Feeling “Off” But Can’t Explain Why? Ayurveda Explains Ama (Toxins) in a Simple Way

Do you ever feel slightly out of sync — low energy, foggy, or just not quite yourself — even though everything seems “fine”?

In Ayurveda, this may be linked to Ama — a build-up of undigested food, emotions, and daily experiences.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• what Ama really is (in simple, relatable language)
 • how modern life and constant input create internal overload
 • subtle signs your body is asking for support
 • the connection between digestion, presence, and wellbeing
 • gentle, realistic ways to support your body and mind

This episode is a warm and empowering guide to reconnecting with your body — without overwhelm or extreme detoxes.

If you feel called to reset your system in a nourishing and supportive way, you can book a free 15-minute connection call here:
https://tidycal.com/ithrive/connection-call

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hello, hello my beautiful friends, and welcome back to Up Your Total Glow. I am so grateful that you are here. Thank you so much. And today I would like to start not with a concept but with a feeling. So feel into you and see if you recognize the following. There's nothing dramatic going on in your life. There's nothing that is clearly wrong, and yet you don't quite feel like yourself either. Like your energy feels a little flat, your mind is not as sharp or spacious as it usually is, and your body may be a bit slower to get going. And of course, you still move through your day and you do what needs to be done. But there's this quiet sense of hmm, something's just not flowing the way it usually does. And if that sounds familiar, you're really going to enjoy today's episode. But before we begin, here's a gentle note. This podcast is for inspiration and education only, and not a replacement for medical or therapeutic advice. Please seek personalized support where you need it. Okay, there's my dog, and she feels a little bit upset. You might hear her walking. She's dragging her leg because she's got a spinal injury. And we've got also a storm rolling in, so that's a little bit unsettling for her. And you might also hear the screeching and the whirling of the wind. Rest assured, all is well. Okay, so let's talk about when you're feeling a little bit off. And in Ayurveda, we've got a word for this state, and it's called ama. And now you might have heard me translate the word Amah as toxins, and yes, that's absolutely correct. But today I would like to bring this whole concept of AMA a little bit more into your real life. So I feel the best translation of AMA is all of what hasn't been fully processed. So yes, this can be food, but it could also be your thoughts, conversations, stress, emotions, experiences of any kind. So anything that came into your life but wasn't quite able to move through you and out. So instead of being transformed into nourishment and energy, it lingers. So let me bring this even closer to home. Have you ever eaten a meal while doing three other things? And maybe barely registered that you were eating? Or have you had days where you moved from one task straight into the next without a breath in between? And had something on your mind that just kept looping quietly in the background? Yeah. So all of this is input. And when there's no space for it to land, it doesn't just disappear. It stays in your system. And that's what we call arma. And I know this feeling really well myself. So not in a big, very obvious way, but more in that subtle, easy-to-miss kind of way. Where my life still keeps moving and I keep up with my life, but inside of me I can sense that I'm not quite as clear or steady or energized as I usually am. And for me, this often shows up like I sit down to focus and I notice that my mind is wandering off. Like I'm off with the fairies. Or I eat something simple, something that I usually digest just fine, but today it feels super heavy in my belly and just sits there. Or I notice that I'm a little less patient, a little quicker to feel stretched and on edge. So no, there's nothing dramatic going on, but there's enough for me to pause, catch myself, and think, something's not quite landing. And when I look closer, it's usually not about doing something wrong, and there's nothing wrong with me either. It's usually that I haven't given myself space to arrive anywhere. Everything just keeps rolling, and my system hasn't had a chance to catch up. Sounds familiar. So I would like to invite you to imagine your inner world like a beautiful room. And every experience you have brings something into that room. So this might be a meal or a conversation or a thought or an emotion. Now if you have time to process the meal, the thought, the emotion, if you have time to tidy it and reset it, the room stays beautiful and calm and serene and spacious. However, if those things keep coming in and nothing is being cleared, then your beautiful room starts to feel a bit full. And maybe a little bit more chaotic, not in a drastic way, but subtly. And it will definitely feel not as light