The Holistic System That Reshaped My Life and Business

The Holistic System That Reshaped My Life and Business

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What if I told you that there exists an incredible system for improved health, wellbeing, creativity, and business success — one that personalizes wellbeing and success to your body, your personality type, and your current season of life? What if I told you that this system meets you where you are, is gentle and super accessible, and is able to meet and support you at any stage of career or season of life? 


This is not a whimsical pie-in-the-sky fantasy. It’s also not a health trend or fleeting fad, and it’s nothing you have to buy. This is an ancient, holistic system of health and wellbeing that completely reshaped both my business and my personal life for the better, and it is a healing science that impacted me so deeply that I was inspired to pursue two certifications in it, first as a Holistic Coach and then a Health Counselor, because I wanted to learn everything I could to be able to live its benefits myself and to share share it with you, my fellow creative who is inspired by nature and called to create. 


The system that has had such a huge impact on my life and work that I am sharing with you today is called Ayurveda, and while it can seem overwhelming at first blush, I am going to guide you through the key concepts and tools that I have found to be most helpful, effective, and transformative for the better in my business and in my life. 


I am SO excited to share this episode with you on a topic that is so near and dear to my heart and one that has been such a huge source of supportive guidance as I have ridden the waves and gone through pivots, growth, burnout, big lessons, and aligned expansion inherent to the journey of creative entrepreneurship and floral artistry. I can’t wait for you to have these tools in your self-care and creative repertoire too!



In This Episode, We Cover:

  • What is Ayurveda — its purpose, origins, how I discovered it, and what I loved about it from the beginning
  • Life-changing essentials of Ayurveda — key concepts & what I have found to be most useful, helpful, and transformative
  • How to discover your constitution and understand your nature — personalize and optimize your health and happiness 
  • How the framework of Ayurveda can help improve both creativity and business, and how it guides what is optimal for you in floral design

  • Where to start & how integrate these resources with ease to optimize your creativity, work, and wellbeing



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Keep in Touch:

Thank you so much for being here, and for being part of this radiant community as we step into these creative callings together. If you enjoyed this episode, I would love to hear from you! Connect with me on Instagram: @nectar_and_bloom and @calledtobloompodcast, and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify to help other creatives and seekers like you to find their way here too. Your words mean the world.


Full Transcript:

 

What if I told you that there exists an incredible system for improved health, wellbeing, creativity, and business success? One that personalizes wellbeing and success to your body, your personality type, and your current season of life. What if I told you that this system meets you where you are, is gentle and super accessible, and is able to meet and support you at any stage of career or season of life?

This is not a whimsical pie in the sky fantasy. It is also not a health trend or a fleeting fad, and it's nothing you have to buy. It is an ancient holistic system of health and wellbeing that completely reshaped both my business and my personal life for the better.

And it is a healing science that impacted me so deeply that I was inspired to pursue two certifications in it, first as a holistic coach and then a health counselor, because I wanted to learn everything I could to be able to live its benefits myself, and to share it with you, my fellow creative who is inspired by nature and also called to create.

The system that has had such a huge impact on my life and work that I'm sharing with you today is called Ayurveda. And while it is expansive and can seem overwhelming at first blush, I am going to guide you through the key concepts and tools that I have found to be most helpful, effective, and transformative for the better in my business and my life.

I am so excited to share this episode with you on a topic that is so near and dear to my heart and one that has been such a huge source of supportive guidance as I have ridden the waves and gone through pivots, growth, burnout, big lessons, and aligned expansion inherent to the journey of creative entrepreneurship and floral artistry. I can't wait for you to have these tools in your self-care and creative repertoire too.

Welcome to the Called to Bloom podcast. I'm Jen Cavender, founder of Nectar and Bloom and your host as we explore the tools and holistic methods that empower you to craft an inspired career and a fulfilling creative life.

I am a floral artist and educator who left an academic career to build my dream floral design studio. Now I empower flower lovers, florists, and creative entrepreneurs like you to find your aligned path and to build your dream.

Together we go deep into topics covering creative entrepreneurship, health and wellbeing, sustainability, personal transformation, the art and business of working with flowers, and practices for manifesting a life you love.

If you are ready to feel inspired and empowered as you build your next Aligned Creative Chapter, you are in the right place. Now, let's bloom.

 

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All right. So in today's episode of the Called to Bloom podcast, we are diving into the most accessible and essential key concepts of Ayurveda so that we can utilize the tools and guidance it provides to improve our health, businesses, creativity, and overall wellbeing.

First, we will dive into what this holistic system of Ayurveda is, how I discovered it, and what I've loved about it from the beginning.

Then I will guide you into the life-changing key concepts and aspects of Ayurveda that I have found to be the most useful and transformative for my business and my life.

Next, we will dive into how to discover your own Ayurvedic constitution type so that you can apply Ayurveda's wisdom to optimizing your work and well-being in a way that is tailored to you.

Then we'll get specific about how this holistic system can actually improve and support your creative workflows and your business as well.

And to round it out, we will cover how you can start to apply these new tools and concepts and integrate them easily into your life and work. I think you are going to feel enriched and inspired after this episode, as I certainly have in discovering this helpful framework and its ability to bring more balance and harmony to the seasons of life, small business and creative work.

First of all, let's dive into what Ayurveda is and where it came from. I will also share with you how I first came across it and what I've loved about it from the very beginning.

Ayurveda is an ancient system of health, healing and well-being that originated in the Vedic texts of India. It was collected and codified over millennia by sages and scholars and its essential premise is that health and well-being arise from cultivating balance within the mind, body and spirit and harmony within our environment and life overall.

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that means the science of life. It offers accessible lifestyle recommendations and nutritional and herbal remedies to help you improve your health and well-being in a way that is customized to you.

Also, rather than just treating symptoms, Ayurveda discovers the root cause of imbalance in order to support a holistic recovery and return to health and harmony.

