A story of freshness

Ananta Ripa Ajmera is author of the award-winning book "The Ayurveda Way: 108 Practices from the World’s Oldest Healing System for Better Sleep, Less Stress, Optimal Digestion, and More" (Storey Publishing, 2017). She serves as Advisor of Ayurveda at THE WELL, a modern wellness club that brings together master doctors and healers for a more balanced you. Ananta has taught Ayurveda and Yoga trainings at IBM, Stanford School of Medicine’s Health Improvement Program, California Department of Public Health, across California Probation Departments, ABC News, New York Insight Meditation Society, NYU, SFSU and more. She has spoken at the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA), Columbia Business School, UC Zellerback Hall, the invite-only Social Innovation Summit for Fortune 500 executives, government leaders, and top social entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley's Health Technology Forum at Stanford University. Ananta will release her second book "The Way of the Goddess" with Penguin Random Houses's TarcherPerigee imprint in September 2022.

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Maria is an experienced crisis counselor and for the last 30 years has drawn upon her diverse healing modalities to train medical doctors in the art of holistic healing. Maria has trained in wide breadth of complementary medicine practices, including Spiritual and Ancestral plant medicine, Curanderismo, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Vedic psychology and Reiki. She is also a certified Kundalini Yoga and Meditation instructor and a Pre and Postnatal Yoga instructor. Maria is trained in the healing and harmonious building principles of Baubiologie and Vaastu Shastra, and has designed the interiorss for elementary and high schools, businesses and residences. She is currently working on the design for a sacred retreat center.

Mitch Hall (PhD) draws upon over 40 years of experience, education and advocacy work for human rights, peace, and the environment. He has decades of experience with Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, contemporary somatic modalities, and meditation. He is a member of two scholarly associations, the Task Force on Indigenous Psychology and the Nonkilling Psychology Research Committee and has coauthored book chapters in these fields. Dr. Hall's publications have included reviews, papers on peace psychology, nonviolence, holistic health and wellness, children’s rights, booklets, a coauthored book, edited books (psychology, health, spirituality, poetry), translations, and more. The Indian Board of Alternative Medicines, in Kolkata, honored Mitch with a PhD (h.c.) in Alternative Medicines.  His master’s degree in Sociology is from the University of Chicago, and his bachelor’s in Religion is from Columbia University. He has been a speaker in peace psychology symposiums and annual meetings of the American Psychological Association, and presented at the 12th International Conference on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma. 

Esther Rodriguez Brown is a Holistic Healer with over 20 years of experience working with survivors of all kinds of trauma. Her MA in Psychology with emphasis in trauma give her the knowledge to understand body, mind, and behavioral responses to traumatic events from our past that can affect us during our daily life. Her education in the holistic and energy healing arts along with her innate intuition provide her with a unique approach to unlock your full potential to heal. She is a Reiki practitioner, sound healer, Ayurvedic Health counselor, Yoga and meditation teacher, and energy healer. Esther is a fearless advocate and activist of self-love and self-care.

THE POWER OF COMMUNITY

Community plays a huge role in manifesting sustainable wellness. That is why an integral part of this program is our voluntary (opt-in) Community Buddy System that involves connecting with a fellow student and having each of you hold space for one another to learn from one another and give support to each other. 

In its first year (in 2021), the Wellness Ambassador Program formed into a beautiful family of people from all ages, races, countries and walks of life who joined together for the uniting common purpose of radiant wellness.

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You will have an opportunity to learn from and connect with many of our graduates on our community WhatsApp group, and when some of them join 2022 classes as Ananta's Assistant Teachers. Read below what they have to say about their journeys.

NATHAN MEDLOCK

"The Ayurvedic Wellness Ambassador program offered by Ananta Ripa Ajmera has been truly life changing. I have had my eyes opened to an entire catalog of beautiful spices, herbs, and cooking techniques that have helped me consciously choose the best foods to put into my body based on my body type and the season of the year. I have learned practices that impact my daily living such as showering before I eat to increase my digestive capacity and oiling my skin before showering as a way of nourishing my overall health.

