Success stories of our graduates

How did the training broaden your view of health?

For me it was fascinating to understand that so much knowledge about our body – and about the effect of everything we expose our body and mind to – had already been gathered and passed on over many thousands of years on the basis of observation. Ayurveda has always recognised that nutrition as well as mental strain and social interaction influence our health. That prompted me to make it my mission to show people that they hold their own health in their hands. Not only in the immediate moment, but in the long term.

Was there a moment or a subject during your training that left a particular mark on you?

Because of my own history, the module "Ayurveda for Women" really spoke to me: the content on women's health, the menstrual cycle and menopause, but also the lecturer herself. It felt like the right subject at the right time. That is why I now regularly run formats for women on a cycle-oriented way of living, and the response is very positive – there is a great need for more awareness of one's own female body.

How do you experience the effect of Ayurveda in your daily work with clients?

The wonderful thing is how much you can achieve with small changes. Often the feedback from my clients about drinking hot water in the morning, or about having a warm rather than a cold breakfast, is overwhelmingly positive. They feel straight away that their wellbeing improves, that agni is regulated. That encourages them to keep going and makes me incredibly happy. Every time, it reminds me that I chose the right path.

What originally led you to Ayurveda – and how did your path begin?

When I got my first taste of Ayurveda in a nutrition seminar with Kerstin in 2019, all I wanted was to do something "good" for myself and my family. Ayurveda had already captivated me through the improvements in my health following a Panchakarma cure in Sri Lanka.

Kerstin was then, and still is at every meeting, so captivating, so alive, so full of knowledge and years of experience. And just like that, I had booked all the seminars to become a Nutrition and Health Consultant.

How did you build on your training step by step – and why?

In order to turn the knowledge into practical "doing" in the kitchen for my clients, training as an Ayurvedic Chef was the logical next step for me. During the on-site seminars and the kitchen internship I loved the atmosphere in Birstein. By then it felt like arriving in a second home. The connections I made with the people I met there still hold today and are full of warmth.

Unfortunately, the preventive thinking at the heart of Ayurveda is firmly rooted in only some people. In order to run a business successfully and to meet people where they are ready to be met, I added the Massage Practitioner training.

How do you combine consultation, nutrition and massage in your work today?

Today I give talks, hold one-to-one consultations, host cooking events and offer six Ayurvedic massages. This range has proven itself with my clients and feels right for me. People looking for pure relaxation from our stressful lives come for an Abhyanga massage and are delighted by the medicated oils and the massage technique. In conversation I then find a way into the subject of nutrition, so that a nutrition and health consultation is often booked afterwards. But the route via the kitchen works just as well: there we not only enjoy the fragrant menus but also talk about the principles of Ayurveda in a small circle, which frequently leads to a massage or an individual consultation being booked afterwards.

And where may your path take you next?

Standing still does not suit my Pitta nature. I am already looking ahead to the next step. I am deeply moved by people's health problems – whether restricted mobility, which I could ease well with further therapeutic approaches such as marma applications, or the complaints of women my age. At almost 64 I know a number of these conditions from my own experience, and by now I know how Ayurveda can help to relieve them, or at least reduce them.

So in 2026 I will once again take up the Rosenbergs' continuing education offerings and look forward to those wonderful days in Birstein.

How did you personally come to Ayurveda? What fascinates you most about this way of living and this medicine?

For many years I suffered from food intolerances, allergies and deficiencies in vitamins and minerals – yet help never came. Since I was not willing to accept that, I began to look intensively into holistic approaches. That is how I came across Ayurveda, for which I am very grateful today.

What fascinates me about Ayurveda is that it looks at each person individually. This ancient knowledge combines harmoniously with modern needs and does not just address symptoms but starts at the root of a complaint. Often small steps are enough to bring noticeable improvement.

Why did you choose to train at the European Academy of Ayurveda, and what shaped you most during the training?

The academy has an excellent reputation, and from my very first contact I felt I was in good hands. As I completed my training alongside my job, the flexible format was decisive: modules can be taken as e-learning, as a live webinar or as classroom training on site. A particular highlight for me was being able to learn from Kerstin Rosenberg. The classroom modules in Birstein shaped me especially. The place is wonderful for learning, the atmosphere is warm, and the exchange with other participants was enriching. I greatly value the network I built up as a result.

How do you apply what you learned in your working life today, and what services do you offer?

I offer nutrition and health consultations both on site and online. With my clients I carry out a detailed Ayurvedic assessment and give individual recommendations for a balanced diet and way of living. In doing so I integrate principles such as strengthening the digestive fire, the targeted use of spices, and the right way of preparing food. I also look at lifestyle as a whole and support people in integrating Ayurvedic routines such as morning rituals or relaxation techniques into everyday life.

What motivates you in your work with Ayurveda every day, and what is your vision for the future in this field?

For me, my Ayurvedic nutrition and health consultations are a matter of the heart and a passion through which I want to support other people on their way to greater wellbeing and health. Through my own health journey I was able to experience first-hand how helpful Ayurvedic principles can be. That insight motivates me anew every day to pass on what I have learned to my clients and to support them on their path to greater wellbeing as best I can.