as it did before. And that's how Arma builds. And why does this matter? Why is this so important for me? Why do I want you to absolutely understand this? Because, and this is one of the many things why I love Ayurveda so so much. In Ayurveda, we don't wait until something is really wrong with you. So you want to start listening right here when something feels off in the most subtle way. Because this is where your body is already communicating with you. Yes, maybe quietly, yes, maybe gently, but it is telling you something. And when you're listening now, you can reset and rebalance so much quicker and easier. And this is what I want for you. Okay, and now you might be thinking, okay, awesome, Ruth. Tell me what to cut out, what to fix, what shall I do? And again, we go into doing mode. But what if the answer is actually much simpler? And it's not about doing. So in my experience, clearing armour is not about forcing anything. In fact, it's about supporting your natural digestion again. And no, not your whole life, just small moments. Because digestion, whether be it of food or of your life, needs space. So even a short pause between things can change how your system responds. And if you have noticed that things feel a little stuck or dull at the moment for you, then warmth is your remedy. Warmth will help you to gently rekindle movement. So you might want to cook yourself a warm, nourishing meal. You want to enjoy more cooked foods or a beautiful warm drink. So, yes, I know this is super simple and it's incredibly effective. Trust me. So it is my experience that when things feel off, we instinctly want to add more into our lives. So maybe we are thinking, okay, I need more supplements, or I need more rules, I need more fixes. But more often than not, what we truly need and what truly helps is the opposite. So we need simplicity, simpler meals, less input, a little less complexity. This is where your system will start to reset. And I love the idea of let one moment be complete. And what do I mean with that? I would like to invite you to choose one moment in your day. And let this moment be fully experienced. So be fully in it. And yes, this can be a meal, or it can be a conversation, or it can be a pause. The only thing I'm inviting you to do is not to multitask, not to rush ahead, but instead to fully be there in that moment. And that, my friend, is digestion too. Okay, so now I would like to invite you to instead of asking yourself what do I need to fix, try asking where can I give myself a little bit more space to actually process? Because often it's not too much food, it's too much at once. And can we just pause here for a moment? Because I do want to normalize something, and not in a way that keeps us stuck. So I do believe that we all have those moments where we are, yes, eating and scrolling and replying and already thinking about the next thing. And suddenly your plate is empty, and you think, wait, did I even taste that? So I don't want you to feel bad about that. I actually think this is a powerful moment, and this is your opportunity to start recognizing that this is the moment where your awareness begins again. So I'm inviting you to not just brush it off and say, oh well, that's modern life. Yes, it is modern life. And it is your moment to gently come back. So maybe you'd like to smile to yourself or give yourself a little internal high five and think, oh, there I am again. And this moment of noticing this is powerful. That's you stepping out of autopilot. And this is where it gets really beautiful. And there's actually a lot of research showing that the more present you can be, the more content, fulfilled, and genuinely happy you will feel. And that is not because your life suddenly became so perfect, it is because you're actually in it. So, yes, these small moments like tasting your food, feeling your breath, being in a conversation, they do matter. They do matter more than you think because they bring you back. And the more often you return, the more your system begins to feel clear and calm and connected again. So, yes, arma builds quietly, and it can also be cleared gently, not through force, but through presence and rhythm and a little bit more space. And when you choose to begin to support your system in that way, you will notice it, no question about it, because you will feel more like yourself again, you will feel more clear, more energized, and more at home. And if you feel like your body is asking for a deeper reset in a way that is nourishing, not depleting, this is exactly the work I love guiding people through. And I personally reset twice a year, and I do so by using gentle Ayurvedic cleansing practices like Ichari or Ghee-based cleanses. And these practices support my body while they are also deeply nourishing it. And if you feel now called to explore that for yourself, I would absolutely love to support you. And you can book your free 15-minute connection call with me here. You will find the link in the show notes. Please never forget, always remember that you are love, you are light, and you are already whole. Keep glowing. Much love.