This vegan miso soup is healthy, delicious, and healing.

It’s a standout recipe for sure among the healthy eats I’ve been making lately! I’m excited to share this one with you. This miso soup is MAGIC. You guys are going to love it. It’s so good—light and savory with a tiny spicy kick, my favorite soup for lunch.

All credit for this recipe goes to Matt, my former husband and still-friend. He’s such an awesome vegan chef! He’s helped me create all the other plant-based recipes I’ve shared here on the blog, which I encourage you to check out. And don’t be scared off if you’re a meat-eater. All are welcome here, and you’re going to love this miso soup! It’s a hit with just about everybody.

This is a spin on traditional Japanese miso soup. We really amp up its already immunity-boosting powers. I always aim to make my meals as nutrient and plant-dense as possible, and this is no exception. We can use food (namely plants) to help nourish our bodies to the max!

I had surgery recently, and this meal really helped my recovery.

I shared all about my repair surgery here, and this recipe is one of the ways I helped myself heal. It is an immunity-boosting powerhouse meal, full of ingredients designed to fight inflammation and aid healing. I had it nearly every week.

Since as I write this we’re in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, I think we could all use this soup. Can’t hurt, right? And it’s definitely the perfect meal to make for a loved one who’s not feeling well. It’s light enough that you can eat it without a huge appetite, and nutritious enough to give your body a major health boost.

This meal is also really fast and easy to throw together, like all my recipes. Because wellness means not slaving away in the kitchen for hours, amiright? This one comes together in about 45 min.

What makes this miso soup so good for you?

The spices, including ginger and turmeric, have anti-inflammatory and immunity-boosting properties. The soup has fresh vegetables and a complete vegan source of protein in the tofu. (Try to find sprouted tofu, which is easier for your body to digest!) There are tons of antioxidants, which help fight disease. Also, I always recommend choosing organic when you can, for all ingredients, to minimize pesticide exposure.

Most importantly, miso itself is known to contain nutrients that help your immune system, including gut-strengthening probiotics, antioxidants, and E + several B vitamins. Miso is a fermented paste made from soybeans, sea salt, and a fungus called koji. The fermentation process is what creates those much-needed probiotics.

If you’re not vegan, you can use bone broth in place of vegetable broth for an extra collagen boost. This is really helpful for post-surgery recovery. As a vegan I obviously think the less animals we can eat, the better, but collagen can be incredibly helpful for injury healing, and there’s sadly currently no vegan source of it. (I trust science will get us there soon!) So that’s an option for meat-eaters.

Also—if you want to learn more about transitioning to a plant-based diet, read my Vegan 101 post.

Now to the best part—the recipe:

Immune-Boosting Miso Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Coconut oil

5-7 cloves Garlic, minced

2-3 inches Ginger root, minced

1-2 inches Turmeric root, minced (you can sub 1 Tbsp Ground turmeric if you can’t find the fresh root in the vegetable section)

Handful of Green onions, diced (separate the whites from the greens)

1 Jalapeño, minced

3 large Carrots, diced

1 medium Zucchini, diced

1 large or 2 small Bell peppers (any color—I like red), diced

2 Tbsp Tamari sauce (or more to taste)

1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar or White wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar gives a sweet kick)

3 Tbsp White or Yellow miso

4-6 cups Vegetable broth (or optional Bone broth for non-vegans)

1 block of Tofu, extra firm, cut into dice sized cubes

Directions:

(Pro tip: Chop everything up beforehand.)

In a large pot, heat up your coconut oil until melted on medium heat.

In the oil, sauté your garlic, ginger, turmeric, the whites of your green onions, and the jalapeño. Cook until the onions soften.

After that, throw in your carrots, zucchini, and bell pepper. Cook until soft, mixing in your tamari sauce and vinegar.

Add the miso and briefly allow your veggies to cook into it before adding the broth. Lastly, add the tofu.

Slowly bring the soup to a boil. Then turn down your heat to bring to a simmer.

Let cook 20 minutes. Taste and add more tamari as needed.

Stir in the remainder of the green onions just prior to serving!

» Song Vibes «

Let me know when you try out this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think in the Comments section below.

xo,

Amy

There are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

The weirdest thing I’ve ever tried in my quest for good sleep? Mouth taping.

And I’m hooked—you’re going to want to try it, too, because it works. I had originally planned on simply mentioning mouth taping in my list of ways to sleep better, but I felt like it’s SUCH an unusual practice that it deserved some deeper exploration in its own post.

If you find yourself breathing through your mouth, especially at night (or if you suspect you aren’t sleeping as deeply as you could), you should try this out. After all, it’s a really cheap and easy way to find better health. Taping your mouth shut guides your body back to its more functional state of breathing: through your nose.

I started mouth taping a little over a year ago, and have since been covering my mouth Hannibal Lecter-style every single night before sleep. I’ve found that I wake up with more energy and am far less foggy-headed!

Yeah, you see—I became a mouth-breather at night for a while there.

There are a number of different reasons you might be breathing through your mouth.

In my case, I had a physical issue going on called overgrown turbinates. My nose was constantly feeling stuffed up, and I thought it was my San Diego allergies until I moved to Hawaii and still had the same issues. It took a lot of investigating and an eventual MRI to confirm I had overgrown little bones called turbinates that were physically blocking my nasal passages, making it very hard to breathe through my nose. So I was compensating by breathing through my mouth. I had turbinate reduction surgery in my nose in Jan 2019, and have been flourishing and mouth taping since to retrain myself to breathe through my nose!

I could probably start to wean myself off, but I like that the tape is a little extra security to keep my body in place. It’s kind of like how a retainer works for your teeth: the tape keeps your mouth closed and your jaw in place.

Now, there may be a number of reasons you or your loved one might be mouth breathing, so the first step before you try mouth taping is—as always—to consult your doctor. There may be an issue preventing you from breathing properly through your nose that we want to rule out first before you try this method.

