AYURVEDA
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is an ancient natural wellness system from India. More than 5,000 years old, this time-honored tradition of healing awakens your body’s innate intelligence and repair mechanisms. On a practical level, Ayurveda—the “science of life”—helps you find balance through simple daily rituals, personalized diet planning, and powerful herbs. It’s all about you and your own unique needs.
Ayurvedic Consultation
Ayurveda recognizes that each person has a unique mind-body constitution. The Ayurvedic consultation process identifies the various components of an individual’s constitution, determines imbalances, and provides education, guidance, and options for helping the client regain balance and improve their health and wellness.
We learn together what is going on with you by talking and assessing your pulse and your dosha. Then we create a plan with foods, herbs, lifestyle shifts, and Yoga.
AYURVEDA HELPS WITH:
Menstrual cramps, PMS, menstrual issues
Digestive issues, constipation, IBS and IBD
Thyroid and hormonal imbalances
Menopause symptoms & transition
Stress, anxiety and depression
Low energy, sluggishness and chronic fatigue
Acne, eczema, psoriasis and skin conditions
Difficulty falling or staying asleep
Joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis
Preparing to conceive and fertility
Pregnancy and postpartum support
Where to Begin?!
You may be feeling a little — or a lot — out of balance. Whether you’re struggling with hormonal imbalances, period problems, trying to get pregnant, digestive troubles, skin issues, anxiety, depression, stress, preparing for or recovering from giving birth, or any other dis-ease, our work together can help bring your body and mind back into balance.
This approach is as holistic as it gets. According to ayurveda, the body, mind and spirit are interconnected. To ignore any one of these aspects is to miss the whole. I see you as a whole.
I also see you as a unique being with your own special mind-body physiology. While ayurveda is universal, it is highly personalized. I guide each client differently because no two people are the same. Our work together is entirely customized for you, your body, and your lifestyle.
My clients find ayurveda to be a breath of fresh air amidst a storm of conflicting health information, harsh elimination diets and quick-fixes that don’t really fix anything. Ayurveda feels right and makes a lot of sense because it is based on nature and the way the natural world works. You will find much of it to be intuitive, and it often confirms what you’ve felt is right for your body but have come to doubt or ignore.
You may be wondering, what is this ayurveda? Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing that comes from ancient India. Its knowledge has been used to alleviate suffering for thousands of years, yet it is timeless, evolving with the ages. One of its foundational principles is that all beings are connected to nature. All of life, in fact, is sustained by nature. It is the disconnect from nature that disturbs our health and wellbeing. We live in an era where we’re quite disconnected from a natural way of living, making ayurveda all the more relevant today. It helps us to establish harmony with the nature around us, evoking health and wellbeing at all levels.
I offer consultations online, so no matter where you live, we can connect!
Here’s what it looks like to work with me:
We start with a 90 minute initial consultation ($150). This is an information-gathering session in which I’ll assess all aspects of your health for a complete picture of your mind-body system.
After your session, I’ll send you a personalized wellness plan with practices to focus on in the coming weeks. This usually includes diet and lifestyle guidance, ayurvedic herbs, and recipes to get started.
We meet for our first 1 hour followup after about a month ($100), and usually once a month thereafter for as long as needed.
As we work together, we make shifts and additions to your wellness plan and herbal protocol. This might include anything from diet and lifestyle to yoga, pranayama, and spiritual counseling. We work both from the inside out and from the outside in; I may recommend a series of bodywork therapies or the ayurvedic detox & rejuvenation system of panchakarma to support your healing.
I want you to feel empowered around your health and wellbeing — to understand how your body and mind work and how to best support and nurture them now and for the rest of your life. These are things I teach you along the way so that you ultimately become your own best healer.
Benefits of an Abhayanga:
Reduction in muscle fatigue, tiredness, and daily exhaustion
Reduction in insomnia, inability to sleep
Improvement in digestive ability – reduced wind, reduced feeling of constipation, reduced feeling of incomplete bowel movements
Better mental sharpness and clarity – you can go on longer without feeling tired, fatigued or irritable
Better skin and hair health due to reduction in excess vata dosha – skin health improves almost immediately; hair health improves after a month of regular abhyangas (depending on extent of vata imbalance)
Release of toxins from body and increased immune system support
Ayurvedic Lymphatic Oil Massage Therapy
Ayurvedic massage is known as abhyanga. Abhyanga massage is a type of massage therapy which is used to treat ailments, detox the body of fat soluable toxins and create movement in the lymphatic system. Abhyanga differs from other massages in that it invariably uses copious amounts of oil for massaging the body to nourish your system, joints and skin.
Unlike a traditional massage which is used for fascia release and relaxation, abhyanga is a therapeutic procedure used for many health disorders and to promote wellness. Medicated herb oils are used to encourage therapeutic effects on the body and help to release toxins from the body.
The client lies unclothed on a specially designed table, and the massage therapist pours warmed and specially formulated oil over his or her body. Sesame and coconut oils are commonly used, along with an assortment of herbs. The oil is allowed to soak in for several minutes before the massage therapist begins, using rhythmic, gentle strokes with the whole palm. The movements are methodical and are meant to create movement back in the circulatory system while also moving digestive energy downward. Each movement from extremities to center of the body are in natural flow with your energy and extra focus around the joints, feet and hands moving in a circular motion with vigor to create lubrication, warmth and wake up the physiology.
5 Ayurveda Basics & Benefits
Prevention is EVERYTHING
Ayurveda is a preventive tradition—which means the emphasis is on averting imbalances in the mind and body before they can take hold and cause long-term health issues. Think of your body as a river of intelligence; Ayurveda can help you keep things flowing smoothly, without obstacles. Wellness is a fluid process, and you can follow it at your own pace. The power is in your hands.
