JIVANTA - Women's Empowerment Group at Divine Art of Yoga ashram

Every 3^rd Sunday of the month at Divine Art of Yoga ashram, a women’s empowerment group meets called JIVANTA (an ancient Sanskrit word originating from JIVAN, "to give life"—translated to "vibrant" in English).

Neelam Nega started JIVANTA, and she answered some questions about it.

Q: What’s JIVANTA all about?

Neelam: JIVANTA is an organization for women to support each other, lift each other, and help each other in whatever they want to do in their life. We’ve had five meetings so far and we’re getting to know each other but we’re already helping each other solve problems. Everyone is opening up, sharing their thoughts and concerns, and especially their experiences in how they dealt with difficult situations.

Q: What else do you do there?

Neelam: We inspire each other. We even motivate people so they can be more productive. We've also talked about our comfort zone and blind spots.

Q: How does everyone respond to this support?

Neelam: Many people are not used to it. It takes time to open up, sometimes, but people keep coming back!

Q: Why is it important for the group to be all women?

Neelam: As the name says (JIVANTA), it means "Jivan," and Jivan refers to giving life, or giving birth - only women can give life, and they are the core of the family. We want that core to be stable and strong, and that's what JIVANTA is all about.

Some people believe women are too emotional to make decisions, but they can frequently be stronger than men. From being the core of the household and being a mother, who usually takes more responsibilities in the home, to preparing they food, taking care of the kids to make sure they are good members of society. And sometimes women do all of this while working a job too. 

And now it’s great that women are raising their hands for their rights. They’re getting more support from other females. 

Q: What motivated you to start JIVANTA?  

Neelam: I made a major life change in the last year, and I was helped by other people. I was out of a job. Some people looked at me like, “What are you going to do?” I’d never earned money for myself. I even questioned myself! I was grateful that people in my life inspired me to do something on my own.

I knew I wanted to go out on my own. So I sought support: I attended seminars, mixers, networking events. I worked at staying positive, and I started building a new life, and that’s where I am now. Happy and evolving with my own business and several charitable projects going with my ashram, my church, my community, my family.

Once I broke free from the box I was in, I saw so many doors opening up, so many possibilities. That inspired me to help others get the same freedom in their life to go after their goals.