Tell us about yourself?
I have been practising Ayurvedic medicine for as long as I can remember and also offering traditional beauty treatments for more than 20 years. I now live and practise in Tunbridge Wells but originally, I come from a very small village in South India. I developed my Ayurvedic, healing, meditation and beauty offering from a very young age courtesy of being blessed by my family gurus. Two years ago my husband, daughter and I moved to the UK and I now run my business from my home.
Can you explain what Azhagi Ayurvedic is about?
It has grown and evolved from offering popular beauty treatments including waxing and Environ facials into a spiritual place of well-being incorporating guided meditation, Kirtan storytelling and new moon ceremonies, sound healing and spiritual well-being. As my gift to the community I also run free meditation and breathing classes which are child-friendly and I have a special karmic band who perform sound meditation.
What is the main aim?
My mission at Azhagi (which means beauty) is to create and deliver a special experience, where the mind, body and soul are not treated but healed. I don’t want to just give therapy in the form of products but to also align the body and its healing through my specialist technique and service. I create a place of holistic well-being for people of all types who are looking to heal themselves through the wonderful and fascinating process of Ayurveda. The idea is to broaden and deepen people’s personal and intellectual horizons and harmonise their beauty – both inside and out.
What are the most common problems you are seeing that your clients are facing?
Most of my clients come to me first for traditional beauty treatments but are soon drawn to the more spiritual side of my business. Health, and especially mental health, is the leading cause of unhappiness amongst the people I see. Some have trust issues when it comes to sharing but I believe that my caring personal touch, good service and the sanctuary of my studio and treatment rooms are a place where clients can have privacy and healing, both physically and spiritually, whilst maintaining a strong sense of confidentiality.
Is there a key area you focus on?
Stabilising and balancing the seven chakras is a transformational part of my healing work, balancing and unblocking them in order to make clients feel relaxed and more beautiful from the inside.
Ayurveda guides us to achieve a constant state of well-being through a combination of herbal oil massages, herbal medicines, conscious eating habits and physical and mental exercises, which include yoga and meditation.
Quite a lot of my work is to listen, to understand how my clients are feeling and to manage their expectations so they can walk away feeling lighter and brighter and happier.
Can you explain the origin of Ayurveda medicine?
The main classical Ayurveda texts begin with accounts of the transmission of medical knowledge from the Gods to sages, and then to human physicians. Therapies have varied and evolved over more than two millennia. Therapies are typically based on complex herbal compounds, minerals and metal substances.
“I thrive on making a positive difference in others. My Ayurvedic tutelage was a very long and hard process under my devout gurus in India but my dedication and determination made it possible to learn and I am so happy to be able to share my talent with my clients”
The word is Sanskrit: yurveda means knowledge of life and longevity.
Ayurveda names seven basic tissues (dhatu), which are plasma (rasa), blood (rakta), muscles (mmsa), fat (meda), bone (asthi), marrow (majja), and semen (shukra). Ayurveda has historically divided bodily substances into five classical elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether.
These combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. They are: vata dosha (space and air); pitta dosha (fire and water); and kapha dosha (water and earth).
Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas but one is usually stronger than the others. Each one controls a different body function. It’s believed that your chances of getting sick – and the health issues you develop – are linked to the balance of your doshas.
Pitta Dosha
This energy controls your digestion, metabolism and certain hormones that are linked to your appetite. Things that can disrupt it are eating sour or spicy foods and spending too much time in the sun. If it’s your main life force, you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like Crohn’s disease, heart disease, high blood pressure and infections.
Vata Dosha
Those who practice Ayurveda believe this is the most powerful of all three doshas. It controls very basic body functions, like how cells divide. It also controls your mind, breathing, blood flow, heart function, and ability to get rid of waste through your intestines. Things that can disrupt it include eating again too soon after a meal, fear, grief, and staying up too late.
If vata dosha is your main life force, you’re thought to be more likely to develop conditions like anxiety, asthma, heart disease, skin problems and rheumatoid arthritis.
Kapha Dosha
This life force controls muscle growth, body strength and stability, weight, and your immune system.
You can disrupt it by sleeping during the day, eating too many sweet foods, and eating or drinking things that contain too much salt or water. If it’s your main life energy, practitioners believe you may develop asthma and other breathing disorders, cancer, diabetes, nausea after eating, and obesity.
For more information visit www.azhagibeauty.com or pop along to Su’s free meditation classes held most Sundays of the month at 6pm. Visit the website for more details to start your journey to health, well-being and happiness.
