<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Swakitch]]></title><description><![CDATA[By learning the healing secrets of cooking herbs, our kitchen becomes the first line of defense for our families' health.]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:03:37 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.swakitch.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[When "Not Yet" Becomes Thirteen Years]]></title><description><![CDATA[I wanted to share a personal health story because one of the things Ayurveda has taught me is that success does not always look like reversal. Sometimes a condition remains, but its progression changes. Sometimes an intervention buys time. And sometimes that time matters. My husband has had cavities since he was a teenager. Growing up in India, dental care was often something we sought when a problem arose rather than something we approached preventively. About thirteen years ago, when I was...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/when-not-yet-becomes-thirteen-years</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a956adf9d169940e9d769e9</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:06:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_514f0df7476c413bae2c3f1baa3c967e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Knowledge Becomes Part of You]]></title><description><![CDATA[This year, during my trip to India, I had the opportunity to visit the Atharva Ayurveda Center in Pune, an integrative cancer center in Wagholi where conventional medicine and Ayurveda are brought together according to the needs of each patient. I walked through the center with Dr. Bhagyashree Sardeshmukh and came away carrying many small but meaningful lessons. One of them came through Prabha Godbole, an experienced Ayurveda gynecologist, a field very close to my heart. I have long been...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/when-knowledge-becomes-part-of-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a9564492dd9f1aed9c642fd</guid><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:39:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8fed9ef13904fb85b6b12092c269a465.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_563,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pune: The City That Keeps Teaching Me]]></title><description><![CDATA[My relationship with Pune began in 1996, when I was in the 12th grade at Fergusson College. It was not entirely my idea, but it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable years of my life. My parents, convinced that I had become a little too spoilt growing up in Delhi, decided that a year away would be good for me. In retrospect, I think of it as my enforced year of adulting, being sent away just enough to learn how to navigate life a little more independently. I took up Arts and studied...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/pune-the-city-that-keeps-teaching-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a955d827732ad434c9efd51</guid><pubDate>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:20:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/36c48d33bcb44f608245fdab8b54cfb1.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When the Mind Loses Its Compass: An Ayurvedic View of Stress and Suffering]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Roots of Stress Begin Earlier Than We Think For a long time, I believed stress belonged to adulthood. I thought it arrived with jobs, responsibilities, and the weight of providing for others. But watching my children now, one of them still in middle school, I see something different. Stress begins much earlier today. Children are asked to perform, compete, and decide who they want to become long before their inner compass has fully formed. There is a constant pressure to optimize every...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/when-the-mind-loses-its-compass-an-ayurvedic-view-of-stress-and-suffering</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992bae3159d7fac964004d8</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 06:41:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_09d7906260ac43189aa37663f0f56afe~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Embracing Gratitude: A Year of Reflection and Growth]]></title><description><![CDATA[A Journey of Presence and Connection 2025 has moved swiftly and quietly. The year began with a sense of openness and curiosity, and now we are nearing its end, looking back at all that unfolded. It has been a year of deep learning, subtle shifts, and a growing sense of gratitude. That gratitude has become a steady practice for me. It reminds me that health, stability, family, belonging, and purpose are gifts to be acknowledged with presence and care. This theme of presence continued during...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/full-circle-moments-impermanence-and-gratitude</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6936a9c9e118f56a96eee588</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Dec 2025 10:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_a45af7b22eee4ca5908e4435ff629316~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Grains of Truth: Ayurveda, Millets, and the Misunderstood Metric of Health]]></title><description><![CDATA[In today’s wellness climate, the appeal of ancient grains has found a new champion: millets. These hardy, nutrient-dense grains are being hailed as miracle foods. They're gluten-free, rich in fiber, and a seemingly perfect substitute for modern staples like wheat and rice. But while the enthusiasm is understandable, it also risks flattening centuries of wisdom embedded in traditional medicine systems like Ayurveda. What if the current millet movement, instead of reconnecting us with ancient...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/grains-of-truth-ayurveda-millets-and-the-misunderstood-metric-of-health</link><guid isPermaLink="false">693944d5122b31d338b6a495</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2025 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_dc7d05699f4b4f89a7f23eb8eae36ba0~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_668,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Returning to the Roots: An Ayurvedic Summer in Pune]]></title><description><![CDATA[This summer, during our trip to Pune, I was invited to speak at Savitribai Phule University on the topic of my Ayurvedic approach in the West. I was slightly surprised when I first received the invitation—after all, my audience would be Ayurvedic professionals in India, many of whom have gone through rigorous, hands-on training, sometimes even growing herbs and preparing decoctions as part of their education. Could I really add value? They persuaded me that they were deeply interested in how...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/returning-to-the-roots-an-ayurvedic-summer-in-pune</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6937f343b4eda390667e2d92</guid><pubDate>Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8afc420779424fe48bb347b729208ddb.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Answer my Friend, is Blowin in the Wind]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bob Dylan’s famous ballad “ The Answer my Friend, is Blowin in the Wind ,” seems to aptly summarize my learning about wind in Ayurveda. The winds that pass over a land are not just atmospheric—they shape the inner winds of the body and mind. How we feel, what we eat, even our clarity of thought—these shift with the direction of the breeze. To live in balance, one must not resist the wind, but listen to it. What if we could listen to the wind from the foundations of Ayurveda, namely the forces...