Today we’d like to introduce you to Debleena Banerji.
Hi Debleena, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Nature’s main attributes are giving and healing, while that of modern human is habitually exploiting natural resources. Although our body came from nature and destined to go back to it, we are seldom in real appreciation of it and almost never aligned with it. As our kids were growing up, we felt the need to embrace nature through our daily activities such as food and health-practices as well as scientific and artistic pursuits. We wanted to come up with a natural lab where earth practices will enable urban population to appreciate the source of life-force and live consciously in harmony with nature. This is how Prana Foundation as a non-profit outfit was conceived. Consequently, we adopted the riparian greenspace in Brookshire area in 2019 and gradually turned this into a permaculture hub. By the way, we have been exploring and propagating the musical and artistic aspects with the greater Houston community since 2004.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As is true with any road there are hurdles small and big, but none too big to bother or bog us down. We use hurdles themselves to help us with innovative solutions and workarounds that we normally would have not thought about. Our intent was to make the construction of the nature lab called the Garden of Prana an organic experience. So we drew the site plan and individual buildings ourselves and did not go through any architectural firm; this saved a ton and also opened up paths for creative and cost-sustainable solutions. Also, for example, when the Garden required land-clearing for construction, we mulched the trees onsite and turn those into soil. We find Permaculture principles very holistic and can be used not only to sustainable food production but also to life in general. It trains you to think from a very different perspective where “the problem itself is the solution”. It also leads to a very earth-conscious solutions and lifestyle.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Myself and my husband are both geologists by training and profession; we have cumulative oil industry experience of more than 40 years. But besides this we are involved in teaching and spreading various forms of expressions (music/dance/drama/poetry etc.). My husband, T Raja Banga, is a versatile world musician and drummer who is renowned in Houston music arena for teaching percussionists the last 25 years under his school Prana School of Music and Arts. We have been featured in Houston Chronicle (https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/katy-news/article/drum-lessons-unite-all-ages-in-katy-1743557.php). We regularly have recitals encouraging young artists to perform and appreciate music and other forms of inner expressions. Many of these are very experimental and collaborative in nature. We also volunteer in local non-profits and both of us had the opportunity to serve Tagore Society of Houston for 4 years individually as presidents nurturing the vision of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore. Our ability to balance both sides of our brains is our strength and the fact that we work seamlessly with each other and continue to enhance and support each other to constantly improve ourselves is a big plus. Searching for truth and giving 100 percent effort in everything we do has been the guiding light.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
To us, success equates with loving experience while having a meaningful journey of self-discovery. What matters to us are the lessons that we learn, the knowledge that we exchange, and relations we build on the journey of Prana (the Life).
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.prana-eol.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prana.essence.of.life/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PranaEOL
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/108460814/admin/dashboard/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pranaeol3566
Image Credits
image credits: Prana Foundation
