MY JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

I grew up in an Indian household where morning prayers/meditation were important, but there wasn’t much else I was exposed to in terms of wellness growing up (besides exercising and enjoying nature).

It was when I met my husband 13 years ago that my curiosity about wellness began to truly grow. His family has a deep understanding of and connection to nature. Having sailed the world until he was 22, they naturally gravitated towards living off the land, choosing foods that were more accessible to them. They also taught me a lot about using homeopathic medicines and essential oils as a more natural way of healing.

When I decided to heal my PCOS, the transformation I experienced and knowledge I gained was

almost like a rebirth. I was guided by a coach, Kheyrne Danu, who helped me understand PCOS, my hormones, and how my body works. We started with a candida cleanse, followed by a lower carb diet for a year to reset my body and hormones, which I saw the benefits of three months in.

After my struggle with PCOS, I am proud to say that I delivered my daughter at home with a private midwife and doula with absolutely no interventions. It was important to me to have the healthiest, most empowered birth experience. I wanted to be respected and heard, and able to drop into a place of true vulnerability, which I knew would be key to having a safe and healthy birth. I didn’t feel like I would get that in a hospital. I was also aware of the importance of a vaginal birth for my daughter, as the microbiome plays such a huge role in our immunity and genetic expressions.

My personal wellness allows me to be a more conscious human, positively impacting all areas of my life. It’s given me the tools to raise my daughter in a holistic way, which is probably the thing I’m most proud of, because I know I’m giving her the best possible foundation to truly thrive for the rest of her life. But I’m only human, and my journey hasn’t been perfect...

I’ve fallen into the trap of becoming too obsessive about eating a certain way, so this is something I consciously check in with myself about. Plus, life happens and we’re not always able to buy organic, avoid certain foods (life’s too short to skip the cake!), or have time to meditate - and that’s ok. It’s about consciously creating a wellness journey that’s sustainable and enjoyable.

Nourishing myself means a lot of quiet time and time in nature. It’s not easy to carve this out with a two-year-old! But I do make it a priority because I know that taking care of myself means that I’m able to take the best possible care of my daughter.

I’m passionate about inspiring other women to start or elevate their wellness journeys. I explore this topic on my Instagram, and will be doing so on my new podcast, Chat and Chai with Carishma. My goal for this podcast is to help feed the hunger for knowledge that I know so many women have. Chat and Chai is for curious women who are ready to question tradition and step into a new territory of sisterhood - a community that exposes women to different paths and answers the hard questions that so many of us are afraid to ask.

I want to inspire, motivate, support, and share with a new generation of females who live unapologetically in their own truth, letting their lights shine to guide and support the next generation. In the future, I hope to grow this brand into hosting transformational, self-growth and -exploration events for women.

Follow my journey on Instagram at @carishmabasday.