Ayurvedic practitioner in Rye, NH with Rebecca Schneider

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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 Rebecca from New Hampshire

1)  What inspired you to study Ayurvedic Medicine?

I had been traveling in India for a yoga teacher training and while at the training a woman was giving a short presentation on Ayurvedic medicine. I had never heard of it before arriving in India, but was curious to hear more about it as I had seen all the Ayurvedic offices and been intrigued with their herbal recommendations for foreigners to stay healthy. At the end of the presentation I stayed after to talk to the woman and find out more. I wound up being given the vocabulary that sits best with the beliefs I have had my entire life, and in asking on more information was recommended to read Dr. Vasant Lad’s Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing. I got about half way done with the book before I was signing up to be a student at the California College of Ayurveda, and now I want to share the knowledge I’ve gained with the community.

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

Ayurveda is a delicate balance that can only be maintained through cultivating awareness. I think that people are attracted to it because of that reason. It can be quite difficult to be living completely in the present in this day in age due to all of the things that have been created to help distract us away from ourselves. Ayurveda provides a container for people to feel like they are, “allowed” to pay more attention to themselves and begin to ask themselves questions that they may have never particularly thought of asking themselves. Living a more healthy lifestyle is attractive, but Ayurveda puts a heavy importance on awareness and presence in day to day life that I haven’t seen encouraged as actively elsewhere yet.

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

The future of Ayurveda in the United States is very bright. Allopathy and naturopathy have an incredible opportunity to come together in the sense that Ayurveda can be seen and used as a more preventative medicine, and where disease is occurring allopathy can come in and help as well. I see the future of medicine opening up quite wide when the two can come together in a way that will benefit those who may be allergic to pharmaceutical drugs, but may need antibacterials or some other prescription in order to heal from disease.

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

Personally, I have a tie for favorite therapy which is the shirodhara treatment and the heart basti treatment. I have had incredible success in receiving shirodharas and correlating that with a decrease in anxiety and trouble sleeping. I enjoy the heaviness that the oil can bring and the feeling of peace after a few minutes and the stream seems to disappear or no longer be actively felt. I enjoy the heart bastis just as equally because of the tremendous healing experiences I have had in receiving them over the past couple years as I deal with grief and loss of friends and family. I feel the most nourished after these two therapies; like I have really taken the time to care for myself well and listen to not only what my body wants but what my spirit needs.

5) Biography:

I was born in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and grew up on the seacoast. I’ve always been greatly influenced by the outdoors whether it was the ocean or mountains or lakes and rivers. I have always been active by swimming, biking, surfing, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and so much more. It’s in these activities I found my passion for nature. I went off to college in 2011 and quickly realized that the western education platform was no longer one I was interested in pursuing. I began studying yoga and in 2013 I travelled to India to take a training. It was there that I found Ayurveda and became enrolled in the California College of Ayurveda. When I moved back to NH I found myself yearning to be on campus. A year after I had began my study I moved out to Nevada City to be in the classroom and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made yet! During my time at the college over the past three years I have seen multiple practitioners, received multiple therapies, experienced nearly all of the workshop classes that are offered, and found a wonderful community of support in this field. I am now embarking on my first adventures as a practitioner in order to help share the knowledge and tools I’ve gained with others so that they can feel in better tune with themselves and nature itself.

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