Many of the remedies she recommends are rooted less in ritual and more in behaviour: “Everything in life operates through cause and effect.” But she is particularly critical of practices that harm nature in the name of spirituality. For instance, she believes that if you pollute a river, you are messing with the principle of flow. Her understanding of remedies too, often sounds closer to psychology than mysticism: “People think they can offer water to the Sun in the morning while simultaneously disrespecting their parents, their mentors, or the institutions around them. The ritual itself is symbolic. The real remedy is behavioral.” Electricity, food, water – all of these are resources, and are not to be wasted. Perhaps her most telling reflection in this regard is gossip too, essentially being pollution. For Madaan, prosperity begins with respecting the elements that sustain life” When you respect the five elements – earth, water, fire, air, and space – life begins to move more smoothly.”