I first discovered Ayurveda as a little girl when my mother was reading Deepak Chopra's book, Perfect Health. In it, Chopra offers an accessible approach to Ayurveda, particularly for Westerners, beginning with a central cornerstone that, as the title indicates, the body's natural state is perfect health. Imbalances and issues are due to deviations from the body's natural state, not just inherently there, and Ayurveda supports your return to balance.

I always recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Ayurveda because it gives you a great foundation.

Within the book, there's a questionnaire that helps you determine your Ayurvedic constitution, which is both your body and your personality type, so that you can bring awareness to what in life supports and what aggravates you and throws you out of balance.

I remember sitting in the sun on the edge of the swimming pool, drinking in every question my mother read to my big sister and me as we answered and affirmed things about our bodies, our tendencies, typical reactions to things, and ways that we often feel.

And I remember being thrilled by this powerful customized system that seemed to really want to know about me and to tailor recommendations for me based on who I am rather than based on how everyone is or how health fads or trends say we should be.

I loved this book and its guidance because it felt bright and clear and logical to me, handing me keys to knowing myself, my nature, and what is actually good and supportive and nourishing for me, or what I could reduce or avoid that might deplete or aggravate me.

I loved and still do how Ayurveda reaches and integrates all aspects of life, from activities to nutrition, education, work, sleep, relationships, all of it, with how it assesses you and provides you with support and recommendations.

I went on to read more books about Ayurveda. There are several by Dr. Vasant Lad that I recommend. And as an adult, to attend workshops about Ayurveda and also see Ayurvedic practitioners for my own health and healing journey.

Eventually, I enrolled in the certification programs I mentioned so that I could really deepen my knowledge and also have the formal training to be able to share about and empower others like you with this guidance as well.

So let's look a little deeper into what Ayurveda is and what it does. The goal of Ayurveda is to support the health of the healthy and to help those with imbalance return to health.

Its purpose is to optimize health, healing, happiness, vitality, and longevity. What a wonderful set of objectives. I know I'm not alone in saying that I value and want those things.

A few more things I love about Ayurveda. As mentioned, is ancient and enduring. It's not trend or fad, and it really works.

Its recommendations are tailored to you and to your body and personality type, as well as your season of life and your lifestyle.

It is a fully fledged medical program of health, but it can also be applied on a much more accessible level by anyone with these concepts and

It is preventative. These are guidelines for living a better life. You don't have to wait for a problem to begin feeling and living better.

And lastly, I love that Ayurveda is accessible and logical, and mainly because it's based in nature and the cycles and seasons that nurture us our entire lives.

Nature gives us life and is our guide from the moment we take our first breath throughout our lives being nourished by the food and water and experiences that nature generates until we leave this world and return to nature's arms.

In this way, nothing about Ayurveda feels like a stretch or superimposed, which I really appreciate. It is gentle, holistic, and it makes sense in a very felt way because it is based in nature just as we are.

And to me, the best thing about Ayurveda on a broad scale is that it helps us invest in our health.

When it comes to money, we want to invest to build wealth because investments compound. More on this in an upcoming episode, by the way, about getting smart with money and growing your wealth. Stay tuned. And with Ayurveda, you can invest in your health, which compounds as well.

Ayurveda is empowering to the core and anything that puts agency and confidence in our hands so that we can live and serve better with more health, joy and fulfillment too is something I want to know well and to share with you.

Now let's move into what Ayurveda has to offer us, the essentials and key concepts that I have found to be life-changing, as well as the most useful and transformative in my creativity and my business.

There are many layers to this, but that's why in this space, we are just exploring the essentials that are most helpful to understanding and applying the gifts of Ayurveda to our lives and creative practices.

 

The first key concept of Ayurveda that I want to share with you today is one that you might have heard of before, and that is the concept of the three Doshas. The Doshas, or functional energies, are three bio-energetic principles of Ayurveda that animate all of life. Bear with me, this will start to make more and more sense very soon as things layer onto each other.

So the three Doshas are called Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Most people know about these three Doshas as a way to know your body type and constitution. Are you a Vata, a Pitta, or a Kapha type? We will get into this and how to know which functional energy is most present within you, therefore determining your constitution in just a moment.

For now, knowing that Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are the three functional energies, or Doshas, that govern and animate all of life, and that you have a particular mixture of these Doshas that make you who and how you are, is sufficient. The beauty is in the simplicity and the ubiquitous nature of these functional energies.

Vata energy is light, airy, mobile, cold, rough, dry, subtle, and irregular. Vata energy is responsible for making us spontaneous, excited, creative, independent, curious, sometimes spacey, chaotic, energized, but easily drained, ungrounded, indecisive, and constantly wanting change. In a word, Vata gives energy and movement.

Pitta energy is light, sharp, hot, radiating, moist, acidic, and intense. Pitta energy is responsible for making us goal-oriented, focused, competitive, passionate, ambitious, impatient, strong-willed, and organized. In a word, Pitta brings transformation.

Kapha energy is heavy, cold, dull, soft, moist, sticky, sweet, and static. Kapha energy is responsible for making us strong, patient, kind, communal, easygoing, apathetic, stubborn, nostalgic, and steady. In a word, Kapha creates connection and stability.

Now keep in mind everything in Ayurveda is completely holistic. So even this first principle of the three Doshas or the three functional energies, they are inside our bodies, they're inside our personalities, they're inside our food, they're inside the weather.

So there are many layers of interpretation and application but We'll get more into depth into this in just a moment.

The second key concept of Ayurveda is that like creates more like and causes imbalance, while opposites soothe. In other words, more of the same thing accumulates and pushes things out of balance. For example, increasing the heat under a pan of hot water on the stove will increase the heat of the water until it boils. More heat in the already hot water equals water that is even hotter than it was before. And by the same turn, adding the opposite qualities of what is already present will soothe and bring balance. For example, when you add ice to boiled water, it lowers the temperature of the water to make it more palatable.

