We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Radhika Erving a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Radhika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

I am sharing this particularly story because I feel it can be applicable to many. One time, I walked into a friend of a friend who was eating her lunch and, at the time, an impromptu mini consolation was requested regarding her Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was happy to offer her a free five minute consultation, and having observed her mealtime habits, offered her an important piece of advice regarding incompatible foods.

You see, in Ayurveda there is a concept that certain foods do not pair well together. For example, milk is not compatible with most foods but you can have it with dried, sweet fruits like dates or with grains (like oatmeal or rice). So, if you have milk, you need to wait until it has fully digested or for at least an hour before having any food that is incompatible with milk. Another notable incompatible food that is commonly eaten would be beans with dairy, meat, fish, or eggs. Beans take longer to digest than milk, so you will need to wait until this meal with beans has been fully digested before eating any of those incompatible foods. You will know it was fully digested because your hunger will return, which, generally, takes at least three hours.

In the case of this particular client, she was eating raw food and cooked food together in one meal which is also considered incompatible. This is so common– people will have a raw salad with their cooked meal. She was also eating fruits with her savory meal, and fruits are only compatible with other fruits.. I suggested she avoid doing those two things. That was the bulk of her five minute consultation, and, one or two weeks later, she was walking without pain for the first time in over ten years.

Radhika, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was really interested in Ayurveda in college but did not see it as a viable career option — not to mention that it was not a major offered at my University, UNC-Chapel Hill. I graduated and still did not feel like I was on my path. For a while, I worked at a raw, vegan restaurant. When I worked there, a majority of the patrons were into health and wellness, and I found myself talking to most of them about Ayurveda. Anyone could see that it was my true passion. I read many books on Ayurveda and tried to help myself and my friends with the knowledge I had learned from my reading. One day, the owner shut down the restaurant. At that time, I decided to follow my heart and wished to study Ayurveda further as well as reiki. One month later, I was visiting a friend who happened to be getting Panchakarma at an Ayurvedic clinic in Los Angeles. It was my destiny. When I arrived there, within an hour, I was offered a job by the Ayurvedic practitioner there who told me she would teach me and that I would not need to attend an Ayurvedic school. I was trained there as a Panchakarma technician which is where I first learned many hands on treatments used in Ayurveda. I also learned to read the pulse there and had a lot of opportunity and encouragement to practice and build that skill. Additionally, I ended up getting training in Reiki through the clinic among many other useful skills and energy healing modalities. I am grateful to have learned so much there while meeting wonderful people in the healing community. During the early Pandemic days, the clinic was closed and I chose to pursue the knowledge of Ayurveda a bit further in school. It was great to delve further into the knowledge of Ayurveda and pathology during that three year program. I continue to do training in various topics of interest, such as Marma therapy and Ayurvedic Beauty Care.

Now, I specialize in autoimmune conditions, nervous system issues, articular system issues (joints), “beauty care,” and digestive wellness. What sets my business apart from others is that I strongly believe in Self-healing. I believe that the leading cause of disease / imbalances in the physiology is a disconnection from Self. When we are attuned with Self, we intuitively know what we need : when we should go to bed, what we should eat, when we should stop eating, what behaviors to favor and avoid, etc. Many of us become habituated to ignoring Self. We decide that even though our body is telling us that it is full, we are still going to eat that slice of chocolate cake… We decide that even though we are tired, we are going to stay up for another 30 minutes to finish the movie….We need to use the restroom but decide to wait until we finish whatever project we are working on…. When we get into the habit of ignoring Self, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish Self from that which feeds our imbalances (and they want to be fed). I assist my rogis (clients) in coming back into balance and reconnecting with Self so that they no longer need to come see me. My goal is to empower my rogis as their own healers. My greatest joy and inspiration is in seeing my rogis follow their protocols, heal themselves, and proceed to live their joyful lives. I love what I do.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My reputation has been built on my integrity and the quality of my work. I take the time with my clients in consultations to really listen to them. My consultations are 60-90 minutes, and I allow them to go on for as long as needed. I feel that sometimes, part of the healing comes from being heard. I usually have my clients “figured out” in the first 45 minutes and then I like to wholeheartedly listen to what they have to say. There is more to healing than just the physical. In fact, I believe it goes in this order Spirit – Mind – Body. When our spirit is nurtured, our mind attuned with Self, stable, calm, and discerning which leads to a healthy body as we make the decisions that befit us the most. Having a healthy mind also yields healthy relationships, healthy stress responses and coping mechanisms, and a happier you.

So, I take my time with my clients in consultations. I check in with them regularly to see how they are doing and how their protocol is coming along. I use my knowledge of Ayurveda and attune with my ‘higher Self’ to choose the right protocol for each individual. No two people will be treated the same, even if they have the same disease. Everyone is treated as an individual. My clients are cared for, and they can feel this. When they are encouraged and supported, and they put in the effort to follow their protocol, they heal themselves. The results speak for themselves.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Training, knowledge, and hands on experience are all hugely helpful and important in establishing a successful Ayurvedic practice. To me, success is measured in clients that are restored to balance. Success is when a client who has been in pain for over 20 years is no longer in pain. Success is when the client with colitis is no longer experiencing symptoms and their pulse feels …pleasant. I feel like I get to witness these miracles all the time in my practice, because I am attuned with Self and follow my intuition in addition to utilizing the knowledge, training, and hands on experience that is under my belt. Ayurveda is not only about the physical body. It is a very spiritual healing practice, and I incorporate that into my personal lifestyle as much as I do into my practice with my rogis (clients).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ayurvedama.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayurvedama/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ayurvedama/
• Other: https://g.co/kgs/VzQbwB9

Image Credits

Bianca Judy Hemphill