Women Lines

Holistic wellness-The Ayurvedic way

Dynamic, Aggressive and Highly spirited-three words describe Shailu Suresh in a nutshell who established Om Vedic Heritage Centre in Singapore (OVHC), a traditional wellness center to spread the message of Ayurveda, health and wellness. Shailu was in list of 15 finalists for SICCI-DBS Singapore entrepreneur award2011 and this nomination speaks a lot about her hard work and passion for her entrepreneurial set up. Womenlines is proud to share her success secrets, dreams and her visions with its readers! 

Om Vedic Heritage Centre is a unique medical spa and is a hybrid between a medical clinic and a day spa that operates under the supervision of a certified Ayurvedic physician.  OVHC also offers other holistic services such as Yoga, Meditation, Astrological consultations and more. It is recognized as the first authentic Ayurvedic center in Singapore to be accredited by Case Trust [the accreditation arm of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE)], for Spa & Wellness Accreditation for good business practices since October 2010.

Mother of 2 girls (18 and 14) Shailu considers her center as her 3^rd baby  which is 1 yr. and 5 months old now, hence needs all her attention at this stage! Shailja  held  senior management, administrative and teaching roles at various Singapore Government and Statutory Boards such as A*STAR, NYP, NUHS for almost 13 years in Singapore, in 2009 she quit her role as the Assistant Director from the National Medical Research Council, MOH, to pursue her dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Even though she is a qualified postgraduate in Biochemistry and Biomedical Engineering, she wants to be known as an  ‘Ayurvedic Lifestyle Practitioner’. The reason being her upbringing in a holistic environment with a family of Pioneers in Ayurveda. Shailu shares “A strong belief, drive and passion of wanting to spread Nature’s wealth in the form of our own 5000-6000 year old Indian Vedic Traditions, I started the first One-stop traditional Wellness Centre in Singapore, in 2010 to spread the message of Ayurveda, Health & Wellness.”  Currently she still works part-time at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, helping manage a Government funded research project on Dengue and lectures part-time at MDIS.

OVHC in technical collaboration with the Ayurvedic Trust, Coimbatore, India, brings to Singapore the Pioneers in Ayurveda – The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy (Coimbatore, India)). AVP which was established in 1943 is one of India’s premier multi-faceted institutions in Ayurvedic medicines, teaching, therapy, research and related areas. AVP today has a network of over 1000 agencies, 50 branches across India and more than 25 treatment centres and hospitals in different parts of India and abroad. In a short period of time OVHC has been successful in establishing its credibility among its visitors and has also been featured by Tabla and Channel News Asia. OVHC’s clients and customers come from all walks of life, many races and nationalities with only about 50% of its customers beings Indians. OVHC has been successful in managing many chronic diseases. To name a few- Sinusitis in kids and the old alike, skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis , chronic pain management in chronic pain cases.

Talking about the challenges Shailu  comments “Challenges and failures have always excited me and they actually help me strategise and become more creative.”Challenges for Shailu started right from finding an appropriate location for a holistic wellness set-up with close proximity to the Indian cultural belt in Singapore (Little India), with a heritage appearance. This business falls under Singapore’s Spa Service Sector and thus acquiring a Massage Establishment License from Singapore Police Force (SPF), Case Trust Accreditation from Case Trust were her next big challenges. Employing staff (ayurevdic physician and therapists) with required skills after getting across the many hurdles she faced from the Ministry of Manpower and SPF, WERE and ARE still her biggest challenges in this business.

Shailu is big hearted in giving credit to her supporters in her entrepreneurial journey. She says “Fortune of being born into a family that spreads the message of Indian Culture and Heritage, my passion, drive, support from my family, good service oriented staff, 7 decades of reputation from the family business in Ayurveda back in India, a good network built up over 14 years of having stayed in Singapore and a great country (Singapore) are some of the many reasons to get us to where we are today.” Family support is a big support for any women entrepreneur and Shailu considers herself very lucky to have such a supportive family, specially to her husband who provides IT support for her business too.

