Today we’d like to introduce you to Swati Rohatgi.
Hi Swati, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Namaste, I am a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor from Kerala Ayurveda Academy based in Milpitas CA, with headquarters in the birthplace of Ayurveda, Kerala India.
Thich Nhat Hanh says, “Most people are afraid of suffering, but suffering is a kind of mud to help the lotus flower of happiness grow. There can be no lotus flower without the mud.”
My journey starts from the mud, the suffering…… April 2016, I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and warmly welcomed our son. However my happiness was short-lived as I started slipping into Postpartum Depression rapidly. Each day looked worse for me and I wanted to escape my present. I was facing my emotional demons that kept me from bonding with my son, my husband and my family. A few months later, in late November 2016, I had my first intrusive thought which led to Postpartum Psychosis. I was in a whirlpool for two weeks before I reached out for professional help. I voluntarily admitted myself in a psych ward and spent 2-3 weeks in treatment away from my baby & family. I was severely challenged emotionally however there was a sense of relief that I got help!
The road to recovery was long and rough. With endless therapies, crying and fear I managed with a baby at home. I was a stay at home mom and my thoughts around the house were very unpleasant. With a lot of passion, I had setup my jewelry design studio in 2015 in the house and unfortunately that room turned into a place of despair for me. I planned on visiting my family in India in November 2017. Just a few weeks before my trip I started experiencing shooting pain in my lower back. I traveled to India with wheelchair assistance until we figured out that I was suffering from a prolapsed disc and immediately needed a spinal surgery, I took it all in good stride because I wanted the pain to go away. The recovery was smooth and quick. I ended up spending five months in India with my son. We returned back to the states in April 2018 and we hired a live in housekeeper to help me with household chores and my son, as I recovered fully.
I carried a desire to have a career or a work path, so I joined hands with my housekeeper who was an excellent traditional Indian cook. Together we started a small tiffin service known as “PINK TIFFIN” with the intent of providing fresh homemade meals to working families in and around our area. Gradually, I became well trained in the kitchen and explored the logistics of a catering business for some time. Unfortunately, Pink Tiffin had come to a halt after a few months because my housekeeper left for India. I
never picked it back again but I was seasoned in the kitchen now. So I started my cooking adventures with different cuisines and ingredients. I tried lots of vegan food & recipes. I also started to get a feel for Intuitive cooking.
Fast Forward to 2019, my son was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This was not easy for me to accept as a parent. I felt robbed for the third time in a span of 2.5 years. I turned sour to life and my depression & anxiety got really bad. I was angry at my support system constantly, I started obsessing over every little need of my son. I forgot to smile and stay happy. I just wanted the suffering to end.
In the midst of my internal storm came along a dear friend who introduced me to the practice of Mindfulness & Meditation. It all started with a webinar by Tara Brach in January 2020. That day was the turning point in my life, not because my circumstances were changing but there was a shift internally. I joined a local meditation community and started exploring short courses in the field. I finally started carving out some “Me Time” and this gave me a lot of internal peace. When the world got struck with Covid-19 and we started facing the outbreak in the States in March of 2020, I had a solid community to fall back upon. I signed up for the Power of Awareness program led by Tara Brach & Jack Kornfield and for the first time after a very long time, I experienced PEACE. I felt held and supported in the right way not just through prescription drugs. I found a true friend & meditation partner through the program. I also realized how my mind & body were naturally attuned to receiving the practice. It came effortlessly to me.
So now with cooking, meditation & forest bathing, I started my healing. I connected with myself in a much better way which helped in rebuilding connections of trust with my son & family. In Summer of 2020, I felt very heavy in my bodyweight and was barely fitting in any of my wardrobe clothes. In my awareness, I knew of the side effects of weight gain from the prescription drugs I was taking regularly for Depression & Anxiety. Now was the time to take charge, so I decided to pursue my healing in Ayurveda. I consulted an Ayurvedic educator & chef in my area. She helped me revisit this beautiful science of life and gave me very useful suggestions to follow in terms of diet & lifestyle. I loved every part of it and I knew I had found my calling. My heart, my soul and every cell of my body desired this knowledge.
The universe aligns all the elements & variables to make things happen for you when you invest all your energies in that one space you desire the most. So, I came across a wonderful program for Ayurveda and embarked on my journey of a long-term commitment for learning over a span of 1 year. This included weekend intensive modules that ran from 11am-9pm on Saturday & Sunday, once a month for 12 months.
