After spending almost 10 years working in the pharmaceutical industry, I felt powerless and unfulfilled in my ability to truly support people suffering from chronic conditions. The reason I chose to pursue a degree in pharmacy in the first instance was to make a difference to people’s health and wellbeing. Despite all the great advances in modern medicine today, I could no longer ignore all the gaps and pitfalls that came with it. I spent a great deal of time researching how these limitations of modern medicine could be successfully addressed. 

 

I was then introduced to Ayurveda and its holistic approach to disease prevention and management, which has been practiced for over 5000 years. As a modern scientist, I must admit I was both intrigued and sceptical at first. The more I learned and practiced Ayurveda, the more that initial intrigue and scepticism become hope. Ayurveda became the solution I was looking for in my quest to improve people’s health and wellbeing. Unbeknownst to me, I quickly came to realise that I was already practicing aspects of Ayurveda from childhood. Coming from an Indian background, some of this invaluable knowledge had been passed down through my ancestors and ingrained in my family’s culture and traditions. 

 

The reason I am devoted to supporting those suffering from chronic illnesses is because I have endured it myself. Most of my adolescent life I battled with severe eczema. It covered every inch of my body. Even my face. My life completely revolved around it. It knocked my confidence, affected what I wore, where I went, how I interacted with people, how I planned my life, and made me miss out on so many things I should have been enjoying as a teenager. I genuinely felt alone and helpless, yet I continuously dreamt of what it would be like to feel normal and in control again. I wasn’t aware of the full scope of Ayurveda at the time and had tried various different treatments, but thankfully like many other adolescent eczema sufferers, I managed to largely outgrow the condition in early adulthood. However, I am now fortunate to utilise my knowledge of Ayurveda in managing further flare-ups.