The Shelly Story: Recent Episodes
Shelly Sood
The Shelly Story features a series of discussions on optimizing mind, body, and soul health, along with alternatives to traditional approaches to healing.
Shelly Sood is the Founding Partner of GIOSTAR Chicago, the Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research. She is an entrepreneur, mother, and hopeless dreamer. She has turned tragedy into triumph, in overcoming struggles with family mental health issues, and finding abundance in career, family, and her own personal wellbeing.
For more information, please visit shellysood.com
In line with the mantra of this show - to "own your health" - this week we speak with gastroenterologist Dr. Supriya Rao, whose Gutsy Girl MD platform has evolved into the go-to resource for all things gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle-related.
Supriya is quadruple board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. She received her undergrad degree from MIT, followed by graduation from Duke University School of Medicine.
In addition to her role as managing partner at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in 2014, she serves as Director for Medical Weight Loss at Lowell General Hospital. Supriya is passionate about empowering people to improve their health through sustainable lifestyle changes, and enjoys traveling, running, yoga and spending time with family and friends.
We touched on numerous topics, including:
- The pivotal importance of a healthy gut microbiome, and the benefits of practices such as "eating the rainbow."
- The implications of common phrases like "gut feeling," or "going with our gut" - i.e., an underlying connection between gastrointestinal function and cognition
- The scientific basis for this linkage with the gut brain axis, and the staggering fact that more than 90% of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut
- Dr. Rao's Gutsy Girl MD platform, which leverages Blue Zones principles, newer disciplines such as lifestyle medicine, as well as nutrition, relationships, and other harbingers of whole health to provide patients with a comprehensive approach to owning their health via Instagram and other channels.
- Supriya's somewhat circuitous path to her current specialty of medicine, a bit of a departure from her start in computer science at MIT.
- The differences between the multi-faceted discipline of gastroenterology, and other more compartmentalized specialties, and why it appealed to Supriya.
- The double-edged sword of the South Asian diet, which includes both good (i.e., turmeric, cardamom and other Ayurvedic ingredients) and not so good (i.e., simple carbohydrates)
- The challenges doctors face in adhering to the age-old "physician, heal thyself" mantra
- A look at "the good, the bad, and the ugly" behind biohacking
Want to learn more about all things gut health from Gutsy Girl MD? Connect with Supriya on Instagram at @gutsygirlmd, or visit her at gustygirlmd.com or myigic.com.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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My time at one of the prestigious “Big 4” consulting firms sharpened my analytical skills and built my professional network immensely. It also contributed to me bottoming out physically and mentally. This rock bottom forced me to embrace meditation and go within, while working to shed my dependency on external validation and traditional symbols of "making it."
I'm always fascinated, therefore, to cross paths with Big 4 alums who have also gone on a journey of spirituality and self-realization – such as this week's guest, Camilia Berrada.
Camilia Berrada is a vehicle for change, who spent 8 years professionally mentoring and coaching top-level execs, using Deloitte London as her primary vehicle.
She’s also devoted over 13 years of her life consciously exploring and expanding human consciousness at individual, collective, and systemic levels.
From “shamans to boardrooms,” Camilia is continuously tuning herself to become the instrument she needs to be for the people she meets and elevates. When leaders are open to change, she is their vehicle.
We touched on so many topics in our conversation, including:
- The difficulty that many high achievers face when looking to integrate learnings from retreats in Costa Rica, Bali, and other “epicenters of enlightenment” that comprise the rapidly growing global wellness tourism market
- The fundamentals of generative trance - known as the “third wave of hypnosis” - that builds on the work of Milton Erickson. How this modality (highly favored by Camilia) can help us achieve a partnership between our conscious and unconscious minds, and fully tap into our intuition.
- The potential for surfing to help corporate leaders maximize their performance in crafting vision, setting direction, achieving razor-sharp focus, and getting organizational buy-in.
- The drawbacks of embracing the "hustle culture" seen in startups and top management consulting firms - specifically chasing dopamine and external validation.
- How staying "in our head" too much prevents us from achieving true somatic healing in the body - which as Nietzsche said is a far more abundant source of wisdom than any philosophy
- Camilia’s coaching and mentoring program, which encompasses VIP programs, corporate offers, masterminds, memberships, online courses, to “support leaders in finding deep inner freedom and amplifying their impact in the world.”
- What the concept of "home" truly means to spiritually enlightened globe-trotters such as Camilia
- A nuanced, mutli-layered view of the role of ayahuasca, psilocybin, and other forms of plant medicine in achieving states of higher consciousness.
- Camilia’s roots of growing up in Morocco, and how her perspectives on her cultural background have evolved (as has her home country) over time.
To learn more about Camilia, and potentially collaborate with her, please visit her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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There's a concept in Eastern wisdom tradition called sangha, which centers on the power of community. When I launched Untether Your Life two years ago, I had no idea what an incredible sangha awaited me with the podcasting ecosystem.
Connecting with fellow storytellers and content creators has led to impactful collaborations. It's exposed me to life-changing frameworks, and it's given me many a good chuckle. One of these podcasters is this week's guest, Dr. Seema Desai.
Seema is a transformational success coach and speaker, who helps high-achieving leaders go from stressed and overwhelmed to productive and fulfilled.
She's the author of the book Connected: Discovering Your Inner Guides and co-host of the Happy and Human podcast. Seema recently served as Co-President of the Austin chapter of the influential non-profit Pratham USA, which aims to create learning equity for underserved children in India and globally. In a former life, she was also a dentist.
We touched on so many incredible topics in this discussion, including:
- A revisiting of the famous Steve Jobs quote that "you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards;" understanding what to do in the present, when all those dots seem like a giant, jumbled mess.
- Finding “Calm in the Chaos” (which, interestingly enough, is the title of Seema’s course)
- Seema’s book Connected, which introduces the concept of guides and guards to help us tap into our intuition and higher selves, while better understanding the survival mechanism underlying the frantic, fight-flight state we often find ourselves in.
- How Seema applied the "guides and guards" framework to parenting with her own children.
- The background and mission of Happy and Human, which Seema and co-host Dinesh Melwani launched to amplify voices of the South Asian diaspora, and share the powerful life lessons they've picked up as parents, coaches, attorneys / dentists, yoga experts, surfers, and incorrigible goofballs.
- Seema’s decision to transition from a career as a dentist to a transformation success coach and speaker.
- The pitfalls of “checkbox syndrome” / “if then fallacy,” and how this myopic external focus yields an imperfect path to happiness.
- The evolution of South Asians’ image in the United States, from one-dimensional spelling bee champion “robots,” to thought leaders with a “seat at the table.”
- The power of simple, everyday practices like gratitude, curiosity, and focusing on our breath
To learn more about Seema, please visit her at drseemadesai.com, check out the Happy and Human podcast, or connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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Since launching this podcast two years ago, I continually marvel at the power of synchronicity, and the amazing wise souls that it's put in my path. Their books, online videos, and friendship have deepened my understanding of the wisdom traditions I've become so passionate about. This week's guest - Mas Vidal Maheshananda - is a prime example.
Mas Vidal is considered a global ambassador for Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta, and the wisdom of the Indian culture. Through his many programs, lectures and private counseling, Mas has become one of the most influential voices for evolutionary living based on the principles of these wisdom traditions.
He is the founder and director of the Dancing Shiva School and he developed MoreLifeMarket.com, an online Ayurvedic Superfoods company. As an Ayurvedic practitioner, he maintains an active international counseling practice that also integrates medical astrology.
