18: Unlock the Power of Ayurveda – Timeless Wellness Secrets for Modern Living with Nidhi Pandya
Today, I am delighted to welcome Nidhi Pandya, an Ayurvedic doctor and the author of the soon-to-be-released book Your Body Already Knows, to explore the interconnection between Ayurveda, yoga, and mindful living.
In this insightful episode, Nidhi dives into her journey of growing up immersed in ancient Ayurvedic traditions. She shares the profound wisdom of those principles and explains how she has woven them into her personal and professional life.
Join us for Nidhi’s heartfelt stories and actionable insights highlighting the relevance of Ayurveda in modern-day life.
Early Immersion in Ayurveda
Nidhi grew up in a large family in India, where Ayurveda was an intrinsic part of life, taught through rhythms and logic rather than explicit instructions. Her grandfather, an Ayurvedic healer, influenced her upbringing, and she learned to observe subtle connections between body, mind, and environment. That foundation sparked her curiosity about human behavior and health.
Formal Training and Unique Education Path
In her early twenties, she moved to the U.S. and pursued formal Ayurvedic education despite the skepticism of her family. She studied at a rare Gurukul-style institution that offered intensive classes led by top educators from Pune’s Tilak Ayurveda Mahavidyalay. That rigorous, classical training complemented her experience of Ayurveda and shaped her understanding of the science.
Transition to Empowering Practice
After initially practicing Ayurveda in a prescriptive manner and becoming disillusioned with the dependency it created among her clients, she transitioned to teaching principles of self-evaluation and empowerment, helping people to integrate Ayurvedic practices into their lives sustainably.
Ayurveda Across Life Stages and Contexts
Ayurvedic practices shift with age and lifestyle demands. Regardless of the external circumstances, everyone faces internal battles, which Ayurveda can help address. Nidhi encourages integrating small, meaningful daily practices to prevent individuals from carrying their unresolved stress into the future.
Ayurveda for Modern Life
While preventative care may dominate in younger years, repair becomes more critical with age. Nidhi advises everyone to create a sanctuary of peace regardless of their living environment.
Group Work and the Power of Community
Nidhi works primarily with women in group settings. She highlights the unique challenges women face globally and believes that when women heal, it creates a ripple effect that has the potential to create widespread healing.
Common Challenges Women Face
Nidhi identifies burnout, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, and insomnia as the most prevalent challenges most women worldwide face. She highlights how societal pressures tend to force women to sacrifice parts of themselves, leading to emotional and physical strain. Her work addresses those imbalances by helping women embrace all aspects of their identities without striving for perfection.
Reaching Millennials Through Ayurveda
Her work naturally resonates with Millennials. Nidhi designed her approach to empower individuals by teaching logical connections between body and environment, emphasizing self-trust and practical experimentation rather than prescribing rigid solutions.
The Concept of Inner Climate
Nidhi introduced the concept of the inner climate to simplify Ayurvedic principles. She explains that just as the climate on Earth supports life, the body thrives when its warm and moist internal environment is balanced and aligns with the ideal conditions for microbiota, digestion, and overall health. Deviations from that balance lead to physical and emotional imbalances.
Modern Imbalances and Coping Mechanisms
Nidhi explains that sedentary individuals often become cold and humid, gravitating toward heavy foods, while overproductive individuals may burn out with hot and dry conditions. Recognizing these tendencies allows for mindful course corrections.
The Journey Within
Nidhi emphasizes that understanding comes from internal work. While teachers and external knowledge provide guidance, connecting with your body and intuition is essential. Her philosophy, embodied in her book Your Body Already Knows, highlights the importance of leaning into your inner wisdom rather than seeking validation from external sources.
Nidhi's Three-Tier Toolkit for Well-Being
Nidhi has a three-tiered approach to managing stress and maintaining health, consisting of:
Preventative Tools: Daily practices like meditation, oil massages, and rhythmic breathing that rewire body chemistry before stress arises.
Battlefield Tools: Quick, in-the-moment strategies such as humming, exhaling deeply, or splashing cold water to reset the nervous system.
Repair Tools: Reflective practices like journaling or therapy to process daily stress and prevent accumulation over time.
Nidhi’s Daily Practices
Morning Routine: She begins her day by checking in with her breath while still in bed and mentally mapping out her day. She consciously avoids looking at her phone first thing in the morning.
First Food/Drink: Her morning starts with a cup of spiced hot milk and a handful of soaked, peeled almonds. Occasionally, she enjoys chai or a weekend cappuccino.
Evening Wind-Down: A nightly ritual of oil cleansing and facial massage is her non-negotiable routine. It helps her feel grounded and ready for bed.
About Nidhi
Nidhi is an Ayurvedic Doctor based in NYC and the creator of the Inner Climate ® Framework. She has a groundbreaking approach to health that mergesancient wisdom with modern science and represents the essence of her 15 years of dedicated practice and deep understanding of Ayurvedic principles.
Raised in India, Nidhi was immersed in Vedic wisdom from birth, drawing inspiration from her grandfather, a respected Ayurvedic healer. Her journey led her to formal education in holistic health. However, Nidhi soon realized the limitations of a strictly prescriptive approach to health. This insight spurred her to reinterpret Ayurveda through a transformative lens, making ancient knowledge accessible and relevant in today's world.
An international teacher, coach, and speaker, Nidhi contributes to various publications and serves as a faculty member at the Shakti School. Her strength lies in her unique ability to bridge the gap between traditional Ayurvedic teachings and the needs of contemporary women, guiding them towards a balanced, empowered life.
Links and Resources:
Ayurvedic Living Community Membership
Cleanse Certification Training
Contact Nidhi Pandya:
Pre-order a copy of Nidhi’s upcoming book, Your Body Already Knows
Nidhi’s 21-Day Full Body Reset Program
Nidhi also offers a healing program, group programs, and some one-on-one sessions.