My experience of Sadhanapada - 7 months at the Isha Yoga Center

It's been about a month since I completed Sadhanapada, a seven-month residential program at the Isha Yoga Center for inner transformation. An intense, challenging, transformative, and fantastic experience for me. Sadhnapada is an intense program with the focus to go inwards, a space for spiritual growth. It's a stepping stone to establish balance, clarity and intensity within. It's difficult to put in words what and how the seven months have been but I am going to attempt to share with you some experiences and learnings. 

I went to Sadhanapada intending to find joy within myself; I found so much more. I found silence, stillness, clarity, balance, love within and of course joy. I found tools of well-being to live my life. I found a guru, someone who is guiding me in the journey of life.

The top three aspects of the program for me were sadhana, seva and spirituality. 

Sadhana - Learning Hatha yoga and Kriya yoga was one very important part of the program. The time I spent in the ashram helped me bring discipline in doing the practices, deepen the practices, and experience the stillness and flexibility that comes from doing them. For someone who finds it difficult to wake up early (still do!), I was able to wake up at 4:30 am and go through the whole day. It was wonderful to do the different programs, learn the different practices. One program that was a deep and wonderful experience was Shoonya. It was also very supportive to be able to establish the practices I learned in a supportive environment.
Beyond the physical practices, I was able to experientially understand the Inner engineering tools  - create my inner the way I want, see beyond my identifications and boundaries of the body and mind, and handle situations with ease. I was able to look at different aspects of my life as sadhana, look at them consciously like food, sleep, conversation and relationships. Definitely have a long way to go in my sadhana, both in my practices and within myself but the journey has begun with a bang because of the intense experience through the program. I have many ups and downs, especially after coming out of the space but the learning continues. 

Seva - Seva means volunteering, in the day I would spend 6-7 hours volunteering in the activities at the ashram. For most of the 7 months, I was in the role of a transcriber, converting audio into script. A role that I never imagined myself doing because I never considered my English skills that good and neither was this an interest area. However, this was the role I was assigned, so I decided to do it willingly and give my hundred percent to it. Over time I improved my skills and got better in my written English, something I am quite satisfied with. I really enjoyed my seva because most of the audio that I would transcribe would be of Sadhguru, I got to listen to him so much and received so much wisdom. I feel blessed to have gotten to do something in which I received and learned so much. My team was also so amazing, it was a very nice experience to be part of a supportive work environment. There were challenges, especially I had resistance towards doing night seva, post-dinner, but that was also an opportunity to push beyond my limitations. Apart from my main seva, I also got to volunteer in other spaces occasionally. I especially like serving in the dining hall, it was an experience of throwing myself completely into what I am doing, becoming willing to life. 

Spirituality - It was different to live in a consecrated space, to live in a space where everything and everybody is striving towards inner transformation. I experienced energy, I connected with Devi, with Shiva, with a guru, with the mountains, the moon, with simply everything around me. When I sat in Dhyanalinga, I experienced something different, so much stillness within. The experience of going into complete silence for three days was an intense and revealing experience for me. I don't know how to share this aspect of my spiritual growth in words but it was a very different experience during my time there. One experience has been that before I used to get very disturbed by the constant gears of the mind running but now I am able to experience some distance between body and mind and I no more get disturbed by it. Within me I feel a lot has transformed, the way I conduct myself within myself has become different; 

I feel empowered, joyful, balanced and alive.

Sadhanapada was a roller coaster ride, it was one of the most challenging yet profound things I have done in my life. The schedule was intense, morning 4:30am to night 10pm is packed with sadhana, seva and daily activities; this intense schedule was challenging for me. I pushed a lot of limitations within myself starting with waking up so early in the morning. Eating two meals a day, doing intense and many hours of yoga and meditation, minimal time on the phone, no holidays were some things where I went beyond my comfort zone. I decide to give myself fully to the process and willingly do what's needed, I think that approach made it smoother for me to work through my challenges and break my limitations. There were days when I wondered what I am doing and why am I here but in the end the journey was worth it. 

Sadhanapada has been a stepping stone into a journey of consciousness, a technology to live life joyfully and fully. I am deeply grateful to Sadhguru, the Sadhanapada team, the entire ashram, my fellow participants, my family and everything that made it possible for me to experience these seven months. 

Life is a play for one who is absolute balance - Sadhguru

Know more about the Sadhanapada program - click here

Switching to Natural Personal Care - My family

When I began my journey of using natural personal care, I naturally wanted to include my family.
It has been a journey of patience, connecting and understanding.

I thought by just sharing, why one should use natural products I can get my family, friends or
anyone to move to natural products. Turns out is not that simple. It's not enough to say "Hey, your products have toxic chemicals so stop using them." I need to engage with them, understand their needs and slowly and gradually it will happen. The switch will not happen the way I want rather in the way they want and I need to respect that.

The biggest thing that I think helped was that I was using natural personal care products myself every day. I was walking the talk. Also, I never imposed or judged but rather just showed the choices and let them choose. 

Just by natural products being available in the house, my mother started to pick up the products and gradually began to use them. She is the one in the family who has always been willing to try. In fact when I began Dhanak, my business of natural products, I used her as a guinea pig to try my products on and get feedback.

