Ayurveda | Midwest Dharma Wheel

Āyurveda
Consultations, Counseling, Education & Healing Therapies

Learn the Timeless Wisdom for Living in Balance with Nature

Cary Twomey

Āyurvedic Clinical Practitioner, Herbalist, Life-Style Counselor & Panchkarma Therapist

30 years of experience in Āyurvedic Practice and Teaching

What is Āyurveda?

Āyurveda is an over 5,000-year-old healing art and science of life. It is the oldest medical science on earth. It is a form of integrated and holistic healing rooted in nature, the five elements, and an in-depth understanding of the body, mind, and spiritual complex of human life. Āyurveda’s concern is alleviating bodily and mental diseases and promoting physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. It educates on being proactive in one's 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 ourselves and thus become a conscious agent in living a balanced life. Āyurveda is an integral wisdom that, when truly lived, supports the unfolding of more excellent health and wholeness. In its whole form, it 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 constitutional make-up and what this means.
How to maintain a healthy balance of the five 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.
A 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 for over 30 years. She was privileged to study and train under some of our most valued and respected Āyurvedic Vaidyas during this time. Cary's training began with her healing process and has grown into educating, guiding, and offering Āyurvedic services locally and internationally, promoting the knowledge of health, longevity, and the return to wholeness. She acknowledges her teachers gratefully and always remains a student of this sacred knowledge, as the wisdom and application of Āyurveda is an enormous ocean, and the learning never ends.

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

Cary's Ayurvedic Training

Cary Twomey is a Certified Āyurvedic Practitioner, Herbalist, and Therapist who has taught and practiced 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 Āyurveda, where she graduated as a Senior Sadhaka of Wise Earth Āyurveda and went on to serve as a Master Teacher and Wise Earth Āyurveda Health Consultant. She studied with Dr. Vasant Lad of The Āyurvedic Institute and Vamadeva David Frawley of the American Institute of Vedic Studies, with whom she learned Āyurveda and spiritual healing practices. She served five years of clinical apprenticeship and hands-on treatment under Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, founder of Chakrapani Āyurveda, in Jaipur, India. She engaged 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. 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 awarded 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 Āyurvedic herbs and treatments into her recommendations. Cary founded her Āyurvedic Healing Practice, Utpali Āyurved, in 2002, through which she offers her services locally, online, or through invitations to your local area.

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 health and well-being and how to eat and live with awareness and balance. Consultations include tailored dietary recommendations, 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 and Private Yoga Sessions taught at Midwest Dharma Wheel by Cary and her husband Lee are rooted in many years of practice and study of Āyurveda and various forms of yoga. They were both personally trained by Dr. Vasant Lad many years ago to integrate Ayurveda and Yoga.

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Statement of Understanding Regarding Ayurveda:

To be clear about what Āyurveda is and how it functions, please note that the practice of Āyurveda does not include any medical diagnosis or medical treatment and is not a substitute for medical care. Āyurveda is 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 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.

Āyurvedic Treatments

Available at Cary's Recommendation

Treatments are recommended after an initial consultation with Cary. In the practice of Āyurveda, various healing therapies are used to restore physiological balance. 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 take a therapy without the body being appropriately prepared. To receive the most significant benefit, we recommend that you meet with Cary for a consultation to start laying a stable foundation for balance, education, and healing. Then, she can direct you toward the treatments that most benefit you.

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

Prices vary according to the treatment.

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Our Āyurvedic Body Therapies

Shirodhara: Oil Therapy

The body's inherent healing mechanism is awakened through the methodic dripping of warm oil infused with herbs and essential oils specific to the individual's constitution. As the oil continuously pours over the brow point for half an hour or more, the Shakti Prana (creative life force) and 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. It is deeply soothing and grounding during any change or uncertainty. 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, cleanses and revitalizes 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 results in ultimate healing. In Abhyangam, special herb-infused Ayurvedic oils are slowly warmed and 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 unique treatment explicitly supports a woman's health and well-being. You will receive an Āyurvedic Abhyanga of the belly and hips and a Marma treatment of the hands, feet, and face. This is a very special therapy that cares for areas of the body that are not treated regularly in traditional Western massage.

Vashpaswedanam: Medicated Steam Bath

This treatment helps eliminate impurities from the body, reduce fat, and heal 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. It is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating.

Nasyam: Nasal Therapy

The administration of herbal oil through the nose is called Nasya. Nasya is beneficial in treating 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 profoundly calming and balancing for the mind.

Tarpana: Rejuvenation

This treatment aims to provide optimum rejuvenation to the joints or specific areas of the body. 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 also weight loss by increasing the basal metabolic rate. This is followed by applying specific herbal formulas created to reduce cellulite and support new collagen formation.

Schedule a Consultation or Treatment

Our 48 hr. Cancellation Policy

Please note the 48-hour cancellation policy for Ayurvedic Consultations.

You are responsible for paying in full for all appointments canceled less than 48 hours before the scheduled appointment time.

Payment Methods Available:

Cash, Check, or Credit Card

Āyurveda Consultations, Counseling, Education & Healing Therapies

Statement of Understanding Regarding Ayurveda:

Āyurveda
Consultations, Counseling, Education & Healing Therapies