I’ve been working with a few people around this recently, so I’m opening a small live workshop next week Thursday:
When Rest Isn’t Enough — Rebuild Your Daily Rhythm
If you're not feeling like yourself, take a look here.
From my dog walks in Ickenham
Hi Reader,
Hope you are doing in the heat? Here in London it has been scorching which tests many systems in the body, but more further down.
First though — this week's rabbit hole. Nearly 30 years ago, Ayurveda changed my life in two unexpected ways.
As a vegetarian in Germany at the time, food options were — let’s say, limited. Then Ayurvedic Indian cooking arrived and completely blew my mind. Around the same time I began suffering from ulcerative colitis, and discovering that food could be used as medicine in such a precise, intentional way was a revelation.
Then I encountered the concept of incompatible food combinations — and honestly, it tipped me over the edge. Dairy and fruit. Tomatoes and cheese. I remember thinking: what on earth is left to eat?
What kept me curious was that there was always a reason behind it. Not rules for the sake of rules — but logic, rooted in how the body actually works.
🌿 This Week on the Blog
Have you ever eaten a meal that looked healthy on paper and still felt heavy afterwards?
This week I’ve been exploring viruddha ahara — the Ayurvedic concept of incompatible food combinations. It shifts the focus from what we eat to what we eat together. Sometimes two foods can be perfectly healthy on their own, and still place more demand on digestion when combined.
I explore fruit and dairy, fish and dairy, and why Ayurveda pays such careful attention to these pairings in the first place.
Heat affects us on more levels than we might notice — digestion slows, the mind can tip toward irritability, the heart feels it too.
A simple way to cool all three: soak a small handful of raisins overnight and eat them in the morning. Drink the soaking water too. It cools the system, supports digestion, and is traditionally known to strengthen the heart.
One small bowl. Quietly powerful.
In-person Classes Resume Monday
A reminder that yoga classes are back on the mat from Monday. If you’d like to join or check the schedule:
This week, notice whether there’s a food combination that you return to regularly — something that feels comforting or convenient — and how you actually feel an hour or two afterwards.
Not to change anything. Just to notice. The body often has quite clear answers, once we slow down enough to hear them.
If this Sunday Read might be helpful for someone, you’re very welcome to:
💌 send me an email — I answer every one 🌿 share it with someone who might enjoy it 🫖 or simply sit with it a little longer today
💭 If you have a question, or there’s something you’d love me to explore in a future Sunday Read, you’re always welcome to let me know.
Here’s to carrying a little more calm and ease into your days,
Much of what I share here is explored more deeply in my When Rest Isn’t Enough live workshop — a simple starting point to help you build a rhythm that truly supports you.
A quiet Sunday morning in your inbox. Every Sunday, I share one seasonal reflection, practical yoga and Ayurveda guidance, and one simple idea to help you feel calmer, steadier and more like yourself.