Vijaya Stallings, M.A.
Ayurvedic Practitioner
Personal Coach
Pastoral Counselor at the Center
 

•    Masters in Counseling Psychology and Co-Founder of the Center    •    Pastoral Counselor at Medicine Buddha Healing Center and Student of Ammachi
•    Ayurvedic Medicine Background    •    Tibetan Medicine Background    •    Health Consultations    •    Clinical Specialties
•    Scheduling a Consultation with Vijaya    •    Qualities looked for in a Physician
•    Constitutional Right to Practice Healing Therapies    •    Professional Organizations

Masters in Counseling Psychology
and Co-Founder of the Dhanvantari Ayurveda Center

Ayurvedic Medicine in Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay Ayurvedic Practitioners: Lord Dhanwanthari - Master Ayurvedic Healer - God of Medicine. OM DHANVANTARAYE NAMAHA: Painting by Jaya Rama Dasa (1977) oil on canvas, for illustration in Shrimad Bhagavatam Copyright BBTI. Dhanvantari Lord of Ayurvedic Healing. According to the Puranas this incarnation of Vishnu was a ruler of Benares who originated a universally effective system of traditional herbal medicine. He holds a golden leech (symbolic of blood purification) and a medicinal plant in his right hand, and the conch of wisdom and pot of rejuvenating nectar in his left. The tulsi-seed mala around his neck, plant-wreath halo, and his sometimes blue-tinted skin emphasize his connection to Vishnu the Preserver. The origins of the ancient healing science known as Ayurveda are lost in cosmic antiquity. According to the ancient text Caraka-samhita, this "Science of Life and Longevity" is eternal and is revealed in each universe in each of its infinite cycles of creation and destruction. This healing science is generally revealed by great sages or demigods. Occasionally, the Supreme Lord Himself descends as the avatara (incarnation) Dhanvantari and re-inaugurates the tradition of Ayurveda. This extremely rare appearance of God is recorded in the Vedic literature of ancient India. Dhanvantari's appearance is celebrated each year on the 13th day (trayodasi) of the waxing moon a few days before the Divali festival in October or November of each year. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Vijaya Stallings, with a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology with a Holistic Health Specialization from John F. Kennedy University, co-founded the Medicine Buddha Healing Center (www.ayurveda-berkeley.com) in 2001.  He later served for three and a half years on the staff of JFK University's Holistic Health Program as the Program Advisor for Holistic Health within the Graduate School for Holistic Studies. Vijaya Stallings earned his Master's degree in Counseling Psychology with a Holistic Health Specialization from John F. Kennedy University and served on the Faculty of JFK University. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.jfku.edu

Vijaya maintains a full-time private practice as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, holistic health counselor and personal coach in Berkeley, San Francisco, Monterey and Newport News Virginia. He also conducts private consultations, seminars and workshops at other universities, institutes (including Berkeley's Ayurveda Healing Arts Institute where he is on the adjunct faculty) and holistic centers throughout the Bay Area, Cupertino, Big Sur, the Monterey Peninsula. From late August to late April each year Vijaya resides in Newport News, Virginia (Chesapeake Bay area) and teaches seminars and consults with clients there at the Life Enrichment Center and his Dhanvantari Ayurveda Center.

He has presented numerous workshops in the past six years for individuals interested in making life style changes. In addition, Vijaya has conducted hundreds of personal consultations with people assessing their life choices, and desiring to change directions in career and other aspects of life.

Vijaya is a Class of 1991 graduate of the Ayurvedic Institute's (www.ayurveda.com) one-year long Ayurvedic Studies Program taught by world-renowned author and Ayurvedic Physician, Dr. Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc.

To see the broad level of formal classroom Ayurvedic training that Vijaya received with Dr. Lad, please see the Ayurvedic Institute's Academic Catalog:

Vijaya co-founded the Medicine Buddha Healing Center in 2001 in Berkeley, California to revive the age-old integration of Hinduism and Yoga with Indo-Tibetan Ayurveda. Vijaya maintains his Ayurvedic healing practice there along with Losang Jinpa, D.Ayur (Class of 1998), and Sarada Von Sonn (Class of 1995), both also graduates of the Ayurvedic Institute.

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Ordained Minister / Pastoral Counselor at the Medicine Buddha Healing Center and Student of Ammachi

An ordained Minister at the Medicine Buddha Healing Center, Vijaya studied Hinduism philosophy with the Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. With her simple acts of Love, Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, AMMA, is the spiritual teacher of Vijaya Stallings. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.amritapuri.org

"Hugs and pats on the back and kisses on the head and chucks on the chin. For free. No strings attached. And nothing creepy.  Her name is Mata Amritanandamayi, but most people call her Amma, Ammachi, or simply, Mother. She's a 47-year-old Hindu holy woman from the Kerala state in India who, for the last dozen years or so, has been coming to the United States each summer to hug people. Many who have been held in her arms say it's a healing embrace. Sometimes the healing is physical, they say. More often, it's emotional and spiritual. In India, where she runs an 800-bed hospital and other charities as Mother Teresa did, Ammachi sometimes hugs as many as 18,000 people in what for her is a typical 20-hour day, according to her US spokesman, Rob Sidon. She has hugged thousands of people on her trips to the Chicago area over the last decade."  
-- June 29, 2001 from the Chicago Sun Times article entitled: "Path to Spiritual Healing may be a Free Hug Away".