By incorporating so many Ayurvedic practices, I can visually see the transformation in my skin, my joints, my nerves, and in my mind. Arogyam means to radiate health and well being from within, something I just naturally feel as a result of incorporating Ayurveda into my life.

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Ananta can be described as truly embodying her work. She naturally readiates a caring, wise, and loving aura. She clearly has a deep mastery of Ayurveda and from the moment you begin taking her classes you will be receiving knowledge. The understanding and scholarly communication of Ananta is matched by her compassion and humility. You can tell Ananta sincerely cares about her students and their ability to process and effectively practice what she teaches.

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I would recommend studying with Ananta and her teachers because the topics being taught are life changing, from the inside out. There is a nearly tangible aura of love and acceptance shared amongst her and her fellow contemporaries as well as with the students in her classes. Despite the large and vast ocean of Ayurvedic knowledge that can appear daunting at first, the classes are structured very clearly, the communication about what is expected is exact, and the immersion into each topic is easily digestible to the human intellect.

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There are also plenty of ways to communicate and learn from other students outside of the classroom as well as beautiful immersive weekends in which the practices of Ayurveda can be lived and experienced. The entire

world can benefit tremendously from the understanding of Ayurveda as it relates to the human experience. The overall health and vitality the individual gains by learning Ayurveda impacts the health and vitality of the global community. Ananta and her fellow teachers embody what they teach and the student is truly at the benefit of this all inclusive environment."

SUGANTHI LEM

"I was seeking for a practical guide to help me with my health issues after being diagnosed with a chronic Leukemia. My search led me to Ananta Ripa Ajmera and the Wellness Ambassador program. When I signed up for the program, I didn’t realize this program would shift my thinking, and my approach to life in a profound way.  

The next few months, we went on an Ayurvedic journey to establish some foundational principles, to build conscious connection to the body, and thus to our mind and spirit. To achieve the ultimate physical, mental health and spiritual freedom, Ayurveda suggests following some simple lifestyle practices. Though it was not easy at first, I made the changes with the encouragement of Ananta and the group of people in Wellness Ambassador program, one at a time. After adopting these changes, I can attest to the positive impacts they have had on my digestive system and my overall health.

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I love how Ayurveda understand each one of us are unique being and it provides us with customized solutions rather than one fit all. Once I learned by own constitution, I was able to adopt proper foods to eat and most importantly those foods that I thought were healthy but they’re harming me. For example, I was eating salads which is not great for my vata-pitta constitution. It was dampening my digestive fire, know as “agni”. Agni is responsible for digestion and absorption of the food which gives us the vital energy needed for optimal health. Furthermore, combining foods with vastly different properties can overwhelm your digestive fire. I was suffering from indigestion, gas, bloating, and mental fog. I was so grateful to learn small yet profounds tricks to overcome this. 

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Ananta is a great teacher because she practices everything, she taught us. As an example, she invited us to her kitchen (virtually) and taught us how to cook which was amazing. We literally cooked along side with her via Zoom. I respect and admire her integrity. She is also very personable, and able to articulate the Ayurvedic principles in a simplified way for us to learn easily and quickly. I love Ananta’s spirit and her energy, she always has a smile, always willing to help and her unwavering support and can-do attitude inspired to also follow Ayurveda. I wanted she has! 

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I recommend anyone wishing to take control of your physical and mental health, to give the Wellness Ambassador program a try. The way Ananta structured the program, allowed the students to become “community buddies” and support each other while we’re learning, we became each others’ cheer leaders.

Going through the Wellness Ambassador program was a transformational experience for me, as it has given me the tools and spirituality to not only understand myself in terms of a physical being but also as a spiritual being. Once I was able to make the connection to my Higher Self, I learned to respect my body in such a way I have never thought before. This mental change made it easier for me to add the Ayurveda practices to my everyday life consistently and reap the benefits. My digestion has improved, I have mental clarity and most importantly I have peace of mind."  

HEMU NARANG

"I first heard about Ananta back in 2018 when I read her book “The Ayurveda Way”. The book was lucid and straightforward and really piqued my interest in Ayurveda. It was different from the other texts I had read on the subject by then as it was replete with practical recommendations for application of Ayurvedic principles in our everyday lives.

