my journey to ayurveda
I have spent my entire life battling chronic migraines. I grew up having only a slight understanding of what could trigger a debilitating experience of pain, vomiting, and restless sleep. Over the counter medication was my only remedy, but dependent on the timeliness of my taking a large dose. I felt resigned to these attacks for the rest of my life. Finally as I got older, each migraine I would say: "never again." I didn't want to be a victim anymore; I slowly started opening my world to find an answer.
My studies in college took me to beautiful Thailand to teach English, which led me to a fateful yoga retreat where I listened to a talk on Ayurveda. This basic talk on doshas, elements, and rhythms of life was captivating. I was drooling over the information like a piece of chocolate cake (the struggle is real). I immediately booked an appointment with an Ayurvedic Physician in Chiang Mai and started my journey into the unknown. My doctor showed me how to create a routine around the inherent cycles of nature, eat what was right for my imbalances and body type, and perform oil treatments and massages to correct a back injury I had not been able to fix. My digestion improved, my constipation eradicated, my pain erased, my mind cleared, and my migraines lessened dramatically. Throughout my two years in Thailand I had many revelations but the most powerful understanding he gave me was to realize how lucky I am to be alive and that eventually I wouldn't need his help – I would be able to take care of myself.
I am forever grateful for him and his wife because I am now on a journey that is fulfilling in ways I never imagined. After my health changed, I knew my mission was to share this insanely awesome preventative, self-care system with you so that you could share it with your families. I wish for you to appreciate your beautiful uniqueness and to understand that you are not your sickness, your imbalances, nor your negative thoughts. You are all the positive adjectives in the dictionary and Ayurveda can help you truly enjoy your life.
In practicing Ayurveda, I want to acknowledge that I am not of South Asian descent and this is not the culture I grew up with. I am of Russian, Austrian, Irish, and Swedish descent, however, I do deeply respect this holistic healing system and purely wish to honor those who created it and also those in India and around the world that have spent their lives in apprenticeship and mastering this science. As a practitioner, I do not diagnose, but I do help you identify the state of imbalance you are in and how Ayurveda can be used in your daily lifestyle, diet, and herbal habits to get you back into balance.