He is also the author of two books on Yoga and Ayurveda – Sun, Moon & Earth, and The Evolution Revolution.
I thoroughly enjoyed my discussion with Mas, in which we touched on:
- A rethinking of the traditional model of evolution, centered on Darwinian cut-throat competition and survival of the fittest: the consideration of a more enlightened view on progress of the human species, that champions harmony, cooperation, and "soft power." This is the core theme of Mas' latest book The Evolution Revolution
- The misguided emphasis in the West on achieving the optimal mix of calories, proteins, vitamins, and other nutrients in our meals, which we continually freeze and reheat.
- A need to prioritize what's really essential (prana, or life force) in our food, drink, relationships, activities, information we consume, relationships and everything else we expose our mind, body, and soul to.
- The roots of Dancing Shiva, the platform through which Mas has made Yoga, Ayurveda, and numerous other Eastern wisdom traditions accessible to seasoned and novice practitioners alike.
- How "soft power" can extend beyond behavior to our consumption habits, i.e., that we can live a healthier, more yogic life by avoiding "hard" foods.
- The etymology of the name "Mas Vidal Maheshananda," a unique East Meets West combination.
- The benefits of living in communities - such as Santa Fe, New Mexico; Encinitas, California; and Pune, India - on one's mental, physical, and spiritual well-being
- The meaning of Mas' statement that "the world is my guru," and more specifically, how that ties back to his following of the "one true guru, Paramahansa Yogananda.
- How the Eastern wisdom traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda complement one another.
Intrigued? Learn more about Dancing Shiva, and tap into Mas Vidal Maheshanda's wealth of spiritual knowledge by visiting the Dancing Shiva Website. You can also connect with him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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Many of us lead very fragmented lives. If we're lucky, we set aside a couple hours a week to what really lights us up in between our busy "9-to-5"s and hectic social and family obligations.
I find it very inspiring, therefore, to connect with people like this week's guest Sharanya Rao, who succeed in "bringing their whole selves" to their day to day and follow their passion.
Sharanya is an expert on making transitions, having lived in 4 countries, and changed careers from being a commercial litigation lawyer to government and then to becoming a professional coach. Now, as the head of Global Coaching Works and the Artistic Director of Leela - An Indian Community Theatre, she focuses on empowering individuals and developing their potential through Co-Active Coaching, mindfulness and creativity. She is a champion of diversity and inclusion, and a true believer in the power of community.
In this episode, we touch on numerous topics including:
- The concept of a Third Culture Kid (TCK), and the implications of straddling the cultural norms of three countries (India, Singapore, and the United States) on adaptability and authenticity. Further, how this unique background helped Sharanya navigate a career shift from law into leadership coaching.
- An overview of Leela, and its showcase project Anklets in the Boardroom, a project story-telling inspired in part by the Theater of the Oppressed and leaders such as Deepa Purushothaman; how these initiatives helped Sharanya follow her passion and give voice to South Asian women struggling with workplace discrimination.
- Exciting announcements for the Leela team, including funding from the City of Austin and a partnership with Austin PBS.
- The concept of svadharma and how can it help us achieve the show's mission of breaking free of templates
- How somewhat "dodgy" questions in the foreign service application process contributed to Sharanya's disenchantment with this profession
- How the field of coaching, and connections formed through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) provided Sharanya with a community where people would "bring their whole self to work."
- Sharanya's journey into spirituality starting with her introduction to Swami Chinmayananda at the age of 14
- The lifelong learnings at Chinmaya Mission in oneness / Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam / "The World Is One Family"
You can connect with Sharanya via numerous channels, notably her LinkedIn profile.
- To learn about Global Coaching Works, visit the Website, connect with them on Instagram, or check out their Facebook page.
- You can find out more about Leela and Anklets in the Boardroom at their Website, as well as on Instagram and Facebook
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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This episode is a first in Untether Your Life history, in bringing on a husband and wife duo. On the heels of my interview with Amish Shah in 2023, I'm proud to release my discussion with his wife, the incredibly insightful Dr. Puja Shah.
Puja is a visionary poet who shares her voice through written and spoken word, guided meditations, and teaching. Born in Queens, New York to immigrant parents, she defied teachers who questioned her English skills by winning countless poetry and short story awards in her youth.
With over 10 years of nonprofit experience and a long public health career, she has pivoted careers to follow her passion for writing and created a campaign aligned with girls rights awareness causes for her triple award winning novel, For My Sister.
Puja holds a D.M.D. doctorate degree and has completed multiple training courses in yoga, meditation and ancient wisdom. She teaches corporate mindfulness guided meditations and is currently president of The Shah Education and Exploration Foundation, 501c3. For My Sister is her first novel.
Puja and I touched on so many amazing topics in our far-ranging interview, including:
- The meaning of the Paulo Coelho quote "we will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen"
- How the Buddhist practice of Vipassana or "seeing things as they really are" can help us question default stress management behaviors like alcohol or social media
- The impact of Puja's award-winning book For My Sister in shining a light on the dark practices of human trafficking in India and other parts of the world.
- The lessons of Puja's book on intuition, the duality that exists in all of us, and the benefits of following our dharma
- How serving underprivileged girls' communities in India and Uganda pushed Puja to reconnect with her life-long passion for storytelling
- Puja's journey from a lucrative but unfulfilling career in private practice dentistry and in government, to teaching children in India and Uganda, to teaching yoga, launching a 501(c)(3) non-profit and finally as a award-winning author
- The impact of COVID-19 in allowing Puja to "press pause" on life, reassess, and also attend multiple writers' events virtually
- The importance of community (or "sangha") in Puja's journey, notably The Chai Mommas group that she co-founded
- How Alka Joshi, who wrote her book, The Henna Artist, at age 60, provided inspiration to Puja and her fellow "chai mommas"
- How a "safe" career with high salary, benefits, and stability serves as "golden handcuffs" can prevent us from realizing our true dharma, or calling.
- Puja's impactful experience with plant medicine, which helped her connect with her true essence
Find out more about Puja's incredible journey and work by visiting her Websites, puja-shah.com and formysisterbook.com. You can also connect with her on Instagram at psnamaste, or check out her guided meditations on Spotify or other streaming platforms under psnamaste.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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I've been blessed to cross paths with some of the most dynamic, impactful souls across the planet through my involvement in Mindvalley, SOMA Breath, and other global communities. One of these is Piotr Ciepiel, who I met during a breathwork retreat in Ibiza, Spain. His evolution - which includes healing from cancer - is a powerful demonstration of the transformation that is possible when we untether our lives.
Piotr, MiFit Mindful Fitness founder, takes his transformative body / mind / energy programs worldwide. A dynamic public speaker, retreat leader, and breath master, he guides people to embrace emotions, vulnerability, and authenticity. A health and wellbeing advocate, Piotr shares his cancer and chemotherapy journey, compelling us to prioritize physical and mental health now.
This invigorating, inspiring discussion, touches on numerous topics, including:
- How Piotr's cancer diagnosis at 28 forced him to re-examine the "templates" he'd had been following in terms of lifestyle, health, and career decisions.
- What Piotr did to interrupt and completely transform his life by embracing mindfulness, breathwork positive self-talk and unlocking his true "superhuman" powers
- How retreats and in person events can 10x the benefits of informational resources for breathwork, physical fitness, public speaking, and many other personal transformation disciplines widely available online; how they can deliver the true benefits of sangha, or community
- How breathwork offers a powerful one-two punch of research-based science and soul-shaping spirituality, and can "bring you to places that you've never been before"
- The philosophy behind Piotr's MiFit ("mindful fitness") platform and programs like "Unpack Yourself," which bring together activation, strength training and awareness to everyday activities like taking a walk, to more transformational peak experiences like retreats in San Miguel de Allende, Ibiza, and Marrakech.
