Today on the podcast, Brittni and Rita get honest about something most wellness conversations skip over — what happens to your Ayurvedic practice when life gets genuinely hard. Because living “Ayurvedically” isn’t about the perfect morning routine, cooking every meal from scratch, or never missing a practice. In this episode, Brittni opens up about a year of major transitions and the question it kept bringing her back to — what does it mean to show up for yourself when you’re just trying to survive the day? Together she and Rita explore what Ayurveda actually asks of us in the hard seasons.

Highlights:

• Why living an Ayurvedic lifestyle doesn’t mean having a perfect routine — and what it actually means when life gets hard
• The concept of emotional digestion in Ayurveda and why creating space to feel your feelings is as important as what you eat
• Why crying is not a weakness — what Ayurveda and ancient cultures understood about tears that our society has forgotten
• The one practice Brittni held onto through the chaos of moving
• How to identify your non-negotiable when everything else has to go
• Why numbing and resting are not the same thing — and how to tell the difference when you’re burnt out
• The wheel of life — how to hold onto hope when you’re in the low and gratitude when you’re in the high
• Small Ayurvedic practices that actually work when you’re in survival mode

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Banyan Botanicals Digestive CCF Tea (Use code WOMENSHEALTH15 for 15% off)

Banyan Botanicals Daily Massage Oil (Use code WOMENSHEALTH15 for 15% off)

This episode contains affiliate links. We only recommend products we genuinely love, and any commission earned comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

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Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

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We'd love to hear from you! Email us your questions, topic ideas, and feedback at hello@ayurvedaforwomenshealth.com

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

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https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

Today on the podcast, Brittni and Rita explore one of the most fascinating and foundational concepts in Ayurvedic nutrition — the seven tissues, known in Sanskrit as the Seven Dhatus. From lymph and blood to muscle, fat, bone, nervous system tissue, and reproductive organs, each layer of tissue in the body has its own nutritional needs, its own elemental qualities, and its own way of showing up in your symptoms when something is off. In this episode they break down what each tissue needs to thrive, how food moves through each layer sequentially over 35 days, and why understanding this framework can completely transform how you think about nutrition, digestion, and healing.

Highlights:

• What the seven tissues are and why Ayurveda considers this framework the foundation of truly individualized nutrition
• How food becomes your body — the fascinating 35-day journey from your plate to your deepest tissues
• Why two people can eat the exact same diet and have completely different results — and what that actually means for your health
• What your hair, skin, nails, teeth, energy, and menstrual cycle are really telling you about which tissues need support
• The specific foods that nourish each tissue — and why healthy fats, minerals, and building foods are just as important as protein
• Why digestion is the missing piece — and how even the most nutritious diet won’t reach your tissues if your Agni isn’t strong
• The connection between tissue depletion and symptoms like painful periods, bone issues, nervous system imbalances, and more
• Why Ayurvedic healing takes time — and how understanding this timeline can bring patience and clarity to your wellness journey

We'd love to hear from you! Email us your questions, topic ideas, and feedback at hello@ayurvedaforwomenshealth.com

For Ayurvedic herbs, oils, foods and tools check out Banyan Botanicals and use code WOMENSHEALTH15 at checkout!

This episode contains affiliate links. We only recommend products we genuinely love, and any commission earned comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

Have you ever felt frustrated by your experiences with Western healthcare? You’re far from alone. In this week’s episode, Rita and Brittni explore what’s missing from conventional medicine, how we got here, and what moving toward a more integrative model of healthcare could look like.

Highlights:

• Key differences between Ayurvedic and Western medicine: preventative vs. reactive care.
• The Ayurvedic six stages of disease and why symptoms can arise despite normal diagnostics.
• How the 1910 Flexner Report pushed out holistic and herbal medicine while reinforcing racial, gender, and economic barriers to becoming a doctor.
• How gaps in conventional care created space for a multi-trillion-dollar wellness industry, leaving people caught between two profit-driven systems.
• The role of community and connection in health, and unlearning individualistic approaches to healing.
• A proposed three-tier healthcare model that makes lifestyle medicine accessible to all while reserving reactive care for emergencies, surgery, and advanced disease.
• How colonialism nearly erased Ayurveda, and our reflections on teaching Ayurveda as white American women.

If you enjoyed this conversation, it would mean the world to us and help support our work if you’d like, share, leave a review, as well as subscribe to our podcast on whichever platform you use.

If you’re looking for more connection or would like to support this podcast, we’d love to have you join our Patreon community. Here you’ll get bonus episodes and access to our community chat Q&A.

And don’t forget to check out our Wellness Library, which is filled with self-guided classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more Ayurvedic practices all for just $5 a month!

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

If you struggle with acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, or bloating, this episode is for you. Today Brittni and Rita take a deep dive into what's actually driving these incredibly common digestive complaints — and why standard treatments so often fall short of real, lasting relief. Acid reflux is so much more than excess stomach acid, and Western medicine's approach to treating it almost completely misses the bigger picture. Drawing on Ayurvedic wisdom and Rita's clinical experience as a medical speech language pathologist, they break down the root causes of acid reflux and indigestion, the role of gut motility, nervous system health, and digestive fire, and what a natural, whole-body approach to healing actually looks like.

This episode is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider if you are experiencing chest pain or concerning symptoms.