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/the-answer-my-friend-is-blowin-in-the-wind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69301b7cee21510c2ee7bb60</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2025 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c6dd5fec06c86534fdcd02a3541faa3f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_616,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How To Choose The Right Ayurveda College: A Reflection For Students Seeking Meaningful Learning]]></title><description><![CDATA[As someone who has walked the path of Ayurveda and mentored many others along it, I’m often asked, “Which Ayurveda college is the best?”...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/how-to-choose-the-right-ayurveda-college-a-reflection-for-students-seeking-meaningful-learning</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6818408c19b29b6e847c6d40</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2025 03:06:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_e7e3f485ba4b4b2fb5b9eaa552068faf~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Unexpected Gift of an Empty Room]]></title><description><![CDATA[I recently taught a class at my friend’s store. We didn’t know how many people might come. We promoted it with some flyers and social...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/the-unexpected-gift-of-an-empty-room</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68217504345cfad74141d5eb</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2025 14:35:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d3b1c9cf43cba382d6c124f85854c662.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_492,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Conformity to Calling: A Journey Toward Meaningful Work]]></title><description><![CDATA[I grew up in India—a place often described as spiritual, yet my early experiences of school and career choices felt more rigid than...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/from-conformity-to-calling-a-journey-toward-meaningful-work</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68184d813fc42791beeebad1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Apr 2025 21:44:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_2d6d0c72a8c940639da16da440882762~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Mother's Elixir: Rediscovering the Warmth of Saubhagya Shunthi Churna]]></title><description><![CDATA[By the time the sun slipped past the neem trees outside my grandmother’s ancestral home, the kitchen would come alive with the scent of...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/a-mother-s-elixir-rediscovering-the-warmth-of-saubhagya-shunthi-churna</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f9ca9cc9ecd448413947b7</guid><pubDate>Mon, 14 Apr 2025 01:55:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_a93d04090bb14197af2a61a86605dd01~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_720,h_281,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tulsi: The Living Presence That Watches Over Us]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our previous home, a Tulsi plant had grown so lush and tall in our backyard garden that it felt like a quiet guardian—its branches...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/tulsi-the-living-presence-that-watches-over-us</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67e3de5bdcdd01c244eec3b7</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Apr 2025 05:59:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_7e200ab061f841da9a08d124db0affaf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Quiet Healer: Mandukaparni’s Gift for Mind and Longevity]]></title><description><![CDATA[Some herbs don’t just heal, they whisper. Mandukaparni , with its soft, rounded leaves shaped like a frog’s foot, isn’t the kind to...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/the-quiet-healer-mandukaparni-s-gift-for-mind-and-longevity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67e23884ab7ae44008c3ca84</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:06:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_a7c59c74f4e042889cc91cffa12bfab2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wheat: The Ancient Grain That’s Elevating My Kitchen Game]]></title><description><![CDATA[Last year, we had a new addition to our kitchen. While my values are traditional and I really like things from scratch, I am also a huge...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/wheat-the-ancient-grain-that-s-elevating-my-kitchen-game</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67bc4dacfada8902d7fd4769</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:45:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d30a81385011babaecf69c166c78ca8a.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wholesome Eating Through the Lens of Ayurveda]]></title><description><![CDATA[When it comes to healthy eating, we often find ourselves caught between the idea of what’s nutritious and what’s enjoyable. We’ve all...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/taste-thrive-and-transform-discovering-the-joy-of-pathya</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67bc5247efd67e3d7e3a7297</guid><pubDate>Thu, 16 Jan 2025 05:44:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_fc3e73888b224127ad67a3e6d70fdc9a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Magic of Red Carrots: Tradition, Taste, and Winter Warmth]]></title><description><![CDATA[Winter has a way of wrapping us in nostalgia, doesn’t it? For many of us who grew up in North India, winter isn’t complete without the...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/warm-up-your-winter-with-the-red-carrot</link><guid isPermaLink="false">677312e27ce4ed1d6136d0ca</guid><pubDate>Thu, 19 Dec 2024 22:23:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_5d890d15ea3a4248a54993676a8f2a5c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Joy of Raw Milk: A Decade of Dairy Delight]]></title><description><![CDATA[For over a decade, raw milk has been a cornerstone of my kitchen. My journey began with Schoch Family Farmstead , whose raw milk has been...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/the-joy-of-raw-milk-a-decade-of-dairy-delight</link><guid isPermaLink="false">675ac57269f3b054947ffc39</guid><pubDate>Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_db9085a7a99d44ed937921fafd88c2d2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Hidden Secrets of Kitchen Spices: Unveiling Deepan and Pachan in Ayurveda]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’ve always been captivated by kitchen spices, those tiny powerhouses of flavor and intrigue. Each one, most of them seeds, carries a...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/the-hidden-secrets-of-kitchen-spices-unveiling-deepan-and-pachan-in-ayurveda</link><guid isPermaLink="false">675a7eb1d2fb635eb9562ec0</guid><pubDate>Thu, 07 Nov 2024 18:30:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_6c4ab04c60734c15861acaec2340a74c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lac: Nature’s Medicinal Marvel Wrapped in Tradition]]></title><description><![CDATA[Did you know that a tiny insect could produce one of Ayurveda's most powerful healing substances? Lac resin, derived from the Laccifer...]]></description><link>https://www.swakitch.com/post/lac-nature-s-medicinal-marvel-wrapped-in-tradition</link><guid isPermaLink="false">671c83b3f389da47b0a42cab</guid><pubDate>Sun, 20 Oct 2024 06:26:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a23cef_ee3388b1c4fb436f94e8a07a5764bdba~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Geetanjali Chakraborty</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>