The California College of Ayurveda is pleased to introduce the Ayurvedic Health Practitioner Interns 2016. Interns have completed their academic studies and work under the supervision of experienced clinical instructors. This semester’s talented group of interns comes from throughout the United States, Canada and United Kingdom.

Ayurvedic Health Practitioner (AHP) interns work on supporting patients to adopt a healthy lifestyle that is in harmony with their constitution. Patients learn about their constitution as well as the nature of any imbalances. They will also receive support to adjust their diet and lifestyle accordingly and to normalize your digestion and elimination. As part of the Ayurvedic program, an intern can include ayurvedic herbs, aromatherapy, color therapy, sound and mantra, and Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy. This is is the best of preventative health care! For those who have a specific condition and are looking for clinical management through Ayurvedic Medicine, they should consider having a consultation with an Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist intern or graduate. 

Interview with Neeshee from Hawaii

1)  What inspired you to study Ayurvedic Medicine?

I had an interest in traditional medicine from a young age. I was fascinated that there were ancient medical traditions that had such a deep and well-articulated approach to healing. I first started reading books about Traditional Chinese Medicine–it was many years later that Ayurveda first spoke to me. 

What impressed me about Ayurveda is its comprehensive and profound understanding of human anatomy and physiology at both physical and energetic levels. The understanding of the five cosmic elements, how they function in our bodies, and how they comprise the three doshas is a deep realization of how the human being functions as a psycho-physical entity in this world. 

What inspires me the most about Ayurveda is that it is an ancient medical tradition rooted in a spiritual understanding of the world that was articulated by extraordinary individuals who possessed a higher realization of life and reality. 

2)    What do you think makes Ayurveda attractive to the public?

I think that what makes Ayurveda attractive is its ability to comprehensively and effectively address modern pathologies with diet, lifestyle, and herbs. The world we live in is a very fast-paced and high-stress environment, and with that comes unique causative factors for illness. Ayurveda remains just as relevant today as it was 5,000 years ago, and is able to address the root-cause of many illnesses. Not only is Ayurveda clinically relevant, but Ayurveda gives the knowledge of how to live harmoniously so that illness does not arise, so that a long and healthy life is lived. Ayurveda also has sophisticated detoxification protocols (panchakarma) which is so relevant in today’s world. 

People are becoming disillusioned with only having their symptoms addressed and are intuiting that there is a deeper address to their imbalances. Many people would prefer not to take pharmaceuticals as their first course of treatment and are turning to gentler and more holistic therapies. In my opinion, Ayurveda epitomizes holistic medicine and offers such diverse therapies that anyone can benefit from it, even if they are doing allopathic treatment. For those reasons, Ayurveda is attractive to the public. 

3)    What do you think about the future of Ayurveda in your country?

I think that Ayurveda has a very bright future in the United States. The fact that there is a college such as the CCA, with such an in-depth curriculum and extensive training program, is a sign already that Ayurveda has made its way to the West. We are only seeing the beginnings of its emergence in the Western context, and it is already proving to be effective and popular. The efficacy of this ancient medicine is self-authenticating for those who try it, and so it is naturally growing in its popularity in the United States as people turn away from the common medical paradigms in search for a more holistic and natural address to their issues.

4)    What is your favorite therapy in this traditional system of medicine from India?

My favorite Ayurvedic therapy is marma therapy. Marma points are energetic points in the body where there is a unique concentration of pranic energy. When the pranic flow at these junctures is restored and balanced, then the whole body is able to regain its natural balance. Working with the flow of prana, the practitioner is able to address the energetic root of imbalances, and this is very powerful.

5) Biography:

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