LIVER: Transdermal and Transmucosal SVA Formulations to Cool Off – 10% Off
Vaidya Mishra took Mahasamadhi on April 13, 2017, leaving us an encyclopaedic SV Ayurvedic legacy that defies the passage of time. His “shakties” – divine creative feminine energy incarnations – have been busy spreading the SVA light through knowledge and courses, consultations, and most importantly food!
In this issue of our newsletter we feature Dr Lisa Raskin (D.C) – she sheds light on the oft ignored and misunderstood role and function of the liver, and more importantly, its detox.
We also feature another powerful shakti, Divya Alter. Divya came to SVA when she was having health issues 15 years ago. Vaidya Mishra and Dr Marianne Teitelbaum helped her recover fully through SVA protocols. Divya discovered and experienced the power of SV Ayurveda and has, along with her husband and business partner – Prentiss, worked at spreading SV Ayurveda through books, and their delicious NYC based fully vegetarian and pranic restaurant. However, things have been tough of late.
As we are all aware, the world is going through a great rough transition – at home, as well as globally. We don’t lose heart because we know it is always a happy ending no matter how bumpy the ride; however, we still have to survive the darkest hours that come just before sunlight…
One of the most important things we can do at this point in time is to help and support each other stand tall and strong, by giving our attention, time, and even financial support to those in need, so that we can continue the journey together, because together we are strong-er…
Please scroll down to read more about Divya’s Kitchen and consider making a donation, even if you don’t live in NYC!
Shaka Vanshiya Ayurveda is here for us all, to make our everyday a SVA day for more bliss and more balance always …. Namaste!
The
Liver
in the
SVA Perspective
Vaidya Mishra used to say that if we built a factory that did everything the liver does, it would be one mile long and one mile wide. That’s how complex the liver is! How much it’s actually doing.
He taught me that the liver has five burners – five agnis – while the other organs of digestion only have one. It runs warm.
It performs over 500 chemical reactions every single day. It processes everything that comes into the body.
And he couldn’t believe how toxic Western livers were.
You’ve been told your liver “detoxes.” That it filters out bad stuff and needs to be “cleansed” or “flushed.”
And yes – it does that.
But that’s barely scratching the surface of what your liver actually does.
Every single day, your liver decides which hormones get activated and which get broken down. It regulates blood sugar and determines how fuel gets delivered to your cells. It processes fats so they can actually be used for energy and repair. It filters the blood supplying your brain and heart. It determines whether inflammation resolves or keeps building.
When your liver is functioning well, everything flows.
Digestion works. Hormones balance. Energy stabilizes. Your mind clears.
When your liver is overloaded, everything backs up.
And I see this constantly in my practice.
Women who eat clean but still feel foggy. Take handfuls of supplements that don’t seem to work. Have stubborn hormonal issues that won’t resolve. Deal with inflammation, skin problems, or mood swings that make no sense.
It’s not lack of effort. It’s that the liver can’t manage all these functions anymore.
And here’s what Vaidya taught me about why this happens:
The liver only recognizes food.
When you give it anything else – synthetic supplements, processed food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals – it has to work incredibly hard to turn those substances into something it can process.
This exhausts the liver.
And here’s where Vaidya’s teachings diverge from anything you’ll find in Western medicine – or even most alternative medicine.
Underneath so many of these cases, what SVA recognizes is heat in the liver. (The liver can be burdened in other ways too – congestion, clogging, and more – but heat is what drives so many of these symptoms.)
When the liver heats up, that heat overflows into the blood.
Hot blood travels through your entire body.
Eventually, the immune system heats up too.
And when the immune system gets hot, it loses its fine intelligence.
It starts attacking the body instead of protecting it.
This is how autoimmune disease begins – not with bad genetics or bad luck, but with an overheated immune system that has lost its ability to distinguish self from invader.
Over time, the liver stops being able to manage all the functions it’s supposed to. Everything starts backing up.
This is why food timing matters. Why spices matter. Why fat quality matters. Why rest matters. Why emotional stress matters.
They all either support the liver’s ability to function well – or they heat it up and exhaust it.
Healing doesn’t start with “more detox.”
It starts with helping the liver do what it already knows how to do.
When the liver cools down and can function properly again, the body often corrects itself.
Hormones balance. Inflammation resolves. Energy returns. The fog lifts.
The immune system remembers how to protect instead of attack.
Not because you pushed harder or cleansed more aggressively.
Because you gave your liver what it actually needed – food it recognizes, practices that cool it down, space to do its work.
Next week I’ll share why most detox protocols backfire – and what actually works.
If this resonates and you’re trying to make sense of your symptoms, this is exactly the kind of pattern I help people understand.
If Divya’s Kitchen has ever touched your life, we invite you to reflect on what it has meant to you—and what it would mean not to have it here.
For 10 years, Divya’s Kitchen has been one of the most beloved healthy restaurants in NYC—a place where food is healing, community is real, and nourishment goes beyond the plate. We’ve been honored to serve many thousands of you, creating a space where people come not just to eat, but to feel cared for, restored, and at home.
Today, we are facing an urgent moment. With healthy, vegetarian, and vegan spaces rapidly disappearing in NYC under current economic pressures, preserving places like Divya’s Kitchen has never been more important.
We are seeking to raise funds to meet urgent financial obligations and secure the immediate future of Divya’s Kitchen.
What happens in the next few days will make all the difference.
This funding will also allow us to thoughtfully restructure our operations into a more resilient and sustainable model for today’s economy, while staying true to the values that define Divya’s Kitchen.
We are working closely with a trusted local restauranteur and industry expert to strengthen our business systems, refine our operations, and creatively evolve our menu—preserving our commitment to exceptional ingredients, healing Ayurvedic principles, and the deep care with which we serve our community.
This transition is not about changing who we are—it is about building a stronger foundation so Divya’s Kitchen can continue nourishing people for years to come.
If this space matters to you, please support us today and help us rebuild a stronger foundation for the next chapter. Every contribution and every share makes a real difference right now.
Thank you, and God bless you.
With love and gratitude,
Divya and Prentiss Alter
Founders of Divya’s Kitchen
PS: We would love to hear from you and welcome your Words of Support from your donation receipt. Thank you.
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
STOREWIDE SALE PLUS A GIFT PLUS FREE GLOBAL SHIPPING!
