Ayurveda | Midwest Dharma Wheel

Ayurveda Consultations, Education & Therapies

Timeless Wisdom for Living in Balance with Nature

Cary Twomey

Ayurvedic Practitioner, Herbalist & Therapist

30 years experience of Ayurvedic Practice

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is an over 5,000 year old healing art and science of life. It is the oldest medical science on earth and is a form of integrated and holistic healing rooted in nature, the 5 elements, and an in-depth understanding of the body, mind and spiritual complex of human life. Ayurveda’s concern is alleviating both bodily and mental diseases and promoting physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. It educates on how to be proactive in one's own health while moving through life in a balanced relationship with the seasons. This ancient and rich healing map teaches us how to get to know our own selves and thus to become a conscious agent in the life-long process of living a balanced life. Ayurveda is an integral wisdom that when truly lived, supports the unfolding of greater health and wholeness. In its fullest form, Ayurveda facilitates an ongoing connection to the sacred Source within and is a path of awakening in embodied life.

We begin to lay a foundation for health through learning:

About our own personal constitutional make-up and what this means.
How to maintain a healthy balance of the 5 elements within our constitution.
How to adopt self-care practices that are appropriate for you.
What is a healthy diet for your specific constitution.
Healthy routines that are aligned with the larger rhythms of nature.
Healthy relationship with others and the world around us.
Connection to Source, whatever form that takes for you.
How to integrate skillfully with all stages and aspects of life.

Cary has trained in the ancient guru-kula style spending time directly learning from and apprenticing under the guidance of her teachers on-going over 30 years . During this time, she has had the privilege to study and train under some of the most valued and respected Ayurvedic Vaidya's of our time. Cary's training began with her own healing process and has grown into educating, guiding, and offering Ayurvedic services locally and internationally, promoting the knowledge of health, longevity and the return to wholeness. She acknowledges gratefully her own teachers and remains always a student of this sacred knowledge, as the wisdom and application of Ayurveda is an enormous ocean and the learning never ends.

Consultations include an in-depth Ayurvedic pulse reading, learning about your own personal constitution, as well as dietary, life-style and self-care practices that are specific for you. Herbal recommendations and treatments are also suggested. Ayurvedic protocols for your specific health imbalances are shared as part of your education process.

Cary's Ayurvedic Training

Cary Twomey is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, Herbalist and Therapist who has been teaching and practicing Ayurveda in NYC and internationally since the 90s and in Lincoln, Nebraska since 2002. She spent over a decade apprenticing with and assisting Maya Tiwari at the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda, where she graduated as a Senior Sadhaka of Wise Earth Ayurveda and went on to serve as a Master Teacher and Wise Earth Ayurveda Health Consultant. She studied with Dr. Vasant Lad of The Ayurvedic Institute and Vamadeva David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, with whom she learned Ayurveda as well as the practices of deeper spiritual healing. She served five years of clinical apprenticeship and hands-on treatment under the guidance of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, founder of Chakrapani Ayurveda, in Jaipur, India. She went on to engage in twelve ongoing years of study with Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, of the Shakya Vansiya Ayurveda Lineage, before his passing. She learned the sacred art of pulse reading directly from Vaidya Mishra and in 2016, Cary was granted the title of Prana-Aushadhi, or Prana Acharya Ayurvedic Healer~one who can restore the life-force, by Vaidya Mishra before his passing in 2017 and granted the title of Master Teacher, Sadhaka Adept, by Maya Tiwari of Wise Earth Ayurveda in 2019. Cary has studied Ayurvedic Herbology extensively with Maya Tiwari, Dr. Vasant Lad, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha. As a skilled and experienced practitioner and herbalist, she incorporates Ayurvedic herbs and Ayurvedic treatments into her recommendations.

Cary's skillful expertise and training in Anatomy, Kinesiology, Movement, and Jyotish inform her understanding of Ayurveda. She teaches people how to be responsible for their own health and well-being, and how to eat and live with awareness and balance. Consultations include tailored dietary recommendations and suggestions for lifestyle changes and empowering self-knowledge. Visit our other Offerings pages to read more about Cary's diverse education and experience.

The Yoga Classes & Private Sessions taught at Midwest Dharma Wheel by Cary and her husband Lee, are rooted in many years of practice & study of Ayurveda and Classical Yoga. They were both personally trained by Dr. Vasant Lad many years ago on how to integrate Ayurveda and Yoga.

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Statement of Understanding Regarding Ayurveda:

To be clear about what Ayurveda is and how it functions, please note that the practice of Ayurveda does not include any type of medical diagnosis or medical treatment and is not a substitute for medical care. Ayurveda is currently a form of complementary and alternative healthcare and lifestyle support in the United States. All services and treatments provided at Midwest Dharma Wheel are complementary or alternative to healthcare services provided by your own licensed medical doctors. Ayurveda is complementary and supportive of traditional western medicine as practiced in the United States and is not a replacement for care by a licensed medical doctor.