For more information on Ammachi and her philosophy, call the Mata Amritanandamayi Center in California at (510) 537-9417, or visit www.amachi.org or www.amritapuri.org.

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Ayurvedic Health Consultations

If you have a health problem and want an alternative solution, or if you are healthy and want to know your body/mind type and how to maintain your health, an Ayurvedic Consultation will provide the knowledge you seek.
Vijaya will read your pulse and assess your life patterns from an Ayurvedic long-term perspective and recommend a diet, daily routine and individualized herbal formula to achieve your optimum health and energy level.

Tibetan and East Indian Ayurveda is traditionally used to increase energy and mobility, improve digestion and elimination, remove depression, decrease pain, and restore the balance of the internal systems, the mind, emotions, and consciousness. After the initial consultation, checkups are generally every 30 days until balance is restored.

Ask about the time-honored Indo-Tibetan Ayurvedic approach to arthritis, sciatica, neck and shoulder pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, depression, anger, insomnia, allergies, colds, flu, cough, asthma, constipation, chronic diarrhea, high blood pressure and cholesterol, ulcers, skin disorders, low libido, impotence, weight loss, diabetes, gynecological disorders, menopause, pregnancy.   

Please read my Declarations of Constitutional Rights and of Pastoral Counseling Authorization Agreement and Informed Consent.

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Clinical Background in East Indian Ayurvedic Medicine

The Ayurvedic Institute, where Vijaya Stallings and Losang Jinpa studied Ayurveda. Vijaya graduated from the Institute in 1991 studying with renowned Ayurvedic teacher and author, Dr. Vasant Lad, B.A.M.S., M.A.Sc. Dr. Lad is a world-famous Ayurvedic Physician from Pune, India with more than 39 years of Indian medicine clinical experience. Michael completed a six year apprenticeship (1800 hours) with Dr. Lad and served on the faculty as an Ayurvedic Herbology Instructor. The Ayurvedic Institute is the only school of Ayurvedic Medicine in the USA to offer 3400 hours of formal program instructor-led classroom training during a 4 year period. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.ayurveda.com

Already a 1991 graduate of the Dr. Vasant Lad's Ayurvedic Institute Ayurvedic Studies Program, in February 2000 he continued advanced clinical study in the Indian Himalayas in Rishikesh at the Rishikesh College of Ayurveda.

Vijaya has studied Ayurvedic Yoga Betheyla, the co-developer with Dr. Lad of the Ayurvedic Institute's AyurYoga curriculum.

 

Vijaya is a February 2000 graduate of the Rishikesh Ayurvedic Program, one of the best intensive 4 week clinical trainings available in Ayurveda today. Students are also connected with the Himalayas, the Ganga and the great yogis of the region, making the program inwardly transformative as well as outwardly healing. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.ayurishi.com

 

"To have sincere and knowledgeable students from around the globe come together with enthusiasm and vigor, opened a whole new arena to receive the wisdom of Ayurveda." 
Sarada Von Sonn

"...I also gained many new friends and colleagues of Ayurveda from all over the world to network with and to share common goals and interests." Vijaya

 

Vijaya studied Ayurvedic clinical use of herbs in Rishikesh, India in the Himalayas in February 2000. Shown here with Sarada, who also works at the Medicine Buddha Healing Center. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.ayurishi.com
Usha, Sarada, Brooksley, Vijaya, Ruth, David Frawley after the ceremony

Vijaya advanced his understanding and application of Ayurvedic herbs while studying along the Ganga River (Ganges) in Rishikesh, India in the Himalayas in February 2000. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only.
Maivor, Vijay, Usha and Dr Gaur

 

Sarada, who also works at the Medicine Buddha Healing Center, studied in Rishikesh along with Vijaya in 2000. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only.