Why did you choose to train at the European Academy of Ayurveda, and which experiences during the training shaped you most?

The wish to immerse myself far more deeply in this knowledge led me to an information event in Birstein while I was still training as a yoga teacher. The house, the beautiful garden and the friendly people won me over immediately. You sense at once – not least because of the outstanding Ayurvedic food – that Ayurveda is authentically lived and taught in this place. This was confirmed throughout my studies, and in every single seminar I was able to experience wonderful encounters with like-minded people and a warm exchange.

How do you apply what you learned in your everyday life?

I let the knowledge from Ayurveda flow into my yoga teaching. Alongside that I offer workshops on various topics and one-to-one consultations, because personal contact with people matters a great deal to me.

What motivates you in your work with Ayurveda every day, and what is your vision for the future in this field?

What motivates me is seeing how people gain new strength and vitality through Ayurvedic adjustments. My wish is to pass on the knowledge of Ayurveda to others – ideally in relaxed retreats, so that we can go even deeper into the subject.

What were your experiences during the training?

Throughout the training I always felt well looked after, because in the eAcademy you could ask questions at any time and stay in contact with the lecturers. What I found particularly positive was the option of completing more and more modules online, as that gave me the flexibility I needed to keep going. One important insight was that our health is our greatest asset, and that through nutrition, lifestyle and routines we have a major influence on our physical and mental health. The Ayurvedic principles are like a compass that keeps guiding me back onto the right path.

The two trainings at the REAA are among the best decisions of my life. I am grateful for the many wonderful encounters with the teaching team and fellow travellers. Taken together, it has enriched my life and moved me forward on my path towards myself. The training as a Psychological Ayurveda Consultant in particular encourages intensive self-exploration and holistic personal development.

What was the biggest surprise or the biggest aha moment during your training?

Again and again, the realisation that the "old knowledge" has lost none of its relevance – quite the opposite. Today's scientific research is increasingly showing conventional physicians, too, how we humans are to be understood. In my final thesis I tried to show the parallels between the subtle energetic system and the fascial system, and found astonishing similarities. It fascinates me how effective Ayurveda and yoga are on both the physical and the subtle level.

How did the training change your view of health, of life, or of your professional path?

The subject of the "healthy human being" has been with me for half my life. My professional orientation is drawing me more and more towards yoga and Ayurveda, and I am glad to include my conventional medical knowledge in that.

How has the knowledge you gained enriched your personal life, away from work?

I benefit from this knowledge enormously. Today I am noticeably more balanced and calmer, and I largely arrange my life according to Ayurvedic principles simply because it does me good. In stressful or demanding times it helps me to accept that things do not always go as planned – and that there is often a reason for it, even if I cannot see it straight away. What matters is making peace with the day and beginning afresh each morning.

How did you personally come to Ayurveda? What fascinates you most about this way of living and this medicine?

My contact with Ayurveda began during my yoga teacher training with Christa-Maria Gerigk. I am fascinated by the holistic approach of Ayurveda and yoga and by their positive effect on health. And I am fascinated again and again by the realisation of how knowledge that is thousands of years old remains applicable to the present day.

Why did you choose to train at the European Academy of Ayurveda, and which experiences during the training shaped you most?

It was through my teacher Christa-Maria Gerigk that I came across the European Academy of Ayurveda, and I then found out more. I was drawn to learning in a modular system, in person as well as online, and to the expertise of the lecturers along with the information I was able to get from the website and from the Rosenberg Academy team.

How do you apply what you learned in your working life today, and what services do you offer?

I am a self-employed yoga teacher and now also an Ayurveda therapist with my own practice, as well as a lecturer at the Mandala Institut für bewusstes Leben und Gesundheit. The knowledge of Ayurveda and yoga accompanies me every day – in groups and in individual sessions. My range covers yoga classes, individual yoga, Ayurvedic wellness consultation and massage, as well as Ayurveda for health, both consultation and massage. As a lecturer I work in the training of aspiring yoga teachers.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

There is no system of health that is this comprehensive. Because of my own skin problems I had been searching for a long time for an approach that works – and works sustainably. When I came across Ayurveda while backpacking in northern Thailand I was immediately fascinated and caught fire straight away, and it has not cooled to this day. I recognised myself so clearly in my type, and suddenly it all made sense: why I had the problems I had, and so on. I will be grateful for that moment forever.

Which training have you already attended? What did you particularly like about it? Are there other fields you use in an integrative, complementary or supplementary way alongside Ayurveda and yoga?

I did the training as an Ayurvedic nutrition and health consultant in Birstein and Berlin, and I also completed an intensive internship with the renowned Ayurvedic physician Dr. med. Annette Müller-Leisgang. Within the trainings I immersed myself far more deeply in the subject and its complexity. Over that time I also came closer to my own essence, to what my needs are and what I require, and I developed my life vision: I want to help people find their way into holistic health and thereby come closer to their intuition!

I am currently doing further training in occupational health management. A yoga teacher training in India is also still ahead of me – hopefully in 2021.

