Ep 24: Learning To Manage Long Term Stress: Interview with Heather Johnson, Ayurvedic Health Coach and Podcaster

Jennifer and Rose are back with another exciting interview with Heather Johnson, founder of Ayurveda Life School and the Ayurveda Life School podcast.

Heather is a licensed Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Massage Therapist, and Yoga Instructor. 

We first met Heather during one of her amazing 28 day ayurvedic immersion programs, and she has forever changed how we view a healthy approach to eating, sleeping, and forming healthy habits that blend with the seasons and nature.

In this episode, we ask her to talk about a very common problem in Western cultures today: Long term stress and overwhelm, and ways that we can incorporate ayurvedic practices to help reduce the negative impacts this can have on us physically, mentally, and emotionally. 

Listen as Heather discusses:

• What drew her to Ayurveda.
• The origins of Ayurveda and the importance of it.
• Common symptoms from long term stress and overwhelm.
• Leading/root causes of long term stress.
• Changes one can make to help with stress.
• Living in harmony with nature and the rhythm of the sun.
• How patterns, routines and aligning your habits with nature can help with long  term stress and overwhelm.
• Living a Pathogeniscist (path following life).

Food list/recipes recommended by Heather in this episode:
Golden Milk recipe:

Ingredients
1 ½ Cup Milk-(almond milk is a good nut milk alternative
2 tsp spice mix
1 tsp ghee
Honey or maple syrup (based on your dosha)

 Spice Mix:  Blend the following and store in a glass, airtight container
 ¼ cup Turmeric
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cardamom 
Bring milk to a low boil. Turn heat off and add 2 tsp spice mix while stirring gently. Once milk has cooled a bit, add desired sweetener to taste and a tsp of ghee. *If using honey, never add honey while milk is still hot. Cooked honey denatures and turns into an ama-causing substance. Honey should always be raw and only added into food or drinks that are warm, not hot. Always measure ghee and honey to be equal in weight. 

 Other helpful foods/herbs mentioned in this episode:
Ghee- 1 tsp each morning is recommended.  Helps with lubrication of joints.
Rejuvenation tonics