Where Ayurveda Meets Modern Science and Everyday Wellbeing – An Interview with Mamta Pranjivan

Mamta Pranjivan is an Ayurveda practitioner and co-founder of MANJULA Essentials, a wellness and beauty brand rooted in the timeless principles of Ayurveda. She studied Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto and built an early career in pharmaceuticals and clinical research before pursuing formal studies in Ayurveda at Middlesex University, London. With over eight years of clinical practice, Mamta integrates Ayurvedic wisdom with modern scientific understanding to educate and empower others in cultivating balance and resilience in everyday life.

Mamta Pranjivan, Ayurveda Practitioner, Co-founder

What first inspired you to bring Ayurveda into modern life through both your clinical practice and MANJULA Essentials?

I grew up in a culture where Ayurveda was not simply a healing system but a way of life. Its knowledge and wisdom were passed down through generations in my family, making it a natural part of my upbringing.

As I went on to study pharmacology and toxicology and later build a career in the pharmaceutical industry as a clinical research associate, I continued to embrace Ayurvedic lifestyle practices in my daily life. My scientific curiosity about the healing properties of kitchen spices, herbs, and traditional Ayurvedic formulations inspired me to pursue professional studies in Ayurveda.

Alongside my understanding of herbal pharmacology, I developed a deeper appreciation for Ayurveda's holistic approach to health and well-being, particularly its emphasis on maintaining health and preventing disease through daily and seasonal self-care routines. This reinforced my belief that many of Ayurveda's timeless practices are remarkably relevant to the health challenges we face today.

In clinical practice, I have seen firsthand how Ayurvedic self-care wisdom empowers people to take an active role in their well-being. Co-founding MANJULA Essentials with my daughter was a natural extension of that vision. It has allowed us to share authentic Ayurvedic knowledge and self-care rituals with a wider audience.

Rooted in traditional Ayurvedic principles, MANJULA Essentials thoughtfully blends science, nature, and heritage to bring enduring wellness practices into everyday life. Our goal is to inspire curiosity and make these authentic traditions accessible in ways that fit seamlessly into modern lifestyles while remaining true to their origins. It brings me immense satisfaction to help people reconnect with these practices and experience their benefits in a meaningful way.

Your products are inspired by generations of family traditions while being developed with modern cosmetic science, so how do you decide what should be preserved and what should evolve?

Respect for heritage, guided by scientific inquiry, is the foundation of MANJULA Essentials. Our hair oil is a perfect example. It began as my mother's family recipe, passed down from her grandmother and rooted in generations of Ayurvedic wisdom. Our role has been to honour its essence while refining it through modern pharmacology and formulation science.

We preserve the core Ayurvedic herbs that provide the oil's therapeutic benefits while thoughtfully incorporating complementary botanicals and nourishing oils to enhance texture, stability, and bioavailability. Every ingredient is chosen with intention, ensuring it aligns with Ayurvedic therapeutic principles while meeting contemporary standards for quality, safety, and efficacy.

The same philosophy guides our face and body oils, where Eastern and Western botanical knowledge come together to create formulations that meet the skincare needs of today’s diverse global community. This thoughtful balance of tradition and innovation allows my daughter and me to evolve our family heritage while preserving its authenticity, therapeutic integrity, and enduring wisdom.

How has your background in pharmacology and clinical research shaped the way you practice and explain Ayurveda today?

My background in pharmacology and clinical research has profoundly shaped the way I practice and communicate Ayurveda. It has given me the ability to bridge Ayurvedic knowledge and modern clinical perspectives, drawing on the strengths of both healthcare systems. Rather than viewing them as opposing approaches, I see them as complementary, each offering valuable insights into health and healing.

My research background guides me to evaluate evidence critically while remaining deeply respectful of Ayurveda's centuries of empirical knowledge. I continue to expand and enrich my knowledge base by following the evolving discourse and scientific literature in modern clinical and integrative medicine alongside traditional Ayurvedic texts. This enables me to explain Ayurvedic principles in a way that is authentic, scientifically sound, and accessible to contemporary audiences.

What have you found is the biggest misconception people have about Ayurveda when they encounter it for the first time?

