For Leanna, one of the most meaningful parts of becoming an Ayurvedic practitioner has been seeing how changes in a person’s daily life can affect their wellbeing. In her work with patients, she has witnessed people regain abilities they had struggled with for years and experience changes in their lives. These experiences have also shaped her own understanding of Ayurveda and what she can contribute through her practice. Leanna’s journey to becoming a practitioner began while managing a busy life with three teenage sons, and studying at the Ayurveda Institute allowed her to pursue her professional goals alongside caring for her family. She describes the experience as life-changing, both for the personal discoveries she made and for the opportunity to support others through her work.
Balancing Family Responsibilities with Her Education
One of the most important aspects of Leanna’s experience was being able to study alongside her family commitments. With three teenage boys and a husband, she had to manage her time carefully while pursuing her interests.
Studying at the Ayurveda Institute allowed her to begin her journey in developing the knowledge and skills needed to become an Ayurvedic practitioner. She also began working on case studies and seeing patients during her training, allowing her to start applying what she was learning before completing her studies while managing her responsibilities at home
“I was able to study as well as start working while I was studying on case studies and taking on patients and start earning some income too.”
Applying Ayurvedic Knowledge Through Patient Care
Leanna’s work with patients gave her the opportunity to apply what she was learning at the Ayurveda Institute UK to a range of health concerns. By combining dietary guidance, lifestyle changes, herbal remedies and specialised therapies according to each patient’s needs, she began to see how Ayurvedic care could support people in managing their symptoms and improving their day-to-day lives.
Some of the most memorable examples and success stories from Leanna’s practice involve patients who came to her with long-standing health concerns, each with their own needs and challenges.
Helping a Patient Regain Her Quality of Life
Leanna was amazed to see how quickly the knowledge she gained through her studies could make a difference in practice. One patient, who had been housebound for almost three months due to ulcerative colitis, was able to leave home within two weeks of following Leanna’s recommendations on diet and remedies.
“She’s a very young lady, and that’s been a really beautiful journey… It’s totally astounded me that these small changes that we understand and learn through Ayurveda can have such a massive impact on people’s lives and their quality of life as well. The quality of life is so important because without that we’re just existing…”
Reflecting on the experience, Leanna explains how much it affected her to see the change in the patient’s daily life. For someone who had spent months confined to her home, being able to go out again represented a significant improvement in her circumstances.
Supporting a Patient Through Her Fertility Journey
Another experience that stayed with Leanna involved a woman who had been trying to conceive for two and a half years. According to Leanna, the woman became pregnant within three months of beginning her Ayurvedic care and later gave birth to a healthy baby. Leanna already knew Ayurveda could support fertility and felt she had given the woman the tools she needed, but seeing this work in practice was a different experience which still astounds her and brings her immense joy.
Seeing Improvements in Patients with Fibromyalgia
She has also successfully treated complex, chronic conditions like fibromyalgia, helping patients find lasting relief from symptoms that otherwise disrupt daily life. One notable case involved a patient who had been living with pain for 9 years, but after two weeks of following the dietary advice and taking the herbal remedies Leanna recommended, the patient returned with a noticeable change in how she felt.
Leanna tells us that this area of practice is deeply rewarding and describes it as one of the joys of Ayurveda; helping people reclaim a quality of life they may have struggled to imagine after years of living with chronic conditions.
Drawing on Her Training When Supporting Complex Health Needs
Leanna’s experience with one of her earliest patients presented a different challenge. The patient had a history of suicide attempts and was experiencing chronic pain and widespread inflammation. Leanna was still studying at the Ayurveda Institute at the time and remembers feeling unsure of how to approach the situation.
She drew on the guidance she had received from Dr Deepika Rodrigo and focused on the information available to her as she worked with the patient. Leanna recalls that, over the following months, the patient reported significant improvements in her wellbeing. She described feeling happier, experiencing less pain and seeing a reduction in her inflammation. The patient also developed an interest in Ayurveda and wanted to continue learning about it herself.
How Studying Ayurveda Changed Leanna’s Life
For Leanna, the value of her education extends beyond the knowledge she gained or the patients she has supported. She describes her time at the Ayurveda Institute as a period of self-discovery that changed the direction of her life. She reflects on the personal changes she experienced, the relationships she developed with patients and the connections she made with people at the Institute.
“It’s completely changed my life. It’s turned it upside down and pushed it onto the most beautiful direction of self-healing and discovery as well as such beautiful connections with patients and the people at the Institute as well.”
Explore Ayurvedic Education at the Ayurveda Institute
At the Ayurveda Institute, we provide courses for students and professionals who want to develop their understanding of Ayurveda, from introductory learning to accredited diploma programmes for those pursuing further training. Our courses include the Ayurvedic Lifestyle & Nutrition diploma, the Ayurvedic Practitioner programme, Ayurvedic Massage Therapy and Integrative Medicine.
Led by experienced Ayurvedic physicians and educators, our teaching combines in-depth learning with practical training, including case studies and supervised clinical experience in practitioner programmes and recorded lessons and flexible study options; students can pursue their education alongside work and family commitments just as Leanna did alongside her busy schedule. If you are interested in studying Ayurveda, we invite you to explore our courses to learn more about the programmes available and find out which pathway suits your interests and goals.