At this time of year, many ancient cultures commemorate religious events that have historically defined their collective identity. These celebrations coincide with the arrival of Spring and the rebirth of Nature. But when we look beyond the details and the stories they depict, we can see recurring themes that coincide, patterns that repeat, and one “eternal truth” that underlies all: victory of renewed life through transformation….
Hanuman Jayanthi, or Raam Navami, or Holi – which all celebrate the triumph of good over evil and the beginning of new life; Easter – the ancient “pagan” festival that is now celebration with the resurrection of Christ as victory of everlasting life over death; Ramadan and the revelation of the Quran; Nowruz and the triumph of light over darkness; Passover; etc – these ALL celebrate victory and the persistence of life through the conquest of death and darkness. All these cultural events mark the beginning of new life, ushering in Spring.
When the sun crosses the celestial equator bringing about the vernal equinox, and Spring – we all, as humans on planet earth, witness the divine rebirth and continuation of life in Nature. We are part and parcel of that Nature, and her rebirth transforms our bodies as well. It is important to remind ourselves that the specific details of different traditional customs and celebrations are just that – beautiful ancient details and variations pertaining to time and space. But they all celebrate the victory of the eternal divine spark that animates us all as humans. When we remind ourselves of this bigger picture, perhaps then we will not allow differences to divide us, to lead us to hold grudges and harbor enmity towards one another, for any reason! May we not lose sight of our shared divine humanity in the name of historical and political differences… May the ever-lasting eternal impetus of life which moves us and moves within us, lead us into greater peace and harmony on planet earth for one and all, always….
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Bath Pouches for Detox, for Sleep, for High Pitta, and more! – All 10% Off
Ice cold baths – or cold-water immersions – are the latest fad. They are touted for offering significant benefits for overall health. How do they work? It is said that they reduce muscular pain and support muscle recovery by reducing inflammation and easing muscle soreness also increase mental health by boosting dopamine and circulation. How does cold water reduce inflammation? Cold water and cold temperatures, in general, restrict our physical channels. In ayurvedic terms, the shrotas. When the channels or shrotas are constricted, blood flow is decreased. This results in decreased inflammation and reduced swelling… At its best, this is a temporary “fix” because the root cause of inflammation is not addressed, but that’s another topic altogether.
In addition, it is said that cold plunges produce an overall feeling of well-being and alertness, and this is what people love about it. But do you know at what cost? An ice-cold plunge causes a strong stress response that can trigger a “fight-or-flight” response. It stimulates the nervous system abruptly resulting in higher levels of alertness and therefore an overall feeling of well-being or improved mood ensues… Specially after the plunge, when the muscles relax and circulation resumes its normal flow again.
Short-term cold exposure has been associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression… However, at what cost? Here are a few of the risks associated with this practice: cold/ice water immersion can cause a shock on the nervous system that can lead to uncontrolled breathing, dizziness, and increased heart rate – it is not recommended for sensitive individuals or for those with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or cold sensitivity. In addition, some research has found that while an ice bath may help reduce soreness, it will also hinder long-term muscle growth by excessively reducing the inflammation needed for the body to help muscle repair and adaptation…
Did you know that Ayurveda recommends the opposite?! Scroll down to read more about hot baths versus cold plunges. But before that, Dr Lisa Raskin shares her own personal experience and input on cold baths below…
I don’t do cold plunges – you know, those ice baths or freezing water immersions everyone’s talking about!
And I believe some people do feel better from them.
But they’re not for me…
Not because I haven’t tried. Not because I’m avoiding something difficult. It’s because I’ve learnt to listen to what my body actually tells me. And my body is very clear: cold water makes me feel worse.
When I get into freezing water, I don’t feel invigorated. I feel like everything is shutting down. My nervous system goes into overwhelm. Everything in me says: “get out!”
And I’ve learned that’s not weakness. That’s information.
Vaidya Mishra taught me why this happens. Cold shrinks the channels. When you expose your body to extreme cold, your srotas – the physical channels like blood vessels and lymphatic pathways – contract. Blood vessels constrict. Circulation slows. The pathways that deliver nutrients and clear waste become restricted.
But it’s more than that. Cold constricts the flow of prana through the nadis, the subtle channels that carry life force. And it creates vata – dryness, coldness, and instability in the body.
For people who are already vata-imbalanced – and most sensitive systems are – this can be really vata aggravating.
So that overwhelming feeling I get? It makes complete sense. My already responsive nervous system can’t handle that level of contraction and stimulation.
Now, does this mean cold plunges are bad for everyone? Not at all.
Some people genuinely feel better after cold exposure. Cold stimulates the vagus nerve and creates a powerful response that can wake up sluggish nervous systems. Some people find cold exposure wakes up their nervous system in a helpful way,
But for those of us with already responsive, sensitive, reactive nervous systems, cold does something different. It can overstimulate. Create agitation. Sometimes even trigger histamine responses.
Same stimulus. Completely different response.
This is what I see over and over: what works brilliantly for one person can be completely wrong for another.
And when something doesn’t work for you – when everyone else is talking about how great they feel and you feel terrible – it’s easy to think something’s wrong with you…
But nothing is wrong with you.
Your body just needs different things.
This is why I always ask: at what cost?
Yes, cold plunges might help some people. But if they leave you feeling worse, they’re not the right tool for your system.
You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing.
The goal is to understand what your body actually needs. For some people, that’s cold exposure. For others, it’s warmth, gentleness, and practices that don’t stress an already sensitive system.
Both are valid. But they’re not interchangeable.
And knowing what works for YOU – that’s everything.
If you’re realizing you need help understanding what your body actually needs – not what wellness trends promise – I work with people to figure this out.
So What Does Ayurveda Say About Warm or Hot Baths?
