Zarah Kravitz (Yoga & Ayurvedic Practioner in U.S) & Radhika Ponda (Founder) about Seasonal Shift, Ayurvedic way of Life, and Interconnectedness with Nature
Sharbani: We are in conversation today with Radhika Ponda and Zarah Kravitz, about personal journeys, Ayurvedic Autumn, and Navratri. I’m Sharbani from the marketing team of Mt. Meru Medicines.
Let me tell everybody a little bit about Radhika Ponda. She is the CEO of Mt. Meru Medicines, a herbal supplements company in the United States of America. She hails from India. Yoga and Ayurveda are the two things that inspired her to get Mt. Meru Medicines established on her own. While growing up, turmeric was the herb that she was always influenced by, which is why she started the company with turmeric supplements. It’s not just regular turmeric supplements, it is free from extracts and additives, and it’s made in a way that is way beyond organic.
So welcome Radhika ji and Zarah!
Radhika Ponda: Thank you, Sharbani, for a beautiful introduction. Now let me introduce my friend Zarah. As you know, an Ayurvedic herbal supplements company, it is always a pleasure to have Ayurvedic practitioners like Zarah believe in your company and believe in what you do and trust you, trust your herbal supplements. Zarah is a student of yoga, like- I am, and she’s also an Ayurvedic Practitioner, a Certified Ayurvedic from the Ayurvedic Institute. And she has had the opportunity to study with Dr. Vasant Lad, which is amazing. So welcome, Zarah. I look forward to this conversation.
Zarah Kravitz: Thank you. Thank you both. I look very forward to it as well.
Sharbani: So let me start first with Zarah. Zarah, what does Ayurveda mean to you, and can you just tell us how your personal journey leading up to yoga and Ayurveda has influenced your life and transformed your life?
Zarah: Yeah, beautiful question. I think the whisperings of Ayurveda have always been there. I had the honor to grow up in New Mexico where the Ayurvedic Institute was actually... you know, it was the home of the Ayurvedic Institute and Dr. Lad had been going there for many, many years. And so I grew up actually knowing some Ayurvedic practitioners and actually knowing the Nasya oil. My mother used to buy the Nasya oil, and it’s the best Nasya oil. I love it... It is the drops for the nose if you don’t know what that is. And I grew up actually using the Nasya oil, and it was really, it was a very interesting experience for a teenager. And I really liked, you know, I really... I really felt connected. But I also had to go through my journey. I was an actress for a while, so I went to New York City seeking that and... I actually ended up getting sick on that journey because I wasn’t taking care of myself, and I ended up in the hospital with a kidney infection. And I remember at the time I actually didn’t have health insurance, and I was right out of college, and I was laying there in the bed, and there were all these very sick people around me. And I realized... This is not my reality. I should not be here. You know, I’m too young and vibrant. I have too much to want to do and explore in the world. And so it was a great push for when I got out of that experience. I began to actively seek health in all the different ways. So that led me to yoga practice. I met my yoga teacher, Sri Dharma Mitra at the time in New York City, and did the teacher training. And then I did the program, at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City as well at that time. And that actually was my first official experience and introduction to Ayurveda through Dr. John Douillard, who is a beautiful, beautiful doctor of Ayurveda, and I learned a lot from him.
I started actually taking some supplements, and I really got into Shilajit for a while, not really knowing what it was doing. I started to get into the spices and yeah, I always loved, I always loved the, you know, Indian cooking, but I didn’t really know what that was. But I also started to explore nutrition a bit more, and that was kind of my entryway, I would say, as focusing a little more on nutrition and how to help people with their diets and how to help myself as well. At that moment I was a very strict vegan, and so I was, yeah, I was trying to learn how to really just take care of myself and what that meant. And I didn’t want to be sick again, and I really wanted to help. I really wanted to help people. Several years later, I found the institute, and it was a really deep, deep call from within to make that big decision to study with Dr. Lad. And I was, I felt so blessed because I was able to go back home in a way because my mom still lived there, and my dad also...lives in New Mexico still. But I ended up living with my mother, having a very sacred time spent with her while I studied at the institute. I just dove fully into Ayurveda—it embraced me, and I embraced it.
