The story
Ayurveda: The Roots of Wellness
how it started2 years ago I began noticing an interesting trend. I witnessed the boom of meditation, the commercialization of Yoga, videos about breathwork on YouTube amassing millions of views, the promotion of gut health and its importance, and dialogue brewing about the ideas on the mind-body connection. People were embracing inner engineering more quickly and openly than I could ever remember. I also started noticing familiar wellness trends. Turmeric lattes or what I grew up knowing as Haldi Doodh were offered at nearly every cafe in Los Angeles. Ghee, a common staple in every Indian household was sitting next to butter on grocery store shelves, and Western science was touting the power of breathwork. However, for as much popularity there was surrounding these practices, there was rarely a connection to its roots. Many of today’s “wellness”or “self-care” trends are rooted in a Vedic science that is equally as transformative as Yoga, but has not yet been properly introduced: Ayurveda. Ayurveda, which translates literally to the science of life is actually a sister science to Yoga. As the first preventative health and wellness system in the world that has little exposure outside of India, I saw an opportunity to build a brand that could introduce Ayurveda while maintaining its cultural identity. But I knew there was more to learn. So, I took two trips to India with my sister, Priya, a health-conscious yogi and regular meditator. There was constant commotion as we traveled across the country—burning rubber, Chaiwalas making fresh chai, incense billowing out of temples—and in the midst of it all, I saw these practices take their true form. From the simple ways food was prepared and offered, to the hospitality of strangers, to observing men and women meditating for hours on end. Priya and I wanted to find a way to bring that experience back to Los Angeles. We also wanted to explore the mind-body connection with a new audience who may have heard versions of Ayurveda, but who hadn’t yet experienced its efficacy. So we created Köppen with the goal to introduce Ayurveda to those who may be unfamiliar or curious. By partnering with practitioners, formulators, chefs, and writers we aim to create everyday products, content, and shareable tools that provide practical utility to this time-tested knowledge.
It’s no secret: building a community is hard. There is nothing easy about getting a collective group of individuals to share a common vision. At Köppen, we feel lucky to be in a position to build a new community that is focused on living better through ancient, time-tested, and evidence-based science. Any of our early growth and success is because of you. Without your support, we would not be able to put Ayurveda into the hands of people around the world. So, sincerely from the both of us, thank you
We stand for
- History
- Nature
- Expression
- Curiosity
- Balance
WE ARE
Thoughtful
Transportive
Objective
Optimistic
Vivid
WE HAVE
Belief — in human potential
Reverence — for Indian traditions
Humility — for culture & community
Curiosity — for self-exploration
Passion — for the art of living
The still man
was designed around the idea of a meditative moment where balance and connection are all realized. The Still Man personifies what we stand for — promoting a deeper connection to both self and nature through life care products built on the ancient principles of Ayurveda. Just as our brand encourages moments of reflection and balance, so too does our logo. Our peaceful meditator takes us to a place of natural idealism. With the sun and moon on either side of our friend, and a hidden third eye under his headwrap, he evokes the spiritual essence of our brand.
Ayurveda
5,000 years ago in ancient India, Rishis (sages) recorded the Vedic texts - known as the Vedas, or ‘The Books of Wisdom’. In these large bodies of texts they captured spiritual practices considered to be sacred and often referred to as “apaurusheya”, which means “not of a man, superhuman.” Only recently, many of these ancient practices originating from The Vedas have found immense popularity. Yoga - an eight limbed practice that promotes conscious living through the purification of body, mind, and speech, Meditation - a wide ranging practice that promotes an exercise of consciousness that results in the expansion of consciousness beyond the day-to-day experience of duality, and Breathwork (Pranayama) all originated from these ancient texts. However, the proven benefits and wisdom of Ayurveda, another science documented in the Vedas has yet to be shared. Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science of knowledge), and thus translates and is commonly referred to as “The Knowledge of Life.” Ayurveda is also known as “The Mother of All Healing” because of it’s personalized, comprehensive, and preventative approach to health and wellness. Ayurveda believes we are a reflection of nature and the cosmos, and can unlock the best version of ourselves by achieving a balance between our mind, body, and spirit. This is done through diet, nutrition, skin-care, and strict routines based on seasonality specific to one's body & mind type, known as a ‘dosha’. Unlike many modern diagnostic approaches to medicine and body care, Ayurveda is a time-tested preventative system of self-care that provides practical ways to incorporate nature and spirituality into your daily routines.
Ingredients
In Ayurveda, the whole of the human experience is considered from scent, taste, texture, sound, and movement. In fact, nature is the soul of Ayurveda. What may seem like a modern-day trend towards natural ingredients, has been a core tenant of this ancient science for thousands of years. Whether it comes to gut health, body care, or oral care, Ayurveda has looked to nature to understand how to take care of our body, mind, and spirit. Ranging from energy to joint support, immunity and cognition, Ayurvedic herbs have a variety of health-boosting properties. At Köppen, we make use of Ayurvedic herbs and practices in all of our products. Our inaugural offering of body care essentials are formulated using Ayurvedic herbs like turmeric, tulsi, neem, hibiscus, aloe and more because what we put on our bodies matters just as much as what we put in our bodies.