Through this workshop you will learn

• A safe cleansing and detoxification program for your body
• Satisfying meal options, recipes, & ingredients
• The nature of cravings and addictions
• Understanding your body's signs, signals, and cues
• Ayurvedic perspectives on weight loss
• Skills to address emotional eating habits.
• Mindful eating practices
• Gentle exercises, lifestyle and routine changes to support your body
• Herbs to support and heal your body

Presentations will be followed by exercises to explore how the topic applies to you. You will also be given foods to explore, journal assignments, and simple exercises you can practice throughout the week to facilitate your personal discovery process. You'll also benefit from a private online discussion forum for members only so that you receive as much hand-holding and support as you need. Instructors Natalie & John Immel are available throughout the course to offer discounted one-on-one consultations ($80) to further guide you in your unique discovery process.

• Convenient distance learning format
• Study in the comfort of your home or office
• Learn from anywhere in the world, on your schedule
• Access to ALL of our supplemental lectures on weight loss and cleansing
• Choose between simple and advanced cleansing options
• Enjoy a community of support with fellow students

Daily Emails & Exercises

We will also recommend an optional supplementary book list for those wishing to read more on the topics we will cover, either during or after the course. Recommended breathing and simple stretching exercises will greatly facilitate your personal progress.

Through the course of our time together, we will provide tools to reprogram your relationship with food and the causes of weight gain, a project you can work on independently each week as well.

About the Course Instructors

John studied Ayurveda under Dr. Vasant Lad and 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. 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 he could help others. He wanted to introduce Ayurveda to his Appalachian mountain home and America. This was the genesis of Joyful Belly. Using ingredients familiar from his childhood, John created Joyful Belly to recast Ayurveda in the context of our American food traditions. Joyful Belly proves Ayurveda is accessible and necessary for everyday health & wellness. His simple, practical and familiar approach has helped thousands on their journey to health.

John's love of life, his commitment to the health & dignity of the person, and his humanitarian pursuit of inexpensive health care comes from his Catholic roots and identity. His creativity in the kitchen, and absolute dedication to the epicurean delight of eating comes from his Italian heritage. He is fluent in Bengali and French, and an avid student of Sanskrit & Arabic. He is a member of NAMA, the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.

Natalie Immel is the chief editor of Joyful Belly where she offers her expertise in emotional eating and eating disorders to the field of Ayurveda. Natalie herself used the principles of Ayurveda to heal from severe anorexia and digestive disturbances which at one time left her hospitalized. She is grateful to share her insights with other women searching for freedom from unhealthy eating patterns and body shame. Natalie graduated Phi Beta Kappa with general and departmental honors from Vassar College. She is a fluent speaker of Swedish and has been practicing yoga for over 10 years.

Natalie recently co-authored the book Explore Your Hunger with her husband John Immel, which is the basis of this course. She has been director of the Explore Your Hunger Weight Loss Program for over two years and has helped hundreds of women break the vicious yo-yo diet cycle, change the way they think about their bodies, improve their diet without feeling deprived, and reclaim their lives. Natalie received her Ayurvedic training from the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga and from Joyful Belly's 500 HR Mastering Digestion & Ayurvedic Nutrition Program. She is also a certified Body Positive Health Trainer.