What to expect at your first Ayurvedic consultation in Abu Dhabi

People sometimes put off an Ayurvedic consultation because they are not sure what it involves. Will there be a diagnosis? Will they be told to give up coffee? Will it take all afternoon? Here is what actually happens at Samatvam, so you can decide whether it is for you.

Before you come

Book a slot of about an hour. Bring anything that helps the doctor understand your health: recent blood tests or scans, a list of medicines and supplements, and your Emirates ID or passport. If you keep a note of your sleep, digestion or symptoms, bring that too; a week of rough notes is worth more than trying to remember on the day.

Eat normally beforehand. There is no need to fast unless we have specifically asked you to.

The conversation

The first half of the appointment is talking. The doctor will ask about the complaint that brought you, but also about your appetite, digestion, bowels, sleep, energy across the day, your work, exercise, and how you respond to heat, cold, stress and seasons. This is not small talk. In Ayurveda these details build a picture of your constitution (prakriti) and of what has drifted out of balance (vikriti), and the plan is written from that picture, not from the complaint alone.

You will not be judged for your habits. The doctor needs an honest account to write a plan you can actually follow.

The examination

Ayurvedic examination is mostly observation and touch: pulse at the wrist, the tongue, the skin, the eyes and nails, build and posture, and, where relevant, the joints or abdomen. It is unhurried and nothing about it is uncomfortable. If the doctor thinks you need a test or a specialist that Ayurveda cannot provide, you will be told so directly and encouraged to arrange it.

What you leave with

A written plan. For most people it covers four things:

1. Food. What suits your constitution, what to reduce, and, most importantly, when to eat. Regular timing usually matters more than any single ingredient.
2. Routine. Sleep and wake times, movement, and small daily practices such as warm water in the morning or a short oil massage.
3. Preparations. Where suitable, classical formulations the doctor recommends, with how and when to take them.
4. Therapies. Only if the doctor believes they will help: which one, how many sessions, and what to expect. Many first plans include no therapies at all.

A review date is set before you leave, usually two to four weeks later, so the plan is adjusted to how you respond.

What we will not do

We will not promise a cure, put a number on a result, or tell you to stop a medicine another doctor prescribed. We will not sell you a course of treatment you do not need. If Ayurveda has little to offer for your complaint, we would rather say so than waste your time.

Practical details

The centre is on the mezzanine floor of Murajeb Tower on Hamdan Bin Mohammed Street, Abu Dhabi, reached by the lifts. Consultations happen in a quiet consultation room. A companion is welcome to sit in. If you would like to ask something before booking, the contact page is the easiest way, and there is no obligation.