As soon as I wake up, before opening my eyes I recall my dreams. My dreams are extremely vivid and always signal me messages on what I need to be working on or looking out for. Once I’ve opened my eyes, I list three things that I’m grateful for then set an intention for how I want to feel that day.

I brush my teeth with fluoride-free, all-natural toothpaste while rolling my shoulders, hips, chest and ankles to wake up the physical body. I then scrape my tongue with a tongue scraper to remove toxins, which Ayurveda calls ama. It’s basically that white sticky mucus that coats your tongue, especially when you’re out of balance. I always check in with my tongue to see where my health is at- it’s like a crystal ball into your digestion!

I then scoop a spoon of coconut oil in my mouth for another Ayurvedic practice called oil pulling, which also removes toxins from the system. I like to call it “Ayurvedic mouthwash” because you basically swish oil around your mouth for anywhere between 5-20 minutes. The difference between oil-pulling and antibacterial mouthwash is that the oil-pulling only removes the bad bacteria without killing good, while antibacterial mouthwash kills everything, which actually makes your mouth more susceptible to bad bacteria. It’s like taking an antibiotic.

Oral-care is extremely important in Ayurveda, as our mouths are breeding grounds for bacteria which can enter our digestive system if not properly eliminated and I have an entire chapter on morning routines in my book The Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda. A clean mouth is a clean digestive system!

CCF Tea! CCF stands for cumin, coriander and fennel. The tea aids in the absorption of nutrients and stimulates the lymphatic system. Cumin stimulates the digestive fire and decreases gas, reducing Vata and Kapha imbalances. Coriander improves digestion and increases nutrient absorption, reducing Pitta imbalances. Fennel strengthens the digestive fire without aggravating Pitta, making this tea tridoshic. I often add fresh fennel stocks and fronds as well!

To make it, combine ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp coriander and ½ tsp fennel in 4-5 cups boiling water and let steep for at least 10 minutes. Option to add fresh fennel stocks and fronds if you have any leftover! Enjoy throughout the day for digestive benefits!

Exercise! As a Kapha Prakriti (meaning I was born with more Kapha, Earth, Dosha), I do best skipping breakfast because eating first thing in the morning makes me feel heavier throughout the day. After some barre, pilates or yoga to rev up the digestive fire and metabolism, I go straight into lunch which is normally a Six Taste Bowl. The six tastes of Ayurveda are sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent so I make a bowl that combines all of these tastes to keep me nutritionally balanced throughout the day.

When I first move in bed and my puppy knows I’m awake and pounces on me with kisses. I also love those first few morning stretches when you can feel your body come to life again.

A light flowy dress to allow air circulation in my whole body- including my lady parts! It’s important to give your female parts some breathing room to prevent candida overgrowth and bacterial infections. Your yoni (Sanskrit word for vagina or divine procreative energy) is your spiritual vessel: the more connected you are to her, the more creative and intuitive you become! Let your yoni breathe- she doesn’t like the pants all the time!

Set an intention. I’m a huge believer in setting intentions each morning with any sort of affirmation, angel or tarot card and recommend making this a daily ritual to pair with your cup of tea or coffee. By doing this, you’re telling yourself how you intend to feel, which will help guide you in your choices and actions throughout the day so you end up feeling exactly how you want to feel.

Yoga flow! The mind and body are related and when we open up physical channels in the body, we access those in the mind. I get my best ideas while flowing because I’m not consciously thinking about it; I’m just allowing space for them to come!

Lots of tribal music; Moroccan, Algerian, African, Gypsy. It takes me to other dimensions and really helps with writing.

The Chalkboard Mag, my Insta-stories and my Mind-Body Balancers FB Group! I love using social media as a tool for inspiration and sacred sisterhood.

The “I Am Whole Bowl” from Café Gratitude. Macrobiotics is a Japanese health system that actually has origins from Ayurveda and the bowl is very similar to one I’d make at home, combining the six Ayurvedic tastes. It contains sweet potato (sweet), sauerkraut (sour), sea vegetables (salty), steamed greens and raw sprouts (bitter), garlic tahini sauce (pungent) and black beans (astringent.) I always joke how if I was on death-row, that would be my last meal!

Stay balanced! I constantly check-in with my mind and body and honor where I am at. After spending 3 weeks traveling, I’m in nesting mode and have really been enjoying time at home by myself. I always check-in with myself before making any commitments to see how it feels on an intuitive level.

When those Santa Monica beach-front walks are just too good and it may make me miss my barre class! I’m always Insta-storying the downloads I receive on these walks, which is basically just spiritual wisdom that comes to me when my mind is clear. I’m very connected to the water element and it soothes down my entire nervous system.

Wellness doesn’t look, feel or taste like one way; what’s medicine for one person may be poisonous for another. What works for you today may not work for you tomorrow. Allow, trust and flow. We are living experiments.

My new book, the Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda! Just looking at my name next to Deepak Chopra’s (who wrote the foreword) is such a trip and truly reminds me that anything is possible if you believe it is! Writing a book is truly a birth-giving process and I’m so excited to see the shape it takes form out in the real world.

Abhyanga self-oil massage. Basically slowly and deeply massaging all parts of my body with sesame or coconut oil (sesame in the winter, coconut in the summer) to stimulate my lymphatic system, soothe the adrenals and release toxins. Followed by a steamy shower to allow the oil to further penetrate into my pores and another application of oil, hair included! I feel so rejuvenated and relaxed after this process.

My outer world is a reflection of my inner state. I co-create my reality through my thoughts.