I truly believe in it and have seen it work miracles for many people. Ayurveda has been my greatest teacher, along with nature. By connecting to nature—the macrocosm—and observing the seasonal shifts, I’ve learned to understand the changes within myself and my own nature.
Nature serves as a guru, a guide, and a teacher. Ayurveda is a practice of connecting to nature and the five elements, which form the doshas. It has been a beautiful pathway for me to reconnect with myself on a deeper level and to help others on their wellness journeys.
Sharbani: You mentioned Nutrition, Nasya, and Seasonal Changes. Recently, we experienced the autumn equinox, a transition in seasons. In Ayurveda, there’s a concept called Ritucharya in Sanskrit. It means following a lifestyle that aligns with seasonal changes.
Zarah: These transition moments are called Sandhi in Sanskrit. Sandhi represents the junctions or transitions when nature shifts, signaling us to adapt. Nature acts as a guru, guiding us through these shifts. It’s not nature that adapts to us; we must adapt to her rhythms, desires, and changes.
These moments are opportunities to listen and evolve with her changes. For example, summer is often an outward, external season, full of activity. Transitioning out of summer invites us to redirect our energy inward and align with the introspective nature of autumn.
Radhika: I had the opportunity to grow up in India and it was an honor. India has given, you know, the world the knowledge of ancient yoga and Ayurveda. And along with the autumn equinox, you know, we have this festival of Navratri, which literally means nine nights. And you know, growing up in India, we didn't really call it a cleanse. You basically learn the Ayurvedic way of life from the community through your elders. So growing up, you know, even before calling it a cleanse or, you know, calling it a detox, we just did it. So one of the things that we did as a part of the Navratri or the autumn equinox was that, you know, we worshipped nature,...the goddess in the form of nature. And as Zarah mentioned, you wanted your inner self to be in balance with nature. So as a part of the practices, what we did was we would come together as a community and dance. And this is unique to the state of Gujarat where I am from. And all, you know, these dances would involve a lot of twists and turns and it was meant to detox a liver. And again, turmeric is a great liver herb!
Now here in the United States, I don't get to dance nine days. I would. I'm lucky if I can go even, you know, once or twice and do the folk dance, which is called Garba. But, you know, when I'm doing my yoga practices, I like to do asanas which are good for the liver—the twists, trikonasana (the side angle pose)—and always incorporating turmeric because turmeric is very purifying to the prana.
It's also important to have the balance of the subtle body along with the physical body and turmeric is known to purify both bodies.
Sharbani: That's a wonderful insight. I myself am Indian; I know about Garba but I never—I did not know about this part where we twist and turn—that is actually a kind of detox because once the music starts we don't realize that we are dancing so much to the tunes and round in circles.
Radhika: Yeah and then the other thing is that in order to have the energy to dance for two to three hours, you want to eat in moderation, right? You can't have a full stomach and then go dance for two to three hours.
So it was incorporated as a part of the diet as well. You would eat more Satwik food during those nine days and then be ready to dance at night for 3-4 hours even as a child.
Sharbani: So coming to Navratri as well—Zarah—do you also have a certain kind of ritual for Navratri or how does this period also mean something to you? I mean certain practitioners do yoga and do practices. So how have you taken it in your daily life or like these nine days? What does it signify for you?
Zarah: Yeah, it's such a beautiful tradition, and Divine Mother is the representation of nature in the material world—the macrocosm—and connecting to her bounty, her harvest; connecting to her festival. And I mean it does happen four times a year but this is the most potent one and most celebrated one.
So for me, I think it's really just connecting—reconnecting—to my material existence, especially as a woman and embracing Ma within my body and as a mother. And connecting to this beautiful seasonal shift. I usually deepen my sadhana during this time, chant some more mantras, and take that time and space in the morning.
