LEAH DANIELLE KLATT, Co-founder, BS, AHP, CMT, PKS
Leah grew up in Wisconsin and has the roots of a Midwestern girl. In 2007, she graduated cum laude from the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor’s degree in conservation and environmental sciences, minors in biology and business, and a certification in entrepreneurship. In 2009, Leah followed her heart to California, where she discovered Ayurveda. She was immediately drawn to this system due to her interest in the natural world and the symbiotic interconnectedness that exists between nature, mind, body and soul. In 2013, Leah completed her course of study at the California College of Ayurveda and became certified as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Herbalist, Ayurvedic Massage and Body Therapist and Ayurvedic Facials Specialist. Once graduated, Leah joined Blue Sage Ayurveda, where she gained direct experience offering Pancha Karma therapies administered under the tutelage of Ragaia Belovarac.
Today, Leah is the co-founder of PAAVANI Ayurveda. She thoroughly enjoys being an entrepreneur, which provides her with an outlet for her creative energy. Leah feels honored and privileged to be able to share the teachings of Ayurvedic self-care through her product offerings during a time when it is most needed. She hopes that her product line will help to introduce and infuse Ayurvedic practices into the daily lives of others. Leah is a firm proponent of the notion that those who apply Ayurvedic principles empower themselves to be their own healer. She dreams that one day all families will raise their children with these philosophies and that the world will find healing solace through each individual’s cultivation of personal balance.
TRUDY COLLINGS, Co-founder, BA, RYT, CMP, AHP
Trudy was born in England but raised in Vero Beach, Florida. In 2008, she graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a double major in British Literature & Anthropology. In 2009, her inquisitive nature brought her to San Francisco, CA & she eventually landed in her first yoga teacher training in 2011. From there, she learned of Ayurveda & instantly fell in love with the science. By the fall of 2011, she was enrolled at the California College of Ayurveda. This science encompassed everything she was looking for: yoga, traditional ecological knowledge, cultural understanding & a holistic approach to well-being.
Today, Trudy continues to teach yoga in her local community, regularly conducts the Ayurveda training at Sacred Paths Yoga & is co-founder of PAAVANI Ayurveda. At PAAVANI, Trudy excels as the team planner. Her go-getter attitude keeps the momentum and spirit of the company alive. She also manages the PAAVANI demo team, is hands on with the herbalists in the PAAVANI apothecary and enjoys community education & outreach projects. Trudy especially enjoys creating new formulations & dreaming of future plans for PAAVANI with business partner & friend, Leah Klatt. When not immersed in her work, you can find Trudy spending time with her husband & their fur babies. She loves all things dogs, yoga, reading, cooking, live music, traveling & time with her beloved family & friends.
PAUL MCDONALD, Sales Director & Social Media Specialist
Born in Epsom, Surrey U.K. and raised on the Florida beaches, Paul from a young age had a zest for adventure which inspired his travels around the globe. From the United States, to the United Kingdom, traveling the entire continent of Australia, to South East Asia and now Latin America, Paul has gained insight into various world-views and ways of being. His experiences abroad have also bestowed upon him the ability to adapt to unique and challenging situations, coping skills and creativity.
Paul joined the PAAVANI team in 2016 as our Sales Director & Social Media Specialist and has proven to be a vital asset to the team. With 6+ years working with Cloud Solutions, training in CRM and support systems such as Salesforce, Zendesk and Zoho, his knowledge, experience and go-getter attitude helps to progress PAAVANI Ayurveda forward. Not to mention, he is a star customer service professional, bringing a smile to all he communicates with daily.
When not doing all things PAAVANI, Paul is committed to growing his own business where he offers sales & social media solutions for companies throughout various industries including cannabis, fashion, beauty, retreats & spas. Paul now resides in the Yucatan Peninsula with his 2 sweet pups and his partner, Angel.
LAUREL ODOM, Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Herbalist, BS, CMT, PKS & RYT
Laurel is a local Northern Californian with a deep love for the natural world & all things health & wellness. After a traumatic soccer injury during her junior year of high school, Laurel’s interest in yoga & nutrition blossomed as a way to be proactive in her recovery process. The insights & evolution that she gained from those two modalities inspired her collegiate path as she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Influenced by time spent in nature & on her mat, Laurel had the desire to pursue a more holistic approach to health & well-being. Through the grace & guidance of many special people, Laurel was pointed in the direction of the California College of Ayurveda (CCA) & began her Ayurvedic journey in the fall of 2013. In addition to her coursework at CCA, Laurel completed a congruent two year 500-hour yoga teacher training through Vira Bhava Yoga, a program inspired by the teachings of Sri Vidya Tantra. The embodied, reflective elements of yogic guidance wove sweetly with Ayurveda’s tender care & the two systems came together as great supports in Laurel’s personal healing journey. With hours of hands-on training in many different realms of Ayurvedic offering at CCA as well as with outside practitioners & certifications as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist (CAS), Ayurvedic Massage & Body Therapist (including Marma Point, Dough Basti, Pinda Svedana & Ayurvedic Facial Therapies), Pancha Karma Specialist, Ayurvedic Herbalist & Registered Yoga Teacher, Laurel has had the opportunity to gain an immense amount of experiential wisdom & healing in the multifaceted Ayurvedic, Yogic & Tantric fields of study.
Laurel has been a grateful member of team Paavani since 2017. She has had a hand in many different elements of creation at Paavani including the production of beautiful self-care medicines in the apothecary, shipping purchases out to sweet humans all over the planet, tabling at fairs & health food stores, offering in-house consultations & body therapies & education outreach in conjunction with Sacred Paths Yoga. Laurel’s current role is as Paavani’s In-House Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist & Education Outreach Support. Outside of Paavani, Laurel teaches for the women of Shakti School, sees clients through her personal business, Sol Luna Ayurveda, & co-teaches the 4-month Sacred Paths Ayurveda Yoga Teacher Training with Trudy Collings as well as a 6-week Feminine Embodiment & Sexual Education Course for teens & their caregivers. When not working, Laurel can be found enjoying a hike on a local trail, tending to her garden, getting her groove on at a live show or ecstatic dance, savoring a yoga or pilates class or indulging in some form of self-care practice. Laurel loves basking in the gift of being alive on planet Earth. She lives with her husband & three kitties in the country outside of Grass Valley, California.
Laurel’s mission is to empower people to become their own best healers, to take healing into their own hands & hearts. She sees Ayurveda as activism in our times & believes that the deepest way to heal & evolve as a collective on this beautiful planet begins with the individual experience. Laurel is deeply honored to be intimately present and available for the profound healing and transformation that takes place any time humans come together in vulnerability & hope. Holding space for each individual’s process is incredibly humbling and expansive - Laurel is exceptionally grateful to be a channel for the knowledge and energy of Ayurveda and is incredibly honored to support others in getting to know themselves deeper, love themselves more fully & uncover their ever-present power & purpose.
