Episode Transcript
[00:00:10] Speaker A: Welcome to episode 16, the Healing Art of Food. Reclaiming nourishment with Ayurvedic principles with my dear friend, Mohini Gaillard.
Mohini is a Ayurvedic practitioner. She is also a chef. She I have experienced her nourishing creations, firsthand retreats and some of the personal events that I have hosted. Mohini is the embodiment of true nourishment. And her work brings this healing and heart into every meal that she prepares.
So this is one of the first episodes where I'm introducing you to Ayurveda. So if you do not know what Ayurveda is, it translates to the science of life. It's an ancient healing system that sees health as a balance of the mind, body and spirit.
And so through this lens, every meal becomes this sacred opportunity to nourish the soul, to reconnect with our true essence.
In this episode, Mohini and I dive into the transformational power of cooking and it as an act of self reclamation and having this choice to move away from processed foods and instead to embrace conscious and intentional nourishment that ultimately aligns to our inner wisdom.
In this episode, Mohini shares her journey of overcoming a disordered eating and a deep sense of disconnection that she had from her body. And through our she was able to really uncover her body's innate healing and her capacity to begin to trust her own needs.
And we discussed this in the episode that this transformation really turned her pain into purpose. So now helping others heal their relationships with food, Mohini does one on one work. She does catering and she also now educates, and supports, supports others on their food and body connection, really guiding them to that, that body wisdom and that inner peace. And I feel that Mahini's journey is really a reminder that each meal has this power to bring us closer to wholeness, to self love and a deeper connection to ourselves. So I am very excited for this episode and enjoy.
[00:03:04] Speaker B: Welcome Mohini. I'm so excited to have you on this podcast. I feel like it's been something that I've been talking to you for a while because what you do is just so incredible and I want to share your wisdom and your beautiful light.
So with that, please introduce yourself and tell us what it is that you do.
[00:03:38] Speaker C: I'm Mohini. I'm a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.
I have a catering business which kind of formed simultaneously to the beginning of my studies.
Yeah, I've, I've always had a really deep desire to be caring for humanity and being in service to my Community and my family and my friends. And I think perhaps that came from growing up with a younger brother with a disability.
Not that I was his primary carer. There was just this element of looking out for him and caring for him as a sister. And then as we grew up, I found myself wanting to fix him. Like, I was constantly researching what was going on with him and, and looking for clues and insights and, and trying to gain clarity. And I guess my love for the human body formed around that time. I was quite young.
And then I continued to, to study. I had a deep fascination with the subject of human biology, which saw me studying it for nearly eight years, first at a high school level and then at a university level. I was dancing between a bachelor of health science and neuroscience and neuropathy. And, and there was this obvious theme of, of wanting to gain a deeper understanding of the human body. But none of those, those studies really like, concreted what it was that I wanted. They didn't. I never had that, like, this is it moment.
And so I kind of began traveling and just exposing myself to different cultures and different ways of life. And that had been part of my childhood as well. My parents very intentionally exposed us to different cultural traditions, especially in Southeast Asian countries. And I think that too exposed me to inevitably a level of human suffering because a lot of those countries are poverty stricken. And, you know, it's like every second or third street you're witnessing a homeless person or, you know, unfavorable living conditions. And this whole journey I'm just, I'm constantly being like, how can I help? How can I be in service to this? And I had my first ever Ayurvedic consultation when I was 18 or 19.
It was actually the same time I had my first Vedic astrology reading.
And I received this little booklet from the lady who did my consult. And I was just so astounded by the depth of understanding that it bought. And it was just unmatched. It was something that I had not experienced before. And yeah, I kind of was like, oh, Ayurveda, what is this? And it's not a huge part of our Western culture.
And then I kind of continued traveling and Evita kind of got put on the back burner until I was doing my yoga teacher training in Guatemala, which was 2017, I think. And at that point, one of our lecturers, Evan, he was an auretic practitioner living in San Marcos. And he was the first person who I received a consult from him and, and I was able to confide like, a really deep struggle that I was going through with him and, and he was so free from judgment and I didn't feel any shame. And he was, you know, the first kind of professional person who I was like, he might be able to help me through this.
And I think just having that realization, all of a sudden I was like, I think Ayurveda is it. Like, I think that's what I want to study. And you know, they say Ayurveda finds you at the, at a certain time in your life and it finds the right people. And I really, I really felt that I was in, yeah, the really deep depths of an eating disorder and this disassociation from my body. And such a heavy component of Ayurveda is about, like, learning how the body works and it's discovering its innate healing ability. And yeah, I was exposed to that and the rest was kind of history. We continued traveling for a little bit and then when we returned home in 2019, I enrolled to study and simultaneously opened this catering business, which was so unintentional, it was not planned at all. And it just kind of, it took off. And I think it was beautiful to be studying Ayurveda adjacent to opening up this business where food is like the whole emphasis. And all of a sudden I was trusting my body again and I was able to eat meals where I was like, I'm not anxious, I'm not stressed about this. I'm feeling completely saturated from this food. And it was like that aha. Moment of like, this is why Ayurveda came to me.
You know, I was on my own healing journey. And up until that point, nothing had really pushed me further in that healing journey. And so, yeah, I'm kind of like running a catering business, studying Ayurveda and healing my own self as well. And yeah, I just. The synchronicity and the timing of it all, I just, I couldn't ignore it. It was. Yeah. And now here we are and I'm practicing down south near Margaret River. I'm working predominantly one on one with clients now. I've stepped away a little bit from catering, just following the call to like, really deeply guide people. And a lot of my clients actually come to me with eating disorders. And so it's really beautiful to be able to guide them and support them and just allow them to surrender and be completely vulnerable. And yeah, I feel very fortunate.
[00:09:50] Speaker B: I love that because when we look back at our biggest struggles of what we've really had to work through in our lifetime, especially in the Vedic chart that we can see it's always what we end up like being our greatest gift and how we can give back and so something that we've really had to, yeah, work through. And so I love that that's your story and you're able to like. I think that's in society right now. I've seen this deep change that people are becoming more connected to their food. And I think for so long there's been this massive disconnection, disconnection from our body disconnection to what we're eating. And I really feel like that's even like a deeper layer of an eating disorder, that disconnection there. And that's the beauty that Ayurveda gives us, that connection back to nature, connection back to intention. And so I love to see if you have noticed this shift of people really wanting to understand food in an intentional way. Because that is what I feel you really gift people is to see it in like a nourishment. Like when I think of you, I think of like nourishment. So are you seeing like a shift back to those slow ways of doing things and.
