And like the saying goes:
“There is a lesson and a reason for every challenge.”
And life truly challenges us where we need it the most.

Here are the lessons that saved me:

Keto, intermittent fasting, juice fasting, raw vegan, carnivore, pescatarian… I tried to follow what seemed to work for others. BIG mistake.

Each body is different. Each woman has different needs because we come from different upbringings, different food cultures, different climates, different everything.
And did you know something very simple but so important?

Your body digests best the food you grew up with.

It’s like a memory… your brain says:
“Oh yes, I know this. This feels safe.”
And when the food feels familiar, your digestive fire softens, your nervous system relaxes, and the body receives it with more ease and love.

Sure, sometimes we need transitions. But trying to suddenly eat like someone from California when you grew up in France, Vietnam, Morocco, Brazil, or anywhere else, can confuse and stress your system more than it nourishes it.

Ayurveda explains this beautifully through the doshas.
To come back to homeostasis, we use spices, herbs, and specific foods to balance the qualities that are out of alignment.

For example:
If you are stressed, anxious, worried, overthinking… you need grounding food.
Warm meals. Cooked vegetables. Soups. Good carbs with healthy fats. Comforting meals that tell your nervous system:
“You can breathe now.”

And guess what is the WORST thing you can eat when you’re stressed?
Raw salads.
(Yes… all those green smoothies and cold bowls you thought were “super healthy.” I know… I also learned the hard way.)

I wish I had known earlier that what works beautifully for someone else can deeply harm me.

Even when it feels completely impossible.

Work, money, pressure, responsibilities, none of these matter if you lose your health.

Your body will always win.
And if you don’t stop, it will stop you.
As simple and as harsh as that.

You ignore the signals long enough, and eventually you hit a wall.
For me, slowing down was one of the hardest things to do. When your cortisol is sky-high, you don’t even realise you are exhausted. You run on adrenaline, thinking “I’m fine,” while your body is whispering,
“Please, I need a break.”

And in our society, more is… more.
More work, more productivity, more doing.
If you slow down, suddenly you’re “lazy.”
If you rest, you’re “not serious.”
If you take care of yourself, you’re “not committed.”

We are conditioned to fit into the mould.
But that mould is making us sick.

It is okay to not be okay.
Being vulnerable doesn’t make us weak; it makes us human.

I had to learn this the hard way.

I never asked for help, partly ego, partly habit.
I left my family at 18.
I paid for my own studies.
I supported myself through every step.
I didn’t rely on anyone.
And because of past experiences, trusting others was not something that came easily.

Letting go of control felt terrifying.

But again, life teaches us exactly what we need to learn. And sometimes the bravest thing we can do is say:
“I can’t do this alone.”

Learning to say yes.
Learning to receive.
Learning to be soft.
Learning that strength is not always pushing, sometimes it is surrendering.

I was so obsessed with work and “being productive” that I forgot how to have fun.
We take life so seriously sometimes that we genuinely forget to live it.

Laughter became medicine.
Watching a silly comedy, going out with friends, being ridiculous for no reason, it felt like a release.

What if we saw life more like a play, instead of a performance?
A place where we can be messy, imperfect, spontaneous, alive.
Sometimes laughing for five minutes does more for your hormones than eating 10 “perfect” meals.

Yin Yoga changed everything for me.
Truly everything.

Holding poses for 3 minutes or more… dropping into stillness… allowing myself to feel… staying present even when discomfort rises , it rewired me from the inside out.

Yin taught me how to be instead of constantly do.
It softened the edges I didn’t even know I was holding.
My whole body softened.
My heart softened.
My breath softened.

And slowly, my nervous system received the message:
“You are safe. You can rest now.”

And when the body finally feels safe, everything changes , digestion, sleep, mood, and yes… hormones.

Safety is everything for hormonal health.
Your period will not return when your body is in survival mode.
But when your body feels held, nourished, grounded… then things start to shift in the most beautiful ways.

Panchakarma was a turning point for me.
It helped me heal my gut, which was completely disturbed after years of stress, travel, undereating, and pushing too hard.

Understanding my dosha helped me understand my real needs.
Ayurveda is like learning a secret language, the language of your own body.
Suddenly, things make sense:

Why you crave warmth.
Why you freeze easily.
Why anxiety rises in the evening.
Why your digestion shuts down when you rush.

Ayurveda teaches that the body’s primary function is to heal.
The body is always trying to come back to balance , you just have to stop interrupting it.

And again… it will only heal when it feels safe.
Warm food.
Oil massages.
Rest.
Spices.
Routine.
Nourishment.
Love.

Ayurveda is the art of remembering what we already know:
Your body is on your side.

India has always felt magical for me, healing, expansive, grounding, chaotic in a beautiful way.

After leading a retreat there in 2023, I decided to stay longer, without any plan. I travelled from one place to another, met incredible people, ate simple vegetarian meals with some eggs because that’s what my body wanted and I stopped worrying about everything.

No pressure.
No rigid schedule.
No “I need to be productive today.”
Just life.
Just breath.
Just being.

India reminded me how to slow down.
How to trust.
How to soften into life instead of fighting it.

And life answered with such generosity.
New retreats.
New opportunities.
New friendships.
Doors opening without pushing.

And two months later… my period came back.
In the most unexpected moment , at the Delhi airport, of all places.

I cried.
Strangers stared.
But I was too happy to care.

You are not alone.
Your body is not broken.
It is protecting you.

And when you give it the right environment , safety, warmth, nourishment, softness, presence , it will heal. It knows how to heal.

I hope my story can bring you hope, support and a big reminder that your body is always on your side.

With love,
Audrey