How Do Online Consultations Work?

In today’s world, online services are becoming increasingly necessary in healthcare. While pulse reading is the most widely-known aspect of Ayurvedic assessment, there are many tools to accurately assess a client’s physiology and current condition. This nuanced set of techniques allows a trained Ayurvedic practitioner to maintain the integrity of an Ayurvedic assessment in an online setting.

In Ayurveda, there are three main methods of diagnosis:

1. Sight (Darshan)

2. Touch/Palpation (Sparshan)

3. Interviewing (Prashna)

In addition to this, we can also add a practitioner’s intuition, which is an informed awareness developed through years of study and practice. While touch (pulse reading) does not take place in an online environment, there are still three powerful methods of diagnosis available.

Sight (Known as Darshan in Sanskrit)

Through sight alone (assuming a video platform is used for the session), an Ayurvedic practitioner is able to determine many underlying imbalances and causes of conditions. Many systems of medicine, both ancient and modern, correlate many health-related factors with the appearance and condition of the physical body.

What does this look like in Ayurveda? Well, just your complexion can tell me quite a lot! A person with very ruddy and reddish skin has a higher level of Pitta dosha, which is also an indicator of inflammation in this person’s body. Your posture throughout the consultation offers glimpses into your lifestyle habits—a person hunched over in a slightly lethargic manner indicates a tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle.

There are many examples of the subtle information that can be gathered from your complexion, posture, movements, and other visual elements, but as powerful as this tool is, is it still only one thread of understanding.

Interviewing (Known as Prashna in Sanskrit)

In a consultation, an Ayurvedic practitioner is simultaneously observing the client and engaging in an open discussion. What are the symptoms of your current condition? How well do you sleep? What does your diet consist of? The specific questions and conversations are unique to each client, as they are guided by observations through sight and other subtle means of assessment.

Through insightful questioning and honest dialogue, a practitioner and client can paint a clear picture of the symptoms and concerns of the client. In fact, according to Ayurveda, the process of interviewing is considered a medicine. While modern medicine typically defines medicine as prescribed formulas, Ayurveda defines medicine as any aspect with healing effects. Thoughtful and compassionate inquiry on the part of a practitioner sets the stage for healing and progress.

Intuition (Known as RITAM in Sanskrit)

Ayurveda also discusses intuition as another aspect of determining the correct remedies and treatments. While it is considered somewhat separate from the three main methods of diagnosis, intuition is developed in anyone who spends time on their natural skillset. Through years of practice and repeated practical application, the many dimensions and faculties of intuition become enlivened. Ritam, which roughly translates to divine truth, emerges as a rich knowingness and understanding of a situation. This allows a practitioner to access a deeper level of information about a client’s current situation and health concerns.

In the end, the exchange of materials, knowledge, and tools can easily be transferred online. My hope is that I’ve clearly communicated that working with your healthcare practitioner online can be just as rewarding and effective as meeting with them in person.