[00:11:17] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I definitely, I want to recognize. I think there was this, this pattern that I maybe, yeah. In the last few years saw where cooking kind of just became this mundane chore. It was just like slotted into the 9 to 5 to do list and people. There was like a really deep disconnect from the food and people were just kind of like, you know, reaching for the easiest thing. And I think, I think cooking needs to be seen as a form of reclamation and radical self reliance. And what I mean by that is taking control of what we're eating and reclaiming cultural traditions around it and really like focusing on what we're choosing to nourish our body.
And I do definitely see that now. And I think asserting this kind of it, it rejects our dependence on processed foods and moves us more towards making conscious and intentional choices around the food that we're choosing to nourish us. And yeah, I'm definitely seeing a shift in that now. And it's like a very common theme when I'm on retreat. People are like, oh, I want to learn how to cook like this or you know, how are you doing this? And there's this interest that's building again and I think it's really beautiful to see and especially because I think the demands of society to be like busy and successful and you know, it's such a fast pace. We're doing all of these things and it Eliminates the choice to be able to cook slowly and with intention. And I see this, yeah, this kind of like, it's like we're coming full circle and we're coming back to like the simplicity of cooking and, and doing it slowly. And yeah, it's definitely, I think there's still ways to go, but I can see it coming and I think there's enough information out there now. You know, whether it's through cookbooks or platforms like this or YouTube or even social media, you know, it's almost like people are being encouraged to find that connection again, which, yeah, is something that is, in my opinion, very necessary.
[00:13:24] Speaker B: Yeah. And that's definitely what I'm hoping that this conversation will spark, the importance of this. Because I see especially like you say in this fast paced reality, one of the first things that we're outsourcing out, tasking is like our food and then the trajectory of what that is doing to our health, to society, which I consider, which Ayurveda has really given me that cooking and what we're eating is one of the greatest medicines that we can be doing to invest in our health. So I'm like, I'm excited that you're on this trajectory and you're really bringing this forward. I would love to ask you, when it comes to Ayurvedic cooking, when it comes to our emotional state with Ayurveda, what do you, what does Ayurveda say about the influence of food on our mental state and overall, how does Ayurveda view food?
[00:14:31] Speaker C: Yeah, I think touching back in on, on that cooking as a form of reclamation and radical self reliance, I think that's. Ayurveda is really encouraging us to take control of that and to assert autonomy over our health and make sure that our choices are intentional. And then within that we have all of these really beautiful guidelines that touch on the emotional capacity of food. And by having this connection and this intention around it, we're able to receive the benefits of that. And so in Ayurveda we have the three mental gunas, which is satva, rajas and tamas, Satva being that which is, it is the essence of purity and balance and harmony and spiritual growth. And then we have rajas, which is like activity and desire, but it can also lead to restlessness and agitation and frustration.
And then we have tamas, which is that really like the ignorance, the dullness, it can lead to spiritual and emotional stagnation and this feeling of being stuck. And so we can also kind of translate those three mental Gunas into the. The essence of food. So we have sattvic food, which is those foods, like your whole foods, your fresh fruit and vegetables, your ghee, homemaking things. No, no preservatives, Nothing. Yeah, artificial. We have rajasic food, which is those kind of like, stimulating heating foods. So you've got your coffee, your chilies, your onions, spicy snacks, which initially might feel stimulating but can actually lead to, like, restlessness and like this, like, hyperactivity and disconnect and then tamasic foods. We. It's like your coffee and your alcohol and heavy meats and stale food or, you know, leftovers. And if you think about, like, a dull quality, you know, it's like the brain fog, like this real, like, heaviness about us. And so if we're consuming foods that are mostly tamasic, then we can expect to be lacking the clarity and the balance and the harmony. And.
And then furthermore, we've got the six tastes. So sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. And Ayurveda, again, recognizes the emotional qualities that those tastes can bring. But there's both sides of the scale. So it's like, you know, the sweet taste in moderation can bring feelings of love and compassion and. And satisfaction, but in. In excess, it can lead to lethargy. And if you think about, you know, like, the sugar crash almost, if you, you know, it's like this constant up and down and. And then you've got the sour taste, which can bring about, like, this real alertness and a focus and. And, yeah, like a clarity. But then in. In excess, it can lead to jealousy and irritability and. And so if you're consuming, I don't know, citrus five times a day, for example, you might start to feel like, why am I so irritated all the time? And. And I guess before I go on with the other taste. You know, in Ayurveda we say we want to balance with the opposite qualities. And I think you can kind of see that pattern with these emotions. So the salty taste might exude confidence and enthusiasm in moderation. But then in excess, we've got greed and cravings and wanting, wanting more and not feeling like we're having. And with bitter, it can be really clearing and it can bring almost like, a sense of clarity. Like, there's this. I listened to this really great interview with Dr. Sumitji, and he said he starts his day with the bittersweet complex to give that. The sweetness, the feeling of happiness, and then also this, like, clearing his mind for the day.
If you Were having bitter in excess, you might feel dissatisfied and isolated and withdrawn.
Pungent can. Can bring about a sense of boldness and a real, like, firm, like, yes, I can do this in moderation. And then in excess, we've got anger and impatience and, you know, things aren't happening quick enough. Like, I need more, I need more pace.
And then lastly, we've got astringent as a taste, which can be really firm and grounding and it can also bring about fear. And so if we can translate the tastes into that emotional understanding, we can learn to balance that throughout our day. And, you know, we say in Ayurveda that each day you should try and ensure that you have all six tastes. And I think that's on like a physiological level. It's both for digestion and assimilation of nutrients and for our mental clarity and our emotional state. And it really affects our spiritual growth.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: Yeah. And this is what I love about Ayurveda, that it actually is addressing and acknowledging. And I think modern science will eventually catch up to this as it has in, you know, many other things that Ayurveda says, like the mind and the gut, brain access and all these things that modern science now is actually saying, what Ayurveda has been saying for, you know, over 7,000 years. But that food and the qualities of food can influence our emotional states. So when we know that, you know, when we're in a heightened state, would you say that we would typically go more to a likeness? Like if we're in that really hyper state, we're probably going to reach for another coffee rather than having that, you know, deeper understanding that, okay, I need to do an opposite quality to really bring my emotional state back to. To a grounded awareness.
[00:20:28] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. And, you know, that goes into that. Consuming things in excess, you're going to want to keep consuming them. If you're having three coffees a day and then you begin to crash, you're not going to be like, oh, maybe I should have something grounding. If you, like you said, you're naturally in that heightened state, you're like, oh, well, I'll just stay here. Let's have another coffee. Or, you know, let's have some. Something really spicy for dinner. And there's. Yeah, it's that disconnect. We kind of like disassociate from our bodies. Innate wisdom, because our ability to listen goes out the door, essentially.
[00:21:01] Speaker B: And that's what Ayurveda has, this really intentional, deeper understanding of listening to your body and what it needs. And you're Saying about the sixth, sixth taste, and try to incorporate that every day. Can you talk about ghee in that? Because that has the sixth taste. So if someone was starting and going, you know, this sounds like really hard to do, just starting out. Is ghee a good place to start to get those qualities?
