A field report by our M.Sc. graduate Birgit Gröne-Tappe
My career can be outlined in the same way that a stream rises from a small spring and becomes a large river with its various tributaries: as a non-medical practitioner and physiotherapist with over 25 years of professional experience in individual and group treatments, I regularly underwent further training in both classical and alternative treatment and movement education concepts.
My first contact with Ayurveda was during my yoga teacher training. I learned the basics of this traditional Indian medicine in short lectures, then booked various treatments in the school's wellness oasis and enjoyed the soothing massages. The gentle strokes, the use of the wonderful warm oils, the atmosphere in the treatments and the deep relaxation fascinated me and were very different from what I had learned before.
Ayurveda and yoga - a perfect combination, I thought to myself, and as a newly qualified yoga teacher I went in search of a suitable training course. Initially infected by manual therapy, I was now attracted by the idea of being able to support my patients not only manually, but also with nutritional and lifestyle recommendations, with herbal therapy and also with detoxification procedures on various levels. On the Internet, I found the opportunity to study for a Master's degree at the European Academy for Ayurveda in Birstein. I received a very warm welcome there and was always well looked after in all organizational matters during my training. The academy is located in a small, secluded village, so the time I spent studying there was always a little break from everyday life. The atmosphere there is wonderful and every meal was a little feast for me.
"How does continuous Ayurvedic support affect physical weight and well-being?"
This is the title of my Master's thesis, which I was awarded this year. This thesis deals with the topic of weight reduction from a conventional medical and Ayurvedic perspective. These findings were then combined into a concept for adult education in a meaningful context. A holistic annual program "Enjoy yourself slim and happy" was put into practice and documented.
It takes a lot of time to complete such a study program on a part-time basis in everyday practice and I often reached my limits in the final phase. But I never regretted starting this course for a moment. This is the fourth time I have accompanied a "Enjoy yourself slim and happy" group with yoga sessions, Ayurvedic lectures, cooking workshops and a relaxation week, and I enjoy being able to bring Ayurveda to the world in a competent way. Ayurveda is so diverse that I will continue to be loyal to it. In the future, I would like to work intensively with marble therapy for my orthopaedic patients in physiotherapy and concentrate my acquired knowledge from my Master's thesis on the treatment of thyroid disorders.
Many thanks to Mark and Kerstin Rosenberg, who put their heart and soul into making it possible for me to study in Germany.
Birgit Gröne-Tappe www.mobile-pyrmont.de
To our Ayurveda Medicine department at the European Academy of Ayurveda