If you already run your own practice: what have your experiences been?

So far my practice has been entirely virtual. I would encourage anyone simply to begin, no matter what your mind says about how many reasons there are not to start yet. :) In Germany there is a great deal of support available when it comes to self-employment and digitalisation.

How do you work today? We would also be interested to know what you did professionally before your Ayurveda and yoga work, and which projects lie ahead for you.

I trained as a bank clerk, studied international management and worked for a long time in marketing and sales in the outdoor textile and sports industry. With my step into self-employment in 2020 I am walking my path entirely authentically and in alignment with my life vision. I have started a podcast, "Be Intuit", which revolves around holistic health and personal development. My first ebook on holistic health, "Hello Gleichgewicht – Hello Gesundheit", has already been published. For 2021 there are several collaborations and an online course ahead. I am so grateful.

How did you come to Ayurveda?

I came to Ayurveda while looking for a holistic system that goes beyond the meaning of the term "illness". My interest in holistic perspectives and treatment methods goes back almost 30 years. It is roughly that long since I first heard about Ayurveda from a friend and colleague. At that time Ayurveda was still completely unknown in Germany. When the first books on Ayurveda came onto the market I bought them, and my interest in this "system" grew, because I was looking for a system of health that covers every area of life. That great scope of Ayurveda still delights me today, because through Vata, Pitta and Kapha the whole of life becomes explainable.

How did you integrate Ayurveda into your profession?

Originally I am an archaeologist, but after German reunification many positions were cut for lack of funding, particularly in the public cultural sector, so I – among others – had to find a new profession in a completely different field. By various detours I ended up at a private mobile network operator, which later added internet and landline services to its portfolio. I worked there for many years in different areas and roles. When I lost my job in the internet division at the end of 2001 because that branch of the business was closed, I did not deliberate for long and decided to start over professionally with Ayurveda. My earlier roles were, and still are, partly of great benefit to my present self-employment, since I learned a great deal about organisation, business thinking and marketing.

At what was then the "Mahindra Institut", today the "Europäische Akademie für Ayurveda", I began my training in Ayurvedic massage in spring 2002. It quickly became clear to me that I wanted to continue along the therapeutic path, and I subsequently trained as a massage therapist and as a nutrition consultant. Many further courses followed, among them Kalari techniques, pregnancy massage and women's health. What fascinated me from the very beginning is that in Ayurveda the starting point is not illness but keeping health stable. What all the courses had in common was that, alongside the professional development, I personally gained a great wealth of experience from the Ayurvedic view of the human being and from the encounters with my teachers and the other participants.

Which Ayurvedic trainings have you attended?

Training as an Ayurvedic Health and Nutrition Consultant (EBA)

Training in Ayurvedic massage (AMA)

Training as an Ayurveda Therapist (AMT)

and many further courses

How did your path continue?

In 2004 I opened my own practice, having until then practised massage and diagnostics on friends and acquaintances. We live in a large 400-year-old thatched house, a former farm that was converted into a home for several households. The part beneath our flat, a former horse stable, was still in its original state. Our landlord offered to convert this part of the house into a practice together with me. That opportunity – being able to plan the rooms myself and to work from home with a then very small daughter – was a real gift. After six months of building work I was able to open my practice. In the first three years my services comprised Ayurvedic diagnostics, massage, and lifestyle and nutrition consultations. It was a great joy to see how the people who came regularly became more vital and more energetic.

Little by little I opened the practice to colleagues from other fields, who offered seminars and events on subjects such as Reiki, aura photography and healing, shamanism, systemic family constellations, herbs and gemstones. That collaboration still gives me a great deal of pleasure today and enriches my own work considerably.

For myself, in 2009 I came to the decision to qualify as a Heilpraktikerin for psychotherapy and to work increasingly in that field in future. Because of Ayurveda's individual perspective, many of my clients felt strongly addressed and told me about their difficulties, such as being overloaded or the pain of separation. Since I wanted to keep accompanying these people professionally, I completed various trainings and further courses in the field of psychotherapy. I still work with Vata, Pitta and Kapha rather than with terms such as depression, burnout or ICD-10. Even during the training I "translated" the psychological conditions into Ayurvedic terms, and with that the treatment concept is very often broadly clear. I have specialised in stress and burnout symptoms as well as life crises, and for that I took, among others, Jean-Pierre Crittin's seminar "Burnout and Ayurveda". I look at the client's daily routine and diet together with them and start there with small changes that have a noticeable effect on the client's balance very quickly. I combine my Ayurvedic services with palm therapy, a relatively little-known psychotherapeutic method that comes from chirology, the reading of hands. Put simply, certain points on the palm of the hand are pressed which have a direct effect on the emotional interfaces of the brain. Together with very mindful conversation, new neural connections are formed in the brain and what was experienced negatively is no longer perceived as burdensome. In this I also work with elements of Luise Reddemann's trauma therapy. I also use systemic family constellations and quantum healing with my clients. Each person receives the individual mix from my range of services that is needed at the time. Here too, the Ayurvedic knowledge of Vata, Pitta and Kapha is very helpful in making the right selection.

