I'm about to tell you the 'About' details in the story behind the making of Mama Sattva,
You best...grab a cup of something hot to sip; preferably with herbal ghee, and move in a little closer to the fire. Bend an ear now for this is a tale to be told for generations to come.
Long ago (about 1979) in the far Eastern Corner of Southern Oregon, there lived a Swedish farrier with his darling French ballerina wife and three young daughters on their humble homestead near the base of the Blue Mountains. I was the youngest daughter at the time.
Every morning I would wake before everyone else to make sure I could help my dad milk my Jersey cow, someone had gifted me at birth. The winters were cold then with lots of snow. I remember the smell of manure mixed with sun warmed hay as the early morning golden rays shone in through the high barn window facing East. The scene was luminous. We sat on the milking stool. The feel of my dad's warm hands wrapped over mine guided me as I learned the rhythm every milker knew. Connecting with Linda, the wonder Jersey; I leaned my knitted cap-covered little toe-head against her side and listened to her breath. There was a gentle squeeze from our bag-balm covered fingers; then a pull and slide down the teet. The jubilant sound of the squirt in the bucket meant a success. Little did I know then, this was the humble foundation for a future that would bring me and many others great reward. I remember carrying the much-too-large-for-me pail of milk into my mother proudly; steam rising from it as warm milk lapped over the rim soaking the side of my tiny cowgirl jeans. Those were the days! A great connection had begun, that would reawaken and guide me in a big way later in my life.
I spent many days inside my mom's ballet classes with my two older sisters. When the snow melted, we would play outside for hours along the banks of the Rock creek catching lizards and riding our horse Stormy, all three of us bareback together. Being the smallest I was usually sandwiched in between my two sisters.
Mostly I spent my days as a three and four year old kid, sitting in my dads 70's-something, international pick up truck, ugly but built like a tractor; I watched him horseshoe and listened to old country music. I knew every 8-track and how to fast-forward or rewind to find my favorite Patsy Cline or Lorretta Lynn songs. It was a great education in music, people and horse skills. My dad was and still is to this day one of my greatest and favorite teachers; a gentle and kind soul; good with both people and horses.
Life changed soon after that. Two more sisters were born. My parents being adventurers and having big soft spots for those less fortunate, set out on a 1-year mission trip that would end up lasting 12 years. Me and
my sisters were taken to many exotic places having strange and exciting adventures together. From ages 9-15 I lived in Panama at the Escuela Hogar Misionero in La Paz de Chame, and in the Darien village on the Chucanake River called Morti. Many happenings you wouldn't believe occurred here, I will save for another time! We were again close to the Earth. Survival meant understanding and respecting darkness on many levels. The raw beauty and power of nature in the rainforest is magical. The jungle holds many secrets and mysteries my young mind could not fully appreciate then.
The political climate changed after the US invasion in 90/91.
A combination of events guided my parents back to the United States where I had the good fortune to begin my studies in Eastern religions at Butte Community College and soon after met a group of yogis and healers that changed my life forever.
I studied Ayurveda, Herbs and the healing arts as I traveled back thru Central America and then South East Asia, and eventually ended up back in Chico, CA where I gave birth to my first daughter. While I was pregnant with her I would often walk in the moonlight and recite mantras to the moon. It is at this time in my life that I started making ghee and fell in love; understanding why the ancients revered not only ghee but the entire process. Shortly after I opened a private practice as an Ayurvedic Body worker and I taught yoga. Right around this time I was introduced to Dr. Emoto's work with water.
I was able to incorporate this information of positive thoughts and intention into my ghee making. As I kept making the ghee and excitedly giving it away to friends and family I received so much positive feedback of how much they loved it and how each batch seemed to be getting better and better. I read in an Ayurvedic text book [quote from Charaka Samhita: Ten-year aged ghee is the miracle cure for any ailment.] I began aging the ghee to see if I could find such a magical remedy!...and voila...more on this in the years to come as I was quite successful but will not reveal this part of the tale just yet. (We will revisit this later.)
My second daughter was born in 2011 and the stars aligned for me to open Mama Sattva as a business of making fine cultured ghee. I simultaneously worked as a massage therapist at a busy chiropractors office and ran the front desk while burning the midnight oil to perfect the ghee. I worked with the USDA for a year to get the ghee properly categorized as a non-dairy food and put in the pure, stable cooking oil category (which unfortunately has been undone with now retired and new officials in place). Once that happened, I was off and running. Selling ghee at our local Chico Farmer's Market. I talked non-stop, educating people on what ghee was and how to use it. For three straight years, I never left my booth and I never missed a Saturday market! Mama Sattva was on fire! We opened nine weekly Farmer's Markets around California and were effective spreading the word on the wonders of pure ghee!
I fully understand what it means to 'work' and what it means to "work hard", the definition of "hard work".....I laugh and ...I cry! Mama Sattva had to grow up and move from her infantile stages into adolescence. We put each other in a time-out for awhile and again you have all remained loyal and patient; Thank you. I had my third baby girl (As a side note, I did not name myself 'Mama' Sattva (which in Sanskrit means, pure light, uplifting, harmonious, serene, of a spiritual nature). My good friend, an enlightened graphic designer who designed our logo (The Sacred Flower of Life) did.
I had told him I hadn't come up with a name yet but I knew I wanted the word Sattva or Sattvic in the name of the company since ghee is the most sattvic or healing food there is. He came back with the full design to show me and said, "How about the name Mama Sattva?" And it stuck. The Universe heard me call myself Mama Sattva so many times, she saw fit to bless me with another gorgeous baby.
To all of the customers who supported Mama Sattva and helped get our business off the ground, I am forever grateful. Many of you have been our loyal customers now for nearly 10 years! We would not have made it this far without all of your support, love, and positive feedback! Your enthusiasm has kept me going!
Now we, me and my three daughters, border collie, 3 cats, and two cows are creating together, with Divine Intelligence, our happy cosmic dance here in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the magic of the Butte Creek Canyon. We grow our food and herbs and stay close to the Earth. With heart and ears open I move to the beat of my soul's song; my days are filled with pushing kids on the tire swing, raking up cow manure, weeding and planting the garden (somehow), throwing the tennis ball for the dog, meditating in in my medicine wheel, teaching yoga and doing massage, making good food, making and shipping ghee and herbal ghee to our great customers and fans like you! I wear many hats! The mom hat is first and foremost. I love it all!
We now sell exclusively here on this website and at our local Farmer's Market as well as a few select retail outlets and to Ayurvedic practitioners and other medical professionals. If you would like to be part of our distribution, please contact me by email.
Thank you for reading!
Love,
Mama Sattva
Stay Blessed
Indya
P.S.
Thanks for your support and business over the last near decade!! I look forward to continuing making great ghee and herbal ghee for you and your family and hearing back from you! I love the connection that we all share! Om Shanti