[00:21:31] Speaker C: Ghee, in my personal opinion, is just the golden nectar. It's like the missing piece of society, I think It's. It's so nourishing and lubricating, and it does have all six tastes. My understanding is if you add a basil leaf and a pinch of turmeric, you. You give the ability to encompass all six tastes. And so I have ghee on literally everything if I'm even going to have a coffee. So we know that coffee is bitter and astringent, for example, which means it's going to have that really stimulating effect on us. It's going to pull. Which is why a lot of the people will, you know, they might need to have coffee in the morning before they have a bowel movement. And it has that, like, the pulling, stripping action.
If you added ghee to that, you're adding in this, like, soothing, lubricating, grounding substance that has all six tastes. And so, I mean, it's not going to completely counteract the effects of it, but it's a start. Yeah.
And, you know, I think. I think there's a place for everything. And that interview I was Talking about with Dr. Sumucci, he said, yeah, he starts his morning with an espresso coffee, and it's because it is bitter, and it does, in moderation, provide you with that, the stimulation, and it clears the mind. It brings forth that clarity. And then he will end his day with a glass of single malt whiskey. And it's because single malt whiskey has the astringent taste. And so, like I said before, astringent in moderation can be really grounding. It can provide this sense of firmness and to end your day with something grounding, like, is there a better way to end your day?
[00:23:13] Speaker B: That sounds like heaven to me.
[00:23:14] Speaker C: Oh, I know two of my favorite things.
[00:23:16] Speaker B: Coffee and whiskey.
[00:23:18] Speaker C: Yeah. When I listened to that, I was like, great. Perfect.
[00:23:21] Speaker B: Permission, sleep.
[00:23:22] Speaker C: Let's go.
[00:23:25] Speaker B: I love that. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the qualities of food and their incredible ability to, like you said, adjust our emotional state, even our consciousness.
Is there some particular foods or ingredients you would say that can help soothe the heart? Because I feel where we're at in a society, there is a lot of this, like, Heart.
[00:24:03] Speaker C: Heartache.
[00:24:04] Speaker B: Heartache.
[00:24:05] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah, I really see that. I mean, I'll start by referring back to the sweet taste which brings forth. I mean, it has a direct association with the heart because it encompasses love and compassion and joy. And so immediately I'm like, okay, what food has that sweet taste? And it might be like a really ripe mango or something. But I guess before I go into the nitty gritty of specific combinations, I also just want to talk about translating tastes as a physical, scientific experience, and then if we can translate that also into, like an energetic emotional experience. So, for example, for me, if I was experiencing heartache, I most likely would reach for a bowl of kitchen.
Because emotionally, a bowl of kitchari, in my opinion, is like having a hug in a bowl. And so I associate that food with that feeling. And so I'm going to have a bowl of kitchari, and I'm going to feel supported and comforted.
And so I think there's two sides of that. There can be, like, your comfort food. And what is that? Obviously, sometimes our comfort food might not be the healthiest option. And so that's where I think this. This knowledge of. Of specific Ayurvedic ingredients can come in.
My second favorite to a bowl of kitchen and which is. Would be highly recommended in Ayurveda is a cup of warm milk with turmeric and cardamom.
So this. And you can even put some ghee in it if you want. And this is one of those.
A drink in this circumstance that has that savage quality. So it's pure, it's nourishing for the heart, it promotes grounding, it relieves stress.
I like to think of a warm glass of milk. I have this, like, inner child experience where I feel like I'm a baby who's about to go to sleep with this big belly of milk. And it feels so grounding and nourishing. And I think Ayurveda is almost drawing on those kinds of experiences.
And while we're on the drinks, we could have a fresh ashwagandha tea or tulsi tea, the holy basil. They're both really good for relieving anxiety and stress and promoting emotional harmony and regulating our hormones and affecting our nervous system, which I think when we're feeling emotionally turbulent, those are kind of all characteristics of that, and we want to kind of bring that back down.
Dates are really, really great for the heart. They have the sweet taste. You can soak them in some ghee, make them even better.
They're really good for ojas. Which is kind of like our vitality and our life force, and it resides in the heart as like this beautiful pranic force within all of us.
Almonds are really good for that as well.
Yeah, yeah, I love that.
[00:27:12] Speaker B: And I love that you speak about ojas, because I think about this a lot. And even with, you know, that milk providing that ultimate nourishment of, you know, helping us produce the ojas. And so would you say that the odors is the. The life force energy that we have so, you know, when we're, you know, deceased, like the body has no odors, so it really is that. That life force that we're trying to cultivate more of?
[00:27:41] Speaker C: Yeah, definitely. And I think, you know, if you think about the most kind of vibrant, lively person in your life, you know, that would be like the essence of ogis, that they've. They've got vitality, they've got life force there, their complexion is clear, and, you know, they're completely saturated in all forms, you know, mental, physical, emotional. And we can attain that by really cultivating a relationship with ourself and with our food and choosing food intentionally that has the prana and the life force. So all those Suffolk foods that I was talking about, like your fresh fruit and vegetables, your whole grains, unprocessed foods that they all possess the ojas within them. And if we're properly assimilating our nutrients, then we're going to receive that directly. And, yeah, I think it's essential for all humans to be trying to harness a relationship with that and focus on having that intention.
[00:28:46] Speaker B: And it's so interesting that you are going to a bowl of kitchari, which I love, because typically we would go for a bowl of ice cream, right, which is having that sweet quality. But it's also, you know, that the dairy as well. But can you explain what kitchari is? Because I don't think it's necessarily a go to when we're wanting a hug, but I love it because the deep nourishment of it, because your body now understands that it's getting all its, you know, it's its qualities that it needs within that kitchari. But can you just give us a quick rundown?
[00:29:29] Speaker C: Yeah. So kitchari is essentially a combination of rice and moong dal.
I'll put a lot of spices, maybe some fresh fennel and ginger in it.
And essentially all you're doing is cooking the rice and the mung in stock or filtered water or your choice of liquid, and you're cooking it to this level. And by slowly cooking it over a long process, we're increasing its digestibility.
It's warm, it's grounding, it's nourishing. We're using digestive spices like turmeric and cumin and fennel and coriander and. And yeah, where we're creating this, this little bowl of goodness. And it's so versatile, like you can have. It's really commonly used for postpartum women.
You can add vegetables to it. Like, you can literally do whatever you want with it. It's like, I mean, even in terms of the texture, you could, you know, cook it until it's just cooked and then you've got this beautiful grainy, almost like a salad or I, especially if I was stressed, I would, you know, cook it to its almost soup. You're getting all your macro and micronutrients from it. You're getting protein. It's. Yeah, I think, I think you can't go wrong with kitchen. Personally.