Nowhere are the therapeutic health benefits of bathing better documented than in the ancient ayurvedic texts. Why to bathe, how to bathe, when to bathe, what materials to use in bathing, what temperature of water to be used for whom, even directions on when and why ‘not to bathe!’ Ayurveda talks about natural clay mixes for bathing and uses herbs and flower petals in the bath along with natural foaming and cleansing agents, like soap nuts – reetha. 100% natural cleansing materials are selected for their power to cleanse, nurture, soothe, and detox – ALL without synthetic scents, colors, binders, or emulsifying agents. Here is what Bhav Prakash, a SVA ancestor from Vaidya Mishra’s lineage, had to say about the health benefits of bathing:
Bathing in warm water is: deepanam – it resets metabolism by balancing and pacifying metabolic and digestive fires; vrishyam: nourishes and increases the seven tissues, especially the reproductive tissue, or shukra; ayushyam: increases longevity; snanamojo: bathing increases ojas; balapradam: increases stamina; kandumala: (takes away) itching and malas, toxic waste of the skin; shrama: removes fatigue; sweda: cleans sweat; tandra: removes drowsiness; tridda: makes strong; daha: takes away heat trapped in the blood/body giving burning sensations; and here is yet the best: it is papmanutam: cleanses physically and vibrationally, i.e. takes away bad karma!
So now you know: you have absolutely NO REASON NOT TO TAKE A HOT OR WARM BATH!
Instead of taking a dive into an ice-cold bath, run some hot water and add an ayurvedic bath pouch to feel better – physically and karmically….
Namaste!
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Hormonal Modulation for Him & for Her – All 10% Off
Spring Equinox
the Sun, the Moon,
&
Our Hormones
March 20th marks the Spring or Vernal Equinox. From the Latin, “equi” for equivalent, and “nox” for night. This is a major astronomical event when the Earth’s axis is not tilted either towards or away from the sun. Because of this, both hemispheres receive equal amounts of sunlight, making day and night lengths equal – 12-hour days and 12 hours nights. This is celebrated in many ancient cultures with great joy and pomp! For example in vedic culture, Springtime is called Vasant Ritu and marks important festivals, such as: Vasant Panchami, Holi or the Festival of Colors, Rama Navami or the birthday of Shri Raam, and Hanuman Jayanti – the birthday of the heroic Hanuman.
This celestial phenomenon that ushers in Spring counts as the actual beginning of a new year, a fresh start. Why a fresh start? The sun and the moon sharing equal parts of the day symbolizes a harmonious time when the masculine and the feminine cosmic energies do not have to vie with each other, each one is established in its reality fully and in harmony with the other. Both sun and moon – masculinity and femininity – are acknowledged for their perfection, and together create even more perfection! This harmonious relationship of equal authority creates a “perfect” world where Nature reawakens from her Winter slumber, and birds herald the spectacular return of life with scents and colorful blossoms. In the Spring, all is as perfect as it can be – for as long as it can last!
But, the equinox can have more personal significance in our lives as well.
Did you know that the sun and the moon influence human hormones by regulating our biological rhythms? The sun and the moon play a central role on the levels of melatonin, cortisol, and reproductive cycles. Sunlight controls the daily circadian rhythm (cortisol/melatonin), while the 29.5-day lunar cycle subtly influence sleep and the menstrual cycle. These celestial bodies act as a subtle natural clock that influence hormonal balance.
Sunlight and Hormones: one of the key recommendations of ayurveda is to not sleep beyond sunrise. While it gives us explanation through the dosha system, modern science now also confirms this golden ayurvedic rule scientifically. We now understand that Sunlight inhibits melatonin, the sleep hormone, and stimulates cortisol, the wakefulness hormone, in the morning, maintaining our body aligned with the circadian rhythm. Sleeping past sunrise confuses and de-regulates this natural cycle and can create physical as well as mental/emotional challenges.
In addition, sunlight exposure is essential for producing Vitamin D, which also supports reproductive health and immunity. While the lunar cycles are key for a woman’s physiology and hormonal balance, adequate daily sunlight is also key for strong and regular menstrual cycles.
Moonlight and Lunar Cycles are closely associated with our reproductive hormones in a different way.
Modern science is now catching up on the ayurvedic perspective that explains the close relationship between the moon and a woman’s body. Studies show a “subtle correlation” between the 29.5-day lunar cycle and menstruation, with some women having cycles that temporarily sync with lunar phases! In addition, research suggests a higher likelihood of menstruation occurring around the full moon, which is historically viewed as a peak fertility or emotional time. This is in fact what ayurveda recommends and offers balancing protocols for. The full moon is and should always be the time when a woman menstruates. If she does not, then measures are taken to correct the situation. Menstruating during the fall moon is ideal for maintaining total health – mental, emotional, physical – as well as optimal fertility.
Alas, we have strayed away from a balanced connection with Nature and its cycles. Our modern lifestyles impose harsh routines and habits upon us, resulting in a myriad of imbalances and ailments. Modern artificial lighting, such as LED screens and night-time lighting, in addition to has weakened the direct connection between human biology and the sun and moon. We need to re-align our bodies to Nature’s Circadian Rhythms, as well as the lunar cycles. The sun and the moon are the primary drivers of hormonal health.
Re-aligning might take time, but Ayurveda also gives us additional help and support through herbs. Vaidya Mishra made unique formulations that harness the cellular intelligence of plants and herbs in delivery methods that are safe and effective for hormonal modulation for her and for him. Discover the full range of his offerings here.
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Instant Spice Blends for ALL: Little Kids and Grown-Up Kids Too! – All 10% Off
turmericSpices and herbs are Nature’s gift to man! And through Ayurveda, we not only learn how to use them for daily balance, but also how to maintain and nourish the physiology long-term through the balance of the body’s doshas – Vata, Pitta, Kapha. Your “dosha” is your body’s propensity to go off – the term “dosh” means imbalance or error. You can help keep your doshas in balance through the use of different spices on a daily basis. In addition to supporting digestion and elimination – a key central element of health, spices also help boost immunity, in addition to other key actions. For example, as we know, turmeric is the best safest most potent anti inflammatory); cumin supports digestion and therefore helps with detox by minimizing toxic bi-product; fennel is balancing and soothing to the stomach and digestive tract; ginger boosts digestion metabolism; cardamom helps break down proteins and also aids the stomach environments maintain its doshic balance; and coriander is a wondrous aromatic spice that neutralizes acids but also binds and helps flush out toxic inflammatory waste (scroll down to learn more with Dr Teitelbaum on the health benefits of the “curry leaf.”)
Using these key spices daily in your diet, in cooking, or as tea, can help you maximize nutrient absorption, digestion and elimination, and maintain full functioning of all the tissues and organs. Plus: it makes everything taste so SO much better! You don’t have to re-invent the wheel for recipes – Vaidya Mishra gave us delicious ready-to-use spice blends depending on so many factors – seasonal, detox properties, as well as age!
