Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre Manager, Alina Withers, is from Ukraine. As an 11-year old her first love was fashion and by the time she was 15 she was making clothes for herself, her family and her friends.
Then came university and a degree in organic chemistry. Shortly after completing the six-year course, Alina moved to England with her husband, Stuart. Here she learned Transcendental Meditation and gained her first knowledge of Maharishi Ayurveda.
“I started learning about what foods suit me best and was doing the morning oil massage, which I found very soothing. My mother and sister also learned to meditate and became interested in Ayurveda. In Ukraine there is great respect for India and its culture.”
By the time she started her family, Alina had become interested in the Maharishi Ayurveda Mother and Baby Programme. This delightful knowledge covers not only the care of the new born baby, but also preparation prior to conception and health support during pregnancy.
“It took away the tiredness and helped me recover quickly. Our baby slept well and she was always happy and alert. No crying or discomfort.”
The results for herself and her daughter were impressive and Alina felt the need to ‘give back’ after receiving and using this wonderful knowledge of life. She decided to learn how to give ayurvedic treatments and in 2006 enrolled on the Maharishi Ayurveda Panchakarma training course, held in Seelisberg in the Swiss Alps.
“It is such a beautiful place to learn, surrounded by mountains and lakes and the air is very pure. The course was really thorough, and we were busy learning and practising from morning to night.”
During this time, as well as working part-time giving Maharishi Ayurveda treatments Alina was also involved with her husband’s property company.
“I found that I liked working with people and helping people. Finding a nice home for someone is very satisfying in the same way that giving treatments is.”