Seeing her switch to cloth pads for menstrual hygiene, coconut oil for moisturizing and bath powder for bathing were proud moments for me

My father is on a different level, he doesn't use any products forget natural. Salt is enough for his brushing and plain water for everything else like bathing, washing clothes and even shaving. I was happy to contribute by making a foot salve for his cracked heels.

Switching to natural products with my younger brother is where it has been fun and a learning

experience for me. 

He loves his Deodrant, nice smelling soap, shampoo and other products. He plainly refused to even try some of my products because they don't smell appealing to him. This gave me the challenge to make products that can appeal to him. I made a peppermint mouthwash and he gladly started using it. He likes the soaps I make for bath, hand wash and laundry, he even says that they wash well. These were small achievements for me.

There are some products he refuses to switch like shampoo or toothpaste.

Initially, I thought that I am right and he is wrong, I need to change him. However, he doesn't see anything wrong with the products he is using so I soon understood it his journey. When he wants to make the switch he will.  At first, I couldn't accept but as time went by, I learnt to accept his needs and choices. I realized my role is to show him the choices. 

I have been persistent and so has he, and we both have rubbed off on each other a little.
He started using a natural deodorant I bought, I was jubilant. After a while, he said he no more liked it, which was fine by me but I keep trying. :)

There have been rare occasions when I have managed to massage some oil and shikakai powder on his hair  - both of which he completely dislikes so of course so he washes it off with shampoo but its a win-win.

I enjoy the debates and arguments we both have, it has really helped me respect his choices and further anyone choices. I have learnt to look beyond right and wrong, rather look at it as choices for our lifestyle. 

The elephant who walked her own path

The elephant who walked her own path

 written by Asawari Mathur

It was a sunny afternoon in the forest. Arvi sat by the river under a big shady tree thinking deeply. Staring at the river flowing, she remembered her innocent childhood days as a baby elephant swimming in the river, having conversations with the fishes, skipping stones with her trunk and having a lot of fun. 

She let out a loud sigh! Life was simpler as a young elephant. Arvi had now come to age, she was a mature and responsible adult elephant. When elephants came to age, they had to participate in a fight to prove their worth and place in the elephant herd. Arvi did not want to participate in the fight but she did not know what she wanted to do in her life. She sat completely confused and lost.

Arvi recalled last evening’s conversation with her parents. Her mother had asked “Arvi you have now come to age and it is time for you to participate in the herd fight, It is time you began preparing for the fight so you can pass. What do you think?” 

“I don't wish to participate in the fight, I think it's an unfair way to figure out my place in the herd. I don't see value in spending time and effort over some stupid fight,” replied Arvi 

Mother replied  “That's completely fine, I support your decision to not fight. I am happy that you are thinking about your life. However I have a question, what do you want to do then?”

“I don't know” was Arvi’s reply. “ I know what I don't want but I don't know what I want. I want to explore how to live a worthy elephant life”.

Hearing this Arvi’s father suggested “How about taking a trip, travel to the ocean which is on the far end of the forest, stay there for some days, explore, I am sure you will figure out what you want to do in life”

Arvi had come to the river to spend some time alone to think. She had declared her decision to not participate in the fight and do something different but she was worried and scared, was it the right decision. Arvi was clear about one thing, she did not want to live like a normal elephant. She just did not know what it looked like or what her purpose in life was.

 She thought about her father's suggestion to travel, it sounded very scary. She had always lived in the comfort of her parents and had never travelled or lived alone. Everything looked new and difficult.

While she was sitting wondering, a wild dog came to the river to drink water. The dog saw arvi sitting sad and approached her and asked what’s wrong. When Arvi shared her problem with the dog, he asked in wonder “ Why are you scared to travel alone, Did your mother not teach you to live in the forest? 

Arvi shared “ No, my mother did not teach me anything. When I was born, my mother decided she wanted to raise me differently. In the elephant herd, she saw all the baby elephants being taught everything by their mother, how to find food, to bath, swim, to communicate, to survive in the forest, everything was taught. She felt this was stopping the elephants to blossom and live life fully, she felt this way of growing up killed the joy of learning so she separated from the herd to raise me and my brother differently. Even my father decided to live with us instead of living in solitary as tuskers do in the forest. My parents together created an environment of open learning for me and my brother. They did not teach me anything, they let me learn by myself. For instance, I learnt to swim in this very river by myself. I spent days in the river playing and exploring and even falling and then I learned to swim.

Hearing this the dog said “ wow that is so interesting! I don't understand why you are worried then. If you have always lived differently and learnt by yourself, then why worry about not fighting and why be scared to travel alone, you can learn that too”

Arvi felt reassured after her conversation with her new friend the wild dog and set out to the ocean, it was a scary trip but she managed it.

The ocean was amazing, The big vast ocean filled arvi with hope and possibilities. Arvi spent many days at the beach, exploring, learning new things, making new friends with the other animals living on the beach and having a lot of fun. The days on the beach gave many new experiences and perspectives to Arvi. Travelling and then living alone, gave Arvi the space to be independent and to stand her own feet. This gave her confidence and courage to be who she wants to be.

One evening Arvi was sitting on the beach watching the sunset. It was a breathtaking, wind on her face, the sound of the waves, the sun, the trees, just everything around her. Arvi understood at that moment that she loved the forest, she wanted to work on protecting and caring for nature.

