Health Counseling
Many factors play a role in the state of our health. Stress, overwhelm, an unsuitable diet, and environmental toxins dysregulate the body and mind. Ayurvedic counseling entails looking at patterns in digestion, appetite, elimination, sleep, pain, toxin overload, and general symptomology. According to each individual’s constitution, a consultation can entail Ayurvedic bodywork, guidance on nutrition, holistic counseling, and yoga therapy.
Ayurvedic Massage
Oil Massage or Abhyanga entails using organic herbal oils which are absorbed through the skin to help strengthen muscles and joints, stimulate lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, or give relief to pain. Massage directly affects the lymphatic system called rasa dhatu. It assists in blood circulation by moving fluids, wastes, and toxins from the tissues and back into the digestive tract and organs of elimination. For example, it’s common to have to use the bathroom after therapy. Urine, a way the body removes waste, is made from acids from the blood and other fluids. As circulation of blood and lymph is cleared, deep holding patters become released. My sessions offer clients a space to receive a nurturing massage while applying flowing and steady strokes to relax and soothe muscles as well as deeper pressure on vital energy points.
In Ayurveda, supporting digestion is an integral way to experience robust health. Food is the most basic form of medicine and the ahara rasa or “essence of food” forms the building blocks of the tissues of the body. Many people experience some kind of digestive discomfort from bloating, indigestion, IBS, acid reflux, or poor absorption and elimination. Issues like inflammatory reactions, multiple food sensitivities, menstrual difficulties, mood and mental health issues, and disordered eating can be traced back to one’s digestion. By learning how to apply the shad rasa or six tastes found in foods- sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, and bitter, it becomes easier to know how to cook and nourish oneself. I support clients to understand their constitution and individual needs, what is the most optimal diet for them, how to cook with whole organic food, and when to use herbs for the digestive and nervous system.
Food Therapy
Holistic Counseling
Counseling in Ayurveda goes beyond western talk therapy. In counseling, I listen to what you’re experiencing. My intention is to guide individuals to understand their thoughts and emotions but help them into release rather than further into turbulence or stagnation. There are many underlying causes behind the choices one makes in their food, relationships, work, family, and so on. In counseling, the work is to understand the causes but also to gain the motivation and apply the actions to change.
Women’s Health
I understand the many ways women of all cultures experience repression, abuse, and unresolved physical symptoms. I support women to trust their experience. Menstrual difficulties, thyroid imbalances, digestive issues, weight changes, and mental health symptoms can all be brought toward ease and balance through regular and appropriate practices. These can include self-massage, women’s yoga, homecooked food, and regular healthy forms of relaxation.
In sessions, I may teach practices to process difficult emotions of fear, anger, or sadness through meditation, relaxation techniques, and gentle breathing.