Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 7
A Panjab University alumnus, Dr Vidhu Vadehra, who graduated with Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery in 1997, has been spreading the word about Ayurveda for the past five years in Western Australia.
She works in conjunction with the Indian Embassy to create awareness about Ayurveda abroad.
Vadehra, Western Australia head for the Australasian Association of Ayurveda, shares: “90 per cent of my clients are Australians and are mesmerised with the science of Ayurveda. Some of them even come to India to spend weeks in Rishikesh and relish the therapies available.”
“I also teach students how to meditate and take care of their mental health. It’s disheartening to say that some of my students have also attempted suicide at least four to five times. Mental wellness is a critical issue for the Australian Government as the suicide rate is high among the youth there. Ayurveda is one way to deal with the prevailing crisis,” she adds.
“Australians now especially visit Indian stores to purchase spices used in India. To my surprise, one of my clients believed in the benefits of using turmeric. Several clients eat ‘khichdi’ as a part of body cleansing and detoxification,” she said.
“Ayurveda is the story of every Indian household — from massaging scalp to rubbing Narayani oil on knees and eating at the right time. Now, this is being adopted by Australians at large.”
Vadehra’s wants to merge old-age care in Australia with Ayurveda. “Old-age care is a huge sector there and several elderly are suffering from depression and arthritis,” she said.
She said: “I left my clinic in Panchkula as my only aim was to take Ayurveda globally. I can tell that Ayurveda is recognised and accepted globally. I keep travelling several countries to spread the word.”
Vadehra is also the Western Australia Chief Coordinator, Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Australia. She said: “We collaborated with AYUSH as they gave us some funding for a project under which we held seminars and conferences on Ayurveda.”
Global reach
Ayurveda is the story of every Indian household — from massaging scalp to rubbing Narayani oil on knees and eating at the right time. Now, it is being adopted by Australians at large.