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Students from MIU’s Maharishi AyurVeda Wellness Consultant Practicum course.

Students from faculty member Dinesh Gyawali’s Maharishi AyurVedaSM Wellness Consultant Practicum course recently appeared on KRUU-FM, Fairfield’s local radio station, to talk about their experiences as developing AyurVedic consultants. To kick things off, one student, Flo Bannout, was tasked with evaluating another guest’s current wellness by performing a pulse reading. Pulse reading is a way of determining the physiological balance between vata, pitta and kapha — the three main dosha types that are described in ayurveda.

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Course instructor Dinesh Gyawali and student Tandava Yogi (featured left and right, respectively).

These doshas relate to different elemental aspects of nature and their physiological counterparts. Vata dosha correlates with the wind/space elements, the energy of movement, and physiological functions like bodily movements, blood flow, and fast actions. Pitta dosha correlates with fire/water and the energy of transformation (seen in digestion and metabolic functioning). Kapha dosha correlates with earth/water, the energy of structure and fluids, bodily aspects such as muscle development, the functioning of bodily fluids and fats.

Within a minute or so of reading the guest’s pulse, Flo was able to gather an impressive array of information on the subject’s health status. On a related note, the students talked about how doing a pulse reading for a client is also of benefit to the consultant as it gives a self-reflective view into their own physiology.

As the show progressed, our students talked about the importance of being “self-referral,” which essentially means listening to one’s inner self to evaluate one’s own current state of health and well-being on a deep feeling level.

According to one of the students, Tandava Yogi: “Wellness is not ‘one-size-fits-all’, so every recommendation we give is tailored to the individual since every person’s physiology is unique.”

When asked what the most rewarding thing about being a Maharishi AyurVeda wellness consultant is, he said, “I love seeing a client light up after receiving a recommendation. A part of being an AyurVedic consultant is holding space for the client, and really listening to them; they feel that. It’s very different from a typical western medical doctor’s appointment. Seeing the change that comes over a person when they realize that a greater level of well-being is within reach is very rewarding; it makes it all worthwhile.”

Learn more about Maharishi AyurVeda and the wide-array of programs and tracks available in our Department of Physiology and Health on our website. If you’re interested in learning about our MD programs in Integrative Medicine at MIU, which combines modern and natural medical approaches, see the program’s web page.