So when the opportunity presented itself to learn from Ananta directly through the Wellness Ambassador Program, I couldn’t let that go. Just as in the book, the program breaks down some profound Ayurvedic concepts into simpler bits which can then be understood by even those who have no background in Ayurveda.

For instance, it was eye opening for me to realize that it is usually the vata dosha and not the pitta dosha that requires care during the summer months. This renewed understanding empowered me to better relate to my symptoms at the time and then take appropriate remedial action.

Consequently, I was able to work with Ananta and find a permanent remedy to my headaches which could not be diagnosed by doctors for more than a year despite extensive lab work.

Again, what really distinguishes this program is the numerous tips for practical application of the concepts. Ananta is a very hands-on teacher who leads by example by living her own life in consonance with the same Ayurveda principles she teaches. She beautifully establishes the linkages between the physical and the spiritual elements of health and how disruptions in the subtle elements can manifest as physical imbalances.

She also ensures that there is enough in the coursework to allow time for the participants to really practice and live the knowledge that they gain. This was really helpful for me as I came out of the program not just with new information but with new, healthier and sustainable habits. I have a good understanding of how my choices in day to day life would have a direct impact on my health and wellbeing. I feel empowered and more in control of my health and I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to do the same."

BECKY ALBY

"It sounds super cliché and superficial if I were to write: In the last year, I’ve changed so much that I don’t even know who I was a year ago. Though, it’s absolutely true. 

My personal experience of growth, transformation, and empowerment from the means of the Wellness Ambassador Program is profound and permanent. It’s changed the foundation of who I am. 

Prior to this class, if someone were to ask who I was as a person, I would have defined myself by my family, my career or by my daily struggles in life, as most of us do in this world today. Most of us take pride in our responsibilities. It’s how people know us and define our character. For example, some might say, “She’s a great researcher,” “She’s a great planner,” “She’s a great mother,” and all of those things may be true, but essentially that’s not who I am. 

I now define myself by my JOY. 

The Ayurveda Ambassador Program gave me the tools to slow down; appreciate life; find my purpose, and has given me the ability to bestow these gifts onto others. 

I repeat, it’s changed the foundation of who I am. 

I have learned so much about the beauty of life and living with intention. 

Self-care now has a purpose. 

The ways I nourish my body now has a purpose. 

I care for my family and my garden with a deeper intention and purpose. 

These things are vital for my legacy, especially as a mother raising people that will be out in the world soon. I want them to have a life of intention and purpose, and above all, knowing how to self-care so that they can care for others." 

PRAVIN SHAH

"Dear Friends,

Last year, I embarked on a most precious journey of my life! It was about learning the ‘Ayurveda’, the ancient ‘Science of Life’! It was very rewarding. 

According to the Ayurveda, the Life is Divine, and as such; needs to be taken care of it with utmost care and dedication! I want to briefly describe my learning and the daily practices I have adopted, which has turned into an amazing personal and spiritual growth. 

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My morning rituals includes, waking up early, worshiping the Sun God, expressing gratitude for the light and energy. I perform a water ritual I learned in the program to let go of what is untrue and illusory. I do exercise, yoga and pranayam. The movement is rejuvenating for the mind, body and soul.

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I learned about the importance of the proper elimination and how to regulate it by making appropriate diet and life style changes. 

I learned about the Doshas and how they modulate day to day, month to month and season to season! I am now armed with the knowledge of the food choice I ought to make according the Doshas and the Seasons. I have become more disciplined and respectful of my diet and the meal times, such that my digestive system operates at its optimum efficiency.

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With knowledge of the tastes and various spices, the cooking and mindful eating has become very joyful and therapeutical.

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Spiritually, I have learned to be mindful and aware of my thoughts, emotions and actions. I meditate once or twice a day.

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Acquiring all this knowledge would not have been possible without our charismatic leader and Guru Anantaji. Her wisdom and maturity is beyond her age. She embodies the ancient knowledge, wisdom and spirituality! She has practiced what she is preaching. She is an enthusiastic and inspiring teacher. What is more admiring is that she wants all her students to be the Wellness Ambassadors and spread this valuable knowledge to others!