Curry Leaves
Benefits
Beyond Flavor!
With Dr Marianne Teitelbaum
Herbs and spices are used as medicine in Ayurveda. They each contain some agni, or digestive fire, and can therefore help you digest and assimilate the nutrients in your food. We use spices instead of the commonly used digestive enzyme formulas available in health food stores since herbs and spices can help your body to produce its own digestive enzymes.
This is because some spices, such as cardamom, help you digest protein. Fenugreek and cumin help you digest fats, cinnamon helps you digest sugar and carbohydrates, and ginger and fennel are great for the digestion of all foods, capable of igniting the digestive fires without burning out the digestive tract.
Today I’d like to talk about the medicinal qualities of curry leaves. When people hear the word curry, they think of curry powder, but this is not the case with curry leaves. Curry powders are various blends of powdered spices used in cooking, but here I’m talking about the actual curry leaves which come from the curry plant.
They impart a wonderful earthy taste to the food and are famous because they support liver detoxification. As a result, they are used for many health problems since the liver is at the root of most, if not all, of our health issues. They help to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and purify the blood.
Curry leaves are known as “sweet neem,” which indicates that they have the quality of neem without being bitter. Like neem, curry leaves get rid of microbes, viruses and other pathogens without the bitter taste which neem gives, making it very difficult for many to incorporate it into their treatment protocols. And like neem, curry leaves can also lower blood sugar. Studies suggest they protect pancreatic cells and enhance insulin sensitivity.
When you have excess body heat without an infectious condition curry leaves can help and in fact they are known as the “tulsi of southern India” since they are a considered a “holy spice which can take care of everything.” Similar to tulsi, they can get rid of negatively charged environmental energies and balance and clean your own energy, especially if you grow a curry leaf plant in your own house, which is fairly easy to do since it grows well indoors near a window or skylight.
They are commonly used in traditional hair oils and masks in Ayurveda since they strengthen hair roots and reduce hair fall and premature graying. And their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties help maintain clear, healthy skin.
They stimulate your body to produce its own digestive enzymes and therefore help relieve indigestion, nausea and constipation. They are used quite often in remedies for gas, diarrhea and morning sickness.
They are rich in antioxidants and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Some studies even suggest that curry leaves might help protect brain cells from damage linked to aging or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
You don’t need to use a lot when cooking with them. Usually one or two leaves per person should be enough. You can eat the curry leaves if you sauté them in ghee until they are crisp. The ghee picks up the fat-soluble benefits from the leaves and delivers those nutrients into your cells. Remember, all the cell walls in your body are made of cholesterol, so ghee becomes an excellent vehicle to deliver nutrients from not only curry leaves, but any food it is cooked with.
If you cook curry leaves into foods using water then traditionally they should not be eaten. The water picks up the water soluble nutrients and transfers them into the food.
Buy them fresh in an Indian market and pick them off the stem and add to your foods. I think you’ll love the flavor and at the same time reap some of the health benefits that these delicious little leaves have to offer.
Did you know that in the ancient vedic tradition, celebrations for a newborn child are not just for its birth, but many festive rituals continue marking the different stages of its development? For example, the first time the child is given solid food is matter of great celebration, as well as the first time it is fed turmeric. Spices are of great importance at all stages of life, but specially for children, as they set the tone for the full enlivening of the biological physiology. Many infants and children came to see Vaidya for many reasons, and he was always very lovingly attentive to their needs. That’s one of the reason he created special spice blends for children. One very important detail: these are for the little ones, but also the “bigger little ones” – if you feel like you can do with something soft and sweet (with zero sugar) to pacify and balance your adult physiology, try any of the Mom’s Kid Super Spices – we promise your “inner child” will love them!
Why do sweet dishes need spice?! Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, a pinch of turmeric, even black pepper. While not all of these have a pungent taste, they all have channel-opening properties that support your body not feel stiff and you not feel overall tired from having consumed “somagenic” food – sweet dishes. Adding spices to your sweet dishes will not only help your digestion but it will allow you to enjoy your dessert even more! The spices will not only enhance the sweet taste, but will break down the sugar and fat molecules and you will get more energy out of your dessert.
Mom’s Super-Spice– with or without green chillies, with Turmeric and 20 more spices – is a tridoshic ready-to-use ayurvedic spice mix. Most masalas need to be cooked but “Mom’s Masala” is pre-toasted so you can sprinkle it on your soup, make a dressing with some olive oil and lime for a salad, or just add it to anything – delicious with fruit too! It satisfies cravings, balances all doshas, supports metabolism and absorption too. Get the benefits of all spices without worrying about preparation!
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Turmeric – Transdermally & Transmucosally Too! – All 10% Off
This week we cover the topic of Turmeric – again – as you can guess there is more, much more, to share about the golden spice and its rampant misuse!
We now know that consuming spices is not just a matter of adding flavor to your meals – even though popular belief and a quick google search still confirms this!
“Spices are primarily used to enhance food through:
Flavor/Aroma: Ranging from sweet (cinnamon) to pungent (clove).
Color: Turmeric and paprika are used specifically for their vibrant yellow and red hues.”
We are truly blessed to have the full ayurvedic picture of what the human body is, and how it operates via the digestive fireS nestled within the 7 bodily dhatus/tissues, as well as the 5 bhutagni-s that govern the liver. These ayurvedic teachings help us begin to understand how each spice has unique distinct properties on different levels of the digestive process. This is why, spices are NOT be what they seem! For example, did you know that the green chili that is oh-so-pungent on the tongue actually only has its action in rasa dhatu with is the first tissue? Its effect fuzzes out like a cheap firecracker and its pungency has no impact after that first level – it only helps not make ama of food we are eating, but it cannot help digest things on the deeper tissue levels. On the other hand, did you know that Saffron – the highly prized and higher priced multi-faceted spice – even though mild in flavor – is so heating, sharp, and penetrating that is travels all the way deep into the 5th tissue, the bone tissue, and there, through its hot virya/property, detox fat and helps build bone?
Ayurveda opens up a fascinating world of properties and usages for spices. In this context, the use of Turmeric is so wrong, as Dr Lisa Raskin reminded us last week through Vaidya Mishra’s “prediction” that its misuse would be confused with its balancing properties. This is why in this week’s newsletter we cover more of Vaidya’s videos on the topic in addition to two new testimonials – scroll down to read more. Plus we are happy to announce that Dr Lisa Raskin is offering 20 minute “clarity call” sessions during which she will guide and advise you on specific questions you may have – more details below.
