Today Jody discusses how we can balance our doshas when they go out of balance. We look at what we can do with nature, sight, sound, mantra, exercise and emotionally to help settle us. Ayurveda uses the opposite quality to help treat an imbalance so if your body is dry you will need to use moisture internally and externally to remedy that, if your body is cold eating warm cooked food will be beneficial. This is a great episode for anyone who is new to Ayurveda and looking to unde...

Edwina sits down with Ayurvedic health coach and author Jody Vassallo for a candid, nourishing conversation on meeting perimenopause as a rite of passage - not a problem to “fix.” Through the lenses of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jody shares the practices, foods, and mindset shifts that cooled her hot flushes, eased anxiety, and helped her honour this season with grace. Expect practical guidance (hello, coriander–cumin–fennel tea), nervous-system care (yin yoga, Yoga Nidra, bre...

In today's episode Jody welcomes Marissa Clohesy. Marissa gave birth to her first child at 49 years of age through egg donorship from a kind woman who worked at a clinic where she regularly had bloods done. Following the birth of her first child had three more viable embryos that she needed to use, she explains she looks at IVF through a very scientific lens - you need a womb, an egg and sperm. The next attempt saw Marissa miscarriage and she believes it was due to her doing too much, not res...

Today Jody ponders how the space element relates to loneliness. In Ayurveda the elements of air and space (ether) combine to create the vata dosha. Although we can clearly see and feel the elements of air, earth, water and fire, space is a little different. Space or too much space between us and others equates to loneliness, fear of too much space leads to overshopping, overeating and clutter in our homes. We know space by feeling it. Jody touches on each of the doshas and how they may ...

Today Jody welcomes Kimberly Ann Johnson to the Changing Seasons podcast. Kimberly is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and Sexological Bodyworker, author and postpartum advocate. We discuss how Kimberly's own postpartum journey has informed her menopause story and why she has chosen to focus on the positive changes she has seen in her body and life in menopause. She tells how at one point during menopause she went to a naturopath thinking she may need some estrogen only to be given a raft ...

Today Jody is joined by Sole Del Riccio-Smith and Dylan Smith to discuss their fertility and postpartum journey. In this conversation we cover their preconception preparation and how they did 30 days of Panchakarma at home during COVID under the guidance of their Ayurvedic doctor. They both highlight how important it was for them to surrender themselves totally to the process even up to the point of waiting for their Vaidya (Dr) to say the time was right for them to start trying to conc...

Today Jody welcomes Kimberley Ashton from Qi Food Therapy to the Changing Seasons podcast. We discuss in detail why certain foods will soothe and nourish the digestive system and other foods will aggravate and inflame it. She highlights the role of the sweet and salty flavours in our body. Kimberly explains why we need to consume good quality sweet flavoured foods to help relax and satiate the body and high and that salt is needed to strengthen the body. We have a diet culture and the reducti...

Today Jody welcomes Carly Merlo, owner of Bio Veda to the podcast to discuss the A-Z of Ayurvedic oils and how different medicated oils are prized for the healing process. Ayurveda has been using oils on the body, hair and internally for thousands of years, black sesame oil or coconut oil are used as the carriers for the medicinal herbs which are warmed and then applied to the skin before bathing. Bala oil is the oil of choice of Shirodhara, a therapeutic treatment that works to calm Vata in ...

Today Jody takes a close look at sleep through the lens of Ayurveda. Sleep or nidra is an integral part of your health and there are many factors that influence the quality and quantity of your sleep. The different doshas can all experience their own issues with sleep and as we age sleep can become more disturbed. Jody discusses how what you eat before bed, the time you go to sleep, the pjs you wear, the sheets you tuck into and the room you sleep in can impact the quality of your...

Today Jody meets Sonia Lloyd from Rasara Skinfood about how to treat your skin using the principles of Ayurveda. After a skin flare up in her late teens Sonia tried many things unsuccessfully to treat the problem. Fast forward to today and Sonia now owns an Ayurvedic Skin & Hair Care range that is so pure you can literally eat it. In our conversation today we cover the magic healing properties of castor oil and how it is an absolute gift for the skin. We discuss the different skin p...