Arvi returned home with a newfound passion. She decided to work on her passion to find success and her place in the elephant herd instead of fighting. 

She decided to share about the importance of nature and how as animals we can care for it. She began with her herd of elephants but they did not want to listen. They instead said “ Why are you wasting your time, why don't you just fight. You are ruining your future”. Arvi then went to talk to the other animals, very few listened to her. Her plan wasn’t working. She decided to try some other way to care for the earth. 

She decided she would plant trees. She set out with determination. She began digging holes with her feet, but they were too big and she just slipped and fell. She tried digging with her trunk but it would just fill up with soil and after a lot of hard work, Arvi barely managed to plant a few trees. 

Tired and defeated, Arvi once again felt lost. She had found her passion yet she couldn’t find success, she felt empty within. 

She went to her parents and said “ I don't know what to do, I don't know how can I find my place in the forest”

Arvi's father asked “ Why are you trying to fit into the herd? To whom are you trying to prove your worth? Why are you chasing success defined by others? Think Arvi, 

what is that you want? What is your dream Arvi? How will your life be worthy for you?

This got Arvi thinking, she remembered her childhood, when she was a baby elephant all she wanted was every day to be happy. Arvi realized that happiness every day was what will make her life worthy and successful. 

And that’s what Arvi did. Instead of fitting into her elephant herd or their definition of success, Arvi created her own path. The wild dog helped her dig holes to plant trees, her parrot friend helped her talk to other animals, her deer friend taught her more about plants. Likewise, Arvi created her own herd with different animal friends and worked on fulfilling her dream of caring for the forest. Doing what she loved every day became Arvi's new path for living a joyful elephant life. 

This Story is based on my own life story. My life of being a self-directed learner and living a no degree, self charted life. Thanks for reading!

Switching to Natural Personal Care - My personal journey

I learnt about why I should use natural personal care in a workshop I attended called "Rethinking Development" which was about environment sustainability, It is through this workshop that my passion for environmental sustainability sprouted and I began my journey of exploring natural personal care.
I began using many alternatives but a complete switch did not happen, there were still days I would go back to my regular shampoo or other cosmetics.
The convenience and comfort that I had with my regular products were preventing me from completely switching. In terms of time and convenience using a regular shampoo was much easier than hair wash powder. My mind blocks were stopping me from completely letting go of the toxic products in the bathroom.

The following year, I was part of the facilitating team of the same workshop. I happen to be taking the session "Toxins behind our cosmetics". For this session I did a lot of research, this really moved me. A spark of motivation hit me, and my New year resolution for 2016 was that I will only use natural and safe personal products. I am proud to say that it happened, I went through with my resolution and I never turned back since then.
Making and using natural products for personal use flowed into Dhanak - selling and sharing them with others. Through my journey in Dhanak, My understanding of making and using natural products really widened and deepened.

Personally, for me the easiest switch when it comes to leading a natural and sustainable lifestyle was menstrual hygiene products, I was very smoothly and comfortably able to switch from sanitary napkins to cloth pads.
I feel taking small steps is a good way to transit into a natural lifestyle, especially natural personal care.

I began with an easy switch, replacing my lip balm from vaseline to natural beeswax lip balm.
Then I switched from toothpaste to toothpowder and from soap to bath powder.
I was lucky to live in a place where I had access to good toothpowder and plenty of trees for datun(tree twigs to brush like neem)

and so on went on switching products.

The most difficult switch was shampoo, Hair wash powder requires your time and patience. To have a good and efficient wash one needs to apply the paste and leave for 15-20 minutes before washing off while the shampoo is an instant wash.
I had to change my mindset for this switch, Work an attitude of natural living within and stop telling myself that is time-consuming. Now I look at it as a self-care time and have no difficulty using hair wash powder even when I am travelling!

Initially, when I would travel I did not use natural. I would convince myself, that during travel it's tough to use natural products like oil for moisturizer or hair wash powder so let's carry shampoo and cream.
However, once I got comfortable with natural personal care at home, I was able to challenge myself to do it on travel too.

A big change for me in this journey has also been embracing my natural beauty. Loving my self for who I am. Now bathing, washing my hair and caring for my body has become a self-care ritual and  I developed a loving relationship with my body.

I was never really fond of makeup, though I enjoyed putting nail polish and occasionally makeup. Once I understood how toxic this is for my physical health, emotional health and the planet. I cannot use any commercial cosmetic or personal care product.

Volunteering during Lockdown

APRIL-MAY 2020

Amidst the chaos of Covid-19, Safe and secure in my house during lockdown I felt helpless. I could see the challenges that the country was facing. The frontline workers, the migrant workers, the common man was going through tough times yet I was sitting at my home.

Some friends were volunteering by going out and distributing food in the cities, but I live in a village where that's not required. How can I be of help?  More news I saw, more unsettled I felt with the privilege and comfort I felt during the lockdown.
Personally, for me, Lockdown had been an amazing time. Break from my business gave me an opportunity to do so many other things. I was thoroughly enjoying my lockdown but how can I be happy when so many people are going through bad times.

This gave rise to the opportunity of Online volunteering. Having the ability to speak Hindi, landed me into volunteering with migrant workers who came to the southern states from north India to work. My work was to speak to them over the phone, listen to them, understand their problems and then find ways to support and help them out.