In what ways have your private life and your working life changed through your Ayurveda training?

In my private life it was Ayurvedic cooking that crept in first, and fortunately it met with approval from the whole family. Curries, chutneys, pulse dishes and the like have enriched our menu ever since. For me personally, understanding my predominant dosha (Pitta) was very valuable and has helped me a great deal in caring for myself and in understanding myself.

Professionally, I have been applying my Ayurvedic knowledge in cooking classes in Wels, Upper Austria, for five years. I design them around themes, and the recipes naturally follow the seasons. In small groups of no more than six participants I first give about 45 minutes of theory, then each participant cooks two dishes, which we afterwards enjoy together. Typical Ayurvedic spices, ghee, mung beans and mung dal can be bought from me on the spot. So in the days right after a cooking class I am often delighted by photos of the dishes people have cooked again at home.

During the Covid-19 period I also filmed, edited and uploaded an Ayurvedic online cooking course for beginners. I offer it on my website, www.corneliapessenlehner.at. At the moment the Ayurvedic taster packages are selling very well; in them I supply 21 recipe ideas, seven spices, ghee, mung dal and mung beans.

What fulfilment do you now find in your work?

What gives me particular joy when we cook together is being able to pass on my knowledge from the heart. With joy and enthusiasm I inspire my participants to engage more deeply with Ayurvedic knowledge, or at least to treat themselves more often to a healthy, well-spiced, tasty vegetarian dish. It fills me with joy and satisfaction when, in the first days after a cooking class, I receive photos of the first dishes people have cooked themselves.

Which Ayurvedic trainings have you attended?

Training as an Ayurveda-Wohlfühlpraktikerin (Ayurveda wellbeing practitioner, AT)

How did you experience the structure, the lecturers, the group and the atmosphere in your Ayurveda training?

I experienced my training year as an Ayurvedic Nutrition and Health Consultant as very enriching. The seminars built on one another well, and the lecturers were not only excellent professionally but also very likeable as people. I found every single one of them highly committed, enthusiastic and truly inspiring. I also found the group of fellow trainees very enriching. I am still in regular contact with some of them seven years later, mainly via Facebook. I also find the congresses that the Ayurveda Academy organises in Vienna horizon-broadening, educational and heart-warming. Thank you so much for all the changes that my training with you has brought about in my life, and I wish you all the very best for the future!

How did you come to Ayurveda?

For as long as I can remember I have been fascinated by India and its cultural treasures; whether that goes back to my first contact with yoga in childhood I can no longer say.

I began to engage with yoga more seriously, and later Indian philosophy and meditation were added. After my school-leaving exams I began to study Indology, among other subjects. I learned Sanskrit and Tibetan, read the ancient Indian scriptures and went to India for an internship. There, alongside the work, I took classes in classical Indian dance and yoga. Back in Germany I decided to train as a yoga teacher alongside my studies.

A healthier and more holistic way of living began to interest me more and more, and I wanted to help my students beyond the yoga class as well, to lead a healthy and happy life. So I began training as a Heilpraktikerin and at the same time completed an internship at the Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine with Dr Kunkel.

During a study visit to India I encountered Ayurveda in people's everyday lives, and I was deeply impressed by the matter-of-factness with which health care is practised there in the sense of prevention, and also by how, in the event of illness, the cause is investigated very analytically and holistically in order to treat the illness at its root. Since yoga and Ayurveda also complement one another very well, I decided to familiarise myself with Ayurveda.

Which further training did you then choose?

So it came about that after my university studies I took up the three-year course in Ayurvedic medicine at the European Academy of Ayurveda under the direction of Prof. Gupta, Prof. Dr Mishra and HP Elmar Stapelfeldt. What convinced me about this programme in particular was its commitment to authenticity: every branch of Ayurveda was presented by an expert with many years of experience in that field. I also liked the surroundings, the tastefully furnished academy and the delicious food.

During my studies I did a Panchakarma internship in Austria with the naturopathic physician Hans Heinrich Rhyner, who is also a lecturer at the REAA, as well as an internship at HP Michael Rohrschneider's Centre for Ayurvedic Medicine in Hamburg. In the course of my Ayurveda studies I came across Kalarippayat, the traditional martial and healing art of southern India.

How did things continue for you?

I began to practise Kalari with my teacher Kai Hitzer, who teaches in the lineage of Master C. M. Sherif Gurukkal, and I was immediately captivated by this powerful and dynamic art of movement, which challenges my mind and body again and again to this day. A year later I travelled to India to meet the Kalari master in person and to experience Kalari at its source.

I have been teaching yoga since 2006 and Kalari since 2009, and I have run my own practice since 2010. In my practice I work mainly with Ayurveda, and I offer additions from TCM.

To this day I deepen my knowledge on trips to India, in internships, further training and workshops, in order to experience as many different aspects of Ayurvedic medicine, yoga and Kalari as possible.

