My first experience of Ayurveda was in Thailand. A friend who practiced Ayurveda was explaining a client whose symptoms had her puzzled. When she was done explaining, I began to extrapalate a solution. What I enjoyed most was not that my solution was correct but rather that it was entirely logical. A science based on reason rather than pretense.

Within months I had begun studying with one of the foremost western teachers, Vaidya Atreya Smith. Atreya is both a gifted teacher and a phenomenal diagnostician, and I was inspired to deepend my knowledge and continue his tradition of healing from the source. His remarkable clarity and demystification of Ayurveda enabled me to deepen my understanding, and I am still fortunate to continue to call him my teacher.

To be a gifted physician one must develop the ability to objectively observe.

Ayurveda is not a science based on judgement. More precisely, it is a science based on the consequences of one's actions. It does not limit a person to living a strict and severe life devoid of freedom, but rather encourages choices armed with the knowledge of cause and effect.

Observation is integral to Ayurveda, and it is how this science came into being. Without observation the three doshas, five elements, 7 tissues, 20 attributes, or any of the other Ayurvedic fundamentals would not have been "discovered".

A daily practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga has enabled me to develop an attitude of humility and objectivity. Abandoning judgement of myself on the mat has enabled me to see things for what they are.

Years of teaching have honed my skills as an observer of the subtleties of the body and, even more so, the subtleties of the mind. Observation, knowledge and experience create moments of insight, the key to unlocking the mysteries on the inside.

My formal studies were at the European Institute of Vedic Studies with Vaidya Atreya Smith and Dr. Sunil V. Joshi. My most recent training at the E.I.V.S specialised in Dravyaguna - the principles, qualities, action and therapeutic profiles of the food / drug substances in Ayurveda.

In August this year I travelled to India again to intern at Dr. Joshi's clinic in Nagpur, Maharashtra. This was a unique opportunity to broaden my experience in a panchakarma clinic with a physician believed to be the leading specialist in this field.