NIHARIKA HARIHARAN
“Following a strict Ayurvedic life may not be feasible for many of us, but over the years I have managed to incorporate a few practices into my daily routine. I drink lukewarm water every morning and I never drink cold water. I also eat Chyawanprash every single day and end my day with Triphala capsules, which aid digestion. Melloh boosters are all made with Ayurvedic herbs and I drink these daily. I also follow a regimented skin, teeth and haircare routine with various Ayurvedic oils. As a Vatta Dosha, I avoid raw food as much as possible.”
Niharika is the founder and CEO of Melloh Wellness, a well-tech platform that combines a range of digital wellness practices with indulgent natural Ayurvedic-inspired products to tackle the biggest health and wellness challenges. The first big challenge they are tackling is what the World Health Organisation calls an occupational phenomenon: burnouts. Melloh, with its offering of holistic solutions that address mental, physical and internal health, is designed for those who strive to look after themselves and find balance in the everyday, but have little time to do so.
Prior to founding Melloh Wellness, Niharika was a leader in the digital and design practice for McKinsey, working with some of the most innovative and ambitious companies in the world. She has over 15 years of expertise in building digital first businesses, products and services. Niharika speaks and lectures on the role of design in building human-centred services at conferences globally and is a guest lecturer at Imperial Business School.
Follow Niharika:
Website: Melloh Wellness
Instagram: @mellohwellness
Facebook: Melloh Wellness
LinkedIn: Melloh Wellness
“Ayurveda helps me incorporate changes into my life that are aligned to my body, mind, spirit and the planet.”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda is the science of living systems, and it is the way I learn to live in sync with the natural world every single day. With the belief that all solutions lie within Nature, Ayurveda helps me incorporate changes into my life that are aligned to my body, mind, spirit and the planet.
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
As an Indian, Ayurveda is inherent in my culture and in my life. From eating Chyawanprash every day (I started at the age of 10) to consuming Ayurvedic meals and medicines, I live and breathe Ayurveda every single day in some shape or form.
What drew you to Ayurveda?
Two things drew me to Ayurveda.
First was my grandmother. She was a big advocate of nature-based remedies and spent a lot of time making her own hair oils, powders and potions inspired by Ayurveda. She passed down all her learnings to me.
The second was more recent. COVID made me action a realisation I’ve had for a long time — about how unfit modern science was to us as a species. Modern science has a diagnostic-led approach, its practitioners (e.g. doctors) don’t understand the human body as a whole and the study of modern science is reductionist. It also studies the human body in isolation from the natural world! This has made me a fierce propagator of Ayurveda which is a holistic science with a preventative approach that understands the human body and mind in its entirety.
Has it helped you with anything major?
I can’t remember the last time I was ill, had a cold or flu. I’ve also never had COVID. I don’t take any pills or medication whatsoever and have no intolerances. I live a disease- and medicine-free life is because I fortify my body every single day with natural solutions. In my book, that’s pretty major!
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
Ayurveda is part of my everyday life. I use Ayurvedic products as part of my skincare and haircare routine. Obviously Chyawanprash is a must-have for me every single day and has been for the last two decades.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
Living and practising Ayurveda can be hard for someone who works long hours and is pressed for time. 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked best for me are:
Find natural remedies for all illnesses you may encounter — from hay fever and indigestion to migraines. It’s very likely that Ayurveda can help you.
Switch to Ayurvedic massages. These are not just incredibly relaxing but help strengthen your body and organs in multiple ways. These are also great for your skin and hair.
Incorporate Ayurvedic recipes into your diet. These are easy to make and contain superfoods like turmeric, tamarind and mustard which are great to fortify your body every single day.
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
Ayurvedic science is over 3,000 years old and I am pleasantly surprised that it is far more relevant to us today than modern (diagnostic-led) science that our society is based on.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
Kitchari! It’s a house staple that tastes delicious with tomato rasam (a South Indian probiotic). Rasam and kitchari is also my favourite comfort food. It’s a one-pot dish that our 2.5-year-old also loves!
How does Ayurveda fit into your day-to-day routines?
Following a strict Ayurvedic life may not be feasible for many of us, but over the years I have managed to incorporate a few practices into my daily routine. I drink lukewarm water every morning and I never drink cold water. I also eat Chyawanprash every single day and end my day with Triphala capsules, which aid digestion. Melloh boosters are all made with Ayurvedic herbs and I drink these daily. I also follow a regimented skin, teeth and haircare routine with various Ayurvedic oils. As a Vatta Dosha, I avoid raw food as much as possible.
What do you wish was easier in our society to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible?
I believe that there are two things we need to do in order to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible to a wider audience.
The first is education. We need to create greater awareness around the science of Ayurveda and not just the products alone. It is only then that the majority of the population will be motivated to make lifestyle changes.
The second is to make Ayurvedic products more accessible by updating them for the western palette or even making it easier for the time-poor audience to make and consume. The beauty industry has started to do that in the recent years and has seen significant success. We need to do the same for the other Ayurvedic consumables.
What’s the one thing you would encourage everyone to try or you think would benefit the majority of people’s health for the better?
Long-term thinking and developing a preventative approach to your health and wellbeing is what I would encourage everyone to try.
Incorporating essential Ayurvedic recipes and habits into our daily routine can help us sustainably build immunity, aid gut health and support our mental health far more effectively than a medicine and diagnostic-led approach.