Personally, yoga, Ayurveda and Kalari have helped me to greater balance of mind as well as wellbeing in my body. I want to share that experience with other people. I am grateful to have met so many inspiring teachers on my path and to have benefited from their wealth of knowledge. In the same way, I want to apply my knowledge and my experience for the greatest benefit of my patients.

Experiences in setting up your own practice

I searched for suitable premises for a long time and also considered setting up a joint practice. The latter simply did not come about. It was difficult to find commercially usable rooms with adequate sanitary facilities and showers. After a long search I simply placed an advertisement, and then it worked out. It took a while before the working routines had settled in and I had the scheduling under control. To this day it is pioneering work to put Ayurveda in the right light and to explain to patients that it is far more than mere wellness.

Before becoming self-employed I worked in the beauty and spa area of the Hotel Esperanto in Fulda, where I gave the Ayurvedic massages. I learned a great deal through that work which benefits me in my present activity. For one thing, I gained a lot of experience in massage and also in dealing with guests and patients. In future I would like to engage more and more with the field of Ayurvedic psychology, since many patients are burdened with psychosomatic complaints.

How did you come to Ayurveda?

After an illness from which I recovered only slowly, despite medication and a conventional bland diet, two doctor friends recommended an Ayurveda cure to me. As I was very exhausted at the time and thoroughly in need of a holiday, I let the two of them persuade me. I was, however, somewhat sceptical about the whole thing, which certainly also had to do with my profession as a nutritional scientist; in nutritional science Ayurveda is regarded as an exotic alternative diet unsuitable for Europeans. So at the time I had a mistaken idea of Ayurveda. A travel agency in the neighbourhood arranged a trip for me to Kerala in southern India, and after a three-week cure stay in India I felt, astonishingly, very much better, and now wanted to learn more about Ayurveda and later pass this new knowledge on to my own patients.

I drank ginger water in the mornings, bought books about Ayurveda, cooked Ayurvedically more often, took up regular yoga practice again, and by chance heard from a friend about the training as a nutrition and health consultant at the European Academy of Ayurveda. Looked at that way, my illness even had a certain purpose – or let us call it karma – because otherwise I might never have come into contact with Ayurveda.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

What I find fascinating about Ayurveda is that it is a science which carries within it the knowledge and experience of many thousands of years, and which is based on principles that still hold true today.

It is especially fascinating how Ayurveda integrates subtle aspects into diagnosis and therapy and thereby often offers explanatory approaches that are alien to modern medicine. With Ayurveda you can explain things that modern medicine describes mysteriously as a "black box". The most important thing in healing is the particular kind of diagnosis, which traces the imbalances in the body and determines the therapy – through the restoration of balance a person becomes well. I am particularly impressed by the "art of pulse reading" and the teaching of the marma points.

How did you integrate Ayurveda into your profession?

I have integrated the Ayurveda trainings into my work, which benefits me as a nutrition consultant because I can advise my clients more comprehensively and more individually. Since last year I have also been able to work for the European Academy of Ayurveda as a nutrition consultant during cures. Through my additional training as a yoga teacher I would by now describe my work as holistic, since both Ayurveda and yoga increase the life energy, prana. Through the bodywork – massage and yoga – I have even more intensive contact with my clients.

Which Ayurvedic trainings have you attended?

Training as an Ayurvedic Health and Nutrition Consultant (EBA)

Training in Ayurvedic massage (AMA)

Training as an Ayurveda Therapist (AMT)

What did you particularly like about them?

Authentic lecturers with great expressiveness and conviction, knowledge and experience. The knowledge was conveyed in a very practical way, so that you could understand it well and later put it into practice too. A particularly beautiful place to learn Ayurveda, where you feel comfortable and at ease, because Ayurveda is lived here as well.

What has changed for you as a result?

My leisure habits have changed and new friendships have come about. I now have a different perspective on many things; for instance, I no longer feel the need to be able to explain everything scientifically. I have become more mindful, more cheerful and more relaxed, I listen more to my inner voice and have a better sense of what does me good. I have become more connected to nature. I keep to a different lifestyle, especially in the areas of nutrition, morning routine and daily yoga practice. I now also work in the field of Ayurvedic massage. I can integrate my knowledge as an Ayurvedic health and nutrition consultant into my conventional nutrition consultations. I have trained as a yoga teacher. At the moment I am training in herbal medicine.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

I came to Ayurveda in 2012 through burnout. When I was completely exhausted physically and my metabolism was far from functioning normally, I looked for alternative nutritional advice and so came into real contact with Ayurveda for the first time. After three intensive months of changing my diet and lifestyle, regular Ayurvedic massage, accompanying herbal therapy and regular yoga and meditation practice, I was back on my feet health-wise and felt wonderful. I was able to experience the healing power of Ayurveda in my own body, and that impressed me so much that I began to engage more intensively with Ayurvedic teaching, in order to understand this holistic concept of health more precisely. That personal experience has greatly shaped my work with Ayurveda, and I pass on the knowledge that grew out of it to my clients and notice that it makes access to Ayurveda considerably easier for them.

Which training have you already attended? What did you particularly like about it? Are there other fields you use in an integrative, complementary or supplementary way alongside Ayurveda and yoga?

