My Panchakarma Experience at SoHum Mountain Healing Resort

Autumn is the time we start thinking about Ayurveda’s recommendations for a seasonal cleanse. Come along with me, as I tell you about my cleanse last spring, when I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, to undergo a 7-day panchakarma retreat at Dr. Vasant Lad’s new center, SoHum Mountain Healing Resort. I hope to inspire you to get on board for your own deep healing in this season (don’t miss the discount code at the end of this blog!).

Nestled in a stunning mountain landscape, the days were warm and bright while the nights turned cold—but there are fireplaces in the rooms - a total highlight for me! Each day was gently structured with treatments, rest, and practice. I had regular meetings before and during the week with my practitioner, which provided steady guidance and reassurance, and a truly kind staff was present throughout to support the process. The treatments I enjoyed included abhyanga-shirodhara—warm oil poured over the body and head—as well as a deep nasya therapy with a warm poultice to support my respiratory system, which has taken a long time to recover after an illness in Europe. These therapies soothed my nervous system while helping me feel deeply reconnected to my body.

It had been less than six months since losing my dad, and this experience became an opportunity to process grief in a truly embodied way. Panchakarma isn’t just about clearing the body—it creates the conditions for the heart and mind to release what has been held. With the support of my fellow participants, I was able to share openly, and our family-style meals each day became a place of connection. Herbal teas and kitchari were available anytime, offering simple nourishment and a sense of being cared for. Chef Sean is an inspiration! 

I’ve been through probably six extended Panchakarmas over the years, and every time, the issue I seek healing for is resolved—sometimes it takes two treatments over two years, but the shifts are real and lasting. Some days feel light and joyous, others tender and raw. Ayurveda teaches that undigested emotions lodge in the body, and during treatment, they are given the chance to move and release.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my posts about the process—from my ghee-licious home prep to my arrival at SoHum, but what stays with me most from my time at SoHum is not only the physical reset, but the emotional and spiritual clarity I carried home. Panchakarma is a sacred process of remembering what it feels like to live in rhythm with nature’s intelligence. For me, it was a time of healing, community, and reconnection—with my body, my grief, and my devotion to Ayurveda.

If you can carve out 7 days to experience Panchakarma, especially in a place as intentional and beautiful as SoHum, I wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s not just a cleanse—it’s a path to self-realization. My friends at SoHhum are generously offering a $500 discount when you book a panchakarma retreat and mention code KATEPK2025. If you go, please let me know how it was!

with love,

Kate

Have you tried this??

It’s easier in the summer, and it totally works!

You don’t need to be fasting all the time to give your gut a chance to clean up house. Skipping dinner when you feel bloated does wonders. Drink warm water and digestive teas instead, and go to bed early!

Have you tried this??

More tips like this and how they work in episode #35 of Everyday Ayurveda podcast on weight gain listen wherever you get your pods!

Ayurveda and Perimenopause

Points to live by during perimenopause.

Find Your Rhythm
Hormones WILL be going all over the place during this transition. Whenever you can, practice regular sleep and meal times. This makes such a difference!

Balance activity and rest
For all the Go Go Go, find some Slow Slow Slow (esp around new moon). Stress hormones and sex hormones will be more likely to balance when your life is in balance. In a world where taking your time is not always supported, be a rebel.

It’s Natural
It’s going to happen! Change, and the cessation of periods and ovulation are totally natural. Practice trusting in the bod- although you may not feel good sometimes, this too shall pass. AND you can support your body with Ayurveda!

Find recipes and more in my book Everyday Ayurveda for Women's Health, perimenopause section.

The Sleep Workshop

Want to go deeper in improving your sleep? Unlock the secrets to restful and rejuvenating sleep with our Ayurvedic course on sleep practices.

It’s all about rhythms. Explore personalized routines, herbal remedies, and lifestyle adjustments grounded in Ayurvedic wisdom to promote deep evening relaxation. As well as learn what you may be doing all day long that is affecting your sleep!

There is so much more to it than I can unfold here, so do check it out! Find it in our course catalogue at Ayurvedic Living Institute.

ps- its free for members!

Rose

A mainstay of women’s health is sweet, cool, subtle, and slightly bitter, and has an affinity for the emotional heart.

All of these qualities balance Pitta, and rose gravitates towards blood-rakta dhatu, a tissue dominated by Pitta. A pitta pacifier in rakta dhatu curbs hot flashes, heavy bleeding, skin rashes, and headaches during the pitta time of the cycle. To target heavy periods, we may blend rose with other astringent and rakta-loving plants, such as a tea of Hibiscus and Rose.

There are so many herbal allies! Find recipes and more about using rose in my book, Everyday Ayurveda for Women’s Health.

Ayurvedic classifications of Rose:

taste: sweet, astringent, bitter
qualities: light, dry
actions: cools, moves energy down, calms nerves, reproductive tonic

Try it: Paired with hibiscus in herbal
infusions; rose hydrosol as a cooling face mist

Why Hair Health Starts in Your Bones: The Ayurvedic Connection

When we think about hair, most of us go straight to products: shampoos, conditioners, oils, maybe a serum. But in Ayurveda, your hair isn’t a separate beauty concern — it’s an upadhatu, a secondary tissue of the bones.

Your bones and your hair share the same nutrient pipeline. When digestion is strong, healthy fats and proteins travel through the body’s channels, eventually nourishing your bones — and from there, your hair, nails, and teeth. If digestion is weak, or fat metabolism is sluggish, your hair won’t get what it needs no matter how nutrient-rich your meals are.

This connection explains why hair often suffers during times of grief, stress, or malnutrition. The body prioritizes essential tissues over “extras” like hair growth. In this way, hair becomes a visible marker of your deeper health.