I was introduced to the Navadurga tradition. So each day it's a different form of Ma on her different vehicle and I really love that aspect of it because she goes through her own evolution of defeating these demons—and those demons are really present in our life—in our consciousness—our egos—our tendencies—the negative part of dosha—which is very potent and always kind of looking at us in the eye.
Ma is there to come in as that powerful vehicle for transformation—for shifting—for our evolution. So it's a really beautiful and special time for me. And I would say I've probably been practicing it or going deeper into sadhana for maybe four or five years. And since then I really look forward to this time of year.
I also lost my mother at the end of September four years ago. During that time I was actually in Navaratri Sadhana and it was a really potent time because I could rely on Sadhana and just relax into that daily practice even though it was obviously a very difficult moment for my family. She passed at home so luckily we were at home—in a home environment space—so I had my little altar and my space to be with.
Also, I was doing my best to try taking care of my food at that time—there was kind of a natural fasting effect already there—and natural cleansing—lots of crying—which is so good for the nervous system and Vata—and just allowing that energy to shift transform.
This time of year also is very much bound for me—to my actual Ma—my dear beloved mother—and it's been an honor this past 16 months also being initiated into motherhood myself—and connect deeper through Divine Mother by embodying what Ma is—that caring loving but fierce energy—the mama bear claws—the lion—is activated.
Yes—the endurance—of being a mother—is so potent and powerful—with lots of disciplined Pitta energy—it’s been an honor finding fierce warrior Durga inside.
Sharbani: Okay, so this is a question that I am intrigued to ask both of you, which is… that you both are yoga practitioners. When we see people doing yoga, it is a fantasy that one day I'll also do it. Is it a thing that inspires you, or is it the willingness that comes from within? There are people who tell you, "Do yoga, do yoga," but still, it doesn't come from within. For both of you, I heard about your journey as well, Zara, and I know some things about Radhika Ji. I want to ask both of you: does it come to you daily? In the beginning, did it come to you daily that you “have to do it”, or was it always the passion or willingness that drove you to do it? Who wants to go first? Zara, do you want to go first?
Zarah: Sure, my dear. Sure. Yes, I have something right there. My yoga teacher would always say, "Do it because it has to be done." And I think that's such an interesting thing. I've been meditating on that for a long time—do it because it has to be done. And I think with it, it started off as that: do it because it has to be done. There was a really deep desire within me that was calling me back home, calling me back to self and doing whatever that took—seeking on the path and using all the tools I could find to guide me along the way.
To be honest, right now in this very moment, I think coming back to motherhood has been my deepest practice of yoga yet. It is the constant reminder of the practice off the mat in daily life—in every breath, every pause, and every moment of frustration. Also, the fierceness and even just the fear and anxiety that comes with being a mother—this has been my greatest and deepest state of practice. I feel like I'm practicing all the time right now and really remembering my practice and doing my best to live it for my son, for myself, and for my family.
That has been a beautiful shift in my practice because before I was very much like, "Just do it because it has to be done." Now I'm living it because this is what it is—it's my greatest tool and my greatest path for my own liberation, connection, deepening relationships, and showing up as a mother.
Sharbani: Wow, that is such a beautiful way of looking at Motherhood. What about you, Radhika Ji? What drives you? I've seen you every day when we were here in India.
Radhika: Growing up, I had always been drawn to the asanas. It was part of the school curriculum, which I liked. I liked moving my body in different ways. At that time growing up, I didn't know what it was doing to my inner self. But what yoga essentially does is take you from a state of tamas (inertia) to a state of activity (rajas) and then to a state of sattva. In that state of sattva, you're with your true self; nothing going on in the world matters—you are happy and relaxed!
Yoga helps clarify channels. If I miss a day, I can see myself going into tamas or blind activity (rajas). Over time, I've started liking the path of sattva. That motivates me to practice every day. If I don't practice, I get aches or discomfort in certain parts of my body. It is then that I realize, that energy channels need clarification—you need to strengthen where necessary and stretch where needed.