Once we know your Ayurvedic constitution, then we can notice what elements in your life and work add more of what you already are and lead to imbalance, as well as what elements help soothe and rebalance you. We can course correct imbalances that could lead to bigger problems for your wellbeing by making simple shifts in your diet and lifestyle that help you move away from what is causing accumulation and imbalance and toward what soothes and supports your wellbeing.

For example, if you are a Vata person who is prone to being a little more airy, a little more indecisive, or easily depleted of energy, then anything that shares the same qualities as Vata will add more Vata to your existing Vata levels and accumulate toward imbalance.

Things like travel, lack of routine, extra creative or mental or physical output, eating too many cold or dry or uncooked foods, and eating and sleeping at irregular times are a few examples of things that add Vata and accumulate, therefore aggravating Vata dosha in your body and mind.

We will get more into what each dosha feels like when in balance and out of balance in your body when we dive into discovering your own Ayurvedic constitution.

For now, in this example of Vata aggravation, the way to soothe and return to balance will be to introduce foods and lifestyle shifts that have the opposite energy and effect. So experiences that are warming, grounding, nourishing and stabilizing.

This might include setting up a regular routine, taking meals at regular and appropriate times to support your metabolism, going to bed on time, and having more warm, cooked, grounding foods like roasted root vegetables and hearty stews.

This is precisely why it feels so good when heading into fall and the winter months, which is Vata season, when Vata energy increases in all of nature and within all of us, to have more warm, cooked, nourishing foods and more time to rest, restore and feel cozy. Our bodies know exactly what feels good and is nourishing intuitively.

 

The third key concept of Ayurveda for our groundwork here is the difference between your Prakriti and your Vikriti. Now these are Sanskrit words for your constitution and your experience of imbalance and there's a difference between the two.

Prakriti is the Sanskrit word for your body and personality constitution, which we have been talking about and which I will refer to as your constitution most of all. This is constant your entire life since conception, according to Ayurveda. Your Prakriti or your constitution never changes and it includes your body type, personality tendencies, your affinities and your typical imbalances.

Vikriti is the Sanskrit word for a changed state or deviation from your natural healthy baseline. And it is impermanent and always changing throughout our lives. I mention this because as we look at what your constitution is, we will need to differentiate who you are and how you have always been, from the potential influences, deviations or imbalances you may have been experiencing or accumulating currently,

which would be your deviation or the imbalance of your Doshas and deviations in health is caused by lifestyle, diet, routine, environmental factors, the seasons and your season of life. And remember, it is temporary.

My constitution is Pitta Vata. I am fiery, driven, passionate, and type A like most Pittas, and my body exhibits many of the Pitta characteristics of fine light hair, easily flushed and freckled skin, light sensitive eyes, sharp gaze and features, and a fast metabolism. I am also creative and independent and love movement and change like a Vata.

So I have both of those Doshas in my constitution. During the summer, which is Pitta season when the environment is hot, bright and intense, I and people with a similar constitution to me need to be mindful about making space to cool off or chill out because my own bright, warm, intense personality and body

gets pushed out of balance in that season if I'm not mindful. Too much of the same thing causes imbalance. And in the fall, when Vata energy is higher in the environment, I might seem more Vata because the environment around me is increasing the Vata energy in my body. But this doesn't change my constitution.

It is a deviation. So my constitution is constant, but my deviations can be caused by environment and lifestyle temporarily.

 

The fourth key concept of Ayurveda is Ojas, which is the term for your vitality, your life force, and your immunity. What we eat and how we live impact our body's amount of Ojas and our ability to create it. The important thing for us to note here is when we push ourselves too far or ask too much of ourselves without rest, we can deplete ourselves of that Ojas or that vitality.

When we eat well, sleep well, and live in a harmonious routine with our constitution and our season of life, we increase our Ojas. Our immunity goes up, our life force is stronger, our vitality is brighter. It makes sense. When you are depleted, it's much easier to catch a cold or experience inflammation or other imbalances. When we are well rested and nourished and our Ojas is higher, our immunity and overall health are higher too.

 

The fifth key concept of Ayurveda for us today is Agni. Agni is the term for our digestive fire, the incredible ability of our bodies to process and assimilate our intakes, both food and experiences. We want to keep our Agni healthy. While in the West we are taught that you are what you eat, Ayurveda teaches that you are what you digest.

You could be eating all the right things, but if your digestion is weakened or out of whack, your body isn't benefiting from those foods or nutrients as well

because it's not processing or absorbing them properly. Therefore, keeping your Agni or your digestive fire healthy is key to all of health. Ayurveda also teaches that the seat of health lies in the digestion.

Here are a few tips for keeping your digestive fire happy and healthy.

One, eat mostly light, fresh, warm, cooked foods that are mostly prepared at home.

Two, eat with the seasons. When it is cold out, eat warmer foods like roasted squash and hearty stews. When it is hot, eat cooling foods like salads and cucumbers. Eat what is in season to receive the most Prana or life force energy from it.

Three, eat at optimal and regular meal times. The body loves and thrives on routine. Eating at the same time each day helps your body be prepared, expecting food when it normally arrives, and therefore optimally ready to receive and process it.

Ayurveda recommends having breakfast somewhere between 7 and 8.30 a.m., lunch between 12 and 1.30 p.m., and dinner between 6 and 7 p.m., ideally. It's nice to have a guideline at any rate.

Four, be mindful with when you drink water.

In general, when you're drinking water to try to hydrate, try to make sure that you leave 30 minutes before a meal and 30 minutes after a meal, separate from drinking a lot of water. Having a cup of water while you eat is fine to sip, but save big hydration moments for at least 30 minutes before or 30 minutes after a meal. Drinking a lot of water right before a meal dampens your digestive fire and makes it harder to digest and assimilate the nutrients from your food.