Any entrepreneurial setup grows well if is backed up by a big vision which aims to provide a strong basement to the set up.  OVHC is also backed up by a big vision by Shailu “To see ourselves Leading the Wellness Revolution” in Singapore, by innovatively coupling our ancient and rich Indian traditions, heritage and culture with modern day people-oriented practices and technology  and set foot on other shores in the region (SE ASIA) with confidence. I intend to diversify further and offer services in the areas of Ayurvedic Education, Ayurvedic/Healthy Diet/Food, and an in-patient facility either in Malaysia or Singapore.”

Shailu believes strongly in giving back to the society and also being a global citizen. Hence, organizes the Charity Drive twice annually where she collects toys, stationery, winter clothing etc. for the poor in India and sends collection to GOONJ, an NGO in India founded by Mr. Anshu Gupta (based in Delhi).For the go green campaign what she loves to promote is ‘recycle used cooking oil’, and Om Vedic Heritage center is one of the collection centers for alpha biofuels.

It’s just not only about having vision for her business set up ,Shailu’s next big project in the pipeline, is to launch a “Heritage Library” with books on topics ranging from theology (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism etc.) and complementary and alternative medicine (ayurveda, homeopathy, reiki etc). She has an excellent collection of about 1000 books already, donated to her by a Singaporean Chinese couple who spent about 20 years learning Indian Philosophy and Vedic Literature and various other complementary sciences and philosophies.

Om Vedic Heritage Centre

Shailu is an extrovert by nature and loves making friends. She considers TV as an idiot box in the true sense and loves spending her time reading books. Ardent fan of Carnatic music and old Hindi Songs Shailu loves spending quality time with her family. Shailu’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is “If you have a DREAM (that’s been haunting you for years) and a strong desire to make it a REALITY, ACT on it, not fearing the possibility of the obstacles that might arise enroute!”……and of course, if you need a mentor, do feel free to approach other successful entrepreneurs and I am ready to help too.”

Womenlines wishes best of luck to Shailu for her future endeavours!

Visit http://www.omvedicheritage.com.sg to know more about Om Vedic Heritage Centre or email at om@omvedicheritage.com.sg.

Womenlines has started a series on various holistic ways for healing and relaxing yourself when you are stressed out while in mad cat race!

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is an emotional,needle free version of acupuncture that is based on new discoveries regarding the connection between your body’s subtle energies, your emotions, and your health. EFT has been reported successful in thousands of cases covering a huge range of emotional, health and performance issues.It often works where nothing else will.

Womenlines asked Lena Chen, a Holistic Therapist, about the importance of EFT and its origination.She answered to following questions as-

Q2-How long you know about EFT?

LENA-I was introduced to EFT in a 2-day Energy Psychology course and was immediately fascinated by how it is seemingly simple, yet effective for such a large range of issues. I went back home feeling like I just gained a superhero power! I use it on everything… sprains, mood swings, inspiration blocks, even for my husband’s snoring, and because of EFT, I overcame my fear of public speaking and was eventually giving EFT workshops to large groups of people, including over 100! Best of all, I was receiving immense satisfaction from using EFT with my clients and watching them gain confidence and freedom in their lives by using this incredible tool.

Q-Who is the founder of EFT ?

LENA- EFT is the result of East meets West. It originated from principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine which have been around for centuries, and was first developed into a system by Roger Callahan, which is known as Thought Field Therapy, an extensive and complicated system that is used mainly by professionals. It was only in the 1980s, that one of his first students, Gary Craig, simplified the system into a one that is much more accessible and yet equally effective – EFT.

Q6-How this technique is different from other relaxing technique?

LENA-Like other relaxation techniques such as breathing, meditation, yoga, etc, EFT often produces a relaxation effect in the person. The difference is that EFT has the potential to clear negative emotions, thoughts and beliefs as well as bodily discomforts on the spot, when that is the intention of the person doing EFT. For example, when a person is having a headache, he can do EFT directly on the headache and experience immediate relief on the pain. In addition, he may also become aware of the emotional issue that is underlying the headache. For example, he may recall a stressful conversation that he had with his mother in the morning. He can then continue to do EFT for any remaining stress that he has relating to that event, and afterwards, see the event in a whole new light. Hence, EFT can help us to clear our emotional baggage, layer by layer, which will then create positive shifts in our self-esteem, relationships, health and other areas of our life. With other techniques, there is often willpower and discipline involved in creating the change. With EFT, aside from needing effort to do EFT itself, change comes about naturally and effortlessly.