Supporting your bones — and therefore your hair — means focusing on:

• Healthy fats: ghee, flax, walnuts, hemp seeds

• Digestive spices: dry ginger, cumin, turmeric

• Stress balance: meditation, rest, and quality sleep

• Seasonal cleansing: making space for digestion to reset

So next time you notice changes in your hair, think beyond the bathroom shelf. Ask: How are my bones doing? Am I digesting my food well? Am I rested? Ayurveda shows us that beauty truly does begin from within — deep within. Listen to episode #45, Ancient Ayurvedic Secrets for Strong, Healthy, and Lustrous Hair.

The Top 5 Problems Graduates Face After Ayurveda School

You’ve gotta start somewhere!

Educating, sharing stories, and being visible are important parts of building a practice as an Ayurveda pro. I’ve mentored hundreds and I’ve seen what gets in the way.

I’ve created two resources for you to get started- don’t let the voices in your head stop you! I’ve got a FREE course about content creation and social media, as well as the Business Coaching kit, which walks you through step-by-step, honing in on your intentions and goals, and building your online presence. You need a place to send people to learn about Ayurveda, and You. This kit contains everything I figured out by myself over the years and it’s only $200. Don’t go it alone!

Get my FREE guide - What They Didn't Teach You In Ayurveda School at the link in bio. And see all my offerings under the FOR PROS tab at ayurvedicliving.institute

Ayurveda and the Planets

Ayurveda teaches that planetary energies live within us just as they move through the sky. Each planet shapes our strengths, challenges, and growth. By aligning with their cycles, we bring cosmic order into daily rituals and routines—inviting balance, insight, and deeper purpose into our healing journey.

To find out more about what’s in the stars this season, listen to my podcast episode with @theinnergalaxy writer and astrologer from Mumbai.

If you missed my episode on Vedic Astrology/ Jyotisha you can find the link to the podcast episode # 30 in the bio, remember to follow to be the first to hear the next episode!

Rethinking Menopause: Heart, Brain, and the Sacred Threshold of Midlife

As women, we are often taught that menopause is a medical issue to solve—a series of symptoms to suppress or reverse. But what if it’s something else entirely? What if this powerful shift in our bodies is an invitation?

In my most recent episode of Everyday Ayurveda, I had the privilege of speaking with three integrative experts who are challenging the way we think about perimenopause and menopause. Together, we explored what happens to the heart and brain during this sacred transition—and what women really need to thrive.

What stood out to me most was the language of transformation. Dr. Scott Blossom talked about the way hormones influence everything from cognition to metabolism, and how the microbiome plays a central role. Jennifer Boyd offered a refreshing, if provocative, reminder that Western medicine often gets it wrong—and that women deserve better than a one-size-fits-all solution. And Kimberly Giunta reminded us that our hearts are not just pumping blood—they’re speaking truth.

One of my favorite moments? Kimberly’s breakdown of self-breast massage as a way to regulate hormones and access our own wisdom. It was practical, moving, and profoundly Ayurvedic.

This conversation helped me reframe the midlife years as something to support and honor—not something to fear.

If you’re navigating this season, or supporting someone who is, I invite you to listen. And maybe even ask yourself: What if I trusted my body?

Listen to the episode here

In solidarity,

Kate

When the Ritual Becomes the Crutch: Rethinking Our Relationship with Coffee

We don’t just drink coffee.

We cradle it.

We walk the dog with it.

We hold it like a compass pointing us toward productivity.

In fact, coffee has become more than a beverage—it’s a culturally sanctioned permission slip to begin. It’s the container that holds our sleepy ambition, the pause that kickstarts movement, the moment that says, “Now I can.”

But what if the ritual that once grounded you is now the very thing that’s making you feel ungrounded?

Coffee, Caffeine & the Catch-22 of Fatigue

Here’s something Ayurveda teaches us: the body keeps score long before you do.

For many of us, especially in perimenopause and menopause, the same cup of coffee that once perked us up can start to take more than it gives. We may ignore the signals—slightly more anxious mornings, a subtle shift in sleep, a bloated belly, a crash around 2pm—because we don’t want to question a ritual that feels sacred.

And that’s fair. Ayurveda doesn’t exist to strip away the joys of life. It exists to reveal them more clearly.

But here’s the paradox: the more tired we feel, the more we reach for stimulants. And the more we reach, the more depleted we become. It’s a feedback loop that pulls us further from our natural energy and deeper into compensation mode.

Eventually, the joy of the ritual gets replaced by necessity. And that’s when it’s time to re-evaluate—not just what we drink, but why we’re drinking it.

Listening for the Body’s Quiet Signals

Unlike modern wellness trends, Ayurveda doesn’t speak in absolutes. It doesn’t say “coffee is bad.” It asks:

• Is it working for you?

• Is it working right now?

• And is it still serving its original purpose?

Sometimes the shift is seasonal. What you could digest in December may no longer feel right in July. Sometimes the shift is constitutional. A fiery pitta body may find that too much coffee ignites the skin, the stool, or the temper. And sometimes the shift is life-stage related—what supported your 30-year-old nervous system may overstimulate your 50-year-old one.

The wisdom is in noticing.

The Joy of the Ritual—Without the Crash

Here’s the good news: the beauty of a morning ritual doesn’t disappear when you change what’s in your cup. You can still have the warmth, the pause, the intentional moment—with a beverage that supports where you are now.

Think:

A turmeric latte with steamed oat milk and cinnamon

A chicory blend with a splash of almond milk and cardamom

A steaming mug of triphala tea or lemon water, taken slowly

Or a half-decaf cup of the good stuff, savored instead of chugged

It’s not about deprivation. It’s about agency. It’s about realizing you get to rewrite your rituals when they stop working—and you don’t need to sacrifice pleasure to do it.