Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Madden.
Madison, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I knew I was a healer when I was 6 years old. I experienced healing power that resides in the hands, and I inherently knew that our disconnection with our true nature is what led to pain and disease. I lost touch with that part of myself as I went through school and tried to fit myself into western culture’s “normal” – individualistic, success-driven, and fear-ridden.
When I was 19 years old, I stunned myself when I looked down at my collage of pharmaceutical drugs I was taking everyday. Each one seemed to lead to side effect that required a new medication. Yet, I kept feeling sicker and sicker. I was working with the disability service at my college, was “allergic” to everything under the sun, and surfing the downward spiral of helplessness. Until that day, when I realized I needed to take my health into my own hands.
I started looking for real answers, instead of just a bandade. I began learning about food and modern agricultural practices, started changing my diet and noticing how much food impacted both my physical symptoms and my emotional state. I started seeking out alternative options to allopathic medicine, and discovered a whole world of health practices that looked at the body as a connected whole.
Eventually I was led to Yoga, and my teacher, Gurubhai. He taught me to look inward, and that’s when the healing really took form. Gurubhai introduced me to Ayurveda, the sister-science of Yoga, and the oldest form of medicine continuously practiced in the world today.
Ayurveda looks to correct the root cause of imbalance in the body, as opposed to treating symptoms. It approaches health from a holistic perspective, that honors a person at the level of body, mind, and soul.
With the guidance of Yoga and Ayurveda, I healed myself of chronic neurological and joint pain, chronic inflammation, severe digestive problems including gluten-intolerance, high cholesterol and a variety of other physical and emotional symptoms. The healing was radical and inspirational, and I knew I needed to share it with the world.
Learning Ayurveda has been like learning a language I already knew. As its name translates to, it really is the “science of life.”
My partner, Victor Briere, and I studied Ayurveda together, here in the States and in India. Together with our teacher, Gurubhai, we opened Pacific Coast Ayurveda in Calabasas in 2013.
We offer a full-service Ayurvedic clinic, with the intention of bringing the most authentic form of Ayurveda possible to our clients and community.
In January 2017, we opened a second location in Gualala, a beautiful coastal town in Northern California. Here we offer Clinical Ayurveda, Personal and Group Retreats, as well as Ayurvedic Education for Ayurvedic and Health Professionals. It is an exquisite, or perhaps essential, retreat from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
Has it been a smooth road?
Is there such thing as a smooth ride?
I would say the biggest challenge is running a program whose premise is built on asking people to change the habits in their life that they don’t want to change, yet don’t like the consequences of! Real healing requires real commitment and real change, and most people are looking for a “magic pill” that simply doesn’t exist.
“Holistic Health” is trendy right now, but when the rubber meets the road, a lot people don’t really want to do what it takes to change. It’s hard to witness people suffer and struggle, especially when they have all the tools on their tool-belt. But that’s all part of the practice.
Sometimes transformation takes multiple attempts. And that is out of our control. We see every client as a reflection of ourselves, and each person teaches us something. You just never know where someone is in their journey, and when and where they might light up!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pacific Coast Ayurveda – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Pacific Coast Ayurveda is a full-service Ayurvedic Clinic serving people of all ages and conditions. We are known for our personable and personalized approach to wellness. People often choose to come to us because they feel like we really take the time to listen to them, to talk to them, and guide them in a direction that really works. We don’t rush through visits. We see one client at a time, and often spend multiple hours with them at a time.
We offer Ayurvedic Health Consulting, Traditional Therapies using warm herbal oils and botanical formulations, Panchakarma (7-21 day deep-tissue detox retreat), Ayurvedic Nutrition & Herbology, Kundalini Yoga, Yogic Counseling, Weight Loss Support, Women’s Health Services including Pregnancy and Birth Support, Retreats, and Ayurvedic Education.
We work closely with Pacific Coast Herb Co. (pcherbco.com), to source the highest quality traditional oils and botanicals.
I think that what sets us apart in our field is that we are not interested in de-spiritualizing Ayurveda, or “westernizing” it as some would say. We recognize that every system has its place, and we honor that, but we know that the potency of the Eastern approach to health lies in its intricate symbiosis with spirit.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity of Los Angeles – not just of ethnicity, but of culture, of landscape, and of creative potentiality.
My least favorite part of Los Angeles is the frenetic traffic, and the loss of integration with the natural ecosystem.
Pricing:
- Initial Consultation – $150
- 7-Day Panchakarma – $3750
- Upcoming 4-Day Retreat in Gualala – $675
Contact Info:
- Website: pcayurveda.com
- Phone: 818.627.7074
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Arun Autuchirayll
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