Highlights:

• Why acid reflux and heartburn are far more than a stomach acid problem — and the missing piece most treatments completely overlook
• The surprising ways reflux can show up beyond heartburn, including throat symptoms, chronic cough, sinus issues, and more
• The two Ayurvedic root causes of acid reflux and indigestion — and why addressing both is essential for lasting relief
• What long-term use of acid-blocking medications can do to the body — and why weaning off them requires support
• The foods, habits, and emotional patterns that quietly contribute to heartburn and indigestion
• Simple but powerful natural remedies for acid reflux — from dietary shifts and meal timing to sleep position and posture
• The herbs Ayurveda reaches for to soothe, rebuild, and restore digestive function naturally
• Why your nervous system, stress levels, and how fast you eat matter more than you might think

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Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

This week, Rita and Brittni are talking about transitioning into Vata season. They break down why autumn calls for a two-phase approach: first flushing out the heat that accumulated over summer, then building warmth and stability for the winter ahead. As the air gets colder, drier, and more mobile, many people notice an uptick in anxiety, poor sleep, constipation, dry skin, low energy, and scattered focus without understanding why. In this episode, they break down exactly what's happening from an Ayurvedic perspective and share simple, practical tools to help you move through this transition with more ease, groundedness, and even a little creativity.

Highlights:

• Why it's essential to flush out summer heat before building warmth and stability for winter
• Why the fall transition can feel so unsettling for your body and mind — and what Ayurveda says is actually going on
• The symptoms that show up this time of year that most people never connect to the season
• Key foods, spices, and practices to support digestion, circulation, and the nervous system
• The one practice Brittni and Rita keep coming back to for grounding the nervous system during Vata season
• Why oil might be the most underrated tool in your fall wellness routine — and all the ways you can use it
• The unexpected creative and spiritual opportunity that Vata season offers — and how to actually tap into it
• Why learning to rest this season might be one of the most powerful things you can do for your health all year

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

Today on the podcast, Brittni and Rita dive into one of Ayurveda's three pillars of health — sleep. This conversation goes far beyond standard sleep advice, exploring why Ayurveda considers sleep so essential for detoxification, cognitive health, and long-term wellbeing, and how the timing of sleep matters just as much as the total hours. They also break down sleep imbalances through the Ayurvedic lens, explaining how Vata, Pitta, and Kapha type sleep issues each look completely different — and how to address each one in a way that actually fits your body and constitution.

Highlights:

• Why Ayurveda considers sleep one of the three pillars of health — and what that actually means for your body overnight
• The glymphatic system and what modern science now confirms about sleep and brain detoxification
• Why the timing of sleep matters — what happens in the body between 10pm and 2am and why going to bed later disrupts more than just your energy
• How Vata, Pitta, and Kapha type sleep imbalances each present differently — and the specific tools and practices that support each one
• Why starting with just one small shift is almost always more effective than overhauling everything at once

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

Today on the podcast, Brittni and Rita explore one of their most passionate topics — cycle syncing. Not just in the context of hormone health, but in the context of how we work, create, make decisions, and move through life. In this conversation they break down why our menstrual cycle is one of the most underutilized tools we have as women, and how learning to align our energy and output with each phase of the cycle can reduce burnout, unlock creativity, and help us show up more fully in every area of life.

Highlights:

• How the four phases of the menstrual cycle — menstrual, follicular, ovulatory, and luteal — map onto different types of cognitive and creative energy
• Why our current work structures are built around the male 24-hour hormonal cycle — and what it would look like to build around the female cycle instead
• Real examples from Brittni and Rita's own businesses of how they align their work, writing, editing, and decision making with their cycle
• Why bleeding on a big decision might be the most powerful thing you can do before saying yes or no
• The connection between cycle syncing, healing painful periods, and unlocking creativity — and why these aren't separate things
• How to start cycle syncing even if you have limited autonomy over your schedule

FREE GUIDE: Download Brittni's free guide at mountainsforbreakfast.com to go deeper into each phase and how to plan your work around your cycle.

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/

Today on the podcast, Brittni and Rita dedicate a full episode to Abhyanga — the Ayurvedic practice of warm oil self-massage. One of the most beloved and foundational practices in Ayurveda, Abhyanga is far more than a skincare ritual. It supports circulation, lymphatic flow, joint health, nervous system regulation, digestion, sleep, and emotional wellbeing — and it can be adapted for any constitution, any season, and any schedule. In this episode, they break down exactly how to do it, how to make it work in real life, and why this simple practice of oiling your body might be one of the most powerful things you can do for your health.

Highlights:

• What Abhyanga is and why Ayurveda considers it one of its most important daily practices
• The meaning of sneha — why oil and love are the same word in Sanskrit, and what that means for how we practice
• The wide-ranging physical benefits — skin health, circulation, lymphatic drainage, joint strength, bone health, nervous system support, digestion, breast health, and healthy aging
• Why so many women feel hesitant to connect with their bodies through touch — and why this practice can be so healing for that
• How to warm your oil, what type of oil to use, and the key massage techniques to know
• How often to practice, how long to spend, and how to create both a short version and a longer more luxurious version that fits your life
• Contraindications — when to skip Abhyanga and what to be mindful of during menstruation, pregnancy, illness, and active digestion
• Practical tips for managing oil on your laundry, plumbing, septic systems, and avoiding slipping in the shower

Banyan Botanicals Sesame Oil (Use code WOMENSHEALTH15 for 15% off)

Banyan Botanicals Nasya/Nose Oil (Use code WOMENSHEALTH15 for 15% off)

This episode contains affiliate links. We only recommend products we genuinely love, and any commission earned comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting our work!

Support the podcast on Patreon!

Classes, kitchen tutorials, herbal recipes, and more for $5 a month in the Wellness Library!

Follow us: Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube

Connect with Rita
https://www.rhythmiclivingayurveda.com/

Connect with Brittni
https://mountainsforbreakfast.com/