The Medicine Buddha Healing Center's
Sarada visiting the Himalayas

 

The dawn of Ayurvedic healing arts happened in the Himalayas several thousand years ago. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only.
Dawn in the Himalyas in Rishikesh, India where Vijaya studied Ayurveda

Source of pictures: http://www.ayurishi.com/sanga.html

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Clinical Background in Tibetan Ayurvedic Medicine

Vijaya's 12 years of study and practice of the healing arts also included Tibetan Medicine theory and practice with the H.H. Dalai Lama’s past personal physician Monk Doctor Lobsang Rapgay, previously a doctor at the Tibetan Medicine & Astro Institute in the Himalayas (www.tibetan-medicine.org).  Those interested in Tibetan Medicine should note that the Medicine Buddha Healing Center will be sponsoring a one week workshop on by Tibetan Doctor Kelsang Dorje of the Tibetan Medicine and Astro Institute in September 2002. Dr. Dorje was one of Losang Jinpa's teachers.  It was from Dr. Rapgay that Vijaya learned the art of Tibetan Massage and Pancha Karma therapeutic cleansing and revitalization massage.  Dr. Rapgay also passed his methods of traditional Tibetan Five Element Pulse Diagnosis to Vijaya.

The Tibetan Ayurvedic Science of Healing has been taught and practiced through Central Asia for at least 1100 years. This unique traditional system of healing is integrated with the Buddhist concept of mind and body its philosophy and healing techniques continue to be practiced in a coherent and powerful manner. This is an effective, natural and inexpensive method of improving both physical and mental health.

Vijaya makes traditional Tibetan Ayurvedic customized herbal formulas, and herbal healing massage oils from different Indo-Tibetan herbs and minerals. His products balance physical and mental energies promoting relaxation and free flow of qi and prana.
 

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Clinical Specialties


Vijaya's specialties and one year formal study with Dr. Lad and ongoing other eminent Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine physicians include: 

  • Lifestyle Counseling - how to create order and discipline in our daily life utilizing the tools of meditation, Yoga, exercise, time management, and spiritual awareness. This kind of awareness can help with clarity in our relationships, finding direction, managing job stress, and improving the overall quality of life.
  • Dietary Counseling - the importance of Ayurvedic nutrition in balancing the doshas (5 elements and vata, pitta, kapha) to eat in accordance with one’s constitution. How to adjust one’s diet towards present imbalances or losing weight is addressed during consultations.
  • Internal Medicine - including digestive disorders, ulcers, chronic fatigue (CFIDS), diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), hormonal imbalances, urinary disorders, hypertension, skin disorders, respiratory disorders including bronchitis, asthma and allergies.
  • Mental Issues - such as anxiety, nervousness, anger or rage, depression, insomnia, stress management.

  • Women’s Health Issues  - PMS, menstrual disorders, infertility and menopause.
  • Pain Management - including headaches, neck and shoulder pain, back and hip pain, sciatica, fibromyalgia, arthritis and individual joint pain.

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Scheduling an Ayurvedic Consultation or Pancha Karma or other Massage Therapies with Vijaya


For an appointment with Vijaya in the San Francisco Bay Area from May 2004 until late August, 2004, please call or contact him at:
Medicine Buddha Healing Center. 
(510) 843-0163
 

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Qualities looked for in a Physician as outlined in the Root Tantra of Tibetan Medicine

  • An analytical mind with some intuitive knowledge

  • Exhibit compassion and possess a good heart

  • Exhibit respect for medical ethics and a commitment to the profession

  • Exhibit no revulsion when seeing bodily fluids

  • Consider all medicines and medical scriptures as wish fulfilling jewels, including blessings according to proper rituals

  • Must have patience in body speech and mind

  • Exhibit a continued effort to learn and gain experience

  • Their manner should be gentle and contented and helpful toward the destitute

  • The physician should know by heart the causative factors of diseases and their proper treatment.

The definition of the physician is one who heals all pain and practices medicine to promote good health. It is noted in the text that the concentration required when seeing a patient is the same as the concentration needed by a person walking on a wall with a bowl of milk and butter on his head, threatened with death if a single drop is spilled.

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Membership in Professional Organizations:

California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM)

National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA)


 

      C.A.A.M. supports the establishment and growth of Ayurveda as an independent healing profession in the state of California. As a non-profit professional organization, C.A.A.M. aims to safeguard the quality and integrity of Ayurvedic practice. Furthermore, C.A.A.M. serves to bring this ancient healing science into our communities through education. Our goals include professional peer support and review, public and legislative education about Ayurveda and its remarkable benefits in health and healing. The Association’s founding members are professional Ayurvedic practitioners, teachers, and students who have joined to work toward these goals. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.ayurveda-caam.org       The National Ayurvedic Medical Association is a national organization representing the Ayurvedic profession in The United States of America. Its mission is to preserve, protect, improve and promote the philosophy, knowledge, science and practice of Ayurveda for the benefit of humanity. The purpose of the Association is to provide leadership within the Ayurvedic profession and to promote a positive vision for Ayurveda and its holistic approach to health and wellness. We will carry out our mission by creating and implementing a dynamic strategic plan to ensure the professional growth and success of Ayurveda. This graphic is either reprinted with permission or is made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only. Picture source: http://www.ayurveda-nama.org

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