The operating definitions of many words in our daily vocabulary have changed in the last 10-15 years. Our clan has been tricked into believing that work is just what you do in the office, food is just something you eat to please your senses and disease is something that goes away by popping a pill. We live thinking that AI, quantum or worse quantum AI is all that one needs to know to lead a good life. Life is seen as a series of paid experiences and Instagram worthy pictures. Common sense, observational learning and familial traditions as systems of knowledge are all but lost. To remedy this dire situation of mindlessness, “Soukhya”, a free webinar series was conceived by Dr. Sadhanashree and her team, to share the gift of soukhyam (wellness) with all.
The main focus of this webinar was to introduce everyone to the knowledge of a long lifespan, Ayurveda, which unlike its contemporaries, offers both preventive (swasthasya swaasthya rakshanam) and curative (aaturasya vikaara prashamanam) prescriptions. The curative measures take the route of medicines, panchakarma treatments and lifestyle changes, whereas the preventive measures teach how to live according to the rhythms of life, all in a way connected to keeping a strong digestive fire (Agni), the watch-guard of all diseases.
“What is a better place to start than learning how to care for our children, the future of our planet!,” we thought. The gift of good habits is one of those rare gifts that keeps giving wellness for generations to come; even long after we are gone. In this webinar, based on the feedback, the Annaada phase (kids who rely on only solid foods for nourishment, 4-16 years of age) was discussed. 8 simple indicators for monitoring the agni of the child and common food items in our daily life that need to be avoided were elaborately discussed to help parents plan more conducive meals for their children. A sample meal prep idea was also shared prior to the talk.
The next webinar was dedicated to the anchors of our household—Women. Here Dr. Sadhana delved deep into the Do’s and Dont’s in the specific aspects of aahara (food), nidra (sleep) and vihaara (especially, exercise and sexual activity) for healthy menstrual fluid formation and elimination. She particularly emphasized the significance of periods not just as a physical cleanse, but an emotional one too! Women often carry the baton of caring for their family and by empowering them with the right knowledge, this baton can become a blessing and not a burden.
As a part of this offering, two documents, one on a meal plan (Food as detox) and another on developing habits (Habit tracker) were shared. It also felt natural to start a WhatsApp group called Anushtaana to create a space for people to come together and learn authentic ayurvedic practices and simple ways to incorporate them in their life as a community. We hope and pray to the Gurus to constantly guide the team in their mission of making Ayurveda a way of life.
Webinar Testimonials
“The introductory session led by Dr. Sadhanashree, an Ayurveda specialist, challenged the conventional approach of seeking medical treatment only when ill, emphasizing the importance of preventative advice working on food, sleep cycle etc. During the session, Dr. Sadhanashree discussed the significant role of food in maintaining overall health, particularly its connection to reproductive health. A special thanks to Vaishnavi and the team for their efforts in organizing this insightful event.”
– Ramya Hebbalaguppe, IIT Delhi
“Soukhya has created a tremendous impact and helped us to understand Ayurveda in our daily lives!! I throughly enjoyed both the webinars… by Dr.Sadhna and looking forward to have more…such kind of sessions.😊”
– Monisha Sarkar, IIT Delhi
“The webinar was great, learnt a lot of things that I had no clue about before! I’m one of those people that downs an entire tub of icecream every period; need to stop doing it!
Thanks akka, will definitely participate in more such webinars in the future 🤗🤗”– Dr. Gayathri G, IFPU, Trieste
“I attended the Soukhya webinar, and it opened my eyes to the importance of food during menstruation and how Ayurveda addresses it. Thank you for taking the initiative to conduct it! I’m looking forward to more webinars with Dr. Sadhana.”
– Samhitha S, Student, Trichy
“Women’s health is so precious and crucial. Food can make all the difference along with a good lifestyle; it’s a balancing art. So well put and well explained. I look forward to more such workshops.”
– Dr. Shilpa Asopa, Delhi
“The Webinars were very informative. We got the basic idea about do’s and don’ts. Great start for a better lifestyle and diet.
We look forward to more sessions, elaborating mainly on food and ‘Agni’, both for kids and adults likewise.
One suggestion is, if a webinar could be held only for Q&A based on the two webinars (Child care & Women’s wellness) it would be easier to implement Ayurveda in our day to day life.
Thank you team, for all the time and effort you’ve put into it. Truly fruitful. 😊🙏🏼”– Supritha Sathyan, Hyderabad
Article Written by Vaishnavi Rajagopal, Ph.D
As an avid learner of Samskrutam, Dasa-sahityam and quantum physics, Vaishnavi is always looking for ways to use IKS to improve the quality of life for people around her. When she is not practicing or teaching her passions, she can be found picking feathers with her son or cooking healthy meals.
