Blogging, Filming and Staying Connected :)

[Ripa Ajmera]

Dearest Mitras,

Thank you for a wonderful, energizing and productive meeting on Saturday! Ambika, please do send your notes when you can to refresh the memories of those who were present, and to bring those of us who couldn't make it (like Vijaya - you were missed!) up to speed.  

Blog Updates

• Thanks again to Mahi for being our fearless first contributor, thru her wonderful kitchari video and writing on overcoming colitis (looking forward to your Ayurvedic burrito and other creative recipes! :))
• I will be interviewing Tracy in a documentary-style video on her dramatic weight loss and overcoming hives over break
• Shaaranya will be writing about the relative ease of her Ayurvedic pregnancy experience
• Manasvini just called with great ideas for a possible Vedanta rap music video(!), filming her fabulous version of kushmanda w/cashews (a recipe Prasanna voted his favorite Vedika meal! - and a great Ayurvedic holiday recipe - thank you for that idea, Hemaji!), writing about overcoming eczema thru diet, and other topics
• Hemaji will be writing about her delight of discovering Ayurveda as a system of medicine so complete that it integrates so many other types of healing, under one big, beautiful umbrella 
• Sanjaiji will be writing about his inspiration for food and cooking ignited in his mother's kitchen while growing up in India
• In talking with Aparna and Hemaji, we decided to continue collecting material (including clips from already existing footage and articles on our website - please feel free to offer suggestions anytime!) and then officially launch the blog in January. We will continue this conversation with Shunyaji and other web folks in the interim to ensure all web/marketing activities are timed and aligned in a way that each mutually supports and enhances all others.

Filming at the Retreat

Shunyaji,  will there be breaks on Sunday in which we can take footage of people sharing success stories and Ayurvedic inspirations? If so, let's make an announcement tomorrow and on Sunday morning to inform people of the opportunity? I think it's a great time to capture the joy of all that we experienced in the past year in particular...

Staying Studious, Creative and Connected During Break

Manasvini plans to be at Vedika regularly during break to take care of the kitchen, study, etc. and is happy to keep open hours for people to come in. I think this will be a wonderful way for us work together on creative Mitra contributions - it's always more fun to collaborate! I would also be happy to organize a couple days we can study, sip chai and have circles of sharing around Ayurveda/Vedika success stories, to inspire more reflection and build community. 

Especially since we will all be empowered to go share what we have received in the community next year, I think this will be a nice way (along with blog contributions) to become more aware of the resources we have in each other - e.g. if I encounter someone struggling with colitis or hives, I now know to send them to Mahi and Tracy, respectively! I also really appreciated how Shunyaji encouraged us to be more (dharmically) transparent with one another on our progress/process of integrating and applying the vidya in our lives, and think these circles could also allow us to share with and encourage each other in how we are doing that.

Please let me know if this idea is of interest, so we can then plan dates (feel free to make suggestions - would class day/time or weekend be better?). I will be away next week (Thanksgiving) and Dec 14-Jan 3 (Christmas/New Year), so was thinking to schedule two sessions in Dec and one the week before school starts in Jan. If people are interested and around, however, my presence is no hindrance and we can plan additional times, too.

Adding New Members

Vijaya - can you please invite Atmajyoti, Mahamaya, Ishani, Bhairavi, Shaaranya and Manasvini to join this group? Those present for the mtg, can you send names of anyone I may have missed?

In Joy,

Ripa

[brittany barrett]

Jai Ma Mitras-

Thank you Ripa for your organizational skills. It helps to see our progress in Bullet Point format!

I'm looking forward to making more videos when I get back from India.

Here are some more ideas I had re: video subjects.

1. How do you "do" Ayurveda? Useful tools on how to merge an Ayurvedic lifestlye with your "regular life".
 ex.
  a. I make 2 servings of rice and dahl or kitcheri in the morning and eat half for breakfast. Then I take the other half in a thermos. That way I don't have to use a microwave, and my food is still hot. Also, I like to add my vegetables in my dahl or kitcheri to save time on washing another pan.
  b. I Heat up my sesame oil for abyhanga and hot water for drinking at the same time in the morning. Then,  As I am letting my oil soak in, I am drinking my hot water... (killing 2 birds with 1 stone)
  c. When I am out and about and don't have time to cook for myself, what should I eat?
ex. At the Airport, go to a cafe and order organic steamed milk and add nutmeg  cinnamon and sugar.... Also Calms Vata from travelling. (I like to call it porta-spiced milk ;)

2. What are some tricks you have learned at Vedika to help calm your mind and reconnect you with atman?
 a. Chanting mantras
 b. Pranayama
 c. Asanas

Hopefully this is helpful in generating some inspiration.
I am really looking forward to the retreat this Sunday.
WIth Love,
Mahi

--
Brittany Paige Barrett
Founder and Designer at Native Drops- Sustainable, Wearable, Art.
www.NativeDrops.com

[Ripa Ajmera]

These are wonderful topics, Mahi - I can easily imagine featuring these videos around this time next year, to attract people to the 2-month course in Jan 2013! :)

When we launch the blog in Jan, it will be great to have some food and weight related blog content, to cross-promote Sanjaiji's first cooking workshop (Jan 22), Maheshji's Feb 4/5 weekend workshop on optimum weight thru Ayurveda and Yoga and whatever the first Sangha topic will be. Think New Year's Resolutions - and how to actually achieve them thru the wonderful knowledge we are receiving!

General Marketing Guidelines/Reminders 

• Because we at Vedika are actively positioning ourselves to reach a wider base of people to benefit from Ayurveda, it will be even more important for us to gear all marketing-related activities toward a person who has never heard of "Ayurveda." 
• This will be good practice, as we will all ultimately be introducing Ayurveda to many people in whatever ways we are called and inspired to serve our communities as pioneers of this great art and science upon graduation.
• E.g. if someone were to say, "this is helpful to calm vata" - please explain, in simple terms, what is "vata?"

So, for Mahi's first video topic (for ex), rather than beginning right away with "doing Ayurveda," it will be important to set the context first. You could perhaps start by empathizing about how living a healthy lifestyle can be such a formidable challenge in modern times, when we have so many obligations to juggle and life seems to move so fast that "there's no time to stay healthy...." Fortunately, thru an ancient science of life called Ayurveda (which is the 'sister science of yoga' = great quick definition to draw people in), there are many simple and time-efficient ways you can start to achieve greater balance and wellbeing in your life.....and then it will be wonderful to have people share those tips that they actually use regularly, as personal experience is our greatest resource for inspiring and serving others!

Keep the creativity flowing, Mitras! Looking forward to the bounty of all we will co-create and share with others! :)

Love,

Ripa

[Pratichi]

Dear Ripa

 

Reading your emails to MC is a gift early morning

Aashirwaad to you  for being a pro active Mitra  ............Jai Ayurveda Jai Vedika

 

Keep it coming,. because when we step into compassionate leadership in what ever we are assigned to do.....entire humanity can sigh a breath of relief....and any way GOD takes over....and we become 100% instruments.........we at Vedika are learning to be such compassionate proactive self starting leaders....to serve humanity and alleviate suffering ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,because ayurveda and especially the way Vedika's altar is promoting and igniting Ayurveda,,,,is the need of the decade.

 

 

Gayatri Blessings to Us All Mitras,

 

Shunya

--

Shunya Pratichi Mathur
Founder Acharya
Vedika Global, Inc.

prat...@vedikaglobal.org
1.877.708.3342 Ext 11 - work
1.925.915.1369 - cell

www.vedikaglobal.org - website
http://vedikaglobal.org/media/index.html - media

 

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." - Rabindra Nath Tagore