This Saturday, we dove deep into the fascinating world of Ayurvedic psychology — known traditionally as Bhūtavidyā🕉️ — and explored the powerful connection between the gut, the mind, and emotional well-being. From serotonin production and digestion to the modern mental health crisis, we talked about how Ayurveda has understood the mind-body connection for thousands of years. We also explored the important differences between studying Ayurvedic psychology in India versus the West, and why understanding the ethical boundaries between psychotherapy and Ayurvedic mental health support is so important for practitioners today. Big conversations, honest reflections, and lots of thought-provoking moments 💭🔥 Thank you to everyone who joined us for another meaningful and eye-opening discussion! 🌎💛

I’m wondering who is coming and what topic you are bringing today? Saturday morning becomes a lot more exciting when I do not know for sure with whom I’m going to have my coffee or tea with…😂😍

Today’s Coffee Time Talk pulled straight from the NAMA round table into a bold vision for Ayurveda’s future: plan global, act local. We spoke about how astrology is still seen in the West as “not science,” while others embrace Ayurveda in its full scope—and how this divide shapes perception and acceptance. We went into the scientific method and, more importantly, what’s missing—especially real research on contraindications and interactions between Western medicines and Ayurvedic herbs, a gap that urgently needs attention. 🌿 We called out the abuse of Ayurveda—where single herbs like turmeric, ashwagandha, and tulsi are turned into “star medicines” for everything, driven by money and visibility, while the genius of classical formulations—built for synergy and precision—is ignored. This is distortion. This is not how Ayurveda was meant to be practiced. And yes, we said it: big pharma funds what sells, not what preserves tradition, and that shapes the narrative. 🤝 If Ayurveda is being scaled globally, how do we plan global, act local without losing its integrity—and who’s responsible for stopping the abuse?

Today’s Coffee Time Talk explored Ayurveda as a lived daily reality in India, contrasted with the West where it is often studied rather than embodied. We discussed personalized nutrition, food culture, and how real-life factors like location, availability, and finances shape our choices more than ideals like “organic,” alongside Prajñāparādha—the concept from the Charaka Samhita describing when we know what is right but fail to act on it. We also touched on discipline, conscious living, and this question: as AI reshapes our world, what new mental health challenges are we truly preparing for?