Our breath is one of the most essential components of our overall wellness.

And yet we take our breath for granted far too easily! Be honest—when was the last time you thought about it? We assume that, because it’s automatic, we don’t have to do anything about it. But the vast majority of modern humans are breathing incorrectly.

We tend to breathe very shallow, up in our chests. This causes us to feel more stressed and anxious, which keeps our breathing more shallow. It’s a vicious cycle.

Our modern anatomy plays a part. According to this fantastic article in the Wall Street Journal, human mouths and sinuses have have shrunk over the past 300,000 years—part of the reason so many of us have crooked teeth, and have to have our wisdom teeth extracted.

But it’s also partly due to the fact that we neglect our breath in a major way. Past cultures considered breathing essential to health, but it’s discussed in modern health… basically never.

The good news is, our poor breathing is easily fixable.

Ideally, our breath should be slow, deep, and relaxed—expanding all the way to the lowest part of your belly, wrapping around to the sides of your ribs and the back.

When we think of breathing deeply, we focus on our bellies expanding forward, but you want to think of breathing from your center core and expanding out in all directions, like an umbrella opening. You shouldn’t feel like you’re forcefully trying to suck in more air, but like you’re relaxing your body enough that the air fills you up.

I teach a lot of breathwork as a yoga teacher, which is something I highly recommend looking into if you feel like you have trouble breathing deeply. Breathwork (aka pranayama) is at the core of yoga—the focus on your breath is one of the reasons yoga is so effective at creating mind-body connection and spiritual awakening. Breath is power.

There is an assortment of tried-and-true breathwork methods, all with various purposes, so I recommend searching for a local yoga or breathwork teacher (or even a physical therapist) who can help teach you some of the exercises. I also often post how-to breathing lessons on my Instagram and TikTok accounts!

It’s the same as training any other muscle—you’ll likely be weak at first, and you may even feel tightness or shaking in your diaphragm when you try to take a deep breath. But the more you practice, the easier it becomes! Trust me—I am doing the work every day to deepen my own breathing! It CAN be done.

Our shallow breath is making us sicker. Poor breathing can worsen asthma, anxiety, ADHD, hypertension, and more. It can also weaken our bones.

Mouth breathing also contributes to a host of health issues.

Put shortly—mouth breathing is the worst of all breathing. It has all the problems of shallow breathing, plus some added bonuses. It sucks to try to get by as a mouth breather, because you feel like crap. But it’s not something you have to settle for living with!

Mouth breathing can cause a number of sleep and health issues, including poor brain function. People who regularly breathe through their mouth are more likely than nasal breathers to have sleep disorders and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD). It can also cause dry mouth, crooked teeth, periodontal disease, increased blood pressure and/or heart rate, and worsened asthma.

Yikes.

Mouth breathing, plus the extra aggravation of your normal shallow breathing, keeps your body’s sympathetic nervous system (stress response) activated. It’s like you’re suffocating, but very, very slowly.

I also have trouble feeling panicky when I’m snorkeling, for this reason. You’re forced to breathe through your mouth. But I digress.

Breathing through your nose, on the other hand, helps you feel your best.

Pair nose breathing with deep belly breathing and WATCH OUT, world. You’ll be freaking superhuman. (Or at least feel that way!)

Let’s talk about some of the health benefits for nose breathing, shall we? Nose breathing basically allows your body to turn off its stress response so your systems can return to functioning properly. You’ll turn on your body’s parasympathetic nervous system—allowing you to rest and restore. You’ll detox stress hormones more quickly and have reduced sleep apnea and snoring. The increased nitric oxide levels in your blood can improve dental health and brain function, lower blood pressure, regulate inflammatory response, reduce pain, boost sexual performance (say what!), reduce your risk of heart disease risk, and improve anxiety and depression.

Yes, please.

If you’re newer to nose breathing, it will be a bit of a challenge at first, but it’s easier the more you RELAX. And, of course, your body will try to return to its old habit of mouth breathing, especially when you’re asleep and, you know, unconscious.

That’s where your handy mouth tape comes in.

Heels because why not talk about something weird like mouth taping — but make it fashion. And also because I’m currently bored in COVID quarantine and these shoes got nowhere else to go.

The right Mouth Tape to use:

I personally use 3M micropore paper tape, but any hypoallergenic paper tape or surgical tape works. It doesn’t irritate my skin, which is vital. I also fold over the tape’s edge on one end, to make it super easy to peel off in the morning.

To be clear: you don’t want to use just any ol’ tape. You could cause a rash or pull at your skin, so put the Scotch away! Also, lay it down gently, after you’ve applied a solid layer of lip balm to keep your lips protected and lush.

I first found out about mouth taping through an unexpected source: the wonderful book Dodging Energy Vampires by Christiane Northrup, M.D, an obstetrician and gynecologist. That’s where I found her advice to use this specific tape to help improve your sleep (which is key to keeping yourself emotionally strong and energetically grounded). It’s a fantastic book that I highly recommend, especially for my fellow empaths out there!

Now, I totally understand being a bit freaked out about suffocating.

But no, this tape will not prevent you from breathing! If it does, something’s wrong. You should be able to breathe exclusively through your nose.

It’s totally normal to feel a little anxious when you first try it. I remember a panicked feeling rising in my chest, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe enough. But after a few minutes, my body adjusted and my nose kicked in. After a few days, it felt totally natural. If you feel like you’re struggling to breathe in enough, that likely just means you need to practice deep breathing in general during your waking hours to strengthen your system. With a little practice and consistency, your body will respond!

What if your nose gets congested? On a night where my allergies are bad and my nose is super stuffy (or, to be real, when I’ve been crying a lot), I will skip the mouth tape because nose breathing just isn’t an option. But otherwise, I’ve never had a problem. The most likely worst case scenario if you had any trouble breathing is: you’d wake up and take off the tape. No biggie.

