Legend has it that Pravaha was born of a meeting between Jean-Baptiste, Anaïs and an Egyptian alchemist by the name of Michael Zayat (Zayat meaning “He who makes oil” in Arabic) in Canada in July 2015.
In October 2016, Jean-Baptiste and his wife returned to Quebec to see Monsieur Zayat again, not to create one or two oils, but nine! The number 9, found in the duration of pregnancy, in Feng Shui with the 9 Ba Qua symbolising the 9 parts of a place, as well as in the 9 universal needs of Maslow’s pyramid, in the Enneagram (a personality typology system) and in numerology, represents a complete cycle. The number also has a special significance in many ancient traditions and cultures.
The outcome of these 9 elixirs or aromatic synergies went off without a hitch. The parents were over the moon, and Monsieur Zayat, the midwife at the birth, was delighted that everything went so smoothly. Michael is recognised in Quebec and internationally as a reference in the field of essences, hence his nickname of ‘Alchemist by essence’. In the past, he has also worked as a midwife (sorry, but there’s still no masculinisation for men in this profession).
But why these 9 elixirs?
We’ve understood the genesis and process of creation, but where did the idea for these 9 elixirs come from? These 9 elixirs were born of a connection with 9 guides or archetypes, each representing an associated chakra, colour and element. These vibrations emerged from the scents and energies we experienced during our journey. A few months earlier, we had decided to set off on a round-the-world trip. So the idea was to capture and bottle the energies of the places we passed through.
How were these elixirs received by the first customers?
Jean-Baptiste had the idea to launch a crowdfunding campaign, which exceeded all expectations. The first customers were the participants in this crowdfunding campaign. Nothing was premeditated in this creation; we were simply following the flow of life (hence the choice of the Sanskrit name Pravaha as the name of our journey around the world, meaning “current” or “divine flow”).
In fact, at that time, we were still living as nomads, with only a backpack, far from any idea that we were going to create a range of products.
Word of mouth spread quickly among therapists, who were our main customers, because these elixirs provided a solution to their problems. For health professionals (massage therapists, energy therapists, naturopaths, etc.), it was a simple and effective tool to empower their patients. It is simple and fun to use, and olfactory therapy offers powerful resources to prolong the effects of the sessions, with positive results often seen very quickly.
