Jessica Vellela
The first American-born woman to become an Ayurvedic Doctor and practice independently in India.
Jessica Vellela, BAMS
Born, raised and educated in Boston, MA, Jessica Vellela spent nearly eight years in India to become the first American-born woman to graduate as an Āyurveda Āchārya (Āyurvedic Physician) and practice independently in India. Graduating at the top of her final year class with the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery degree (Āyurveda Āchārya) in 2012, she immediately opened and managed her own Pañchakarma center in India at Turtle Bay Resorts in southwest Karnataka state.
For two years, she received patients from all over the world for traditional Pañchakarma, educational programs, Rasāyana (regeneration and restoration) and outpatient care. Working closely with the local community, she personally trained five Pañchakarma therapists and employed additional support staff. Due to unfortunate and unexpected events at the resort, she decided to close the center and return to the US to pursue her professional career. In 2014 and 2015, she attempted to recreate a traditional Pañchakarma center in the peaceful foothills of North Carolina, but quickly realized that the Āyurvedic infrastructure in a rural location was too challenging. While living in Southern California in 2016, she taught clinical classes and managed clients at the Southern California University of Health Sciences in the Āyurveda Department.
Jessica has been practicing and teaching Āyurveda for general and professional audiences since 2011 and now works diligently to establish American Āyurveda in the US founded on classical core principles and modernized for clinical practice today.
No stranger to rigorous education, Jessica is a National Honor Society alumna of Boston Latin School and a self-made Data Architect with a 15+ year career. Drawing from her wide skillset, she is integrating current technology to make Āyurvedic education and practice more easily accessible to a Western audience.
With this unique combination of skills and perspective, Jessica trains professional Āyurvedic students in the depth of knowledge that has been missing in Western Āyurvedic education. She prepares students for success and advancement of American Āyurveda in the coming decades. Jessica is currently a primary instructor at ĀYU Academy.
To meet with Jessica to discuss professional collaboration, opportunities, speaking engagements and other business, schedule an appointment here.