Q7-How you teach this concept to your participants?

LENA- In my workshops, I teach EFT by first introducing to my participants essential concepts on energy, the mind-body connection, and healing. Then I teach them the EFT procedure, and intersperse the hands-on exercises with tips on how to do EFT more effectively. I emphasise greatly on letting participants have their own experience of EFT, and I get them to practice it in the week after the first session. When we meet again, they share their experiences with me, and I help to fine-tune their understanding of EFT applications to their life. I also bring participants through a special EFT process to increase their confidence and motivation in using EFT as an integral part of their life for their healing, so a great majority of my participants actually leave my workshops highly empowered to use this tool to transform themselves and their lives.

Q8-Do you organize workshops?

LENA-Aside from organising basic EFT workshops, I also organise workshops for using EFT in specific areas. An upcoming one is “EFT with Lena Workshop Series: Become a Money Magnet – Clearing Your Money Blocks To Allow Abundance To Flow Into Your Life Easily and Joyfully”, which will be held on 30 January. You will find more information on my website www.lenashealinghaven.com. Another workshop that I am planning in March is “EFT with Lena Workshop Series: Using EFT and Energy Psychology to Help Others More Powerfully” which will be very useful for therapists, healers, and anyone who is passionate about helping other people with their problems.

Q9-Any side effects of EFT?

LENA- EFT is a very safe process because it actually activates the body’s healing potential to heal itself in the most natural and gentle way. However there may be “healing symptoms”, which are similar to effects of detoxification and are the body’s way of clearing those old, stagnated energetic blocks that have been buried within the body for a long time. Some healing symptoms may look like tiredness, headaches, crying for no reasons, bodily aches and tensions. These can also be treated with EFT either at the end of the EFT session or by the client himself or herself.

Its not Life threatening, BUT its definitely “Quality of Life” Threatening Condition!

Most people know endometriosis as a condition that can cause infertility, but the commonest symptom is pain. Pain with periods, pain with sex, pain opening their bowels, or pelvic pain on most days of the month. Many women with endometriosis become pregnant easily.

Endometriosis is common, but because many women don’t talk about their symptoms, we often don’t realise that it affects between 1 in 10 and 1 in 20 women. For many years, endometriosis was thought to be an uncommon condition of women in their 30s and 40s. We now know that it is a common condition of women in their teens and 20s.

The lining of the uterus is called endometrium. This is the tissue that grows each month and bleeds away during a period. When tissue like endometrium is found outside the uterus it is called endometriosis.

How is endometriosis diagnosed?

The only reliable way to diagnose endometriosis is by laparoscopy. This is an operation where a telescope is inserted through the umbilicus (belly button) to view the organs inside the pelvis. Endometriosis lesions can be clear, pink, red, brown or black.

An ultrasound examination is usually normal unless there are large cysts of endometriosis in the ovaries. These are called endometriomas or chocolate cysts. So, even if an ultrasound is normal, endometriosis can still be present.

What sort of problems can endometriosis cause?

Endometriosis presents in many ways. Common presentations include:

1. Women with no pain, who are found to have endometriosis during investigation for infertility.
2. Women who have severe period pain, often from their teenage years, but are well at other times of the month. Pain with periods is called dysmenorrhoea.
3. Women who have a mix of pain symptoms on most days of the month. This is called chronic pelvic pain. They may have a variety of symptoms including sharp or stabbing pains, changes in bladder function or changes in bowel function.

How is endometriosis managed?

Each woman with endometriosis is different, so the best treatment for each woman will depend on what type of problems she has.

In couples who are unable to become pregnant:

• It is important to get a full picture of all the possible contributing factors. This includes testing her husbands’ semen. Endometriosis may be only one of the fertility problems present.
• A laparoscopy to remove the endometriosis may be enough to improve her fertility
• If pregnancy does not occur after this, then invitro fertilisation (IVF) may be necessary

In women with painful periods, but who are otherwise well the pain may be from the uterus, from endometriosis lesions in the pelvis or from both these areas:

