Athreya Herbs

Our story begins in India where our founding members Jayagopal Parla (Jay) and Anupama Kizhakkeveettil (Anu) met. Jay grew up in India, and one of the earliest memories he had was his grandfather harvesting fresh herbs from the banks of the nearby river. His grandmother would grind the herbs using a stone grinder and produce hand-rolled pills. His grandfather didn’t have any formal education in Ayurveda but was a self-taught practitioner. He saw a few clients and was able to heal some rare diseases at the time. With inspiration from his grandfather, Jay went onto study Ayurveda in college, where he had the opportunity to be surrounded by some enthusiastic classmates and inspiring mentors who shared his passion for Ayurveda. He studied with traditional practitioners and specifically sought out to explore the practices of indigenous tribes of India. Jay had a real passion for learning how herbs function in the native form. The nomadic tribes who lived in huts taught him the importance of reforestation and simple practices of harvesting herbs closest to its natural state. The immersion with tribal groups and deep understanding of herbs has allowed him to derive highly customized herbal combinations. When he first hears his client's symptoms, he is spontaneously able to identify the primary and secondary herbs necessary for healing. His intuitive technique allows him to validate his selection later and provide a unique and effective formulation. His advice to the thousands of students he has impacted is to make friends with the herbs, and then the herbs will reveal itself at the right time. Anu also grew up in an Indian village, from childhood, she had a great passion to become a healer. She always visualized healing to be surrounded by spirituality and unconditional love and care. With roots from Kerela, where Ayurveda continues to flourish, it was natural for her to study Ayurvedic medicine as Ayurveda integrates spirituality and science. During her childhood days