But if you’re still worried, I found a solution! These sleep strips by SomniFix each have a safety hole cut out in the center—just in case. I haven’t tried them, but they have great reviews. I personally prefer to stick with my paper tape honestly because it’s just much more cost-effective, and I’ve never had an issue with it! But let me know what you think if you give these a shot.

Pro tip: use a neti pot before you put on your mouth tape.

I use a saline wash (and nasya oil) every morning and night to literally clean out my nasal passages and keep everything flowing clearly. Honestly, the feeling is so satisfying. This ensures you’re as decongested as possible, keeping the nose airways open so you won’t feel like you need your mouth to breathe. It’s uber effective (without the side effects of decongestant medicine) and helpful to do whether you feel stuffy or not. Using a saline rinse can even help prevent you from getting sick from respiratory diseases (heyyy COVID-19).

I wrote all about how to neti pot in this post. Since then I’ve also upgraded to the 2020 version of a neti pot: the battery-operated NeilMed Sinugator. (I mean, you gotta love it just for the balls of that name, right?) My surgeon had me get it after my turbinate surgery—it’s like a vibrator for your nose. It straight shoots the saline water up and out of your nose with a gentle pulsation that is highly efficient and effective. It’s so weird and wonderful and I never want to use a regular neti pot again. I always pack my Sinugator and my mouth tape when I travel—they’re essentials.

I hope mouth taping helps you sleep and feel better!

» Song Vibes «

How’s your breathing? Have you ever noticed? Let’s talk in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

Get ready to have the cleanest mouth in town—meet the tongue scraper!

I hope you’re all holding up during the coronavirus lockdown. I’ve been really using this break to focus on my daily health practices, taking lots of time to slow down and nurture my body. As a result, I’m feeling the best I have in a long time! The very first thing I do every morning, as soon as I wake up, is use my tongue scraper—and I want to share this odd but revolutionary oral hygiene tool with you all.

I mean, since you’re possibly confined in close quarters with your loved ones, it’s a good idea to have fantastic breath, right?

Tongue scraping is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that has been shown in scientific studies to improve dental health. I was first introduced to it in 2016 when I did my 200 hr yoga teacher training. I studied under Elka Haeckel at Elka Yoga & Wellness here in San Diego, CA. Elka is also a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, so she makes her yoga training unique by including a special study into Ayurveda. My world was rocked learning all about it, and I’ll share more here on the blog soon. In short, it’s the sister science of yoga—it’s like a holistic guidebook to wellness. Many of the practices have become mainstream over time because they’ve been proven to WORK.

Tongue scraping is one of them!

So is dry brushing, using a neti pot, and moisturizing with coconut oil. If you want to learn more about Ayurveda as a whole, I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Idiot’s Guide to Ayurveda by Sahara Rose.

A clean tongue is key to our overall oral health.

I feel like tongues get neglected in the dental conversation. But over time bacteria, debris, and dead cells build up on our tongues, which leads to bad breath and dental decay.

There’s no phrase less sexy than “dental decay.”

You can get some of this off by using your toothbrush on your tongue, but a tongue scraper has been proven to be more effective.

According to Ayurveda, all toxins begin in the mouth, and when it builds up on your tongue, the toxicity spreads to your gastrointestinal tract and the rest of your body. This is true! Bad dental health can lead to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Ayurvedic practitioners always ask their patients to stick out their tongue—you can tell a lot by a tongue’s color and texture.

The bacteria on your tongue form a white, mucous coating, which in Ayurveda is called “ama.” Use your tongue scraper once and you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about. You’ll see it when you scrape.

Benefits of using a tongue scraper:

• improves dental health
• freshens breath
• prevents gum infections and recessions
• improves immunity
• enhances taste buds
• improves digestion
• enhances saliva production (critical for food digestion)

Your body begins digesting food as soon as it enters your mouth. Your saliva begins breaking down the food and sends signals to your digestive system so it can prepare to break it down further. When your tongue is coated with ama, your body can’t tell as clearly what’s going on. With a reduced microbial load, your tongue can taste and signal more effectively.

Tongue scraping is SO satisfying. After scraping I immediately have a better taste on my tongue—it’s a full fresh feeling. I never miss doing it because my mouth just tastes off if I don’t. And, I have to add, I’ve never had a cavity and my dentists always remark on my dental health! You’ll become as obsessed as I am with this, I promise.

This is the exact tongue scraper I use and recommend getting.

I’m pretty specific about this tongue scraper for a few reasons. Many tongue scrapers are copper, but it’s possible to get heavy metal toxicity from copper overload. Estrogen increases copper retention, making women more susceptible to this. So I say, why risk it? I’ve also seen some versions made from plastic, which is a hormone disrupter we want nowhere near our mouths! The specific tongue scraper you use is important.

Stainless steel is the safest option. (Plus the silver makes it pretty aesthetically pleasing next to your toothbrush.) This one is surgical grade and is smooth on the tongue, with comfortable grip handles. It’s only $8 and will last a lifetime. I love it!

How To Use Your Tongue Scraper

It’s super simple! You want to tongue scrape first thing in the morning, before you brush your teeth, and ideally before you drink anything, like water or coffee.

It literally takes less than a minute to do, making it one of the most efficient and effective things you can add to your morning routine.

• Hold one end of your tongue scraper in each hand
• Look in a mirror
• Stick out your tongue
• Apply gentle pressure and swipe from the back of your tongue forward toward the tip (don’t scrape too aggressively!)
• Rinse the ama off of your tongue scraper (it’s quite satisfying)
• Repeat 10 times
• Swish a drink of water around in your mouth, then spit to finish
• Rinse your tongue scraper and store in a clean, dry place
• Follow up by brushing your teeth
• Deep clean your tongue scraper occasionally by washing or running through the dishwasher

Here’s a visual as well to help:

Be sure to use your tongue scraper every day.