2. Food is Medicine
What you put in your body goes a long way toward how you feel. When you’re eating a healthy, whole-foods diet that’s tailored to your unique constitution and needs, you feel lighter, brighter, more clear, and ready to tackle the day. Ayurveda teaches you how to select and prepare foods that support your unique body type at every age and life stage. But don’t worry: you don’t need a complete dietary overhaul! With a few simple changes, you’ll notice a big difference.
3. Good Digestion is Key
Your digestive fire (or agni) is one of the most important keys to good health. When you’re digesting your food well and assimilating all its nutrients, your body produces ojas (life essence)—the source of vitality. When, on the other hand, your digestion is out of balance, ama (toxins) can accumulate and lead to long-term health challenges. Ayurveda is all about priming your digestion so you always feel your best.
4. ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE!
When you’re aligned with nature’s rhythms, you just feel more balanced. Simple things like getting to bed early, making time for meditation and yoga, and eating your largest meal at noon—when both the sun and your digestive fire are at their peak—can help you feel more energized and alert. The Ayurvedic dinacharya (daily routine) helps you stay on track. And our Ayurvedic Consultations offer added insights on how to live in harmony and good health, no matter the weather.
5. Healing Herbs
Plant-based wisdom lies at the heart of Ayurveda. If you’re feeling something’s “off”—a tickle in your throat, a sense of lethargy or irritable digestion— herbal formulas can help you get back in balance. Our sustainable, synergistic botanical blends are prepared in India according to the exacting specifications of the ancient texts, and our single-herb all-stars come from the most potent plants. Find balance naturally with our time-tested Ayurvedic supplements, teas, foods, and bodycare formulas.
Your journey with Ayurveda starts here!
In Ayurveda, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Discovering your unique mind-body type is the first step in your journey. From there, we’ll guide you through a personalized path to wellness that involves dietary, lifestyle, and herbal recommendations to support your unique needs.
Get to know the Doshas
Ayurveda teaches us that we are all composed of three basic energies, or doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The doshas regulate many different facets of your body’s functioning: Vata controls movement, Pitta controls metabolism, and Kapha controls structure. Each of us contains a unique blend of the three doshas—but most of us tend toward one or two in particular.
Panchakarma Treatments
Panchakarma is a detoxification treatment process you go through to help to reverse or eliminate disease and disorders from the body. To remedy this situation Ayurveda offers the gift of Panchakarma the “Science of Rejuvenation”. In this process the body is purified of the degenerating influence of these foreign substances thus freeing it to naturally exercise its inherent rejuvenating abilities. Enlivening your inner intelligence and self healing mechanisms.
How to begin your Panchakarma treatments:
The Panchakarma treatment is simple and traditional. Its important to get lots of sleep, good food and lot of rest during the time of your treatment program. This program can be arranged over a period ranging from 3 to 14 days depending on the individual and their severity of the disorder.
Step #1: CONSULTATION
First is the ayurvedic consultation (30min – 60 min) with us to determine your doshic type and potential imbalances. This will determine which of the Panchakarma therapy to use for your treatment and which oil must be used according to your constitution. We will arrange a special dietary program and herbs to loosen the toxins in the body and you will be given a full description about your treatment procedure. Three or four days before your treatment you have to take ghee or medicated oil with herbs (sneha pana) to dislodge the Ama (accumulated toxins in the gut)
Step #2: OIL MASSAGE
Snehana/Abhyanga is a unique herbal oil massage. Abhyanga is a herbal warm massage oil that covers the body from head to toe in a complete process of oileation. (The oils are chosen to suit your constitution) Oil is systematically worked all over the body and into the skin, and is absorbed through the pores. Abhyanga is special massage technique using therapeutic oils to stimulate and release toxins in the body through lymphatic drainage and through the skin. It also helps to absorb the oil into the internal tissue of the body.
Step #3: SWEDANA (Steam Treatment)
Pinda Sweda is a technique that uses a poultice of Ayurvedic herbs that is heated and then used to foment the body to produce sweat. The fomentation helps absorb the herbs into the body through the pores in the skin. Dhara Sweda or a traditional Ayurvedic steam bed. Ayurvedic herbs are placed in the hot water of steam bath to produce a therapeutic steaming effect to help in curing various aliments and expelling toxins from the body.
Step #4: SHIRODHARA
Shirodhara is a technique that uses warm oil poured in a gentle stream over the forehead. This is a profoundly relaxing as it works to calm and pacify the central nervous system stilling the mind and senses. This allows stress to be released and to enhance natural healing. The oil is then massaged into your head and facial massage will perform to close the treatment.
Step #5: PANCHAKARMA
Nasya- A small amount of herbal oil used for each nostril to cleanse the sinus passage and lubricate the upper respiratory tract. This will help to remove the accumulated mucus and help to breathing. This is a very effective treatment for sinusitis, migraine, tinnitus and smoking addictions ect
Basti – Enema/Colonic -Therapy small amount of warm oil (50ml-100ml) given to your anal cannal to cleanse the accumulated toxins through the colon. This is considered to be the best method to eliminate toxins from the body. Vata disorders benefit most from enema treatment such as digestive problem, fertility, pain, paralysis and insomnia. (Increase apana vata – downward action/energy)
Virechana - Purgative- Specially made herbal solution or paste is given to the person to cleanse the digestive tract from mouth to anal canal. The person must expect to have loose stools/motion from the bowels.
***Not every procedure is done for you at once. Each Individual has their own treatment procedure according to their requirement. We are dealing with people that suffer from disorders such as infertility, arthritis, addictions, weight issues, depression and paralysis etc. We would like to advise you to that this treatment is to treat disease and disorders not a merely a relaxing spa treatment. You must prepare to have some physical and emotional discomfort at times from the panchakarma treatment.***