Finding Serenity With Women in Wellness: Karishma Pranjivan
As we continue to build our Kahani community, we are incorporating new ways to involve fellow creatives, entrepreneurs, and all-around-amazing individuals. This new series we’re starting includes mini Q+A’s with folks we feel represent what Kahani and our team is all about. We aim to cover a variety of topics, industries, and backgrounds - so if you have anyone in mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Our third edition features Karishma Pranjivan of Manjula Essentials! Manjula Essentials is a wellness and beauty brand created using Ayurvedic principles. With a focus on tradition and ritual-based self-care, Manjula is represented by a transgenerational team of women who aspire to change the current understanding surrounding the beauty and wellness industry. Naming Manjula after her grandmother, Karishma is using the deep knowledge of her mother and grandmother passed down to her, to create something beautiful and enriching.
Continue reading to learn more about Karishma, and what wellness means to her!
1. What new wellness trends did you try out this summer?
“Ultimately, the practices and rituals which remain in my rotation are typically ones which resonate most deeply with my needs per season, and season of my life.”
I'm not typically a big "trend-follower", especially when it comes to newer wellness practices, but I'm always open to experimenting with different ways to improve my health and wellbeing. Ultimately, the practices and rituals which remain in my rotation are typically ones which resonate most deeply with my needs per season, and season of my life. For instance, this summer has been centered around daily yoga and meditation practices, in addition to keeping 1 day a week to completely reset in solitude from work, social obligations, and external stressors. These practices have really improved my ability to focus, in addition to managing anxious thought-patterns. This, supplemented with a healthy diet, daily exercise (either pilates or the gym), and my staple beauty rituals, are the perfect cocktail to help keep my nervous system balanced.
2. What is your tried and true ritual you implement all year long?
“Each one centers around different mindfulness and beauty practices which help keep me grounded, and feeling the most confident in my skin.”
I have a couple. Morning and evening showers are imperative for me to flow through my day. Each one centers around different mindfulness and beauty practices which help keep me grounded, and feeling the most confident in my skin. My AM ritual consists of a shorter shower, primarily to wake me up and wash away any stagnant energy I may have accumulated overnight (some dreams I could definitely do without). After that I typically ice my face, apply MANJULA Face and Body Oils, then go in with my gua sha for about 15 mins. Those few moments in the morning where I get to observe myself and set the intention for the day–whether that's to relax, work, or socialize–makes me feel loved, and helps me mentally prepare for whatever I need to achieve that day.
My PM ritual consists of a longer shower where I typically indulge in exfoliation or use an in-shower mask/treatment. After my shower, I'll spend a good 5 minutes giving myself a massage with my Body Oil. For my face, I'll apply a water-based serum, and lock it in with my Face Oil. If I know I need to wash my hair the next day, I'll get into bed, put on some music, and give myself a head massage with MANJULA Hair Oil and leave it on overnight. This is my favorite thing to do before bed, I get to end my day with a deeply nourishing practice which delivers the most restful sleep.
3. What is one SA beauty ritual you will pass down to your children?
“If I have children, I would want them to experience the same sense of love and care I felt from the maternal figures who embodied this practice for me.”
This may seem like an obvious one, but I definitely think a head massage with oil is such an intimate act of love you can do with anyone close to you. I have so many memories of both my mother and grandmother doing this for me throughout my life. If I have children, I would want them to experience the same sense of love and care I felt from the maternal figures who embodied this practice for me.
4. What is a common misconception you see in the wellness/beauty space that you wish people knew better?
“Learning more about your overall constitution, helps you understand your body's needs, in addition to things that you may need to avoid.”
I think so often we try to make every industry-led practice or fad-based trend fit into our routines without considering what our bodies need most. Very few things in this life are one-size-fits-all. What I've learned from my mother (who's also an Ayurvedic practitioner) is that just because something works for someone or was promoted by someone you connect with, doesn't necessarily mean it's right for you. Learning more about your overall constitution, helps you understand your body's needs, in addition to things that you may need to avoid. Whether it's food, a particular diet, a style of physical activity, lifestyle choices, or choosing the right beauty products, consistently pushing ourselves to the point of imbalance, in any instance, can do so much more damage overtime than we're often aware of. Listen to your body, recognize what's most compatible for you at this moment, and move accordingly.
