I am a student of herbalism, druidry, and wise-woman ways. Professionally trained in Ayurveda as well as the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Therapy, I have been at the Ayurvedic Center for over 10 years. I am most passionate about supporting women heal painful or irregular menstrual cycles, learn fertility awareness and call in conscious conception.

I take the most practical, useful tools from these authentic sources and guide women in applying them to their lives through individual consultations and women's health trainings. I believe it's most important to empower women with tools for their own self healing.

I practice what I preach, teaching from the wisdom traditions of Ayurveda and Mayan medicine, as well as from my own experiences through the transition from maiden to mother, from healing my own painful cycles, pregnancies, births, postpartum and beyond.

Richard G. Powell (Dhyānānanda) is a certified Āyurvedic Practitioner and a graduate of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. He has studied extensively under Dr. Vasant Lad, both in the US and in India. He furthered his studies of Ayurveda and Vedic philosophy under Dr. Ashwin Shastry of Arogya Niketana in Karnataka, India. In addition to Āyurveda, Richard has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and teaching for 18 of those years. He is an avid student of Sanskrit, Jyotisha (Vedic Astrology) and Vedic philosophy. He has studied Vedic Astrology in the Mantriji / Hart DeFouw lineage under Alison Bodhani and currently studies under Penny Farrow.

In addition to his studies in the Vedic sciences Richard is a Reiki Master and is an avid practitioner of Aikido, the Japanese martial art. He brings his multifaceted healing experience into his consultations with his clients to empower them to make healthier lifestyle choices and to expand their spiritual practice.

Heather was introduced to Ayurveda in 2009 in her 200-hr yoga teacher training in MD during an immersion weekend with Dr. Rosy Mann. This began Heather’s healing journey as she dove deeper into her own health and learned the path of self healing. In 2014, Heather and her family moved to Vermont where she discovered the Ayurvedic Center of Vermont in Williston. The following year, she completed Abhyanga training with Allison Morse and then in 2018 completed the Ayurvedic Center’s first 200-hr Ayurvedic Integration Program. Now Heather is sharing her healing energy as a Panchakarma therapist.

Heather is also a 500-hr certified yoga teacher with Pranakriya Yoga and Healing Arts where she worked as a director leading Prenatal Yoga Teacher Trainings for 6 years. She also leads Yoga Born Childbirth Education classes and is a Certified Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula. Heather has a passion for guiding women during their journey into motherhood, after birth through their postpartum sacred window, and beyond.

Ernesto is a scholar of Asian Health Traditions, whose comparative research at the Goddard Graduate Institute focuses on the restorative practices found in the classical texts of Indian, Chinese and Tibetan health sciences. After completing an Associates degree in Massage therapy from SUNY Columbia-Greene specializing in acupressure modalities of massage (shiatsu tui-na and marma), he was compelled to further his understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine by pursuing a BSc in TCM from SUNY Empire State. His hobby is translating ancient medical texts from the languages of Classical Chinese, Sanskrit and Tibetan into English in an effort to preserve the ancient Asiatic tradition of call and response recitation as a way to transmit sacred knowledge. Inspired by his Ayurvedic Health Counselor/Practitioner trainings through Kripalu/Yoga-Veda Institute respectively, Ernesto’s current research project explores the point where geriatrics, palliative care and panchakarma intersect through an extensive study of the nursing home model developed in the Ashtavaidya tradition of Kerala, India. He is currently undertaking Kerala Ayurveda’s Doctoral program.

Johannah began her formal studies of Ayurveda here in the Centers first cohort of trainees in 2017. She continued on this path in Kripalu’s Ayurvedic Health Counselor program the following year, and with a desire to connect with the roots and culture, has traveled to Southern India to immerse herself in Yoga and Ayurveda with local teachers.

She is drawn to work with Ayurveda and healing arts as a way to explore and help revive the essential wisdom and traditions that have informed humans of how to live by the rhythms of nature for thousands of years. She has been a practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga for the past decade and currently teaches Yoga and movement classes in Montpelier, VT. She is honored to circle back to the community where she first connected with Ayurveda and now works as a Panchakarma Therapist.

Karen Stoneman is our Office Manager, Reiki Master/Teacher and Sound Healing Therapist. Karen comes from a “hard science” background, but has always been drawn to natural remedies. Following a 23 year career in physical therapy, she became the office manager of a specialty medical practice and expanded her skill set. Meanwhile, she pursued Reiki training and certification. More recently, Karen has also been certified in Level I Sound Healing with training provided by Master Satya Brat from the International Academy of Sound Healing.

An avid believer in the mind-body-spirit connection, Karen was drawn to Ayurveda and blessed to immerse herself in its wisdom as a student here at the Ayurvedic Center of Vermont. The teachings deeply resonated and instilled a passion for encouraging others to make space for balance and self-care activities. To this end, Karen has begun writing a series of children’s picture books centering on key principles of Ayurveda.