Celine Wallace’s personal journey with health issues became the inspiration for Sattva Soul, an Ayurvedic supplement company deeply rooted in the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda.
Using a self-health model, Sattva Soul (sattva meaning ‘balanced’ in Sanskrit) is on a mission to remind us of the innate ability our bodies have to thrive when in the right environment with the right tools.
In this conversation, we traverse Celine's path of integrating traditional Ayurvedic principles with modern wellness approaches. Discover her experiences of establishing Sattva Soul, the challenges she's faced, and her ambitious vision for holistic health.
Regardless if you're a wellness enthusiast, an aspiring entrepreneur, or an Ayurveda devotee seeking inspiration, this interview offers a deep dive into the intriguing fusion of ancient wisdom and contemporary health practices.
Join us as we unearth the narrative of Celine, a woman blending old and new, and reshaping wellness Get ready for a unique, enlightening exploration.
What is Ayurveda to you?
"Ayurveda is a holistic and preventive whole-body healing system that uses a 'natural' approach to physical and mental health.
I like to think of it as an eco-system for energy management that is continuously helping bring me back into alignment with myself."
How do you understand Ayurveda to have evolved throughout the world over the last century?
Ayurveda has an age-old history since the 2nd Century BC, originating from Indian heritage, making it one of the world's oldest recorded medicine systems. This preventive medicine is believed to have been gifted 3,000 years ago to the sages of the time by the god Brahma (the god of consciousness) to help them with sickness as an allopathic medicine solution.
The first depiction of Ayurveda was in an ancient text called the 'Vedas,' which also described yoga and meditation, which Ayurveda is the sister science too. 'Ayur' means life, and 'Veda' means knowledge in Sanskrit; it's believed that Ayurveda is just that - life knowledge on how to self-empower and heal your health.
In recent years, integrating this holistic healing system and its knowledge has been widely accepted globally as more people are looking for natural alternatives to health care and seeking preventive healthcare solutions beyond symptom management, which is more common in the Western healthcare system.
What makes this ancient tradition important for modern lives and modern living?
In our hectic modern society, we are constantly bombarded with an overload of information, expected to be available 24/7, and disconnected physically from each other, but with a false sense of connection through devices. Accompanied by living in concrete boxes in big cities, disconnected from nature, the elements, and ourselves, we are in a time of sickness and sadness, with depression and anxiety at the highest rates in history. This is where the magic of Ayurveda can become the bridge back home to ourselves.
Ayurveda is essentially a road map back to our health because it empowers us with daily tools to make lifestyle choices that create a preventive health system. It does this by factoring in daily diet, herbal protocols, the seasons, sleep, energy management, and other lifestyle choices to create balance, which keeps the body and mind in alignment and regulates the nervous system.
Could you give us a brief outline of the Dosha system that Ayurveda is built around? What does this idea of Doshas mean to you?
To simplify this, Ayurveda believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements -
1. Vayu (Air)
2. Jala (Water)
3. Aakash (Space)
4. Prithvi (Earth)
5. Teja (Fire)
These five elemental bodies exist within us and around us at all times. Ayurveda has developed an eco-system called the 'Dosha's' meaning 'Default' in Sanskrit, to help us access what our default way of being is and which elements do we lean toward, and where our mind/body may be out of balance.
The Doshas are broken down into three main mind-body constitutions, which couple these elements together based on the qualities they carry;
Pitta - Fire and Water
Vata - Air and Space
Kapha - Earth and Water
Take the Sattva Soul quiz to discover how your mind-body-spirit expresses itself and how you can find more balance.
What are some simple Ayurvedic principles that people could integrate into their everyday lives?
Your daily Dinacharya, meaning 'routine' in Sanskrit, believes there are principles that apply to all the doshas above, which we call 'Tridoshic.' Some principle Tridoshic Dinacharyas to start your day is;
- Rise according to the sun to set your circadian rhythm for the day.
- Tongue clean with a copper tongue cleaner to cleanse the mouth of bacteria and toxins (Ama) that have risen on the tongue's surface overnight from the day before.
- Oil pulling with sesame oil, which is what is traditionally used in Ayurveda, and swill this in the mouth for 10-20 minutes to strengthen your tongue, gums, and jaw and prevent tooth decay.
- Brush your teeth to clear off the oil and bacteria.
- Drink room-temperature water with lemon to help the body begin its detoxification process for the day.
The list is long, and I can carry on, but in Ayurveda we always prefer a personalised approach which works with your body type and is more specified principles based on your Dosha’s. I recommend taking our Sattva Soul dosha evaluation so you can have some personalised suggestions for your mind-body constitution!
We hope you found this conversation with Celine enlightening, as we journeyed through the deep-rooted traditions of Ayurveda, marrying ancient wisdom with modern-day practices. A testament to the transformative power of Ayurveda, Celine's story showcases how these age-old teachings are not only relevant but crucial in addressing today's health challenges. From the intricacies of the Dosha system to practical daily routines, Ayurveda offers tools that resonate across generations, geographical boundaries, and lifestyles. Sattva Soul, a beacon of balance, reminds us of the holistic wellness awaiting those who dare to dive deep into the wealth of knowledge encapsulated in Ayurveda. Whether a seasoned Ayurvedic practitioner or a newcomer seeking holistic alternatives, there's a wealth of inspiration to be found in blending the old with the new, all in pursuit of optimal well-being.
Sending hugs,
The Aro Ha team
xx