I am now, naturally drawn to volunteer social services for my community. 

I feel blessed to have joined this loving and caring Ayurveda Family. I am determined and inspired to be the Wellness Ambassador and Spiritual Worrier to assist our beloved Anantji in spreading this life changing knowledge and practices. I encourage you to join our Ayurveda Family. I look forward to seeing you soon!"

ESHITA DAYANI

The journey of the Ayurveda Wellness Ambassador has been a tremendous and life-changing experience for me. Through my own healing journey, I discovered that these ancient modalities including Ayurveda and yoga have a profound, systematic, and natural way of curing or preventing any diseases which the modern system doesn’t have. This way of living not only helped me to come out of my physical ailments but also inspired me to motivate others to thrive with Ayurveda.

During this program, I got my interest in learning and cooking Ayurvedic food dishes designed as per different seasons and your body constitution type (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). Despite lacking enough experience in cooking I developed a relationship with this activity and found myself more often in the kitchen than I used to be earlier. I came to understand my physical body constitution and started incorporating things that suit my body. This practice requires a lot of awareness and it grows only with time and self-care.

Following basic rituals like ‘dincharya’ and ‘ritucharya’ were part of my life before joining this program but this training gave me a fresh perspective and regularity in my practices. I practice the art of letting go with one of the five elements i.e. water which was taught in this program and it has helped me release the negative emotions and thoughts that were constantly holding me back. I regained my strength mentally and physically which helped me to do my daily activities in an organized and beautiful manner. I also gained deeper insights into the basics of Ayurveda like the five elements of nature, body constitution types, seasonal and mindful way of eating, rituals, and routines, different gods/goddesses, emotional and mental connection, sharing and giving, letting go and embracing, self-care and self-love. 

Ananta is a wonderful person and a great spiritual teacher along with being empowered with the ancient holistic and healing system including Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedic Scriptures, and many more. She carries the sword of knowledge with utmost grace to help, assist and motivate ignorant souls to find their inner self, heal their physical bodies and correct their mental and emotional state of mind. I firmly believe that it was my universal calling on this path that we were destined to meet and connect on this holistic path of a spiritual journey of inner transformation comprising of Ayurveda wellness and other ancient healing modalities.

I had a wonderful time connecting with Ananta right from the birth of this program, being a part of it along with an incredible community of students from all over the world. She is an exceptional mentor who can guide you on your spiritual path no matter wherever you are. Her teachings and talks have inspired me to walk on this path with confidence and self-belief becoming a true version of myself.   

With my keen desire to learn and validate myself with proper and authentic training, I choose this program to support my professional goals in serving the wellness community. I highly recommend this program if you want a structured, engaging, and well-designed course with excellent tools and methodology to widen your knowledge and understanding of the Ayurveda- way of living. Ananta’s team of teachers come from various backgrounds and walks of life having world-renowned professional experience in the fields of aromatherapy, energy and crystal healing, yoga, ancient martial arts, and many more. They bring their expertise and share the resources within the community to help, support, and guide the community on their wellness journey. 

CORINNE ANDREWS

"I was blessed to cross paths with Ananta when our mutual publishing company (for our first books) sent me a copy of her book, The Ayurveda Way. I loved her book and there was something about the vibration of it that made me explore on the internet to see who the "being behind the book" was. I reached out to Ananta and we had a clear soul connection and I asked her if she would consider bringing an Ayurveda program to my yoga center, now that everything was being held online. The short story is that everything fell into place in the way that it does when we give ourselves to the Divine stream of life.

I had studied and practiced Ayurveda on and off since 2002 but I had never taken an official start to finish course. So while I was very busy at the time, I knew that this was the time to not only host this year long course, but dive into it for myself. There is so much I loved about this program and the way that it tied together many threads that I had been practicing and gave each one a new depth and philosophical understanding.

I loved that Ananta didn't water down the profound spiritual teachings of the Veda, like I see happening in some of the Ayurveda and Yoga communities in the West. And that very importantly, she stayed "true to text" - making sure to bring teachings back to the source from where they emerged. She is brilliant in her ability to retain a lot of detail and information and then present it clearly through slides and sweetness of voice and articulation of speech. Being an energetically sensitive person, the sound and vibration that brings forth the teachings/lessons of a person, are very important to me and can make it possible or not possible for me to take a course from someone. 

