Dr. Ratna Salem - Be Unique, Be Different by Dr. Salem

Practicing medicine is truly a noble profession. Women today have tremendous opportunity, hope and power to calm. We at Luvvih believe that beauty is holistic, encompassing a healthy body, mind, and soul. As part of our Inspire to Empower blog series, we present to you Dr. Ratna Salem, a mom and integrative holistic medicine practitioner, who believes that Indian culture in itself embodies a holistic life. She is reflecting a personal style that is effortlessly elegant by wearing a Kanjeevaram Pattu saree that is considered the queen of sarees in south India.

What does empowerment mean to you and what makes you feel empowered?

The word empowerment conjures in my mind the ability or freedom to make choices, be it you career or your family. When those choices have favorable outcomes, not just for me, but for those around, it certainly makes me feel empowered and accomplished.

You are a pediatrician by education and a holistic medicine practitioner who believes in treating the root cause rather than just the symptoms. What were your biggest challenges and what has changed for you?

Through my several years of pediatric practice, there was a time when I felt I wasn’t doing enough for my little patients. This egged me on to find other avenues, like integrative and holistic treatment and then Functional Medicine. Finding the right people to learn from was and still is a challenge, but I’m certainly making progress. The satisfaction of not just putting a temporary band-aid on a patient’s problem but, helping to completely resolve it, is satisfying.

You left India and came to the US in the 90’s. What do you miss about the Indian culture and how do you stay connected?

It was on my recent trip to India that I realized how much I miss the hustle and bustle of everyday life, people at your door, be it the vegetable vendor or the maid. I guess all these years life has been busy with kids and their activities, there was no time to miss not having so many people around.

Saree as an attire adds such elegance and grace to a woman. Could you share with us a saree memory that resonates with you?

One of my most cherished memories is the experience of buying my first saree. My parents made it a very special event and the memory of spending the day with them, selecting a saree is still quite fresh in my mind. And that saree will continue to remain with me for a long time.