In 2016 I completed the three-year training as an Ayurveda-Wohlfühlpraktikerin and became self-employed. As additional training I chose Ayurvedic pregnancy massage, and over the past two years my focus has turned to women's health, because through my work I have found that there is great demand and need in this area. So I accompany and support women in all phases of life – from the wish to have a child, through pregnancy and the postnatal period, with menstrual matters, and on to menopause and beyond.

If you already run your own practice: what have your experiences been?

Every beginning is of course not so easy. You have to be aware of that when you become self-employed. It also takes time to find your place – not only the right room, but also the environment in which you would like to work. My experience has shown me that the most important thing is to believe in yourself, to have confidence in your own abilities and to stand by yourself. In any case I would not trade my work with Ayurveda for anything, because with my craft I support people in feeling thoroughly comfortable in their own skin again. That gives me a great deal of joy, and I am very grateful to have found this path for myself.

How do you work today? We would also be interested to know what you did professionally before your Ayurveda and yoga work, and which projects lie ahead for you.

I have done quite a few things in my life, and I am convinced that all of it led me to where I stand today. I completed my degree in Romance languages, Italian and Spanish, in 2003. After that I worked for twelve years in account, project and sales management in telecommunications, before becoming self-employed as an Ayurveda practitioner in 2016. In recent years I have worked both in a team and on my own, and deepened my Ayurvedic knowledge in the context of Ayurveda cures and retreats. All my experiences encouraged me last year to take the step of concentrating fully and completely on Ayurvedic women's health, and to give myself the gift of my own Ayurveda practice.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

In Ayurveda, food is medicine. That fascinated me from the very beginning. In no other system of medicine does nutrition play such a large role. I have been interested in nutrition since childhood.

That is why I studied nutritional science and specialised in nutrition within Ayurveda as well. In this ancient Indian healing art I am impressed again and again by how great an effect can be achieved with small things.

Which training have you already attended? What did you particularly like about it? Are there other fields you use in an integrative, complementary or supplementary way alongside Ayurveda and yoga?

I completed my first training as an Ayurvedic nutrition consultant in 2011 at the Seva Academy in Munich. Immediately afterwards came the trainings as an Ayurvedic nutrition therapist and as an Ayurvedic chef at the Rosenberg Academy in Birstein. In the therapist training, what impressed me most was the study trip to Pune. Combining theory and practice brought great added value to my consulting work. Since 2012 I have been accompanying people in increasing their wellbeing with the diet that suits them. In my cooking workshops they learn how to integrate knowledge about nutrition into their everyday lives easily. Since 2020 I have also been a systemic coach. My clients benefit from that training because I can support them even better in changing their behaviour.

If you already run your own practice: what have your experiences been?

For me the leap into self-employment was not a big one, since I had been self-employed before. My office premises were already there. My tip: short distances from home make the working day easier!

How do you work today? We would also be interested to know what you did professionally before your Ayurveda and yoga work, and which projects lie ahead for you.

After studying nutritional science I worked for some years in the food industry and at a PR agency. I then became self-employed as a PR consultant and later also worked freelance during the family years. I wanted to move away from the computer and towards people, and looked for an alternative, which I found in Ayurveda. I very much like the combination of conversations, coaching and cooking workshops. I would like to keep that combination. One of my favourite subjects is, and will remain, the healing effect of spices.

What led you to Ayurveda?

The subject of nutrition has been with me since my youth in various forms. It was a long and at times difficult path until I found a relaxed way of dealing with it. I tried a great deal in order to eat optimally and well, and especially at the beginning of each new "phase" I felt fine at first. My underlying complaints did not improve in the long term, however. Tiredness, irritability, digestive problems and skin problems were my "faithful" companions for many years. From today's perspective, all of them were signs that something had fallen out of balance, even though I had done and eaten so much that was healthy. Because there was one thing I had not taken into account: my own individual constitution. It was only when I discovered Ayurveda for myself and began to develop daily routines and to follow my individual nutrition plan that I started feeling much better. My physical and mental strength have never been so good.

My Ayurveda path and training, and what changed for me professionally

For me a circle has closed. In my younger years I began training as a Heilpraktikerin. Circumstances then turned out differently, and my path led me back to the subjects of health, prevention and wholeness only many years later: an Ayurvedic cookbook on a friend's table sparked my curiosity. The sensory experience of the taste, and the possibility of preparing all these delicious meals myself, convinced me that I wanted to learn more about Ayurveda. And so the training at the European Academy of Ayurveda came about. The training weekends were intensive and at the same time very entertaining. Studying the old knowledge while continually drawing connections to the present was, and still is, an exciting learning process. At the end of that training I signed up for the study trip to India: it was one of the best decisions of my life. Studying Ayurveda in India is an absolute enrichment.

Already in the first seminar, which took place in Berlin, it was clear to me: this is exactly what I want to learn, what I want to apply and what I want to carry out into the world. I am still fascinated by what a complex system Ayurveda describes and yet how easily it finds its place in everyday life. I am also very fortunate to work in a field where I can let Ayurveda flow in as well – either by practising it, for instance when I arrange my calendar according to the dosha clock of the day, or simply by developing a deeper understanding of the person in front of me. My work has become more powerful, more focused and also more relaxed as a result.