As with any wellness practice, consistency is key to results! While it’s wonderful to scrape your tongue whenever you can, you’ll discover better health when you do it every day.

By the way—a tongue scraper makes an unusual and helpful gift (perfect for a stocking stuffer). Especially for your significant other—you both benefit from their better breath.

So, here’s to clean mouths for all! I hope you all find you enjoy scraping your tongue as much as I do.

» Song Vibes «

Have you tried tongue scraping? Share your experience with me in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

Say goodbye to insomnia—you CAN get better sleep. And you can do it naturally.

I take my sleep very seriously. I’ve always been a restless, light sleeper, and there have been many periods in my life where it felt like no matter what I did, I just could. not. sleep. So if you’re suffering from insomnia or not sleeping as deeply as you know you could, you’ve come to the right place.

I’ve been there, and I know it can make you crazy. I’m writing this during the Coronavirus pandemic, and stress is destroying sleep around the globe. But I have good news: you CAN get better sleep. I’ve found real, natural wellness tools that WORK, which I’m going to share with you here. Now I sleep deeply, with very little interruption, straight through the night (with one bathroom break), which is something I once thought was impossible.

There was a few years in my 20s where I really only slept by way of medication, with Ambien or one of my anti-anxiety medications, Ativan or Klonopin. Not to knock medication—I believe there’s a time and a place for it, always, especially when it’s a critical situation. Sometimes we need that boost. But I think we can all agree it’s ideal for us to sleep deeply naturally, without the drugs.

All those medications had a strong affect on me and terrible side effects. I remember feeling a bad, cotton-y taste in my mouth after taking them, and I was always groggy and foggy-headed. I then turned to tons of caffeine to pull me out of the fog, which led to me getting overly anxious and not able to relax and fall asleep at night. So it created a horrible vicious cycle, and I felt sick, still lacking real natural sleep.

Step One: Release the fear of not getting a good night’s sleep.

When you’re not sleeping well, you don’t feel well. And this stress can worsen the problem. Tell me if you’ve been here before: lying in bed, stressed about not getting enough sleep, which causes you to (wait for it) not be able to sleep, which makes you more stressed as you start to count down how many hours of sleep you’d get if you fell asleep now… and on and on through the night. It’s actual hell.

You WILL sleep well again.

Repeat that after me.

You WILL sleep well again.

Your natural state is alignment, and your body wants to rest. So does your mind. Start to surrender to what is.

When you feel that fear creeping back up, the only thing you can do is soften into acceptance. The real suffering with sleeplessness comes from the agony we create in our own minds about the whole experience by constantly obsessing over it. If you feel exhausted—let it be. If you feel like you don’t know how you’ll get through another day—let it be. The fear is just amplifying the experience. Choose to let it go.

The number one cure is to RELAX.

Now, all that I’ve written so far is easier said than done—I know. It’s hard to accept a situation that, frankly, sucks.

But we can use our mind-body connection to make the whole process easier. When you relax your body, your mind starts to relax—and vice-versa. When you feel fear, use it as a sign that you need to take action to release that tension and return to peace.

I’m sure you have endless responsibilities and a crammed calendar and to-do list. It probably feels like the last thing you can do is carve out time to “do nothing.” But, I’m telling you, this is fundamental.

We live in an over-stressed, amped-cortisol world. We’re ON for so much of the day that we need to take steps towards the end of the day to shift gear back into a state of rest, so we can sleep better naturally.

Unwind for at least an hour before bedtime.

The last hour of your day is KEY. You don’t expect a pot of stew to boil immediately after you turn your stove on, right? We can’t expect our bodies to immediately fall asleep when ten minutes ago you were answering work emails, having a tense discussion with your S.O., or watching a movie.

Your brain is not a lightswitch. We need time to relax and release the stress of the day. What you choose to do is up to you: but remember to differentiate what you think relaxes you from what actually relaxes you. Stretching=relaxing. True crime docs on Netflix=not relaxing. Real relaxation comes when we are intentional about tuning inwards and focusing on our energetic states. It’s not numbing, or zoning out.

Here are my suggestions for how to relax at the end of the day:

• Meditate. If I could, I would make this mandatory for everyone. I’m a meditation teacher for a reason—it’s changed my life. And it’s not as intimidating as you may have heard. Read this intro all about how to meditate.
• Stretch. Try an online yin yoga class or just take a few minutes to stretch on your own: I’ve got a bunch of how-to stretch guides here on the blog.
• Lay on an acupressure mat. This thing is pure magic. Lying on it for just 20 minutes shifts my whole body into a calm state. While you rest on it, meditate or listen to a calm podcast or audiobook!
• Take an epsom salt bath. A regular bath is nice, but an epsom salt bath is CLUTCH. Epsom salts contain magnesium, which I’ll mention again below as is great for helping your body release tension and soreness. All you need is 2 cups and 20 minutes to soak. I like to add lavender and eucalyptus essential oils to mine.
• Read a book. But remember—one that zens you out, not one that quickens your heart rate! This cute rechargeable book light is perfect for keeping the lights low.
• Write in a gratitude journal.
• Try to avoid bright lights and screens during this time, including your phone. The light from electronics disrupts our bodies’ circadian rhythm, a natural process which regulates the body’s sleep-wake systems. It’s triggered by the light of the sun, telling your body when it’s day and night, and adjusting your energy levels appropriately. If you do look at a screen, wear blue light blocking glasses, which filter out those high-energy light wavelengths. I have these cute ones from Felix Gray that are super cute, lightweight, and effective. I use them all day long.

Use blackout curtains, or the BEST eye mask for sleeping.

