Adi Govinda Dasa has studied and practiced natural healing for the last 15 years. Adi Govinda Dasa had his first experience with natural healing in 2007 when he was exposed to Reiki healing which tremendously reduced the skin symptoms he was experiencing. The experience of Reiki, universal energy healing, had a powerful effect on his heart and inspired him to begin practicing Reiki on loved ones, friends, family, and eventually clients. In 2016 he completed a bachelor’s degree in Alternative Medicine from Everglades University in Florida. After this, he began and completed a 3 1/2-year master herbalist certification program with Demetria Clarke of Heart of Herbs. Adi Govinda Dasa subsequently received a permaculture design certificate and began experimenting with alternative building techniques. Since then he has become a strong advocate for sustainable living, natural healing, and spiritual growth.
In 2017 Adi Govinda Dasa accepted brahminical initiation (priesthood) in bhakti yoga; receiving the Gayatri mantras from his divine grace nitya-lila pravista om visnupada astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Goswami Maharaja. Since its initiation, Adi Govinda Dasa has made it his life’s mission to bring the benefits of bhakti yoga to Maine. By the mercy of his beloved Gurudeva, countless people in Maine have received the benefits of bhakti in their lives through the medium of book distribution, chanting mantras, and sanctified food distribution.
Learn more about this amazing individual in the latest MysticMag interview.
What relaxation techniques do you specialize in, and how do you assess which method is most suitable for a client’s needs?
During my career, I have been fortunate enough to receive special training in hypnosis, progressive relaxation techniques, mindfulness meditations, guided meditation, qi gong (a Chinese moving meditation), and pranayama (Ayurvedic breathing exercises). My teachers have taught me that selecting the proper technique for the specific individual requires insight into the nature of the technique, the nature of the client, and the nature of the health goal they are working on. Through observation, analysis, client feedback, and scientific references one can understand which technique is suited to which individual. Luckily for humanity, Ayurveda provides a scientific framework through which a practitioner can understand all these elements systematically. According to the inherent qualities of the technique (Guna), the specific action of the technique (Karma), and the unique expression of imbalance in the client (Dosha), the practitioner chooses a specified substance or treatment (Dravya/Chikitsa). By keeping these principles in mind I select a technique with an aim to balance the particular elements of the person I am working with and in doing so we begin the work of bringing their life forces back into balance.
How do you approach developing personalized nutrition plans for clients, taking into consideration their unique dietary preferences and health goals?
The nutrition plans that I formulate are based on the medical science of Ayurveda. Each food item in nature has a specific combination of the Pancha mahabutas (Five elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space). When these elementals combine they produce specific doshas (Vata = Air and Space, Pitta= Fire and Water, and Kapha= Earth and Water) within the food item. The human body also has an inherited natural combination of these doshas at birth (Prakriti) and an acquired combination of doshas during disease (Vikirti). In order to bring the elements that are in excess during disease a food is suggested that has opposite or diminishing actions on the current Vikriti dosha. For example, if a person is feeling heavy or sluggish then food like yogurt is contraindicated due to the specific Guna (quality) of yogurt, and instead foods with a light Guna are suggested; like sprouts.
In working with individuals I aim to make suggestions according to the capacity of the individual. Through questioning, I determine some appropriate and achievable goals by mutual agreement with the client. It must always be pointed out that the unique dietary preferences that a person has acquired over the course of the development of their disease must be gradually curtailed in order to facilitate a lasting change in the person’s life. In other words, you can’t solve a problem with the same level of consciousness that it took to create it; there must be room for adaptation and growth if there is to be hope for personal transformation. The most appropriate nutrition plans are going to be at least slightly uncomfortable and so I make myself available as a source of support throughout the consciousness transformation process.
What is your coaching style, and how do you motivate and support clients in achieving their health goals?
My coaching style is based on the impressions I have gained from my teachers, knowledge of psychology, and personal experience. Each person is motivated by different things and often for a plethora of personal reasons. In my coaching service, I work to uncover the motivating factors in the person’s life and find tactful ways to remind my clients of these factors in order to encourage them toward greater personal growth and well-being. I sincerely have a deep compassion for the suffering of others and that makes it very intuitive for me to provide wholesome support on many levels as a client works towards consciousness transformation. My emotional support ironically ranges from a shoulder to cry on, to a firm kick in the behind (joking-insert laughter), and everything in between that ensures the client gets better soon under my care.
How do you select and recommend herbal remedies for specific health conditions, and what precautions do you take to ensure safety and effectiveness?
The same process by which I determine nutritional plans is the method I use to select the appropriate herbs. Dravya, Guna, Karma, Dosha, Prakriti, and Vikriti are universally applicable principles for any aspect of Ayurvedic therapy. These natural principles allow for truly safe and effective usage of herbal supplements because when properly applied they do not aggravate the existing imbalance or suppress the innate intelligence of the person’s biology.
Secondly, I would like to say that the source of the herbs and other therapeutic elements must be confirmed to be pure. It has been a very common and unfortunate experience in herbalism that the substances be contaminated with heavy metals or other toxic elements. Advanced testing and periodic retesting are necessary components for any source of herbs I work with.
What advanced qualifications and experience distinguish you as a master herbalist, and how do you continue to expand your knowledge in the field?
I have been certified as a master herbalist by Demetria Clark of the school Heart of Herbs. This course took three years for me to complete and was a systematic study of every major organ system in the human body and the numerous herbs utilized in connection to those systems. Herbal formulation, identification, and principles of application were thoroughly explored as a part of the curriculum. My studies of herbalism were then further expanded by my master’s degree in Ayurveda. This course gave me the most systematic and scientific understanding of herbal substances that I have ever encountered and I continue to learn more and more from Ayurveda every day. I stay in touch with fellow practitioners of Ayurveda in order to learn more about the innumerable medicinal substances on planet Earth.
How do you stay updated on the latest developments and research in your field, and how do you incorporate this knowledge into your practice to benefit your clients?
By having access to health databases, peer-reviewed studies, and other public health data sources I can keep my fingers on the pulse of the latest research in medical sciences. At the same time, it has been my experience that everything worth saying about human health has already been stated in the 5,000+-year-old tradition of Ayurveda. Therefore, continuous study of Ayurveda’s revealed knowledge base is a source of constant revelation for the medical science student and is sufficient to offer a course of well-being for any and all people.