To connect with Piotr and learn more about MiFit and Unpack Yourself, visit him on Instagram or LinkedIn, or check out his Website
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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This week marks the 80th episode of Untether Your Life. It's "kind of a big deal" in the podcasting space, where 90% of shows don't make it past episode 3.
For this important milestone, I chose to rebroadcast my appearance on The Life Shift, hosted by my friend Matt Gilhooly - largely to help commemorate the two year anniversary of his incredible podcast. Congrats Matt on this "pivotal" moment!
Matt is an incredible host, who I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with about:
- The meaning of the "Untether Your Life" mantra; how a seemingly stable life of ticking off all the items on a checklist can mask huge discontent that requires a radical breakthrough.
- When reflecting on the triumphs and breakthroughs in later chapters of our "life book," the importance of honoring the difficult, messy, and often painful lessons from "Chapter One"
- The genesis and mission of The Life Shift Podcast; how Matt tapped into the tragic, premature loss of his mother when he was 8, to create a powerful platform for guests to share the pivotal moments of their lives.
- The difficulty of correctly diagnosing bipolar disorder, given that patients with this condition only come to seek treatment when they're in a depressive state - thereby exacerbating the problem.
- The vital importance of humility and awareness in seeking resolution for mental health challenges - beyond the "hacks" / "just add water" models circulating on YouTube, Instagram, and other channels.
- The irrelevance of titles, salaries, or other traditional hallmarks of "making it" when defining how aligned we are with our true dharma - or "right way of living"
- The role of serendipity in the journey of a podcaster in storytelling, and diving deep into topics that make their heart sing.
- The implication of bipolar disorder on oscillations between types on extroverted and introverted personality types.
To learn more about Matt and his podcast, please visit The Life Shift Podcast Website, or look for The Life Shift on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also connect with Matt on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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One of the goals of this show is to empower you the listener to break free of templates for managing physical and mental wellness. I'm inspired by organizations that facilitate this journey for patients through clinical and technological innovation.
One shining example is Modern Age, a New York City-based startup "on a mission to add millions of years of healthy life expectancy to the world."
We were therefore honored to have their Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anant Vinjamoori, as a guest on this week's episode of Untether Your Life.
Prior to Modern Age, Dr. Vinjamoori was a product leader at Virta Health, and attended Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, and Stanford University for his internal medicine residency, medical degree and MBA, and undergrad degree in biology respectively.
In this episode, we touch on numerous topics, including:
- The role of biohacking in putting more power into the hands of the consumer, and how doctors can use its principles to develop a more collaborative relationship with patients. Side note: Dave Asprey, if you're listening, would love to have you on the show.
- How Modern Age is making neurotherapy or brainwave therapy - once limited to professional athletes, celebrities, and wealthy executives - available to the masses seeking to optimize performance and manage their mental health.
- What folks can do to improve their odds of living to a 100, especially if they don't have the luxury of living in Sardinia, Okinamwa, or other "Blue Zones" as covered in the Netflix documentary by Dan Buetner.
- How attitudes toward health and wellness have evolved over the past 5 years - from merely "staying out of the penalty box," to really optimizing longevity and the quality of life.
- The limitations of the current medical system in finding ways to manage how genes might impact our health - beyond the cookie cutter approaches of exercise and a healthy diet.
- How more science-driven, consumer-focused wellness assessments can help patients optimize the 12 hallmarks of aging - which include mitochondrial dysfunction and nutrient sensing.
- The counterproductive approach of many anti-aging clinics that bombard patients with a data dump of information lacking context.
- How the efficacy of modern cutting edge longevity practices be enhanced by the incorporation of ashwagandha, turmeric (or "haldi") and other staples of Ayurveda - the Indian wisdom tradition dating back over 5,000 years.
To connect with Anant and find out more about his work at Modern Age, check him out on Instagram and LinkedIn, or visit modern-age.com
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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One of the most rewarding parts of hosting this podcast is connecting with brilliant, compassionate polymaths, whose knowledge and experience extend across numerous realms. Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, MD is a prime example. She is an Integrative and Psychedelic Medicine Physician, activist, TEDx speaker, and author of the incredibly powerful book Joy Is My Justice. She’s also been featured on Oprah Daily.
Tanmeet has dedicated her career to caring for marginalized patients all over the globe from Seattle to Puerto Rico to Ukraine, as a senior faculty member at The Center for Mind Body Medicine. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor and a primary clinical investigator there on psilocybin at the University of Washington.
In this episode, Tanmeet and host Nikhil Torsekar touch on numerous topics, including:
- The role of movement in releasing myokines / what scientists call hope molecules - whether it's a quiet walk in nature or vigorous dancing to bhangra music.
- How the vagus nerve regulates our parasympathetic nervous system and helps us feel safe, and how pranayama (or breathwork) facilitates this.
- The fundamental distinction between happiness (a binary cognitive evaluation) and joy, and how the latter actually comes from the same deep well as pain.
- An overview of Dr. Sethi’s impactful book Joy Is My Justice, which captures her beautiful journey to thrive and embrace with gusto all that life has to offer after her three year old son Zubin received the challenging diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
- Growing up in the South Asian diaspora – the good (solid foundation in community, cultural traditions such as pranayama and Ayurveda), the bad (pressure to live up to impossible standards, tendency to suppress challenging emotions), and the ugly (Nikhil’s bhangra moves)
To order a copy of Tanmeet’s incredible book please visit her Website, or connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook. You can also check out her Substack titled “Beautiful and Brutal.”
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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Two years since our first guest interview episode of Untether Your Life with clinical psychologist Dr. Jyothsna Bhat, many strides have been made in mental health in the South Asian diaspora. This is due to the work of groups like South Asian Americans for Change (SAAFC), co-founded by Rupal Joshi, Keerthi Channarasappa, and this week’s guest - Sumit Shukla.
In addition to this role, Sumit is an accomplished pharmaceutical expert with nearly 15 years of industry experience, a dedicated husband and father, and a passionate mental health advocate.
Driven by personal experiences with depression and anxiety and overcoming alcohol addiction, Sumit established SAAFC with a mission to dismantle mental health stigma and promote holistic well-being in the South Asian American community through arts, education, and community-building events.
Breaking the Silence, Sumit’s YouTube documentary series featuring renowned comedian Nimesh Pateland previous Untether Your Life guest Ankur Varma, serves as a platform for raising awareness and sparking conversations on mental health, particularly among South Asian men.
Join host Nikhil Torsekar and Sumit Shukla this week as we discuss:
- The upcoming annual SAAFC event - The Healing Through Art - on March 2, 2024 at Tendenza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets available at the SAAFC Website.
- What Sumit and his cousin Nimesh Patel – an Emmy award-nominated comedian and writer for Chris Rock, Hasan Minhaj, and Saturday Night Live - uncovered when they teamed up with Ankur Varma to create Breaking the Silence.
- The application of the operating systems analogy when we look at updating values, traditions, and behaviors passed down from our parents. How the outdated template of gender norms has prevented many South Asian males from focusing on mental health.
- Second-generation South Asian immigrants’ destructive habit of “toxic gratitude” and feelings of inferiority when comparing their struggles to those of their immigrant parents.
