Americans have grown accustomed to hearing about acupuncture and herbs such as ginkgo from traditional Chinese medicine. But most have never heard of another ancient healing tradition, Ayurveda.
Ayurvedic medicine comes from India, where its history stretches back thousands of years. The idea of achieving a harmonious balance of doshas with yoga, diet and herbs such as boswellia and turmeric is unfamiliar in this country, but some practitioners suggest we could benefit from a closer acquaintance.
Guests:
David Mathis, MD, FAAFP, ABHM, D.Ay. (Board-Certified Family Medicine; Board-Certified Holistic Medicine; Diplomate Ayurvedic Medicine), co-created Integrative Medicine of Northern Virginia, the first full-service medical practice in the U.S. truly integrating western medicine and Ayurveda.
Debbie Mathis, MA, D.Ay. (Diplomate Ayurvedic Medicine), is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Certified Meditation Instructor who studied Ayurveda in the U.S. and India. She designed and directed SPAyurveda and its panchakarma program at Integrative Medicine of Northern Virginia, and continues to develop and administer educational programs for Ayurveda-MD. The photo is of David and Debbie Mathis.
Jennifer Rioux, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, Ayurvedic clinician, educator and researcher. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina and a Visiting Scholar through the South Asia Consortium. Dr. Rioux is Director of Integral Ayurveda in Chapel Hill. From 2004-2008 she served on the Board of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association and as Chair of the professional standards committee. She is studying the professionalization of Ayurvedic medicine in the West and its relationships to the Integrative Medicine movement.