Ayurvedic Treatments

Available at Cary's Recommendation

Treatments are recommended after an initial consultation with Cary. In the practice of Ayurveda, various healing therapies are used to facilitate the restoration of balance in the physiology. Ayurvedic treatments are not meant to be given simply as a "spa" treatment stand alone, but rather are administered within the framework of overall treatment, your current state of health, in accordance with the season, and most importantly in relation to the current state of your health and the needs of your constitution.

All Ayurvedic treatments must be applied with discretion, it is not always appropriate to simply take a treatment without the body being appropriate prepared. To receive the greatest benefit, we recommend that you begin by meeting with Cary for a consultation to begin laying a stable foundation for balance, education, and healing. Then, she can direct you towards what treatments would be most beneficial for you.

You can book an initial Ayurvedic consultation with Cary in order to begin the process of recommendation here:

Prices vary according to the treatment.

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Our Ayurvedic Body Therapies

Shirodhara: Oil Therapy

Through the methodic dripping of warm oil infused with herbs and essential oils specific to the individual's constitution, the body's inherent healing mechanism is awakened. As the oil pours over the brow point continuously for half an hour or more the Shakti Prana (creative life force) and the cellular memory are nourished. This treatment is specific for anyone experiencing headaches, stress, loss of hair or hearing, inflammation in the body, poor digestion, menopause, eating disorders, or following any trauma. During any time of change or uncertainty, it is deeply soothing and grounding. This treatment is recommended during the junctures of the seasons to assist in the transition.

Marma: Point Therapy

Marmas are junctures of prana and are vital points where muscles, ligaments, and tendons meet. Through a specific massage technique, the marmas and circulatory channels are stimulated. Marma therapy, one of the most ancient techniques for relieving pain, acts directly on the blood, nerves, and lymph circulatory systems. Stimulating these points, especially

when performed with warm oil or specific herbs prepared for the individual constitution and condition at hand, serves to cleanse and revitalize the body. This therapy is recommended for any condition or as periodic therapy to keep the tissues clean and vital.

Abhyangam: Oil Massage

Abhyangam is an Ayurveda way of oil massage with Marma therapy. Marma points are vital points of the body which contain Prana energy. Gentle pressure on Marma while doing massage provides Prana energy to the body and mind which gives ultimate healing. In Abhyangam, special herb-infused Ayurvedic oils are slowly warmed up and gently massaged into the skin. This massage is deeply relaxing, harmonizes, detoxifies, strengthens, and revitalizes the entire body. This massage also improves lymph flow and stimulates the immune system. It simultaneously calms and strengthens the nervous system. In this way, Abhyangam massage is a protector, preserver, and rejuvenator.

Women's Therapy

This is a special treatment specifically for supporting a woman's health and well-being. In this treatment, you will receive an Ayurvedic Abhyanga of the belly, breasts, and hips and a Marma treatment of the hands, feet, and face. This is a very special therapy that gives care to areas of the body that are not treated regularly in traditional western massage.

Vashpaswedanam: Medicated Steam Bath

This treatment is helpful to eliminate impurities from the body, reduce fat, and also helps in healing skin diseases. It is a unique therapy in which leaves of medicinal plants are boiled as the body rests in a tent filled with herbal steam. Deeply relaxing and rejuvenating.

Nasyam: Nasal Therapy

The administration of herbal oil through the nose is called Nasya. Nasya is particularly useful in the treatment of diseases occurring in the sense organs of the head and the mind. It promotes functions of the sensory and motor organs and specifically provides strength to the head, nose, and neck. Indirectly it works on the whole body by improving the functioning of the endocrine glands. It will prevent premature wrinkling, graying, and falling of the hair. It is helpful in sinus conditions and with allergies. Nasya is deeply calming and balancing for the mind.

Tarpana: Rejuvenation

This treatment aims to provide optimum rejuvenation to the joints or specific areas of the body. A special dough is put around the area to create a dam. Herbal ghee is put in this groove to lubricate, warm, and soothe the surrounding areas which will be kept warm for 30 – 35 minutes. This helps to improve the flow of prana, circulation, tissue and joint health.

Udvartanam: Therapy for Cellulite Management

The whole body is gently massaged with medicated powders prepared with various herbs. This helps to reduce fat and cellulite, tones the muscles, improves blood circulation, and eases joint pain. Regular Udvartanam is good for not only cellulite, but it helps weight loss by increasing the basal metabolic rate. This is followed by the application of specific herbal formulas created to reduce cellulite and support new collagen formation.

Schedule a Consultation or Treatment

Our 24 hr. Cancellation Policy

Please note the 24 hr cancellation policy for Ayurvedic Consultations.

You will be responsible to pay in full for all appointments canceled in less than 24 hrs from your scheduled appointment time.

Payment Methods Available:

Cash, Check, or Credit Card