- How Sumit had turned to alcohol throughout his undergrad years at Ohio State University and many years afterward; how this ineffective form of self-medication prompted a wake-up-call, and intervention from his wife Rupal, cousin Nimesh Patel, and other family members.
- The origin of SAAFC, which sprung from a discussion between Sumit, Rupal, and Keerthi, and coincided with many of the board members relocating to Philadelphia to launch the organization. How Sumit’s desire to – as a father of a young son – “break the cycle” of mental health issues.
- How the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization achieves this mission through online workshops, social events, and the upcoming The Healing through Art Gala on March 2nd, 2024.
Visit the SAAFC Website to learn more about the organization, or get tickets for the The Healing Through Arts gala. You can also connect with the team on Instagram at @saaforchange, or with Sumit directly at @sumit112
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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This podcast takes aim squarely at the templates that many of us in the South Asian diaspora grew up with – around the ideal career path, marriage, and managing our mental health.
It’s therefore gratifying to connect with others in the community who question the norms and fight against the status quo that has caused us great turmoil over the years. One of these iconoclasts is Tracy Vadakumchery, aka "The Bad Indian Therapist."
Tracy is a licensed therapist in New York, California, and Florida. She helps South Asian Americans who struggle with toxic guilt, shame, and cultural stress and trauma. Tracy continues to challenge her own toxic guilt and shame as it relates to cultural norms about mental health. She is currently taking on new clients in the above states.
In this episode, she and host Nikhil Torsekar examine many issues, including:
- The rationale behind Tracy branding herself as "The Bad Indian Therapist," and her goal of providing a platform and safe space for Indian Americans who think they are "not Indian enough," or feel guilt for not conforming to the norms of our collectivist culture.
- The active use of Instagram, TikTok, and other channels by South Asian mental health therapists for drumming up awareness and brand building.
- How the idyllic portrayal on social media may conflict with the challenging reality of being a South Asian therapist in private practice in 2024.
- The concept of toxic gratitude, and how being thankful may give way to inadequacy, shame, and invalidation of powerful feelings.
- The rationale for South Asian clients in selecting a therapist with the same, or different cultural backgrounds, through services such as southasiantherapists.org.
- How "self-gaslighting" can manifest in issues with mental and physical health for members of the South Asian diaspora.
- Tracy’s multifaceted journey to becoming "The Bad Indian Therapist," which included group practice, private practice, as well a stint at Rikers Island
To connect with Tracy, please visit thebadindiantherapist.com, or connect with her on Instagram at @thebadindiantherapist.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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Mental Health is a mixed bag in 2024. I'm thrilled about the community that has blossomed since I launched this podcast two years ago - especially within the Asian diaspora. However, I'm disheartened by the assembly line approach that has evolved as a by-product of the skyrocketing demand for psychiatrists, therapists, and other providers.
In this environment, Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen - a highly credentialed California-based psychiatrist - is a breath of fresh air.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Dr. Nguyen had parents who were refugees from Vietnam who arrived in Honolulu in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. She received her BA from Stanford University in Human Biology, her MD from Northwestern University, and her Psychiatry Residency and Child Psychiatry Fellowship training at University of California, Davis.
She started her career in community mental health, with specific interests in cross-cultural psychiatry, the intersection of spirituality and mental health, and the healing power of water and the natural world.
Dr. Nguyen lives in Davis, California, where she is in private psychiatry practice. She is also the author of the book Aloha Vietnam, "a rich journey across the Pacific Ocean to find one’s true home and identity amidst loss, grief, and mental illness."
In this episode, we touch on numerous topics, including:
- The role of our relationship with water - both externally and within our body in optimizing mental wellness
- How resources such as Dr. Nguyen's Water Keepers community and books such as Wallace Nichols Blue Mind can help nurture our appreciation for this dynamic
- An overview of multidimensional psychiatry, as conceptualized by Dr. Nguyen: how looking at a patient's cultural background, their spiritual leanings, and other elements of their journey can provide a more effective alternative to the limited, check-the-box approach seen in the mental health field today
- Dr. Nguyen's book Aloha Vietnam, which interweaves her own lived experience with fictional narrative of a Vietnamese American refugee family that finds their way to Honolulu to provide rich insight into the Asian immigrant experience with bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses.
- The importance of language in conceptualizing mental illness in other cultures - i.e., the lack of the word "bipolar" in the Vietnamese language
- Personal inclinations (i.e., a love of storytelling) that led to Dr. Nguyen choosing psychiatry as a specialty
- How the Western model of psychiatry falls short of serving its patients by only looking at the individual, as opposed to within the context of the patient's relationship with the culture and family.
- The importance of collaboration that involves investment of time from the patient as well as the provider in ensuring favorable mental health treatment outcomes
To learn more about Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen, water healing, multidimensional psychiatry, and her book, please visit multidimensionalpsychiatry.com, or connect with her on Instagram at multidimensionalpsychiatry or waterkeeperscommunity.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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And that's a wrap!
2023 was such a transformational year, thanks in large part to the more than 20 epic souls I spoke with on the Untether Your Life podcast.
In recognition of their contributions to the raising of our collective consciousness, I've published a highlight reel recapping the most impactful moments of our conversations.
I've provided their information below, in case you'd like to learn more about their platforms and / or connect with them.
- Jonaed Iqbal (02:18) - Founder, NoDegree.com | Website
- Jason Goldberg (03:22) - Celebrity Mental Performance Coach, Author, Keynote Speaker | Website
- Benoit Kim (04:29) - Psychotherapist, Psychedelic Therapist, Podcaster | Website
- Shermin Kruse (05:41) - TEDx Producer / Speaker, Law Professor, Author | Website
- Ankur Varma (07:20) - Clinical Therapist, Founder, Brown Man Therapy | Instagram
- Jenny Thrasher (08:58) - Keynote Speaker, Author, Mental Health Advocate | Website
- Erwin B Valencia (10:37) - Performance Coach, Wellness Expert, the "Godfather of Gratitude" | Instagram
- Robert Pardi (12:17) - Speaker, Author, Coach - Possibility in Action | Website
- Tanya Mitra (13:54) - Relationship Coach, Founder, The Remixed Relationship | Instagram
- Neal Bakshi (15:25) - Spiritual Guide, Energy Healer, Breathwork Author | Website
- Dr. Nilesh Satguru (17:00) - Self Mastery Coach, Doctor, Entrepreneur | Website
- Vasavi Kumar (18:39) - Keynote Speaker, Coach, Author, Podcaster | Website
- Niraj Naik (20:17)- Founder, SOMA Breath | Website
- Neelu Kaur (21:53) - Executive Coach, Author, Speaker | Website
- Laura Carney (23:32) - Writer, Author, Artist, Activist | Website
- Freeman Fung (25:11) - Coach, Author, TEDx Speaker | Website
- LeRon Barton (26:42) - 3x TEDx Speaker, Author, Writer | Website
- Nikhil Torsekar & Shelly Sood (28:17) - Authors, Entrepreneurs, Breathwork Experts, Podcasters | Website
- Chris McDonald (29:54) - Therapist, Yoga Teacher, Podcaster | Website
- Kyle Peche (31:27) - Founder, Jyoti Mineral Balancing | Website
- Amish Shah (32:58) - Entrepreneur, Film Maker, The Natural Law | Website
- Final Wrap Up (34:28)
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As a member of the South Asian diaspora, I'm humbled by the vast wisdom in our DNA and at our fingertips as evidenced by traditions such as Ayurveda - literally the "science or wisdom of life." I also have great respect for others in our culture who have embraced these holistic modalities to own their health, and have pursued their true dharma or calling in lieu of the limited "doctor, engineer, failure" menu that we grew up with.
