SAJANI AMARASIRI
“When I started Kola Goodies, I wanted to bring ingredients and rituals I grew up with, in an authentic yet new way to fit the modern consumer, myself included. As I was doing more research into the superfoods I wanted to use to create experiences, it was clear that they all had very deep Ayurvedic connections as well.”
Sajani Amarasiri is the founder of Kola Goodies, an easygoing wellness brand rooted in her South Asian heritage. With Kola Goodies, Sajani is on a mission to demystify ancient herbal wellness, making it more approachable for regular people. She believes that self-care and quality ingredients should be available for both nutrition newbies and gurus alike. As a young, immigrant woman of colour, Sajani is breaking into the $4.2 trillion wellness industry — and honouring it authentically with her heritage.
Follow Sajani:
Instagram: @sajaniamarasiri
Instagram: @kolagoodies
Website: www.kolagoodies.com
“Unknowingly, you may be already doing Ayurvedic rituals in your daily life.”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda to me means balance and interconnectedness. Understanding that we are all connected, there is interdependence and connectivity within us and all around us. To me, it also means generational wisdom.
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
I was born and raised in Sri Lanka. We were nourished and treated for colds and wounds with Ayurvedic remedies since we were born, by our mothers and grandmas. Ayurveda was something very intertwined with everyday life. My earliest memory of it being used for medicinal purposes was when I started accompanying my mother to her Ayurvedic doctor for her arthritis. She had really bad arthritis and tried all Western medicines and treatments, which didn’t work for her. Once she started Ayurvedic treatments, they completely cured her. I used to see her do her treatments at home and take her Ayurvedic medicine (which I thought was smelly at the time!). That’s when I first saw its potential.
When I started Kola Goodies, I wanted to bring ingredients and rituals I grew up with, in an authentic yet new way to fit the modern consumer, myself included. As I was doing more research into the superfoods I wanted to use to create experiences, it was clear that they all had very deep Ayurvedic connections as well.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
It’s both, as I mentioned, Ayurveda is about balance to me. There are many simple mind and body rituals like meditating, breath work, exercise, hot scalp oils that I do in my daily routine — as well as fuelling my body with GO-TU power move (gotukola), and our ASHWA-WOW (ashwagandha). And I have an immunity blend with turmeric and other herbs like yellow vine that I use when I’m getting sick, which always works miracles.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
Waking up early and meditating
Hot oil scalp massages
Having Ashwagandha, Gotukola, Turmeric for mental and physical wellness
What surprised you most about Ayurveda?
That it’s not just one thing. It’s a whole system, a lifestyle. It’s in beauty, it’s in medicine, but it’s also in exercise, the way you breathe. Unknowingly, you may be already doing Ayurvedic rituals in your daily life.
Do your children/family eat an Ayurvedic diet? And if they do, do they know it’s Ayurveda or do they just think of it as home cooking?
We think of it as home cooking — because we cook a lot of Sri Lankan rice and curry as our daily meals, the Ayurvedic spices and other ingredients are naturally incorporated into our diet.
What is your favourite Ayurvedic recipe or go-to ingredient?
My favourite is our Super Green Latte, which I enjoy with warm coconut or oat milk. It’s an adaptation of Kola Kanda (herbal porridge) from Sri Lanka; having it both reminds me of home and gives me the benefits of the incredible mix of gotu kola, moringa, ginger, curry leaf and other spices to nourish my body first thing in the morning.
How does Ayurveda fit into your day-to-day routines?
I’ve experimented with different rituals to find what works for me, all starting from learnings from my childhood.
I wake up early and try to be out of bed by 6:30.
After brushing my teeth, I drink room temperature or slightly warm water (sometimes I can drink up to 500ml in the morning to replenish whatever I lost in my sleep).
I start my day by meditating and doing some breathing exercises to sit in stillness and gratitude.
What do you wish was easier in our society to make an Ayurvedic lifestyle more accessible?
Making Ayurveda more approachable, simpler and easier to integrate into your everyday life — which is what we are doing at Kola Goodies.
Do people around you/in your circle of friends know about Ayurveda?
My Sri Lankan friends definitely are more aware of Ayurveda than my friends here in the US.
What’s the one thing you would encourage everyone to try or you think would benefit the majority of people’s health for the better?
Find the balance that works for you. It’s so much easier to build good, long-term health habits when you start integrating foods and rituals that work for you.
Anything else you’d like to add?
You can learn more and shop Kola Goodies at www.kolagoodies.com or find on Instagram at @kolagoodies.