I spent Sunday afternoon with Daisy, a sweet and sassy Labrador puppy new to my extended family.
On a day I needed it most, Daisy reminded me to settle into the present.

My mind has been popping off lately—
never-ending to-do lists, decision making, planning for the future.
This weekend, Daisy became a metaphor for my mind…

Garshana is a traditional Ayurvedic practice of dry brushing the body, typically performed before bathing.

Garshana gently exfoliates the skin while stimulating circulation and lymphatic flow. It is both energizing and awakening — a practice that invites movement, warmth, and clarity into the body.

More than skincare, Garshana is a ritual of activation. A way to shake off stagnation and reconnect with your body through touch.

In Ayurveda, April brings us fully into Kapha season, as spring settles in and the qualities of earth and water become more dominant.

As warmth and moisture increase, Kapha’s heavy and slow qualities can accumulate in both the environment and the body. This may show up as congestion, sluggish digestion, low motivation, or seasonal allergies.

Duality has been on my mind a lot lately — the quiet reality that life often asks us to hold two opposing truths at once.

Duality sounds like a philosophical idea. Something abstract. Something you might read about in a book.

But the truth is, duality isn’t theoretical. It’s something we experience every day.

In Ayurveda, March marks the gradual transition from Vata season into Kapha season as winter begins to soften and the first signs of spring emerge.

As the weather warms and snow begins to melt, the heavy and damp qualities of Kapha start to increase in both the environment and the body. This shift can bring feelings of sluggishness, congestion, low motivation, or lingering winter fatigue.

In Ayurveda, February is a month of softening in order to sustain energy — when winter’s dryness and cold have been present long enough to quietly deplete the body and nervous system.

This time of year, fatigue, low mood, dry skin, and fragile immunity often appear. Rather than pushing through, Ayurvedic wisdom encourages tending to circulation, hydration, and emotional steadiness to carry you through late winter with care.

I’ll be honest — when I sat down to write about challenge, I didn’t know where to begin. I chose the theme for this month back in November and, oh, how the world has changed since then. 

Both my external world and my internal world are presenting me with significant challenges. Challenges that feel big and scary and, to put it plainly, really overwhelming at times. I almost changed the theme of the month to something else… I wanted to turn away from the idea of growing through challenge.

And then I realized that–just maybe–this theme is existing for me. To allow myself to truly explore challenge alongside you–from a place of vulnerability, a place of honesty.

As the calendar turns and a new year opens before us, there can be a subtle pressure to decide — to set resolutions, define goals, and chart a path forward. But this January, instead of rushing to improve or reinvent ourselves, we’re inviting something gentler and deeper: curiosity.

January is the heart of winter. This Ayurveda guide shares gentle, Vata-balancing tips for immunity, sleep, warming movement, and grounded intention-setting to support winter wellness.

As winter settles in and the holiday season arrives, we’re embracing comfort — the kind that softens the body, supports the mind, and brings us home to ourselves.

In the Yoga Sutras, sthira-sukham āsanam reminds us that a posture should feel both steady and comfortable. When we choose comfort — on the mat and in daily life — we create a steady foundation that allows for compassionate curiosity and strength to flourish through challenges.

There is a beloved story of Swami Kripalu that I’ve heard many times during my studies at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. To keep it short and sweet:

One day, after days of deep meditation, Swami Kripalu was walking along a river and swept away by a raging current. He fought to survive—swimming against the current, straining, struggling. Exhaustion began to take over, and he thought he was going to die. He called out, “I’m drowning, please save me!”

Then, he heard the voice of his guru…

Discover the Ayurvedic approach to oral care through simple daily rituals like tongue scraping and oil pulling. Rooted in dinacharya, the traditional Ayurvedic daily routine, these time-tested practices support fresh breath, healthy gums, and whole-body balance. Learn how integrating natural oral hygiene into your morning and evening routine can enhance digestion, boost vitality, and bring harmony to body, mind, and spirit.

Slowing down doesn’t mean stopping altogether. It means allowing life to meet us as it is, instead of racing past it. That’s the practice, and the invitation: to notice the fleeting, to honor the moment, and to let ourselves be present for the beauty that’s right here.

At the beginning of September, my husband, Alex, and I journeyed to the raw and wondrous island of Iceland, a place where earth and sky seem to whisper in unison. For eight days we traced the southern coast, stopping to take in glaciers, waterfalls…

Understanding the Energy of Movement and Creativity

Vata dosha embodies the qualities of air and ether, driving movement, flow, and communication. If you have a strong Vata constitution or an imbalance in this dosha, understanding its characteristics can help you maintain harmony and vitality.

“You can carry ancestral wisdom without carrying ancestral wounds.” – Dr. Mariel Buqué

September rocks us softly from Pitta Season into Vata Season. As the air turns crisp and the foliage shares a rainbow display, we may feel the need to ground ourselves more frequently. 

Turn towards these sensations! 

Breathing Room: Clarity and Spaciousness in the Heat of Summer

As we step into August, we arrive at the height of Pitta season—when the sun blazes high, the air is thick with heat, and the fire within can start to burn a little too brightly. Governed by the elements of fire (agni) and water (apas), Pitta energy is purposeful, passionate, and precise. But when imbalanced, that intensity can tip into irritability, burnout, and overwhelm.

Sāma in the Summer: The Balance Between Effort and Ease

In both Yoga and Ayurveda, balance isn’t something we chase—it’s something we return to. In Sanskrit, sāma means balance or harmony, and in the summertime—when the sun is high and pitta energy pulses through the air—it’s easy to tip too far into effort, heat, and doing. Year round, and especially during summer, balance often begins with slowing down: letting go of some of the doing to create more space for being. 

Stay in the Fire, Transform from Within.

Each month at Moonflower, we explore a theme rooted in the yogic and Ayurvedic traditions—something to inspire your practice both on and off the mat. This month, as summer begins to rise and bonfire season officially begins, we’re turning toward the Niyama of tapas.