I was therefore very glad to speak with this week's guest Amish Shah.
Amish Shah is a thriving entrepreneur, yoga and meditation expert, and a seasoned filmmaker, who encountered a pivotal health obstacle that served as the catalyst for a profound voyage into the realm of ancient sciences.
This journey ultimately led to the creation of Deep Origins, a venture that now touches the lives of 20 million people each month. Amish's latest undertaking, The Natural Law, is an extraordinary documentary and platform that revolves around the principles of Ayurveda.
This groundbreaking film documents his personal healing journey while simultaneously delving into the intricacies of the fragmented Western medical system and the transformative potential of achieving harmony among the mind, body, and spirit.
In this episode, Amish and I delve into numerous areas, including:
- How Ayurveda - a South Asian wisdom tradition dating back 5,000 years - provided Amish, then a burnt-out multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur, with an effective means for managing ulcers, fatty liver, celiac disease, and numerous other disorders when traditional medicine had failed him.
- The power of synchronicity, as illustrated by the chain of events that connected Nikhil and Amish: meeting Dr. Sheila Patel (Chief Medical Officer, Chopra Global) at a Deepak Chopra-led retreat, a random email advertisement of Dr. Patel's appearance on a Natural Law Webinar, and an introduction to Amish
- How the concept of dharma - the "right way of living" - plays out in the South Asian diaspora, and how falling out of alignment may contribute to "dis-ease."
- Amish's career spanning several lucrative, but stressful opportunities that wreaked havoc healthwise: financial services in New York City, followed by the launch of several multi-million dollar technology and digital marketing startups in luxurious La Jolla, California
- The Natural Law - an award-winning documentary created by Amish with hundreds of thousands of viewers, featuring Deepak Chopra, Mark Halpern, Vasant Lad, and many other experts in Ayurveda. The film's roots as a passion project / labor of love that started 10 years ago
- The next steps for The Natural Law beyond the film, including an online portal with a knowledgebase on Ayurveda, telecoaching services, a tool for finding pracititioners, an interactive community, and a marketplace for Ayurvedic herbs and other products
Learn more about The Natural Law by visiting the Website, or connecting on Instagram via the documentary feed or Amish's personal account
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One of the mantras of this podcast is to "Own Your Health;" while conventional modalities such as surgery are very helpful for addressing trauma, optimizing one's health requires a rigorous exploration of alternative approaches. This week's guest, Kyle Peche, demonstrates the benefits of "ripping up templates" in charting one's health journey, when the tried-and-true comes up short.
After resolving his own 7 year health battle with chronic fatigue, brain fog, panic attacks, and other mysterious symptoms, Kyle developed a passion for healing others and alleviating their suffering as well. A certified Mineral-Nutritional Balancing Practitioner and founder of Jyoti Mineral Balancing, he now uses what he’s learned about detoxification, mineral nutrition, hair analysis, and functional medicine to help others not only recover from mysterious ailments, but also regain an ability to “thrive” in their lives.
We touch on numerous topics in this podcast, including:
- How Kyle’s 7-year journey of disenchantment with traditional allopathic healthcare modalities and frustrating trial and error with holistic / alternative practices led him to find the effective missing link between gut healing, pathogen elimination, psychological healing, and inner work.
- The potential impact of increased levels of glyphosate and mercury on neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism.
- The benefits of living a “detoxification-friendly lifestyle” in a world where the levels of metals and toxins are higher than ever before.
- How meditation and breathwork practices such as kapalbhati (“breath of fire”) and anulom vilom (“alternate nostril breathing”) can help reverse blocking of detoxification caused by increased stress
- How the work of Dr. Paul Eck, James Nestor, Joe Dispenza, Swami Rama and others influenced Kyle’s journey of healing
- An overview of Kyle’s company Jyoti Mineral Balancing (JMB). Jyoti is Sanskrit for essence and light and shining, and symbolizes Kyle's conviction that "when we purify the body and balance it and rejuvenate it, that our essence better shines through."
- How JMB's combination of detoxification, hair analysis, mineral nutrition, and functional medicine might help clients manage brain fog, optimize gut health, and tap into deeper meditation and states of flow.
To connect with Kyle, please visit him on Instagram and TikTok, or check out jyotimineralbalancing.com.
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This week's guest, Chris McDonald, is a breath of fresh air in a world beset by false dichotomies between "traditional" and "holistic" approaches to mental health.
Chris is a holistic therapist, yogi, meditation teacher, author, and host of The Holistic Counseling Podcast. She owns a group online practice called Path to Hope Counseling. Chris is a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, is certified in brainspotting and offers gentle yoga to clients in session, and offers private yoga sessions. She specializes in treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma and grief in young adults.
As the author of Self-Care for the Counselor, she has helped many therapists prioritize their own mental health and wellness. She is a Meditation Teacher on the Aura app and Insight Timer.
On this week's episode, host Nikhil Torsekar and Chris cover myriad areas, including:
- The state of mental health among mental health practitioners, especially after COVID. How self-service mindfulness techniques like three part breathing can help combat burnout and compassion fatigue.
- How holistic modalities like yoga, breathwork, and guided meditation can be beneficial in getting to the root of the issue vs. superficially addressing symptoms
- Brainspotting, a modality developed by Dr. David Grand as an offshoot of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). How therapists can leverage the basic, yet powerful adage that "where you look affects how you feel" to help their clients effectively process trauma - sometimes moreso than with traditional talk therapy
- Subtle yoga, which can help ground us, strengthen our connection with the present, find the "window of tolerance" and strike a balance between our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
- The importance of finding community - whether through Facebook groups, virtual / in person happy hours, hosting a podcast, or yoga circles - in navigating the sometimes overwhelming "rabbit hole" of holistic modalities
- The wisdom of Thich Nhat Hanh (known as the "father of mindfulness"), Kristine Weber (the founder of subtle yoga) and other figures who have influenced Chris in her holistic counseling journey
Interested in learning more about subtle yoga, brainspotting, or the other modalities discussed on this episode? Check out The Holistic Counseling Podcast or join the Facebook group. Additionally, click here to claim your 30 day Aura app guest pass from Chris McDonald; find peace and get restful sleep with Chris today!
Therapists can check out her book entitled Self-Care For the Counselor at Amazon.
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As a podcaster, I love connecting with like-minded hosts such as Benoit Kim, given our shared interests in mental health, mindfulness / mediation, the cultural implications of the Asian-American “model minority” myth, and much more. My wife Shelly Sood and I appeared on his show - Discover More - in early 2023, shortly after the devastating loss of her father / my father-in-law. We found great comfort in this far-ranging discussion, touching on the following topics:
- How Albert Einstein’s perspective that "everything is energy" can used to complement surgery, medication, talk therapy, and other traditional healthcare modalities to ensure optimal patient outcomes
- What we can learn from Alcoholics Anonymous or those trust fall exercises at corporate retreats about the power of surrender and turning over to a higher power
- How breathwork modalities such as SOMA Breath can help quiet the default mode network, maximize our health and productivity in business, and achieve what psychologist Abraham Maslow called self-transcendence
- The correlation (or lack thereof) between the prestige of someone’s alma mater and their contributions to society
- The positive impact of building an impenetrable “bubble” of personal space to tap into one’s intuition and connect with their higher self
- How the collectivist mindset of the South Asian diaspora can contribute to the propagation of unhealthy templates throughout the generations
- The incredible power of affirmations and the spoken word, which has been shown to change the shape of water molecules
- How someone's environment - i.e., their relationships, their surroundings, - can play a pivotal role a patient’s recovery – almost as much as medication and surgery
To learn more about Benoit, please visit discovermorepodcast.com, or search for Discover More on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also connect with him on Instagram or LinkedIn.You can also reach Shelly via her Website, her Instagram, or her healthcare company - GIOSTAR Chicago.Finally, connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
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One of the most rewarding aspects of hosting Untether Your Life is having conversations with folks who have attained great success by overcoming adversity, fighting the status quo / ripping up templates, and staying true to themselves. This week's guest, LeRon Barton, typifies these values.
