Your Name: Dimple Arora (Duangthip)
Job Title: Founder & Director of Golden Awareness Holistic Nutrition & Wellness
(Doctor of Natural Medicine, M.D.A.M, (Diet & Nutrition Advisor, SAC Dip., London, Advanced Ayurveda, IAA, Pune, India)
1. What is your nationality and background?
Thai/Indian. My ancestors are from Peshawar (now in Pakistan). They emigrated during the India/Pakistan partition and settled in this part of the world.
2. What is your profession?
I am a doctor of natural medicine, with special interest in holistic nutrition and Ayurveda. Healing body/energy works like acupressure, reiki, meridian therapy, marma healing and Tibetan sound bowl therapy are other areas I specialize in as adjuncts to my healing and wellness programs.
3. What are the key skills and responsibilities of this role?
The ability to tune in, listen with compassion (without judgement), the ability to utilise intuition while objectively analysing medical data and health condition of the patient – these are some unique skills, which define a good holistic doctor. A fine balance between objective analysis and subjective (intuitive) understanding of the state of mind/body/energy and circumstances of the client enable me to customise and fine-tune solutions to correct imbalances in their health condition.
4. How did you get involved in your profession?
Early exposure to the healing wisdom of my grandmother (whose maternal uncle was an Ayurvedic physician in Peshawar) got me interested from a young age in herbal solutions to health. Being averse to hospitals and drugs, my mother had a neat collection of books on Yoga and Ayurveda, which I related to immensely. I was suffering minor ailments like acne, haemorrhoids, low blood pressure and anemia. Modern medicines caused a lot of side-effects like palpitations, dryness, etc. I was determined to find a sustainable remedy to my health. In the year 2000, given the opportunity, I signed up for an advanced Ayurveda course at the International Academy of Ayurveda in Pune. It was a turning point in my life. Even my teachers there were amazed at the speed with which I learnt and successfully applied the complexities of this ancient science (including pulse diagnosis). They believed I had a gift, perhaps accumulated wisdom from a previous lifetime in this field! I finally found my calling.
5. How does your role enhance the wellbeing or experience of children?
I have always connected with children and vice-versa. I inherently understand them. In my clinical practice over the last 5 years, I have helped many mothers help wean off antibiotics and strong allergy medications for their children, which compromise their immune system in the long run. Many moms get their kids to me for a metabolic assessment to determine their children’s unique metabolic type, so they get a head start in preventive healthcare. When we eat and live in harmony with our unique metabolic type, you minimize chances of developing health imbalances later in life. Through workshops, retreats, my books, wholesome chemical free products, herbal pills and clinical sessions, I empower mothers with the knowledge and tools needed to achieve optimal health naturally for their family.
6. What challenges do your face in this role?
Lack of awareness and acceptance. The fact that nature and natural healing is the order of things but it’s still called “alternative medicine”! I could be reaching to a lot more people in the community, but the awareness level (especially amongst local Thai community) is very limited. Many people think Ayurveda and holistic healthcare is too slow, requires too much discipline with diet, etc. They’d rather pop the pill and be on their way. But with age and experience, when side-effects kick in, they come to me as a last resort. I wish it were the other way around! Give natural treatment a chance first. If they don’t, then go for drugs.
7. What do you hope to achieve within your industry?
More awareness, golden awareness that we humans are a product of nature (not of synthetic laboratory processes). Hence, only nature can truly sustain us without compromising our immunity. When I speak at events, I correlate principles of Ayurveda with Einstein’s findings of quantum energy (there is much overlap!). To get the attention of mainstream medical pundits and establish Ayurveda (the most ancient and scientific system of holistic healthcare originated in the Indian subcontinent 5000 years ago) as a valid system of healthcare along with modern medicine is something I wish to achieve in this kingdom. In the future (with God’s grace), I would like to establish a healing facility where modern and holistic solutions will be provided. Where healing and human health will be a priority as opposed to profits. The current state of the medical system saddens me, when my clients come loaded with drugs and supplements for conditions which could otherwise be healed with just a tweak in their diet!
8. Who or what inspires you?
Suffering, pain and injustice. I am prompted to action whenever I see someone in pain, suffering or being taken advantage of, especially in the name of health. On a spiritual level, it is this urge since a young age to make a difference, to do something worthwhile in this lifetime, to be a worthy instrument of God, which propels me. The phenomenal works of Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr.David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad continue to be my guide and inspiration.
9. Only a Bangkok local would know …
You can actually learn a lot about local herbs and their therapeutic uses when buying from fresh vegetable markets in Thonglor and Onnut (I rarely buy from supermarkets). There is one vendor in Thonglor market (Soi 57) who has enlightened me on the use of various Thai seasonal herbs, info that I could not have obtained from any textbook!
