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Ayurvedic Abbie Podcast

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Ayurvedic Abbie is a podcast where ayurvedic practitioner, yoga therapist, and psychotherapist Kathryn Templeton responds to your questions about health and wellness from an ayurvedic and yoga therapy perspective. Kathryn translates Western medical concepts into the language of the pancha maha bhutas (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) via the doshas (the three ayurvedic mind-body types: vata, pitta, and kapha). Once we understand the relationship of the doshas to our condition, we can start to explore ayurvedic and yogic actions to bring us into better balance with our true nature, or prakruti. In each episode, Kathryn, our Ayurvedic Abbie, explores questions from the YI yoga community about topics such as headaches, anxiety, insomnia, perimenopause, and more.

Tune in for practical suggestions that you can incorporate into your daily life to return to balance and improve your physical and emotional well-being!

Kathryn Templeton

Kathryn Templeton, MA, RDT/MT, E-RYT 500, is an Ayurvedic practitioner who has devoted her life to the health of others. A psychotherapist for more than 30 years, Kathryn is a master teacher in the field of Drama Therapy and continues to work both clinically and as an educator specializing in the treatment of individuals with complex trauma. As an E-RYT 500, NAMA Certified Ayurvedic practitioner and senior Para Yoga teacher, Kathryn has worked to develop specialized treatments integrating the principles of yoga, Ayurveda and clinical psychology.

