"Where can I find my one percent, and how can I get people to move one percent every day? That’s what my aim is... To help improve your life in some way, even if it’s minuscule.”
Pratik Sheth
A few weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Pratik Sheth, founder of VARA Ayurveda.
I’ve been so excited to start these interviews since I started my role as Stories and Media Officer at Hatch, being given the chance to elevate the voices and journeys of the inspiring founders that come through our programmes.
Suffice to say, Pratik did not disappoint as my first interviewee. With his charming personality and inspiring story of why he wants to bring Ayurveda to the West, I was enraptured. During our chat, he not only enlightened me on the workings of his business and what Ayurveda actually is, but also went to the extent of giving advice for how me and my close ones could best optimise our health and well-being naturally.
Throughout the meeting it was so clear how truly kind this founder is, and I can imagine anyone lucky enough to cross paths with him would feel the same way.
Pratik Sheth is an Indian-born entrepreneur who came to the UK at a young age following the passing of his father.
A few years prior, his father had found Pratik an Ayurvedic Vaidya (physician) who ultimately Pratik’s life.
The role Ayurveda had played in his life was long forgotten, however, until many years later when he found himself at a crossroads with his health once again. It was then that he came upon it whilst researching his options to cleanse and rebuild his health and well-being once more.
After a conversation with his mother on his findings, he was reminded of the power of Ayurveda in a time of need.
As a baby, Pratik was diagnosed with acute pneumonia and chronic paediatric bronchitis, resulting in the prognosis that he would likely not live past the age of eleven years old. After years of different medical consultations and appointments, his grandmother advised his parents to seek the advice of an Ayurvedic practitioner.
After a year and a half of consultations with the Ayurveda practioner with Ayurvedic medication being prescribed to him, Pratik transformed into a healthy child. With the reminder of this remarkable incident during his childhood, he decided to readopt Ayurvedic practices in his lifestyle, in order to regain a healthy balance once again.
He accredits his good health to his decision to follow the Ayurveda lifestyle principles.
VARA Ayurveda
In the midst of lockdown, Pratik found himself helping an increasing number of people with the Ayurvedic supplements he made, which led him to embark on this empowering business venture. These supplements are backed by scientific research in what is considered the oldest recorded biology, Ayurveda.
Pratik and his team work with fifth generation, world-renowned Ayurveda leaders and practitioners in order to create the perfect Ayurvedic blend of supplements.
Thinking of giving it a try? Here’s what Pratik has to say to you:
“Give it a try, and give it time. They’re plant-based so you won’t feel the effects from the first dose, it works from a microbial to cellular level. And lifestyle plays a huge role.”
Vara Ayurveda promotes a sustainable journey that starts with change in lifestyle, with the supplements offered, not as a miracle cure, but as support and optimisation for this journey, focusing on prevention rather than symptom management.
"We cannot keep abusing the way we consume. It’s just not sustainable."
Pratik is passionate about the environment and wants to establish and grow his business as sustainably as possible. He also feels strongly about supporting smaller farming communities from the best cottage industries in India.
Although the ethical connection between these aspirations are evident, setting up the framework for them was far from being so. It took his suppliers two months to find recycled bottles for the packaging of his supplements, for example.
Despite numerous challenges, Pratik continues to advance projects in order to establish his social enterprise. One of his current projects involves setting up a working relationship with a cottage industry in Northern India, who train and employ over 300 women from underprivileged and abusive backgrounds.
Pratik at Hatch
Pratik’s dream is for Vara Ayurveda to one day become an all-encompassing holistic Ayurveda and Yoga platform. With this platform he hopes to increase accessibility for a clean and healthy lifestyle with; leading practitioners from around the world, clean and healthy products to use in your everyday routine, yoga classes, and retreats all in one place.
In order to grow his business and attain his dream of increasing the traction for Ayurveda in the West, Pratik decided to join Hatch’s Incubator Programme. Although he has a business degree and is certainly not new to the entrepreneurial world, he found the programme extremely useful and relevant to what he needed in order to figure out his next steps.
He particularly enjoyed the expert speakers and the supportive community he found with the other founders. Hearing the other entrepreneurs share their journeys with their own businesses helped him with the acknowledgement that he was not alone in encountering these challenges, and that he could find the support he needed.