Who We Are
Meet Your Practitioners
Atlanta Ayurveda is led by Jennifer Thomas, Ph.D, and Gerald V. Thomas II, two dedicated Ayurvedic practitioners who bring together more than twenty years of combined study, personal practice, and professional experience. Their complementary backgrounds in education, leadership, fitness, women's health, and holistic wellness allow them to offer thoughtful, individualized care that addresses the whole person rather than isolated symptoms.
United by a shared commitment to helping others cultivate lasting health, Jennifer and Gerald combine the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda with practical guidance for modern living. Having personally integrated Ayurvedic principles into their own lives while balancing family, careers, and the demands of everyday life, they understand that meaningful healing is both deeply personal and uniquely individual. Together, they work alongside each client to develop realistic, sustainable strategies that support balance, resilience, and lifelong well-being.
Jennifer Thomas, Ph.D, AP
As an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Educator, I harness my passion for wellness and teaching to empower clients to cultivate the health transformations they seek. I have been studying Ayurveda for over fourteen years both formally and through applying the principles in daily living to myself and family. I’ve studied Ayurveda internationally both in formal and informal programs. My training includes diagnostic tools such as pulse reading and tongue diagnosis, as well as intensive study of Ayurvedic pathology, women’s health, herbalism, and Ayurvedic cooking. I enjoy educating through writing and speaking as demonstrated in my articles on holistic menstruation and menstrual cramps, as well as my webinar on how to create a healthier school lunchbox.
My work as a former academic in higher education with a PhD in Women’s Studies and a MA in English and American Literature informs the targeted way I engage with clients. I consider every person I work with as a landscape of intersecting identities and experiences. Effectively supporting an individual to correct health imbalances requires that I comprehend the problems within the context of factors such as race, class, sex, gender, religion, family, ethnicity, and occupation. Such an approach validates the significance of a person’s reality, and serves as an important guide for working toward meaningful health goals.
My introduction to Ayurveda started with an injury which led me to yoga, meditation, and then pregnancy yoga while expecting the first of my two daughters. As a mother I encountered Ayurveda during my search for ways to address my child’s eczema, something conventional medicine was unable to address without problematic side effects. My daughter is now mostly free of her eczema symptoms. Subsequently, I began using Ayurvedic wisdom to work on my own challenges with insomnia, perimenopause, and menopause. This personal healing journey involved a long process of internal deprogramming that, unbeknownst to me, stifled my ability to be a healthy and happy human being. Although difficult, the process of dismantling norms I learned early in life cleared a path to acquaint myself with the real me, my needs, and the reality that self-inquiry and self-care are not optional. Ultimately, my arrival at menopause marked an unimaginable upgrade in my being, a milestone for which I am eternally grateful.
Beyond clinical encounters, my work with Ayurveda is a daily walk to live the wisdom of whole health this tradition teaches. At the heart of this practice is a commitment to honor and embody my Afro-Caribbean lineage. In particular, I am remembering women like my great great grandmother who used indigenous wisdom to maintain and cultivate health and wellness for their families and communities. My work as a practitioner and future Ayurvedic Doctor is my response to an internal imperative to connect with and share ancestral wisdom to restore wholeness. I aim to be a good steward of this gift as I mobilize my efforts to support wellness within myself and for those with whom I work.
Gerald V. Thomas II
As an Ayurvedic practitioner, I bring a practical, solution oriented approach to my clients. My training includes herbalism and counseling techniques as well as diagnostic tools such as pulse reading and tongue diagnosis.
My background is quite different from most Ayurvedic practitioners. I am a partner at a prominent law firm with over twenty-five years of legal experience and hold a senior management leadership position. During my career, I navigated complex challenges, solved problems, and guided others through difficult decisions while maintaining clarity under pressure. Also, I managed and mentored diverse high performing teams to achieve exceptional results. This experience taught me how to listen carefully, think strategically, meet people where they are, and find solutions. I bring these skills to my Ayurvedic practice to assist clients in their health journey. I understand the demands of modern society and the real obstacles that challenge our health and wellness. My goal is to help busy people make healthier choices in their lives and take meaningful ownership of their well-being through thoughtful, individualized guidance that honors each person’s unique self and circumstances.
I sought Ayurveda to address personal health challenges and to optimize my overall wellness. I grew tired of Western medical doctors merely addressing health symptoms and mainly responding to health issues with prescription medicine. Ayurveda focuses on the root cause of the health challenge. My transformation included a more disciplined exercise regimen and a fundamental shift in diet and meal timing. I made these changes once I made my health a priority and listened carefully to my body. These diet and lifestyle adjustments benefited my life immensely by increasing my energy, strengthening my resilience to stress, and providing more mental clarity.
I have a zeal for wellness and want to experience a fulfilling life with the least amount of suffering for as long as possible. Having a sound sleep schedule, eating a healthy diet at the right times, and achieving a sufficient amount of exercise, all on a daily basis, are essential components for a healthy life. This is not optional for me especially after witnessing chronic illnesses and deaths in my family. As a result of making my complete health a priority, I enjoy the freedom of being my authentic self which includes being a father to college aged daughters. I am grateful to be on this journey and look forward to sharing my insight with those who are ready to explore a more balanced, intentional way of living.