Drinking a lot of water right after a meal makes your food sit heavily in your stomach as your body has a harder time digesting it with all that cooling water poured on top.

Also, if you can, try to avoid ice water. Ice is super cold and it dampens the digestive fire, making it harder for your body to digest your food.

If you have to drink fluids with ice in them, you are not willing to give up your ice, just especially make sure that you don't drink them right before or right after a meal.

If you do this one thing, being more mindful about how and when you drink water, you will notice a huge improvement in your digestion, energy levels, and how your stomach and body feel. It is kind of amazing to experience.

And five, stay hydrated, but don't over hydrate. I used to think

that the more water I could drink per day, the better, no holds barred. I learned in Ayurveda that this is not actually true.

Too much water can be just as troublesome as not enough because you can overly flush out the body and make nutrient absorption more difficult.

The guideline is around three liters of water a day. Also, just drink when you're thirsty. No need to force yourself to drink water or chug. The more we do things peacefully, the more easily our bodies can benefit from them.

 


The sixth key concept of Ayurveda has to do with mindset and mental state. Well-being is a holistic state of health, so everything about our lives contributes to that.

In Ayurvedic psychology, are three main mental states: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Sattva is what we want to cultivate and aim for. It is light, gentle, compassionate, peaceful, grateful, calm, and content.

Rajas is active, agitated, desiring, racing, and grasping. We need Rajas to get things done, but too much of it makes us miserable and never content. We all know that feeling of a racing mind. There's too much Rajas going on.

And Tamas is closed off, blocked, stuck, and begrudging. A tamasic mindset is having your head in the sand or digging your heels in or holding a grudge, being stubborn, sticking to your guns.

This is also a very uncomfortable state as you feel heavy and like a victim of your experiences.

But just as Rajas gives us energy and motivation, Tamas isn't all bad either. It comes over us when we need to get tired at night and it allows us to close down and rest. But in general, we want to cultivate a Sattvic mindset.

Activities that increase Sattva include walking, meditation, journaling, spiritual practices or prayer, breath work, gardening, service, and practicing gratitude.

Foods that increase Sattva are light, fresh, home-cooked, nourishing to your constitution, balanced, and not overly heavy or spicy. The heavier foods are going to increase Tamas, the spicy foods are going to increase Rajas.

I think of Sattva as a guiding star or an intention that I set. I just remind myself to check in with how I'm feeling. If I'm getting intense or agitated or stuck, I can recognize that inviting more of that gentle and compassionate energy as well as cultivating a sense of contentment and acceptance for what is will help me return to a more peaceful, lighter, more Sattvic mindset and state.

With these key concepts now in mind, let's jump into the really fun part. Let's use Ayurveda to help you discover your Ayurvedic body type and personality, your constitution.

Knowing your constitution is so empowering because it lets you know what things generally aggravate your body and mind as well as the things that will nourish, soothe, and stabilize you. It also lets you put to use all of the other key concepts we just covered to intentionally improve how you live and work.

Additionally, this knowledge will help you know what self-care and lifestyle guidelines will support your health and well-being personally, rather than feeling like you need to jump on the next gluten-free or vegan or all fats or organ meats or other current or past health trends that other people tell you that you have to try.

Everyone means well when they recommend things to you that work for them, myself included. But are they consciously thinking about what will be helpful to you rather than just sharing what was helpful to them? I say this just to support some healthy discernment, knowing that what is good for one person's body might not be great for another's. And knowing more about your own constitution will help you decipher that.

Let's look at the three Doshas now as they present themselves as body and personality types so that you can get to know each and determine which one is most like you. Remember that you can be mainly just one of these or often people are a combination of two.

We will look at physical attributes, personality traits, affinities, common imbalances, and preferences for each of the three Doshas.

First we'll describe Vata, then Pitta, then Kapha, which will give you a good sense of each and which is most you.

 

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And now back to our episode.

 

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Keep in mind as I describe to you each of the Doshas that as you're asking yourself which one is most like you, you want to be thinking about how you have been your whole life, not just what's going on right now. Remember the difference between Prakriti and Vikriti. Your constitution is how you have been your whole life. So as you listen to these different constitution types, think about how you have been, especially when you were a kid growing up, how you've been sort of consistently through your life ever since you were young, rather than what you might be experiencing that is different from that now.

That will help you know your baseline and will help you utilize this information to help you improve your lifestyle and your work.

 

VATA

People with mostly Vata constitutions often physically have a smaller, leaner frame, although they can be very petite or quite lanky and tall. They often have more dry, wiry, or brittle hair, brittle nails, and they tend to have drier skin. They lose weight easily and have a hard time gaining any.

Their lips are thinner, their joints often crack, their bodies are a bit more prominently asymmetrical, and they tend to have cold hands and feet. They can also get sick more easily and more often than others.

Vatas talk fast and can be very gregarious. They can also be all over the place with their ideas. They're very creative and inventive. And everything about them is a little erratic and irregular.

I once went to a workshop about Ayurveda a long time ago that compared Vata to Kramer from Seinfeld. It doesn't mean every Vata is this way, but that kind of captures the energy. 

Vata people love to create, to invent, to explore, to talk, and to travel. They love warm, humid weather too. They hate the cold. They are often drawn to activities like dance or running that let them move careers in creative fields like marketing, sales, photography, floral design, acting, teaching, writing, or other types of design.

When Vatas are balanced, they often experience high energy, flexibility, nimbleness, excellent agility, a lean body, exuberance, spontaneity, and a love for exciting new experiences. Vatas can be very inspiring.

When they are out of balance, they tend to experience weakness, hypertension, aches and pains, constipation, weight loss, anxiety, insomnia, and digestive issues. It doesn't mean you experience all of these things or all at once, but typically when out of balance, these are things that Vatas experience, and that help you know if you are more Vata.

