Understanding Sneha – Ayurvedic Love and Nourishment - 418
Release Date: 11/13/2025
Seasonal Awareness and Spring Equinox: From Accumulation to Renewal - 436
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
As we approach the Spring Equinox on March 20th, nature reaches a moment of perfect balance, equal light and equal dark. But this shift isn’t just happening around you… it’s happening within you. In Ayurveda, seasonal transitions are considered powerful physiological turning points. The Spring Equinox marks a pivotal moment when winter’s accumulated heaviness begins to melt and move through the body, influencing digestion, energy, emotions, and overall wellbeing. In this episode, you'll learn: The deeper meaning of seasonal awareness in Ayurveda Why the Spring Equinox is a...
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Jenny’s Ayurveda Cleanse: A Story of Reconnection - 435
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
What happens when we slow down enough to truly listen? In this heartfelt conversation, Colette is joined by her client Jenny, who shares her personal journey with Ayurveda, from her early connection with nature to her recent experience on the Digestive Reset Cleanse. Jenny reflects on how growing up in rural Ireland with a deep love of the natural world quietly shaped her path toward yoga and, eventually, Ayurveda. What began as curiosity evolved into a meaningful relationship with practices that helped her reconnect with her body’s rhythms. In this episode, they explore her experience on...
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Hormone Regulation in Ayurveda with Vaidya Princy Prasad - 434
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
Hormones influence every system in the body, from mood and metabolism to sleep, fertility, and the transitions of midlife. In this episode, I’m joined by Vaidya Princy Prasad of Kerala Ayurveda Academy to explore hormone regulation through the classical lens of Ayurveda. Rather than viewing hormones in isolation, we discuss how endocrine balance reflects the state of the doshas, agni, the nervous system, and overall resilience, especially in today’s high-stress world. Vaidya Princy shares practical wisdom on building awareness of hormonal fluctuations, supporting the body through stress...
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Rebuilding Trust with Your Body with Ayurveda - 433
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
In Episode 432, we explored how awareness builds integrity, how listening to the body moment by moment allows coherence to arise naturally. But what happens when awareness feels muted? What if you can’t clearly feel hunger, fatigue, or even your own emotions? What if instead of clarity, there’s numbness, confusion, or second-guessing? In this follow-up episode, Colette explores what happens when body signals have been overridden for years and how Ayurveda offers a gentle, practical path to rebuilding trust with your body. Drawing on the Ayurvedic concept of prajnaparadha (loss...
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Awareness, Integrity and Ayurveda - 432
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
What if integrity wasn’t about discipline, willpower, or doing the “right” thing, but something that naturally arises from awareness? In this episode, Colette explores one of the most foundational yet often overlooked principles of Ayurveda: awareness. Beneath dosha food lists, routines, herbs, and lifestyle practices lies Ayurveda’s deeper invitation, to notice what is happening in the body, mind, and nervous system, moment by moment, and to respond with honesty and care. This episode explores how awareness builds integrity from the inside out, how integrity is felt somatically in the...
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What Ayurveda Teaches About Love - 431
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is everywhere, on our screens, in shop windows, and throughout marketing campaigns. Yet for many of us, this time of year can feel complicated, tender, or even disconnecting. In this episode, Colette explores what Ayurveda really teaches about love, not the fleeting or idealized version we’re often sold, but the steady, nourishing love that begins within. Drawing on Ayurvedic wisdom, this episode reframes love as a state of balance, regulation, and inner union, rather than something we chase or seek outside ourselves. You’ll learn how...
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Ayurveda Q+A: Managing Overwhelm, Perfectionism and Consistency - 430
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
Ayurveda can feel deeply nourishing and also overwhelming especially when you’ve been learning for a long time and don’t know where to begin, how to stay consistent, or how to soften self-pressure along the way. In this solo Ayurveda Q&A episode, Colette answers thoughtful questions from the Elements of Ayurveda Podcast Community, exploring how to work with overwhelm, perfectionism, and stress through the lens of daily habits, nervous system health, and rhythm rather than rigidity. This episode is an invitation to approach your health with more awareness, curiosity, and compassion, and...
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Trauma-Informed Yoga for Nervous System Healing with Sita Severson - 429
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
What does it mean to heal when the nervous system no longer feels safe in the body or the world? In this episode, Colette is joined by Sita Severson, Director of the Soul of Yoga Institute in San Diego, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Certified Yoga Therapist, and Vedic counselor. Sita’s work lives at the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern trauma science, supporting people through grief, addiction recovery, burnout, and chronic stress with compassion and practicality. Drawing from her own lived experience as well as decades of teaching and clinical work, Sita shares how Ayurveda, yoga, and...