Like I was saying, light is important—and we don’t want any of it while you sleep. The darker your bedroom, the better. I go so far as to throw towels or blankets over the electronic lights in my studio apartment, because I don’t want to be confronted by all the bright yellow green lights when I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Blackout curtains are your best friend. However, right now my studio apartment has a lovely wall-length balcony blind situation where I can’t have curtains, but the blinds let a lot of light in. So I use this, which is the best eye mask for sleeping. Did I mention it’s only $7? And it’s perfect for travel.

It’s not your average eye mask.

Most eye masks rest against your eyelids, which is not good. Your eyes move around during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, and with the pressure that movement becomes limited, disrupting your sleep. Also, the eyelid wrinkles! I love this eye mask for sleeping because it’s sculpted up away from your eyes. They kind of like bug eyes tbh, but just remember there’s nothing sexier than being well-rested.

Have a warm drink before bed—and add magnesium.

When we sleep, our bodies’ core temperatures decrease, and our circadian rhythm causes our core temperature to rise again in the morning, waking us. When you help your body make this shift to a cooler temperature, you can help encourage along the biological processes of sleep. It’s like giving the body a little nudge in the right direction.

The best way to do this is, as I said above, to take an epsom salt bath. I live for my epsom salt baths. They’re everything. And, of course, make sure to keep your bedroom cool—I aim for 68 degrees as my ideal, but if you can go colder, more power to you.

BUT if you don’t have access to a hot tub or the time for a whole soak, you can still help coax your body along into sleep. Just drink something warm—this will raise your body’s core temperature slightly, so that it will have to cool off to return to normal. Cooling off cues sleep. See what we did there?

The two best drinks for sleep:

• Nighty Night tea. This tea from Traditional Medicinals is an organic blend of calming herbs like chamomile and linden flower. They also have a Nighty Night Extra version with Valerian Root if you need a stronger punch—I haven’t tried it yet, but I love all this company’s teas!
• Golden milk! This delicious drink is a blend of potent anti-inflammatory turmeric and other herbs, and is best mixed with your choice of gently warmed plant milk (I love oat milk). I love this organic golden milk from Gaia, which contains Ashwagandha, a stress-relieving adaptogen.

Lastly, add magnesium to your drink! I love this unflavored magnesium from Calm (bonus: it also has calcium). It doesn’t taste like anything, unless you want a flavored version, in which case you could mix it with warm water. Magnesium deficiency is common in adults, and it’s vital we get enough. Magnesium helps us maintain healthy levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes deep sleep.

Take some CBD, or cannabis.

I wrote an entire post about CBD, including how it work and my top recommendations. So, definitely go check it out! It’s the ultimate natural super-relaxer.

Now, if it’s legal where you live, you could also take it one step further and use cannabis to help you sleep. Cannabis is legal in CA, and I’m a big fan, for many reasons. I’ll write a post on this soon! But in the meantime, if you’re newer to the world of kush, know that you need Indica strains. There are two, Sativa (which is energizing), and Indica (which is relaxing). So you have to be selective about what you choose to smoke or injest. My favorite edibles are Kiva Dark Chocolate and Kaneh Chocolate Paleo Bites. They’re both legit delicious and pack a strong, relaxing punch that will soothe even the most stressful of days.

Sensitive to noise? Use these super-comfortable earplugs.

I have been using these Sleep Pretty in Pink earplugs since 2006, when I went to college. New to having a roommate, I found it challenging to not have my personal space, especially since I’m an empath. I had to find a way to block out the noise of my roommate working or moving around while I slept, and I can tell you honestly that I put in WORK to find the perfect earplugs—and these are them. I am very proud of this discovery.

That’s because of two major factors: they are by far the most comfortable AND they also block out top levels of noise, at 32 DB. I’m sorry, or maybe you’re welcome, but they are bright pink. Let’s ignore the issue of how it’s a wee bit demeaning to be marketed to in this overtly feminine way, and the name is just a groan. But I’m telling ya—they’re the best.

I do sometimes get sad at the environmental impact of earplugs though—as soon as there’s a more natural fix, I’ll tell you.

You should turn on some form of white noise.

I have had the same white noise machine for over a decade, and they don’t make it anymore. I like just the classic mechanic white noise *whoosh* sound. But if I were to buy a new one today, this white noise machine from Marpac is the one I would get. It’s super similar to my model and comes highly recommended.

When I’m traveling, I use the app Sleep Pillow for the iPhone. It’s FREE and has a great selection of sounds, with a premium option if you’re real specific about your sounds. I’m a fan of the upper left rain/water one in the free version. It’s perfect to drown out activity around you.

Another solid go-to fix is to turn on a fan or your air conditioner. The more white noise, the better I sleep.

You can also try listening to deep sleep music.

Some people aren’t a fan of white noise and need something a little more deliberately relaxing. Thankfully, tons of music is out there specifically designed to lead you into a deep sleep.

This is a Spotify playlist I made of my favorite relaxing deep sleep sounds to help coax me to sleep. The first song is a long, 30 min OM chant that I find really relaxing, and the rest are non-vocal, soft instrumental songs that promote deeper sleep. I hope you find it as soothing as I do!

» Song Vibes «

If you struggle to sleep at any point in the night, stay relaxed.

If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back asleep, remember to accept the situation rather than get anxious. I would encourage you to stay resting, even if you feel totally alert. Sometimes I find it helpful to move from the bed to the couch—a new sleeping arrangement for a fresh start, so to speak. (Avoid turning on any lights.)

Even if you aren’t sleeping, resting is still very restorative for the body and will help you feel best the next day. Think of it as a mid-sleep meditation break.

Most importantly, practice deep breathing while you rest. Breathe in and out through your nose all the way to the lowest part of your belly, letting your entire body relax. Enjoy this time to turn off from the world and just rest.

Wishing you all a great night’s sleep tonight!

