ANNA DALE
“Being and staying healthy is an achievement, exactly like studying at a good university, or having a good job. Achievements require commitment, perseverance, dedication, desire and faith. I want to encourage everyone who has visited this page to explore Ayurveda, and gradually and intelligently start making changes to experience all the benefits of this wonderful healing teaching.”
Anna is an Ayurvedic practitioner who has always been passionate about helping people to achieve healthier lifestyle using natural holistic methods. Her philosophy is that we hold our health in our own hands to a very large extent, given the right tools and knowledge. Anna works with the time-tested wisdom of Ayurveda and yoga to empower her clients with greater self-awareness and connection to their true nature.
Anna believes that unstoppable mindset will help people discover their path to health, happiness and a brighter future. Her job is to guide people to achieve their biggest health goals and enjoy the process of doing it.
In her work with clients, she addresses different topics ranging from Ayurveda, nutrition, delicious and simple recipes, to lifestyle, exercise, herbs, relationships, beauty, body work and a plant-based diet, which will be relevant to people with different health and performance goals. Her passion is to work on a one-to-one basis, to take people with diverse health issues through an Ayurvedic detox (Panchakarma) programme, and to ensure the long-term success of the treatment by educating people.
Anna is dedicated to ensuring the success of anyone who approaches her through teaching proven, theoretical and practical techniques of the time-tested philosophy, and aims to bring out the unique strengths of every single individual.
Anna loves bringing positive change in people’s life by creating balanced health and wellness daily. Walking that journey with patients is her passion, and positive results her reward.
Follow Anna:
Website: Health With Anna
Instagram: @healthwithannadale
“Prevention is, no doubt, better and easier than cure.”
What drew you to Ayurveda? When did you discover it?
Inspired by the story of my journey through the valley of breast tumour, I had a vision of reaching out for people who seek help, feeling stuck and out of options, exactly like I did, struggling with physical and mental health. Getting my life and health back, I wanted to share the benefits I had experienced and help many others too. It was then, that I decided to have a change of career, since my passion was no longer in languages, and I immersed myself in various studies to embrace different mind-body disciplines. I continued to study and train in a variety of holistic health teachings over the years and completed a Masters degree (MSc) in Ayurvedic Medicine at Middlesex University (UK). I underwent a clinical internship in Indian clinics and hospitals, which gave me a special insight into Ayurvedic medicine.
How long have you been practising it? Has it helped you with anything major?
If you are very ill or chronically ill you must have asked yourself repeatedly, “Why have these problems chosen me?” At the age of 20 I was asking the same question when one morning I palpated a lump in my breast. A hard, deep-seated, not movable, ping pong ball-sized tumor, which seemed to have appeared overnight.
Conventional treatment was not an option for me. Having heard a story of how my grandmother died of breast cancer metastatized in her spine, in agony and torment, to a large extent helped to make a decision.
As I was researching cleansing, detox and how to heal my body, I came across various healing philosophies and Ayurveda. Four years of fanatic dedication and perseverance shaped a “new me.” I have been vegetarian, vegan and raw vegan. I have done a variety of cleanses and alternative therapies in search of healing. Six months later, after my diagnosis, the tumour started changing structurally. It was no longer hard but soft, immovable but movable. From that point onwards I knew that I was on the right path. Twenty-nine years later, free from any diagnosis, I am still maintaining the practices I have learned, simply because they work. I will be grateful till the rest of my days to the ancient Indian health system, which took my healing to a completely different level.
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
The cornerstone of Ayurveda is individuality of needs based on your uniqueness. It is practical, common sense, logical and for everyone, no matter your background. Ayurveda puts emphasis not just on how to cure an imbalance, but teaches how to prevent it in the first place. Although I would never achieve the results without intense cleanses, I believe that a true healing system should also focus on sustaining and nurturing life, and not merely treating diseases and preventing death. And this is exactly what Ayurveda has got on offer. My hope is, that people get inspired by my story, and get awakened to the possibilities of prevention with ancient wisdom. Prevention is, no doubt, better and easier than cure.
What's the one thing you would encourage everyone to try or you think would benefit the majority of people's health for the better?
Happiness and health begins with the digestion of food. According to Ayurveda most of the problems arise from poor digestive capacities — so keeping digestion strong is key to contentment. The ancient practice of eating light, easy-to-digest foods, cooked with appropriate spices at appropriate times of the day and year, and the right quantities of food will ensure a healthy digestive fire (Agni) to cook and digest food properly. By taking just a little time to understand the Ayurvedic concept of digestion and to enjoy wholesome foods, people will be on their way to better health and a happier mind.
How does Ayurveda fit into your day-to-day routines?
A daily routine is essential for maintaining good health. It promotes balance in our constitution and helps to regulate our biological clock. Regular times for eating, sleeping, waking and eliminating are what brings balance to our mind-body and imparts discipline and structure to our life.
In Ayurveda a set of daily practices have been described, which teach us how to take self-care into our own hands. I would strongly advise everyone who is interested in a healthy lifestyle to get familiar with Ayurvedic daily routine suggestions and start incorporating them. Perhaps the most important advice I can give is to create a daily self-care checklist and start implementing some of the bullet points on your checklist. Over time, as you become familiar and observe some improvements, you will be able to add more of the bullet points and track your own growth towards perfect health.
Personally, I am no different to others: I have times when I am diligent and manage to do well with my daily practices, and other times when I fail to perform as well as I could. But some daily practices which do not take much effort and time, such as scraping of the tongue, going to bed on time, cooking wholesome foods, breathing exercises, devotion and prayer became a second nature, which I never fail. Now, I need to add, of course, that cooking wholesome foods can take time, but I absolutely love spending time in the kitchen and creating new recipes. I also find this activity very therapeutic.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Being and staying healthy is an achievement, exactly like studying at a good university, or having a good job. Achievements require commitment, perseverance, dedication, desire and faith. I want to encourage everyone who has visited this page to explore Ayurveda, and gradually and intelligently start making changes to experience all the benefits of this wonderful healing teaching.