It was a tough job, to listen to their problems and not get emotionally effected and keep my mind straight. To not take on their problems onto me or get drained by the helplessness of the situation.

My phone would be buzzing the whole day with calls.

Access to food, money to pay rent and a way to travel back home to their native villages were the most common issues. Unfortunately, these were the most difficult to solve!

Having a lack of resources on hand and having no understanding of the ground reality added to the difficulty of helping then as a volunteer. The whole experience really pushed me to be resourceful, To go beyond my comfort zone and talk to strangers, To handle emotions and above all be consistent and dedicated to the work no matter what obstacles.

I experienced good and bad, Black and white, Hope and despair. Which gave me a realization that this the reality, nothing is perfect and we all are human.

Lockdown and volunteering taught me handling myself in unpredictability, not letting emotions pull me down and living in the present 

Many times I was able to offer support, find resources to help, but sometimes I wasn't able to.
The times I was able to support and do something about the problem was what gave me strength.
The thanks that I received from the migrant workers was worth all the effort and time I put.

It was also amazing to be part of the group energy, be part of the volunteering group. I t was beautiful to see how if a group of people come together with the intention to create change and contribute it is possible to do it despite the challenges. 

Some stories - One help seeker had a pregnant wife, due at the end of May. With no work, he was running out of resources. I was able to provide him with support through finances, rations and emotional support until his wife gave birth to a baby boy and came back home. A picture of the cute newborn was enough for me to know I could contribute to someone's life.

I also did the whole tango of organising a private bus for a group of migrant workers to travel to their home in the north from south. Pass, permits, money and other dimensions of getting this was a challenging task to do. When they reached home, all the effort was worth it. 

Of course, the whole situation and problems were much larger than me, but these small actions were important to me.

I am left with so much gratitude and admiration of the hard work that the countless people - government officials, NGO's, volunteers and others did. They have done so much, worked countless hours to support people in despair. It is just breathtaking to witness.

I am glad I have been able to contribute and be part of the solution not be part of the problem.

Dhanak celebrates 6 months!

Dhanak celebrates 6 months!

Phew! 6 months have gone by so fast yet I feel like Dhanak has been part of my life since forever.
I feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction. Personally its a milestone in life and in Dhanak.

After 6 months of the initial set up, figuring out and learning about the first things of doing an entrepreneurial business I feel a sense of flow and settlement in the work. In the metaphor of learning to ride a cycle "The initial falling off the cycle has passed and now I can balance. Now it's about enjoying the cycle ride, cycling long distances and trying tricks!"

I feel a sense of joy to know that I am doing a small yet significant work in my life.
There are small joys of reading good reviews of my products, have interesting conversations with people around natural cosmetics and sustainability, getting repeat orders and seeing a positive account sheet at the end of the 6 months.

Some challenges I am facing are packaging and courier. Finding the right packaging material for my products - something that is environmentally sustainable, good quality and easy to courier via India Post. Working alone and doing everything by myself has both challenges and perks.

In the last month, I have spent time in deepening my learning on natural cosmetics. I have learned Aromatherapy through an online to understand Essential Oils better. I learned about formulating cosmetics, understanding oils and their comedogenic value. I have also learned some new recipes that I am looking forward to experimenting with them, implement my new learnings and curate more products. Looking forward to launching some new products and creating a new product catalog for the new year! The journey never stops, there is so much done but still so much more to do. That is where the joy for me lies.

A lot of gratitude for the people, resources, and opportunities that have continuously supported me in this journey. 

Tips to use hair wash powder

​Hair wash powder is different from shampoo, here are few tips to help you use the hair wash powder.

An average shampoo contains many ingredients that are designed to give you a convenient easy wash. Many times these ingredients are harmful. They can in the long term cause hair fall, dandruff, damaged hair, and some chemicals that are linked to diseases like cancer, reproductive disorders, and other issues. Natural ingredients are mild and gentle and need your patience to care for your hair. It can take a few washes for you and your hair to get adjusted to the hair wash powder.

1. If you are finding that the powder is not removing oil, keep it applied in the hair for 5-10 minutes. Make sure you apply thoroughly on your hair and scalp and massage well.
2. If you want a slight foam in the paste, you can make a paste with hot water and leave for 15-30 minutes before using it.
3. It is in powder form to avoid adding any preservatives or chemicals in the product thus it may feel different to use. It is important to wash thoroughly with water. If any powder is left after your hair dries just shake it off the hair.
4. Make sure you store the powder dry and moisture-free. Use dry hands when taking the powder. This is important for long shelf life of the product
5. It's recommended to use hair oil on a regular basis along with the hair wash powder. 
6. If you feel the hair wash powder is drying out your hair, you can add any conditioning ingredients in the paste - Soaked fenugreek seeds paste or fenugreek powder, Gooseberry powder or fresh, Curry leaves fresh or powder, hibiscus flowers and leaves fresh or powder are some ingredients. Note I can customize a hair wash powder to suit your needs too!

Happy chemical-free hair care! Do connect with me for any feedback or doubts. 

