Safronya is pleased to support the initiatives of Vedika Global, a non- profit dedicated
to humanitarian teaching, healing, service and fostering a conscious community through Ayurveda, Yoga and allied Vedic sciences.
Founded by Pratichi Mathur, a mystic teacher known for her unique way of expressing Ayurveda in conjunction with Vedanta and Yoga, Pratichi’s teachings revolve around the theme of Self, and reclaiming health by reconnecting with our inner Self.

We invite you to join Pratichi (see details below), an Ayurveda pioneer, master healer, teacher, and published author and hails from a lineage of Vedanta sages in India. A life-long healer, she began her apprenticeship at the age of nine. She is also the Director of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and leads Ayurvedic workshops and retreats throughout the United States and India.

Kara Lukowski
Kara began studying eastern wisdom in 1993. Her questioning has taken her on many journeys and she has found her home in Yoga and Ayurveda. She became a certified massage therapist in 2002 from the World School of Massage and Holistic Healing Arts in San Francisco. She studied the Usui system of Reiki while living on the island of Kauai.

In 2002 she became a certified Sivananda Yoga Instructor, and continued her studies in India in 2004. She also apprenticed Mela Butcher, an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Yoga Instructor in Hollywood, California. She has attended conferences with Dr. Marc Halpern, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. John Doulliard.

Kara is a member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and she is certified as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and a Pancha Karma Specialist (the highest certifications available in the USA in Ayurvedic Medicine) through the California College of Ayurveda and The American Institute of Vedic Studies.

Pratichi Mathur
Pratichi Mathur offers a unique approach to connecting with the highest self to bring about self- healing. (see bio above)
Pratichi will be offering group consultations here for those seeking a more in depth study and exploration of self through conscious aligning of mind and soul to achieve illumined bliss. Her warm and embracing approach, rooted in compassion and scientific studies of the Vedas, modern physics and experiential teachings is a must for any seeker of truth and wisdom.

Agnes Lenzen
Agnes' shift from being an Executive Administrator for nearly two decades to being a certified massage therapist and an Ayurvedic practitioner, stemmed from her deep belief in holistic methods for addressing health concerns. A gifted massage therapist, Agnes brings renewed passion for her practice with her enthusiasm to learn, immerse and grow from her relationships with her clients. She has done an apprentice course in Ayurveda at the Dhyana Center in Sebastopol, attended several Ayurveda Institute workshops with Dr. Vasant Lad in San Francisco, and is now pursuing her education through Vedika Global, a non-profit dedicated to the traditional Vedic wisdom of India.

Welcome to spring, the season where we wake up from the slumbers of winter and come back outside to nature. You can hear the birds singing just before sunrise, the trees grow tiny green leaves and buds, the flowering plants open into their colorful bouquets, and the days begin to get noticeably longer. There is always a feeling of freshness, of openness, and of newness as winter dies and we are reborn out of that darkness.

What does this mean for our diet and our health? Well, we have spent the winter eating heavy foods and spicing them to keep up our digestive agni (fire), and most likely were a little less active during the last few months. We might have packed on some extra padding around us to keep warm. Now the sunlight of spring begins to melt those accumulations, and they take the form of spring colds, excess mucous, hay fever and allergies. This means we need to work with alleviating the Kapha dosha, and let go of the winter indulgence and heaviness.
It is also a time to work with the Pitta dosha, which governs the fire element in the body, because if we can begin to balance out the fire as the heat slowly builds, when the full strength of summer is upon us we will be better able to handle it without getting overheated.

This means we need to emphasize fresh, light and bitter foods. We need to take a more 'cleansing' approach to our diet in this season. Spring is one of the two recommended times in Ayurveda to do a complete cleansing program, or Pancha Karma, to rid the body of disease and toxic build up and prepare for a healthy year ahead (fall is the second time).

If a complete Pancha Karma is not practical for you, you can still work with a mild cleanse around the turning of the season, and I recommend seeing a qualified practitioner who can put together a balanced program for you. It is very powerful to work with your body in this manner. Cleansing our bodies at the beginning of spring (and also with the start of fall) can help us to release toxic build up that clogs our bodies and creates lethargy and disease. It can also help improve digestion, skin problems, low energy and overall vitality.

In addition to spring cleaning, you can also incorporate some recipes on this page to begin to bring balance to the doshas and health to your body. Remember, Ayurveda is about all the ways we choose to live our life, so it is also important to work with your schedules and activities to find balance in all areas. This is a good season to spend more time outside, take a walk in nature, breathe the fresh air and watch the animals and plants coming alive. Also, drink lots of water and allow your intention and mindfulness to be with you as you clear out the cobwebs and enjoy the rebirth of this awakening season.

Spring Recipes:

Mung Dal Kitchari
Serves 4

Kitchari recipes are plentiful; it almost seems like there is a different recipe for every person in every season. As you begin to make kitchari again and again you will find ways to change the spices and add different vegetables into your pot for a nice, warm, balanced, nutritious meal.

Mung Dal is one of the most important healing foods in Ayurvedic medicine. It is easy to digest, is an antacid, filled with protein, and is sweet and cooling. It is the staple food used during Pancha Karma, or the Ayurvedic cleansing rituals. The yellow split mung dal is the best to use, unless otherwise specified.

4 cups of water
1 cup white basmati rice
yellow split mung dal
3 tablespoons ghee
1 pinch hing (asafoetida)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 bunch of dandelion green or other leafy greens, chopped

Wash the mung dal and rice until the water runs clear (You can also pre-soak the mung dal to help with digestibility)

Over medium heat, add the ghee into a saucepan and then add hing, cumin and fennel seeds. Wait until the seeds begin to pop, then add rice, mung, turmeric and salt, stir well, then add the water and bring to a boil. Boil for just a few minutes and then turn the heat to low, cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly ajar.

Cooking time is about 20 minutes, or until the water has boiled out and the beans are tender. Just before it is ready, add the fennel and coriander powder and mix well, then toss the greens on top, replace the lid, and allow it to finish cooking while the greens are steamed in the pot.

This Kitchari recipe is a variation on Usha and Dr. Lad’s Kitchari recipe from their book Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. I like to increase the spices to make it more flavorful, and sometimes add a few cloves or fresh ginger at the beginnings, or at the end sprinkle extra cumin powder on top. I also like to sauté leeks or onions, as onion cooked in ghee is building to ojas (although not recommended for those following a strict yogi diet).

Vegetables

Bitter Melon Subji No. 1
Serves 4

Bitter melon is bitter, cooling and pungent. It is light, easy to digest and calms Kapha and Pitta. It balances tridosha--the cilantro calms pitta, the mustard seeds eliminate kapha and the safflower oil, cumin seeds and hing relieve Vata. May provoke Vata if eaten in excess. This is good for diabetes, anemia and for worms. It is a mild laxative and liver cleanser.

4 cups bitter melon
3 tablespoons safflower oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 pinch hing
1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
1 small green chili, sliced in 4 pieces lengthwise
1/2 lime, quartered
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut the melon into round, bite-sized pieces.

Heat a shallow pot or frying pan on medium and add the oil, then the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing. Stir gently until the seeds pop. Put in the melon, cilantro, ginger, chili and lime. Stir and add the turmeric and salt.

Shake to mix together and coat the melon. Cover and turn down the heat to low.
Cook until tender, about 25 minutes.

Taken from: Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. By Usha Lad and Dr. Vasant Lad. Albuquerque, New Mexico: The Ayurvedic Press, 1994.