I can proudly say that I attended all of them along with the other webinars & classes, etc.
Along the way, I have met beautiful people in the community, like-minded people with immense knowledge & wisdom to offer from our authentic ancient scriptures. I found Yoga, Pranayama and I am a member of a tea meditation community. I also talk as a panelist on a beautiful platform, SHARING WITH HEART created by a dear friend Raditia Lasry, from mindfulbeingllc. I have amazing people on board to support me and I am very grateful to know them as my Ayurvedic Doctor, Yoga Therapist, Mentor, Guides, Friends & Family.
I have started practicing Ayurveda and offer consultations from my home in Marietta, GA. As of now the consults are purely online. I also offer a variety of hand blend herbal teas created by me. You can find my work on Facebook & Instagram @HeartfeltAyurveda. I have truly embodied Ayurveda and I plan to live each day consciously with the awareness that there is a Higher self that we can connect with. We just have to trust in ourself & the plan of the cosmos.
I can truly say this about me “Roots in the East, Wings in the West”.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor and I embody & practice Ayurveda. I practice what I preach. I help and guide people on their healing journey. I am able to offer the following through my Ayurvedic consultation:
- Body Constitution analysis
- Mental Constitution analysis
- Diet & Lifestyle suggestions
- Recommendation of suitable Lifestyle herbs & spices
- A healing plan
I am so proud of finding my roots in Ayurveda. It is amazing how this beautiful science of life understands and views our existence or anything in the cosmos in 3 layers: physical (outer shell), subtle (energetic) & causal (consciousness). The time and effort that I spend with each Rogi/health seeker is purely heartfelt. Ayurveda is no one size fits all science rather we honor how each individual is different and has unique needs. So the healing plan that is created is also tailored to meet that person’s imbalances and needs.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I was 14, I left my home for a boarding school in Ranikhet, India. This was nestled in the mountains far far away from my hometown. It was a 14-16 hr road trip with minimal breaks. With no internet and cell phones, I think my family and I took a huge risk by opting for this but I needed this to become independent.
I have studied in Bangalore India for four years and Carlsbad, CA, USA for a full year without seeing family. These are all the big risks I took to dive into an unknown territory and establish a temporary nest.
One of the big ones is moving to the States permanently after getting married and also flipping my career 360 degrees from fashion & Lifestyle industry to Health & Wellness. It is beautifully coming together in my work. I have created a wonderful DO NOT WORRY basket offering with handcrafted wooden crates, a personal self-affirmation scroll handwritten by me and herbal tea hand-blended by me. There are many more goodies in it. I have also floated a pop up restaurant by the name of PUKKA RASA, a plant-based gourmet food experience with creative themes & decor at my home. This is purely seasonal and people have loved this offering for the holidays. I always get personal requests for another pop up, maybe soon!
For Valentine’s day this year, I combined my love and passion to create a VEGANISTA VALENTINE’S DAY basket which was very popular amongst my community & friends. Everyone enjoyed the food goodies offered by me. Everything in the basket from little decorations to food and handwritten messages was conceptualized by me. The food was
made at home from scratch with premium ingredients like natural sweeteners and organic seeds etc. The basket was a wonderful little treat offering Breakfast to Lunch option while you stay put in bed mostly. What a treat for your loved one!
I love the fact that no fragment of my knowledge & experience is left behind. I use my skills across the board from art & design to cooking to Ayurveda to meditation & tea knowledge. Giving up is not an option for me. I have long roads to travel and there is so much to learn in this lifetime.
Risk taking is an inevitable part of life. It can become an addiction sometimes but it always gives you room to grow and become wiser. I can take risks for sure, however I think I have had a fair share of that and now it’s time to call my nest my home. As Thich Nhat Hanh says, “I have arrived”.
Pricing:
- $160 for the initial consultation (2 -3 hrs)
- $85 for follow up (60 minutes)
- $ 59 for DO NOT WORRY BASKET
- $ 79 – $139 for VEGANISTA VALENTINE’S BASKET
Contact Info:
- Email: swatirohatgi.ga@gmail.com or loveheartfeltayurveda@gmail.com • Instagram: heartfeltayurveda
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theearthinggarden
Image Credits
Snappr
