You are all probably wondering how a western-trained melatonin research scientist and a professor of pharmacology, who has been teaching and conducting research in a school of pharmacy for 22 years, is now a Board-Certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor?  My research focus on menopausal bone loss and breast cancer gave me pause regarding the susceptibility of a woman’s health as she transitions through menopause.  I noticed changes in my mind, body and health that needed attention.  I was overextended with being a mother of two very active children, with running a research lab, teaching in a graduate program and teaching in a pharmacy school. I decided to take a natural course of action and began to control my stress through yoga and meditation.  At first, I had no idea what yoga was and began taking PiYo classes at my work and then started doing yoga DVDs at home.  I thought yoga was exercise to tone the body; however, when I went to Kripalu Center for an R&R weekend with a friend, I was exposed to a deeper philosophy of yoga and to Ayurveda.  I took a one-hour seminar on Ayurveda and was immediately enthralled because of its emphasis on the importance of maintaining rhythms in a daily, seasonal, and lifetime manner.  This coincided with my research on melatonin and bone demonstrating that people whose sleep rhythms are out of sync with the light/dark cycle were susceptible to bone loss and breast cancer.  Ayurveda’s emphasis on diet and lifestyle and the role it plays in disease prevention resonated with my research demonstrating that melatonin plays a significant role in the GI tract, microbiome and bone marrow to coordinate and maintain healthy bone. This all made sense to me and I began my journey in Eastern medicine.  I now combine both western and eastern approaches in my research as described in this research feature

 

http://researchfeatures.com/2018/01/31/beyond-sleep-exploring-the-ways-in-which-melatonin-communicates-with-cells/

 

and podcast with Dr. John Douillard

 

https://lifespa.com/episode-45-groundbreaking-research-on-melatonin-with-dr-paula-witt-enderby/

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and through my consultations, teachings and workshops.  Ayurveda is a journey and I am sure loving the ride!  For more information about my research, please visit my academic website: 

 

http://www.duq.edu/academics/faculty/paula-witt-enderby

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I am so excited to begin this transformational journey with you! Blessings to you and namaste!