• It is best to first try medications such as anti-inflammatories (e.g. ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac), because not all women with painful periods have endometriosis. The medications should be taken early in the period and continued regularly until the pain resolves.
• If no better, then the oral contraceptive pill or acupuncture may be helpful
• If no better, then a laparoscopy with excision (cutting out) of any endometriosis should be considered.
• Sometimes a device called a mirena iucd is used. This is a way of putting progestogen medication inside the uterus and is often very helpful at making periods light and less painful

In women with chronic pelvic pain, treatment is more complicated. Often there are many different symptoms, so no single treatment will fix all her problems. It is often helpful to write down each symptom and plan treatment for each one:

• Period pain over several days (rather than just 1-2 days), pain opening bowels with periods, and endometriomas are best managed with high quality laparoscopic surgery. This can be very difficult surgery and it is important that the surgeon involved has extensive experience with laparoscopic surgical excision. Other alternatives include norethisterone tablets taken daily to avoid periods or a mirena iucd.
• Sharp, stabbing pains, increased sensitivity in the abdomen, soreness near the opening of the vagina, sharp pains that wake her at night, and some types of pain with intercourse are often due to a change in the way nerves in the pelvis function. This is called neuropathic pain. It responds best to medications such as amitriptyline or gabapentin in very low dose. It will also be worse if she is overtired or overstressed.
• Bladder symptoms of frequency (going to toilet more often), nocturia (getting up at night), urgency (needing to rush to the toilet) and some types of pain with intercourse may be due to a condition called interstitial cystitis. It is common in women with endometriosis and needs a special type of test called a cystoscopy and hydrodistension to diagnose. Useful information can be found at www.ic-network.com
• Bowel changes such as constipation, diarrhoea and pelvic discomfort sometimes improve with surgery, but are often due to food intolerances or an irritable bowel.
• Pelvic pain which is worse in different positions or with different activities and some types of pain with intercourse is often due to spasm of the pelvic floor muscles. The muscles just inside the vagina are tight and pressure on them causes pain. Treatment options include pelvic floor physiotherapy, botox injections in the pelvic floor muscles to relieve the spasm, and sometimes low doses of amitriptyline.

Many women with chronic pelvic pain also suffer tiredness and may feel generally unwell. Even when their symptoms improve, they require a lot of emotional support from their family and friends to return to an active and healthy life.

Written by; -Dr Susan Evans is a Pelvic & Laproscopic Surgeon & author of ‘Endometriosis and other pelvic pain’ written for women with endometriosis. It is available from her website: http://www.drsusanevans.com

She is also the co-founder of the Asia Pacific Endometriosis Alliance & co-founder of Australian Endometriosis Centre, Adelaide Branch.

Her books will be available in Singapore in the World Women Health 2009, November 28^th 2-6pm. Suntec City – Rooms303-306.

Registration details at

http://www.worldwomenhealth2009.com.html

Being a mother the toughest challenge which I face is to keep my kid healthy!

Cold , flu, cough, are the most common illness which kids have to suffer with regularly.If  they are going to playschool then they are more susceptible to such diseases.Its really sad to see kids often getting ill and being  prescribed medicine. Then they are deprived of all those childhood charms of sweets, candies, ice creams, and chocolates. I wonder what to do when my kid gets infected!

Doctors say that our environment is changing and thus new viruses are developing around  to which kids are not immune to. So this leads to infection. So are we to be blamed for depriving our  kids from childhood fantasies. We have misused our natural resources which has lead to damage to our climate.My heart sinks observing such small kids going through treatments for various diseases. Being parents I consider it our responsibility to make our kid healthy. But at times it is a serious challenge to make them healthy. I seriously consider that there should be guide to parents how to look after their kids.

In today’s times when there are mostly nuclear families then its tough to get guidance from some elderly in the family. And if both parents are working then its so tough to look after kids properly. I am totally confused, frustrated, sad, and depressed as have to see my kid often getting ill. Its such a helpless situation that fever is rising and you are helpless. No medicine is effecting and you are at God’s mercy. You want to play with them, take them out for swimming , indulge in outdoor activities with them but their illness is not allowing you to do so. May be I have gone through such situation recently that I am getting sentimental.

I really want to request doctors to guide properly all parents how to make their kids stronger. I know their job is to prescribe medicine for illness but to look after the betterment of their patient is also their responsibility.I request my blog readers also to share their tips to prevent cold and cough, or any other disease   if they are aware of.