Ayurveda With Chitra

Crapulence is a real word! I didn't make it up but the feeling is real. Not enough to really do anything about it, knowing it will pass...
You know that moment when you're lying there in your post-feast haze, simultaneously swollen and somehow hungry (seriously, how?), wondering if this is what getting older feels like, or if your body is staging a rebellion, or if maybe you should just say f**k it on all health-related resolutions until 2025?

And while part of you knows it will pass, another part is spiraling into questions about menopause, aging, and whether your metabolism has finally given up on you entirely.

Turns out, Ayurveda has been explaining this whole paradox for thousands of years - and it's got nothing to do with failed willpower or aging gone wrong.

So I decided to create a weekly chat… I just posted it! My purpose is to create an oracle like experience.
Exposing What's Hidden - a space for sharing reflections and insights into midlife.

Drop in anytime with a thought, offering, or reminder of what feels true today. I thought I’d start off with our relationship to the morning, unfiltered, and emerging patterns based in real life. Yearning for insights to what is present daily.

Dear Wisdom Seekers,

A heart-centered update about where you can find my deepest teachings going forward...

While I'll continue to share occasional insights here, my energy is flowing strongly toward two sacred spaces I've created for sharing Ayurvedic wisdom:

'Art of Menopausing: Hidden in Plain Sight' - where we explore the profound teachings within Sanskrit and Ayurveda, discovering how ancient wisdom illuminates our modern menopause journey.
'Wise Woman's: Art of Menopausing Chronicles' - where Ayurvedic wisdom meets your daily life with practical guidance and seasonal support for your menopause transition.

Choose the space that calls to you, or join both for complete support on your journey. I'll be actively sharing and engaging in these new spaces while maintaining a lighter presence here.
With love and gratitude,
Chitra

🌿 "Natural doesn't automatically mean safe or effective."
After 30 years helping women navigate natural solutions (from behind the supplement counter and in my Ayurvedic practice), I've watched countless women fill their Amazon carts with supplements, hoping for relief... only to feel worse.
Time to spill some truth about menopause supplements! 💫
In my latest piece, I'm sharing:

The magnesium paradox (and why the form really matters)
Why ashwagandha might be making your hot flashes worse 🔥
How that "natural supplements stack" could be overwhelming your body.

What your symptoms are really trying to tell you?

Here's the thing - your body isn't broken, and more supplements aren't always the answer. Sometimes the most powerful medicine isn't about adding something new, but understanding what your body is truly asking for. 🧘‍♀️

Ready for a fresh perspective on natural menopause support?

This weekend, I hit publish on my passion project.

For those who know me, you know that I prefer deep conversations over shallow talk about the weather. I can't do soundbites.

So I headed over to substack and started writing about the more esoteric works and deeper meaning within Ayurveda using Saṇskrit, mythology and philosophy for deeper meaning. I don't know where this will lead. I only know that its important to me.

Sometimes, the wisest words come from unexpected places. Jean Shinoda Bolen's insight here feels especially poignant for those of us navigating midlife transitions.

What's one thing that nourishes your soul? How might you make a little more room for it this week?

Excited to participate.

If you are seeking to refresh their body and mind, particularly if you feel weighed down by lifestyle factors or are experiencing symptoms that could be improved through gentle detoxification and rejuvenation?

These are the five step you need for any detox or cleanse you do whether its ayurvedic or not, whether its with me or someone else.

We are doing two Seasonal Sync: 7-Day Ayurvedic resets in October.

Any questions? 🤔 Just Ask. Always here to clarify. 🙂

For centuries, women have turned to Ayurveda to restore balance and harmony in these three key life factors, creating lasting sustainable change instead of temporary fixes.

🪷 🙏

By focusing on digestive health (Agni), balancing the three doṣhas, removing toxins, and rejuvenating the body—core principles of Ayurveda—you can achieve long-term benefits. Enhancing digestion and metabolism through a reset improves nutrient absorption and efficiently eliminates toxins and waste all of which reduces menopause symptoms, improves the immune system and supports healthy aging.

💫 These are more general triggers, what are your more specific triggers?

We've just created a YouTube Channel called Art of Menopausing. Nothing fancy, but very informative.

Are Hot Flashes Back? How Seasonal Changes Affect Menopause
In this video, Dr. Chitra, specializing in Ayurvedic menopausal health, explores why hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopausal symptoms often worsen in late summer. As the seasons shift, so does your body’s response to environmental heat, particularly during menopause. Learn how the Ayurvedic approach to managing pitta and agni (digestive fire) can help alleviate symptoms and support your body’s natural rhythms during this transitional time.

Discover practical tips on how to balance your internal heat, support your immune system, and ease menopausal discomforts with simple dietary and lifestyle changes. We’ll also discuss why the body struggles with dramatic temperature shifts and what you can do right now to support your overall well-being as the seasons change.

🌿 In This Video, You’ll Learn:
How late summer heat impacts menopause symptoms
Ayurvedic tips to cool your body without aggravating the delicate balance it needs to shift from hot weather to cool weather
What foods to avoid and what to embrace during this seasonal shift.
All the doṣha-s are on the move now which is challenging for your immune system - cue allergies, colds and viruses - what can Ayurveda do to help.

What symptoms are you struggling with this season❓
Let me know, and I’ll cover it in a future video.

Hot Flashes Back? Menopause Symptoms & Ayurveda in Late Summer / Early Fall. Are Hot Flashes Back? How Seasonal Changes Affect MenopauseIn this video, Dr. Chitra, an expert in Ayurvedic menopausal health, explores why hot flashes, nig...

Hey Albuquerque Peeps.

I've been invited to offer a 90 min workshop at Balanced Life Yoga https://www.facebook.com/yogaABQ on Eubank near Constitution as part of their Forces on Fire Weekend. My workshop is on Sunday Sept 22 at 1:30pm. There are some really great people presenting all weekend.

Would love to see you there.

Balanced Life Yoga Start on your path to naturally healthy living today with soft stretching, balance, strength, and

Ayurvedic thought game. If Elephants are kapha and Birds are Vata. Name your favorite animal and their dosha. GO!

Embracing Menopause Doesn’t Mean you are Alone

Most women say they feel unheard or invisible as they hit peri-menopause. Let’s face it there isn’t enough information or discussion about Menopause by women for women.

Lately I’ve found that when women and professionals talk about solving the menopause ‘dilemma’ the narrative is to use hormones. If you don’t use hormone replacement therapy then you are foolish or gas lighted by other women. I don’t know why women do this to each other. We should be supportive to allow women to decide what is best for her. Don’t we have enough gaslighting from men and medical institutions?

I’ve created a group where women can explore and keep her the options open. You will never be shut down for saying you want to go the natural route. Conversely you will never be shut down for saying you want to take HRT. If you decide on doing both? Well then this is a place for you as well.

The aim of this group is to explore options. We give women a voice and opportunities to ask questions and explore what works and what doesn’t work.

There's more to you than menopausal symptoms with all the negativity and fear which surrounds passing through these stages of life.

The Art of Menopausing Ayurvedic Sisterhood is a place where we ask questions like:

1. What can you offer the next generation from your experience?
2. What can be done to bridge the education gap on women’s menopausal health?
3. How can we combat agism?
4. What spiritual internal guidance and behaviors are you open to now, which you would have thought impossible in the past?

Join the Art of Menopausing Ayurvedic Sisterhood