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Winter Wellness - An Ayurvedic Perspective with Dr. Sujatha Kekada - 428
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
Winter is often misunderstood in modern wellness culture as a season to simply endure, yet Ayurveda recognizes it as a powerful time for nourishment, restoration, and deep tissue building. In this episode, Colette is joined by experienced Ayurvedic physician Dr. Sujatha Kekada for a classical and clinical exploration of winter wellness. Together, they move beyond surface-level seasonal advice to examine how winter influences the doshas, dhatus (tissues), srotas (channels), and ojas. Dr. Sujatha explains why aligning diet, routine, and mindset with this season is essential for long-term health...
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Ayurveda and Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) - 427
Elements of Ayurveda Podcast
As winter settles in, many of us notice shifts in mood, energy, motivation, and emotional resilience. In this episode, Colette explores Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) through the compassionate lens of Ayurveda, reframing seasonal low mood as a natural response to changes in light, rhythm, digestion, and mental qualities. You’ll learn how winter affects the doshas, digestion, and nervous system, why gut health is central to emotional wellbeing, and how gentle, practical Ayurvedic practices, including a supportive Digestive Reset, can help restore clarity, balance, and resilience during...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Elements of Ayurveda Podcast, we’re exploring a truly beautiful concept in Ayurvedic wisdom, Sneha, a Sanskrit word that means both oil and love. And that’s no coincidence.
Sneha is the essence of softness, warmth, and care that keeps our body, mind, and heart supple. It’s both nourishment and an act of conscious love, a daily reminder that tending to ourselves is not selfish, but sacred.
In this episode, Colette shares how Sneha can be practiced both externally through self-oiling rituals like abhyanga, and internally through nourishing fats such as ghee or medicated oils. You’ll also discover how Sneha softens not only the physical body but also the mind and emotions, helping to cultivate resilience, calm, and compassion in your daily life.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
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The dual meaning of Sneha in Sanskrit and why oiling is an act of love
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The difference between external Sneha and internal Sneha
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How Sneha supports physical health, from joint mobility and skin nourishment to digestion and immunity
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The emotional and psychological benefits of Sneha for calming Vata, reducing stress, and fostering self-compassion
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How to personalize your Sneha practice for each dosha and season
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Simple, daily Sneha rituals you can try at home, even if you only have a few minutes
Links & Resources
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Sponsor: Kerala Ayurveda Academy – Advance your Ayurvedic education with the Advanced Ayurvedic Practitioner (AAP) Program.
Enroll at keralaayurveda.us/aap and use code FreeAAP26 to waive your application fee. -
Digestive Reset Cleanse – Join the next Group Cleanse starting January 23rd, 2026, or book a Private Cleanse anytime that suits your schedule. Learn more at Elements Healing & Wellbeing
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Golden Turmeric Milk Recipe – Elements Healing & Wellbeing - Resources
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Recommended Ayurvedic Oils - The quality and source of your oil matter. Choose organic, cold- or expeller-pressed oils for purity and safety. I recommend the following companies for high quality oils:
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Kerala Ayurveda - enter discount code ELEMENTS15 to receive 15% off your first purchase.**
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Banyan Botanicals - enter discount code ELEMENTSHEALING15 at checkout for 15% off your first purchase.**
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Divya's - enter discount code ELEMENTSOFAYURVEDA15 at checkout for 15% off your first purchase.**
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LifeSpa - Save $10 on a $50 or more one-time purchase with the code elements10.
**Shipping available within the U.S. only.
Exciting News: The New Elements of Ayurveda Podcast Community is Live!
Over the years, this podcast has blossomed into a global community, a gathering of seekers, healers, and lifelong learners. And now, I’m delighted to share that our revitalized community space is officially open!
This new online home was created for those who wish to go deeper into Ayurveda, together. Inside, you’ll find:
- Early access to podcast episodes
- Member forums for discussion and Q&A
- Mindfulness and self-care practices
- Monthly live Zoom meetups
- Seasonal group challenges and reflections
It’s a conscious, supportive space to connect, learn, and grow with others walking the Ayurvedic path.
Come say hello, introduce yourself, and be part of this living, breathing sangha.
Join the new community here: Elements of Ayurveda Podcast Community
I look forward to connecting with you soon!
Check out Colette's online services:
Have questions on Colette's online services? Book a FREE 15 min Services Enquiry Call here.
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Thank you for listening!
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Stay tuned and stay aligned with the Elements of Ayurveda Podcast. Thanks for listening!