Juanita Rodgers welcomes you to her world as a trained Yoga instructor and Holistic Health Practitioner. Through her blog, “Calm and Grounded,” Juanita passionately shares insights on yoga, Ayurveda, and nutritional disciplines, offering practical tools for self-healing.
Having personally experienced the transformative power of self-healing, Juanita understands the profound impact of yoga, Ayurveda, and a plant-based diet on cultivating a strong, healthy body and mind—even for those over 60 years old. Join Juanita on her blog as she guides you through practical, natural, and effective ways to achieve happiness, balance, and calm in your life. Let her wisdom and experience be your companion on the journey to holistic well-being.
Learn about this fascinating person in the latest MysticMag interview.
Can you share insights into the benefits of incorporating natural, plant-based options into one’s lifestyle, and how does this contribute to achieving optimal health and wellness?
The benefits are you are happier and healthier! We really are as we do and what we eat. Incorporating natural movement, breathing, and nature lowers stress levels, strengthens you physically, increases creativity, and provides better mental clarity. All of which results in a healthier body. And a healthier body will always lead to better well-being and a happier mind! The foods we eat affect every single area of our lives. Eating plant-based does everything from eliminating emotional, environmental, and dietary toxins, to preventing pain, infections, inflammation, and the build-up of stored toxicity so our cells can restore and regenerate. All of these natural and plant-based options contribute to achieving optimal health and wellness because the self-inflicted imbalances have been prevented, reversed, or removed.
Yoga and Ayurveda are ancient practices with rich traditions. How do you suggest individuals integrate these practices into their modern lives, and what specific benefits can they expect for their overall mental health?
I teach students to transition yoga in their daily life by incorporating what I call 5 good minutes of relaxing and releasing at night with 2 yoga sequences; (1) Dynamic Forward Fold sequence: (Tadasana) Mountain pose inhaling I accept (Uttanasana) folding forward to knees exhaling I allow and (2) Cat cow: inhaling I relax. Exhaling I release. I suggest these because it is a quick, calming sequence. Practicing this mini sequence begins to create a routine, as well as guide their awareness of peace. The benefit they can expect is that the state of consciousness is always available to them. Students often tell me they do the same sequence in the morning to set the tone of their day. Which I love hearing.
As an advocate for natural, plant-based living, what key principles or tips do you offer to those looking to transition to a more plant-centered lifestyle, and how does this impact both physical and mental well-being?
This is such a great question because people are curious but it can be hard work for them. Knowing this, I advocate to have a meatless day. I always suggest participating in Meatless Monday and sharing on social media because it is a fun challenge. It allows you to be a meal creative, share the recipes, and unknowingly, encourage others. I am also an advocate of trying to switch out a couple of commercial products for natural oils. Anything from wrinkle cream and hair moisturizers to cleaning products. The impact is huge because a more plant-centered lifestyle decreases stress, depression, and weight, helps to restore balance, helps to repair damage, and decreases inflammation. Also, when you switch out a lot of your commercial products for natural ones, you get way better results. Way better.
Yoga is known for its mind-body connection. How do you emphasize the mental health benefits of yoga, and are there specific practices within yoga that individuals can focus on for improved mental well-being?
I always emphasize that Yoga is a natural happy pill because it gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy and being happy helps decrease anxiety and improves your mood. It also relaxes your mind and centers your attention which provides you with peaceful, calm energy and joy. There aren’t specific practices. I favor yin yoga but any consistent yoga practice will improve your mental, spiritual, and physical health. Just sitting in a chair and practicing breathing will improve your mental well-being.
Ayurveda takes a personalized approach to health. How do you guide individuals in discovering their unique Ayurvedic constitution, and how can this knowledge be applied to enhance mental health?
I try to simplify Ayurveda and introduce everyone to the overall concept of harmonizing the body with nature through diet, herbal remedies, yoga and meditation, exercise, lifestyle, and body cleansing. I have a great, fun questionnaire that I give which guides and gives a general sense of discovering their constitution. From an Ayurvedic perspective, we are at our core healthy, whole, and happy by nature. So, gaining this knowledge leads to a better understanding of the necessity of engaging in habits and practices that support the emergence of our essential nature and bring balance to mind, body, and spirit. Which in turn enhances not only your mental health but your physical health and spirit.
Can you share success stories or examples from your journey or from individuals you’ve worked with, highlighting the transformative impact of incorporating natural, plant-based options, yoga, and Ayurveda on mental health and overall well-being?
Sure. In 2015 I had the weirdest knot on the corner of my left eyelid. At the same time, seemed like whenever I ate chicken, I would get this piercing pain in the left side of my back. Never put the two together. For the pain, I’d just take Tylenol and Ibrophen because at that time I loved chicken. For my eye, I eventually went to a few doctors because the knot was pretty bad. Long story short, I have seen a few specialists, and no one could figure it out. Then one doctor assumed it was cancer and did a biopsy to confirm it. Only the biopsy confirmed it was not cancer. So he left the knot in my eye and stitched me up. His next assumption was that it was some type of inflammation and decided for me to try some steroids to see how that works. I was pretty horrified that he left the knot. Two, I didn’t even know what inflammation was or meant and three, my biological mom was schizophrenic. I wasn’t sure what that meant for me since I have the gene. Anyway, I decided to research exactly what was inflammation and also the effects of steroids. The research leads me to natural remedies and Ayurveda. So I followed that path and changed everything. How I ate, cooked, moved. Everything. I stop smoking. Stop eating meat and processed foods. Started doing yoga, and walking. I couldn’t believe my results. No more pain in my back and the eyelid knot left. My skin and face looked better too. I was shocked though by how happy I was. I was so calm and at ease. Way less irritable, aggressive, or moody. It was crazy. I was more happy with that result than I was about the eyelid. I love being relaxed and joyful. I know it’s because of yoga, ayurveda, and a plant-based diet that I am this way.