Here’s to your health through the ayurvedic use of the golden spice - namaste!
”If this resonated and you’re wondering whether what you’re taking might be working against your body rather than with it, I offer a 20-minute Clarity Call to explore whether this path fits what your body is asking for. $50, applied to your care if you move forward. No pressure, just listening. Click here: Clarity Call with Dr Lisa
“Four weeks ago my hands broke out in severe swelling and itchy rashes. We self-identified that I had had too much ‘curry’ too many days in a row — curry powder, curry sauce and also a curcumin supplement. We have seen this body reaction for me when my liver dislikes processing food ‘toxins’ I ingested. I got this eating too much ham (nitrates and other processing?) and from coconut milk (gums?). […]
(BTW – my […] sweetheart is an expert muscle tester and so she figured it all out, and I have been on a slow rebuild diet since then — cooked vegetables, beans/lentils, millet/barley/quinoa separated by 3 hours from uncooked fruit).
Thanks for your article on the dangers of curcumin as a supplement … that might explain what we observed. I had only started on that curcumin supplement a few weeks earlier. So, thank you for it!
Thank you also for the opinion piece you wrote about covering the back of the head/spine/vagus. It jibes with a few of my […] clients’ experience, so I point them to the article to read more.”
Turmeric Sutra with Vaidya Mishra
A Testimonial from Jay S. (March 5, 2026)
I met the SVA Team at the Conscious Life Expo almost two weeks ago. I learnt that the use of raw turmeric in my morning smoothies, as well as sprinkling uncooked turmeric to my salads/meals was definitely NOT a healthy move! I had been doing this for quite a while to address health issues but things had not been improving at all. After learning of Vaidya Mishra’s deep insights and teachings on the topic, I decided to give it a try. It’s been a week since I stopped consuming turmeric gratuitously in my shakes and meals without proper preparation and I confirm that my skins rashes, are abating, my anxiety levels do not peak anymore, I feel less hot and bothered, and more at ease. I am ready to explore SVA precepts and protocols further. THANK YOU for keeping the knowledge going!
Top 20 Benefits of Turmeric
In case you missed Dr Raskin’s article from last week, we are re-running it for your convenience below.
Turmeric Toxicity
Truth
or
Hype?
~ with Dr Lisa Raskin (DC)
About 18 years ago, I organized a public talk for Vaidya Mishra when he visited my practice in Austin.
I will never forget what he told the audience that night.
He predicted that within a decade or two, turmeric would be declared toxic and possibly even banned.
People were stunned.
Turmeric? The golden healing spice?
How could something used safely for thousands of years become problematic?
But Vaidya wasn’t talking about turmeric itself. He was talking about the way we were beginning to use it.
Here’s what he explained to us:
“Raw turmeric — or isolated curcumin in pills — is not the same thing as turmeric cooked properly in food.
And used incorrectly, it can overwhelm the liver.”
Same substance. Completely different effect.
Fast forward 18 years, and his prediction has come true.
We now have clinical reports and published cases of drug-induced liver injury caused by turmeric supplements — especially concentrated curcumin combined with piperine (black pepper extract), used in conjuction to force absorption!
The patterns are consistent:
• elevated liver enzymes
• hepato-cellular injury
• onset weeks to months after starting supplements
• improvement after stopping
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration issued an alert. The U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network published cases. Medical journals are documenting severe reactions. Genetic susceptibility (specific HLA variants) is being reported.
I learned this lesson myself a few years ago!
I was dealing with significant joint pain. Long story. And I gave in – I bought one of those curcumin supplements.
Day one? Felt amazing. Day two? My body broke out in hive-like eruptions all over.
And I knew immediately what had happened. I’d been practicing SVA for so long that my body had developed an intelligence – it couldn’t bypass the principles anymore. It rejected what wasn’t safe, even when my mind wanted a quick fix.
Vaidya Mishra was right: it was never the turmeric — it was the form.
Food turmeric – the kind you cook with – is not the same as isolated curcumin in capsules, even at regular doses.
When you isolate curcumin, you strip away the plant’s intelligence — the cooling, balancing, buffering components that nature built around it. The liver gets hit with a single, potent, heating molecule and has to work double-time to process.
A hot liver loses its fine intelligence.
And that heat radiates outward — into the blood, immune system, and tissues.
But when you cook turmeric with other spices into food?
The other spices balance it. Protect it. Activate its intelligence without overwhelming your system.
The fats (ghee or olive oil) and water extract both the fat-soluble and water-soluble healing properties in a form your body can actually use.
Mom’s Super-Spice– with or without green chillies, with Turmeric and 20 more spices – is a tridoshic ready-to-use ayurvedic spice mix. Most masalas need to be cooked but “Mom’s Masala” is pre-toasted so you can sprinkle it on your soup, make a dressing with some olive oil and lime for a salad, or just add it to anything – delicious with fruit too! It satisfies cravings, balances all doshas, supports metabolism and absorption too. Get the benefits of all spices without worrying about preparation!
Dr Raskin continued:
And it goes into your body as food, not as a drug your liver has to frantically process. This is what “At what cost?” means.
Does a curcumin supplement reduce inflammation quickly? Yes. Does it come with a cost? Immediately for some people, years later for others.
If you want turmeric’s benefits, cook with it. Use it the way it’s been used for thousands of years.
Add it to your tridoshic spice mix. Cook it into your vegetables with ghee and water. Let it work as part of a whole system, not as an isolated compound.
Your liver will thank you.
Vaidya Mishra saw this coming. He understood that when we take ancient healing substances and turn them into pharmaceuticals, we lose the “intelligence” – and we create new problems.
Your body knows the difference between food and isolated compounds. Trust it!
Did you know that in addition to adding it to food, Turmeric has been used transdermally for thousands of years in India? Newly weds have to go through a turmeric paste ritual BEFORE their wedding day to make their skin glow! One of the properties of Turmeric is “varnya” – it enhances the radiance of the skin and is the perfect ingredient for daily use for skin care for nourishing and detoxing safely and effectively!
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Turmeric – Transdermally & Transmucosally Too! – All 10% Off
Turmeric Toxicity
Truth
or
Hype?
