Yoga Classes & Ayurveda Consultations | Department of Alignment

Align with your inner force.
Heal your body and ease your mind.

ABOUT CLARA

Hola!

I’ve always been amazed by the workings of the human body. When I first encountered yoga at 18 years old, I started a journey of self-discovery that transformed my health and wellbeing.

My approach is holistic, combining eastern and western perspectives: I’m a Physiotherapist, Iyengar Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Health Counselor.

I believe in the power of small habits. When I work with patients, I try to share everyday, simple yet powerful tools to live with less stress, less anxiety and more awareness.

As we start adopting healthy routines, we heal our bodies and ease our minds. We become empowered because we are our medicine.

My Services

YOGA

AYURVEDA

“ It Is Through The ALIGNMENT OF THE BODY That I Discovered The ALIGNMENT OF MY MIND, SELF, AND INTELLIGENCE. ”

B.K.S Iyengar

Recipes & Cookbooks

Food is medicine

Nothing else has the same power to nourish, heal and bring people together.

Seasonal workshops

Align with Nature

Detox de Primavera

55$

Un curso online con recetas, rutinas y consejos ayurvedicos para una transición sana y sin alergias hacia la primavera.

un plan de 10 días, paso a paso
un recetario hermoso con todas las recetas
una clase de Yoga
una clase de Pranayama
seguimiento individualizado por email

Detox de Otoño

55$

Curso online con recetas, rutinas y consejos ayurvédicos para una transición sana hacia el otoño. Incluye:

un plan de 10 días, paso a paso
un recetario hermoso con todas las recetas
una clase de Yoga
una clase de Pranayama
seguimiento individualizado por email

Follow us @dept.of.alignment

Swipe to discover endless soups with beautiful col

Swipe to discover endless soups with beautiful colors and nutritious ingredients.
Soups are awesome, it’s that simple. They are easy to make and easy to digest. If you want to have a healthy hearty meal, just keep soup in the fridge and you’ll have a soothing, satisfying, nourishing meal in a couple of minutes.
Here go a few tips to become a soup wizard:
- Always use seasonal vegetables. It will be more tasty and help with your defenses.
- Do a big casserole and keep it for the week! Batch cooking is key.
- Make it personal by adding spices for your doshas.
- Add tahini or coconut milk for a creamy flavour.
- Use miso for extra taste plus enzymes and probiotics.
- Add toppings such as bean sprouts for a crunchy texture.

A classic start to making food your medicine is to

A classic start to making food your medicine is to prepare herbal infusions and drink them throughout the day.
Like ancient alchemy, the making of infusions involves care and presence. If done properly, they provide medical qualities that can be essential to our healing process 🏹
The difference between infusions and tea is that herbal tea use less plant material and are steeped for a shorter period of time. Herbal infusions use a greater amount of herbs and steep for a longer period of time, from 4 to 12 hours.
Choose your herbs wisely according to the season, doshas or symptoms:
🌞For summertime, I recommend cooling, astringent hibiscus and marshmallow root which is super moisturizing.
❄️For the winter months, I love to mix cinnamon with oat straw (avena sativa) or slippery elm (ulmus rubra). or simply a chai with a lot of ginger to keep internal heat and digestive fire strong.
❤️For PMS, I recommend making infusions with dong quai, cinnamon, red raspberry leaf and linden.

Happy New Year everybody! May 2023 bring love, pea

Happy New Year everybody! May 2023 bring love, peace and a deeper connection with ourselves and our environment.
A new year is an invitation for new beginnings, and with Capricorn’s persistent and hardworking spirit, it’s a good time to take up those healthy habits we were wishing for.
What habits would you like to incorporate this year? Please share below!
The smallest daily detail can make a huge difference, from a morning sun salutation, to sipping your tea in silence, to an evening walk.
Healing and self-discovery represent a long journey that should be done gently. Good habits, no matter how tiny, will eventually become part of your routine and naturally drag in more good habits 🧘 You’ll be surprised with how they can change your life and perspective.

A hearty, vegan addition to the New Year’s Eve t

A hearty, vegan addition to the New Year’s Eve table. It’s really easy and yummy!
This quick, crunchy and tasty salad by Deliciously Ella is a crowd pleaser and it can be served warm during cold months or at room temperature in summer. Switch kale for spinach if you have a hard time digesting it.
INGREDIENTS
1 sweet potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
1x 400g can of chickpeas, drained
100g quinoa
100g almonds
2 tablespoons of tamari
Large handful of chopped kale or spinach
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon of almond or peanut butter
Drizzle of tahini
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 190C, fan setting.
2. Place the sweet potato chunks and drained chickpeas into a large baking tray and add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Mix well and cook for 35-40 minutes until the sweet potatoes become soft.
3. While the sweet potato cooks, cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the pack.
4. Place a large pan over a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of tamari and a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the almonds and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes before adding the kale.
5. Mix everything together and cook for a few minutes until the kale begins to soften. At this point, add the cooked quinoa to the pan, along with the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, lemon juice, maple and almond butter. Mix well until everything is coated in the dressing.
6. Serve with the creamy tahini drizzled over the top, with a crack of black pepper and some chilli flakes

During December, I’m doing a special discount on

During December, I’m doing a special discount on Ayurvedic Consultations (online or in-person) to help you take up habits for the New Year or give the gift of wellness and self-care to a loved one as a Christmas present 🏹
It’s the perfect time to get inspired and aim for new beginnings. Your life won’t turn overnight in New Year’s eve but you can slowly incorporate healthy habits that make you feel good. These good habits will eventually become part of your routine and naturally drag in more good habits 🧘
The consultations consist of a one-to-one session where we’ll dive into your unique constitution, go over your symptoms and put together a day-to-day plan that includes the best foods, herbs, habits and exercises for you.
Get in touch for more information, and Merry Christmas 🧡
Clara.

