12: Embrace the Ayurvedic Path: From Conception to Postpartum Healing
I am excited to welcome DhyanaMasla as my guest on the podcast today.
Dhyana is the author of Ayurveda Mama, a book about conception, pregnancy, and postpartum care. She grew up in a community deeply rooted in Yoga and Ayurveda, which you can sense through her spirit-based worldview and how she values parenthood.
In this episode, we dive into her spirit-centered perspective, going beyond diet and recipes to explore how we can nourish ourselves through the transitions we experience in life.
Join us for a truly inspiring, insightful, and captivating conversation with DhyanaMasla.
Ayurveda Mama
Ayurveda Mama is a book focused on the holistic Ayurvedic approach to motherhood, pregnancy, and postpartum care.
Growing Up in an Ayurvedic Family
Dhyana grew up in a family steeped in Bhakti Yoga and Ayurveda, influenced by her father, an Ayurvedic practitioner and naturopathic doctor. Her family ran an Ayurvedic health retreat, providing her with hands-on experience of healing and wellness through Ayurveda and yoga practices. That shaped her perspective on how the body heals when supported by the right environment and practices.
The Ayurveda Health Retreat in Florida
Dhyana and her sister now manage their family retreat center in Alachua, Florida. The retreat offers traditional Ayurvedic treatments like Panchakarma, yoga, and wellness programs and serves as a space for healing and rejuvenation through Ayurvedic practices.
Teenage Rebellion and Return to Ayurveda
Though Dhyana grew up in an Ayurveda-centered community, she experienced a teenage rebellion period where she questioned the belief system she grew up in. In her 20s, she reconnected with Ayurveda and Bhakti Yoga after moving to New York City and running a yoga studio.
Specializing in Birth and Postpartum Care
Dhyana shifted her focus to prenatal and postpartum care after she became pregnant in 2019. Noting a lack of resources for women on the Ayurvedic approach to pregnancy, she wrote her book, which covers the journey from conscious conception to postpartum recovery, highlighting how Ayurveda supports mothers and babies holistically.
Conscious Conception and Fertility
According to Ayurveda, the parent’s state of mind and body at conception influences the soul and health of the baby. So conscious conception, where couples prepare their physical and emotional environments to invite a soul into their lives, is encouraged. That involves addressing imbalances within their relationships, work, food, and personal health.
Cleansing and Nourishing Before Pregnancy
Ayurveda recommends a six-month pre-conception preparation period to create a healthy environment for conception and pregnancy. The first three months focus on cleansing the body and mind through Panchakarma and simple diets, and the rest of the time gets spent nourishing the body to build strength and vitality.
Pregnancy and Postpartum as a Spiritual Journey
Dhyana views pregnancy and motherhood as a spiritual journey that provides the opportunity for personal growth and healing. She encourages mothers to approach motherhood with an open heart and mind, trusting that each stage is divinely orchestrated and holds lessons for personal development.
Healing Through Motherhood
Motherhood provides an opportunity for deep healing for the mother and child. Dhyana explains that children can trigger unresolved emotional patterns in parents, offering them a chance to heal and grow. She highlights the importance of breaking generational trauma cycles and raising children in a loving and holistic environment.
Practical Advice for Supporting Mothers
Ayurveda helps create a stable and nurturing environment for the mother and child, fostering a sense of calm, balance, and well-being in their daily lives. Dhyana recommends that mothers focus on the nervous system support provided by the rhythms and routines of Ayurveda.
Nourishment Practices for Mothers
Mothers should engage in nourishing practices that help them feel more connected and grounded. They can be baths, alone time, or moments of rest.
Embracing Small Moments of Rest
Mothers should find small moments during the day to rest. Dhyana explains that even short moments can be deeply nourishing if fully embraced, and she recommends using any free moments for meaningful activities rather than distractions.
Personal Nourishment Through Writing
Writing a book during the first year of her son’s life was a nourishing act and a deep calling for Dhyana.
Ayurvedic View on Personal Nourishment
In Ayurveda, individualized nourishment and conscious decision-making are encouraged.
Overcoming Guilt and Shame in Nourishment
Dhyana encourages people to let go of any guilt and shame associated with pleasurable activities, like eating ice cream, as long as they nourish the body and mind.
Postpartum and the Sacred Window
The postpartum period is a sacred transition. Dhyana stresses the importance of grieving what we have lost and embracing the changes motherhood brings.
Future Work and Next Book
Dhyana plans to write another book on how mothers can stay nourished during the demanding years of raising young children. She sees that as a natural follow-up to her current work, guiding women through pregnancy and the immediate postpartum period.
Ayurvedic Health Retreat and Soul Space
The Ayurveda Health Retreat offers group and personal retreats and an online platform, Soul Space, providing yoga and Ayurveda classes, meditations, and workshops. Both serve as spaces for anyone seeking to integrate those practices into their lives.
BIO:
DhyanaMasla was born to a family of Bhakti yoga practitioners, with the practices and teachings of Ayurveda woven seamlessly throughout her life. Growing up around her family’s retreat center, Ayurveda Health Retreat, she trained in all the healing modalities they offered, and she witnessed the profound healing that happens when the principles of Ayurveda are applied in one’s daily life firsthand. She is the author of Ayurveda Mama and a certified Ayurveda health counselor and educator, specializing in guiding groups and individuals on transformative and healing journeys. Through her yoga and Ayurveda training and her online community, Soul Space, she empowers countless individuals to become healers at home and live a life of real meaning.
Links and Resources:
Ayurvedic Living Community Membership
Website: www.ayurvedahealthretreat.com
Shout out to Soul Space, our online community focused on yoga, Ayurveda, and joy-filled living.