My vita – how I work at present

At the moment I am developing and offering courses, workshops and consulting formats in the field of Ayurvedic nutrition and constitutional theory. In the spirit of a holistic approach I follow a particular direction: I want to stimulate not only the mind through conversation but also the senses. The connection between cooking and nutritional consultation is at the centre of my practice. I am convinced that the complexity of Ayurveda becomes much easier to understand through application in everyday life, and that change and implementation therefore succeed better and more easily. That is why I always design my workshops so that the theory is underpinned by practice, and I choose topics that are on the one hand typical of Ayurveda, such as nutrition through the seasons or detoxification, and on the other hand practical for everyday life.

Another focus is building a network. The holistic aspiration of Ayurveda can only really be lived if I am able to recommend other therapists to my clients, so that the full potential of Ayurveda can be drawn on.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

My first contact with Ayurveda was Maharishi's Transcendental Meditation. My enthusiasm for meditation led me into the fields of naturopathy, Ayurveda and the philosophy of India.

Which training have you already attended? What did you particularly like about it? Are there other fields you use in an integrative, complementary or supplementary way alongside Ayurveda and yoga?

I began with massage trainings with Bob and Melanie Sachs. Here the spiritual background was decisive for my further path. Because once you have set out, there is no going back. After various further courses came my licence as a Heilpraktikerin and the master's programme in Ayurvedic medicine. The high point of those studies were the stays in Indian clinics and institutions. The fascination of India, the people there, the religion and practising on the spot have drawn me back there again and again ever since.

Alongside classical Ayurvedic medicine, one focus of my work lies in women's health and nutritional medicine.

If you already run your own practice: what have your experiences been?

My practice rooms are in our own house. Here we have run an organic shop and online shop for over 40 years. The practice rooms have a floor to themselves.

How do you work today? We would also be interested to know what you did professionally before your Ayurveda and yoga work, and which projects lie ahead for you.

My professional path began with training as a doctor's assistant and years working for a neurologist and psychiatrist, an internist and a gynaecologist. Since 1980 I have run an organic shop in Ludwigsburg with our family. Along with the practice, courses and cures take place in the house. I am already working on a project together with Andrea Zoller, the author of "Heilpflanzen der Ayurveda-Medizin", a book about Ayurveda drawn from practical work.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

My first contact with yoga was love at first sight, or love at first feeling. And if you practise yoga, there is no way past Ayurveda, I find. What fascinates me about both is this deep, holistic healing knowledge, and how, interpreted and lived in a modern way without losing its roots, it can hold incredible support for every person here in our world. Both teachings give so much inspiration and positivity; I am so happy to have been allowed to find my calling in both.

Which training have you already attended? What did you particularly like about it? Are there other fields you use in an integrative, complementary or supplementary way alongside Ayurveda and yoga?

I have been in the yoga context since 2000 and have completed various trainings, and by now I have arrived in the field of yoga as therapy. I teach groups and individual classes in my own studio, maisha (full-time since 2006), and I run trainings as well (also since 2006, now my own groups of yoga teacher trainings).

Ayurveda then came to me in about 2010, very concretely in Birstein. After I had always read a great deal about Ayurveda and had been searching for my constitution, and after all that precious Ayurvedic knowledge, I was drawn to the training as a health consultant, which once again changed my life and my work very much for the better and which is such a wonderful sister to yoga. Since then there have been many further courses in Birstein; mental coach was also a matter of the heart, and I dipped into massage as well, though I let that go again in order to find a good measure and to work in a highly specialised way. And I went for a Panchakarma cure. I can only recommend it. ;)

If you already run your own practice: what have your experiences been?

I went straight from my studies into self-employment; for many a crazy step, for me a gift and exactly my path. I started with a very small room and, with a great many yoga classes that I taught and with the training weekends, I was able to cover my costs from the first month on. Coming straight from being a student, you are used to getting by on little money. After almost two years I moved into a larger room, since most of my classes were completely booked out and I could no longer take on new yoga students. The studio has been growing ever since, there is a wonderful team, and Ayurveda came in through consultations and many talks – even online in these times now.

My recommendations for new founders: take small steps and have a big goal. If you are in it with a lot of love, everything is in flow and carries you over many obstacles and challenges along the way. I would take this path again in just the same way, and would perhaps get myself a little more external support and advice in order to avoid a few beginner's mistakes.

One more tip: build a good network with the people in your town.

Before "my yoga and Ayurveda path" I studied sport and social studies to teach at grammar school. Teaching and working with people were always there; only the context is different. ;) I went straight from my studies into self-employment and had already organised my own classes on the side during my studies, renting rooms in other yoga studios, so that the step was quite a short one. Many trainings in the yoga and Ayurveda field followed, along with busy, intensive years. By now, after 15 years, in 2021, there is a reasonably good measure of work, a wonderful team around me, marvellous students and people I am allowed to work with, and some really good friends as well.

