Sarah Dunfee is a NAMA Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with a rich background in Ayurveda and yoga. She started her studies at the Ayurvedic College for Wellbeing in Rincon, Puerto Rico, where she also apprenticed in Panchakarma, and went on to further her education in the Ayurvedic Practitioners Program at The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sarah has studied Ayurvedic Therapies at Vaidyagrama Healing Village in Coimbatore, India, and holds two 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificates. Additionally, Sarah is a faculty member of the Banyan Botanicals Living Ayurveda Internship Programs as well as for Chopra Global’s Health Certification Program Courses. She writes articles for Chopra.com and practices Ayurveda at Siskiyou Ayurveda in Ashland, Oregon, and online for her business, Bhumi Shakti Ayurveda. She serves on the Professional Sub-Committee for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA). MysticMag finds out more.
Sarah, can you share a bit about your background and what led you to become a NAMA Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner?
Growing up in a small Midwestern town in northeastern Ohio, I was surrounded by a culinary culture dominated by fast food and processed junk food. However, my perspective shifted when I became an exchange student in Spain during high school. Experiencing the vibrant and nutritious foods there, I felt significantly better. Returning to the US for college, I enrolled in a vegan cooking workshop to maintain my newfound healthy eating habits. Despite this, I faced recurring minor health issues and immune system issues, to which doctors had no real solution. It was during this time that I studied under an Ayurvedic practitioner who introduced me to Ayurveda’s principles and remedies. Implementing these practices made a profound impact on my health, sparking a deep fascination with Ayurveda. This curiosity led me to pursue formal Ayurvedic studies after completing my undergraduate degree. I enrolled in several Ayurveda programs, including counselor training with Drs. Light and Bryan and Miller at the Ayurvedic College for Well-Being, a Panchakarma apprenticeship, and finally, practitioner training with Dr. Basant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico. These experiences have been truly transformative and continue to shape my life and practice.
How do you approach health and wellness from an Ayurvedic perspective, and how does this differ from conventional Western approaches?
In recent years, there has been a notable shift in Western medicine towards incorporating more holistic and individualized approaches. Unlike Western medicine, which often treats individuals with a generalized prescription or treatment protocol, Ayurveda recognizes each person as unique, considering their metabolic type, life circumstances, age, and specific needs. Ayurveda emphasizes balance in all aspects of health, including the mind, body, and spirit. According to Ayurveda, health is not just the absence of disease but also includes a balanced mind, body constitution, digestive fire, elimination, and tissues. This holistic approach extends to include contentment and peacefulness of the mind, senses, and soul. While Western medicine has traditionally focused more on the physical aspects of health, there is a growing recognition of the importance of mental health and overall well-being. Ayurveda’s approach to health underscores the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit, highlighting the importance of addressing all aspects of health for optimal well-being.
Could you describe some of the specialized treatments or services you offer, such as Marma, Shirodhara, and the various bastis, and how they benefit your clients?
I offer several Ayurvedic treatments. One is called Mama, which is a type of pressure point therapy using the hands and fingers or a metallic pressure wand to open energy channels and remove blockages affecting different parts of the body, such as limbs, digestion, mind, etc. Another treatment is Shirodhara, which involves flowing a warm stream of oil directly to the forehead. This treatment is very relaxing and beneficial for insomnia, stress, anxiety, and overactive nervous systems. It also helps with hair health and prevents greying. Basti is another treatment which comes in two forms: internal (enema) and external (topical localized oil soaks). I offer the external Basti, which involves creating a dough out of chickpea flour, which serves as a mote for applying a pool of herbal oils to various body parts like the back, eyes, neck, heart, etc. The benefits of this treatment depend on the location of the basti, so it has a wide range of benefits from back pain, sciatica, eye diseases, to deep tissue nourishment and maintenance. These treatments can be effective on their own but are most beneficial when combined with dietary protocols, herbal remedies, and a comprehensive treatment plan for systemic detoxification and rejuvenation.
You teach Ayurveda virtually to yoga teachers in Ireland. How do you integrate Ayurveda into yoga practices, and what benefits have you seen for your students?
I used to teach at a yoga studio in Dublin, and although I’m no longer with them, I currently teach for Deepak Chopra’s online health program. Integrating Ayurveda into yoga practices has been incredibly rewarding. Over just a few months, students who apply themselves see remarkable changes in energy levels, body weight, eating habits, stress management, mental health, and overall well-being. It’s inspiring to witness such transformations, especially starting with students who initially knew little about Ayurveda. Ayurveda and yoga are sister sciences, so they complement each other perfectly. While conventional yoga focuses on physical movement, Ayurveda delves deeper into the roots of suffering and existence, helping to achieve balance and harmony within oneself and with nature as a means of re-uniting oneself with our true self and the divine. Ayurveda is crucial for enhancing the physical benefits of yoga, as it nourishes the body, softens rigidity, increases flexibility, opens the channels, and improves overall health, making physical yoga posture more effective and rewarding.
How do you incorporate Ayurvedic principles into your own life and daily routines, and what advice do you have for others looking to integrate Ayurveda into their lifestyles?
Incorporating Ayurvedic principles into my daily life has been a journey of discovery and transformation. Initially, it felt like following a lot of silly and senseless steps, but I was getting clear an undeniable result. The most basic practices of Ayurveda consist of daily routines such as morning meditation, tongue scraping, oiling the body, and eating meals at specific times. These practices seem like chores at first, but with consistent application, they became second nature. At this point in my life, I’ve integrated Ayurveda more deeply, focusing on aligning with the natural rhythms of life and nature and stepping outside the shell of standardized Ayurvedic practices. I’ve learned to let go of the need to control outcomes and instead find peace in accepting and adapting to whatever life presents, embracing contentment and gratitude. As I’ve progressed in my Ayurvedic journey, I’ve become more attuned to subtle changes and less bound by rigid rules. I’ve learned to flow with the day-to-day fluctuations, adapting my lifestyle to fit my current circumstances, such as adjusting my diet for a change in the weather. My advice to those seeking to incorporate Ayurveda into their lives is to slow down and connect with the rhythms of the universe. In our fast-paced world, it’s essential to pause, observe, and respond thoughtfully rather than rushing through life or running towards an outcome. This approach fosters a sense of peace and happiness, which is the ultimate goal of Ayurveda. I’ve been practicing Ayurveda since 2008, became a professional in 2017, and have been fully dedicated to guiding others in Ayurveda for the past two and a half years.
If you would like to find out more about Sarah Dunfee, please visit https://www.bhumishaktiayurveda.com/
