This Sunday I attended a very sweet and inspiring lecture at my Alma Mater, Vedika Global. The topic was on Children's Health and Ayurveda. I left feeling the strong desire to share this invaluable information with the world, and thanks to the internet and your help in spreading the word, I feel very grateful to be able to manifest that desire and make this ancient knowledge more accessible. 

According to Ayurveda, children have a natural predominancy of Kapha Dosha until they are at least  20 years old (some ancient texts say up to 30 years old). Healthy Kapha is necessary for healthy growth and development, however if the Kapha is poor in quality, or too much in quantity, disease can occur. Excess Kapha can lead to the formation of toxins in the body and this creates a swampy environment that acts as a lovely host for unwanted bacteria and virus's  and can also lead to digestive issues such as poor appetite, indigestion, obesity and skin issues such as eczema. 

 When there is an excess of kapha and/or toxins in the body, there will naturally be less hunger. If your child is not hungry, their natural internal regulation system may be taking over. All children are different, some need more food and some need less. If you have a picky eater, I would suggest allowing your child to let your child get slightly hungry before chasing them around with a spoonful of their food favorite food just so they eat something.  Also, when they are hungry they are more likely to enjoy new foods that they might not try otherwise. It's perfectly okay for your child to get a little bit hungry. If we keep feeding our children snack after snack without allowing the previous meal to digest, we are not letting their digestive fire complete it's job. It's like adding wet logs on a dying flame. I would recommend having your child eat 3 square meals a day. If they are hungry in between, try offering them a healthy light snack such as seasonal fruit or a rice cake. 

Another wonderful thing you can do to help boost your child's health is to oil them up! Warmed unrefined sesame oil is wonderful for improving digestion, circulation, metabolism and immunity, and decreasing stress. It is recommended to oil them all over their entire body before bath time at least once a week. This is a wonderful way for you to connect to your children and spend some extra time loving them up!

Here are some common ailments that children suffer from, and home remedies you can give them to help.

1. Tummy ache- Bishops weed (ajwain seed) and Cumin with warm water or mixed with honey.

2. Constipation- 1 teaspoon of Ghee at night or 10-15 raisins or dates.

3. Gas/Bloating- Mix 1 pinch of Asafetida (also known as hing) with a spoonfull of ghee and rub around the belly area in circular motions. Try a small test patch on the arm first to make sure the skin does not react.  (If your child has extremely sensitive skin there is a possibility of redness or rash occurring)

4. Cold/Allergies - 1 teaspoon of Raw Honey with Turmeric and Black pepper mixed in.

Thank you to the speakers at Sunday's event,  Shunya Pratichi Mathur, Dr. Abhijit Jinde, and Dr. Sanjay Kadlimatti. Most of this post has been inspired by their lecture. 

It is my true pleasure and deepest joy to share this knowledge. If you haven't yet done so, please become a fan of my facebook page, and feel free to share this blog with friends and family that might benefit.  If you want to know what foods would be best for your child, and what they should avoid, please click HERE to schedule a free consultation. 

Love and Light,
Brittany Barrett

Last night I attended my very first Breema class at the Breema center in Oakland California. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised at how deeply enriching the experience turned out to be.
What is Breema?
"Breema bodywork and Self-Breema exercises use nurturing touch, tension-relieving stretches, and rhythmic movements to create physical, mental, and emotional balance. Breema’s commonsense wisdom guides the practitioner to support the body’s instinctive healing energy, nurturing vitality instead of focusing on symptoms of illness or imbalance."-www.breema.com
What does it look like to take a Breema class in Oakland?
When you walk into the center, you are met with a very calm and clean energy. There are beautiful carpets lining the floors and the walls of the center and it creates a very warm and safe atmosphere. The class began with a short guided meditation followed by instruction on how to perform  series of gentle movements and "self breema". I was amazed at how these gentle movements were able to ground me, and bring me back into my body. Next we were taught some simple methods on how to practice gentle effortless Breema bodywork sequences with a partner, and learned about the 9 principles of Breema. We were told to touch our partner without any agenda of trying to "do" anything to them. We weren't trying to heal them, or fix them in any way. We were simply asked to interact with each others bodies in a safe comfortable and neutral way. This was a very new concept for me, and I could feel the difference in staying connected to myself and my level of comfort in my body as opposed to feeling anxious that I wasn't "doing it right".  The instructors were calm, centered, and answered questions with ease and grace. 
We concluded the class with a short meditation, and silently thanked our partners for allowing us to practice with them. They even have an adorable station set up with complimentary herbal tea and healthy snacks for you to enjoy when the class is over. Such a sweet way to end a delightful evening.

I'll definitely be back for more next week!

*Next week the Breema center is offering a week of free classes in honor of National Dance Week. Click HERE to check out the schedule. 

Last week I posted an article by Sarah from the Heathy Home Economist entitled, "How Green Smoothies can Devastate your Health". It is about how raw green leafy vegetables consumed in excess can create oxalate stones which can cause a number of diseases. There is also a counter response to this article written by Kimberly Snyder that is quite interesting as well, arguing that the danger of oxalates is debatable, and the harmful effects can potentially be avoided if consumed in a proper manner.  I enjoy learning about oxalates and fiber and soluble fats and how they interact in our bodies,  but when we focus too much on these tiny particles we can miss the most important question of all, how does it make us feel? 