[00:30:45] Speaker B: Yeah, it's delicious. And yeah, I love doing it with like the like root vegetable or something like that to really make it grounding. But I think, yeah, it's one of those dishes that like you say, is so versatile. And I wanted to touch on you mentioned about digestion. And there is a saying that you are what you eat, but I love how Ayurveda takes that further and says you are what you digest.
Can you explain that a little bit more about that concept of it's not enough what you're eating? It's about having that food that you're able to digest it, because that is where we're getting our ultimate nourishment from. And I see Ayurveda also says that all disease starts in the gut. And so I think that is something, you know, with all the pesticides that there are now and the quality of our food, that digestibility is getting harder and harder.
What are your thoughts about from the Ayurvedic lens on, like you said, creating food that's easy to digest. So if your digestion is a little bit, you know, harder to process things, how do you counteract that? What are you saying to your clients?
[00:32:07] Speaker C: Yeah, I think if we have. So in Ayurveda, we understand that agni is digestion and so it's fueled by fire. And I guess I'll start by saying that in general, our digestion, because it is energetically fueled by that fire, that burning, it's highest at midday.
So I would start by saying that we should eat our heaviest meal at lunchtime when the sun is highest, I think.
I mean, traditionally Ayurveda says, you know, most of our food, let's say 90% of our food, it should be cooked, it should be warm, it should be grounding, we should be using digestive spices. So your fennel, your cumin, your coriander, your turmeric.
But I think what's also really, really important is that mind gut connection. And I think so often we forget how potent that connection is. And you know, we, we say in Ayurveda that you should, you should really realistically try to eat in silence. And that's because we want to be intentional with our food. And our digestive process begins the second we start thinking about food. So it's like, oh, okay, it's lunchtime.
In a fast paced society, someone might go to the shop and grab a wrap or a sausage roll or something and they're not actually listening to what their body is craving. And so automatically in that instance where you're making an unconscious choice about what you're eating, you've already altered your digestive process.
And I think something I really encourage all of my clients to do is to cultivate a relationship with intentional cooking and really listening to your body. So like, oh, okay, it's lunchtime, am I hungry? How hungry am I and what am I hungry for? Like what, what is going to give me the satisfaction that I'm craving? And I think when we begin to encompass this relationship with our internal body's desires where we're automatically kind of building on the digestive process.
I had this really interesting experience when I was living in Canada and I was most likely in the deepest depths of my eating disorder. So naturally my digestive process was almost non existent.
[00:34:41] Speaker B: Right.
[00:34:41] Speaker C: Like if you.
[00:34:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:34:43] Speaker C: So I went to this intuitive eating workshop and a really heavy emphasis on this workshop was activating all of your senses and incorporating that into every single meal time. And so we weren't necessarily cooking the food, but we had to do a yoga class. And there was this beautiful chef cooking the food in the room with us. So automatically, while we're doing yoga, you can smell it, you can hear it, it's activating the senses. Your tummy starts grumbling. And as soon as your senses are activated and you're thinking about food, like I was saying, your digestive process begins. So your body starts to release the enzymes and get ready to chew. And so yeah, we're doing this workshop and then the meal was served to us and we were given this beautiful plate of all different colors of Food. And there was rice and raita and two different types of curry and some dosa and a little square of chocolate. And you know, you've just done an hour, hour long yoga class and you're like, okay, I'm hungry. Like, my digestive system is ready to go.
And I definitely had a bit of anxiety looking at this plate of food. I was like, this is the biggest plate of food I've eaten in a long time.
And the facilitator was like, okay, we're gonna like, take our food up and close our eyes and smell each individual part of the meal. So, you know, you've got all these incredible smells. Like, I've never smelled anything like it. And then in silence, we were instructed to eat with our hands.
And this made a lot of people really uncomfortable because, you know, traditionally in Western society we don't eat with our hands.
But what this did was it forced you to be like, so present with that meal and your tummy is grumbling and you've got like, you, you know, you're like, how do I scoop this? How do I do this? And, and everything around you kind of dissolves. And you're almost building a relationship with, with consuming this meal. And there's so much presence there. And, and you're, you're eating each individual element. And then it was like just the most beautiful experience witnessing how the mind can completely influence our digestive process. And I remember walking out of that class and thinking, like, okay, this is where the process of my eating disorder begins. And I actually had the complete opposite experience. I was really calm. I felt completely saturated. I didn't feel anxious or overwhelmed. And I think that really, that was the first time where I really realized the mind gut connection and how the mind can have such a heavy influence on the way we digest. And I think if we can really focus on removing all of the other obstacles and rejecting dependence on processed foods and just like harnessing our own innate healing ability and learning to listen to our body's cues, then naturally our digestive process, especially following the Ayurvedic principles of using digestive spices and not drinking when you're having a meal and, and making sure everything is mostly cooked, then the two of those together, it's like a recipe of perfection.
[00:38:08] Speaker B: I love how you explain that.
[00:38:11] Speaker C: So passionate. Yes.
[00:38:13] Speaker B: And yeah, with that. Not having that liquid while eating the food is one that people ask me a lot because it's become so customized now to have that liquid. And so like, just with that digestive juices, it's diluting that. So, yeah, like not having that.
[00:38:35] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:38:35] Speaker B: And I love how you have brought all the senses into that because that is your, that is your work and that's what you've crafted in what you create, especially in your catering. Like your intentionality when you're doing the whole cooking process, the slowness and the intentionality that you put into the food, into the combination.
I'd love you to speak more about how you cultivate that when you're cooking because I've, I've experienced your meals and when I've been on retreat and it's, it's so nourishing and like you say, it's so filling in the nutrients. It's like you've put love into the food. And so I'd love you to explain about. Because in Ayurveda our teacher used to say how, be mindful when you're cooking because your intention, what you're feeling is going to be put into the food.
And so I remember her saying, you know, well, there's that saying, never eat when you're upset or angry because that is going into the food. And I've done that. I've like had an argument while I've been cooking. And like the digest, the digestion upset like that comes from. That is real. And I don't think that you would normally have that understanding if you weren't in this world of Ayurveda. Can you talk about how you set your intentions as you're cooking? How important that is? Do you feel it is just as important as creating that silence when you're actually eating the meal? Like how much is that person that is cooking the meal influencing the energetic composition of the food.
[00:40:40] Speaker C: Yeah, such a great notion. I think what it really comes down to is recognizing the intention behind the meal and understanding what we want to receive from it.
[00:40:54] Speaker B: So.
