Somyaa Akshat: Entrepreneur And Low-waste Advocate

Somyaa Akshat is an entrepreneur and a certified yoga instructor. She’s been living a sustainable low-waste lifestyle while encouraging others to do the same. “A healthy environment equals a healthy human being” is the motto she follows.

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In order for our planet to remain healthy, it can only produce a finite amount of resources, including food, water, and greenhouse gas emissions. We only have one Earth, and both our existence and well-being are wholly dependent upon it. But if our present consumption—which includes the energy we use, the resources we need to feed, clothe, and house us, as well as the things we want just for pleasure—increases, both people and nature will suffer significantly.

The primary cause of environmental degradation is that we are producing more products at an unsustainable rate while using resources at an unsustainable rate.

Icy Tales is in conversation with Somyaa Akshat about her Eco-friendly lifestyle, sustainability, yoga, and the Sankhya Foundation initiated by her.

Q) What was that one point in your life that made you switch to a low-waste sustainable lifestyle?

Somyaa Akshat – There were a few trigger points. I left my job at an MNC because of my baby. So, as a new mother, I was juggling what to do now so I started a naturopathy course. I started the course to learn something and then I got a project called organic farming. While researching on that topic I realized, the real world of the food industry. So, as a new mother, I couldn’t take those chemicals and that inorganic stuff on my son’s plate. That triggered me actually. From there the story begins.

Q) What impact does living a sustainable lifestyle make in your daily life?

Somyaa Akshat – Sustainble living has a great impact, to start with, because of a sustainable waste lifestyle somewhere I am calm. My lifestyle and that healthy equation somewhere are pulling me up. It’s the satisfaction and well-being of my family. Thirdly, the sense of connection with nature enhances my mood every time. So, these are a few things that actually help me to go ahead with this lifestyle.

Q) Tell us about Naturopathy treatment.

Somyaa Akshat – Naturopathy treatment is all about holistic treatment, where your food is your medicine. Naturopathy treats your body as a whole, not as one illness or organ. It’s not about that. Naturopathy treatment treats you as a whole body, they will work on that. Detoxification and fasting is the major treatment process in naturopathy.

So, as a whole, you will be benefited from everything. If you have a cough and cold then you will benefit, even if you have any sort of abdomen issue or any sort of other problem, everything will be resolved with this fasting and everything.

Q) Tell us about the Samkhya foundation that you started.

Somyaa Akshat- First of all I want to give the meaning of Samkhya. We all know about yoga. Yog is written by patanjali rishi, that is a philosophy. Yoga is a philosophy in our Hindu scriptures, Sanatan. In Sanatan dharma, there’s a scripture yoga, which is a philosophy. We have 6 philosophies. There is one philosophy that is called the Samkhya philosophy. This Samkhya philosophy is written by Kapil Rishi. It is all about elements, like five elements earth, water, soil, air, and space. So, that is a Samkhya.

How this earth is made, our body is made, how a connection is there, and how we have to live with each other with every life. So, that is Samkhya philosophy written by Kapil Rishi. That’s why I kept my NGO name Samkhya.

Now our NGO is running a few projects in which we are enhancing the relationship between the environment and human activities, because this relationship is somewhere distorted. So, we want to reconnect that relationship with each other to understand we both are dependent on each other. And we are living because of each other. One’s waste is the other’s food. That cycle, circular economy is important to understand. That’s why I am running a few projects in the Samkhya Foundation.

Q) What made you get a certification in yoga?

Somyaa Akshat – My yogic journey started 8 years ago. I started because of my physical fitness. But later I realized it’s not about physical health, it’s about mental health. Physical health is just a by-product, which I got to know. This is my experience which I am sharing with you because asana is a third step in yoga. The first two steps are how you should behave with yourself and how you should behave with others. These are the first two steps in Ashtanga yoga. So in yoga asana is the third step.

Gradually I understood, that, if you are mentally stable and healthy, then you will automatically attain your physical health. So, that is the point where I started and continued with this journey.

Q) What goal did you have in mind when you started posting on Instagram?

Somyaa Akshat – Never have I decided to put sustainability and everything on Instagram because I am a bit shy person. Now I have started coping with these cameras and people. I never decided to put everything on Instagram but my life’s goal is to share whatever I am doing with billions of people. Now if you have such goals then you have to put your stuff, whatever you are practicing on such a platform where you can reach billions of people. So, that motivates me. That pushed me to not just start putting everything, whatever you are doing.

Because it’s a long journey. It’s like a 10/11-year old journey of a sustainable lifestyle. It’s not about that I am preaching anything, I am also practicing the same thing in my life. So, I thought, why shouldn’t I share my experiences, learnings, and mistakes? If anyone wants to start a low-waste lifestyle, whatever sustainable lifestyle. At least they can miss that mistake from their path. That’s why I started putting everything on Instagram.

Q) Shifting to a sustainable lifestyle is difficult. How did you overcome those difficulties?

Somyaa Akshat – It is not easy, this is about mindset. Somewhere we are living our life in a very comfortable zone. and then moving towards another sustainability is a huge shift. It’s not a difficult lifestyle, it’s not like that but switching is difficult. My suggestion to a beginner is just to start your journey. Maybe it’s an imperfect one but you should be progressive. That’s the only motive. Secondly, take one step at a time.

When you take one step at a time you will get the confidence to go up. This confidence boosts you, to take another step. So, if you are carrying that cloth bag, every time then maybe next month you will start composting. After a month you may switch from a plastic toothbrush to a bamboo toothbrush. Step by step, this will give you confidence as well as that motivation that okay I can do that.

So, there isn’t like a whole burden coming from all sides, and at last, you are frustrated that no I don’t want to do this. This should not be the case.