About Us

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About Blue Lotus Ayurveda

Blue Lotus Ayurveda is full-service Ayurveda and Panchakarma Clinic & Day Spa located in Asheville, North Carolina. We offer individualized Ayurvedic health care, traditional Ayurvedic therapies, and Panchakarma.

Dr. Vishnu Dass, A.D., LMT, NTS

Dr. Vishnu Dass is a Ayurvedic Doctor level of Member by NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) and has two decades of full-time clinical experience. He started studies of Ayurveda in 1992 under the guidance of Dr. Vasant Lad, world-renowned Ayurvedic physician and teacher (on the picture below, visiting our clinic in May 2009). He graduated from the Clinical Training Program (Gurukula) at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. He was also trained and worked at the Ayurvedic Institute Panchakarma Department under Dr. Lad’s supervision.

He is a highly skilled clinical herbalist, specializing in both the treatment and prevention of diseases including digestive disorders, acne, eczema, psoriasis, allergies, arthritis, auto-immune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, diabetes, reproductive health issues, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and musculoskeletal disorders. Vishnu’s holistic approach integrates in-depth nutritional and lifestyle counseling and with traditional Ayurvedic herbal treatment plan. He is a specialist in facilitating Panchakarma ~Ayurvedic detox programs.

Vishnu Dass is a former Board Member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and was granted honorary lifetime membership. He is a graduate of the New Mexico School of Natural Therapeutics in Albuquerque, and the American School of Herbalism in Santa Cruz, CA. He has been a student of yoga master, Sri Baba Hari Dass since 1992 and weaves the principles of yoga philosophy and meditation into his practice of Ayurveda.

Vishnu Dass is an author, writer and educator of Ayurveda, Yoga philosophy massage therapy and clinical herbal medicine. He serves on the faculty for the Ayurvedic Institute in Asheville NC, and the Mount Madonna Institute of Ayurveda, in Watsonville Ca. He also served as lead instructor and Dean of Education for 6 years for the Ayurveda Health Counselor programs, at Asheville School of Massage and Yoga, in Asheville NC. He also teaches at the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine, here in Western North Carolina.

He is the author of Ayurvedic Herbology East & West ~ A Practical Guide to Ayurvedic Herbal Medicine is published through Lotus Press and ~Vishnu Kitchen Cookbook ~A Practical Guide to Ayurvedic Cooking.

Dr. Vishnu Dass & Dr. Vasant Lad

Cricket Greer, MA, LMBT, RN, AP

Cricket Greer is an Ayurvedic Practitioner at Blue Lotus Ayurveda. She graduated from the Ayurvedic Institute, studying with Dr. Vasant Lad, and serves on faculty at the Institute, as an instructor of marma therapy and as a clinical supervisor. She has over 25 years of experience in the healing arts, integrating studies of Ayurveda, psychology, nursing, massage, yoga, herbalism, and movement.

Cricket has a master’s degree in psychology and ran a private practice as a psychotherapist, with a focus on somatic and Buddhist psychology. She is also a registered nurse with experience in cardiac, psychiatric, hospice, and primary care nursing. She has had a massage therapy practice for over 20 years, integrating Ayurvedic, Thai, Esalen, Shiatsu, and Deep Tissue modalities into her work and has taught somatic psychology and ethics for Mayland Community College’s massage therapy program. She completed her yoga teacher training in 2000 and has shared the practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation in various capacities over the years.

In 1990, she dedicated her life to wholistic healing and exploring many types of practices and philosophies to discover what seemed most helpful in living a beneficial and meaningful life. This exploration led her from the field of music, dance and expressive arts, into an investigation of spiritual and psychological practices and philosophies, and embracing a life that is centered around nourishing foods, herbs, nature, community, and the continual cultivation of balance and presence. All these years of studies and gathering of skills have been interwoven into her Ayurvedic practice to wholistically support those who work with her.

Meet Our Therapists

Wendy Woerner

Wendy is a Panchakarma and Ayurvedic therapist, and has been with Blue Lotus Ayurveda since 2005. She is a graduate of the New Center for Wholistic Health and Education in Syossett, NY. Falling in love with Chinese medicine and the principles of wholistic healing, she then continued her studies for another year to receive her certification as an Advanced AMMA (acupressure) therapist. She has also done trainings in The Trager Approach and Thai massage, as well as other modalities. Wendy has deeply integrated the Ayurvedic teachings with her passion for aligning the body’s energies. She can access deep layers of the body through movement and gentle traction. She has been a bodywork therapist since 1995.