Do you know any other natural ways to sleep better? Share with me in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

Have you tried CBD yet?

CBD is finally getting its moment in the spotlight in the health and wellness world. I absolutely love it and use it all the time. But it’s also still very misunderstood—so let’s talk about it!

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression my entire life. CBD is like a warm, soothing blanket that helps take the edge off when my anxiety in particular spins out of control. CBD creates a calming effect mentally and reduces inflammation in your body. It’s like the ultimate chill pill for both your mind and body—a potential alternative to anxiety meds and a great tool to help your body recover.

CBD stands for cannabidiol. And yes, cannabidiol is one of the active ingredients of cannabis, aka marijuana, aka weed. BUT it is not the component that gets you high—that’s active ingredient #1, THC. CBD is the beautiful healing part of the marijuana plant that has numerous health benefits and is prominent in medical marijuana.

So, to reiterate: NO, it won’t get you high.

Also, CBD on its own is derived from the HEMP plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant, so it’s not even around the THC. Not that there’s anything wrong with THC—I’m a huge fan of weed for all of its mental and physical benefits, which I plan to get into in a future post. But you just can’t beat CBD for ultimate anxiety and muscle tension relief, and it’s safe for almost everyone to take, so I had to bring it up with you guys.

Bonus: you also cannot get addicted to CBD! According to a report from the World Health Organization, “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”

If you haven’t tried it, it’s time!

Because CBD is not marijuana, you can legally order it online anywhere in the U.S. But some states do still have some restrictions on it, and the federal government still (unfortunately) lumps it in with marijuana, so servicemen and women can’t have it or risk popping on a drug test. Which is a tragedy because our military needs far more mental health help, but that’s another rant. The good news is that times are changing rapidly and it will soon be 100% legal (along with weed one day!).

This post is NOT sponsored, btw. But if you’re looking, I recommend trying the Sunday Scaries Vegan AF CBD gummies.

Sunday Scaries is my personal favorite CBD brand, but there are lots out there to choose from, and more keep emerging every day. I encourage you to always do research and choose what works for you! But here’s an excerpt from Sunday Scaries’ website that helps explain some of the reasons I love this brand:

Unlike some of our competitors who get a lot of their hemp from China and other overseas sources with loose regulatory requirements, our broad spectrum hemp is sourced directly from farms in the USA. Our hemp is grown in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill so these farms are regulated by the states’ Agriculture Departments. This requires our hemp to be pesticide free.

(Side Note: In case you didn’t know, the term “Sunday Scaries” refers to the feeling of dread and anxiety that most people experience on Sunday evenings as they realize they have to go back to work Monday morning. I can relate to this from back in the days when I worked as a television writer’s assistant. But it’s so important to also realize that gut feeling is our intuition calling us to change our lives and find work that fulfills us! Don’t settle!)

Ways to take CBD:

• Orally: The most effective and healthful method. One option is to place drops of CBD oil under your tongue (aka sublingual). Leef Organics is my favorite for drops! Or, you can take it in edible form, like the Sunday Scaries gummies. They’re yummy and also contain vitamins B13 (which vegans have to take as a supplement) and D3 (which almost everyone is deficient in). It can take about 30 minutes to up to 2 hours to feel the effects of edibles, so go slowly. You also may not feel the effects as strongly the first few times you take CBD, as it has to build up in your body. On the other hand, sublingual drops absorb much more quickly than edibles, since they bypass the digestive tract, so that’s a better option for faster relief.
• Topically: You can also apply CBD directly to your skin to help target areas of tension/soreness/pain. The CBD will soak into the area to help reduce inflammation and promote healing. A 2015 study done on rats found that CBD gel applied to the skin greatly reduced joint swelling. This is great news if you have arthritis, or want to prevent it and other ailments!
• Smoking/Vaping: Vaping is definitely preferable to smoking, but make sure you know exactly what’s in what you choose to smoke. I don’t typically want to inhale all the chemicals in most vape cartridges, so I choose to stick with the oral method. However, inhaling is a much faster method and will provide relief in 10 minutes or less.

I find that the physical effects of CBD are pretty subtle, but everyone responds differently, so be sure to try it out at the end of the day when you’re done with your responsibilities to see how it affects you. It doesn’t make me drowsy or tired at all, just overall more relaxed and loose.

Benefits of CBD:

How does CBD work, exactly? Let’s get nerdy (here’s a great scientific article if you want even more). Our bodies have something called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS. It runs throughout your entire body. The ECS regulates our mood, brain function, immune response, sleep, inflammation, stress, and pain. So, like, our entire wellbeing.

CBD essentially flips the switch to ON for your ECS. It does this by activating one of the system’s receptors, CB2. This helps the body send signals back to the brain that all is well, which can promote healing and help you transition into a state of peace.

To get specific, CBD can:

• stabilize mood
• reduce stress
• improve sleep
• provide feeling of calm
• improve brain function
• improve immune system
• reduce inflammation
• reduce pain

But wait, there’s more! This excerpt from Daddy Burt Hemp Co. explains:

In addition to CBD’s other effects on the endocannabinoid system, it also positively impacts the uptake and flow of chemicals in the brain. One of the most well-documented effects is CBD’s impact on serotonin.

CBD has been shown to act on and stimulate serotonin pathways in the brain. Increased serotonin levels can help provide relief for anxiety, depression, and migraine symptoms.

Research on CBD has also demonstrated an impact on the ‘glial cells’ in the brain. Glial cells provide support to the neurons in the brain. If glial cells become overactive for any reason, they can lead to hypersensitive responses to different stimuli, such as pain or light. CBD helps regulate the activity of glial cells, bringing them back to a normal level.

This stuff may just be magic.

As a yoga and meditation teacher, I of course recommend that you use CBD as a tool to help boost other healing-promoting actions, as well.