Certificate of completion

3 CEU’s Upon Completion

Self Paced Learning

7.2hrs to complete

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Section 1
  • In this first episode, you’ll meet psychotherapist and ayurvedic yoga specialist Kathryn Templeton, your Ayurvedic Abbie! She’ll tell you a bit about the format of the podcast and about her background—how she became more connected to herself through the practices of yoga and ayurveda and how she uses the principles and tools of Western psychology in conjunction with yoga and ayurveda to help her clients cultivate a greater sense of well-being. You’ll also get a brief overview of the ayurvedic dosha system (the system that explains the tendencies of our individual bodies), the framework Kathryn...
  • The quarantine has affected us in some unsettling ways. What is the ayurvedic perspective on what we are going through? In this episode of Ayurvedic Abbie, Kathryn shares three concepts from the yoga tradition—sattva (light), rajas (activity), and tamas (heaviness)—to explain some of the difficult and pleasant feelings we’ve been experiencing during the pandemic and the impact of those feelings on our activity levels. She offers suggestions for how we can calm our nervous systems through quieting yoga and relaxation practices, communicating with loved ones and friends in new (and old) ways, sipping...
  • How will we reintegrate into a new normal once the quarantine is over? In this episode, Kathryn discusses the anxieties that we may be experiencing about going back to work and seeing friends post-social distancing. She also talks about the feelings of grief people have had during this time and, using the ayurvedic perspective, gives us general eating and sleeping guidelines, so we can “digest our feelings” more easily. For each dosha, Kathryn offers dietary recommendations, yoga, pranayama, and relaxation practices, and creative lifestyle tips to help us move through daily life during this challenging...
  • What is the stress response for each dosha? Kathryn breaks down how vata, pitta, and kapha tend to cope with anxiety—the types of behaviors they exhibit and some of the physical symptoms they might have. Using the example of a student who experiences heartburn and anxiety, Kathryn explains how an herbal remedy, certain types of food, and yoga, pranayama, and meditation practices can be helpful for balancing vata and pitta, the doshas that are said to be out of balance in someone who has heartburn and anxiety.
  • In this episode, Kathryn gives you an overview of the nature of compulsive behaviors and obsessive thinking. She also tells you about the role the doshas play in them and how breathing techniques and certain types of activities can break the cycle. You’ll get recommendations for herbs that strengthen the nervous system and what precautions to consider when evaluating if any herbs are right for you. Kathryn also has some helpful suggestions for smokers who want to quit. Finally, she looks at the role of reactivity in panic attacks, and from an ayurvedic perspective, offers suggestions for practices...
  • What is depression? And what is depletion? How are the two related? In this episode, Kathryn uses the ayurvedic perspective and a Western psychological framework to shed light on the connection between depression and depletion. She takes a close look at the types of symptoms a person who is feeling depressed experiences depending on their dominant dosha. You’ll hear how the stress response can affect a person’s overall energy, thinking, appetite, digestion, and worldview. Kathryn also offers dietary and digestive suggestions (teas and spices) for each dosha and general ayurvedic tips for people...
  • In this episode, Kathryn discusses insomnia—what it is, how different types of sleepers experience it, and the role the doshas play in it. She talks about the way hormone imbalances, age, and the seasons can affect our sleep and the importance of ruling out medical reasons for sleep loss when considering how to address insomnia. She offers a range of ayurvedic practices for better sleep that include lifestyle shifts, diet, yoga, deep relaxation, and meditation. You’ll also learn how to regulate your sleep cycle and your work schedule and get tips for evening lighting and herbs that can help calm...
  • In this episode, Kathryn uses the ayurvedic framework to talk about the causes of sinus headaches, tension headaches, and migraine headaches—from environmental factors to emotional situations, to dietary factors, and more. You’ll learn about the dosha that’s said to be out of balance when each of these headaches occurs and the types of ayurvedic remedies—including short go-to breathing practices—that can relieve the symptoms associated with headaches.
  • In this episode, Kathryn uses the ayurvedic framework to talk about how our bodies can become dysregulated and some of the common effects that can occur when we have an autoimmune disease. You’ll learn about ayurvedic “cleansing actions” you can do that can abate some of the symptoms as well as yogic and dietary practices that can help you build vitality.
  • Stress affects everyone, but how it affects us can vary greatly from person to person. In this episode, Kathryn discusses how we respond to different types of stress—for example, long-term stress and stress caused by catastrophic events—and the impact of these types of challenges on the body. You’ll learn how some of Kathryn’s clients have managed stress, how first responders learn to navigate high levels of stress, and the phenomenon of “burnout.” You’ll also learn how stress can play a role in irritable bowel syndrome and other common ailments and about ayurvedic remedies for their symptoms....
Section 2
  • Welcome to season two of Ayurvedic Abbie! Have you ever wondered why what we eat can affect how we feel?? In this season, Kathryn explores the concept of food as medicine—that is, our ability to use what we eat and drink to help us stay balanced. You’ll learn about smell and taste and how they relate to each dosha, how common foods can affect us, the use of meat in ayurvedic medicine, seasonal approaches to eating, and more. Enjoy!
  • What is the difference between just eating and eating for nourishment? Kathryn shares ayurvedic concepts related to food and nutrition and the way that certain foods can foster healthy digestion. You’ll also get an overview of the dosha-food connection, the six ayurvedic tastes and how they collaborate with one another, and the three main stages of digestion in ayurvedic medicine.
  • What does nature’s bounty provide where you live and how can you draw from it to create a nourishing diet designed to balance your doshas? In this episode, Kathryn takes a look at seasonal eating and its connection to the six ayurvedic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, and bitter).
  • Learn why cumin, coriander, and fennel are the go-to balancing spices in ayurvedic cooking. In this episode, Kathryn talks about their tastes and how these spices can impact your digestion and affect your dosha balance. You’ll also learn about their medicinal uses for menstrual discomfort, eye inflammation, acne, and more. Enjoy this aromatic episode!
  • In this episode, Kathryn takes a look at some seasonal spices—ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and turmeric. She tells you about their dosha-balancing qualities and some of the medicinal benefits they offer and shares easy recipes for warming drinks that can be beneficial for the respiratory system. You’ll hear about a tasty way to make toast with cinnamon and ghee, a milk and nutmeg nighttime drink to support your sleep, the myriad uses of turmeric, and more.
  • How can we keep vata dosha balanced with food and drink? Kathryn discusses the tastes that are nourishing and pacifying for vata (and the ones that aren’t), as well as optimal eating times, and why a warm, moisturizing diet is best for vata. You’ll also get tea recommendations, a spice mix recipe, general food recommendations, and more.
  • In this episode, Kathryn discusses the type of diet that’s balancing for pitta dosha. She explains the difference between agni (fire) and pitta, and offers you an overview of pitta’s qualities and the types of tastes that can nourish and pacify this dosha. You’ll get tea and aromatic oil recommendations, a spice mix recipe, seasonal eating suggestions, digestive remedies for “an overheated pitta,” and more.
  • In this episode, Kathryn explores the type of diet that’s balancing for kapha dosha. She discusses kapha’s qualities and the types of foods and tastes that can nourish and stimulate this dosha. You’ll get tea recommendations, a spice mix recipe, seasonal eating suggestions, and more.
  • What is the ayurvedic perspective on eating meat? Kathryn begins this episode with an ayurvedic exploration of how eating meat can affect us mentally and physically, including during times when we’re ill. You’ll also learn how eating fish can balance vata dosha and how drinking “happy, healthy” cow milk can benefit our tissues and sense of nourishment. Finally, Kathryn touches on the digestive qualities of milk, butter, and ghee and the ways in which we can mindfully approach how and what we eat overall.
  • In this episode Kathryn talks about how when deciding whether or not an ayurvedic cleanse will be beneficial for us, we can take our cues from nature and the changing seasons. You’ll learn how to approach cleanses with moderation and equanimity and get ayurvedic recommendations for daily routines and diet during a cleanse. You’ll also get general tips for how to rejuvenate body and mind with food, yoga, and relaxation after an ayurvedic cleanse, recipe suggestions, and more.
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Meet Your Teacher

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Kathryn Templeton
Kathryn Templeton, MA, RDT/ MT/LPC, E-500 RYT, C-IAYT. Ayurvedic practitioner Kathryn Templeton has devoted... Read more

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Absolutely, you can include this podcast in your Yoga Alliance training hours, with each hour equivalent to one continuing education credit.
This podcast is entirely self- paced, allowing you to learn at your convenience.There are no imposed deadlines or time constraints for Podcast completion.
No prerequisites are required; this podcast is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and practice.
No, the podcast is accessible to all individuals interested in enriching their understanding and practice of yoga.Yoga teaching certification is not a prerequisite.

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Kathryn Templeton
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