Intrepid Ayurveda
Health for bold and vibrant living.
Hello! My name is Valerie Hwang and I am a board-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and the founder of Intrepid Ayurveda. I service clients locally here in Long Beach, California, as well as virtually all over the USA. My mission as an Ayurvedic practitioner is to provide my patients and students with the tools and guidance necessary for bringing the body and mind back into a state of harmony – the optimal state for the body to heal itself!
I come from a psychological services and education academic background and had desired to become a mental health counselor, but ended up deciding not to pursue it immediately after university. After over a decade of working in performing arts and international exchange and travel, and after seeking for more holistic approaches for my own mental health, I discovered Ayurveda while developing my yoga and meditation practices. It was the perfect calling back into my journey into counseling and wellness.
I started my business a couple of months after the pandemic started. I would say as a result, getting it off the ground was quite the challenge, and I did not move into my physical office in Bixby Knolls until last year. However, I would say that the biggest challenge is an ongoing one – bringing more awareness of Ayurveda and its wisdom and benefits. While Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, it’s not well-understood at all in the States. One of the missions of my practice is to provide community education and resources for understanding Ayurveda better, such as weekly newsletters, free online talks, and affordable workshops.
With Ayurvedic care, we consider your unique life and goals, providing on-going personalized guidance so that you are well-supported throughout your treatment process. As an Ayurvedic Practitioner, I offer the following support:
- Individualized treatment plan – Medicine should not be one size fits all. I consider your unique constitution, history, and imbalances.
- Diet & lifestyle counseling – Making changes can be tough. We work together to identify and overcome any challenges to your progress.
- Customized herbal formulas– Plants are powerful healers. I formulate your herbal regimen according to your unique needs.
- Traditional therapies – Ayurvedic therapies such as abhyanga and shirodhara may be recommended for specific conditions.
- Health coaching – Your goals & vision for your health and your life matter. I am here to help you stay on track.
- Education – Ayurveda is a rich, complex system of ancient medicine. My goal is to help you understand its principles so that you are empowered to make the choices that are right for your health.
At my clinic, I focus on Ayurvedic health consultations, herbal formulations, and traditional therapies. What makes Ayurveda so powerful and so valuable is undoubtedly the emphasis on each individual patient’s unique body, life, and experiences, and how those aspects inform and determine that patient’s treatment plan. When a client walks through my doors, not only to they leave feeling seen and heard, but empowered to make lasting positive changes that will help them for the rest of their life.
In my practice, I have the privilege of serving as a health counselor, educator, herbalist, and practitioner all in one. I treat my clients as whole people with whole lives and pride myself on providing the support that they need to get back on their feet.