According to Ayurveda, every food can be both a medicine or a poison depending on how and when it is consumed and who is consuming it. The basic rule of thumb in most ancient healing traditions is that like increases like, and opposites balance. Green smoothies are not inherently bad or good. They do however have certain qualities that can be helpful or harmful depending on each person.  In general, green smoothies are heavy, cold, sweet, sticky, smooth, and liquid in nature. If a person has a weak digestive capacity, then a green smoothie might not be the best choice for them. Also, we must take into consideration the season, time of day the smoothie is consumed, and the overall current state of health of the person consuming the smoothie. For example, if a person who is Kapha dominant drinks a smoothie in Spring Time when Kapha is naturally higher than usual it has a potential to create further disturbance in the body. However if a person with a strong digestive capacity consumes the same smoothie in the proper season, it can be beneficial. 

If you are one of those people who is addicted to your green smoothie, I would like to offer a few tips on how to make it more digestible and balanced.

1. Adding ginger, honey, turmeric and cinnamon will help by adding a bit of heat to the smoothie and making it more digestible.

2. Never use frozen fruits and vegetables. Try switching to fresh fruits and vegetables instead.

3. Don't make it too thick. If it is on the thinner side, it is easier for your body to digest. 

I hope you enjoyed my perspective on this topic. Please feel free to comment and share :)

If you are interested in learning more about your constitution and what foods are best for your unique body type, please click HERE to set up an appointment. 

Have you ever wondered why flying in an airplane can cause symptoms such as anxiety, increased thirst, dry skin, diarrhea and/or constipation? Whenever we travel by plane, the fast speed of the airplane combined with the high altitude cause a VATA (air and space) imbalance in our bodies. When our body is out of balance,  physical and psychological symptoms can easily manifest. Click HERE to read more about the qualities of Vata and how it works in our bodies. If we listen to the subtle clues that our body gives us when it cries out for attention, we can often correct the imbalance before symptoms arise.

Here are some simple things you can do to help counter balance the increase in Vata dosha that can occur when traveling.

1. When the beverage cart rolls down the isle, skip on the ice cold bubbly soda and opt for hot water or tea instead. This will help to open up your channels and also improve your digestion.

2. Instead of eating dry and crunchy Vata increasing foods such as crackers or pretzels, bring your own snacks. I recently travelled to New York  and brought a hard boiled egg and some organic vegetables cooked in ghee and spices for a mid flight snack. It was delicious and very grounding! 

3. Bring some raisins with you in case you do get constipated on your trip. You can soak 15 raisins in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes and eat them before going to bed to help ensure a bowel movement in the morning.

4. Some people get anxious before traveling and this can cause excessive movement in the bowels. If you have diarrhea, you can bring some dry ginger powder with you and take a quarter of a teaspoon at night with warm water before bed and in the morning. This will simultaneously balance Vata and stop the diarrhea. 

5. Bring layers and keep that little fan off! Help to bring Vata down by dressing appropriately and keeping your body at a comfortable warm temperature.

6. Get plenty of rest before and after you travel. When we don't have a proper grounding nights sleep, this can cause our Vata to increase even more. 

7. Sit in the isle seat! During long flights it is good to get up and stretch every once in a while. When we sit in one place for too long, our muscles get stiff and sore which can further aggravate Vata. 

Thanks so much for  reading! If you enjoyed this post please "like it" on Facebook and or share it with your friends. I write these posts because I have benefitted so much from the teachings I have received, and have a deep desire to share them with the world, and you can help me do this by sharing within your community. 

Best of wishes to you, and safe travels! :)

One of my clients has been suffering from debilitating digestive issues for the past few years. After our first appointment it became clear that he felt a deep sense of hopelessness  and a disconnection from his body. I am sharing this story with  his full permission because it touched me so deeply, and I felt others would benefit from hearing about it.
During our first appointment, I went over the fundamental principles of Ayurveda. When I explained the concept of the 3 Dosha's and Agni, something clicked for him. He started to  to see how the internal environment of his body was affecting his digestive process, and he began to understand the connection between the elements in the outside world and how they also existed in his body. Sensing his enthusiasm and delight in this concept, I asked him to do some homework. I told him to close his eyes and check in with his body to feel what the internal landscape of his body looked like, and how it felt to exist in that environment.  I also asked him to write about how he would like his body to feel and what it would look like inside if he were healthy. 
This is what he wrote...

Having suffered from Ulcerative Colitis for 6 years,  I know from personal experience what it feels like to be in "Gollum's Swampy Hole". Luckily, I also know what it takes to go through the process of turning the swamp into a peaceful valley of love and abundance. It doesn't happen overnight, but if we let the sun shine on the swamp, and pour water over the latent flowers, the landscape will inevitably start to change form. 
Question of the day:
"What does your internal landscape look like at this moment, and how would you like to see it improve?" 

Why should we incorporate more of this yellow wonder root into our diets?
For over 5,000 years, turmeric root has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as a wonder herb to help prevent and cure numerous diseases and correct subtle imbalances that can occur in the body.  Here is a list of some of the benefits of turmeric. Click on each benefit to read more.

• Anti-inflammatory 
• Cancer Prevention
• Balances all 3 Dosha's
• Alzheimers Prevention 
• Digestive Disorders Such as IBD and IBS

Practice cooking with Turmeric! 
You can add turmeric to most dishes... try adding it to  soups, stews,  and stir-frys. Click HERE to watch my video on how to make a Spring Time soup using turmeric as one of the main spices.