What Vatas love is change and novelty, excitement, travel, creativity, freedom and space to just move, express or even just change their minds or really anything they feel like changing. Vatas love change.

What Vatas need for more balance is the opposite. They need stability, grounding, rest, coziness, nourishment, and support. Vatas need routine.

If your Vata is out of balance or if you are a highly Vata person, the first thing to do to help return to balance is to get back into a regular routine. This will all make a Vata person much healthier and happier on the day to day and in the long run.

 

PITTA

Now let's look at Pitta.

People with mostly Pitta constitutions are often physically of average build with good muscle tone, flushed or ruddy complexion, skin and body temperature that runs hot, and a more angular face and kind of piercing gaze. Pittas have a very strong digestion because they have a lot of digestive fire and a fast metabolism too, which makes them able to eat a lot and also prone to getting hangry. They often have lighter, finer hair that is light brown, red or blonde, soft pink nails and more symmetrical proportions to their body. They sweat easily and profusely and they tend to be impatient but also eloquent and precise with their words.

Pitta people love to achieve, to set and reach goals, to compete, to be super organized, and to do everything with passion and excellence. Pittas are very

They love cool, crisp weather and prefer a climate that is temperate with cool, misty mornings and evenings rather than climates that are overly hot or intense. The heat aggravates Pittas.

Pittas are often drawn to activities like competitive sports or debate clubs. They are well suited for careers in business, management, finance, medicine, politics, leadership and law.

When they are balanced, Pittas often experience excellent digestion, a strong appetite, confidence and charisma, sharp wits, lustrous complexion, warm and passionate demeanor, precision and efficiency in everything they do, and good leadership.

When they are out of balance, they tend to experience fevers or burning sensations, skin rashes, diarrhea, short temper, and an argumentative, my way or the highway kind of attitude.

What Pitta does love is a good challenge, pursuing and achieving their goals, being efficient and orderly, competing in sports, debating topics passionately, speaking and motivating, and doing everything with intense precision and excellence.

What Pitta does need for more balance is the opposite, space to be in nature, which is cooling and soothing, time off to rest and play, cooling activities like swimming, and frivolous enjoyments to help them not be so hard on themselves or to take things too seriously.

 

KAPHA

And lastly, there's Kapha. People with mostly Kapha constitutions often physically have smooth, luminous skin, no matter the skin color, big dreamy eyes and thick, beautiful hair.

They have a sturdier body with a more heavyset frame and they tend to gain weight easily and have a more difficult time losing the weight that they gain. Kaphas have great strength, endurance and high immunity. They rarely get sick and they are very easygoing, team oriented, calm and sweet natured.

Kapha people love to relax, to go with the flow, to let others lead, to see what happens, to feel connected, to enjoy life, and to just listen. Kaphas are very good listeners.

They love hot, dry weather and prefer a desert climate over anything else. They hate dampness and can't tolerate the cold.

Kaphas are often drawn to peaceful activities like gardening or reading or cooking, and they are well suited for careers in administration, human resources, nursing, building, counseling, or homemaking.

When Kaphas are balanced, they experience excellent stamina, strong immunity, a strong body that excels in sports, a peaceful and easygoing attitude and lifestyle, thick, healthy hair, and smooth, clear skin. They can be happy and quite content.

When they are out of balance, Kaphas tend to experience things like weight gain, stubbornness, water retention, excessive sleep, asthma, grogginess, congestion, allergies, resistance to change, diabetes, or depression. And again, it doesn't mean they experience all of these things, but these are imbalances that are common for Kapha types.

What Kapha's love is routine, calm, coziness, quality time, connection, a structured life, and space to just be.

What Kaphas often need for more balance is the opposite. They need stimulation, excitement, travel, change, big projects, and experience that brings some spice to their lives.

While a kafa is much more prone to want to sleep in, they will feel much better and be much happier if they get up early and get moving, go for a walk or a run just to get their juices flowing and to wake up their heavier, slower constitution.

So which one resonates most with you? Which one made you nod your head and think, that's me the most? It might be that you relate quite a lot to two of the Doshas, as I mentioned, and that's normal.

Some people are definitely just one of these Doshas, predominantly Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. But again, many people are a combination of two, with one being their closest match and another being a close second.

When you are a combination of the two, your dominant dosha comes first, followed by your secondary dosha. This means you can be Vata Pitta, if you're mostly Vata with also a lot of Pitta, or Pitta Vata, if you're mostly Pitta with a little Vata as well.

You can also be Vata Kapha if you're mostly Vata but also a lot of Kapha or Kapha Vata where you're mostly Kapha but also a lot of Vata.

You can also be Kapha Pitta or Pitta Kapha.

So each of those is a possibility if you are more of the two duodoshic types.

I myself am Pitta Vata, mostly Pitta with a secondary in Vata.

And knowing that has given me so much guidance and support for what I can tailor and change and shift and improve in my lifestyle and my work so that I am more optimized and taking better care of myself and also using my gifts and building a life and career in alignment.

It's very rare, but you can be tri-doshic, or equally all three of the Doshas. This doesn't happen often, so if it seems that way now, remember to think about how you have been your whole life, especially through childhood, when the experiences and seasons of life have not yet layered onto your constitution.

So one time I was telling friends about this system of Ayurveda and how to understand what your constitution is. And my friend asked me, OK, so how do you get them all back to equal levels? This was such a good question because it helped me clarify that the goal isn't to have your Vata, Pitta, and Kapha levels be all have all three.

It's just that we are born with more of one or two, and that's just part of our personal makeup.

