Last weekend was the first weekend training for the year long Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor program I am attending through Kerala Ayurveda Academy. I thought I would share a bit of what I am learning, what I am loving and how this all connects to my mission with my private practice, Ananda Counseling and Wellness and my personal wellbeing. Each month I will post here for you to follow me along on this journey!

First, it may be helpful to understand a bit of why I chose to train in ayurveda. I was introduced to Ayurveda during my 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2015 through Everyone Yoga School, here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The material was fascinating, addressed all aspects of nature, and was suuuuuper simple to approach, so I was drawn to it immediately. I was entering the final phase of training for my license in mental health counseling, so diving into Ayurveda would have to wait. Fast forward a year and I had an opportunity to revisit Ayurveda in a Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher certification program through Sundara Yoga. That winter season, I began to incorporate a few ayurvedic practices to support my self care routine and noticed a shift right away. (Some of which I shared in my massive list of self care practices last month).

My sleep improved, I felt more energized, I worried less, my body felt stronger and more calm, I was warmer and less dry, and I didn’t get the wintertime blues that often show up around January when the days are short, cold and dark.

Since then, I have been collecting resources, reading articles, books and blogs, adding practices and learning on my own, all the while reflecting on if or when I would enroll in a formal ayurvedic training program. Shout out to Lisa Bracken of Copper Cup Ayurveda for being a powerhouse teacher, cheerleader and Ayurveda ambassador in my hometown.

Over the past year of sitting with clients and students in my practice and observing my own personal nature, I began to see a gap in their healing journey that wasn’t addressed by modern psychotherapy or the yoga movement, breath and meditation practices I offer. Ayurveda has been the perspective that offers skills, practices and perspectives that fill the gap.

During this first weekend intensive, we learned about the underlying philosophy informing Ayurveda and yoga practices (which is also the first philosophy for iRest Yoga Nidra meditation. I love it when things align), the 5 major elements that make up everything in nature, the 3 primary doshas, their characteristics and functions, and the 20 qualities that contribute to balance or imbalance.

My teacher spoke to the power of being in the “here and now” and normalizes that our minds have a great tendency to get distracted. One fundamental skill taught in the beginning of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (my primary psychotherapy approach) is the importance of being able to make contact with the present moment. ACT draws heavily from philosophies that inform yoga and ayurveda, so I am thrilled to experience this reinforcement and see it as an affirmation of my learning journey to this point.

I learned that the goal of ayurveda is “health, harmony, peacefulness, happiness and longevity” and when we are in balance, these qualities naturally emerge across all areas of life. We are continually changing, right along with the weather, seasons, and social circumstances and Ayurveda shows us simple ways to adapt in a healthy, harmonious way. Whether it is a challenging emotional experience and you need healthy coping options, or a stressful encounter and you need self care tools, Ayurveda offers simple strategies to take action with!

Ayurveda is special (and potent) because it:

respects and honors the uniqueness of each individual
emphasizes prevention
is approachable and cost effective
considers all levels of the individual
- Emotional, intellectual, physical, familial, social, environmental, spiritual and universal *Check out this article from August 2019 about 9 domains of wellness - there is quite a bit of overlap!
empowers you to take healthy actions to improve your wellbeing which increases confidence, self worth and mood

I have only just begun this year-long journey in studying Ayurveda and both my mind and heart are full!

Next month we will explore Ayurvedic physiology, diving into anatomy and functions/actions within the body and organ systems. I look forward to sharing bits that I am learning along the way and connecting with you throughout.

I leave you with a chant the lead instructor shared with us at the start of each training session. It is often shared when entering a relationship, task, or learning opportunity with others. Scroll down for the translation.