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About Jamie

Director and founder of Rasayana, Jamie Chalmers, has been a therapist for over a decade and in this time has amassed a vast knowledge of alternative therapies. A 15 month journey through India and Nepal inspired him to explore the world of holistic therapies. In his time there, he experienced many different types of treatments ranging from invigorating head massages on Mumbai's Chowpatty Beach, Tibetan Reflexology whilst trekking through the Himalayan Annapurna mountain range and ayurvedic body massages in the state of Kerala. On his return to his home city, Edinburgh in Scotland, he felt inspired to enrol on a course in Swedish massage. Finding natural skills in this field encouraged him to continue and graduate in Reflexology and Indian Head Massage.

In 2002 Jamie joined the team of therapists at the award winning 5 star spa, ONE Spa at the Edinburgh Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa. There he gained knowledge and skills in more traditional spa treatments such as body wraps and scrubs, facials, hot stone therapy and pre- clinical ayurvedic rituals which gave him his first taste of the ancient science of ayurveda. With innate skills and enthusiasm coming to the fore, he became head therapist in 2006 where he was responsible for his team of highly skilled therapists. During his time at ONE Spa he was shortlisted four times for the title of Body Therapist of the Year at the prestigious British Beauty and Spa Awards, winning twice in 2006 and 2007. In celebration, he designed his own signature treatment which was exclusive to ONE Spa. The treatment was ayurvedic influenced and experiencing fantastic results with his clients fuelled his passion for the ancient science even further.

Always with a thirst for new knowledge, in August 2008 Jamie noticed an advertisement for a new spa institute in an industry magazine. Ananda Spa Institute in Hyderabad, India is part of the world famous spa brand Ananda. Ananda, most known for their flagship 5 star spa in the Himalayas, are responsible for bringing the ancient ayurvedic therapies into the limelight and the spa environment. Impressed and inspired by the company's philosophies, Jamie, at that time the first westerner to do so, enrolled in the ayurvedic therapies diploma course in May 2009.

Jamie received one-to-one tuition from Dr Milind Salunke, the institute's resident ayurvedic doctor and lecturer. The course consisted of learning and mastering sixteen authentic ayurvedic therapies straight from the Ananda treatment list. Benefiting from constant mentoring from Praveen and Ranjith, two experienced ayurvedic therapists from the state of Kerala, Jamie got a true and honest insight of working as an ayurvedic therapist. Alongside the therapies, Jamie learned how to be an ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, not least of all through adopting an ayurvedic life style himself, changing his diet, life regimes and incorporating other Indian health systems to his daily routines. This allowed him to fully experience the benefits of ayurveda which he can now share with his clients. Using his new in-depth consultation skills, he can now assess his clients more thoroughly and offer advice on diet and lifestyle regimes tailor made to the individual.

Jamie's determination, skill and enthusiasm for his subject meant he graduated from the institute with honours. Knowing that he wanted to use his new skills and knowledge to their full capacity, Rasayana, Ayurvedic Therapies and Wellness was very soon born. Rasayana simply means: 'That which makes new again, restoring one's youthful state of physical and mental health as well as expanding our state of happiness'. Jamie's aim with the company is to introduce and share the benefits of ayurveda with as many people as possible, helping them to improve their health and well-being not only through treatment but empowering self-care.

Ananda Spa Institute, Hyderabad, India