SUCHITA KOTHARI & HANSA MELVANI
“We were pleasantly surprised to learn that many of today's wellness trends actually have their roots in the 5,000-year-old science of Ayurveda. For example, the gut-brain connection and intermittent fasting were actually discovered over 5,000 years ago in Ancient Vedic texts.”
Suchita Kothari and Hansa Melvani are Certified Holistic Health Counsellors based in New York. Their mission is to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda and demonstrate how easy it is to apply this ancient wisdom to a modern-day lifestyle.
As part of their services, they offer a range of integrative practices ranging from personal consultations and workshops to wellness events and online teaching modules.
Follow Suchita and Hansa:
Website: Something Holistic
Instagram: @somethingholistic
“Ayurveda has taught us how to show up for life’s challenges.”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Though life is full of uncertainty and change, one thing we know for sure is that Ayurveda has taught us how to show up for life’s challenges. It’s given us more strength; physically with stronger immunity, emotionally with a more balanced perspective and spiritually with faith in a higher energy. Our journey that began with weekends spent studying Ayurveda in a third floor Tribeca office block has led us back to ourselves.
What drew you to Ayurveda?
Hansa: As a mom of three young children living in New York, I was becoming frustrated with the lack of natural alternatives in treating everyday health issues. When my older son was experiencing digestive issues like stomach pain and diarrhoea after meals, I tried everything from allergy testing to acupuncture, homeopathy and a host of different diets. The first time he visited my Ayurvedic doctor, she checked his pulse, identified the cause and changed his eating habits. Within 3 weeks of a Vata-pacifying diet and lifestyle my son had dramatically improved. It was at this point I knew I had to study Ayurveda.
Suchita: My journey started back in 2013 when I was going through a difficult time in my life physically and mentally. This is when I decided to go to a wellness centre in Dehradun just for some time to myself. I thought I was going to go to a spa but ended up living an Ayurvedic lifestyle for 8 days. The end result was better digestion, a clearer mind and a sense of calmness that I hadn't felt in a while. I slowly started implementing what I had learned into my daily routine and experienced the benefits. This is when I decided I wanted to study Ayurveda as I understood the transformational power it has on the mind, body and soul.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine ?
It’s pervaded every aspect of our daily life, from combining the right foods in our kids’ breakfast in the mornings to forgiving ourselves for our perfectionist tendencies before going to bed. From viewing global warming as a Pitta balance on a collective scale to being aware that our Vata imbalance is leading to our own depletion.
We incorporate simple Ayurvedic routines into our daily life in accordance with the Doshic clock. If we wake up a bit tired or groggy, we perform Bhastrika breathing in the morning followed by 15 minutes of meditation. While preparing breakfast we practise 10 minute of oil pulling and then follow this with tongue scraping. We eat a light breakfast to stimulate our Agni and try to engage in some physical activity like yoga before 10 am (Kapha time). We aim to get our hardest work completed between 10am and 2pm and eat our heaviest meal around midday (Pitta time when digestion is strongest). In the afternoon, during Vata, time we engage in the more creative component of our work. As part of our evening routine we incorporate 15 minutes of Abhyanga, which helps us unwind, then drink a modern-day version of golden milk and use particular essential oils to calm and ground us. We usually try to sleep around 10pm to rejuvenate our mind and body and to avoid getting that second burst of energy.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
Oil pulling has helped with oral health, preventing gum recession and exercising our jaw.
Learning how to perform Abhyanga [self-massage] on our abdomen in the correct way has improved our digestion and applying sesame oil on the soles of our feet allows us to get a deeper sleep.
Adhering to Ayurvedic food combinations has improved our family’s nutritional absorption and decreased the severity of allergies and illnesses in our households.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
During the pandemic, our family regularly consumes Chyawanprash. Known as the Ayurvedic multivitamin, Chyawanprash is a blend of antioxidants, herbs, and botanicals that is combined with ghee and honey to make a jam. Chyawanprash boosts the immune system, supports healthy lungs and respiration, promotes healthy metabolism, and nourishes the brain and nervous system. It can be eaten on its own or added to smoothies, just don't mix it with dairy.
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
We were pleasantly surprised to learn that many of today's wellness trends actually have their roots in the 5,000-year-old science of Ayurveda. For example, the gut-brain connection and intermittent fasting were actually discovered over 5,000 years ago in Ancient Vedic texts.
Has Ayurveda helped you with anything major?
Hansa: After studying Ayurveda for two years it organically led me to explore aromatherapy. My first week discovering the power of essential oils was truly exceptional, but the following day a rug was viciously pulled out from underneath me when I abruptly lost a loved one. When a stressful event occurs, my nature is to go on autopilot. I made tentative arrangements for my kids, booked an airline ticket and tried to comfort my family. The initial shock turned to anger to disbelief to guilt and so many other emotions that week. Through it all, Ayurveda was my crutch, my subconscious support that got me through moments of unbearable pain, tragedy and loss.
My daily routine of waking up, oil pulling, pranayama, abhyanga and warm water grounded me each morning and provided me with reassurance through the uncertainty. My essential oils, (Vetiver for grounding, Red Mandarin to uplift and Helichrysum for grief) allowed me to tune into my raw emotional state when I couldn’t go there with words. Having powerful mantras softly play in the background brought us much needed solace, and consciously eating warm foods helped me focus on my physical state in the present moment when all I wanted to do was wallow in grief. Ayurveda has shown me not only are we part of nature but we are all part of each other. It allowed me to offer up myself to help comfort those around me and it brought me peace in the knowledge that though the loss was real and he no longer had Prana running through his body, his soul was eternal and his energy was felt.