Instead of trying to balance the three, you're seeking to learn what your constitution is, what set of these Doshas you are inherently, the way your fingerprint is unique to you, and then designing a lifestyle that helps balance and support your optimal health based on your constitution. So if you are Kapha Pitta,

You want to live and eat and work in ways that support you as a Kapha, that bring you new experiences and stimulation, challenges and change, and that support you as a Pitta, that bring you soothing and calming space to balance your passions and intensity.

There are many Ayurvedic Dosha quizzes online to find out your constitution more in depth. I'm planning to have one available on my own site in the near future, so stay tuned for that.

But in the meantime, if you want to search for and use one online among the wild interwebs and possibilities, keep in mind a few things:

One, try to find a reputable site and source. Some of them are a little cheesy and kind of pop Ayurveda, and I would prefer you took a good quality one of these quizzes.

I have looked into several that I approve of as an Ayurvedic health counselor and I will drop the links for each of them into the show notes for you.

That way you can just click a link and use a quiz that you know you can trust.

Two, remember to ask yourself the questions from the perspective of how you have been your whole life. Again, think of how you were as a child and growing up.

Three, as stages of life change and as influences and imbalances in life accumulate and pass during different times in life and work, we can gather more of one dosha so that it seems like that is your constitution type. But remember, your Prakriti is like your fingerprint.

It is determined at conception and it doesn't change your whole life. So if you seem much different this year than you were as a kid growing up, it's probably just the influence of your current season of life and perhaps imbalances collected through the seasons of the year and the demands and effects of your work and lifestyle.

This is not a problem, it's just helpful in determining what is your real baseline as separate from what we need to address in current imbalances, which we all have.

And four, most people can identify most with one dosha, but as I said, many people are actually a blend of two. And while it is rare, some people are all three Doshas. But if you get that answer from your quiz,

you probably need to retake the quiz or have someone who knows you really well help you, so that you can see yourself

So see what resonates with you most across the realms of your physical body, your tendencies, your affinities, common imbalances you experience, when you are out of balance, Also your personality and what you are drawn to or agitated by.

Knowing your constitution is powerful.

It really puts a lot of agency in your hands. When my husband, thinks something is really right on, he'll say it's money. It is. ⁓

 

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So now we head deeper into interpretive waters, where through applying and practicing the guidance of Ayurveda myself, I discovered that it has so much to offer in the realms of creative work and small business too.

So now that we've identified what your constitution is and you have the key concepts in mind, let's apply this to our lives and creative work.

This is genuinely part of why I am so excited to share this with you, because Ayurveda is not just for people interested in holistic nutrition or health and cooking.

or people interested in yoga and harmonious body practices and healing, but also for creatives and entrepreneurs who want to live, work, and serve in alignment, who want to build success and wealth and positive impact, doing what we love while living a healthy, meaningful life.

The seventh key concept of Ayurveda is the daily and seasonal routine. I saved this one until now because Ayurveda's recommendations regarding healthy routines start to directly speak to and support our creativity and work as artists and entrepreneurs.

As I mentioned, the body loves routine. You know firsthand how it feels when you travel to a new time zone, for example. Your body for a few days is not having it. It's hard to get up or go to sleep on time, depending where you've gone, until you've had a few days to adjust. When we have a routine, all of the body's systems are supported, which makes it much happier.

For healthy routines, Ayurveda begins with recommendations for the Dhinacharya, or the daily routine. The daily routine helps us align with our natural circadian rhythm to improve health and wellbeing. And it essentially recommends the following, wake up early and naturally with the dawn, clean and care for your body through oral hygiene, self massage with oils to nourish the skin and tissues, exercise, meditation, and a shower.

And then keep consistent meal times and sleep times to support balance in the Doshas and overall wellbeing.

The daily routine is rooted in the three Doshas as is all of life. Remember, they're the functional energies that animate everything. So each time of day and night is animated by either Vata, Pitta, or Kapha energy, which gives us a helpful guideline for knowing optimal practices or routines throughout the day and night.

Okay, so imagine a big circle as a 24-hour clock.

You can imagine a 12 hour clock, but imagine a big circle that kind of does the first 12 hours on one side, the second 12 hours on the other.

The first segment of the circle is Vata time, between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., when we typically wake up and get up to use the bathroom before falling back to sleep, or when the systems of the body start to move and awaken for the day. Vata is all about movement.

Within this window toward the end of this time around six in the morning is a good time to get up to do your self-care rituals, to journal, have a cup of tea and mindfully begin your day.

The next segment of the circle from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. is Kapha time, when essentially the day is growing in energy and light, when we can experience heaviness or drowsiness if we but also a lot of stamina and energy for the needs of the day if we are up. It's a good time to do the big tasks for your day during this time when you have enduring Kapha energy on your side.

Plan your big projects or your big lift items for the day in this timeframe.

Next on the circle as we move down is the Pitta time from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the heat of the day and the most powerful and metabolic part of our circadian rhythm. Our metabolism is highest at this time which is why it's healthy to have lunch midday and to make lunch our largest meal. This is the high focus high productivity time of the day too with that Pitta energy. That means you can get a lot done.

And it also means it's a better time for focus on getting things done rather than hosting meetings, for example, when everyone can be feeling a little more impatient or intense with that high Pitta energy.

Next, we curve on down the circle, is Vata time 2pm till 6pm, when we often feel a dip in energy, when sometimes we want to take an afternoon nap or have a cup of coffee to revive ourselves. This is a diminishing time of day, naturally, when the heat and light of the day have passed, and it is a good time for quieter, sometimes more creative tasks. It can also be a good time to wind down at work, answer final emails or prep for tomorrow, rather than trying to stack in heavy lifting tasks. It can also be a nice time to go for a walk or a light evening workout.

Next is Kapha time again, from 6pm to 10pm, when we wind down for the day, have dinner, and start to feel naturally heavier and drowsier due to an increase in Kapha energy. This is a healthy natural time to have a light dinner, to wind down, relax, and go to sleep. Good bedtime rituals will support you in this.