Why and How to use toothpowder

Toothpaste has many harmful chemicals. How can we put something non-edible ingredients in our mouth? The chemicals, when put into our mouth, are absorbed via swallowing and sublingual absorption. Sublingual, meaning 'under the tongue'. From our mouth cavity substances are rapidly absorbed via the blood vessels into our bloodstream. This method is used in medical procedures also, like first aid for heart attack. We are allowing chemicals to enter our bodies through our digestive system and bloodstream. 

Traditionally toothpowder or tree twigs were used to maintain oral health and it is the time we also switch to these natural methods. So buy a natural toothpowder or make your own! It's very important to keep the toothpowder dry and moisture-free. Make sure to take the toothpowder with dry hands.

How to use toothpowder: In your palm take around 2 pinches of powder, use your finger or toothbrush and gently brush your teeth for 2-5 minutes. Rinse your mouth well. 

Some concerns around toothpowder are

1. It can abrasive as its a powder form  - It's important to use a very fine toothpowder. The best way to brush is to use your finger to brush, massaging the toothpowder on your teeth and gums. However, if you do use a brush, brush gently. When using toohpaste we brush vigorously but when we brush with toothpowder we should be gentle to make sure it's not abrasive.

2. Teeth are yellow - I have been using toothpowder for the past 3 years and I have not visited the dentist even once, because I have healthy teeth. My teeth are slightly yellow but are healthy. So I question this concept of white sparkly teeth. Has the media influenced into believing that white teeth = healthy teeth? Of course for a few people, yellowing teeth could also be some medical issue, and that should be addressed but otherwise, I don't see an issue with my slightly yellow teeth. There are natural remedies and ways also to gain white teeth like salt. Some ways are to use salt water to brush your teeth, oil pulling,  gently rubbing the inside of a banana peel on your teeth.

3. Teeth become sensitive when using toothpowder - If you are using a toothpowder that has a citrus element like amla or lemon then you can experience sensitivity in your teeth. It's then advisable to take a break from the toothpowder regularly, like for a week every month and use a not citrus toothpowder. 

4. Tooth decay or cavity - Believe it or not your teeth have the potential to heal itself. It is called the remineralization of teeth. Your saliva is the way your teeth remineralize. Your diet affects the nutrition content in your saliva and its potential to heal the teeth. Good to have vitamins and minerals in your diet. Also, a good oral hygiene is important for healthy teeth and teeth remineralization so brush regularly, cleans your tongue and rinse your mouth after eating. For cavity, some ingredients to add in toothpowder are Guava leaves, Mango leaves and Banyan aerial bark powder. 

What does Natural mean to me @ Dhanak

The word natural has many different perspectives. Each individual understands natural personal care, sustainable living and eco-friendly differently. In my journey of exploring eco-entrepreneur, I have explored what does natural products at Dhanak mean to me.

There are many degrees of natural products. Either you can use plant-derived materials or direct plant materials. Either you can use natural, safe chemical preservatives or you can use no preservatives. Chemicals are not bad, water is after all a chemical compound. However, some chemicals are harmful to us and that why we need to move away from those ones. For example, Sodium Laureth Sulphate(SLS) is a very harsh chemical that not only stirps our hair/skin from its natural oils but has been linked to diseases like cancer. Not all ingredients are bad but there are some that we need to watch out for in the ingredient list. That's why is very important that whatever product you use, read the label, research about the ingredients and know what you are using. There few harmful chemicals have led me to switch to natural personal care.

There are different shades of natural ingredients. Broadly can be categorized as

1. Purely Natural: 100% Natural denotes only ingredients that are purely derived by botanicals with minimum processing (only powdering, drying, or extracting through heat mechanisms). Ex: Shikakai powder, essential oils, kokum butter)
2. Naturally derived: Naturally derived denotes that the ingredients have been sourced from botanicals but have gone through a chemical process to get them to the state they are in. They may or may not use preservatives, maybe chemically altered, and artificially colored. Example: Commercial Aloe Vera Gel, Vitamin E Capsules
3. Natural identical: Pure synthetic preparations where the end product resembles what may be naturally occurring on Earth. Example: Flavour oils, Citric Acid Powder
4. Chemical / Synthetic: Purely synthetic ingredients which may not have anything like it resembling in nature. Example: SLS in soap, Artificial Fragrance

Every ingredient, in all the 4 categories have its benefits, has its uses and properties. There is no right or wrong, no black and white when it comes to natural ingredients or Natural products.
I personally in my own life and at Dhanak want to create products that fall in the first category. I want to use Nature in its pure form for my formulations. This has its limitations but my values are very important to me.
I deeply also believe in Natural Beauty. Everyone is beautiful/handsome just the way they are. Whatever colour/size/shape, whatever lines/spots/styles are there in the body are perfect. My products also reflect that. I want to create natural products that will care for the body and support the body, keeping its natural beauty. Of course, Natural personal care also is in harmony with nature because you are not hurting the planet by using the products or making the products.

Of course, I am not perfect, I make mistakes, I make compromises, I experiment and am on the journey of understanding the world of natural personal care!

My personal journey of Dhanak so far.....

If I look back, the last few months ( May to August ) look like a jumbled up ball of yarn. A jumbled up ball of yarn that created something amazing, ‘Dhanak’. The first few months of starting an eco-entrepreneurship were super busy, challenging and very fun. 

