A free guide from Sacred Shakti
Is your body asking for a reset?
Nine signs from Ayurveda, and a gentle three-day home practice to begin.
In Ayurveda we learn that the body speaks, before it shouts. Long before we feel unwell, the body sends quiet signals indicating when we are carrying more than we can digest – in food, in feeling, in life. This guide will help you listen. Read the nine signs below and notice which feel familiar. Then try the three-day practice: simple, nourishing, and possible at home. Notice how the body responds.
With loving care, Maya
Nine signs
Your body may be asking for a reset
- 1You wake up heavy or groggy, even after a full night's sleep.
- 2Your tongue has a thick coating in the morning.
- 3Meals sit heavily, and digestion feels slow or irregular.
- 4You lean on sugar, caffeine or salt to get through the day.
- 5Sleep is restless, or you wake at the same hour each night.
- 6Your mind feels foggy, scattered or hard to settle.
- 7Your skin and eyes look dull and tired.
- 8Inspiration and joy feel farther away than they used to.
- 9Your practice feels dry: you show up, but feel little.
Recognized three or more? Your body may be ready for rest and renewal. These are traditional Ayurvedic signs of imbalance, not a medical diagnosis. If something persists or worries you, please see your doctor.
The practice
A gentle three-day reset at home
Choose three days when you can slow down, ideally a long weekend. Eat simply, rest more, and do less. Follow this rhythm each day.
- On waking
- Drink a cup of warm water. Gently scrape your tongue. Then give yourself Abhyanga: 10 minutes of self-massage with warm sesame oil (sunflower or coconut if you tend to run hot), long strokes on limbs, circles on joints. Rest 10 minutes, then take a warm shower.
- Morning
- Stewed apple or pear with a pinch of cinnamon for breakfast. A slow walk or 15 minutes of gentle yoga.
- Midday
- Kitchari (recipe below) as your main meal, eaten warm, seated, without screens. Sip ginger tea through the day.
- Afternoon
- Rest. Read, nap, sit outside. Take 10 minutes with the day's journal question.
- Evening
- A small bowl of kitchari before 7 pm. Screens off by 8. Rub a little oil into the soles of your feet. In bed by 10.
Simple Kitchari
Serves 2. Rice and split mung beans, gently spiced: easy to digest and deeply nourishing.
- ½ cup white basmati rice
- ¼ cup split yellow mung dal
- 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 4 cups water, salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro and lime to serve
- Rinse the rice and dal until the water runs clear.
- Warm the ghee in a pot. Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in coriander, turmeric and ginger, then the rice and dal.
- Add the water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 30–40 minutes until soft and porridge-like. Add more water if needed.
- Salt to taste. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Journal questions
Day 1
What am I carrying that isn't mine to carry?
Day 2
What is my body asking of me?
Day 3
What do I want to bring back into my life?
This is a gentle, food-based practice. If you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition or take medication, check with your doctor first, and eat more if you feel weak or light-headed.
Going deeper
When home practice isn't enough
Three days at home can be a beautiful beginning. But some seasons of life ask for more: a loss, a long stretch of giving, a turning point. For those times, Ayurveda offers Pancha Karma, its classical practice of cleansing and renewal, guided day by day by a practitioner.
At Sacred Shakti on Mount Shasta, each program is shaped around your constitution and held by two practitioners in tandem: warm herbal oil therapies, nourishing food, sacred chant and quiet time near the mountain. As the body softens, the mind follows.
Pause
3 days
A first taste, or a seasonal tune-up
Return
5 days
For releasing a hard season
Renewal
7 days
Our signature reset. Where most guests begin
Sadhana
14 days
For a life transition or deep inner turning
About your guide
Maya Lisboa
For over 30 years, Maya has supported people toward balance and purpose through Yoga and Ayurveda. A student of the silent monk Baba Hari Dass, she lived and served for many years at Mount Madonna, and trained in Pancha Karma with Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Sarita Shrestha and Drs. Suhas and Manisha Kshirsagar. She is a NAMA Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and a CAMTC Certified Massage Practitioner. Pancha Karma programs are held together with Myrica Morningstar, who has practiced Ayurveda and facilitated Pancha Karma since 1994.
maya@sacredshakti.com · 831-319-6584