ANGELA HOPE-MURRAY
Angela Hope-Murray has been in the practice of health care for over 40 years. She is a podiatrist, osteopath, and Ayurvedic practitioner and Marmapuncturist. She discovered Ayurveda while engaging in an internship at the Pain and Stress clinic in the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. She has studied it ever since to Master's Degree level at Middlesex University in the UK. Angela has authored 3 books on Ayurveda and is currently in private practice in Berkshire and in Harley Street at The Hale Clinic.
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Website: Angela Hope-Murray
“Anything that is forced won't work.”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Everything. It’s the science of life, body, mind and spirit.
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
I discovered it in 1984 at the Shattock Hospital in Boston. Dr. Lad gave one of the occasional lunchtime lectures and I was hooked.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
Ayurveda is a major part of my life. I practise Dinacharya, yoga, Pranayama and meditation as well as keeping to the dietary principles. Meditation is central to my life. I also use the medicine if I need to.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
Sitting in meditation for two half-hour periods every day — it cleanses the mind.
I generally go to bed at 10 p.m every day.
I always eat fresh food.
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
That it comes from the wisdom of the Rishis some 5,000 years ago and is still completely relevant today.
Did you integrate it gradually or overnight for any particular reason?
I integrated it into my life over time. Once an intervention is tried and works, I include it in my routine.
Do your children/family eat an Ayurvedic diet? And if they do, do they know it’s Ayurveda or do they just think of it as home cooking?
My partner eats as I do and he thinks it is healthy.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
My favourite recipe is mixed veg subji and mung bean kitchari.
How does Ayurveda fit into your day-to-day routines?
With ease. Anything that is forced won't work.
What do you wish was easier in our society to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible?
I wish there was more silence. Musak in airports, shops, etc. takes us away from the sanctuary in our own hearts and also the present moment.
What’s the one thing you would encourage everyone to try or you think would benefit the majority of people’s health for the better?
To include quiet time in their day and ask themselves, “what am I doing to enrich my own life as well as the life of the planet?”
Anything else you’d like to add?
Ayurveda's definition of health is Swastha, meaning to be established in the Self. That is a beautiful injunction for us all to aim for.