Printing visiting cards, product photography, graphic designing, customer relationship, courier packing, product pricing, car driving, social media marketing, accounts, printing, raw material procuring and the list just goes on, I had not imagined I would have to do all these things. I just thought it was about making and selling but oh! It's much more.

What was great that even though I was alone, the sole proprietor, I had the support of my parents, family, and friends. The continuous feedback, advice, and help they gave me helped me learn and overcome all the challenges.

The biggest challenge I faced was myself. I held the high expectation of perfection from myself and of course couldn't fulfill it. I thought that I can't make any mistakes, I need to be able to do everything right, I need to make each and every customer happy, my products need to be perfect and I need to achieve a lot. These thoughts blocked me from facing the reality. 

The reality of mistakes, Some couriers arrived torn to the customer but only because of that I have now learned to parcel well. The reality that mistakes are the only path to success.

The reality that I am human and can do only so much, I have let go of some tasks from my todo list, maybe someone else can do it for me or maybe I can do it later. 

The reality that I need to accept and love my products and more importantly myself, Not every customer will like them, some will and some will not but can I take each feedback and embrace it rather than feeling inadequate about myself. 

The reality that every business has it good days and bad days, good sales and bad sales.

Slowly the ball of yarn has untangled and I am feeling like still water in a lake. Many things have got streamlined and I have got the basic hang of running Dhanak. This has given space for me to breathe. Dhanak now is flowing at the gentle pace of a river. At the moment I am not in a hurry to expand, to increase business but just go with the flow. I want to also bring balance in my own personal life, so along with Dhanak have started my side interest of Art. 

What has been so beautiful is that every day has been a learning, a blessing, and a journey and will continue to be. Dhanak is where what I am passionate about, what skills I have, the world needs and earning money comes to one common point. In japanese, it's called ‘Ikigai’.

An illusion of choice. Am I a free consumer?

When I enter a supermarket, or when I browse online, I encounter numerable choices. As a consumer, I feel that I have the freedom to choose, to decide what product I want to buy. However, I would like to question this sense of freedom of choice. 

Do I get to choose whether I want toxic chemicals in my soap or not? Do I get to choose if I want it to be packaged in single-use plastic or not? When companies choose to influence me on a psychological level to buy a soap, where is my freedom? Of course, there are different fragrances, colours & types of soap available but if you zoom out and really analyse, there is only one popular, mainstream option. Do I have the freedom to choose the right soap for me or for that matter any other consumer good?

If I wish to buy a bar of soap I can choose from neem to lemon or creamy to clear. I can choose Lux or Dove or Pears or Dettol or any other brand. But am I really the one making a choice or has the system already made choices for me?

Am I really choosing or have the choices for me have been already made by the system?

Let me try and explain this with a story.
 A man was drinking in a bar with his friends when the clock struck at 10 pm. Halfway through his drink, he got up hastily to leave. His friends mocked him, "Are you leaving your drink midway because you are scared of your wife?" They asked him, "Are you the man of the house or a mouse?". The man replied ''I am the man of the house. If I was a mouse then my wife would have been scared of me, not the other way around." When he reached home, his wife was angry because he was late again. The angry wife began to chase him with a rolling pin in hand. The man ran all around the house with his wife on tow. When he reached the bedroom he quickly slipped under the bed,  where he knew his wife couldn't fit. His wife screamed "Why are you hiding under the bed? Are you the man of the house or a mouse?". The man responded, "I am the man of the house. That's why I have the freedom to sleep wherever I want".

Did he really have the freedom to sleep wherever he wanted or he had no other choice but choose to stay in an illusion of choice?

Did he really have the freedom to sleep wherever he wanted? Or did he have no other choice but to stay in an illusion of having a choice? While sleeping under the bed we may feel we have the choice between the different companies and technologies of phones or TV or clothes or cosmetics. The important question is if we have blinded ourselves with the current reality of the market and stopped thinking beyond it. In this process have we forgotten to consider our health and our planet's well-being?

Here I would like to state the fact that there is no legal definition of the words Ayurvedic, Natural, Organic, Healthy. I can label a packet of chips Healthy and fill it with whatever ingredients and sell it to you. I am not implying that all ingredients and all companies are bad or that they have a bad intention. All that I am asking you is, "Are you are making an informed choice?". "Do you know what is there in your so-called Natural Ayurvedic Toothpaste?

If freedom means choosing whatever type of clothes I want to wear, am I aware of the workers who are underpaid, overworked and abused to make those fashionable branded clothes so affordable?

If freedom means keeping my hair the way I want, am I aware of the harmful chemicals put in shampoos, hair gels, conditioners and hair colours?

If freedom means having the choice to eat veg or non-veg food, do I know how cruelly animals are treated in today's mass meat industry? Do I know that the modern meat industry is one of the top contributors to global warming?

Do I and you live in a false sense of freedom?

For many of us, shopping has become an activity to feel good about ourselves. Using one's own credit card make one feel free and independent. But what are you really free from? Haven't we become slaves to modern stereotypes of being fashionable, successful and happy. How and why does owning the best thing available in the market dictate my self-worth? And mind you, the best things in the market change every day.

Leading a modern and free life to me doesn't mean falling prey to a consumeristic lifestyle. To me, a free life means being true to who I am. It means living my life to its full potential and leading a conscious lifestyle.

 

Protest for Climate Justice.