I've had great teachers like Carolyn Belko and Faeq Biriya who guided me not to miss a day of practice. Their guidance has helped me stay consistent with my daily practice—even if it's just 15 minutes a day.
Sharbani: So yes, Radhika Ji, as Zarah already pointed out, there are simple recommendations one should incorporate during the daily routine to have a balanced autumn and manage the transition. What are three simple things you recommend for this?
Radhika: I'll tell you what I do. I continue with my morning concoction, which many of you know consists of our precious Lakadong turmeric with lemon and honey. I continue this habit, but I also include a warm cup of golden latte during the day or evening. It’s very rejuvenating for me.
During the summer, I have more of a pitta tendency, so I drink room-temperature or slightly colder water to pacify my pitta. However, in autumn, I often switch to drinking warm water, which I enjoy. As Zara mentioned, I also focus on eating fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Growing up in India, we didn’t have access to certain fruits like strawberries or apples all year round, so eating seasonally was a big part of our lives. For example, in Gujarat, we have a dish called Undhiyu*, which is specific to the fall and winter months. Being mindful of what’s in season, whether shopping at a farmer’s market or elsewhere, is important and yeah, one other thing I like to add is my mother-in-law makes Chyawan Prash, and it's been... it's an Ayurvedic herbal jam, and the main ingredient is Amla. And it really boosts your immunity during autumn and winter. I like to include that for me as well as my family during these months.
Sharbani: Yeah, when we were children, it was really torture for us to have that because of this. I had it the most during the COVID period, we used to take it as a must.
Radhika: Also, you know, for children, like my daughter, who is 8 years old, she had a cold yesterday, so she couldn’t go to school, and it was really nice. But she reminded me, "Mama, can I start having Chyawan Prash?" So, you know, children do observe you and learn from you, even though, some days it's torture for her to have Khichdi and Chyawan Prash and Golden Milk. But then they really seek it.
Zarah: Oh, that's so beautiful. I love that!
Sharbani: Zarah, you also talked about some Indian food recipes. What have you tried till now and what are your favorites from India?
Zarah: Yes, well, yeah, the list would be very long. But yes, I really love dal. I love the mung dal, the masoor dal, and toor dal. I really love all the dals. They always make me feel really... just, I don’t know, calm, grounded, energized. Also, they’re just really delicious. I try to make a few dals a week just in my kitchen.
And I also just really love rice. I love rice and all its different ways, the basmati rice. love khichdi. I definitely have khichdi more or less just, you know, maybe once a week, but also I just did a khichdi cleanse. So, I ate khichdi for about 7 days, and it was delicious and beautiful. It was a lovely ritual, you know, just every day, just soaking my dal overnight and then in the morning washing it well and then, you know, making a whole new batch of delicious khichdi and adding different spices each day and different veggies that I kind of felt I needed on that day. So, I will always have some khichdi.
Goodness, what else do I love? I love all the saag dishes. I love Chana masala. Yeah, I love all those, and the kormas too. The thick and gently spiced ones with cashews, veggies, raisins, and coconut. Yes, all those things really. I absolutely love dosa. It’s, of course, more from the southern part of India. And I actually bought an idli maker, so I do make dosa and idli.
Yeah, so I have my little idli maker. It doesn’t... I don’t use it too often just because going through the whole fermentation process to get the batter right and all that. But I’ve been practicing, so I think I’m getting a little bit better. I’m definitely better at making idlis than dosas, let’s say that. The dosa, the crepe, is really hard to... yeah, like thin enough and all the things. But I really love it. I also love the food from the North. I love the roti and the chapati. When I was studying Ayurveda, we made chapati with Doctor Ladd’s wife, she is a magical chapati maker, and she showed us her little tricks. And of course, she showed us, and then everyone tried, and all the chapatis were misshapen, looked weird, and many of them didn’t puff up. But it was lovely to see how it’s done.
