Doctor Anisha Durve shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Anisha, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Who are you learning from right now?
My father who at the age of 77 just went through a major surgery. As a doctor it is humbling for him to be a patient at the same hospital where he was a resident 50 years ago. It was touching to watch him interacting with the young residents and fellows shadowing his surgeon. I see him shifting to the role of patient and listening attentively to all the medical advice he is given. I also love seeing his openness being a western trained physician who is opening his mind to eastern healing traditions like meditation, breathwork, yoga therapy, acupressure, and acupuncture. It has been beautiful to watch the beginning of his transformation the past few weeks.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’ve been a long-time practitioner of eastern medicine in practice for 25+ years integrating acupuncture, marma therapy- ayurvedic acupressure, meditation, breathwork, yoga therapy, energy healing, aromatherapy, and sound healing. The shift in my career now is training other healers in how I integrate these modalities to get superior results. I’ve done this by creating my own school- the Marma Institute of Ayurvedic Acupressure that offers online and live trainings. I love that the students who are drawn to my trainings come from all healing backgrounds- acupuncturists, ayurvedic practitioners, yoga teachers, energy workers, massage therapists, midwives, chiropractors, nurses, doctors, PTs, OTs, What is common to all healers is the power of touch regardless of the modality and individual training. I am not just trying to reach practitioners but also laypeople. I believe every parent should know the power of touch to work on their children to alleviate minor symptoms. Every couple can learn the power of touch with simple acupressure protocols that build a deeper connection in the relationship. I teach acupressure to my patients to alleviate headaches, sinus congestion, neck or back pain, palpitations, anxiety, stress, and so much more. I want everyone to know the power of healing they have in their own fingertips.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Wow I love how powerful and reflective this question is. I have dedicated a lot of time this year to self-reflection and the idea of rebirthing myself. After 3 decades in my profession of integrative medicine being a dedicated healer, clinician, practitioner with a busy clinic schedule, I am pausing to slow down and finally take time to breathe. Time to see how can I do things differently, how can I reach more people, create more of an impact, spread my healing modalities into mainstream medicine. Transitioning from clinical to teacher is the direction I am going and it feels empowering. Teaching at the University of Miami medical school the past 2 years and designing a 4 week integrative medicine elective has been transformational. Seeing the impact of working with young doctors in training and their impressionable minds that are so open to learning about integrative medicine. So I am learning to let go of my old identity of the busy clinician always serving patients and now thinking of being a teacher for the next generation of medical practitioners. Releasing this means slowing down, letting go of the hustle and bustle, and finding more time to be, to connect, to teach, and to learn.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Going through a traumatic marriage that caused me to have PTSD. I have always specialized in treating emotional health in my medical practice, and PTSD is a common diagnosis that I have seen many patients with over the past few decades. Experiencing it as a patient though is really different than treating this as a clinician. For me personally having PTSD was humbling. I Had to learn how to meditate all over again and go back to the toolbox of breathwork, yoga, affirmations, acupuncture that I prescribe to my patients. I healed these wounds from my marriage and my divorce by taking it one day at a time and prioritizing myself. I gave myself permission to take it slow and trust the healing process, understanding it is a journey where I can’t see the final destination. I had to learn how to fall in love with myself again and ultimately I believe this is the healing journey all of us are on.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Truth, justice, and freedom. Compromising on any of these is a compromise of integrity. I believe all of us deserve and need these qualities in our life.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I make consistent time daily for reflection, whether it is through meditation, long walks in nature, or writing my heart out. Recently I made the decision to write more consistently and share my inner reflections with people on Medium. It’s been a great platform to reach more people. I am currently working on writing a new book that is a collection of inspired poetry, dreams, visions, etc. about living a spiritual life and what spirituality means to me. It is a wonderful challenge to refine my ideas about spirituality and I find the journey of writing this has surprisingly giving me a deep sense of peace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.MarmaTraining.com
- Instagram: @marma.acupressure
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishadurve/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anishanirvani
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Marma.Acupressure
- Other: Personal Website- www.Anisha.guru
Writing- https://medium.com/@anishanirvani
Meditations- https://insighttimer.com/anishanirvani
My Meditation Bliss App free to download- https://www.picosuite.com/app/bliss
Image Credits
n/a
yes i have the rights to these images