[00:40:56] Speaker C: For example, for me, like, I know if I'm on a retreat, for example, I know that I've got this 16 hour day ahead of me and I'm like, okay, but yes, this is my job. And I also have like this deeply ingrained desire to provide nourishment to the people on this retreat. And I think perhaps it comes from experience or perhaps it comes from struggling with an eating disorder for the better part of 10 years. I just, I. It's so important for me that I put intention into each meal. And sometimes I have to remind myself, you know, I think circling all the way back to the beginning of this, where, you know, I was talking about how for a lot of People cooking has become almost like a part of their to do list. It's like this automatic process and it's just like, get it done. Like this is a chore. You know, it's mundane, it's repetitive. I don't want to cook. And I think if we can catch ourselves in that moment and remember that like the food that we are choosing is what is going to provide us with nourishment on a mental, physical, emotional, spiritual state. And if we can see it as that and see it as that medicine and this, you know, it does provide like our makeup. And so for me, I will begin, if I'm working, I will begin my day. I give myself an hour before I'm entering the kitchen. And that hour is just, it's completely, for me, it's where I'll do some gua sha or I'll have a shower, I'll do my oil pulling and tongue scraping. And it's so important for me to have that moment to myself before I'm then going into being in service, to providing nourishment for these people. But even at home, you know, I've caught myself in those phases where it's like, I really can't be bothered cooking tonight. I'd love to just make some two minute noodles. But I know like the fact that I'm having that emotional experience, to me now, I can recognize that as being like, okay, so my body actually probably needs even more nourishment than, you know, a day where I'm excited to cook and I'm like feeling creative and doing all of that stuff. So I think recognizing your thought pattern before you're cooking and then if possible, changing that intention and reminding yourself that this is going to provide me or my husband or my kids or my family nourishment. And yeah, that's where we begin to assert autonomous autonomy over ourselves and we take full control of our health and, and you know, we're the driver of that car and no one else can influence that, that decision. It really comes down to how we view cooking as a process and, and, and building that relationship with our body where it's like, my body is my vessel. If my physical body isn't in an optimal state because it's not receiving optimal nutrition, then I can't expect to be functioning at my best. And I think it's really easy in the, in this busy society to forget that and just, you know, grab a snack on the go. And it's like you said, you know, when you're cooking with anger and Distraction, almost.
You're assimilating that as well. You know, you think, think about a time if you've sat down to eat, you're stressed, or maybe you're talking about business with a colleague and all of a sudden you have finished your lunch, but you're either completely dissatisfied because maybe you didn't taste the food, you didn't have that experience, or perhaps you've eaten so quickly that you weren't able to listen to your body's cues of like, hey, I'm full and I actually don't need any more nourishment. All of a sudden you're way too full, you're feeling lethargic, you've got reflux or hyperacidity or you're bloated. And that's where that kind of tamasic quality comes in, where it's really like dulling and foggy. And so I think it's just, it's so important to be present with our food from the moment where we're going into that and to cultivate that relationship. And it's only when we can cultivate that relationship that we can expect this harmonious, kind of like symbiotic relationship between our mind and our gut and digesting both on a physical and an emotional level.
[00:45:30] Speaker B: I find it very easy to cook for my husband because like, I want to like lovingly look after him and make sure like he is functioning at like his best.
But sometimes I will catch myself if he is away.
The meals that I would typically then just make for myself and not at that level, which I find is like, when you look at that, it's fascinating. It's like, well, how about I give myself like that nourishment that I would be giving to someone else.
[00:46:07] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:46:08] Speaker B: And I think as women, like I saw that with my, my mum as well. She would often like give herself like different or what, what wasn't like the most attractive looking or whatever.
[00:46:24] Speaker C: Because she wanted you to have more. Yes.
[00:46:26] Speaker B: And I find that really fascinating. And you know, being exposed to Ayurveda, it started to undo all of that for me and started to see it as like this act of self love is creating something that is really nourishing not just for someone else.
[00:46:45] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:46:46] Speaker B: But to do for yourself.
[00:46:48] Speaker C: Yes, I couldn't agree more. And I think, yeah, it's so important, like you can recognize the deep love and care you have for your husband. And so you're making sure, yeah, his meals are going to completely saturate and satisfy him. And then it's like okay, well, what is that saying about your relationship with yourself if you're not having that same desire to do that for yourself? And yeah, I think Ayurveda really encourages you to carve out that time for yourself first. Even I think, like, as you would know, being, working in the, in the realm of being in service to other people and providing, providing that care and being a healer, it's very easy to put others before yourself and to not recognize your needs. And maybe it even goes as deep as not recognizing your needs as being worthy of that level of attention. And I think, yeah, it's a slippery slope and it's so easy to fall into that pattern. And yeah, Ayurveda definitely is like a constant reminder of like, come back to self first. Like, we can, you know, we can only look after ourself if we're fully nourishing ourselves first, and then we'll be at even a greater capacity to then look after the people that we love.
[00:48:08] Speaker B: Speaking of this connection and the connection that our food gives not only to ourself because that's what it's definitely given me, but I love how you create these experiences with your food, like sharing the food. Because when I've been on retreat and you have been doing the nourishment of the retreat, the best part I wanted to think about how I phrase this, but the best part that I think about those retreats is always at the table eating the food. Because not only is the food nourishing, but like the conversation. No one's on their phone, there's no TV on, on. We're having this really beautiful conversation. But like, yeah, I would like to get your thoughts on how food can be like the connector for community. And back to what you're saying at the start about food being more of a ritual. And I think that we've lost that. And so one of my favorite things to do and I've started to really cultivate that is creating like these solstice events where you take taking that intentional time to come together to eat a really nourishing meal.
Do you think there is this potential to, you know, this farm to table movement kind of thing? I'd love to know what your thoughts are on really cultivating that community through that, through that food.
[00:49:51] Speaker C: Yeah, it's an interesting one because as you know, traditionally Ayurveda would say that we should eat in silence. And I remember when I, when I first kind of learned about that notion and, and then I would be on retreat and meal time was always like chatty and exciting and people, you know, talking about their lives and all of that. And I was like, oh, like, I'm not sure how this lands because in one sense, I think that, yeah, being silent and reverent is really important. But I think, like, culturally, like tradition would say that mealtime is this shared experience. And food really brings people together. It always has. You know, we've, like, our ancestors and like just about every culture in society, I think, would see meal time as this time where the whole family comes together or, you know, you gather. And quite often a meal is shared. And that's kind of like the center point.
And I think, yeah, being on retreat, I've really, really noticed that it's usually at meal time where the walls come down and where people's heart opens up. And I think it comes from.