LeRon L. Barton is a a 3x TEDx speaker, writer, and information technology professional originally from Kansas City, Missouri. LeRon is the author of two books, Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American Drug Culture and All We Really Need Is Love: Stories of Dating, Relationships, Heartbreak, and Marriage.
In addition to his books, LeRon is an essayist whose topics cover racism, mass incarceration, politics, gender, and dating. These works have appeared in Black Enterprise, Salon, Harvard Business Review, Newsweek, and many other outlets.
LeRon is an international speaker who has given three TEDx speeches and has appeared at Oxford University, University of San Francisco, Square, and Defy Ventures.
In this week’s episode, LeRon and host Nikhil touch on many topics, including the following:
- LeRon’s youth in Kansas City, his days in California, and his multi-faceted career as a writer, speaker, information technology professional, and much more
- The silver lining in the storm clouds of COVID, in providing black workers with remote work opportunities that could benefit their mental health
- Code switching, and the compulsion for minorities to surrender parts of their identity in the workforce. How LeRon encourages these employees to stay true to themselves, and still achieve advancement in corporate America.
- The meaning of the Nelson Mandela quote "I never lose. I either win or I learn." How this mindset of perseverance and determination inspire LeRon - someone with a decades-long stutter, anxiety, and fear of public speaking - to become a 3-time TEDx speaker all the while prolifically writing thought-provoking articles in the most influential journals of our time
Want to learn more about LeRon or work with him? Visit him at leronbarton.com, or reach out to him on LinkedIn or Instagram.
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Freeman Fung is an international speaker, best-selling author and certified life coach, who has advocated new global citizenship at TEDx, Mindvalley and world tourism forums.
He left his native Hong Kong at 19 to begin a journey to travel and experience life in over 35 countries.
Freeman's book Travel to Transform teaches readers how to use traveling as a holistic personal growth tool and the fast-track to self-mastery.
In this episode, host Nikhil Torsekar and Freeman explore the following:
- The art and science behind Freeman's book Travel to Transform - which shatters the false dichotomy between travel memoirs and self-help books
- Takeaways from travels to more than 35 countries, including Romania, India, Finland, Singapore, and Australia
- Freeman's success in shedding the "templates" of his native ultra-competitive upbringing in Hong Kong, to find his true, authentic identity
- The cultural significance of the phrase, "have you eaten rice yet?"
- How traveling is the ultimate fast track to personal growth
- Nikhil and Freeman's shared experiences with the personal growth platform Mindvalley
- The true meaning of writer T. Harv Eker's quote that "money will only make you more of what you already are"
- Healing modalities Freeman embraced to manage Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), including the wisdom tradition of Shaolin Kung Fu as taught by TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) practitioner Micke Hoong
- Freeman's experience in India (Nikhil's native country), where - in addition to a rich tapestry of cultures - he witnessed the jarring disparity between the opulence of the business tycoons' skyscrapers and the abject poverty of the slums of Mumbai (where Nikhil's family is from)
- What we as "global citizens" can do to raise our collective consciousness to solve the problems caused by huge disparities in wealth that are pervasive throughout the planet
Looking to learn how you too can Travel to Transform your life? Visit traveltotransform.com or reach out to Freeman on Instagram. You can also pick up a copy of the book on Amazon.
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Laura Carney is the author of My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free. It's the story of how the author found the courage to go after her own dreams after tackling an ambitious 50+ item "bucket list" compiled by her late father Mick Carney, who had been killed by a distracted driver more than a decade prior.
Host Nikhil Torsekar deeply enjoyed speaking with Laura, as he had lost his own father-in-law earlier this year after a grueling decades-long struggle with Parkinson’s disease and many other illnesses. Like this week's guest, he finds comfort in listening to the messages and guidance his father-in-law continues to send messages from beyond.
Nikhil and Laura touch on many topics in this episode, including:
- The origin and contents of the "bucket list" compiled by Mick, which includes skydiving, surfing the Pacific Ocean, and talking with a US President.
- The power of belief and surrender in coping with loss.
- The significance of simple inanimate objects such as the horseshoe, and how can they take on an entirely new meaning when inverted or placed upright. Note: all you Mad Men fans out there, stay tuned for some Easter eggs.
- How we can achieve a richer fuller life through documenting and capturing stories, thereby illustrating Jessamyn West's maxim that "people who keep journals have life twice."
In addition to writing this book, Laura is a New York City-based copy editor who has been published in Washington Post, Associated Press, and many other outlets, and has worked as a copy editor in Vanity Fair, GQ, People, and other journals. To learn more about her journey, visit bylauracarney.com, or connect with her on Instagram. You can also pick up a copy of My Father's List on Amazon.
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South Asians often encounter limitations in corporate America in adhering to the model minority myth, a collectivist mindset and many other "unqiue" nuances of the culture. This week’s guest, Neelu Kaur helps clients tackle these challenges head on.
Neelu is an expert in leadership, wellness, and diversity, who has worked with Google, RBC, and many other top firms over her 15-year career in coaching and leadership development. A certified NLP coach and master practitioner with degrees from NYU and Columbia University, she's also a certified Yoga Instructor, Ayurveda Specialist, and trained Ericksonian Hypnotherapist, focused on bringing mindfulness and stress management practices to individuals, teams, and organizations.
Neelu's program, Be Your Own Cheerleader, teaches mental well-being in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and she is also the author of a self-advocacy guide of the same name for Asian and South Asian women.
In this episode, host Nikhil Torsekar and Neelu cover:
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A deeper dive into Neelu's recently published "Be Your Own Cheerleader" book and innovative platform, which melds Ayurveda, yoga, and neurolinguistic programming
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What South Asians can do to find the sweet spot between their native collectivist mindset and Western rugged individualism - or the "I-we speedometer" - and thrive in corporate America
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How paying heed to concepts like "fit for purpose," "reverse classroom," and "time confetti" can help workers manage burnout in a increasingly virtual world that continually blurs the line between home and office
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Neelu's journey to Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), and how this practice helped her confront toxic, uninspiring internal dialogue
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How comedy and improv can help workers become more agile, take themselves less seriously, and reap the benefits of neuroplasticity
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The principles of leadership embodiment, and how the "cocktail" of oxytocin and testosterone can help achieve an effective reset in stressful conditions
To learn more about how you can "Be Your Own Cheerleader," visit neelukaur.com or connect with Neelu on Instagram or LinkedIn. Her book is also available on Amazon.
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Niraj Naik has a highly effective prescription to optimize the health of your mind, body, and spirit. He is a certified UK pharmacist, turned holistic wellness, brain training and breath work expert who launched SOMA Breath. Through SOMA, Niraj has trained thousands of coaches in the powerful, scientifically-backed benefits of breathwork, music, dance, and community.