Greta Thunbery is an inspiring young environmental activist. Her strikes for climate change has given rise in the environmental justice movement.  Inspired by her, around the globe people are protesting for climate change. India is one such country to have just recently adopted this phenomenon of friday for future. Friday for future essentially means fighting on every Friday for a better future for coming generations.

I attended the first such protest happening in Bangalore on the 24th of May. It was also my first experience of attending a protest. I have always read about protest and been very inspired by it but also there is a fear around protest, due to the news we see in the media about violence and stuff.

When I arrived at the protest, I was disappointed. There were very few people, few means around 100 or so but I was like this is no use, to create an effect we need 1000's. People were standing on the step of the Bangalore Townhall. Many were holding different posters, with messages about the environment. On the mike, someone was singing a song, which I couldn't understand at all because of all the traffic noise. For a moment I felt like leaving, thinking I have seen all there is to the event. Since I had travelled a long way to the event I decided to stick around for a while.

They read out the protest appeal - It was an appeal to the environment minister to do some changes in govt. policy to create climate justice. There was an online petition which they asked us to sign and I did that. In my mind, there was this thought "this all is not going to create any effect because the scale is too small for govt. to take action. What is the point of this protest? It is hopeless for the planet"

Next was a talk about how in our personal lives we can be agents of change. How changes in our lifestyle can heal the planet. I knew everything they shared but I realized the importance of this strike. It is not an easy path to change and it has to happen in small steps and this was the beginning. The crowd was mainly youth, which was amazing. Because the young people of the world are the torch bearers of change.
It was nice to see people enthusiastically ask questions about what they can do in their lives and equally great to see young people answer the questions. Veganism, no plastic, planting trees whatever it may be if people are doing it, are aware of it and able to reach 100 people by the strike then its an achievement.

The government may not change immediately but it knows that the people are rising slowly. The Jhatkaa organisation along with Friday for future India will continue to organise such strikes. This shows hope and possibility for change. I left the event with awe and hope. I felt great to be able to participate in the peacefull strike for climate justice.

We declare Climate Emergency! We want Climate Justice and we need it NOW!

Travelogue : Himalayan Trek

I found myself amidst mountains, full of greenery, rocks, streams and far away peaks of snow. A family trek took me to the Himalayas for a trek. I wouldn't have gone or planned it myself, I not the adventurous type and I dislike the cold. Having a family that enjoys meaningful holidays rather than full of touristy stuff is very beneficial and that is how I landed in the cold but beautiful Himalayas.

It was a 4-day trek called the Rupin Supin Trek, it was an easy level trek. It was a new, challenging and fun experience for me. Every day we trekked around 8km for 7-8 hours. The trekking was difficult but it was fun to walk. Of course, climbing uphill was tougher than walking down. 

The best experience was the snow. First time in my life I was experiencing snow even though it was just a few 100 meters of snow, walking uphill on snow was scary, I felt I would slip and fall down the mountain. Coming down the snow was super fun because we came sliding down in the freezing cold snow!

Before coming for the trek, I worked on my fitness at home however I was still worried about my physical ability and thought that I might have to deal with body pain. I had underestimated my physical capability. The only problem I had to deal with was the car sickness I felt during the travel to the base camp and back. My body was quite capable of trekking on the level we went.

I really disliked the cold. Maybe because I have never lived in a cold area, I find it difficult to cope with cold. The mountains were cold and that was something I did not enjoy and will be one of the major aspects for me when considering another trek. I just not built for the cold. 

We stayed in tents. Everyday day we camped at different places. I was challenging for me to sleep in tents, in sleeping bags in the cold. I am very grateful for the organiser's Himalayan Hikers because they took good care of us and pampered us with good food. I am also thankful to the mules who carried our backpacks for us so we could trek with ease.

Apart from my family, a friend's family had also come along, It was super fun to play cards in the evening after the trek in the camp. I learnt some new games and enjoyed the fun company of family and friends. The villages, the children, the houses, the goats, the dogs were so different from what I have seen and so cute! I enjoyed the beauty of the place and the kind nature of the people in the mountains. 

I was very pleased to see our trip organisers take care of the environment, they made sure not to use single-use plastic and carried out packed lunches in steel boxes on the trek every day. However, I completely enjoyed food without considering my sustainability or health values like appy terta pack, toffees, kurkure, Maggi etc. I broke my values happily just for the trek.

Overall it was an amazing experience and I would recommend everyone to experience it at least once in their lifetime. I am not sure I will go again but I will cherish the memories.

Where is happiness lost?

I am looking for my friend who got lost, would you help me find him. My friend’s name is happiness.

I looked inside a school full of children but I did not find my friend, rather I found posters saying 'missing' please help find creativity, imagination and curiosity. The children told me I would find happiness in video games and packaged food but I found violence, distraction and poor quality of health.

I looked inside a college full of youngsters, a promise for a better future but I did not find my missing friend. I found competition, depression and void. The young adults told me I would find happiness in the late-night clubs and Facebook but I found fake faces, double lives, suppressed emotions and broken dreams.

I looked inside an office full of people working so hard but I did not find my missing friend. I found people who have no time, I found people who are tired, stressed and unmotivated. The office people told me to look for happiness in vacation packages and movies in the theatre but I found my friend’s twin called short-lived happiness. He has only gratification and superficial happiness.