Practice self-care while you let the CBD take its effects, and your body will respond that much better. I recommend:

• meditating for at least 5 minutes
• lying on an acupressure mat
• practicing yoga
• taking a hot bath with Epsom salts
• getting a massage
• anything else that you find relaxing.

Remember to breathe deeply and send yourself loving thoughts to help encourage your body to switch off its Flight or Fight response and return to a state of calm clarity.

By the way, CBD is great for dogs, too! I give Pet Releaf CBD to my corgi to help with his anxiety, and it works like magic! It was actually initially recommended to me by my veterinarian, but of course if you have any concerns please talk to yours before giving it to your furry friend. But it can really help if your dog has any high/nervous energy!

The holiday season is upon us—CBD is a great stress-reliever to have on deck.

The holidays can be super joyful for some, and incredibly stressful for others. There’s often a lot of family time and thinking about the past. Try to mindfully protect your energy with difficult family members, and be kind to yourself if you find yourself being triggered. Taking CBD always calms my nerves and helps me process difficult encounters with greater ease!

I’m wishing you all a very stress-free second-half of November. My birthday is coming up (November 27, Sagittarius what’s up!) so I plan on treating myself to some CBD and a massage. Let me know what you think if you give CBD a shot! I hope you find it as helpful as I have.

» Song Vibes «

Do you love CBD? Have any questions about it before you try? Let me know in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

📸: Matthew Hanley

This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love this CBD and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!

It’s time I share my secret weapon with all of you: let’s talk about my favorite magnesium spray.

If you’ve known or have been following me for a while, you probably know that I have ongoing neck pain. Like chronic relentless spasms in my neck and shoulder muscles that have been with me for years now, although they’ve gotten dramatically better. That’s why I got so into wellness and became a yoga teacher. And in a twisted way, I’ve come to be really grateful for it, because in my pursuit of healing this injury has led me to become try every wellness tool and trick under the sun. And now I get to share them all with you! This magnesium spray is definitely a keeper.

Note: this post is NOT sponsored. But I am super excited about this product because there aren’t many other similar options available out there. I had to do a bit of digging to find the ECO. Recovery Magnesium Spray. It’s a total gem that I’ve been using religiously now for a little over two years. Safe to say I can highly recommend it!

Magnesium spray is great for helping aid muscle recovery.

I first found out about it when I went to see a new acupuncturist for treatment. She explained that my muscles needed help rehydrating—the tissues had been compressed for so long with tension that nothing was gliding smoothly. The acupuncturist recommended I try magnesium to help with this, so off to the internet I went to do as much research as possible!

This diagram from RockTape (another muscle recovery tool rockstar—def will write a post on it soon) is super helpful in showing what muscle tension looks like:

Magnesium helps reduce inflammation in the muscle, thereby reducing pain.

Essentially, it’s one of nature’s natural muscle relaxants. It helps your body calm down its stress response and get back to tissue repair and healing.

Here’s more about the benefits of the spray, according to ECO.:

Our Recovery Magnesium Spray is high in magnesium, which is rapidly absorbed into the deep muscle tissue to relieve muscle stress and strain brought on from exercise. This spray also contains pure essential oils, including black pepper oil, pink grapefruit oil, thyme oil and marjoram oil to help increase circulation and ease muscle soreness. It also works to balance hormones and improve energy levels.

I mean, yes please!

Did I mention that in this magnesium spray the ingredients are all-natural, vegan, and synthetic-free? The ingredients are minimal and recognizable. As it should be.

Magnesium can be taken orally, like in this really relaxing Calm supplement, which I do love to take sometimes to help me fall asleep. But it’s even more effectively absorbed through the skin. Get it straight to the source of your pain.

One way to do that is by rubbing magnesium oil into your skin. It’s actually not an oil, but magnesium chloride that’s suspended in water—it’s messy and runny. I’ve tried it. Not my thing.

I don’t know about you, but I like tools that are extra efficient.

So this spray is quick and no-fuss, no-muss. Simply spray and go! It’s really hard to overdose on magnesium, so apply liberally. I keep this bottle in my backpack with me—it’s small and lightweight, but lasts a long time.

When you spray, you’ll feel a bit of tingling on your skin—kind of like laying on an acupressure mat. It’s subtle and fades quickly, but I kind of like the tingling—it’s like I can feel fresh blood getting pulled into the tissue, washing away all the toxins that have gotten stuck in the knots.

Just like giving the ol’ muscle tissues a good pillow fluff.

Thanks to this magnesium spray, there’s no more reason to put up with sore muscles.

My usual nightly routine when I’m sore, which is often (I teach 15+ classes a week and work out 6 days a week) is to foam roll (I swear by the RumbleRoller), take an Epsom salt bath (2 cups, soak for at least 20 minutes), and then spray this on as I get out of the bath and ready for bed. I always wake up feeling like a new me! Ain’t no time for limping around like Quasimodo.

Plus, those three muscle recovery techniques are super easy, affordable, and don’t take much time. They aren’t as intensive or expensive as some of my other classic faves (massage, cupping, acupuncture, cryotherapy, etc) but honestly that trio is often just as effective at helping you feel better. Throw in a solid round of yoga stretching and your body will be bouncing back into GO mode in no time.

Let me know what you think if you try this magnesium spray out. I definitely just applied it like 3 times as I wrote this. Feels so good!

» Song Vibes «

What are some of your favorite muscle recovery tricks? Share them with me in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy

It’s time we finally talk about my Daft Punk Visor/Favorite Sun Protection Tool: my Bluestone Sunshield.

First, let me start off by saying this is NOT a sponsored post, not an ad, I am literally just in love with this thing. This sunshield is going to be your new favorite skincare accessory!

I am so freaking excited to talk about this with you guys. This is probably my most asked-about (and most loved) wellness accessory, and I have a lot. If you follow me on Instagram (and you should—I want to get to know you!), you’ve likely seen me roaming around San Diego wearing this.

