“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is also the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.”

-Lin Yu-t’ang

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a system of healing that has its roots in ancient India. It is thought by many scholars to be the oldest healing system in existence on our planet. Ayuh means life and veda means knowledge. The knowledge contained in Ayurveda deals with the nature, scope and purpose of life, and includes its physical and metaphysical aspects- health and disease, happiness and sorrow, pain and pleasure. Ayurveda states the purpose of life is to know or realize the Divine within and without, and to express that understanding in one’s daily life. According to Ayurveda every individual life is a microcosm of the cosmos; the outer life and the inner life are reflections of one another.

The Deeper Medicine of Ayurveda

While many sources offer reliable information on the basic philosophy of Ayurveda, little information is readily available regarding the deeper aspects of Ayurvedic practice. The path of Ayurvedic healing involves not only eating foods that balance our constitution. It is embracing our personal, innate rhythms, growing self love and internal strength so we may honor those rhythms, and creating time for sadhana (inner practices).

As important as it is to accomplish the goals we set forth in our outer life it is equally as important to nourish our inner life. If we do not take care of our inner space, our outer life will reflect that lack of care in the form of dis-ease and instability. Without a connection to our inner life we cannot expect health and wholeness.

Through classes, workshops and individual consultations, Five Element provides practitioners with the opportunity to learn and practice Ayuvedic sadhana. Each person is encouraged to work within the frame of thier unique life, psyche and body. Bringing these principles of natural health into daily life is a poweful form of Self-healing.    

Private Ayurveda Consultations

1 hour session, 80$; 90 minute session, 100$

Oftentimes people have specific questions regarding the use of ayurveda to assist their healing with physical, metal and emotional imbalances. The essence of Ayurvedic understanding is that each of us is an individual, a unique expression of the Divine living in a universe governed by predictable patterns of nature and the elements. The goal of private Ayurveda consultations is to explore the interaction between the unique balance of elements within each person (dosha) with the condition of their life and external environment. From this exploration Juliet assists clients using a variety of methods to create a condition of balance in the body and mind. These methods can include breath-work, meditation, mantra, nutrition, yoga asana, essential oil therapy and herbal therapy. Ayurveda is subtle, simple and powerful. Everyone can benefit from unfolding this wisdom in their lives.

Pancha Karma Therapy

all therapies are included in a 2.5 hour session, 285$ 

Pancha Karma means 'Five Actions' in Sanskrit and refers to a family of healing therapies meant to restore harmony to the elements and bodily humors (doshas). By restoring this balance the root causes of disease and illness are eliminated. Ayurveda recommneds that as part of our observace of seasonal sadhanas we partake in these therapies to enhance the rejuvination and health of the tissues.

Therapies offered at Five Element Studio:

Snehana (Abhyangam) is an oil massage using specially prepared herbal-medicated oils. It is an important preliminary therapy that allows the doshas to mobilize and thus be exited from the body. Oil is applied to the entire body with a particular type of massage helping toxins to move towards the gastro-intestinal tract. Snehana makes the superficial and deep tissues soft and supple, thus helping to remove stress and to nourish the nervous system. This therapy relaxes the body and enhances our ability to stay healthy during environmental changes.

Udvartana is a full body exfoliation and lymphatic drainage massage similar to snehana but more invigorating. It uses a specially blended, deeply penetrating herbal paste, made with various organic grains, flours, herbs and oils.This energizing exfoliation treatment conditions, tones and tightens the skin, leaving it feeling fresh, young and silky smooth. It improves the tone of the muscles, enhances blood circulation and eases joint pain. Udvartana presses stagnant lymphatic toxins out of the body and is especially good for weight loss, cellulite and stimulating sluggish circulation and digestion. Udvartana balances Kapha dosha and cleans the skin. It increases the metabolic rate and works mostly on rasa dhatu (lymph), enabling the vayus to flow and activating thenadi system.

Swedana is sudation or sweating therapy and is given following the Snehana. The body is steamed similar to a sauna. An herbal concoction is added to the steam to further loosen the toxins from the individual. Swedana further enhances openings of the pores, flushing out impurities through the sweat glands and increasing the penetration of curative oils and herbs used in therapy. Ancient medical texts compare the body to a dry and brittle stick which, after anointing (snehana) and heating (swedana), regains its suppleness. Oleation and sweating cause long-entrenched toxins to drain into the digestive tract where they are expelled through the eliminatory channels of the body, according to individual imbalance. This therapy can be added singlularly to any thai massage session for $35.

Shirodhara isa purifying and rejuvenating therapy in Ayurveda that involves gently pouring therapeutic liquids on the forehead for a specific time continuously and rhythmically allowing it to run over the scalp and into the hair. Shirodhara is a unique form of ancient therapy. The liquid is poured on the forehead from a specific height and for a specific period continuously and rhythmically allowing it to run through the scalp and into the hair. This therapy is also offered as a stand-alone therapy, 85$. Package pricing is also available.

Shirodhara has been used to treat a variety of conditions including eye diseases, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, graying of hair, neurological disorders, memory loss, insomnia, hearing impairment, tinnitus, vertigo, certain types of skin diseases like psoriasis, and for relaxation.

Shirodhara has many benefits in as it offers a way to purify and rejuvenate one’s body and soul. Shirodhara helps to remove all the built up harmful elements from the body. It generates energy through the body and helps the nutrients flow freely to the brain of a person, facilitating healing from within. Shirodhara also improves the functions of five senses and helps to stabilize the nervous system of the body. It is proven in helping people get rid of insomnia. Problems such as headaches and hair loss are also treated to great extent following shirodhara. Shirodhara cools the body, promoting greater concentration and relaxation. It has been used over thousands of years to treat eye diseases, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, graying hair, neurological disorders, memory loss, hearing impairment, tinnitus, vertigo and psoriasis. 

Nasya is the nasal administration of medication either as herbal-medicated oil or an aromatic smoke. The nose is the doorway to the brain and it is also the doorway to consciousness. An excess of bodily humors accumulated in the sinus, throat, nose or head areas is eliminated by means of the nearest possible opening, the nose. This therapy cleanses and opens the channels of the head, thereby improving the process of oxygenation (prana), which has a direct influence on the functioning of brain. The therapy is beneficial if done on a regular basis, because it keeps the eyes, nose and ear healthy. It prevents the early graying of hair and beard, and helps to relieve migraines, facial, neck and jaw stiffness as well as sinus issues of all kinds.

Photography by Ann Arbor Miller