Ananta has a pure devotional heart and is a true spiritual aspirant, genuinely living what she teaches, which is another really important thing for me in choosing a teacher. It was an honor to be a part of year one of this program and to learn alongside a truly beautiful and wise community of people from all over. I look forward to continuing my studies with Ananta, diving deeper and going back over my notes and the assigned reading so that I can continue connecting the dots within myself. As Ananta has compassionately reminded me and others - this is a lifelong study and practice, and for that I am deeply grateful because there really is so much wisdom to learn!

I highly recommend this program for everyone and anyone who wants to truly learn and embody the authentic teachings of Ayurveda, make loving changes in lifestyle, habits, food & nutrition and radical self care for all five senses and layers of Self." 

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TANVI JAIN-PATYAL

"My experience with taking the Wellness Ambassador Program last year with Ananta Ripa Ajmera has been brilliant and life changing. What I found unique about the program was how it was especially designed by Ananta to enable us to not just learn about but also adopt the recommended Ayurvedic practices. This program gives you the Ayurvedic manual for how to lead your life to enjoy true holistic wellness.

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In our very first class, Ananta went through the recommended ‘Dinacharaya’ or daily routine as per Ayurveda based on the activity of different ‘doshas’ at different times of the day. For example, I learned the ancient science behind how waking up early in the morning leads to better digestion and overall physical, mental and spiritual well-being. I pushed myself to make this change in my routine and it has been nothing short of life changing. My digestion has improved significantly, and I feel fresh for the whole day mentally having bathed in the sattvic energies of the early morning hours.

Similarly, I learned ancient scientific principles behind the importance of winding down vs engaging in stimulating activities in the evenings between 6-10pm as well as sleeping by 10pm. Just following these simple practices has been a game changer in improving my sleep quality. 

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This program also re-introduced me to all foods including vegetables, fruits and spices as I understand their taste, potency and post-digestive effect per Ayurvedic principles. I have now been able to develop a reasonable intuition around which foods are my friends and which are not given my individual Ayurvedic constitution and the current season. I feel empowered to heal myself with the food I’m eating.  For example, I have made best friends with ghee which per the Ayurvedic principles I learned is excellent for a person with my constitution of Vata-Pitta. I also be-friended honey in a big way and it has changed my relationship with phlegm. 

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I also discovered many surprising revelations around the food I’d been consuming in the past and how it was harming me. For example, I would take herbal tea including honey every morning upon waking up but discovered through this program how mixing honey with water is toxic for the body. I was also a salad-lover but learned how salads are actually aggravating my digestion issues given my constitution. I have also always relished spicy food but learned how they were my worst enemy given my constitution. Making simple adjustments like dropping honey from my herbal tea, replacing salads with cooked food and reducing spice levels in my meals has made a world of a difference to my digestion. 

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I love how Ayurveda celebrates the uniqueness of an individual and recommends foods based on their own individual constitution vs imposing standard practices. Having done this program, I feel armed with this ancient knowledge while making my food and lifestyle choices.  

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I also really love how Ayurveda at its core is about spiritual living and makes all of our daily activities sacred right from eating, cooking, bathing etc. For example, I learned the beautiful art of eating per Ayurveda and its impact on our digestion. It’s not just about what you eat but also how you eat it. I learned to ensure that I remain calm and centered while eating as any disturbance in emotions whether its anger or sadness or even joy or excitement can hamper digestion in a big way. So now if I am going through any extreme emotion, I wait for it to settle down before I proceed with eating. I learned how to engage all my senses while eating and how to not over or under eat. I learned so many other aspects to the art of eating as well as the art of doing all of one’s daily activities. And the best part was that all these recommended practices were very simple and basic lifestyle changes that took no extra time to execute. I just needed to change just a little bit how I was doing what I was doing and the impact was amazing. 