~ with Dr Lisa Raskin (DC)
About 18 years ago, I organized a public talk for Vaidya Mishra when he visited my practice in Austin.
I will never forget what he told the audience that night.
He predicted that within a decade or two, turmeric would be declared toxic and possibly even banned.
People were stunned.
Turmeric? The golden healing spice?
How could something used safely for thousands of years become problematic?
But Vaidya wasn’t talking about turmeric itself. He was talking about the way we were beginning to use it.
Here’s what he explained to us:
“Raw turmeric — or isolated curcumin in pills — is not the same thing as turmeric cooked properly in food.
And used incorrectly, it can overwhelm the liver.”
Same substance. Completely different effect.
Fast forward 18 years, and his prediction has come true.
We now have clinical reports and published cases of drug-induced liver injury caused by turmeric supplements — especially concentrated curcumin combined with piperine (black pepper extract), used in conjuction to force absorption!
The patterns are consistent:
• elevated liver enzymes
• hepato-cellular injury
• onset weeks to months after starting supplements
• improvement after stopping
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration issued an alert. The U.S. Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network published cases. Medical journals are documenting severe reactions. Genetic susceptibility (specific HLA variants) is being reported.
I learned this lesson myself a few years ago!
I was dealing with significant joint pain. Long story. And I gave in – I bought one of those curcumin supplements.
Day one? Felt amazing. Day two? My body broke out in hive-like eruptions all over.
And I knew immediately what had happened. I’d been practicing SVA for so long that my body had developed an intelligence – it couldn’t bypass the principles anymore. It rejected what wasn’t safe, even when my mind wanted a quick fix.
Vaidya Mishra was right: it was never the turmeric — it was the form.
Food turmeric – the kind you cook with – is not the same as isolated curcumin in capsules, even at regular doses.
When you isolate curcumin, you strip away the plant’s intelligence — the cooling, balancing, buffering components that nature built around it. The liver gets hit with a single, potent, heating molecule and has to work double-time to process.
A hot liver loses its fine intelligence.
And that heat radiates outward — into the blood, immune system, and tissues.
But when you cook turmeric with other spices into food?
The other spices balance it. Protect it. Activate its intelligence without overwhelming your system.
The fats (ghee or olive oil) and water extract both the fat-soluble and water-soluble healing properties in a form your body can actually use.
Mom’s Super-Spice– with or without green chillies, with Turmeric and 20 more spices – is a tridoshic ready-to-use ayurvedic spice mix. Most masalas need to be cooked but “Mom’s Masala” is pre-toasted so you can sprinkle it on your soup, make a dressing with some olive oil and lime for a salad, or just add it to anything – delicious with fruit too! It satisfies cravings, balances all doshas, supports metabolism and absorption too. Get the benefits of all spices without worrying about preparation!
Dr Raskin continued:
And it goes into your body as food, not as a drug your liver has to frantically process. This is what “At what cost?” means.
Does a curcumin supplement reduce inflammation quickly? Yes. Does it come with a cost? Immediately for some people, years later for others.
If you want turmeric’s benefits, cook with it. Use it the way it’s been used for thousands of years.
Add it to your tridoshic spice mix. Cook it into your vegetables with ghee and water. Let it work as part of a whole system, not as an isolated compound.
Your liver will thank you.
Vaidya Mishra saw this coming. He understood that when we take ancient healing substances and turn them into pharmaceuticals, we lose the “intelligence” – and we create new problems.
Your body knows the difference between food and isolated compounds. Trust it!
Did you know that in addition to adding it to food, Turmeric has been used transdermally for thousands of years in India? Newly weds have to go through a turmeric paste ritual BEFORE their wedding day to make their skin glow! One of the properties of Turmeric is “varnya” – it enhances the radiance of the skin and is the perfect ingredient for daily use for skin care for nourishing and detoxing safely and effectively!
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Prana: Support the Reception, Circulation and Elimination – All 10% Off
If you are in LA this weekend, join us at the LAX Hilton!
WHAT IS PRANA?
&
WHY IS IT
THE
BEST MAHARASAYANA?
Dr Marianne Teitelbaum
When asked, many people say they know what the word prana is — that it is the life energy which keeps us alive.
One thing I love about Ayurveda is that it always goes way beyond the superficial meanings, and instead gives us an in-depth understanding of these very deep principles.
While yes, we can say that prana is indeed the life energy that keeps us alive, we can take it one step further and state that it also keeps our cells intelligent — to know what hormone or neurotransmitter to release and when to release it — giving our cells the intelligence to communicate with each other. Like sending hundreds of text messages to all parts of the body so the whole body is aware of what each cell needs at each moment in time.
Did you ever think how these processes occur in the first place? Where does this intelligence come from which oversees all these processes and multiple layers of communication?
These processes are controlled by prana — it’s just that you can’t see it because it is vibrational. So where does prana come from?
From the deepest silence, known as the Aditattwa, it begins to manifest into the Tritattwa — known as Soma, Agni and Marut. Soma is the cooling lunar energy, the water and earth elements. Agni is the hot solar energy, the fire element, and Marut is the space and air element. The space element is what gives our cells the intelligence to perform all their functions and the air element moves the Soma and Agni throughout the body since they can’t move on their own.
In fact, prana is like a battery — it is the bio-electric magnetic power of nature which is running our body’s magnetic power — recharging the organs and systems and contributing to the pacemaker of our heart, which is constantly being recharged with new pranic energy. And like a battery, prana has a minus charge, a plus charge and also includes the flow of the energy. The Soma is like the plus charge, the Agni is like the minus charge and the flow is governed by Marut.
Together, Soma, Agni and Marut are the three aspects of Prana. This prana comes into our bodies through orifices in the head — the top of the head, the ears, and nostrils. It comes into these orifices and goes down the spine and from there branches off to supply the pranic energy to all the organs, glands and systems. Sometimes the flow of the pranic energy can get blocked, so we use several transdermal creams used in specific ways, either down the spine or on specific marma points to open up the flow of prana. Marma points are mysterious points around the body which control all the organs and glands and are the intersection of Soma, Agni and Marut.
For example, if the person is suffering from irregular heartbeats and arrhythmias, one of the first things we do is to open up the flow of prana to the heart, since again, the pranic energy is like a cosmic pacemaker, keeping the heart pumping regularly throughout our whole lives. In fact, it has been stated that all diseases begin with lack of flow of prana to a specific area.
