? What is it and what role does it play in your health?Fiber comes in two...
Top 6 Foods to Improve Your Digestion
Have you ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat?” It’s true—and you are what you digest and absorb, too. You could be eating the healthiest food in the...
4 Ways to Reduce Your Gluten Intake
Gluten can be found hiding in many common foods in the Standard American Diet. While you might not have a gluten allergy, known as Celiac Disease, it is possible that...
6 Post-Feast Yoga Poses to Help Your Digestion
It can be tempting to curl up on couch after a large, decadent holiday meal. However, doing mindful movement after you eat sets up your body to move food along...
10 Creative and Cheaper Ways to Spice Up Holiday Gifting
Focus on giving the gift of yourself with these creative holiday gift ideas. These creative gifts for Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other gifting occasion prove your heart expands more easily...
Unveiling Reality: The Mystery of “Who Am I?”
At a public lecture, a psychology professor was reported to say, “Until you are 50, you won’t know who you are.” This seems overly optimistic, because much more than maturity...
25 Simple Ways to Practice Gratitude
Have you noticed that when a colleague says something negative about your work, you can’t get it out of your mind? Yet when three co-workers compliment you on a job...
How to Elevate the World Through Your Own Happiness
There’s a lot going on in the world right now that can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless. It’s tempting to want to retreat into your own little bubble with...
The 10 Commandments of True Happiness
1. Listen to Your Body’s WisdomOur body expresses itself through signals of comfort and discomfort. When choosing a certain behavior, ask your body, “How do you feel about this?” If...