Niraj developed a course called Breathwork for Life that is among the most popular on Mindvalley, a personal transformation platform with more than 12 million members. His journey is a fascinating one that demonstrates the power of "owning your health" and "untethering your life" - the key tenets of The Shelly Story podcast.
In this episode, podcast host Nikhil Torsekar and Niraj touch on the following topics:
- Niraj's time as a highly successful DJ, hosting some of the UK's largest raves, followed by returning to a his "fall back career" as a community pharmacist
- How a Tony Robbins event opened his eyes to the power of nutrition, breathing, and other nascent forms of biohacking to optimize health
- Niraj's application of these holistic health management principles as a pharmacist to rave reviews, which then ended and sent him into a deep depression combined with nearly fatal ulcerative colitis
- Niraj's "dark night of the soul," which led to a discovery of Ayurveda, meditation, music, "brain training," colostrum, and other alternatives to invasive surgery and dangerous medication
- Niraj's reinvention as "the renegade pharmacist," creation of content on YouTube, development of a music therapy business, and collaboration with Marisa Peer and Wim Hof
- How SOMA Breath has won over skeptics in the Indian medical community through the stamp of approval from Cambridge University
- The "inner pharmacy" paradigm of SOMA Breath, as a more personalized, fun alternative to the one-size-fits-all "pill for every ill" pharmaceutical model
- How community be beneficial in the healing process, but also lead to rigid, dogmatic indoctrination
- Reflections on Mindvalley, where Niraj and Nikhil had met, and how a trip to the company's "AFest" led to a very fruitful partnership
- Nikhil's reflections on teaching SOMA Breath box breathing to a classroom of 3rd graders, and the myriad benefits of teaching the next generation breathwork and meditation
- The science behind breathwork, leveraging studies by Dr. Prakash Chintamani Malshe, and the benefits on generation of stem cells for healing
To learn more about SOMA Breath, visit the Website, or sign up for a free masterclass.
You can also connect with Niraj on his Instagram channels (@nirajnaikofficial and @somabreath) and his Facebook group.
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Julian Guderley is a legacy coach for founders, with a mission to help clients unlock their full potential to become more effective leaders who create positive impact with heart.
Originally hailing from Germany, Julian "untethered his life" from a successful corporate career at blue chip firms like Nike and BMW. He pursued the road less travelled, launch a studio space in Canada and journey into the startup world in Silicon Valley and Vancouver Island.
He also launched the Green Planet Blue Planet Podcast, a global top 3% podcast, while traveling the world. Since 2017, Julian has consulted and coached dozens of Founders, CEO's & Start-ups to fully pivot toward the legacy projects and lives they'd been dreaming of, but were slightly out of reach.
Join host Nikhil Torsekar as he and Julian discuss:
- Julian's journey as a polyglot (5 languages and counting), and how mastery of several foreign languages can augment one's impact as a leader, entrepreneur, and global citizen
- The Green Planet, Blue Planet podcast - which does a deep dive into the principles of regeneration, to help listeners better appreciate the symbiotic and synergistic relationship we as humans have with animals, plants, and innumerable other members of the global ecosystem
- An overview of breathwork, which encompasses pranayama, holotropic, Kriya Yoga, Wim Hof, SOMA Breath, and QiGong modalities
- Julian's retreats, hosted in exotic locales like Tulum, Mexico, which help C-level execs and founders fully grasp the concepts of synthesis and community ("communication + unity") to refine their compass and home in on their true north
- The "will-being-function" compass framework that Julian developed, and has incorporated into his coaching practice to "navigate the inner world so that our inner work leads to outer world success and effectiveness"
Learn more about Julian's fascinating journey and learn how you can work with him by visiting his LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube profiles. Also check out Green Planet Blue Planet
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Vasavi Kumar is often described as the "Queen of Saying It Out Loud." A first-generation Indian immigrant raised on Long Island, NY, Vasavi has relentlessly searched to find her own voice, access the freedom of her creative spirit, and help others along the way...out loud.
When diagnosed with bipolar disorder at the age of 19, she made it her life’s purpose to understand how her mind works, starting with making room to hear herself think. Her mission is to share everything—the good, bad, and ugly—in order to teach a more mindful, practical, and simple way of running every aspect of your life.
Through her Say It Out Loud platform, Vasavi has taught thousands of entrepreneurs, creatives, and artists from all walks of life how to move through any situation — by saying it out loud.
In this episode, host Nikhil Torsekar speaks with Vasavi on many topics, including:
- The mission of the Say It Out Loud platform, which includes a podcast (now in its 6th year) and a book published earlier this year by New World Library
- Vasavi's journey with bipolar disorder, and recommendations for other South Asians looking for strategies to manage this condition
- The struggle of South Asians and the complex relationship with our culture; long ridiculed and marginalized, it is now being embraced by the mainstream for Ayurveda, yoga, and other practices seen as trendy and worthy of appropriation or co-opting
- The empowering value of self-talk - something that we've long been dissuaded from engaging in
- The concept of "power leakages" - how they prevent us from living our best life, and what we can do to regain control
To work with Vasavi and get a copy of Say It Out Loud, visit vasavikumar.com or connect with her at @mynameisvasavi on Instagram.
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Gratitude is a topic that gets a great deal of attention in the personal growth space. However, an area that is less discussed is compassion - a subject that this week's guest (Dr. Nilesh Satguru) is very knowledgeable and passionate about.
Dr. Nilesh Satguru is a self-mastery coach, compassion expert and medical doctor. After over a decade practicing medicine, Nilesh now coaches entrepreneurs with powerful missions. His client list includes 7 figure serial entrepreneurs, ex-athletes, authors, executive coaches and award-winning charity founders. He was recently named by LA Weekly as one of "10 Leading Coaches to watch in 2023."
This episode explores a wide range of topics including:
- The scientifically proven benefits of compassion, as studied by famed UCLA neuroscientist and researcher Dr. Daniel Siegel: how it can literally bridge connections between different parts of our brain and help maximize performance
- An overview of Altered Traits, The Body Keeps the Score, The Molecule of More, and other literature that demonstrate our power to change the structure and function of our brain
- Limitations of the overly compartmentalized Western healthcare system, which prompted Nilesh to explore functional and integrative medicine, and other holistic modalities.
- What Nilesh learned from the lotus flower - which thrives in mud - in showing resilience and learning through extremely adverse, life-altering circumstances in his career as a general practitioner in the UK.
To work with Nilesh, please visit drsatguru.com, or connect with him at @drsatguru on Instagram.
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Of the many issues impacting the South Asian diaspora, one topic we haven't discussed on this show is relations with other minority groups. So I was very excited to connect on this week's episode with Tanya Mitra, one of the most prominent voices on the topic of Blindian (Black and South Asian) relationships. She is a perfect illustration of a life untethered, as she's broken free of numerous templates in the South Asian diaspora - in her choices of career, romantic partner, and strategies for managing her mental health.
Tanya is an Indian-Canadian-American former luxury fashion executive turned Conscious Change Life Coach who works with Women of Color + Women of Immigrant Descent to break the cycles of limitation by unpacking toxic cultural and societal conditioning.
Tanya is also the creator of The Remixed Relationship (formerly known as Blindian Bliss), a group coaching program and community that supports South Asian women in a relationship with a Black partner who are struggling to navigate familial and cultural disapproval by learning to courageously and confidently live in their truth.
We touched on many topics, including:
- How relations between black and South Asian communities – specifically romantic and marital relationships - have evolved since the 1990's, when Tanya began her first relationship with a black boyfriend in high school.