We also get prana from the food we eat, and from the water we drink. This is why we don’t want to corrupt the pranic energy in the food by microwaving it, freezing it, canning it, processing it or having it leftover. In fact, the food we cook today will have both less nutritional value and less pranic energy if it is leftover. And we want to have good alkaline water coming directly from the earth. Once we put chlorine in the water it kills the prana, so even if we filter out the chlorine we can’t bring the prana back to life.
We also get prana by breathing. Of course there is more prana out in nature, at the beach or in the forests, and less in a city such as New York City. Sometimes when I was sitting with my Ayurvedic teacher, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, he would tell a person to try to move out of the city and into the country if he felt they were receiving less prana and would overcome their health problems more quickly by living out in nature.
And just think how the electromagnetic frequencies (EMF’s) of the cell phones, cell phone towers, computers, WIFI etc. affect the prana. Since these EMF’s are also found in the space element — they actually pollute the space element and mingle in with the prana as it comes into our bodies, delivering toxic prana to all the organs and glands. We have many treatments and recommendations for people who are working around computers all day to help them mitigate the effects of the polluted prana circulating around in their bodies, causing numerous symptoms and sometimes serious diseases.
3 DROPS
of
Prana Balance Herbal-Memory Nectar to 10 oz of Spring Water
Calms and Focuses the Mind
Prana Vata is the subdosha of vata seated in the head which, in its balanced state, helps us to think clearly and use our sense organs properly. Vaidya Mishra says that one reason we call this subdosha prana vata is because most of the reception of universal prana happens in the head. In a real sense, prana vata is the master prana of the body. Thus, it’s imperative to keep prana vata steady and calm, yet alert and focused.
Prana Balance Herbal-Memory Nectar contains several herbs that support prana vata. These herbs include both types of brahmi – bacopa monnieri and gotu kola. The main prabhava of these herbs (specific ultimate effect) is medhya (good for the mind). Whenever you find your mind racing, feeling stressed, or unfocused, bring it back to balance with Prana Balance Herbal-Memory Nectar.
Additional ingredient-Wise Properties and Actions
Ashwagandha is a famous adaptogenic herb that strengthens the nervous system and makes us better able to handle stress.
Jatamansihelps calm and steady the mind without heating the physiology.
Peppermint allows prana vata to flow unobstructed by gently opening the channels of the mind and brain.
Coriander helps cool the physiology and binds acidic toxins in the blood, which may be agitating the mind. It also eases in more soma – the lunar, cooling vibration that stabilizes the physiology and the mind.
‘Prana Balance’ (Vaidya Mishra’s proprietary herbal blend) above ingredients are in a kosher Vegetable glycerine base. 100% sugar and fat free.
Disclaimer
This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or complement medical advice.
Dr Teitelbaum – continued –
I remember one such patient who had acute flare-ups of multiple sclerosis and was being treated by neurologists with regular injections of drugs which were making her sick and weren’t helping anyway. We found that she had too many EMF’s in her pulse — it turned out she was working all day under high tension wires and cables bringing in electricity to her horse farm. We had her move her horses away from the overhead wires and once she did that, her MS totally went away, she got off her medicine and was fine, and still is fine, 20 years later — the MS never came back once we got good quality prana circulating back into her body. This is a good example of how the pranic energy can become polluted by the EMF’s of manmade electricity.
That brings me to another point — if you want to heal yourself, make sure the remedies you use have prana — try to avoid the synthetic pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. Yes, we know the B Complex was originally found in food when it was discovered, but when we make it in a lab it becomes the toxic version of the real thing, contains no prana, and as a result will have an unintelligent effect somewhere in the body, and be toxic to the liver and kidneys. Yes, it will have some benefit, but it will also have a side effect, just like the pharmaceuticals.
And don’t underestimate the value of pure prana in your life. If the prana is polluted or missing, like with too much EMF exposure or taking food, pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals that are dumb or dead, then our cells become dumb and less intelligent. And what that translates to is that it could increase the risk of us getting cancer, since cancer is nothing more than the cells not being able to remember what they are supposed to do and as a result multiply out of control.
So you can see how important it is to understand more about the pranic energy and make sure that we get out in nature, breathe fresh air, eat food cooked fresh each day and avoid processed, microwaved and leftover food and try to mitigate the side effects of the computers and cell phones we work with everyday.
By doing so you will go a long way to prolong your life, avoiding serious diseases that might come if the prana becomes depleted or corrupted in your body.
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
STOREWIDE 15% OFF PLUS FREE GLOBAL SHIPPING – Happy Love Day!
When February comes around, everything goes lush with red and pink hearts all over the place, augmented by excess chocolate and candy (still not a good time to detox just yet!), accompanied by waaaaay overpriced flower bouquets… After surviving the end-of-year-xmas-newyear-commercial-stunt, doesn’t this all feel like too much too soon???
And yet, you might have noticed that something is “in the air” that captures our hearts and minds carrying us into this unexpected wave of…
Could it actually be Valentine’s Day…? What is Valentine’s Day anyways ? Who was Valentine?
Turns out Valentine’s Day is connected to the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia. “Lupercalia” derives from the Latin word, lupus (for “wolf”) and is connected to the legendary she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus – the mythical founders of Rome. Celebrated on February 15, Lupercalia was an annual ritual in which dogs and goats were slaughtered as sacrifice. In 496 AD, Pope Gelasius, in an effort to fade out pagan ritual sacrifice and christianize Rome, outlawed Lupercalia and declared February 14th a holy-day to honor Saint Valentine’s martyrdom. Not much of an upgrade you say? Since animal sacrifice was replaced by human martyrdom… Why was he sacrificed?
Saint Valentine went against the Roman Emperor Claudius II’s decree – who believed single men made better soldiers and forbade young men from marrying. Valentine disobeyed and continued to secretly perform weddings for young lovers. He was arrested, beaten, and beheaded!
St. Valentine’s day, epitomizes an unorthodox blend of ancient Roman, Christian, and medieval traditions. Originally intended to be a christian religious feast day, Valentine’s day evolved into a celebration of romantic love – Chaucer and later Shakespeare mention it in their works – Valentine’s day became a celebration of Spring intimations…
And today, in our consumeristic culture, Valentine’s day has turned into a big commercial holiday – “love” no longer matters, it is just an excuse for eating more chocolate and buying more: roses and heart shaped items!
