So I’m back from the Chopra Center and the swanky La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California. This was for the completion of the Ayurvedic course I’ve been studying for the past year. The course was daunting – something like eight books to read by Deepak Chopra and David Simon, eight DVDs to watch and so much Sanskrit! The week was a combination of yoga, meditation and testing – both presentations and a written test. It was so intense. Much more so then I would have expected. There we 26 people in my group – down from 56 who originally signed up and just didn’t make it through for whatever reason. The wonderful group I was with had people from all over the world and from so many walks of life including a number of physicians, mental health people, teachers and those just strongly wanted to share their knowledge of Ayurveda with their world. As I said to one of my new friends I made there, Tanya, while we were cramming for the final exam – “I feel like I’m having an Ayurvedic meltdown!” I was eating too much, (I ate cheese cubes! Haven’t had that for like a year – tasted awful. Cheese is disgusting), I was nervous and stressed, and so singularly focused on the exam  – so attached to the outcome! I was losing sight of the beauty of Ayurveda and my surroundings. It was tough. I missed my store, my cooking, my house. But in the end, of course, it was worth it. We all made it through and come Saturday evening I was watching a gorgeous sunset on Swami Yogananda’s beach in Encinitas. It was stunning. Then we ate Armenian food! The people were amazing. What an experience. So now I’m all certified as a Chopra Instructor! It’s been such a journey. August 25, 2007 I went out to the Chopra Center for the first time to do Panchekarma (Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation). I walked back into the Chopra Center on Nov. 1, 2008 almost 50 pounds lighter and so much wiser and at the same time humbled by all I’ve learned and will learn. I’m deeply connected in Ayurveda – I feel like layers of knowledge were being un-covered as my body got smaller. Knowledge from past lives of Ayurvedic wisdom – the piece that was missing in my years of yoga and meditation practices. I found it. It found me. And now here we are. The first series of five “Perfect Health Through Ayurveda” classes that I will be teaching begins on Wednesday, January 14 at 7 p.m. I’ll continue to teach classes throughout the year. The cost will be $65 a class ($325 for the series) which includes a workbook and materials. Class size is limited to 20 keep it intimate. What a gift. I can’t wait to share it with you.