And lastly, to complete the 24-hour cycle is the second Pitta time, from 10pm till 2am.

Pitta energy increases through the midnight hours to help your body digest and assimilate your food as well as process and digest your experiences from the day.

If you stay up too late, you will feel the rush of this Pitta energy like a second wind. And you might want to stay up longer because you feel that energy. This is why it's important to go to sleep around 10 p.m. or at least before midnight so that you can be asleep before that rush of energy hits. Plus your body needs to be sleeping at this time ideally in order to process and assimilate as it is meant to do with that high metabolic energy of Pitta while you are sleeping.

This mapping of the day and nightly rhythms gives us such a helpful blueprint for optimizing our work, our creative output, rest exercise, nutrition, and sleep.

Next is the Ayurvedic seasonal routine or Rittucharya, which is a routine designed to help us live in harmony with the changing seasons of the year.

Late winter into spring is Kapha season, when all of nature is starting to thaw out from the cold, getting nourished with rain and warmer sunlight, and springing into new growth and first blooms.

People often get seasonal allergies and congestion due to the pollen and the excess of Kapha dosha in the environment. But we also experience that playful, steady, energized growth that Kapha creates too. It's fun to start new projects, to dig into something big and exciting in the spring using this energy. So it's an optimal time to launch something big, or jump into something new.

Spring through summer is Pitta season, when the days are longest and hottest, the light and heat most intense, and all of nature is most productive. We can get a lot done with this energy of summer. We can also start to feel impatient or quick to anger in the heat of people drive like they're crazy because of an excess of Pitta energy that builds up and makes them easy to anger.

This is why it's helpful and so delightful to take a vacation or at least days off here and there throughout the summer, preferably to a body of water where you can swim and cool off and lounge in nature, all of which help to balance Pitta energy.

Remember that Pitta needs soothing, cooling and space to relax. And nature, especially in green forests and cool blue waters is deeply soothing.

Fall through early winter is Vata season, when the days start to grow shorter, the light softer, the air thinner, and all of nature goes through this final flourish before releasing foliage, going to seed, and slipping into restful dormancy. This is a good time for final flourishes and a wind down in your work season as well.

All of nature is a little depleted after the great output and productive season of summer, so it creates grounding and rest in this season, which is exactly what we need to, both personally and professionally.

Cozy festive gatherings, warm cider, baked squash, bright colors, all of these things cheer us and balance our Vata during this season.

And lastly, among these beautiful seasonal and rhythmic routines that are around us our whole lives comes the Ayurvedic perspective on the seasons of life, which are also animated by the three Doshas.

Our childhood season is Kapha season when we are growing and learning and adding so much body and life to ourselves. When we are small and sweet and silly and love most to just play and rest and feel loved and connected.

That is when Kapha season is the highest in the body throughout the seasons of life.

Adulthood is Pitta season when we have the most agency, drive, ambition and capability.

This is the main career building season of life. So use and enjoy the energy of this big season as you build your dreams and answer your callings to create and serve in ways that are meaningful for you.

In older age, we enter the Vata season when our bodies and energy levels tend to wane a bit and we start to diminish a little as we head toward the end of our lives. That is still a creative season. And often when people are retired, they take up peaceful and creative hobbies like painting, or weaving or playing music more often.

Personally, I find these daily seasonal and life rhythms to be so beautiful and so supportive. They help give shape and meaning to our days and bring consciousness and invite intentionality to how we live and work.

 

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With these routines and supportive cycles in mind, let's look at how the Doshas animate and impact creative work and business ownership a little more specifically.

So Vata is the energy most directly linked to creative output, to ingenuity, independent thinking, innovation, new ideas, travel, movement, change, things we've been talking about throughout the episode.

Floral artists often have a lot of Vata energy in their constitutions as Vatas are drawn to creative work, authentic expression, and the kinds of activity and movement and change that are inherent to sourcing, conditioning, designing with, installing and delivering flowers and floral designs.

Everything is fluid in this field and sometimes a little chaotic and every design is new in its dimensions and creative demands, which keeps this field so interesting and so fresh. And the change and newness of flowers and working with a seasonal product, as well as the creative playground of color, scent and gesture is a joy for Vatas and our Vata energy.

When we lean into Vata energy and do a lot of creative output, production and movement from simple transport to bigger travels, we are doing what Vata likes, but we are also doing what depletes Vata. Remember, like increases like and causes imbalance while opposites soothe and return to balance.

After a big creative push and productive season of travel and change and movement, the body and mind and entire system need the opposite of Vata energy, which is grounding, steadiness, nourishment, and rest. This is why it's so important for creative types with a lot of Vata in their constitutions,

or really anyone who works in a very active and creative field to recognize when Vata is getting out of balance and to start making shifts to return to harmony.

Looking at floral design specifically, Avata Person is going to be happiest in the creative chaos and freedom of dreaming up designs, of assembling mood boards and flower recipes, of being in the studio inventing gorgeous arrangements, and coming up with new methods and design ideas.

They will work in big bursts of energy and enthusiasm, but they will also get depleted and tired. And so they need support from their teammates or partners to help them make decisions, and to share in the labor and work involved.

They also need to be extra mindful of self-care, including getting enough rest at night, making sure to have meals on time, and keeping to a routine, even in the bustle of busy event weeks, if they want to stay healthy and inspired.

Vata people will enjoy the marketing side and the client calls too because they love creativity and communication. But this is also depleting in excess without some intentional downtime, self-care and grounding nutrition and activities like having warm cooked dinners and making space for a grounding hot bath or extra hour of sleep.

So those are some places where a Vata will thrive the most in floral design and also ways to take care of yourself the most if you are mostly Vata type.

