I spent my earlier years living and working in the Far East as a fashion designer. During that time, I was recovering from Glandular Fever and burnout, which resulted in chronic fatigue.
This frustrating condition led me to explore various alternative therapies in a desperate attempt to get better. Being based in Hong Kong and China, I had access to the world of Chinese Medicine. I tried reflexology, acupuncture, gua sha, Chinese massage, cupping, and traditional Chinese herbs.
I was constantly blown away by the practitioners' ability to provide accurate analysis of my health and ailments by examining my feet, reading my pulse, or observing my tongue.
Being half-Chinese, I was already acquainted with some of these practices. As kids, my Dad would make my sister and me walk on his back and use coins to scrape his back (gua sha). When we had a cold, he would prepare big pots of soup containing a mix of peculiar-smelling herbs.
During my time in Hong Kong, I also encountered Ayurveda and yoga, which piqued my interest. Yoga classes felt soothing to my stressed-out system. I stumbled upon an Ayurveda encyclopedia in a back alley bookstore, but the concepts seemed too abstract for me at the time. I set it aside and forgot about it due to my busy work schedule.
In 2013, yoga and Ayurveda re-entered my life, and this time, they had a profound impact. I had returned to the UK after a tumultuous three years.
On Boxing Day 2010, my Mum passed away just six weeks after being diagnosed with cancer, which was devastating. Twelve months later, my partner, now husband George, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. I was nine months pregnant and still grieving for my Mum.
Over the next two years, I supported him through intensive chemotherapy, a relapse, more chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant — all while caring for a two-year-old and a newborn.
Following the relapse, the prognosis was grim, with only a 10% chance of survival, and not having a matching donor reduced the odds even further. It was September, and we were told to prepare for the worst, as without a donor, he would not make it to Christmas.
George, being as determined as he is, defied the odds and survived. His haematology team considered him a walking miracle. It was a relief; however, after enduring such tragedy, loss, and extreme stress within a short period, I was left traumatised, emotionally and physically drained.
I struggled with PTSD, health anxieties, depression, eczema, and hair loss. Reintroducing yoga into my life, in small pockets of time that I could find, helped alleviate the stress.
Ayurveda sees us as holistic beings, where physical, mental, and spiritual health are interconnected. Not knowing what to do but understanding that I needed to address all aspects of myself, I turned to Ayurveda.
Over the following years, I immersed myself in self-education, reading various books and absorbing as much information as possible about Ayurvedic principles, gradually understanding and applying them.
Through self-exploration and the guidance of an Ayurvedic practitioner, I slowly began to put myself back together. Despite working in the fashion industry for over 15 years, I felt a growing sense that it wasn't my true calling. I felt drawn to Ayurveda, and once again, it crossed my path, this time in the form of the Ayurveda Institute UK. Following my heart, I made the decision to retrain in Ayurvedic medicine without knowing where it would lead.
I was eager to deepen my understanding of this incredible science if only to use it to care for myself and my family.
After completing three years of studies at the institute, I realised that not sharing this knowledge with others would be wrong. So here I am, offering consultations and sharing the profound knowledge imparted by my teachers, Dr. Deepika Rodrigo and Dr. Wathsala Wijesinghe.
Going through those challenging events was a blessing in a way, as it led me to this path of learning about this fascinating science that I am completely in awe of.
Having experienced suffering on various levels, mentally and physically, I can work with patients from a place of compassion and understanding.
The great sage-physician Charaka, a founder of Ayurvedic medicine, said, "A physician, though well versed in the knowledge and treatment of disease, who does not enter into the heart of the patient with the virtue of light and love, will not be able to heal the patient."
My teacher echoes these words and demonstrates this through her practice, and to the best of my ability, I will follow this guidance to help others.
