Clinics

The core of Anne’s work is treating patients in her clinic. The experience that she has gained from patients and their responses to her treatment has informed the way her practice has developed over the last 40 years. Anne holds clinics every week that she is in the country and treats patients with her personal blend of Western Herbal Medicine and Ayurveda.

Anne sees new patients for an initial consultation of one hour, during which a full medical history is taken along with a discussion of their diet and lifestyle and any current as well as past health issues.

Following the appointment Anne generally prescribes herbs, dispensed from the Cotswold clinic, along with suggested changes to the patient’s diet and lifestyle. We then book a half hour follow up appointment a few weeks later to discuss their progress.

Appointments can be booked by calling the clinic on 01451 810096 between 09.00-16.00, Monday to Friday.  Alternatively you can email us at clinic@annemcintyre.com.

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About Ayurveda and Herbal Medicine

So what is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is a unique holistic system of healing based on the interaction of body, mind and spirit. It is thought to be the oldest health care system in the world with its roots going back over 5,000 years into the Vedic Age – and yet, it feels so very modern.

Ayurveda evolved on the far reaches of the Himalayas in the deep wisdom of spiritually enlightened prophets, the Rishis. Their wisdom was transmitted orally from teacher to disciple and eventually set down in Sanskrit poetry known as the Vedas. These writings, dating approximately 1500 BC, distilled the prevailing historical, religious, philosophical and medical knowledge and form the basis of Indian culture.

The name ‘Ayurveda’ derives from two Sanskrit words: ‘ayur‘ meaning life and ‘veda‘ meaning knowledge or science.

Ayurveda is more than a system of medicine. It is a way of life which encompasses science, religion and philosophy that enhances well being, increases longevity and ultimately enables self realisation. It aims to bring about a union of physical, emotional and spiritual health (or swasthya) which is a prerequisite for attaining spiritual bliss or liberation, the ultimate aim of acheiving moksha.

Ayurveda does not assume that we are all the same and addresses the uniqueness of each person by its constitutional approach. An individual’s constitution is made up of a combination of three doshas (or energies) and this combination varies from one person to another. The three doshas; vata, pitta and kapha, are created from the five elements; ether, air, fire, water and earth, and arise primarily through rajas, the quality of action, as they are mobile or vital energies. Imbalances in the doshas will show themselves in physical symptoms, mental and emotional as well as behavioural tendencies, all of  which give us clues as to which dietary and lifestyle adjustments are needed to achieve balance.

With Ayurveda’s emphasis on preventive care and creating a healthy and sustainable lifestyle it is particularly in tune with our Western lives and our pursuit of health and longevity. While Ayurveda’s sister science, yoga, continues to flourish, Ayurveda’s mind-body principles are becoming ever more popular. Its relevance as a practical and effective complement to our modern health care system is becoming increasingly recognised, while an continually expanding volume of scientific research is verifying Ayurveda’s extraordinary wisdom and knowledge.

Anne’s Unique Perspective on Ayurveda

One of Anne’s greatest joys is being part of the growing profile and popularity of Ayurveda here in the West. Anne brings her confidence, wisdom and depth of experience as a longtime practitioner and teacher to everything she does at Artemis House.

From here Anne runs her busy clinic, treating patients with her own blend of Western herbal medicine and Ayurveda, as well as regular workshops in herbal medicine, Ayurveda and foraging. (You can find out more about these courses on the Shop page.)

Anne has authored a number of books about Ayurveda, including The Ayurveda Bible and her unique look at Western and Ayurvedic herbs, Dispensing with Tradition.

During her time both in practice and teaching Anne identified the need for easily accessible, yet in depth, courses in Ayurveda. In 2012 she launched Western Herbs from an Ayurvedic Perspective which was written for Ayurvedic practitioners and students and ran for a number of years. This was followed in 2015 by Living Wisdom: The Foundations of Ayurveda, written and designed in collaboration with Gina Mastroluca and which came out of a series of successful workshops and courses run both in the US and UK. Anne followed this by writing The Beginners Guide to Ayurveda, a short and accessible introductory course.

In 2024 the information in these courses was included in Anne’s popular Ayurvedic Apprenticeships, which now offer both online text based information as well as practical workshops at Anne’s home at Artemis House.

An Appointment with Anne

Anne’s first step as an Ayurvedic practitioner is to carefully assesses prakruti and vikruti, that is the patient’s basic constitution and current state of health.

This involves taking a detailed case history and examining the body, paying attention to build, skin and hair type, temperature of the body, digestion and bowel function, all of which point to more profound aspects of the patient’s condition.

Pulse and tongue diagnosis are exceptionally valuable tools for confirming analysis of health and constitution. In these respects Ayurveda has much in common with Chinese and Tibetan medicine in which these two indicators of the state of health are also of the greatest importance.

A highly complex technique for taking the patient’s pulse has been developed by Ayurvedic practitioners which requires many years of practice to perfect.

Treatment

Once the doshic balance has been diagnosed and the causes of imbalance have been established, treatment and lifestyle advice is given. The first step back to health is the elimination of toxins (ama) and enhancing digestion or raising digestive fire, agni. There are residential centres dotted around in the UK where the very thorough cleansing and rejuvenation programme known as panchakarma is available. This includes the use of oil massage, sweating, therapeutic vomiting, purging, enemas, nasal administration of medicine, and purification of blood. There is however a more gentle form of Ayurvedic treatment known as shamana available, which involves milder cleansing methods using herbs and diet, followed by rasayana therapy which is the use of wonderful tonic herbs such as Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) and Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus).

Generally treatments fall into three main categories, natural medicines, dietary regimes and lifestyle changes. These are all classified according to their effect on the three doshas.

To illustrate: a health problem associated with excess kapha could be characterised by catarrh, lethargy, overweight and fluid retention. A diet consisting of warm, dry, light food would be advised since kapha is cool and damp. Avoidance of foods with a cold, damp quality such as wheat and milk products and sugar which would serve to increase kapha would also be recommended. Herbal remedies would include warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, cloves and pepper to raise digestive fire and cleanse toxins from the body. Bitters such as turmeric and aloe vera may also be prescribed.

The specific choice of herbal remedy depends on its ‘quality’ or ‘energy’ which Ayurveda determines according to 20 attributes (vimshati guna) such as hot, cold, wet, dry, heavy or light. Ayurveda also classifies remedies according to six tastes; sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Sweet, sour and salty substances increase kapha and decrease vata, pungent, bitter and astringent tastes decrease kapha and increase vata, while sweet, bitter and astringent taste decrease pitta and pungent, salty and sour increase pitta.