Now looking at Pitta: a Pitta person in floral design is going to be happiest setting goals, pursuing big ideas, accomplishing impressive feats of design through their events and installations, and keeping the business and marketing side of their endeavor organized and well systematized.

They will be very annoyed and drained by a lot of chaos and mess, so they need to keep a tidy studio to maintain a sense of peace and a soothing quality to calm their perfectionist tendencies.

If you are a Pitta florist, remind yourself that everything you do and create is an overall effect. I know firsthand that I've had to tell myself that many, many times because every single minute detail matters a hundred percent to me and that's just the way my nature is. So reminding yourself if you are a Pitta or if you work with a Pitta florist, that it's an overall effect and that we need to remember to step back and have that easygoing Kapha energy as well, to not get too revved up or obsessed.

Pitta florists will need opportunities to pull off big ideas and also mandatory time away to cool off and just play with flowers for fun. They may need reminders that we don't need to live in the spreadsheets and to enjoy the process.

Pittas are very good at smart marketing, sending out eloquent and impactful emails and posts, motivating their teammates on events and bringing a polished and professional touch to all materials for and interactions with their clients and collaborators.

A Kapha person in floral design is pretty much the greatest teammate ever. Kapha florists are steady, patient, sweet, at ease, easygoing, and generally grounding to everyone around them in the chaos and beautiful mess of floral design.

Kapha florists will be agreeable to pretty much anything they're asked to do, but they will likely feel bored or stagnant if they're stuck inside the shop behind the cash wrap or working too much behind the scenes. If every day becomes too much the same, it will make them feel heavy and stuck.

They will feel happiest and most in their element on event day or during destination events when they're part of a team and getting to be in all the action of transport and travel and installation and creativity.

Kapha florists will have great endurance and strength for the physical demands of loading and unloading, and they will have good advice and steady, supportive energy for the electric and airy Vata types or the fiery perfectionist Pitta types working around them.

They may need a little extra direction and motivation at times to get things done, but they will never give up or step away until everything the team needs to do is done.

 

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So now before we close for today, here's a little recap and review of the key concepts and recommendations to help make it easy and accessible for you to start integrating tools from Ayurveda into your life and creative business.

One, re-listen to the section on determining your Ayurvedic constitution and maybe take a quiz online too. Check the show notes from this episode on calledtobloompodcast.com for links to Dosha quizzes that I recommend.

Two, start to think about your work, your creativity, your goals, and your lifestyle now in terms of your constitution. Where are you being nourished and feeling in your element? And where are you feeling burdened, aggravated, or depleted?

Maybe use this as a journaling prompt and write down one to three things that you could shift, either in your daily routine, in your work expectations, or in the types of work that you are doing to help optimize for the kind of person you now realize more in depth that you are.

Three, take a moment now or come back to reflect on this as your year winds down to consider the energies of the seasons.

As you plan next year's projects and goals, think about how you can harness and utilize the sturdy, refreshed energy of spring, the powerful energy of summer, and the final flourish and diminishing energy of the fall into winter to help you map optimal times for projects, launches, marketing, and growing your business.

Four, most of all, see if there is one thing in this whole episode, maybe just the guidelines about drinking water or the importance of building regular meal times into your daily routine to help your body digest and have healthier digestive fire, and try it out.

Don't just make a change because someone else tells you to. Make a change because you know you want to feel better feel more empowered and you're excited to take a step toward that new reality.

When you do try a new practice or approach, try it for at least a month, and ideally for several months before you evaluate. Then continue with it, not because it's healthy on paper, but because it actually makes you feel amazing.

And as I've said before in a previous episode about burnout, remember that you don't need to do everything in order to make a shift. Just pick one thing, the one that feels most aligned or relieving, and try that first.

The easier we can make the small shifts for a healthier life and a deeper sense of well-being in lives and in our work, the more likely we will be able to implement and enjoy them.

 

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All right. This was a big one. I have thought about writing to you about how Ayurveda completely reshaped my business and my life for the better in a blog post for such a long time. But I kept thinking it needed more space because there are so many treasures inside of Ayurveda for us. So at last, they are here for you now in this episode.

Remember, as with any tool or practice I share with you here, we are not going for extreme or perfection. has helped me a lot with this personally. We are going for the best you can in a way that is peaceful and easeful for you. Make changes slowly and kindly.

It is better to be relaxed and a little off the ideal than stressed about trying to get everything perfect.

And for further learning resources and recommendations on Ayurveda and applying it to your life and your creative work and your business, check out the show notes for this episode at calledtobloompodcast.com.

And lastly, if you'd like to go deeper into knowing your constitution and understanding your nature and how to apply the gifts of Ayurveda to your life and creative work, head to my website at nectarandbloomfloral.com and head to the Wellbeing page, where you can explore retreats, restorative circles, and also one-on-one Ayurvedic strategy sessions with me, where we can work together to help you build a more harmonious and successful creative workflow for well-being that is rooted in Ayurveda and supports you holistically toward your goals.

It's kind of two parts coaching, two parts well-being, and entirely tailored to you, giving you actionable steps and personalized guidance to get into your healthiest, most aligned creative flow. I look forward to supporting you there.

 

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Beautifully done. You just completed another episode of Called to Bloom and I don't know about you but I always think that finishing any resource that nourishes my being and makes me feel more connected feels so good.

Now, to expand your experience, hit follow so you never miss an episode. And also head over to calledtobloompodcast.com to find show notes, discount codes, and details from our sponsors.

If you are ready to deepen your practice with classes and immersive experiences in flowers and wellbeing, head over to nectarandbloomfloral.com and explore my workshops, one-on-one mentorships, Poetry of Flowers education, wellbeing experiences, and my original Tarot of Flowers deck.

You can also find me on Instagram at @nectar_and_bloom for more inspiration, tools, creativity, and like-minded community.

For now, keep blooming. The world needs what you are here to create.

 


Cover image by Sposto Photography.

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