One of the biggest misconceptions people have when they first encounter Ayurveda is that it is about herbal medicine and an Indian diet, a detox protocol, or a spa treatment. While these all have a place within the Ayurvedic healing modality, they represent only a part of a much more comprehensive and intelligent healthcare system.

Ayurveda is fundamentally a way of understanding health and longevity that recognizes the unique constitution and context of each individual and seeks to restore balance through personalized nutrition, lifestyle, daily and seasonal self-care, herbal medicines, and therapies. With the growing interest in holistic health, herbal supplements, and natural therapies, it is increasingly important that people receive personalized guidance from qualified Ayurvedic practitioners. I hope that people come to see Ayurveda not as another wellness trend but as a traditional and practical knowledge system for living a healthier, more nuanced, and balanced life.

What has practicing Ayurveda taught you about living well that extends far beyond physical health?

Ayurveda, which translates as "the knowledge of life," embraces every dimension and stage of human existence. It teaches that our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are deeply interconnected and cannot be viewed in isolation.

Through nearly six decades of learning and living Ayurveda's practical wisdom, I have come to understand that the true art of living extends far beyond physical health. It lies in cultivating self-awareness, living in harmony with nature, and nurturing every aspect of our being with balance, purpose, and intention. When we care for ourselves in this holistic way, we build the foundation for greater resilience, a healthier lifespan, and a deeper connection with ourselves, others, and the natural world.

For me, Ayurveda is not simply a system of healthcare but a timeless philosophy for living well, one that inspires us to care for ourselves so that we can, in turn, contribute more meaningfully to the well-being of others.

You often speak about rituals instead of routines, so what simple daily practice has the greatest long-term impact in your experience?

Beyond self-care routines, rituals are a way to celebrate life, honour tradition, and bring joy to the ordinary. They transform everyday actions into moments of awareness, stillness, and connection, helping us remain grounded in a world that often feels fast-paced and overstimulating.

In an age of constant sensory input and cognitive overload, I treasure simple daily rituals such as spending quiet time in nature, cooking with wholesome ingredients, self-massage with herbal oils, yoga, music, and dance. These activities nourish not only my body but also my senses, mind, and spirit, and reconnect me with my natural rhythm.

Over time, simple personal rituals cultivate inner calm, clarity, resilience, and balance, qualities that ground us and naturally ripple into every aspect of our lives.

Why do you think preventive wellness is becoming more relevant in today's healthcare conversations?

Preventive wellness is becoming increasingly relevant because, while people are living longer than ever before, many are spending those additional years managing chronic health conditions that are often influenced by poor lifestyle and nutrition choices, chronic stress, and socioeconomic and environmental factors. As a result, the healthcare conversation is gradually evolving from a model focused primarily on sickness care to one that includes improving healthspan and enhancing quality of life, beyond simply treating diseases to increase life expectancy.

I believe there is tremendous value in educating both the general public and healthcare professionals about evidence-informed complementary wellness approaches, including Ayurveda. Preventive wellness empowers individuals to take an active role in their health by cultivating self-awareness and supporting overall long-term well-being.

In many ways, this renewed emphasis on prevention and health preservation reflects principles that Ayurveda has offered for thousands of years, principles that remain remarkably relevant in addressing the healthcare challenges of modern life.

If you could leave readers with one mindset shift that would transform how they approach their wellbeing, what would it be?

I would invite people to stop looking outside themselves for the perfect formula for health and begin listening more deeply to themselves. Ayurveda reminds us that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellbeing. We are all unique, and our needs naturally change with the seasons, our stage of life, and the circumstances we are moving through.

In a world filled with constant wellness advice, I believe one of the most powerful things we can do is simply pause. Take regular digital breaks. Create moments of stillness. Step away from the noise and ask yourself, "What do I truly need right now? What would genuinely nourish me, body, mind, and spirit?"

Often, the answer brings us back to the simplest things, nourishing food, restorative sleep, mindful movement, meaningful connection, time in nature, and small rituals of self-care that make us feel grounded and cared for.

True wellbeing is not about doing everything perfectly or attaining some ideal of perfect health and beauty. It is about developing a deeper relationship with yourself, learning to recognize your body’s signals, honouring what you need, and making conscious, informed choices in response.

When we learn to listen inwardly, we stop chasing wellness as something we need to attain and instead begin to experience the joy of truly living.

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