RECIPES, FOOD RESEARCH,
& AYURVEDA TOOLS

In 2008, the Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda began bringing tasty, healthy Ayurvedic recipes to dinner tables across the world. Founded by Ayurvedic Practitioner, John Immel, Joyful Belly translates this ancient medical science into easy-to-understand and practical terms that can be used in every-day life. As a result of these efforts, our website has developed into a vast hub of Ayurvedic resources, from recipes and ingredients to online clinical tools and novel research. We chose to make the vast majority of this information free to allow as many people as possible to reap the health and wellness benefits of Ayurveda.

To see the foods and recipes that are healthy for your body type, start with the free body type quiz. Our recipes are designed to support digestion, correct imbalances, and restore health and wellness, one meal at a time. Sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly articles in Ayurvedic diet & digestion.

START BY FINDING YOUR BODY TYPE

Enroll in the Leading Ayurveda School
for Diet & Digestion

The Joyful Belly School of Ayurveda launched in 2012, with an aim to make practical, client-focused Ayurvedic education accessible via modern technology. We focus on delivering high quality education leading to clinical excellence. Our teaching style is practical and comprehensive - offering students clear explanations of traditional Ayurvedic concepts integrated with modern medical knowledge. In addition to training students in Ayurveda, we also build our students' confidence adn knowledge of clinical business development and administration.

Are you interested in studying Ayurveda to support your health, your family or your community? Check out our Guide to Choosing the Right Ayurveda School. See our certification courses.

Clinical Tools for Practitioners

Use Joyful Belly to create a diet for your client simply and easily. Your clients will have access to a huge selection of tasty recipes. Ask your clients to send you their body map to facilitate your intake process.

PRACTICAL, DOWN TO EARTH

Joyful Belly's mission is wholesomeness and the fullness of life for all. We serve this purpose by nurturing the body, beautifully and naturally made in the image of God. Our techniques include the practical food, diet & lifestyle principles of Ayurveda. Expect to find simple explanations, delicious recipes, and insightful ideas for your daily life throughout the website. But Ayurveda isn't just practical, it is also spiritual. Here are our spiritual values:

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

" Ayurveda helped me find hope again in nature, and the goodness of people. After years of breath work and empty bowl meditation, I wanted to trust in something more than detachment and the breath. I was ready to affirm the fullness of life, spiritually. Ayurveda's practical, rational, and nurturing approach to health is embodied, stable, and fruitful. Even as Ayurveda was helping me physically, I realized my spiritual life was lacking this stability and embodiment. Ayurveda inspired my return to the Catholic church which has been essential to my development as an Ayurvedic practitioner - as a caretaker of life. Ayurveda has truly given me a unique opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church."

About John Immel

Founder of Joyful Belly

Drawing on years of research and clinical experience specializing in digestive disorders, John Immel directs the Joyful Belly School of Ayurvedic Diet & Digestion. He is the founder of Joyful Belly, an educational Ayurvedic health care website, and oversees the Joyful Belly Clinic.

John is specialized in the advanced treatment of digestive tract pathology. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. He first discovered Ayurveda while working on a public health project in Bangladesh. He received his Ayurveda training and certification in 2008. John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel.

After witnessing Ayurveda's compelling efficiency and practical ease in treatment of his own digestive disorder, John was convinced others could benefit. He sought a way to introduce Ayurveda to the broader American public and make it more culturally accessible. This was the genesis of Joyful Belly. Using ingredients familiar from his childhood, John created thousands of Ayurvedic recipes for the average American. Joyful Belly proves Ayurveda is a practical way to improve everyday health & wellness. His simple, direct and familiar approach has helped thousands on their journey to health. John recently published, "Explore Your Hunger: A Guide to Hunger, Appetite & Food" with co-author Natalie Immel.

John's Style

Unlike other traditions, Ayurveda practitioners have to be great teachers so that clients can learn how to self-heal. As a teacher, I strive not only to communicate the basic principles of Ayurveda, but to bring Ayurveda to life by sharing my personal healing journey, and the healing I have personally experienced as a practitioner. When I am at my best, you will find that my presentations are rich with anecdotes. Despite the seriousness of the topic, you will find I maintain a sense of humor as we discuss the blood and guts of health. This humor often comes at my own expense, which I hope you will enjoy!

I place a great deal of emphasis on assessment in the interactions I have with my students and my clients. The fundamental skills of assessment are the ability to listen, ask pointed questions, and provide clear analysis that gets down to essentials.

Yet, the most important quality and teaching skill I possess is neither language nor analysis. Instead, it is my enthusiasm for Ayurveda, and for you. I am eager to give myself fully and passionately to your learning process. This enthusiasm is the true source of my confidence. Why am I so enthusiastic? Where does the boundless energy I offer to teach others how to heal come from? The bottomless well of energy I bring to our discussions springs from my great faith in each and every individual's capacity to learn and grow. Teaching is therefore a true celebration for me. This great hope I've invested in teaching is something I will never give up on, which means I will never give up on you!

Clinical Specialties While John's clinical practice spans the range from digestion to elimination, and weight loss, John's clinical focus is in:

• Functional digestive disorders connected to stress
• Improving enzyme production & absorption.

John's Personal Background

John's commitment to the detailed study of digestive disorders reflects his zeal to get down to the roots of the problem. His hope and belief in the capacity of each & every client to improve their quality of life is nothing short of a personal passion. John's creativity in the kitchen and delight in cooking for others comes from his family oriented upbringing.

As a Catholic, John brings a unique perspective to Ayurveda. Jesus' primary ministry was to feed and heal the sick. His ministry is the fundamental ministry of Ayurveda as well. John enjoys sharing Ayurveda within the context of his Catholic roots, and finds Ayurveda gives him an opportunity to participate in the healing mission of the Church.

He is fluent in Bengali and French, and enjoys studying Sanskrit, Arabic, and more recently, Swedish. In addition to his passion for Ayurveda, John enjoys spending time with his family and praying, two activities which he believes are essential to any health and wellness counselor. John grew up on the East End of Long Island, and spent much of his childhood on the bays of the South Shore of Long Island.