BetterBonds initiated to focus on and provide natural, feasible solutions to several key issues of our times that pertain to human development, welfare, and safety. The key mission is prosperity, wellness and safety for humankind and taking steps towards a life incrementally freer of trauma and disease. Scroll down to explore the themes that we have accounted for in our work.
comfortable in a traditional swaddle and rope tie;
Chitral, 2014
*Mother-Child Health & Bonding
At first, BetterBonds was imagined as the name for baby carriers–Ramala believed that the native practice of carrying one’s baby on one’s body improved the mother-child (or parent-child) bond, helped soothe child and parent symbiotically, and led to auric and bodily transmission between the two through bodily contact. Ramala believes in what is known to be kangaroo care, a concept that was still relatively new at the time BetterBonds was formed. She also believes that mothers transmit their patterns into the bodies and minds of the children through their attention. This is why stability, safety and warmth in the early years of the child are required, and motherhood itself needs extensive support at all times and stages.
In 2016, Ramala was on online forums for mothers who reported lack of support and social attention, and felt harangued by the intensity of opposition to a more sovereign motherhood and family-making, away from the control, coercion and corrosiveness of the military-industrial-harmaceutical civilization.
In that way BetterBonds was resistance and revolution, marked by its practices and products. That said, supply was a whole different matter. Ramala could not procure safe baby carriers, but she taught about safe carrying and modeled it. The name BetterBonds was reserved and now a product portfolio was needed. She had her eyes on Dandelions as the first hero herb. Before she could harvest them, Crystals and Handmade products came along. The latter loosely fitted into her vision for a business that she had held since she was in graduated school at the turn of the millennium and tried several times to start a business of handmade, artisanal, ethnic and even antique products. She understood that in their totality, the natural, handmade and artisanal products contribute to her goal to make the whole socio-economy inclined towards mothers, and as if touched by the hands of the Divine Mother whose presence she felt extremely strongly at the time.
The project started with Crystal & Gemstone products that were sold for their healing benefits, and shortly expanded to the herbal portfolio when she shifted back to Himalayas and has access to herbs & harvesters.
Ramala believes that the entire modern civilization from its speed to its design and structure is poised to hurt motherhood. Even the birthing practices cruelly separate mother & child. Therefore, BetterBonds is based on a larger ideology but offered only the portfolio that became possible, increasing product by product, theme by theme.
Family Bonding
<Coming soon!>
*Proactive Reduction in Developmental Trauma, and Prevention of Abuse
Early trauma–starting from infancy and possibly even conception and theoretically even beyond (the relationships of parents and the atmosphere of the household) defines and impacts the lives of children all the way into adulthood. It shapes personalities, and personalities shape societies and cultures. On the other hand, early safety, love, care, nourishment and bonding prevent trauma, erases and heals lineage trauma, and creates a soothing nervous system and a healthy body. A healthy body houses a healthy mind and psyche, and healed and loved people go on to create healed and loving societies. While latter age healing and redemption is possible, the proactive and considerate approach is to build love and care into the very bodies of human beings as early as we can, and this early trauma reduction and nervous system soothing is what BetterBonds taught.
We focused on Massage, Baby-Wearing, and Swaddling as three great tools of soothing babies while building their bodies. The whole spectrum of healing, though, requires more than contact; it requires mindset, environment, safety for parents and much more. Not all this is covered by the offerings of BetterBonds, but the teachings do allude to this culture of nourishment & care.
Cultures of Nourishment & Care
<Coming soon!>
*Reduction of Inflammation, and Enabling Somatic Soothing
Ramala Hubb’Allah discerned that for there to be more peace on Earth, there needs to be peace, calm and warmth and energy in bodies. She discerned that both the Earth and the human bodies are suffering and need healing. For the Earth, her initiatives of Food Growing were launched in 2008, and she developed a Farmers’ Market in 2013. For bodies, she developed BetterBonds.
One of the healing themes that has been the focus of BetterBonds is Reduction of Inflammation. The typical approach of BetterBonds has been to develop both internal and external medicyne, for instance syrups & teas for internal use and balms for external use. These are offered as “bundles” for people suffering from inflammation, especially skin-related which appears as rashes, psoriasis, eczema, itch, alopecia and such. Clients who agreed to buy and try bundles experienced accelerated and more sustainable results.
The reduction of inflammation using and inside+outside modality is a revolutionary approach that revitalizes and cleanses the organs while maintaining and improving aesthetics, whereas aesthetics signal wellness and integrity of cells and organs.
*Connection with Soul, Spirit and Land
The modern human raised in the military-industrial cultural strains has become physically, mentally and emotionally disconnected from Land, experience of Relationships, and the give & take in Transactions — all of which create a somatic, tactile and sensory experience of being ALIVE. The BetterBonds medicyne puts the human in touch with the land, and put the medicyne in the body. This reinforces a therapeutic and creative connection.
*Protection of Native Knowledge and Ways
The Age of Information is yielding way to the Age of Attention & Intention. What is not attended to and beheld with Intent can perish. The knowledge of land and the traditional practices stands are a high risk of being forgotten or worse, usurped by unsavory characters and players. Making medicyne at the home level and serving community and companions revives ancient traditions and empowers healers while taking power back from the harmaceuticals.
*Cultivation of New Native Knowledge and Wisdom Within the Being
It is not enough to bank upon some romantic and elusive past and think of it as some benchmark or diminishing or distant treasure. The knowledge of flora, fauna and life is immediately available to humans, in the present. We are the ancestors we have always sought. We are the cycle-breakers, tradition-makers, keepers of knowledge, weavers of tapestries, carriers of baskets, and makers of medicyne. This is a role humans should not let slip. BetterBonds seeks to empower mostly Mothers and make them the medicyne-woman of the family, while she in turn is supported by the living tradition we are creating here in the wilderness of Himalayas. However, the role of medicyne-maker and keeper is available to other seekers, too. Also, the collective’s quotient of wisdom and healing ways needs to be elevated in addition to preparing healers, so that there are recipients of healing and wisdom.
In modern speak, we call is market education and development, a role that BetterBonds has played actively. We shared the stories of our adventures, our preparations, our explorations, our trials, challenges, discoveries, formulae, packaging background. The outcome was phenomenal, however the downside was generation of excess need and demand that could not be met! :-0
Sustainability and Regeneration
<Coming soon!>
Livelihood for Locals
<Coming soon!>