Juniper Journeys
In this issue.
You’ll find details on:
Align & Nourish: Session #2 – Finding Resilience in Times of Chaos (plus brunch!)
A breakdown of the first 3-stages of the disease process in Ayurveda
A link to sign up for the Autumn Ayurvedic Cleanse-a seasonal favorite with returning participants joining each Equinox cleanse.
Autumn is one of the most important times of year to gently reset, release, and realign. In Ayurveda, true balance is found when we attune our inner rhythms with the outer season.
We’re not separate from nature, we’re in constant relationship with it. Let’s honor that together.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The 3 Causes of Disease in Ayurveda: Why Your Lymph Holds On and Fat Becomes Toxic
In Ayurveda, disease doesn’t just “happen.” It unfolds, over time and often quietly, until the body’s subtle whisper becomes louder. Unlike Western medicine, which tends to focus on where a disease lands (the diagnosis), Ayurveda is more interested in how and why it began in the first place.
At the root of almost every imbalance, are primary causes of disease, the first 3, as described in the classical Ayurvedic texts and written below. These are also the stages that I work with in my Sacred Juniper Ayurvedic practice in Olympia, WA.
1. Misuse or overuse of the senses
This is what happens when we live in sensory overdrive. Scrolling late into the night, multitasking while we eat, surrounding ourselves with loud or chaotic environments. Our nervous system becomes taxed, our digestion suffers, and our ability to discern what we need becomes cloudy.
Over time, we override the body’s cues, such as: hunger, fullness, rest, and even connection. This sensory overwhelm contributes to mental fog, anxiety, and digestive stagnation, which are all precursors to deeper imbalances.
2. Failure of the intellect or going against your inner knowing
This is one of Ayurveda’s most profound insights: we often know what would support us, yet we choose the opposite.
We eat the thing that always bloats us. We skip sleep, ignore intuition, stay in the relationship that exhausts us.
Why?
We’ve lost connection to our deeper knowing, our inner healer. When this connection is frayed, we’re more likely to reach for quick fixes and suppress symptoms, rather than listen and realign.
This is also where lymphatic stagnation begins, when we ignore early signals of sluggish digestion, water retention, fatigue, or emotional heaviness.
3. Time, seasonal changes, and natural transformation
Nothing in nature stays the same, and neither do we. Time itself is a cause of disease in Ayurveda, not because aging is bad, but because we often fail to adapt to what each season or life phase requires.
Think of how the body shifts in perimenopause, or how the seasons affect our cravings and energy. When we push through instead of attuning, we disrupt the body’s ability to detox, repair, and regulate.
So Where Does the Lymph Come In?
Your lymphatic system is your body’s inner river. It’s responsible for clearing out waste, excess hormones, environmental toxins, and cellular debris. It’s also deeply connected to your emotional body.
But here’s the thing: when that river becomes stagnant, toxins don’t just keep circulating. The body, as brilliant and protective as it is, tucks these toxins away.
And where does it hide them? In your fat cells.
Say HELLO to Toxic Fat!
Why the Body Creates “Toxic Fat”
When the lymph is overwhelmed (from years of sensory overload, poor digestion, and disconnection from our inner cues), it stops pushing toxins into our circulatory system, doing so could harm the brain, heart, or other vital organs.
Instead, the body creates safe storage:
Estrogen metabolites
Pesticides and plastics
Emotional residue, like grief and shame
Tend to all get stored in tissues, often around the hips, belly, and thighs-aka. visceral fat.
This is what is called toxic fat, not because fat is bad (it’s not!), but because it’s being used as a storage unit for things the body doesn’t know how to process or eliminate safely. It’s no wonder that many people struggle to lose weight even when they’re doing “all the right things.” If the lymph is clogged, the fat isn’t just fat, it’s also a sense of protection. Getting the body to rid itself of visceral fat, is like working with a therapist to break down those walls that have been protecting you since the beginning of time.
Easy? No
Time Consuming? Yes
The Power of Seasonal Cleansing
One of Ayurveda’s most trusted tools for clearing lymph, reigniting digestion, and reconnecting to your inner rhythm is the equinox cleanses.
These aren’t harsh detoxes or extreme fasts. Instead, Ayurvedic cleanses work with the body, offering warmth, nourishment, and space to let go.
Each season invites a different kind of release.
And Autumn, with its winds of change and Vata energy, is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and gently reset the system.
A seasonal cleanse allows you to:
Clear out toxic buildup from summer heat
Unclog the lymph and digestive system
Strengthen immunity before winter
Reconnect to your body’s wisdom
Create space in both your body and mind
Ready to Clear the River?
Join me for the Autumn Ayurvedic Cleanse, a gentle, guided journey designed to help you let go of what’s weighing you down, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
One time fee: $80
Dates: September 16th-September 29th, 2025
You’ll receive:
A full cleanse guide with recipes, grocery list, and rituals
Live Zoom calls for support and Q&A sessions
Guidance to prepare, cleanse, and rebuild
Space to reflect and reconnect
Tools to move your lymph and restore your energy
This is the practice I return to every year to reconnect with myself and the season ahead. If your body’s been whispering (or shouting) for a reset-I know mine has, this is your invitation.
Let’s move the stagnation, lighten the load, and come home to clarity.
[Click here to reserve your spot in the Autumn Ayurvedic Cleanse.]
Align & Nourish
Ready to reset, reconnect, and rise with the season?
Join me for Align & Nourish: Session #2—a soulful Sunday morning of breath, movement, and deep connection, followed by a nourishing local brunch.
Come exactly as you are, and leave feeling grounded, inspired, and more you.
Save your spot, space is limited!
The first 12 people to register will secure their place. I’ve added 3 additional spots for a waitlist in case openings become available.
Align & Nourish: Session #2
Resilience in Times of Choas
Thank you for being here, truly.
Your support, encouragement, and willingness to return to this space means so much. Whether you’re reading my stories, joining an event, or exploring the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Polyvagal Theory with me, I’m grateful to walk this path alongside you.
