How Ayurveda Came Into My Life

How Ayurveda Came Into My Life, with Ulli Almendinger

The short answer? Through yoga.

Ayurveda entered my life at a time when I was deeply out of balance. It helped me reconnect with my body, not from the mind, but by truly listening to what the body was asking for. Whether that meant rest, specific foods, or simply slowing down, Ayurveda taught me to honor those signals.

This was over 25 years ago, when I was still working as a journalist in New York. I believed I was healthy.. but I wasn’t. That realization marked the moment Ayurveda found me, and everything began to shift.

How Does it Feel to Share Ayurveda With Others?

It feels beautiful.

Ayurveda is the science of life… life as science, science as life. It’s not just a system or a practice; it’s a way of living. When I share Ayurveda, it doesn’t feel like a job. It’s simply an extension of how I live and move through the world, and that way of being naturally inspires others.

I create a container where people can rediscover balance and reconnect with their bodies, and with everything that surrounds them. There is a deep, beautiful belief at the heart of Ayurveda, that we are all interconnected. The micro and the macro are constantly resonating with one another.

The Role of Cleansing

When I bring cleansing into a program, the question isn’t “What are we eliminating?” but rather “What are we gently clearing from the body?”

Many people think of a cleanse as something harsh or extreme. In Ayurveda, it’s quite the opposite. A cleanse is about attuning ourselves to the seasonal changes happening in nature.

Take the rainy season in Bali: there is dampness, heaviness, congestion. Everything on the outside becomes wet, moldy, and saturated and the same qualities can accumulate inside the body. An Ayurvedic cleanse is a gentle reminder, a supportive process that helps guide the body back toward balance, in harmony with the environment around us.

More about the Usada Ayurveda Cleanse with Ulli Aryuveda