MEGAN MONAHAN
Megan teaches regularly with Wanderlust, The Chopra Center, Unplug Meditation. She is a Lululemon meditation ambassador with their West Hollywood location. Most recently she started writing her first book, Spiritual Real Talk.
Follow Megan
www.meganmonahan.com
Instagram: @megmonaha
After working in the stressful world of the music industry for 7 years, Megan reached a breaking point in 2009 and knew that she needed to create a change. Although she was living the life she thought she always wanted, she was unhealthy, unhappy and felt burned out from life. Megan turned to The Chopra Center for Wellbeing to learn how to create life balance and manage her stress. She immediately began studying with Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon, the co-founders of the Chopra Center and a year later she had quit her job in music and was invited to work at The Chopra Center. There, she continued her education with teachers like Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Byron Katie, Jean Houston, and under Deepak Chopra became a certified instructor in Primordial Sound Meditation. After immersing herself in the teachings of meditation, yoga and Ayurveda, Megan felt an unbridled passion to begin sharing these teachings in a “real way." She is passionate about taking the esoteric nature of meditation and translating it to people in a way that empowers them to see how the benefits of a meditation practice will show up in their day-to-day life. Megan brings to her clients the individual, practical, and realistic tools, techniques, and motivation needed to transform their lives.
"UNDERSTANDING MY DOSHA IS A GAME CHANGER."
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda, both the intellectual understanding the physical experience is what I credit with moving back into a state of balance when I reached a physical breaking point in my early 20's.
When did you discover it?
I did panchakarma (includes bastis! yikes) as a total newbie to this world when I was 24. I was stressed and my body was holding onto a lot of that stress and the emotional toxicity I was experiencing.
What drew you to Ayurveda?
Google! I literally googled "wellness southern california" when my therapist told me I needed to find a better way to manage stress. Deepak Chopra's wellness center was the first search result and I took such a leap of faith, investing a week of my life and money I didn't have to take part in a week of ayurveda, meditation and yoga that would change my life completely.
How long have you been practicing it?
Almost 10 years!
Anything major it’s helped with?
Understanding my dosha is a game changer! This is especially true for my mental balance. Being able to identify when, for example, I'm over-scheduled and completely Vata deranged is a practice that I use constantly so that I can hear the subtle whispers of my body. In the past, pre-Ayurveda Megan would wait to get the sucker punch to create change.
Is it part of everyday life or merely part of your medicine cabinet/fall back routine- definitely a part of my regular tool box.
Top 3 Ayurveda tips that have worked for you
Learning how to use senses other than just taste to balance myself, especially my mind. I pay much more attention to the colors in the rooms of my home for example and the music that I'm listening to, to help invoke the feeling I'm looking for.
Navigating relationships with the understanding of doshas and quickly identifying what someone's dosha is and how I can show up with that awareness in mind.
Cooking/eating with 6 tastes has really curbed the cravings I used to get.
Bonus - Neti Pots save my life when I feel like I'm getting sick
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
It's all common sense! When I learned Ayurveda I instantly had this feeling of remembering it, like it was something I knew but had forgotten. It was a feeling of coming back to a place I had already been.
Did you integrate it gradually or overnight for any particular reason?
As Drake says, I was 0-100 real quick.
Do your children/family eat like this?
My future children will DEFINITELY be eating like this lol.
Favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go to ingredient?
Is it super cliche to say ghee and turmeric? Big fan of making rata
Day to day routines?
Meditation, abhyanga (with dosha specific oil), neti pot, aromatherpay for my doshic imbalances
What do you wish was more accessible in our society to my an Ayurvedic lifestyle more simple?
Ayurvedic fast food would be GREAT. Or just more awareness around balancing tastes in meals. Also dosha specific dating sites would make my Kapha/Pitta life easier.
How does Ayurveda support your lifestyle?
It is my lifestyle lol. It's the foundation that keeps me grounded and balanced and what gives me the ability to recalibrate often to avoid major problems.
Do people around you/in your circle of friends know about it?
50/50
Whats the one thing you would encourage everyone to try/do you think would benefit the majority of people’s health for the better?
I honestly think understanding your doshic prakruti and vikruti is the biggest game changer that we should all be bringing into our lives.