For the past four months, I’ve had the pleasure of conducting sessions at Maitra, an organization founded eight years ago in Pune by my dear friend, Medha Purkar. Maitra, “A Voyage Towards Self-Empowerment”—is a platform that brings women together to share, support, and care for one another. It welcomes all women who wish to embark on the journey of understanding, accepting, and loving themselves unconditionally. So, when I moved to Pune and the opportunity arose to interact with eight different groups of women across the city every month, I embraced it wholeheartedly.
Initially, I considered focusing on plant-based nutrition in these talks since it is my area of expertise. But after a deep conversation with Medha, we came up with a theme: “Balance sheet of Vitality” or Vitality cha Jama Kharcha in Marathi. This aligned with my emerging belief too that relying solely on diet for holistic and sustainable health is limited in scope.
Focusing on vitality is a good starting point for anyone who cares about their health. The choices we make, whether to hire help for cooking or accepting a job offer, are deeply intertwined with our vitality.
In the sessions, we explored the drains and gains in our vitality through activity-based discussions. I talked about how holistic health is fundamentally about the conscious and consistent conservation of this precious resource.
Many participants had an “aha” moment when they realized that mental actions can drain their vitality far more than physical actions.
As my conversations with the women deepened, more significant questions arose: How can I forgive someone responsible for my mental drain? How do I maintain my calm and conserve my vitality amid a chaotic family situation? This reaffirmed that diet is just one of many dimensions of health, and participants felt an urgent need to discover ways to conserve vitality for themselves.
Some women found comfort in knowing that they weren’t alone in disliking everyday tasks like cooking. Others courageously admitted that they did not enjoy house cleaning, but did it because of the societal expectations placed on housewives.
I have taken 8 sessions with the women from Maitra. Each session has been a learning experience where I witness the resilience of these women – managing daily responsibilities with grace and joy. I was struck by the common desire across groups to take control of their lives, say “no” to draining activities, and reclaim their energy. The willingness to embrace change after understanding how certain actions depleted their vitality was inspiring.
With two sessions remaining – one with a men’s group and another in an online format – I already feel nostalgic. These gatherings have been nourishing for the participants and me, with much to reflect upon and cherish.
I’m excited to share my insights on this topic with anyone interested in learning more. If you’d like to have similar sessions in your community, reach out to me. (https://www.poshaklife.com/custom-workshops/) I’d love to connect and explore how we can conserve vitality together.
I support people in their journeys of achieving vibrant health while maintaining the overall state of balance in their lives. Check out more details about the personal nutrition and lifestyle coaching I offer.
You can also choose to register for the upcoming 21 Day Back to Health program and experience the disappearance of ill-effects of your current lifestyle (some that you may not even identify as symptoms right now).
Cheers!
In health and fitness,
Saee
Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Therapist
Co-founder, Poshak Life
+91 9632676341