You might say it looks weird. I say it’s CHIC. Skin is in!

I’m a little obsessive about protecting my skin from the sun.

Why? Well, we should all be, in my opinion.

I’ve been conscious about sun protection since I was a child. My uncle was/is a dermatologist, and when I was very young my mom asked him what to use to protect mine and my brother’s skin. His responses: Sunscreen + Retinol. I’ve been using both religiously ever since.

(My favorite sunscreen is Alba Botanica Cool Sport Refreshing Clear Spray SPF 50. Always choose one that is organic, eco-friendly reef-friendly, free of oxybenzone and octinoxate, obvs.)

Then, when I was a teenager, I helped my mom take care of my great-grandfather as he slowly died from melanoma (skin cancer). It left a dramatic impact on me. He had spent many hours working in the sun when he was young, and had massive moles and spots all over his body.

I’ve always been maybe a little extra (maybe? lol). As a teen my friends would make fun of me when I walked out for pool parties, because I’d SLATHER sunscreen on. I didn’t care if it made me look pasty white. I’ve never let myself get tan.

When I picture tanning in the sun, the image that pops into my mind is a turkey roasting in the oven. I know it’s very different, but the wrinkly, crinkled skin? Basically the same end result.

But when my face was badly damaged, I stepped my sun protection game UP.

In 2016, the day before I was supposed to go to the desert on a camping trip to celebrate graduating from yoga teacher training, I went to get a facial. I was having horrible breakouts and my skin was a mess.

The esthetician pressured me into getting a chemical peel. I told her the pain was unbearable, and she kept telling me to hold out for “just a little longer.” I left the office with a second-degree burn, all over my whole face.

It still makes me sick to my stomach to remember. I now get red in my face really easily, and it’s hard not to mourn the loss of my once-really-amazing skin. But I choose to see it as a lesson. A) to always trust MYSELF and B) to protect the fuck out of my skin and my health.

Now, even if you haven’t had a lot of damage to your skin, you’ve likely spent a lot of time out in the sun over the years, which is still damage, but slow, so it sneaks up on you. Even with all that diligence, I’ve got some sunspots on my hands and one on my cheek that I’m keeping an eye on.

The Bluestone Sunshield is the ultimate in face sun-protection.

We all know the sun-protecting standards: sunscreen all day, every day. A hat whenever possible. I also use driving gloves to protect my hands and have sun screens attached to my car windows.

But I was wondering how to step my game up a notch—after all, a hat only covers part of your face. What about your chin? Your neck?? Who wants to keep caking on layer after layer of sunscreen all day to reapply? It’s not even really an option with a full face of makeup. And hats are great but they ruin your hair.

Thankfully I found what I was searching for when the blogger Lauryn Evarts of The Skinny Confidential posted a Story of herself wearing a Bluestone Sunshield visor.

PART THE CLOUDS AND CUE THE ANGELS.

I’m going to get picky here and insist that you order the crème de la crème of the Bluestone Sunshield lineup. Because they do also make some super cute half-visors and others that only protect against some UV rays.

But if we’re doing this, we’re DOING this, right? 100% protection or bust, people.

This the Bluestone Sunshield visor I have:

Buy Sunshield on Amazon

From the Bluestone website:

Our Chrome Sunshield provides our best protection and clarity! Recommended by top dermatologists. Our anti-glare Chrome Sun Shield is perfect for in the car use or laying poolside. Heat resistant lens means you can keep your cool even during the hottest days.

The visor clicks into place to angle up or down. You choose whether or not anyone/the sun can see your face.

Benefits of the Bluestone Sunshield visor:

• Blocks 99% of UVA/UVB rays from the sun
• Slows down the aging process—that means reduced wrinkles + sun spots
• Ideal for recovering from any kind of facial procedure
• Protects against skin cancer
• Won’t mess up your hair
• Protects your eyes too, like sunglasses
• Keeps you cool, both literally and figuratively
• Fantastic conversation starter: spread the sun protection gospel!
• Protects you from the public eye (Are you a celebrity? Who knows? Nobody, when you’re wearing this. YOU MIGHT BE)

Now, since you were amazing enough to read all the way through to this point in my post, thank you, and I’ve got a special surprise for you! I reached out to Bluestone Sunshields and they gave me this insider DEAL to share with you if you want to buy a visor of your own:

Use the Promo Code Sunshield15 for 15% off your entire order.

Like I said, this post is not an ad, I’m not being paid and I don’t get paid if you buy one. But I would LOVE to start a secret Sun Health Warrior army of fabulous people loving themselves walking all over the world in these things. So please please treat yourself and join the Cool Kids Club.

No really—Bluestone Sunshields are, actually, getting a lot of attention, because even though you have to be willing to get some looks, the benefits are hard to beat. Also, I can’t be the only one who actually thinks they look really cute?

I’ll be 100% honest. I was nervous the first time I wore this thing out in public! But then I realized I loved it, and people actually didn’t really react negatively like I thought they would. I do get a few weird looks when I wear it, and sometimes someone will offer some unsolicited, brilliant commentary (“you look like you’re welding something!” har har har). But more often than not, I actually get stopped by older women who want to know where to get one. They say they wish they had worn something like it when they were younger. THAT is the feeling I’m trying to avoid: regret.

We now know too much about sun damage to not take action against it.

I now wear my Sunshield every single time I take my dogs for a walk. Taking a yoga class outside in the sun? This is ideal, because unlike a hat, it will stay on your head.

I think the Bluestone Sunshield is so fun—it reminds me daily to not take life, or myself, too seriously. While also taking sun protection very seriously.

» Song Vibes «

So what do you think? Have I convinced you—would you wear one of these? Share your thoughts with me in the Comments below!

xo,

Amy