Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a complete holistic system of medicine that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years. Originating in India, it is one of the world’s oldest healing traditions, based on the understanding that health arises from balance in body, mind, and spirit. Ayurveda is rooted in the elemental science of ether, air, fire, water, and earth, which shape both the world around us and our inner landscape. These elements combine in unique ways within each person, influencing our physical bodies, emotions, and overall vitality.
Rather than a “one size fits all” approach, Ayurveda offers deeply individualized care. It considers your constitution, current life stage, environment, and history—including stress, trauma, and genetic tendencies. From this whole-person perspective, your practitioner develops a wellness plan designed to restore balance and vitality and get to the root cause of imbalance — using tools such as food and digestive support, daily self-care rhythms, energy regulation, and herbal remedies.
At Portland Healing Space, Ayurvedic consultations provide you with practical guidance tailored to your unique needs. Beyond symptom relief, the goal is to empower you with tools to care for yourself in ways that feel nourishing, intuitive, and aligned with who you are.
What to Expect in an Ayurvedic Consultation
In-depth exploration of your health history, lifestyle, and current wellness goals.
Individualized assessment of your mind-body constitution (“dosha”) for targeted support.
Collaborative development of a personalized wellness plan focused on root causes, not just symptoms.
Guidance on food choices, digestive health, self-care routines, and herbal support for daily vitality.
Practical, achievable tools for stress management, energy regulation, and emotional resilience.
Education about seasonal rhythms and lifestyle adjustments to support ongoing balance.
Empowerment to actively care for your health in sustainable, intuitive ways.
Meet Our Ayurveda Practitioner
Emilie Berger is the intuitive heart behind The Holistic Initiative and a nurturing presence at Portland Healing Space. After years of struggling with digestive issues and anxiety, Emilie found lasting relief in Ayurveda, which she discovered during her Yoga Teacher Training in 2017. This healing journey inspired her to study with renowned mentors like Dr Vasant Lad and KP Khalsa, deepening her practice and commitment to personalized, whole-person care.
As an educator and yoga teacher, Emilie communicates complex ideas with clarity and compassion, helping each client find alignment in body, mind, and spirit. Her approach balances grounded practicality with deep intuition, empowering clients to restore vitality and connect to their best selves. Outside her practice, Emilie enjoys simple pleasures like fall foliage, spring flowers, and flavorful meals, rooted in authenticity and real-life connection.
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Ayurvedic Health Counselor
Emilie Berger is a French native now happily rooted in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband, their cat, and a house full of thriving plants. She blends her professional training with her personal healing journey to make Ayurveda practical, relatable, and deeply empowering. For the past five years, Emilie has shared this wisdom through group workshops, online platforms like Insight Timer, and one-on-one client sessions.Her own journey with Ayurveda began with a search for relief. After years of digestive issues and anxiety, she discovered in 2017 a holistic system that not only explained the roots of her struggles but also offered tools that finally worked. What started as a personal quest became a calling. Emilie trained with renowned teachers including Dr. Vasant Lad, KP Khalsa, and Dr. Resmi, diving into specialties such as women’s wellness, Ayurvedic yoga, and marma therapy.
When she’s not sharing Ayurveda, Emilie delights in simple joys: the colors of fall foliage, spring flowers, cozy one-pot meals bursting with flavor, and a touch of New Moon magic. She’s less enthused about recipes requiring ten exotic ingredients, hustle culture, or overly fluffy “love and light” messaging; she prefers real-life, human messiness with a side of humor.
OFFERINGS
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An acupuncture session begins with a full intake and assessment to understand your unique health needs. Using Japanese Meridian Style, the approach focuses on minimal, precise needle use, with hair-fine needles inserted shallowly for a gentle and grounding experience. Careful diagnosis guides the session, which may also include teishin (non-insertive stimulation), cupping to relieve muscle tension, gua sha to enhance circulation, moxibustion where dried mugwort is burned on points to encourage circulation & immunity, and personalized lifestyle or nutritional advice. Each method is tailored to promote balance, deep relaxation, and overall well-being. Patients may be prescribed patent herbal formulas, which are not customizable.
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Acupuncture & Herbal Consult - 90 min
This session includes both an acupuncture treatment and a customized herbal formula tailored to each patient’s unique needs. It begins with a full intake and assessment, using tongue, pulse, and Fukushin—an ancient diagnostic method involving abdominal observation and palpation. Emily practices Japanese Meridian Style acupuncture, using minimal, shallow insertion of hair-fine needles for a gentle, grounding experience. Treatments may also include teishin (non-insertive stimulation), cupping, gua sha, moxibustion (burning dried mugwort to enhance circulation and immunity), and personalized lifestyle or nutritional advice.Emily will then carefully assess your condition and select a classical Chinese medicine base formula, customized to address your current imbalance. Each formula is designed to align with your body’s specific needs, supporting long-term healing, balance, and vitality.
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Herbal Consult New Patient - 60 min
During a Chinese herbal consultation, Emily will carefully assess your health and select a classical Chinese medicine base formula to address your current imbalance. She incorporates Fukushin, an ancient diagnostic technique involving abdominal observation and palpation, to gain deeper insight and guide formula selection. Herbal prescriptions may be prescibed in customized granules, pill form, tincture, or bulk form, depending on the the best option for your lifestyle and needs. All formulas are dispensed through Golden Cabinet, conveniently located just down the street from the clinic.
Herbal Consult Returning Patient - 30 min
An herbal follow-up is for established patients to check in on their current formula, discuss progress, and make adjustments as needed. It’s also an opportunity to request refills. Regular follow-ups ensure the formula remains effective, as the body’s needs can change over time. Studies show that personalized herbal adjustments can enhance long-term results and support overall balance. This approach helps maintain optimal health and ensures your formula continues to meet your evolving needs. -
Immune Boost + Acupuncture - 60 minutes
Experience the benefits of moxibustion, a technique from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Japanese Meridian Therapy. This method involves burning rice grain sized dried mugwort (Artemisa argyi) on specific acupuncture points to restore balance, improve circulation, and support overall health. Research has shown that moxibustion can help prevent and treat disease by stimulating the immune system, increasing white blood cell count, and activating heat shock proteins. This session includes acupuncture needles.
Immune Boost (moxa only) - 30 minutes
Experience the benefits of moxibustion, a technique from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Japanese Meridian Therapy. This method involves burning rice grain sized dried mugwort (Artemisa argyi) on specific acupuncture points to restore balance, improve circulation, and support overall health. Research has shown that moxibustion can help prevent and treat disease by stimulating the immune system, increasing white blood cell count, and activating heat shock proteins. No needles are used in this session. -
Our clinic focuses on holistic care, approaching Motor Vehicle Collision Care with an integrative mindset. We recognize that each individual may benefit from personalized treatment, which is why our practitioners can work with you either one-on-one or collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Our comprehensive services include manual therapy, chiropractic care, craniosacral therapy, and acupuncture, all aimed at relieving pain, restoring mobility, and enhancing overall recovery after an automobile accident.
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Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA)
Providence
Blue Cross Blue Shield / Regence
Tivity (VA)
Optum/UHC
Pacific Source
OHP
Moda