Radhika: Having full stomachs is something we experience naturally as children. However, as we grow up, external factors like sugar cravings, seasonal changes, and life transitions lead us to lose touch with our natural instincts. Practices like yoga help reconnect with our body’s intuition. For instance, after eating something heavy like a Domino’s pizza, it becomes evident the next day through poor digestion and a sluggish feeling. This self-observation aligns us back to the balanced dietary habits, or "Mitahaar," we intuitively had as children but later lost.
It's just an observation. Yes. And I think it's an individualized approach.
You know, I mean, here when you come to the US, you know, I mean, I have grown up drinking, you know, milk, regular milk, and I need the milk to soothe my pitta. I can't really go vegan. If I go vegan, I'll have acne, you know, all over my face. And I've tried going all vegan, you know.
So I think not listening to the mainstream media and what somebody's doing on TikTok or Instagram, but really following what suits you and not going behind anything blindly. And also having guidance from Ayurvedic practitioners, you know, your teachers. I think that plays a great role as well.
Back to the concept, the state of Mitahar.
It's interesting that there are these constant acts of self-sabotage, right? And against our wisdom. Ayurveda actually says this is the number one cause of disease—doing things that are against our intuition and our wisdom, right?
It's like punishing yourself for 21 days, you know.
Wouldn't we want to make the good decision, the right decision that would make us feel joyful, happy, grounded, sattvic, calm, peaceful, being the best version of ourselves?
But, it's kind of like I said earlier—we have to fail or fall, you know, to see and shed some light on "Oh goodness, that's not working, and that doesn't feel good."
And oh, I don't want to end up in a hospital with a chronic illness. I want to really try to be as healthy and happy as I can because it's our birthright. Our birthright is joy and love and peace and that ananda, that bliss.
We're here to remember that we are that and come back to that state.
This is why we do these purification processes—to clean and clear the tendencies that hold us back from that clarity and push us into the self-sabotaging spaces that are not serving us.
I think that's where Navratri, the detox people do, your practitioners do during Navratri, also plays a major role. Or any kind of such celebrations that come, I guess.
But it's like, you know, the acceptance that we would fall so many times and then get up and then again do that. That also, you know, because seeing a cup of ice cream and then not wanting to have that is a big—I think that is a big achievement.
Yeah.
I like ice cream some days, you know, and I like ice cream to pacify my pitta some days, you know, but not every day, right?
So I think not constantly comparing yourself with others and what others are doing is important. And I think that's too much going on in our society.
Like even in Navratri, you know, there are people who do water fasts for those nine days, but then they are at a different place in their life.
Suddenly changing your appetite for those nine days and punishing yourself is also not the right way of going about it.
So you need to find that balance, that individualized approach for yourself, and see what works for you. In that joyful state, you should feel joyful when you're doing that detox.
Really, you don't need drastic changes. You need simple changes that can last a lifetime.
Sharbani: One more question popped up in my head!
As you mentioned.. about not following what others do, this often happens when we see YouTube videos of yoga or someone who has a very beautiful body doing it, and then we are also like, "Let's do it the same way and with the same vigor."
And then, you know, it doesn’t happen every day.
Or, you know, like the acceptance that it should be taken one day at a time, or you should have guidance along with it.
So I think that comparison sort of comes in, and then you feel like doing what others do.
So have you both experienced that state while practicing yoga?
Zarah: Oh yes, many times.
Many, many times. And you know, that's also so much of what Navratri could be for us right now, you know—looking at the ego, looking at our big egos, stopping the comparison, and excuse me, the self-judgment.
The constant pitta state of mind, always wanting to judge and criticize. Also, being in that competitive state of mind, always wanting to win or be first or be the best. It is really, really hard with social media these days to not compare yourself because you're there looking at all these things.
