Yoga Wisdom for Better Sleep

ayurveda sleep yoga therapy Mar 19, 2025

I don’t know about you, but recovering from Daylight Savings was tough for me this year. I was discombobulated for a week! As if that wasn’t enough, I also got hit with a nasty bout of poison ivy, then I jammed my finger in a fall—so let’s just say sleep has been challenging and fitful these days. And I know I’m not alone in this.

 

Whenever I work with clients, sleep always comes up—because it impacts everything! Our mood, digestion, energy, and even relationships are all affected by how well we rest. And so many things can knock us out of our rhythm: travel, illness, unexpected guests, new work projects… Like they say, the only constant in life is change.

 

That’s why self-compassion is key. When life throws us off, we don’t need to panic—we simply hop back on that routine train as soon as possible. Shaking things up from time to time is good for you! But over time, regularity is what regulates your nervous system. And a regulated nervous system makes it easier to fall asleep and...

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Strengthen Your Third Chakra in Times of Chaos

I'm hearing a lot of confusion-, frustration-, and whip-lash-created stress out there. I know a lot of you are taking a social media break, while some are tuning out of news. And I am all for whatever helps you keep your sanity! So much so that I dedicated a whole podcast series to Fostering Equanimity During Times of Change.

We often talk about “change,” but sometimes "chaos" or "turbulence" is the better word. And when life feels out of control—whether through political shifts, cultural upheavals, or personal struggles—it can deplete our third chakra, leaving us exhausted and powerless.

So regardless of the cause, if you’ve noticed yourself:
✔️ Feeling low-energy
✔️ Avoiding tasks
✔️ Losing motivation
✔️ Struggling to focus

…your solar plexus chakra (Manipura) may be in need of support. And this week's podcast episode is all about it.

This week I invite you to try an acknowledgment practice. At the end of the day, simply write down three things you DID today. Think of it as a gra...

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Join me in Chacala, Mexico!

 

✨ It’s happening.✨ 

 

This is a little dream (okay–HUGE dream!) I’ve had since I went on a retreat to Chacala, Mexico with Dr. Deb Kern through One Yoga Global in 2023. Every day there was an immersion in sun, surf, saltwater, and stars. I couldn’t believe I went to bed at 8:30 and rose at 5:30, all without the help of alarm clocks (unless you count the birds). I felt in touch with the natural rhythms of life, as the pace was slow enough to lose time hanging in a hammock by the ocean, and punctuated by delicious meals made from the on-site farm. The practice studio is open-air or controlled temp, and the staff is kind, helpful, and professional. 

 

✨ It’s heaven.✨ 
 


I can still taste my morning coffee, seated in big comfy chairs overlooking the coast as I watch the pelicans dive for breakfast. Staring out into space has never been so satisfying. The digital world just slipped away…

 

✨ I’m going back.✨  

 

And I want you to come with me.

 

May 10-16, 2026 I’m hosting Chak...

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Move Your Material, and Your Spirit Will Follow

How are you feeling these days? Are things moving along, or are you feeling kinda stuck or stymied? I feel like every week is one long back-and-forth between these energies. So I’m doing my best to hold onto the “OM” inside like a zip line and just let it ride. 

 

This past weekend I found myself cleaning out files and drawers and getting things in order for no particular reason. Then I remembered something a wise woman said to me at a gathering I was at several years ago. After I told her I was feeling stuck but cleaned out the garage, she said,

“Move the material, and the spirit will follow.”

 

And just like that I knew what she meant! Energy begets energy, and overcoming inertia in one area can affect the others. 

 

I realized it was happening in the reverse. I know my Life is moving in a certain direction, but I don’t know what that looks like in the material world yet. So what was I doing with the files and drawers? I was preparing the way. Whatever is mine to do next will ...

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Let's talk about TRUST

Well, it’s happening again. It’s starting to sink in that my second and youngest child (Havia) is preparing to leave the nest. Last year around this time I was surprised at how emotional I was about preparing for our first, Nate, to leave for college. This time it’s not catching me off guard, but it’s just as intense! 

 

In a mere six months from now she will be moving into her dorm at the University of Iowa where she will begin her studies to become a pediatric nurse practitioner, her life-long dream. And Nick and I will be empty-nesters. Yay! And awww…It’ ALL the feels.

 

In this week’s podcast Episode 52, TRUST, I talk about her trip to the acupuncturist, how she inspired me with her trust, and I read to you from Anodea Judith's Eastern Body, Western Mind about trust as a chakra one issue:

 

“Trust or mistrust is the basic element of your first chakra program, which is a foundation for all the other programs that follow. Trust enables your body to unfold from its cramped posit...

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Times of Change Create Big Emotional Responses

Woo-hoo! it was a beautiful weekend in Austin. (If you're in a colder climate, I feel you, and I'm sending you the warmth of the Texas sun...). If you're in my neck of the woods, I hope you got out and enjoyed some sunshine! I think I got a dose of a Spring cleaning urge, because now my front yard is cleaned up, my car is washed, and my windows...well, you can see through them again. :) 

 

The Texas weather this weekend reminds me how close we are to enjoying the sun on our skin and the wildflowers emerging all around us. This is why we've timed our next Women's Retreat: EMERGE, for Saturday, March 1! I imagine we have a little winter weather left in our season, but we know that inevitably the season will shift and we'll be in Spring high gear. Let's joyfully move into wildflower season together! 

 

And speaking of emerging, how do your emotions emerge when you are in times of stress or trying to navigate change? Do you explode, implode, freeze up, overflow, or lose all sense of he...

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The Practice of Beholding

I’m talking to friends, family, and students these days, and the theme of rapid change keeps coming up. To some it’s exciting; to others a bit terrifying. Either way, energy is shifting and nervous systems are up! Everyone responds to change differently, and in my podcast these days we’re looking into the many facets of change and some of the typical responses people have to change. Whether change is positive or negative, it can be a pretty big source of stress. 

 

If, during times of stress and change, you find yourself shifting into fear—worrying about money and resources or experiencing generalized anxiety about safety and security—you may be operating from the shadow energy of the first chakra. Chakra one’s main shadow is fear, which often centers on foundational aspects like money, resources, safety, and family.

 

So, what do we do when faced with a shadow? We turn on a light.

 

 

Just as light counters darkness, we apply the opposite of our experience to create change and...

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Let the new thing EMERGE

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Harnessing the Power of Om

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Introducing the Chakra Savvy™ podcast!

Happy New Year!

 

I hope you’re off to a great start. I’m taking it slowly. The space between Thanksgiving and Christmas felt so short, I’m giving myself some room to recover! I’m starting the year with the idea of a slow transition. I’m bit by bit picking up my routine and rituals that fell to the wayside when life got so busy. If there’s anything I love more than shaking things up a bit, it’s settling back down to a normal schedule. 

 

This doesn’t mean it’s all going back to the way it was in 2024! There’s a lot in store this year, and I’m excited to say that it’s already started. 

 

You can now listen and subscribe to the next evolution in my podcasting, which is finally out now! It’s called Chakra Savvy™ with Jessica Goulding, and it feels like finally landing at home. 

 

As I’ve pondered the direction I want to take my teaching, I realize that what lights me up the most is Chakra Savvy, and what that can entail. It’s not just a course I created in 2020, it’s a way of liv...

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