About Me.
Geetanjali Chakraborty
Ayurveda Doctor Level Certified (NAMA)
What inspires me about Ayurveda is that food is the first line of defense. This science helps us gain a therapeutic understanding of food and its importance in healing. The humble kitchen becomes a powerful force in bringing health back to our families. Ayurveda empowers us to become self-reliant by understanding our own constitution, and developing an awareness of imbalance, along with the knowledge of restoring balance. It is a completely revolutionary approach that empowers us with a democratized language for health. I have been going deeper into understanding local plants. My relationship with plants has come a long way, from somehow managing to kill a cactus to being able to help orchids thrive throughout the year. I have found it therapeutic to go beyond a functional utilitarian perspective of plants and toward treating them as beloved family members.
BIO
Geetanjali Chakraborty is a NAMA-certified Doctor of Ayurveda by the National Ayurveda Medical Association (NAMA). She has spoken at various conferences and educational platforms, including the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA), the International Herb Symposium, Samuel Merritt University, Silicon Valley's Health Technology Forum, and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) public programs. She also moderated a panel at the One International Festival in Suzhou, China.
Geetanjali established the foundation for a donation-based Ayurveda clinic at the India Community Center in Milpitas, a vision inspired by her teacher, where she has served many clients, helping to make holistic wellness more accessible. She also teaches introductory workshops on Ayurveda at Stanford University’s Healthy Living Program, focusing on “food as medicine” through diet and lifestyle practices.
Before her journey into Ayurveda, Geetanjali worked as a molecular biologist at Georgetown University and Stanford University, bringing a scientific perspective to her holistic approach. She holds a Master of Science (MS) in Biochemistry from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Maharishi University of Management Sciences.
Geetanjali completed a five-year Ayurveda Clinical Specialist Program at Vedika Global, where she later served as the Dean of Ayurveda Studies in 2017. She is currently a Board Member of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine (CAAM), where she continues to support the Ayurvedic community and advocate for holistic health practices.
The Swakitch Story
In the late 19th century, a man decided to undertake a strange pilgrimage, not to temples, but to villages, where he would give a curious gift to the women of the village. The gift was of nine seeds of plants that would aid the women in protecting the health of their families. This man would explain to them how to use these plants, and his claim was ambitious: “Respect and nurture these plants in your homes, and you will never be overpowered by sickness in your home.”
As a pilgrim, he did not charge any money for these seeds or for his teaching. Instead, he relied on the generosity of the villagers, and they responded by taking care of him wherever he went. In his own humble way, without any fundraising or grants, he had undertaken to transform the health of his land.
Beyond the seeds and the teachings left in the hands of the village women, this man laid the foundation for a new model of health. One that is not held captive in ivory towers of learning, but made accessible to those of humble means.
This story is immensely inspiring to me, and the word Swakitch is made up of 'Swa' + 'Kitchen.' Swa is the Sanskrit root for self-reliance (swadheen), swadisht (delicious) and swasthya (good health). Swakitch is dedicated to promoting self-reliance through the Ayurvedic kitchen where you can manage your health and lifestyle through a delicious diet made with healing spices. Swakitch is a modern pilgrimage inspired by all my Ayurveda teachers, with the tools of our time.
