Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Spillane.
Rachel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up, I was a tomboy. I have two brothers and naturally, I wanted to fit in and act tough. But I was a really sensitive child. I think I felt some shame around being a girl and a lot of anger around feeling different. I lived most of my life in my inner masculine. I subscribed to the achievement-oriented “harder, better, faster”.
In high school, I got good grades and played soccer but I struggled with female friendships. After studying Economics at CU Boulder, I took the LSATS. I wanted to study environmental law but ultimately, I felt trapped by the idea of massive student loan debt. So I took an Americorps position at MetroVolunteers in Denver. I found the work to be very rewarding and I enjoyed the freedom that came with making very little money.
Unsure of what was next, I decided to move to Costa Rica and teach English. Living out of a suitcase, I learned how to be happy with a lot less – no car, no phone, no internet or TV. Every day was an adventure. I loved how the people respected the environment and each other. After two years, I came home and started work for a TEFL company. Missing the excitement of living abroad and the connections I had formed with my students, I went to Japan to teach. Again it was a dream life. But I was still running away from my problems – my relationship with my family, my alcohol use.
Eventually, I returned to Denver and started working as an Elementary school teacher and taking coursework to get my teaching license. After five years of working in public schools, I felt burnt out by the expectations and lack of support. My life consisted of lesson planning, grading and “being good” during the week and then drinking heavily to blow off steam on the weekends. I was so stressed that I would take Benadryl at night to sleep. I was anxious and depressed and my digestion had started breaking down. That’s when my story with Ayurveda began…
Searching for a way out of this cycle, I discovered Ayurveda. When I learned about the doshas – vata, pitta and kapha, something just clicked. My rational brain appreciated the logic behind this healing science. I began practicing Ayurvedic food combining and eventually saw a practitioner to learn my birth constitution or prakruti. I learned that my history of childhood antibiotics, drinking, and traveling had led my microbiome out of balance. My practitioner gave me dietary advice and a custom herbal formula to tackle the bad gut bacteria.
Immediately, my anxiety and depression began to subside. I was so enthralled by Ayurveda, that I applied to study at Alandi Ashram in Boulder. Upon acceptance, I quit my job teaching and began the full-time, two-year program. It was a big change. I was living in Denver and commuting to Boulder. The ashram is a really loving and tight-knit community. We weren’t just studying Ayurveda but meditation and spirituality. I was forced to deal with my deep-seated issues around alcohol, my family and most importantly, my relationship with myself. This was all around the time of my Saturn return so there was a lot work to be done. Pretty much every aspect of my life shifted. Thanks to Ayurveda, I feel more vibrant and grounded than ever. It has given me the tools to create balance in my life and the space to appreciate it.
After years of practicing yoga, I completed my 200-hour training in 2018 and I graduated as an Ayurvedic Practitioner in June 2019. I started my practice, Saraswati Ayurveda, named for the Hindu goddess of learning and the arts. I serve on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Ayurvedic Medical Association (COLORAMA). Each day, I get to work with passionate individuals who are redefining the field of wellness. It’s been a journey but I feel so blessed to have found my calling.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely an adjustment leaving my job teaching and going back to school full-time. I had gotten pretty comfortable in my work and then I entered this completely different world as a total beginner. The ashram can be an intense environment. There are about ten students and you are working together, side by side in the Alandi Clinic and in class. You really have to show up and be accountable to each other; there’s nothing to hide behind.
I was also going through my own wellness journey. I had stopped drinking alcohol to support my gut health and transitioned from a mostly to a completely plant-based diet. My priorities and lifestyle had shifted and I didn’t have the same social outlets that I used to. So yes, it was challenging and at times, isolating, but I’m so grateful for the ways it helped me to evolve.
Please tell us about Saraswati Ayurveda.
Saraswati Ayurveda was founded with the mission to empower clients with the understanding, tools and support to own their wellness journey. I utilize Ayurveda, Yoga, Mindfulness and Breathwork to facilitate healing of the mind, body and spirit.
Coming from my background in education, I am known for making Ayurveda feel really accessible! I think Ayurveda feels a bit esoteric to the general public. We use some Sanskrit terms which can turn people off. But really, by virtue of having a human body with five senses and living in the natural world, you already understand these concepts intuitively, I’m just giving you a language for it. The same goes for my yoga offerings. I create an inclusive atmosphere so that yoga feels approachable to all bodies. I love chair yoga, prenatal and breath-focused vinyasa.
I am most proud of how I bring the human connection to healing. Western medicine can be so sterile. Doctors don’t usually get to know you as a person or care about the dreams that you have. Most of us are suffering from lack of connection with ourselves and others. I bring compassion, honesty and a curiosity to the healing process. I empower clients to be their own ally.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have fond memories of spending summers at my Grandmother’s farm. We would pack up the station wagon and drive from our home in Virginia out to this little podunk town in Ohio. The farm was a really special place. My Grandmother, Carol kept horses and she taught me to ride. My Grandfather, Carl, had passed when I was only three so I didn’t really know him, but he had such a presence on the farm. He had built the house and the barn and you could feel his love for the place when you were there. Days were spent running around the farm and swimming in the pond, always surrounded by animals. It was a carefree time.
Pricing:
- New Client Package $180
- Follow-up Appointments $50
- Private Yoga $50+
Contact Info:
- Address: Nurture Denver
2949 Federal Blvd
Suite #204
Denver, CO 80211 - Website: www.saraswatiayurveda.com
- Phone: 720-480-6465
- Email: info@saraswatiayurveda.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraswatiayurveda/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saraswatiayurveda/
- Other: https://www.coloradoayurveda.org/rachel-spillane.html
Image Credit:
The professional photo (white background) is by Richard Edens for Nurture
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