I mean, receiving a beautiful meal is one thing, but I just think there's this level of vulnerability around food. And I've not yet quite been able to place my finger on what brings about that vulnerability. But I've just, you know, I've been doing retreats now for six years, and every single time, without fail, I see, yeah, just this, like, big, compassionate circle forming, and people are forming these connections that they might not have otherwise formed, especially in a retreat setting. You know, people don't know each other. They're coming from all different walks of life. And. And it's just. It's the most beautiful experience. And I think, yeah, I quickly kind of was like, oh, obviously if someone wanted to eat in silence, I would be completely respectful of that. And I think in general, maybe in your home setting or whatever, that might be something worth practicing because again, that cultivates that. Like I was saying, like, you form a relationship with your food, but I think humanity also needs human connection. And if food can be the center point, that. That brings that together and allows that to happen, and, you know, then why wouldn't we. It just. It's such a magical experience. And yeah, I mean, your solstice dinners, like, we've witnessed some of the most vulnerable conversations I've ever heard. Sitting around at the dinner table, sharing a meal together. And, you know, when you. When you have this feast style, it's like you're passing the food to someone else. And, you know, that can be taken on so many different levels. And we're sharing and. And we're all having this, like, combined joint experience. And the food is being received differently by everyone, but there's a common element, and that automatically provides a sense of community. And I think you know, ayurvedically, we do cook intentionally and we cook for the food to be grounding and warming and calming and gentle on the nervous system. And when you're receiving food that is cooked in that way and showcased in that way and served in that way, I think the ripple effect of that is it's, it would almost be impossible to move forward.
[00:53:17] Speaker B: Yes. And I love how you say you can't actually put your finger on it because that is exactly how I feel about it as well. And there's something just magical about it.
And same with like, I don't know, this is part of probably a love language thing. But to me, like receiving a meal as like a gift, like I don't think there is any higher form than nourishment of that because like receiving like a home cooked meal, someone's taking that intention thought about you thought about cooking it and then gifting it to you. There's something so healing about that. Yeah.
[00:54:00] Speaker C: You think about if you were like really sick with a flu and your friend drops you around soup and it's like you could have made that soup yourself but it wouldn't have had the same effect as being lovingly brought over by a friend where you know, their intention was to cook you something really healing and then they're going to bring it to you so that you don't have to do it for yourself. And it's like, yeah, it's an act of service and you're receiving that and you receive it on a physical and an emotional level. It's like you're receiving the love that that person has intentionally poured into creating that meal for you. And yeah, I think it's just, it's, yeah, it's incredible. Food is such a, an incredible portal for community and connection.
[00:54:41] Speaker B: Yes. Could you go more into how to cultivate that awareness when we are by ourselves? Like you talk about the, the smell and the act and thinking, but you know, a lot of the time in Ayurveda it's like I've heard practitioners say, you know, chew it until it's like a sludge. Like what's your, what's your thought process on even deeper connecting to the food as you're eating it?
[00:55:12] Speaker C: I think it, it probably needs to begin with the intention first. So your body's like, okay, I'm hungry.
And I think if you had the privilege of having the time and space to really sit with that, I'm hungry and be like, okay, I'm not going to reach for the quickest thing I'm not going to make a peanut butter sandwich. What does my body actually want? And we can use this intention to be like, how am I feeling emotionally? Am I feeling racy? Am I feeling stimulated? Am I feeling stagnant? Do I need something to motivate me? And that comes back to the six tastes. So, okay, I'm feeling really stagnant. I don't want to move. I'm really unmotivated. And it's like, okay, well, then at that point you might favor something that is a little bit more heating and stimulating. So you might encompass that, the sour taste or the bitter taste to kind of like boost your system. So I think having that emotional awareness first, like, it automatically cultivates that connection to the food. And then you're going to go to the pantry and you're really intentionally selecting ingredients that are going to nourish your physical needs as well as your emotional needs. Like, if you're able to identify what you need emotionally, I think physically you're just, you're going to reap the rewards of that a lot more.
Rather than being like, oh, I feel really stuck. I don't want to, I don't want to do anything. I'm really unmotivated. I'm just going to have a jam sandwich. And it's like, okay, so you're having those processed foods, which is tamasic. You're having like a load of sugar in the jam. And so you're going to give yourself that crash. And it's not, it's not feeding your emotional desires, and therefore it's not going to feed your physical needs.
So, yeah, I really, I really think it's all about intention. And if I could say one thing to every person, it would be like, if you can just carve out those, it probably once it becomes a common practice, like, it will take you 30 seconds to be like, what am I feeling emotionally right now in this moment?
And then furthermore, you might be like, okay, and what are my physical needs for the rest of the day? Am I going to be sitting behind a computer for the rest of the day? Or am I going to be, you know, in, for example, like, am I going to be out farming or in the garden or moving or, you know, am I going to go for a run later? And what physically would that require?
And by putting that thought process into it first, you're preparing your body on an emotional level. And then that, you know, it's directly going to affect your. The digestive process, like I said, because that begins as soon as we begin Thinking about the food.
And yeah, I think with that intention, that mindfulness, it just kind of comes. And all of a sudden we're learning about the innate wisdom of our body and we can listen to its subtle cues and. And the more we practice that, the more autonomous it becomes. You know, all of a sudden we'll. We'll be checking in with our. With ourselves without even it being a conscious. I need to check in and see how I'm feeling. It'll just become part of. Part of the ritual of cooking food. And I think it does create. You know, it's like what I was saying earlier, where food can become like this mundane chore.
If we can sit with ourselves for 30 seconds, all of a sudden we're translating this mundane chore into like, a really beautiful ritual. And this, like, really, like, special time where we're choosing ourselves and we're choosing to take control of nourishing ourselves first and setting ourselves up for the rest of the day or setting ourselves up to wind down. And. Yeah, I just. I just think that that is going to lead to this ultimate harmonious balance.
[00:59:10] Speaker B: I have caught myself before being in sort of like heightened state, more of what you would say, like a vata. So more of the air, the ether state. And I'm like, I want the popcorn.
[00:59:24] Speaker C: Yeah. Or the cracker or I want some salty chips. Yeah, we're all victims of it.
[00:59:29] Speaker B: I'm like, yep, should have the sweet potato. Need to get that grounding, that nourishment that my body is actually craving, rather than going into more of that heightened state. And like you said, I think that's so important to have that. That body awareness that you can start cultivating, I think is really important.
When you talk about daily cooking, how do you think is the best way to set yourself up for success?
[01:00:08] Speaker C: Gosh. I mean, there's so many aspects to this.