In future, attention will continue to be on the yoga classes and the academy and the yoga teacher trainings, which have a strong focus on Ayurveda. And there is a new project together with an Ayurveda colleague and friend from Birstein: the Lebensfeuer-Akademie, which will hold quite a lot in store online and perhaps also as retreats and seminars … we are building it up, with great joy.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda?

India has fascinated me for as long as I can remember, and so at some point Ayurveda slipped into my field of view as well. What I liked from the very beginning is the "everydayness" of Ayurveda. In my basic medical training, what you learn is often "someone else's business": the concepts are learned for others and applied to others, the patients. Ayurveda instead offers the possibility of experiencing everything concretely on yourself and integrating it into your own daily life – a lived science. So it also came about quite naturally that I tried out Ayurvedic concepts on the dogs and cats at home.

Your path with Ayurveda

I attended the first Ayurveda courses, those for humans, in the Italian-speaking region where I live. At the same time the first puppy came into the house, and he soon had various health problems. I tried applying Ayurvedic concepts to everything and everyone, and came to the conclusion that the puppy might have a Vata-Pitta constitution. So I decided to replace the dry food with home-cooked food, whereupon his inflammatory problems disappeared. That encouraged me to enrol in a three-year training in naturopathy for animals, out of personal interest.

For my final thesis I chose the subject of whether and how Ayurveda could be applied to dogs. While looking for literature I came across Theresa's book "Ayurveda für Tiere", and was then delighted to find that she also offers a training. I signed up for it immediately. The training as an Ayurveda animal therapist was very enriching and opened up completely new ways for me to care for the wellbeing of animals. That gave me the impetus to reorient myself professionally.

Your vita: how do you work today?

Today I work largely online or at the animals' homes. I offer Ayurvedically informed consultations to support the health of both humans and animals, and for animals also manual therapies.

Originally I come from human medicine, with a specialisation in general internal medicine. Over the past ten years I have worked mainly in family medicine and smoking cessation counselling. My particular interest in nutrition also motivated me to complete a one-year part-time course at ETH Zurich on nutrition for the prevention of chronic diseases. All these experiences flow into my consulting work for people.

The choice to offer online consultations for animals as well is based on the fact that I live in an area with many small roads and villages, which would make a fixed practice not so easy to reach. But I dream of converting a caravan into a mobile practice in future.

What fascinates you about Ayurveda, and what did your path look like?

I got to know Ayurveda by chance in 2008 through a former neighbour. Curious as I was, I took the Ayurvedic massage training in Switzerland. And then it happened: I fell in love with Ayurveda! For me it was clear that I had to know more about this method, and in 2013 I completed the training as an Ayurveda specialist; since 2021 I have been a KomplementärTherapeutin with the OdA KT industry certificate in the Ayurveda method.

I am fascinated by this ancient and holistic knowledge of Ayurveda, which is so modern and so simple in its application. Every living being has its own particular constitution, and that is exactly what has always occupied me: our individuality – and Ayurveda confirmed this to me.

Naturally our animals differ just as much in constitution as we humans do. Not all animals have the same preferences or needs.

As a great animal lover I simply had to do this training, and of course I was overjoyed when I saw that Theresa Rosenberg offers it. The animals – in my case dogs – respond so wonderfully to Ayurvedic manual therapies, or to a health or nutrition recommendation matched to, or balancing for, their constitution.

What experiences did you have when setting up your own practice?

In 1999 I began training as a professional masseuse, and in 2000 I set up my own business as a qualified masseuse. Since October 2020 I have been self-employed for the second time. My first period of self-employment ran from 2000 to December 2016. During that time I worked mainly as a masseuse, both Ayurvedic and classical. I became a victim of my own success and had to give up my practice overnight for health reasons. From January 2017 to October 2020 I was able to work at the reception of a massage college. It did not take long, though, before I noticed that I missed being self-employed. And so in October 2020 I set up my second business. This time I am doing a number of things differently from before, and I now run my business according to my constitution, taking care that I do not "burn out" again.

In my present "Ayurveda-Werkstatt" I no longer work as a "masseuse" but as a complementary therapist using the Ayurveda method. With the certificate as an "Ayurveda animal therapist" I have also found a niche where I can support dogs with Ayurveda. My slogan is accordingly: "Ayurveda for you and your dog". Since I work with dogs, I decided against a joint practice, and I am very happy with that decision. I am able to rent a former small shop unit, so I could set up two spaces, one for my women and another for my dogs.

How do you work with Ayurveda today, and what projects do you have for the future?

Originally I am a trained commercial employee. Because of the back pain I had at the time, I became more and more interested in the human body and wanted to understand why these pains were troubling me. And so, shortly after the birth of my first son, I began training as a masseuse.

That training is now more than 20 years ago and is my present speciality. That is to say, alongside my practice I am also a lecturer for massage trainings at two different schools. I could imagine creating and offering my own massage course, for dogs as well. I am also very interested in femininity – or to put it differently, in women's health according to Ayurveda. I definitely want to develop further in that area too.