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I highly recommend this program to anyone who is even remotely interested in Ayurveda or anyone who wants to embrace holistic wellness in their lives or anyone who wants to step up their physical, mental and spiritual health through simple changes in diet and lifestyle or anyone who is interested in feeling empowered to heal their own selves." 

SHWETA BHATT

"To be an ambassador is to understand how powerful our resolve in being part of something much bigger than ourselves expands our lives. Within the Wellness Ambassador Program, I became aware and illuminated more parts of that awareness through understanding what “well” meant for me. The brilliance of the program is not in its prescription of practices and supplements; the brilliance of the program is in making each of us, as individuals, the compass for our own wellness. I came to the program trying to digest the recommendations of several philosophies, diets, lifestyles, hoping that at least one would allow me to finally declare myself as “well.”

Being healthy felt like the only value I could control in my life, and thus I did everything I could to define myself as that, however, everything was not enough. In theory, nothing was enough, because in trying to be nutritious, I was not nourishing myself. I was not giving to my body and my soul what I needed to feel whole, to see myself as the whole I already am.

Thus, when I was blessed with the container of the Wellness Ambassador program, I was also given a space to see myself, as I am, and listen to my needs. The conversations and connections never required anything of me, never prescribed anything to me, never defined me as something. It is through the safety and freedom that colored the intention of the problem that I was able to speak to myself, to declare my wholeness, and to really invite wellness into my life.

I began to see my body as my vessel, a vessel that was so strong and resilient and compassionate, all of which I did not believe I could have without following every recommendation of every healthcare and wellness professional. Nourishment began to empower my mind to believe myself as everything that I am. The questions no longer asked “Will this be healthy?” “Is this nutritious?” “Will I be better for doing this?”. They evolved into an invitation to quiet myself, listen, deciding that my health, my wholeness, my spirit is connected to a soul that writes poetry through life. As I allowed myself to be the poet of my experience, I relaxed, restored, and rejuvenated the tissues, both literally and figuratively, that make up my body. 

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By learning through Ananta, I was reminded over and over again that my agency is my first blessing. Though most people will give me a prescription, my body is not a problem to be solved. My health is not something to be fixed, but instead to be understood and honored. Ananta asked me who I wanted to be and how I could be her. She encouraged me to understand my dimensions, to understand how big my being could be. She saw within me a light I had dulled. She reached out to that light. She comforted that light. She empowered that light to shine. I began to speak. I began to write. I began to share. I declared myself the artist, the poet, the storyteller that I am, with the clarity of who I want to be in this life. She continues to hold that light for me, reminding me of who I know myself to be. She continues to see the goddess within me that I am still learning to adorn with love and acceptance.

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Ananta’s heart and vision are supplemented through the team of people and the intention through which she connects us all. This team, this program is a community, it is a garden. The fragrance of each person mesmerizes alone but surrenders itself to the much greater melody of the garden as a whole. Ananta and her team redefine love, wholeheartedly seeing each individual and holding the stories of each sacred."

LENKA HALES

"After reading the book “The Ayurveda Way” written by Ananta I had to reread it, it was so good. I came across this book in our local library and I don’t usually end up reading books in time before I have to return it. I felt like this book was talking to me in so many ways. The rituals, the principles and cooking the Ayurvedic way was very intriguing to me. I was on my own healing journey from breast cancer that year and I simply wanted to have my body the healthiest I can to recover from this physical and emotional trauma.

I remember reading parts of this book to my husband who was, and still is, my rock, sharing bits and pieces of Ayurvedic way of cooking. My husband was a chef at that time and cooking the ancient way with very inexpensive spices to make food as a medicine sounded good to him as well. So I had a supporter and my Ayurvedic healing journey began.

Ananta, our teacher of Ayurvedic ancient way of life, is a perfect example of a selfless person to all of her students. I actually had the chance to meet with my teacher in person after a few months of studying Ayurveda. I am very thankful for Ananta’s teachings and the community she has created.

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When I chose to be a part of the Wellness Ambassador Program I felt like I was welcome to be a part of a wonderful group of people. I have been looking for The Ayurveda way of life, I just didn’t know it until I found it. A beautiful group of Selfless humans wanting to learn and share the true way of being. Led by an example of pure light, Ananta."