Today Jody welcomes whole-food chef and cookbook author Holly Davis to Changing Seasons podcast to discuss Food as Medicine. We speak about how Holly discovered macrobiotics at the age of 14 and how it continues to influence how she cooks and prepares food to this day. Holly shares about how she used to be a macrobiotic zealot and these days her approach to food is much more about respect and the nourishment and joy we can get from sharing food we have prepared with those we love. We di...

Today Jody talks about how Ayurveda looks at digestion and how we can learn what foods are best suited for the different body types and their relevant doshas. Digestive fire or agni is dependent on a range of things, the food we consumed yesterday and how it was broken down, our prana, sleep and lifestyle choices. When digestive fire it can not only impact our digestive system, it can lead to a change in our mood and our behaviour. Jody discusses the six tastes and the elements that make up e...

In today's episode Jody touches on the common physical and emotional symptoms she sees in Perimenopause from an Ayurvedic perspective. Weight gain, anxiety, hot flashes, anger, forgetfulness, waking up between 1-3am are all ways that our bodies are trying to communicate with us to stay something is not right, something is out of balance, something needs to change and it is up to us whether we choose to listen or medicate the messages. If you are looking for help navigating your way through pe...

Today Jody talks about the qualities of each of the Ayurvedic Doshas and how they show up in the body, mind and emotions. She explains how Ayurveda balances disturbances in the qualities of the Doshas by treating with the opposite quality in another Dosha. For example, if your Vata is out of balance and your skin is dry you start incorporating ghee into your diet to balance the dryness. This is part one of a three part series with Jody that will cover the Doshas and provide simple ways to und...

*Caution this conversation contains references to sexual assault. Today pelvic floor and sexual therapist Lisa Fitzpatrick returns to Changing Seasons podcast to speak to Jody about Sexy Menopause. Lisa believes it is possible for every woman to enjoy sex throughout perimenopause and beyond and describes the blocks standing in the way of women doing so. We discuss how women store tension and past trauma in the pelvic and how if it is not addressed it can lead to them experiencing pain, discom...

Send us a text Today on the podcast Jody speaks with Lucette Romy about the death of her baby boy Dash. Lucette birthed Dash at home and the birth was beautiful and without complications. However, six hours after his birth Dash's colour had not improved and after checking with their birth keeper and then their GP they finally made the decision to call paramedics. Unfortunately Dash did not survive. His body was sent away for an autopsy and Lucette describes how this was one of the hardest thi...

Send us a text Today Jody speaks to Trauma Therapist Paula Rastrick about how the nervous system impacts our hormones. Paula shares her story of being prescribed HRT and the complications that arose from being over prescribed estrogen. Following this she embarked upon a journey of trying to understand how trauma and a disregulated nervous system can play havoc with a womens hormones in puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause. Paula believes that we need to learn how to stay within our Wind...

Send us a text Today Jody speaks to Shonali Sabherwal Macrobiotic Nutritionist & Chef about the Macrobiotic and Ayurvedic approach to gut health. Shonali shares that she has attended a Panchakarma (an Ayurvedic detox protocol) once a year since she was in her 20's. She discusses what the 3 week protocol involves in Panchakarma and why anything shorter than 21 days is not recommended. We discuss how gut health can impact the skin, the hair and our brain and how these days there are so many...

Send us a text Nicole Lange is an acupuncturist who has a Masters in Chinese Medicine, she has spent her entire career focused on working with women. Today she chats with Jody about her wholistic approach to supporting women through their fertility journey. We speak about the impact trauma can have on women's fertility and how the process of trying to fall pregnant can be a traumatic experience for some women. Nicole believes that it is essential for women to understand that their bodies need...

Send us a text Today Sarah Megginson returns to the podcast to speak with Jody about her decision to be a surrogate for her friend Lisa Messenger. Sarah had given birth to three healthy children of her own and at the same time had watched Lisa and her partner go through many years of failed IVF attempts. One day she asked LIsa if she would be open to her being a surrogate. That was nearly two years ago and Lisa and her partner now have a healthy little boy called Hugo. Jody and Sarah sp...