…and more wonderings with jewelry designer, Sarah Pauli.

Author: R.R. Shakti, PhD

Sarah Pauli is gentle. and brilliant. She is the kind of creative that you want to listen to…
closely, because you don’t want to miss the meaning inside the tenderness. It is clear that she finds inspiration everywhere—across the entire universe, in nature and through all of life. 

I met Sarah at the Sedona Yoga Festival years ago. She and her jewelry both sparkled in the sunlight as we passed by her tent. Sarah gifted my daughter a stunning necklace which she treasures to this day. As an artist, she chooses and uses the “feels” of color like magical rasa and I wanted to talk with her myself about what makes her art reflect its special kind of beauty.

Before the interview, I sent her a list of questions to help initiate and orient our conversation. By the time we were together, those questions had become further inspiration for her work.

Because she just can’t help it. She lives in a world of inspiration.
creation.
​and wonder. 

My jewelry is a celebration of the subtle, the honoring of the subtle, not just for myself, but for others. When a person is wearing something I create, I want them to feel a connection to the subtle. It's about poetry. It's about beauty—the juiciness of being human—being in this moment, being alive, feeling the empowerment that comes with feeling yourself. And not even, always empowerment in a big way, but just the ease of really feeling that things are in the right places…that things are in balance somehow.


We're meant to be here to experience beauty. It is actually vital. It's life force. Bringing in a stone that you found on your walk, it gives you joy when you look at it…or just honoring how we create our living spaces…​or how we bring rhythm to our day.


It is up to us to see the world through this lens of beauty—nurturing it and actually honoring it. I'm always striving for that. I've realized that it is essential. I used to struggle with the concern that making jewelry—creating art: Is it something superficial? Is it non-essential? But now I have come to realize that it is a vital part of being human. We all have a creative impulse.

Creating beauty is a divine offering.

– Sarah Pauli

AURVEDA • ALCHEMY • MEHTA SPICES

Author: R.R. Shakti 

AYURVEDA • DETOX • APPLES

author: R.R. Shakti, PhD

And just like that, the summer season is over here in the Rocky Mountains. The evidence is everywhere–golden aspen leaves, cooler nights and crisper air. But the summer heat still lingers. Especially in your body where, according to Ayurveda, internal pitta has built up throughout the summer. It takes time for all that heat to dissipate as the weather turns cold. These mismatched "outside" and "inside" conditions can lead to wellness imbalances like excess acidity, inflammation, compromised immunity and skin irritation.

Prepare for the seasonal shift with an Equinox Detox. Using principles from Ayurveda, you can transition from Summer to Autumn with ease and set yourself up for balanced wellness through the winter. The key is to take it easy on your digestive system as you slowly replace cooling foods with warming options. This can be as simple as cooking those things that you may have eaten raw through the summer months–things like leafy greens, fruits and veggie. Ayurveda recommends eating seasonal foods from local sources when possible. These foods provide both nutritional value as well as reduce carbon footprint. 

Apples are a particularly good choice for an Autumn cleanse. Apples dissipate excess heat in the body.  They scrub the intestinal walls and act as an internal flush for your system. Cooked apples are warm, sweet, soft and grounding; perfect for balancing vata dosha.

These seasoned apples are an annual staple to kick-off my Equinox Detox. They are especially delicious for breakfast. And easy! Here's how: 

Choose ripe, sweet apples. Chop them into 1/2 inch cubes and toss them into ghee over medium to medium/low heat. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, and spices that are warm enough to keep your digestive fires burning (without aggravating pitta). I use fresh ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric, with just a dash of cloves. Cook the apples until they are soft and juicy. Add a tablespoon of maple syrup near the end.

Upon serving, you can add a little fresh yogurt, which is both cooling and pacifying for the pitta/vata shift. Because of their oils, protein and fat, nuts are also vata-pacifying. I might throw in some pepitas or dried fruits, to mix things up throughout my cleanse.