What to expect for your first Ayurvedic Session….
Hello, okay great! You’ve booked an initial Ayurvedic Consult with me! Now what?! Well first off, I want to acknowledge that ayurveda is about a journey. And the initial consultation is one of the first steps on this journey. You’ve likely been curious about exploring other ways of finding health, or you’ve had some things happen in your life and you sought care from allopathic/western approach that left you unsatisfied, or you experienced someone close to you go through something potentially traumatic (medically speaking) and you want to prevent this yourself… or any number of other experiences. Please know whatever brings you my way, is exactly as you are meant to arrive! Welcome!
After you’ve booked with me, either in person or online, you’ll fill out a health seeker intake form. This is likely similar to paperwork you would have filled out for a medical/naturopathic or chiropractic care. We will spend about 60 minutes talking through the form which will include information on your day to day sleep and eating routines, stress levels, family and personal medical history. We will then spend the last 30 minutes of our time together discussing the following:
Prakriti- this is your ‘natural state’, this is your own unique blend of the 3 doshas. This part will be brief, it is unchanging but useful to keep in mind for different approaches to find your own balance.
Vrikiti- this is your ‘current state’. This is where you may be experiencing any imbalances and where we will seek to bring balance and harmony.
Agni- this is a Sanskrit term for fire and more specifically for us, this is your digestion. In Ayurveda there is an understanding that the root of many diseases is from slow digestion. We want to know where your digestion is at and often we work to strengthen this process. And in strengthening digestion, we often alleviate many of the imbalances.
Ama- another Sanskrit term for what is unprocessed or undigested in our body and mind. This can be literal food or any emotions that we haven’t dealt with accordingly. Often we need to ‘burn’ the ama so that our overall mind/body system can function in a more optimal manner.
Food/Fluid- after reviewing your general food and fluid intake, we will look at how what we eat, when we eat and how we eat impacts our ama and agni and make adjustments accordingly.
Perceptions- how we view the world has a tremendous impact on our mind/body system, so it is important that we have the ‘right’ intake of our sensory information.
Breathwork- breathwork or pranayama is such a valuable practice to maintain balance and there is also intentionality in using the breath to cool us down or to heat us up, depending on what we need! Breath is also how we connect the mind and the body. And the connection we establish is really key to promoting longevity, balance, peace and harmony.
Yoga- This may include actual yoga poses, types of yoga classes to pursue, or specific types of meditations, mantras or mudras. There is also intentionality in practicing or avoiding these based on any imbalances you may be experiencing.
Herbs- there are thousands of herbs in Ayurveda and to be classified as a dravya (Sanskrit for medicinal herb) there must be 7 different criteria for each herb. In Ayurveda, we don’t pick an herb for one specific roga (or disease) but rather we pick an herb or a combination (formulation) that will best serve your entire system. In my current practice I may recommend one or two herbs for you.
That’s it! That is how we will spend our initial session together. Ayurveda, as I stated, is best experienced as a journey, so it is important to schedule follow ups, these can be 4-6 weeks out (more or less depending on what you are comfortable with). In the follow up, we can make any needed changes based on how you are feeling, we can also include some of the other practices I offer such as reiki, 1:1 yoga or coaching. The amazing thing with Ayurveda is that it is meant to be very tailored to you! That means your session and protocol will likely be different from others, especially as we work together more! Who doesn’t want personalized care?!
I look forward to working with you and please know that being of service to you on your journey to find balance, longevity and peace is such a joy for me to witness.
Many blessings, Kate