But this does not answer our question. There IS something that we do feel this time of year. What could it be?
On the other side of the world, in another continent far far away, is an ancient culture that also held ritual celebrations at this time of the year, but for different reasons. In ancient Vedic culture, and based on accurate astronomical and astrological calculations, this is the time of year when Maha Shiva Rathri is celebrated. Masik Shivarathri is a monthly observance on the 14th day of the lunar month. On the other hand, Maha-shivratri – “The Great Night of Shiva” – is an annual major festival that occurs on the 14th night of the waning moon in February or March. On this day, the Sun and Moon in the Northern hemisphere are positioned to create a natural, powerful upsurge of energy – so it is an ideal time, according to Vedic astrology, for spiritual awakening. It is considered the “Great Night of Shiva,” because the divide between the divine and the human is at its lowest, facilitating profound inner transformation and the awakening of dormant consciousness. Mahashivarathri celebrates the wedding of the cosmic male and female energies – Shiva and Parvati – also depicted as the union of consciousness (Shiva) with primal energy (Shakti). Vedic culture teaches that this night can help remove past negative karmas and balance planetary influences in an individual’s life.That’s why fasting, night-long vigil and chanting are recommended.
This year, Maha Shiva Rathri almost coincides with St Valentine’s day as it falls on February 15th. Vedic astronomy calculations are scientifically verifiable and accurate, so we can say in all confidence, that they invite us to celebrate that silent awakening that heralds the arrival of Spring, the most beautiful time of the year when buds shyly appear, and Nature is slowly transformed into a festive colorful celebration of cosmic energies, when life is renewed through the interlacing embrace of the masculine and feminine …
Happy Maha Shiva Rathri!
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
Boost Your Immunity, Shield Against Seasonal Sniffles – 10% Off This Week!
We all know that the best kept secret of Ayurveda is that it is NOT “one size fits all”… Even though we all share the same common cosmic foundational elements: the exact same laws that govern Nature also govern our bodies, minds, and hearts. In different proportions. That’s what allows for individual distinct traits and the beauty of plurality. This is why total health is always a work-in-progress. Based on your own body’s propensities in addition to your routine, the time of day, the season, where you live, etc, you will need to adjust and tweak your ayurvedic lifestyle. This is why despite following everything as you ought to, you may and will still get sick out-of-the-blue sometimes!
Below is a beautiful reminder by Dr Lisa Raskin – an expert ayurvedic practitioner herself – sharing her experience with getting sick, despite doing it all …
I want to share something personal with you this month. I’ve been dealing with one of the strangest illnesses I’ve ever had… Close to two weeks of the most profound exhaustion — the kind where lifting your head feels impossible.
Very little respiratory stuff. Just crushing fatigue, spinal and arm pain, and a body clearly working through something.
Here’s what got me: I eat according to SVA. I cook with the right herbs and spices. I avoid all the inflammatory stuff. I go to bed early. I walk on the beach. I do everything I teach you to do.
And I still got sick.
This virus was going around. I watched people around me get the same thing with very different experiences. Some had fatigue only. I got hit with spinal and arm pain. Loss of taste. Depression I’d never felt before. Same virus. Completely different expression.
That’s individual susceptibility.
And even with all my training and tools, I still had to figure out what was actually going on in MY body. I had to listen to what I was feeling even when I didn’t have proof yet. I had to match what I was doing to what was actually happening — not just follow some generic protocol.
This is why understanding YOUR pattern matters so much.
The virus finds YOUR weak link. Your gut. Your hormones. Your nervous system. Your immune system. Recovery isn’t about doing all the right things. It’s about knowing what YOUR body specifically needs.
I’m sharing this for two reasons.
First: If you’re sick right now, or recovering slowly, or frustrated that you’re doing everything right and still struggling — you didn’t fail. You didn’t miss something. Your body isn’t broken.
Health isn’t a test you can pass or fail. Sometimes your system is at capacity and it just needs time and gentleness — not more self-judgment.
Second: Even I had to sit with the confusion of what my body was going through. I had to investigate. I had to trust what I felt before I could see it. I had to adjust as I learned more.
That’s the work. Not cookie-cutter protocols. Not assuming everyone’s the same. But really seeing YOU — your history, your vulnerabilities, what’s actually happening — and figuring out what YOUR system needs.
That’s what I do with each of you. That’s what I had to do for myself these past weeks.
If you’re in the thick of something right now — illness, exhaustion, that feeling of “why isn’t this getting better?” — please be kind to yourself. Your body is doing its best.
The Maharani Academy, guided by senior SVA practitioner Corinna Maharani, offers a lineage-rooted training for those ready to cultivate hands-on, clinical skill through hands-on practice. The program emphasizes Ayurvedic Sacred Bodywork™ techniques, SVA Marma Therapy as taught by Vaidya R.K. Mishra, and the precise clinical use of SVA products, integrating treatment logic, preparation, administration and follow-up care.
Whether you are an experienced healthcare professional or new to Ayurveda, this training meets you where you are. Level 1 begins January 31, 2026 with 12 live online classes. For full certification, the journey continues with an intimate 10-day in-person practicum in Santa Barbara, limited to just six participants, offering deep experiential learning through daily hands-on practice, in a retreat-like setting.
Join us! The world needs healers and we love to have you join our family of healers and SVA practitioners.
Take Vaidya Mishra “With You” – Everywhere You Go!
if you ever had the opportunity to meet Vaidya Mishra in person, or have encountered him via his many youtube videos or online courses, then you know what we mean! We all want to have him travel with us in this earthly journey, to help us in our decisions along the way, through the timeless wisdom and knowledge of SV Ayurved. And now we can! If you have not discovered our podcast channel yet, we invite you to look it up and explore the timeless teachings of SVAyurveda, as well as fabulous talks by other SVAyurveda doctors and educators.
We want to help you protect your purchase – there’s been an increase in lost/stolen packages.
To protect your shipment – in case your shipping address is not secure – we have now added the “signature delivery” option upon check-out on www.chandika.com and we highly recommend you select it to ensure your package is guaranteed to reach you after it leaves our warehouse. Kindly note we are unable to replace stolen/misplaced packages once they are confirmed delivered by the carrier of your choice.