And so, it really, it really requires us to drop back into our ourselves, our centers,
our hearts and trust that wherever we are is great and perfect and enough. You know, it doesn't. We don't have to be more or be, you know, maybe we'll never reach that that asana in this state of, in this in this lifetime. And does it really matter? Does it really matter? No, it doesn't actually, in the end. But what matters is getting out of your own mind of wanting to do that and thinking... you have to do that in order to succeed or be better or evolve or be a “true
yogini”, you know. So I'm constantly looking at my ego and laughing, trying to laugh at it.
Sharbani: Profound. Yeah, I agree with Zara 100%. I have two more questions. Radhika Ji, how do you see Ayurveda-based supplements evolving in the wellness market, particularly in the U.S?
Radhika: I feel that Ayurveda is still in its nascent stage in the US. I see it going more mainstream. Also, I see that you know what the herbal supplement companies should do, Ayurvedic companies should do, is collaborate with Ayurvedic practitioners like Zarah, because not everybody knows what their doshas are, and each individual is a mix of all the three, Pitta, Vata, and Kapha. And you know, taking herbs that might not suit you just through an online quiz is also not great, you know and then not everybody has access to good Ayurvedic practitioners as well. As Mt. Meru, we see ourselves in a few years as an Ayurvedic Supplement Company where we can also provide consultations through Yoga Ayurvedic Practitioners and Integrative Medicine Practitioners, and together we kind of bridge the science between Ayurveda and modern science to give an individualized approach where you know the person is given exactly what they need in terms of the herbs they need to take at that specific time.
Zarah: That's a wonderful way to approach it because I've seen people taking those quizzes, and they often seem generic and don’t work for everyone. I always tell people not to take those quizzes—they can make you even more confused. Dr. Ladd, however, has a great quiz for Prakriti and Vikriti, which is your regional blueprint code or dosha balance and the current state of imbalance. It requires taking the test twice, with numerous questions, and I believe a good quiz should have between 50 to 200 questions. Such depth helps in understanding the whole picture and gaining a better understanding of oneself.
Consultations are particularly effective because they provide a personalized approach. The individual gets diagnosed, studied, and is then given the right supplements. It’s the most personalized way to recommend and provide supplements. Ayurveda is so nuanced and individualistic. While there are larger concepts that apply universally, there’s also the need to zoom in on each unique being. Having an external, objective perspective can really help, as it’s often difficult for people to self-assess accurately. Many aren’t even sure about their physical features like a pointy nose or thick hair, let alone their internal constitution. It’s surprisingly hard to know oneself.
Radhika: One important point for Ayurvedic supplement companies is to adhere to the principles of Ayurveda. Many claim to be Ayurvedic but use extracts in their formulations. Ayurveda traditionally recommends whole herbs, which is why we focused on sourcing the world's best turmeric without resorting to curcumin extracts. When people complain about liver issues caused by turmeric, it’s often due to curcumin extracts, not turmeric itself. This reinforces the importance of staying true to traditional wisdom and using the whole herb as it was done in ancient times.
This is something for companies to reflect on—if you claim to connect people to nature, your products should truly embody natural principles and avoid extracts. This ensures authenticity and aligns with the Ayurvedic ethos. Such discussions are vital for propagating Ayurveda, especially in the West. The knowledge we’ve inherited from our ancient sages is for everyone, and it’s our duty to share it. These conversations are not just about the present but also about ensuring that future generations understand and embrace this wisdom.
It’s also crucial for youngsters in India to recognize this heritage. While the West is eager to adopt Ayurveda, many in India are moving away from it, distracted by social media trends. Rediscovering and appreciating the wisdom of our grandparents and great-grandparents can bring immense value. This ancient knowledge passed down through generations, is a treasure trove that we must not lose sight of.
It was an absolute pleasure having this deep and insightful conversation.
Sharbani: Despite the late hour, I feel refreshed and energized because of the meaningful exchange of ideas.
Radhika: Conversations like these are essential for spreading awareness and preserving our rich traditions.
Zarah: Sharing these insights not only strengthens our understanding but also helps propagate this ancient wisdom to a wider audience.
