The Not-So-Basics
Painting in my teacher's studio in Vancouver, BC (photo by Anita Nairne, my luminous painting teacher)
So this is the 'About Me' part that is supposed to go on a webpage...
name: Ranjana (Ranji) Ariaratnam
provenance: born in California of Sri Lankan heritage… I’m a California girl! Well, at least I've got the tan. ;)
formal education: BA Honors (Peace & Conflict Studies), and MCP + JD (Focus on Planning for Refugees), all from the University of California, Berkeley
occupation: years as a humanitarian aid worker in 10 countries – in the Balkans, a few countries in Africa, and in South Asia – working on programs for people in refugee camps, people displaced by wars, or communities recovering from wars; now sharing Nonviolent Communication (NVC, aka Compassionate Communication) along with my partner David, as well as somatic practices for nervous system regulation, and other practices I have found healing for myself, drawing from Ayurveda, Vipassana meditation, painting, mindfulness, songs and chants, and so much more.
But a much more interesting way to approach a description of myself is:
What did I always know to be true?
Reclaiming this has been my quest!