Because I think, first, it's probably important for me to address the fact that, you know, for example, in Ayurveda we say that you should cook every meal fresh if you can. I just want to acknowledge that that is a privilege for a lot, you know, that a lot of people might not have, you know, they might not have time to cook three really nourishing meals a day. And I think, I think first and foremostly, it's important to recognize, like, what is my capacity for today? What do I have to do today? That's, you know, what is demanded of me, and what capacity do I have to nourish myself? And that might mean you've got 30 minutes in the morning to cook both a breakfast and a lunch. And so I think being realistic with ourselves about what we can attain and removing that pressure, because we already have so much pressure from society to do this, to do that, to be good, like, cook all of your food, make everything from scratch. And it's just not realistic for some people. And I think we really need to check in with ourselves and say, like, okay, maybe for breakfast I can only afford to quickly make some scrambled eggs, but while that's doing, do I have time to put some kitchari on the stove and all I've got to do is add the water and let it go, or do I have time to roast some vegetables really quickly? And I think just, yeah, by acknowledging our day and figuring out what is going to be demanded of us and what time we're going to have to cook, we're almost setting ourselves up. Like, okay, I know that I'm going to be at work and I'll only have a half an hour lunch break, and I want to get outside for lunch as well. So I don't want to spend all of that time cooking, or I'm in an office. So buy yourself a thermos, cook it in the morning.
I think my personal, like, personally, I really value being able to cook at least one fresh meal a day, as in cooking and eating it. And I think that's a really good goal to start with. And for a lot of people, that might be dinner, because, you know, it's the end of the day, you don't have a running to do list after dinner time. And so, okay, let's start with dinner. Let's start with really simple recipes, like, let's look for those ones that only take us 15 minutes or 30 minutes, and start there and let that kind of habit form, make it part of your routine. And then I think slowly, I think, because there is a little bit of a disconnect still with cooking.
I think simplifying it for us, like, going back to the basics, like going back to just roasting some vegetables or, I mean, you know, there's. There's so many ways that we can make it really easy for ourselves if we just take a time to sit down and be like, how. How am I going to make this easy for ourselves? Not leaving it until the last minute, not. Not leaving it until we're starving and we're going to reach for something where 50% of the ingredients are artificial. You know, I think it really. I keep circling back to the word intention, but I Just think we need to bring back awareness of the power of food as medicine and recognize that it's an essential part of our day. And, yeah, I mean, there's a lot of great cookbooks. Whenever I do a consult with a client, I give way too much, but maybe not enough too, you know, because I just care so deeply. And so, you know, I've got a mother and she's got four kids, and I'm like, here's 20 recipes that are going to take you 15 minutes to cook, like, and you can make it versatile with your kids. And yeah, I think it's just. Yeah, the awareness of your day is probably a good place to start, and trying to carve out a little bit of extra time if you can. And again, acknowledging that that is definitely a privilege for some people. And I definitely don't want to be putting pressure on people to cook every single meal if that feels unattainable for them. And I think even for self, removing that pressure.
[01:04:18] Speaker B: Yeah, I think that's such an important one to address because I think I'll speak for myself here. But like, studying Ayurveda, while it gives us this beautiful connection to back to the earth, back to ourselves, like you say, it can also create this overwhelming state as well, of, I need to do this, I need to do that. And I love how you've given that permission to whatever you can afford the time to do is, like, a great place to start. I think that's really important to acknowledge because, yeah, when we get in that overwhelmed, then we get paralyzed, and then, you know, like, nothing happens and then we do. Yeah, reach for that food.
[01:05:00] Speaker C: Yeah, exactly.
[01:05:01] Speaker B: I love how now markets have become, like, quite popular, like, going and getting, like, the groceries. And I feel that this is a movement that is cultivating that awareness of that fresh produce, what's available now, rather than going to, like, the supermarket and just like, everything is always readily available.
I think that the farmers markets and things like that are really helping bring that back into people's lives. And having it as more of an event like this is a beautiful thing to do on a Saturday or a Sunday morning to, like, go and pick the produce, because there is that element of disconnect. You know, we're no longer on the land or, you know, it would be beautiful. I definitely want to cultivate this in my life, more of that, you know, growing our own food and things like that. But, yeah, I. I love that I'm seeing more people in my life now going to the markets and really starting to think about what are the foods that they can make with the produce that is in season rather than.
[01:06:13] Speaker C: Yeah, I love that. And I love.
Yeah. And maybe that. That should be added into, you know, how can we create this time for ourselves to cook? It's like if you have a family, make it a family experience. Take the kids to the markets, take your partner to the markets.
It's that notion where food brings people together again. And if you do have kids, maybe encouraging them to cook with you.
If you're feeling like you don't have time to cook dinner because you've got kids to bathe, or they're demanding your attention, or the kids need to be outside, or they're playing and they want you to play with them. Okay. So make cooking dinner the activity. And then you're also encouraging that connection between the child and their food from the word go.
[01:07:04] Speaker B: I love that.
[01:07:05] Speaker C: Yeah. There's this really beautiful quote by a man called Thomas Edison, and he says, the doctor of the future will give no medicine, but instead will interest his clients on the frame, on the diet and the cause and prevention of disease. And I think if we could all take that into our life and become our own doctor and really learn about the human frame and what it needs and how we can prevent disease. And, you know, by cooking with your kids and taking them to the markets, you're bringing that into their life at an early age. And I think that that is. Is the way of the future, I think. And there's definitely a shift happening. You know, you see more and more people at markets, and. And to be honest, I think the other thing is, like, chain supermarkets have become so expensive now. Like, it's actually cheaper to shop at your local farmers market majority of the time.
And that awareness is. Is definitely coming in. And it's like, you know, the pendulum is swinging. It's. It's coming back for sure. And there's still a ways to go. And I think that comes when people are feeling like they can't escape.
Like, I hate to use the word rat race, but, you know, the societal pressures, I think there's still, you know, a demographic of people that are, like, stuck in. I can't get out of this. And I'm really. I'm so hopeful that this works. Will slowly, you know, just create a ripple effect and spread the information and, yeah, be the doctor that Thomas Edison speaks about and educating people on.
Yeah, using food as medicine.
[01:08:55] Speaker B: I think that's really beautiful. Using the food as medicine. And that's really how Araveda has taught me to See food and coming back to the body and just even with things, like I mentioned before, like, grounding the body. And I think that in society now, like, this anxiety is so prevalent, and a lot of people are suffering from it. And knowing that, you know, food is so grounding, like, just, you know, like, eating a meal can be so grounding. And like, remembering bring, like, the power of food is kind of like, yeah, our society has, you know, this convenience has kind of like, stripped that power away from us. And like, I, like you said, like, I definitely feel that that's. The tides are turning. The pendulum is definitely swinging.
And with what you're doing now, Mahini, you're also offering, like.
Like honeys. And you're making the most incredible mulberry jam.
[01:10:15] Speaker C: I knew you were gonna bring that. I'm gonna have to give you the recipe because you have a mulberry tree now.
[01:10:20] Speaker B: Yes. And it's so, so nourishing and, like, so bringing these foods that you have cultivated and you're creating these incredible kitchery packs and things like that to make it accessible for people that can be overwhelmed with this.
Yeah. With this lifestyle.