The billboard on the road told me I will find happiness in buying new clothes, owning the latest watch or riding the latest bike. When I went and bought those things all I saw was ordinary things giving me momentary pleasure and making me greedy for more stuff.

I looked inside a metro train, and I found people with grim faces using their mobile phones, I looked inside their mobile phone and saw faces with smiles but I still did not find my friend.

I looked inside a cafe and I found people with make up faces, latest fashion but low self esteem. I found people with lots of friends or a beautiful girlfriend / handsome boyfriend but low confidence.

I looked through villages, states and countries for my friend. I found hate and war. I found people dying from lack of water. I found people stripped of their homes because of war over oil. I found animals dying because of lack of habitat. I found plants crying because of heavy pesticides. I found plastic choking the ocean and glaciers melting. I found children working day and night in mines. I found men with very little money struggling to survive. Even mother nature did not know where my friend is.

You see wherever I looked I couldn't find my friend, I am looking for my friend because I am lost too. I hope whenever I find my friend I will find myself too. My name is Peace.

Note : As an author I am not trying to say that happiness and peace doesn't exist or that people are not content with their lives. This is just a way of putting things in different perspective

Learning Driving

I experienced my first car accident. A very minor one with no injuries but it was a very different experience for me. I am not even sure what happened, in the spur of the moment things went wrong and a bike went off balance. The bike suffered a little damage. Definitely I was responsible for the accident, so I stopped and went to apologize. 

I thrown back by the shouting and insulting I started receiving from the biker and bystanders. I was confused because I was apologizing for the accident yet I was being shouted at. On top of it was in a language I couldn't completely understand. I felt scared, angry, confused and overwhelmed. I was told "I will take you to police station, you are lady driver you dont how to drive, who lets you drive on the road". I was so taken back because I was accepting my mistake and repeatably asking now what has to be done. 

Finally the biker agreed to go to the mechanic to get his bike repaired, I felt unfair that I was being completely accused for the accident when it was both parties fault but I was also scared so I just went with the biker and paid for the damages. 

It was a difficult experience for me, I need to work on gaining confidence in myself that I am good driver so that I dont get affected by others opinion.

When I came home, I liked reflecting about the event with my parents and thinking what all I can do next time this occurs. It was an incident to remind me, I am not perfect and I can learn from my mistakes. I am happy that I was able to handle the situation by myself and confidently drive back home.

However I am proud and happy to learn driving. I feel good that I have a skill which helps me be independent. It has been a challenging journey for me to learn driving but has been a very fun experience. 

Gift culture and my experience

Gift culture is a concept that I was introduced through various tools and people. I was left with Awe, to believe that we can look at the world beyond money. People can live with the energy of generousity, love and trust was new for me. Over the years I began experiencing and soon realized that it is not a concept to be understood but to be experienced.

For the benefit of someone who doesn't know what is gift economy or gift culture I will try and explain in my words. To me its about looking at life beyond money, more important than money is the relationship of humans. The earth and its people have enough for our needs and we dont need to live in scarcity, we can live in abundance. In a space where the spirit of trust, generosity and love come rather than selfishness and competition. There are many forms of of practicing gift economy and I am going to share about some that have touched me over the years based on my experience.

Dariya Dil Dukan : Stuff is everywhere, our houses are filled with it but not everything we own we need at all times. Creating spaces for people to give away the things they dont need but can be used by another is what I feel is Dariya dil dukan. Its not about the rich giving to the poor but about sharing among communities.
The shop with the heart as big as the ocean is the literal translation of dariya dil dukan. When I open my heart to giving I have experienced that I receive so much and not always has to be in tangible terms. I have experienced dariya dil dukan go beyond clothes or books, people have offered their homes to come stay, their expertise to learn from and their listening ear. Its really about offering and receiving beyond monetary transaction.
Having hosted many dariya dil dukan myself I am always been left with a so much love. I have been part of spaces where an individual offered a Kindle for anyone to take and also another individual offer a simple small stapler but held with love and care.

Sliding Scale : When I conduct workshops or sessions, I deeply want the workshop to be accessible to all and not let the fees of a workshop come as a barrier of learning. However I also understand that I want to earn some money to get by in this world. Keeping a sliding scale on the fees of a certain service like one example could be Rs.500 to Rs.1500 gives space to the giver to choose yet make sure I am able to cover the bare minimums.

There is also a concept of pay as you wish, where you ask the person to give as they would like. I haven't yet experimented with this concept. There are many other forms of gift economy, some our apart of our traditional Indian system.

Of course gift economy is not perfect and I feel its really about trusting the universe and people. To me its not a system, its about how I want to look at money, trust and life. Its how I understand myself and how I want to take care of my needs and wants.

The latest beautiful experience I went through is when I offered my hosting skills to some people with the intention to learn myself. I was giving without the thought or expectation of getting anything back expect learnings. People were touched by my hosting and work. They offered from their own side, some took me out for a meal, some offered to give me a ride around, some offered a gift and most astonishing for me was to be offered a token of appreciation in form of money.

There are such small moments that fill me with so much love and gratitude. I more and more believe that when I give openly , I am receiving double. I am still discovering my relationship with money and move between scarcity and abundance as my journey progresses. I just have to open my heart to receive love that the universe has to offer.