My daughter Aurora is crazy for ramen, and she lo

My daughter Aurora is crazy for ramen, and she loves, of course, the store-bought ready-to-go one 🤷🏻‍♀️. I was trying to find healthier alternatives and came up with this homemade version that was quite a success at home.
It is easy to make and much tastier when you use the shitake and seaweed broth (recipe on the feed). This is how it goes:
INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of chopped ginger
Half an onion (chopped)
4-6 cups of cold shitake and seaweed broth or water or organic stock
2 tablespoons miso
Udon noodles
Mushrooms to taste (optional)
Toppings: sesame seeds, green leaves, green onion, egg, cilantro, soy sauce.
METHOD
Sauté the garlic, ginger and onions with sesame oil. Then add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.
Add the broth and miso, mix well so that the miso dissolves. Cover, bring it to boil and reduce the heat. Cook for about 15 minutes or until everything is cooked and tender.
Add the noodles and cook as indicated on the package.
Serve with toppings of your choice. I like to add fresh green leaves and something crunchy.

Vrksasana means 'Tree pose' 🌲 and it asks us to

Vrksasana means 'Tree pose' 🌲 and it asks us to stand tall and balance on one foot to find steadiness in the body and to focus the mind.
Can you press down and feel rooted with one foot while you bring the sole of your opposite foot to your thigh and you reach tall with your arms?
Not an easy task but a good one to explore your connection to your body.
This asana is specially good if you're seating around most of the day. By strengthening your legs, glutes, core, and back, Vrksasana can improve your posture and alignment. Practice it twice daily for at least 30 seconds each day!
Photo by Pat Battellini 🙏✨

Ayurveda helps us understand our unique constituti

Ayurveda helps us understand our unique constitution so we can recognize the elements that are out of balance. If there’s is heartburn, there’s too much fire, constipation and anxiety mean excess air and ether, and overweight and depression mean lots of water and earth.
We all have the power to heal and be our own medicine. The best place to start is your kitchen
🍋. As Hippocrates said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food".
When choosing ingredients, spices, or drinks, we are already working on our balance. It’s the day to day decision of listening to your body and eating accordingly 🏹
In my Ayurvedic consultations, we’ll dive into your unique constitution, go over your symptoms and put together a day-to-day plan that includes the best foods, herbs, habits and exercises for you.
I will be there to support and guide you through your own healing journey but it’s always you who is in charge of your health. You’ll be your medicine 🧡
#Ayurveda #Yoga #Health #Digestion #Agni #Consultation #BeYourMedicine

Proper digestion of dairy depends on their quality

Proper digestion of dairy depends on their quality and preparation. Let’s have a closer look at dairy products.
🥛COW’S MILK: Not recommended for kapha types. While warm milk with ghee is a natural laxative, pasteurized milk causes constipation. Cardamom is the best spice for antidoting its mucus-forming properties, followed by ginger, cinnamon and turmeric. Warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg before sleep helps with insomnia.
🍦Ice cream: Ayurveda doesn’t recommend it because it's cold nature suppresses the digestive fire, particularly if it is eaten after meals. It contains a lot of sugar and often many other additives.
🥣 Yogurt: Contrary to popular belief, yogurt is not always good in the morning. It shouldn’t be taken alone, not with fruit or on an empty stomach. It's better when combined with cucumber and spices like cilantro, cumin, coriander, or cayenne.
🧀 Cheese: Heavy, sticky, and often hard to digest. It is not recommended when there is congestion, stagnation, or channel blockage.. It helps adding spices like mustard, cayenne, black pepper, horseradish, and cumin. Farmer’s cheese (paneer) is lighter and easier to digest, followed by cottage cheese and cream cheese.
🍯 Ghee: An Ayurvedic staple. Made from raw butter is good for almost everyone. It increases strength, vitality, and intelligence, and counters fever and infection. It boosts the immune system and promotes both longevity and awareness. It is an excellent food for mental work and meditation.
#Dairy #Diet #Ayurveda #Health #Digestion #Agni #Vegan #Yoga

What I like the most about Ayurveda is that it tre

What I like the most about Ayurveda is that it treats people, not diseases. Each one of us has a unique healing journey and all food has the potential of being medicinal as long as we check on their quality and processing. Don’t try to follow someone elses perfect diet. Instead, listen to your body and find what is right for you.
When it comes to dairy, there’s a lot of debate. I used to be a strict vegan but with time I realised that this rigidity only brought mental and emotional stress. At the moment, I do eat eggs and ghee and occasionally some cheese. My daughters eat other dairy products, so I decided to learn about how to choose them and how to combine them.
Dairy products themselves are not the issue. Improper methods of raising dairy animals, incorrect processing of milk, and lack of understanding about how to prepare them are to blame.
While dairy is not recommended for everyone, it plays an important role for most of us in maintaining health and promoting longevity. However, these properties are not the same in dairy products produced by modern factory farming.
How we take dairy products is very important. Some Ayurvedic tips are:
🧡 Choose organic dairy products made by responsible, local farms.
🧡 Warm it up. Ayurveda says that warm milk cures disease but cold milk causes it.
🧡 Add cardamom, turmeric or cinnamon as an antidote to their mucus-producing qualities.
🧡Don’t eat too much dairy products, particularly if they are cold. Their damp and heavy nature can clog the channels of circulation.
#Dairy #Diet #Ayurveda #Health #Digestion #Agni #Vegan #Yoga