Changing Seasons: Ayurveda, Women’s Health, Menopause & Food as Medicine

In today's episode Jody chats with Jennier Gularson, a physician assistant who specialises in hormone health for women in perimenopause and menopause. Jennifer is a functional medicine practitioner who spends her days helping women understand the type of HRT they may need for their symptoms. We discuss the different types of HRT, pellets, transdermal, shots and why. Some women benefit from taking HRT daily in the form of a trans dermal cream or others with busy lives may be better off with a patch that is applied several times a week. We speak about some of the side effects of HRT, like reflux and why it occurs. 
How HRT differs from birth control and what a compounding chemist does and how what you get from a prescription you get from your pharmacy.
Jennifer talks about how she uses a compounding pharmacist for progesterone for women experiencing anxiety as it is not dumped into the system.
Jennifer describes the ingredients used for bio identical hormones, soy and yam and why this type of HRT is the best choice for women. 
We talk about the different doshas and their approach to menopause and their HRT treatment.
This is a very interesting episode for women considering HRT or who are looking for questions answered around HRT.
Podcast:
The Optimal Body Podcast
Instagram:
@jennifergularson
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Credits:
Host: Jody Vassallo
Production: Sovereign Creator • https://sovereigncreator.io

© Changing Seasons. All rights reserved.

Today Jody welcomes Rachel Nokes, yoga teacher and Ayurvedic Lifestyle consultant to the podcast to discuss the healing powers of mantra. Rachel has been a devoted yogi for many years and initially introduction to mantra came on her first yoga training. At first she didn't warm to the practice but after being introduced to it again on another yoga teacher training she was hooked. Rachel recognised the transformative power of the practice of quieting the mind and she now incorporates mantra into all of her yoga classes.
Reciting mantra can be challenging, Rachel says and one needs to practise humility and patience as we are rewiring neural pathways in the brain and often learning sounds tricky, adding sanskrit to the mix and you have a practice that requires deep devotion and commitment.
Rachel is currently organising Bhakti Women's Summit which this year will be dedicated to Sacred Sound. The free online Summit will run from March 25-27, 2026 and offers the perfect opportunity for people to practice mantra and other sound practices and discover what appeals to them.
Work With Rachel
https://www.rayoflightyoga.com/
Bhakti Women Summit Sacred Sound
March 25th-27th 2026
https://www.rayoflightyoga.com/sacredsoundsummit2026
Sanskrit Course
https://the-ray-of-light-collection.teachable.com/p/sanskrit-experience-the-language-of-love
Instagram
https://www.rayoflightyoga.comhttps://www.instagram.com/rayoflight000/
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Newsletter • https://jodyvassallo.substack.com/
Contact • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/contact

Support the Show:
Leave a review on Apple • https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/changing-seasons-podcast/id1757970211

Credits:
Host: Jody Vassallo
Production: Sovereign Creator • https://sovereigncreator.io

© Changing Seasons. All rights reserved.

Jody welcomes Ayurvedic practitioner Yogi Cameron to the podcast today to speak about how Ayurveda treats the person, not the symptom. 
He speaks about how he works with clients these days to the capacity they are able to hold and that a person with only heal if they believe healing is possible. We discuss the importance of getting to know the patient and asking the right questions, one of his favourite questions being "Is this the life you want?"
Yogi Cameron describes how the ego can confuse our minds and have us questioning everything because of its need to know. The remedy for this is acceptance and curiosity in the mystery of life as nothing is truly certain or known. Cameron describes how aging happens when we are stressed and doing things that don't feel aligned with our truth and purpose. Spending time in contemplation, out in nature and in stillness are all ways to quieten the mind and get the ego out of the way.
Instagram:
@yogicameron
Website:
inspireliving.co
Ayurvedic Oils and Incense
https://www.mytemple.love/collections/ayurvedic-skin-oils
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Contact • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/contact

Support the Show:
Leave a review on Apple • https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/changing-seasons-podcast/id1757970211

Credits:
Host: Jody Vassallo
Production: Sovereign Creator • https://sovereigncreator.io

© Changing Seasons. All rights reserved.

Jody talks us through what it is like to experience one of her Back to Nature retreats and why she has chosen camping over luxe accommodation.  The benefits of being on the land quickly help guests relax and ground, right from the moment they arrive and start setting up the tent, Jody can see the elements working to connect them into the space and ground their energy.
Jody describes how she has designed these retreats to help bring people back home to themselves through reminding them of their natural connection with the elements. Doing yoga under the stars, bathing in mountain water, sunning themselves on rocks and gazing out at the trees are all ways guests find to settle their nervous systems.
Having minimal access to technology Jody notices that the vata settles in the fearful anxious retreat participants and their love of creating comes alive.
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Newsletter • https://jodyvassallo.substack.com/
Contact • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/contact

Support the Show:
Leave a review on Apple • https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/changing-seasons-podcast/id1757970211

Credits:
Host: Jody Vassallo
Production: Sovereign Creator • https://sovereigncreator.io

© Changing Seasons. All rights reserved.

Brett Aldrich joins Jody on the podcast today to discuss the benefits of breathwork for the different doshas. Brett is a yogi, breathwork teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner. She talks about how emotions are stored in the body and that breathwork can help people release those emotions.
We chat about cyclical breathwork, in through the mouth and out through the mouth can create a deep awareness in the body and activate relaxation. Cyclical breathwork takes people into their parasympathetic nervous system and can regulate the nervous system.
Brett speaks about how different doshas may require a specific approach to the breathwork practice and they may even require different styles of breathwork depending on what is going on in their bodies.
This is a fascinating episode and will be of particular interest for yoga teachers or anyone working with clients who are emotionally disregulated.
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Support the show
Connect:
Website • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/
Gather • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/gather
Instagram • https://instagram.com/jodyvassallobeautifulfood
Newsletter • https://jodyvassallo.substack.com/
Contact • https://www.jodyvassallo.com/contact

Support the Show:
Leave a review on Apple • https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/changing-seasons-podcast/id1757970211

Credits:
Host: Jody Vassallo
Production: Sovereign Creator • https://sovereigncreator.io

© Changing Seasons. All rights reserved.