Mitzi Aoyagi

Mitzi works as a Panchakarma therapist providing Ayurvedic body treatments and marma point therapies. She completed her massage therapy certification at the Asheville School of Massage & Yoga and has studied Thai foot reflexology at the International Training Massage School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Mitzi’s approach to bodywork is strongly influenced by her background in yoga and Ayurveda. She has been practicing yoga since 1997 and has received advanced training in the Kundalini tradition. The first seeds of Ayurveda were planted around that same time, and over the years she has slowly incorporated Ayurvedic philosophies into her diet and lifestyle. In 2014, she began working with Vishnu Dass and Blue Lotus Ayurveda and has since deepened her knowledge of herbalism, nutrition, medicated ghee/oils, and prana therapy. She is a graduate of the Ayurveda Health Counselor program at the Asheville School of Massage & Yoga.

Sumaya Owens

Sumaya is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist. She is a certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Ayurvedic massage and Panchakarma technician. She graduated fromthe Pensacola School of Massage Therapy, and was trained in the art of Thai yoga massage with Becky Sathre at the Vedic Conservatory. Sumaya is a graduate from the Ayurveda Health Consoler Program at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga and also trained at the Triad Yoga Institute in Greensboro, NC and is a certified yoga instructor.

Danielle Eden Hill

Danielle works as a Ayurvedic massage therapist at Blue Lotus Ayurveda and is a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist. She graduated from the Asheville School of Massage & Yoga and completed her Yoga Teacher Training in Chiapas, Mexico. Danielle has a background in Geology, biodynamic farming, native plant conservation, and music (cello). Her bodywork is influenced by her deep connection to the natural rhythms found in nature and within our own bodies. Her studies with pelvic floor health, myofascial release therapy, breathwork, and vibrational sound therapy supports her intentional approach to bodywork.

Salome

Salomé has been in the healing arts for 25 years. She is educated in Switzerland as a registered nurse and practiced in the psychiatric field in acute and forensic care as well as in a reintegration program for chronically mentally disabled individuals. From a young age, Salomé has been fascinated with the human mind/body and the understanding of life and learned about the healing properties of essential oils and herbal medicine from age 16.
She graduated from Mesilla Valley School of Therapeutic Arts in 2007 and has since been in private practice in New Mexico and now in Asheville, NC.
She deepened her practice in Neuromuscular Therapy, the basics of Structural Integration, Cranial Sacral Therapy and energy work.
Her Ayurveda journey began in 2013 at the Ayurvedic Institute studying AyurYoga where she graduated as an YT200 in 2014. She has continued her Ayurvedic education with immersions in Marma, Pranayama, Ayurveda for Women and Children, Healing Trauma through Ayurveda and more. In 2018 she graduated as an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner from New World Ayurveda with Dr. Paul Dugliss M.D. and in 2019 in Consciousness Based Counseling and Heart-Based Meditation Instruction. Salomé is a trained Panchakarma therapist at Blue Lotus Ayurveda

Melissa Pace

Melissa Pace is a Panchakarma therapist and a graduate from the WNC School of Massage. She received her Ayurvedic counselors diploma from the Mount Madonna Institute and has a BA in fine art from UNCA. Melissa is also certified in Neuromuscular Therapy and Lymphatic Drainage. Along with her massage practice she facilitates drum making workshops and works in her studio as a ceramic artist. Her passion for the healing and creative arts has helped guide her path in supporting others.

Carol Meckley

Carol has over 23 years of experience in massage and bodywork specializing in Lymph Drainage Therapy. She graduated from Mt. Nittany School of Massage in State College, PA and ran a private practice until moving to Asheville, NC. She is also a training as an Ayurvedic and Panchakarma bodywork therapist within our traditon of Dr. Vasant Lad. Carol also received her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at Bloomsburg University in 1993. Most of her nursing career has been in the field of Home Health and Hospice. Currently she also provides private duty end of life caregiving in the home, and volunteers as an end-of-life doula at the Center for Conscious Living and Dying in Swannanoa, NC.

Carol Nace

Carol is an Ayurvedic and Panchakarma chef and bodyworker. Her journey to Ayurveda started with her own self-care in 2006, Carol managed debilitating digestive issues, blinding anxiety, panic attacks, sleep issues, and hormone imbalances. Within 30 days of starting that journey, she experienced improvement in every health issue, all through sustainable Ayurvedic Diet, Self-Care and Lifestyle practices. By 2011, she started making a complete career change from Accounting and IT to Ayurveda, realizing her purpose (dharma) was sharing the knowledge and wisdom of Ayurveda. After running a full-time Ayurvedic Wellness Center in Mequon, WI from 2015 to 2021, Carol and her partner, Tom, made the move to Asheville. Her studies over the last 18 years, are extensively focused on Ayurvedic cooking, panchakarma, bodywork, marma therapy and pulse reading. A common thread through all of Carol’s studies is the alignment with the 5,000+ year old Ayurveda lineage of Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda, brought to the U.S. by Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra. Carol is a NAMA Certified Ayurveda Practitioner, Panchakarma Technician, Certified Ayurvedic Chef, Licensed Massage Therapist and Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.

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