29/07/2026
I took this photograph in 2017 during a Panchakarma stay at Vaidyagrama in India.
Each morning began with a puja, and each day ended in the same way: honouring and offering gratitude to Lord Dhanvantari, the divine source of Ayurveda.
The chanting, the light of the lamps and the gentle rhythm of these daily rituals created a deeply sattvic environment, one in which healing felt supported not only by treatments and medicines, but also by reverence, stillness and intention.
It feels especially meaningful to return to this memory on Guru Purnima.
Guru Purnima is a day to honour the teachers, guides and lineages through whom wisdom has been carried and preserved.
Ayurveda has survived for thousands of years because its knowledge was passed carefully from teacher to student, not simply as information, but as a living tradition. It was received with humility, practised with discipline and shared with a deep sense of responsibility.
My own connection with Ayurveda is inseparable from this lineage, my Indian heritage, and the many teachers, practitioners and classical texts that continue to guide me.
Being at Vaidyagrama, where Ayurveda is practised in its traditional form, reminded me that healing is not only about what we take or what is done to the body. It is also shaped by the environment around us, the intention with which care is offered and the spirit in which knowledge is received.
Today, I offer my gratitude to all those who have illuminated my path and to those who protected this wisdom so that it could reach us.
May we carry it forward with the same care, integrity and reverence.
Happy Guru Purnima. 🙏🏽