What Does a Consultation Look Like?
Over the years, my practice has evolved and taken different forms as I’ve continued to study Ayurveda. I have studied with many different teachers and Masters to explore various traditions, techniques, and bodies of knowledge. This continued study has led me to develop my own integrative style.
What is my Approach?
To understand my approach, you must first understand what has inspired me along the way. My approach in consultations is modeled after my favorite teacher and Master of Ayurveda: the renowned Dr. Raju from northern India. From him, I learned that a consultation can be much more than taking pulse, correcting imbalances, and prescribing herbs, tinctures, and routines.
I watched as Dr. Raju lovingly welcomed person after person into his space. He honored each individual before him as he listened and read their pulse with care and knowingness. Dr. Raju’s clients eased and softened as he discussed his findings and the path forward. They felt safe, and even without knowing it, they experienced healing simply by being in his presence.
That atmosphere is very inspiring for me and having been on the receiving end of many different healers myself, I have always found love and compassion to correlate with effectiveness. In each consultation, my goal is to embody the same love and compassion I witnessed in Dr. Raju. In this atmosphere, recommendations, advice, and wisdom flow naturally in conversation as patients experience health and healing along the way.
“I have always found love and compassion to correlate with effectiveness.”
I tend to call my process an Integrative Ayurvedic Approach since I have experience working with many different areas of modern and traditional medicines, including diet, lifestyle, yoga, meditation, nutrition, physical therapy, Vedic counseling, and a range of specialty Ayurvedic therapeutics.
In my years of practice, I have worked with a large range of conditions, from diagnosed physical diseases to abstract mental health challenges, and everything in between. I also make efforts to work with clients who are already healthy and looking to develop even further in that direction. Each individual is unique in their health conditions, healthful aspirations, and karmic circumstances. Because of this, my work is to create a program tailored specifically to you. A program that works to correct imbalances, while being mindful of any healthful practices you currently employ that are beneficial to you.
What Are the Aspects of a consultation?
Now, let’s look at some of the more practical aspects of a consultation:
1) Discuss your concerns and goals.
This is what you bring to the table, and your main health concerns may not necessarily be physical. For some, the main goal is to balance their emotions and calm their mind. The beauty of holistic medicine is that what you do to strengthen one aspect of your health will also strengthen the whole. It is also true that one aspect can never fully be separated from another, and an example of this is how many emotional swings are actually the result of an imbalanced hormonal system. Regardless, the health goals and concerns you bring are valuable insights that help to shape an effective program, address your imbalances, and strengthen your well-being.
2) Assess your unique Mind-Body type and current imbalances.
In Ayurveda, each individual has a unique blend of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha qualities. Have you ever taken a personality test? This is a similar idea, except I would argue that most personality tests only show an incomplete snapshot of your current subconscious mind. While there is truth in these tests, much of who you are cannot be assessed through the mind. This is where Ayurveda shines. In this ancient system, your Mind-Body type encompasses the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of who you are.
Through pulse-reading and other methods of assessment, an Ayurvedic practitioner can determine your true Mind-Body type and understand what vibrant health looks like for your specific constitution (Prakriti). At the same time, a practitioner can see the imbalances causing disruptions in your overall well-being (Vikriti). In this way, an Ayurvedic practitioner can clearly view your current state and see the path that needs to be taken to move towards greater health.
3) Conduct a comprehensive health & wellness interview.
This aspect of a consultation is similar to but separate from the first two aspects. Far from the choreographed and stilted interviews you often find in a job setting, this type of interviewing is natural, spontaneous, and intuitive. The questions asked are unique to each person, and stem from the health concerns and goals you bring to the table, as well as my own intuition as I assess your constitution and imbalances. The training I have allows me to gently assess the condition of different dimensions of your life, both Ayurvedically and otherwise. Utilizing the subtle diagnostic tools of Ayurveda, I can take a vantage point on your life circumstances and health that can be revealing and enlightening simply on its own.
4) Create a doable, enjoyable, and effective therapeutic plan.
Each program is tailored specifically to each individual’s health goals, concerns, Mind-Body type, and current imbalances. For most people, their program will follow one of two main tracks: an Ayurvedic Consultation or Vedic Therapy. Ayurvedic Consultations are for those whose are main concerns and health goals are based on their physical well-being. The Vedic Therapy track is for those who are seeking relief from a mental or emotional imbalance. Remember, no aspect is separate from the others, so each program will address your physical, emotional, and mental well-being as a whole. The key is in determining your main area of focus.
To create an effective personalized program, I seek to address each of these elements in a consultation:
Refine your diet and lifestyle habits
Increase your physical strength, immunity, and sense of restedness
Evaluate your current health practices
Review your career and relationship dynamics
Stabilize your mental, emotional, and hormonal system
Address any addiction and negative behavior patterns