I'd really love to know what.
What you feel is, like, next. What is, like, the next thing that you want to help people with.
[01:10:59] Speaker C: Do.
[01:11:00] Speaker B: Yeah. Like, where are you seeing it heading?
[01:11:03] Speaker C: I. I feel like my. My journey so far has been a lot of surrender. You know, when. When I came home from Canada and I was like, I don't. I don't know what I'm going to do at that point. I'd been working in kitchens for six or seven years, and I was like, I. I don't want to work in a restaurant. I don't want to work in a winery. I don't want to make the same food over and over and over again. And I, you know, I'd done that, and then, yeah, this catering business just, like, quite literally fell in my lap. Someone actually asked me to do it before it had even come into my realm. And then, yeah, without, you know, I think, like, word of mouth was great for that. It just kind of. It took off. And I mean, it was during COVID so a lot of people were having retreats and stuff down here, and it was a really big thing. And.
And, yeah, so I think through that, I learned that, like, the ultimate form for me to be able to grow my business is just to surrender.
Obviously, there needs to be some directional force, and I feel like perhaps there's this. And I'm not sure whether this has come through Working one on one with clients and educating them. But you know, like, for example, specifically with food and Ayurveda and body types. So we have the three doshas and so we've got vata, pitta and kapha.
I've found myself really passionately educating people around that and then teaching them how to then feed their bodies based on those. So looking at like the Panchamaha Buddha theory and the five great elements and how they reside within us and. Yeah, I feel, I've felt it even through my catering. This.
I used to, I used to think that I was an entertainer when I was catering because I was always talking about the food and how I created it and what it was doing for us nutritionally and all of this stuff. And then it kind of dawned on me. I was like, oh, it feels a little bit more like educational, I guess.
[01:13:14] Speaker B: Yes. And I think that's so important because I think there is so much confusion now on what to eat because there is so many diets like, you know, eat all meat or don't eat all meat. And I think this is so important and that, you know, that is part of that mission because, yeah, people are so confused. It's almost like that paralyzing, like, oh, I don't know what to reach for now because I've been told that this banana, I shouldn't eat it or, you know, this I shouldn't eat it. And seeing food as either good or bad.
[01:13:51] Speaker C: Yeah.
[01:13:51] Speaker B: And that's what I love about Ayurveda. It really retaught me how to look and think about food. So there is no, like, particularly good or bad food. Yeah, like it's having that balance.
[01:14:04] Speaker C: The balance, everything in moderation.
[01:14:06] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:14:07] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I definitely think there's an element of my future that will be around providing that education but just like stripping it right back, you know, like, like I'm currently running a cleanse and I had so much fun creating the ebook for them because there was. And maybe it was too much information for some people, but, you know, I was talking about why we have a mono diet and, and what the traditions are and how they affect us. And. And also I think something that I really enjoy doing is applying Ayurvedic philosophy to real day life and real life. Real life and, you know, kind of translating that information. So we look at. In Ayurveda we've got vata, pitta and kapha. In Western medicine we've got endomorph, ectomorph and mesomorph. And if you actually look at them physically, they are nearly the same.
[01:14:59] Speaker B: Yes.
[01:15:00] Speaker C: And so we understand it in Ayurveda on this, like, energy more than just the physical, it's also energetic. It's like the subtle energies of the body.
But it's almost like Western medicine has drawn from that. And whether or not that was the case, who knows? But, you know, we know how long Ayurveda has been around for. And so, yeah, I feel like part of my mission is definitely around translating and informing people. And whether that's through courses or consults or a YouTube channel, I'm not exactly sure yet. And I can feel it coming. Yeah, I can feel a shift coming. It's just. It's incubating right now. It's in the little marinating phase where it's still gaining all the parts, and we'll just see.
[01:15:50] Speaker B: I would love to ask you, because I love to ask my guests this, your philosophy on beauty. And I think Ayurveda is so steeped in, you know, providing nourishment for our body and ultimately cultivating ojas is going to enhance, like, our longevity, but also our suppleness, so our, like, vitality and our radiance. So I'd love to know your philosophy around beauty and the aging process. Yeah, yeah.
[01:16:27] Speaker C: Oh, so. So many things. I think immediately what comes to mind when I think of beauty is. Is just someone who is completely comfortable in their skin. But for me, that comfortability is so much deeper than just like, oh, I'm really comfortable with the way I look. It's like, okay, but how do you feel internally? How is that for you? Like, are you in tune with your body? Are you eating in alignment with it? Are you. Are you feeling nourished? Are you feeling saturated? Are you feeling like there's nothing else that your body needs?
And I think once we. We kind of reach that. That pinnacle where our ojas is thriving and. And we have all this prana or this life force and this vitality. I think naturally, like, beauty is such a natural occurrence if we let it be.
And I think by being in tune with our body on, like, a deep nourishment level, you know, so making sure all seven tissues are nourished. I think naturally, beauty is just going to emanate from us. And I don't. I don't think beauty needs to be this conventional. Like, oh, her eyes are nicely spaced, or she's got a beautiful symmetrical face. Like, it's. It's so much more. And I think you can really.
You can. You can see authentic Beauty on an energetic level.
And I think, yeah, it comes from that ojas and you know, making sure, yeah, all of the tissues right down to our shukra datu, which is our reproductive system. That's where like our creative force comes from. It's where the, you know, it's what creates everything in life. And I think if we are completely nourished and saturated, then naturally that's going to create this, this beauty kind of emanating from us. And yeah, like, I think about my friend group and I'm so fortunate to have so many friends who just, they love themselves. They're, they really care about their health and, and I will constantly walk around being like, I've got the most beautiful friends in the world. Like, it's wild. And I think it's because everyone is so in tune with themselves. It's not just about being comfortable with how they look. They're comfortable with their personality and with their characteristics and with the way they deal with emotions and the way they deal with problematic situations. And I think, yeah, there's so many moving parts to beauty. So much more than just the physical manifestation of it.
[01:19:03] Speaker B: I love that. Thank you so much. Mahini. Before we go, can you please let the listeners know where to find you?
[01:19:13] Speaker C: Yes. So the best place is probably social media. My business is a, it's spelled, I mean, I assume we'll put it in the show notes.
A Y U R M A T A through there. The website will be there. You can get in contact with me directly through Instagram or my email or my website. You can read. I've got some great recipes on my blog, a little bit more about my story and yeah, we can connect and see where it goes.
[01:19:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I would definitely share all those in the show notes. Thank you so much for coming on and sharing your wisdom.
[01:19:55] Speaker C: Thank you. It was so nice. Thanks for having me.
[01:19:59] Speaker A: Thanks for tuning into Star Being. May the wisdom shared resonate in your soul. Until next time, stay connected and keep reaching for the stars. This is starbing signing off.