- Tanya's incredibly challenging journey with mental health, which began at age 16 with several suicide attempts, hospitalization, and multiple rounds of trial and error with medication. By getting curious, reading extensively, and probing beyond the "script" read to her by doctors, she was able to own her health and achieve happiness, balance, and stability in her life.
- The mission of Blindian Bliss, a group coaching program that helps South Asian women in relationships with black men achieve "self-awareness, love, heart-centered guidance, and enjoy the best and most important ride of their lives," along with success stories of women who have gone through the program.
To learn more about Tanya's story or find out how to work with her, please visit tanya-mitra.com, or connect with her at @the.remixed.relationship on Instagram.
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One of the most exciting parts of hosting Untether Your Life is connecting with folks with whom I "vibe" on numerous fronts, such as Neal Bakshi. Like me, Neal's parents came to the US from India, he worked for years in the very stressful financial services industry, and he developed a strong affinity for Eastern wellness modalities of a traditional (i.e., Paramahansa Yogananda’s Self-Realization Fellowship) and modern (i.e., Niraj Naik's SOMA Breath) variety.
We touched on numerous topics on this week's episode, including:
- Neal's move from the cut throat, always-on world of investment banking at Goldman Sachs to that of a spiritual life coach, reiki energy healer, breathwork instructor, and digital nomad
- Neal's recently published book Banking on Angels, and how it can help readers achieve a sustainable meditation practice, attain higher states of consciousness, and appreciate the power of synchronicities in life
- How the devastating and unexpected loss of his mother prompted him to untether his life, and rethink his previous attachment to the never-ending pursuit of material satisfaction
- The legacy of Greek mathematician Pythagoras, beyond the widely-known Pythagorean theorem: the vibrational energy of numbers; the significance of "angel numbers;" and why (how??) Neal gets up at the ungodly hour of 3:33 every morning
- The scientifically proven benefits of breathwork, meditation, and energy healing
- A deeper dive into the Map of Consciousness by David Hawkins, Einstein's maxim that "everything is energy" and the Soul Audit, as developed by Jean-Francois Brau
If any of these concepts resonate with you, please reach out to Neal on Instagram, visit his website at nealbakshi.com, or check out his book Banking on Angels.
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Are you looking to improve your mental health and overall sense of wellbeing? Focusing on deep breathing and gentle poses through the practice of yoga may help!
On this podcast, we love to go beyond medication and cognitive behavioral therapy and other traditional modalities in exploring approaches to managing mental wellness.
In this encore episode of Untether Your Life, we discuss yoga as a mental health management tool. To help educate us and our audience, we have invited one of the practice’s preeminent voices, Dylan Bernstein. Nikhil and Dylan met in middle school at Maumee Valley Country Day School in Toledo, Ohio in 1989. This is where Dylan was introduced to yoga and meditation at age 14, from their favorite teacher Jenny Barthold. Since then, he has called upon these practices to engage the body, still the mind, and seek more subtle expressions of self.
He has gone on to teach classes, workshops, retreats, and teacher training in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Bali, and other locations worldwide.
While all physical exercise plays a role in improving your mental health, yoga is particularly helpful as it incorporates breathwork and meditation to help quiet the mind.
Tuning in today, you’ll learn more about Ashtanga yoga, the self-directed practice of Mysore, and some of the benefits of yoga and meditation for not only your physical health but your mental and emotional wellbeing too!
Ultimately, Dylan believes that yoga is for everyone, not just Instagram models in designer yoga pants or devout yogis who can twist themselves into seemingly impossible poses. It’s all about owning your health and doing what works for you, and we hope that this episode will inspire you to do just that.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The value of having a good teacher
- Insight into Dylan’s yoga journey, which began when he was in high school
- The surprising role Indian comic books played in inspiring his first trip to India
- How Dylan learned to follow his bliss – as per Joseph Campbell
- Why he believes that education is key to your personal foundation
- How the pandemic influenced his practice and brought philosophy to the fore
- Sacrifice, gratitude, practice, and detachment: what yoga means to Dylan
- Breath and pose in the practice of Ashtanga
- Why yoga is often misunderstood as a physical, acquisitive practice
- An understanding of the self-directed approach of Mysore
- Dylan’s thoughts on the commercialization of yoga
- Going beyond the cookie-cutter solutions of medication and cognitive therapy
- Benefits of yoga and meditation for your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing
- How to start your yoga journey, starting with finding a good teacher!
You can stay up to date with Dylan by following him on Instagram and Facebook! You can also check out his website or reach out to him directly at dylanyo@gmail.com
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about his various initiatives:
Instagram
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
This week's episode features my thoughts on The Life Shift Podcast as well as a trailer for the show, which launched a year ago.
One of the things I've loved most about my journey in podcasting is connecting with amazing fellow podcasters such as the show's host, Matt Gilhooly. The Life Shift Podcast features candid conversations with people about the pivotal moments that changed their lives forever.
We all have our stories, but through these conversations, we discover communities. We learn that there are commonalities through the ups and downs that we all face. But most importantly, we learn that we are not alone. The Life Shift podcast highlights life-altering moments and humanizes the struggles and triumphs through them all.
Please follow/subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and listen to new episodes every Tuesday morning.
If you enjoy The Life Shift Podcast, please take a moment to rate the show 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In honor of the one-year anniversary of The Life Shift, here's a quick bit from Matt discussing the show, along with a "highlight reel" featuring some incredible guests.
This trailer features moments from episodes, including:
- Pamela Topjian
- Matt LeBris
- Cristina Marcello
- Matt Drinkhahn
- Wiley Davis
- Rebecca Lerch
- Claudia Noriega-Bernstein
- Brian Acord
Music: Spark of Inspiration by Shane Ivers - https://silvermansound.com
Ad-free episodes released two days early, and bonus episodes with past guests available through Patreon. https://patreon.com/thelifeshiftpodcast
Connect with The Life Shift:
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/thelifeshiftpodcast
- YouTube: https://bit.ly/thelifeshift_youtube
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelifeshiftpod
- Website: http://thelifeshiftpodcast.com
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
- Instagram
- Website
- LinkedIn
- Twitter
- GIOSTAR Chicago
The central theme of Untether Your Life is going beyond traditional modalities for managing your mental and physical wellness. What does that actually mean though? It’s a very broad statement, but intuition, inner child work, and energy healing are some of the essential elements of this holistic approach.
This week’s guest, Natasha Levinger, is well versed in all of this, and then some. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, she is a professional intuitive reader, energy healer and inner child healing expert. Through her practice Highest Light Healing, she teaches classes and workshops, delivers meditations, and much more. Natasha writes a monthly column called The Energy Report, for the leading wellness lifestyle site Mind Body Green, is the co-host of the podcast Getting to Know Woo and her book, Healing Your Inner Child comes out in April 2023.
Host Nikhil Torsekar had a very enlightening discussion with Natasha on numerous topics, including:
- An overview of chakras - "vortexes of energy" - and how can better understanding them can equip us to optimize our physical and emotional well being
- How meditation (including several that Natasha offers through her Website) works to clear chakras, and can assist in managing anxiety, depression, addiction, chronic fatigue syndrome, and many other issues
- A closer look at the concept of the inner child, which is "a part of ourselves that stayed stuck in an event"
- How engaging in a more supportive and nurturing dialogue with our inner can child help us better manage challenges such as addiction to sugar, social media, and other vices
- The mission of Natasha's Getting to Know Woo Podcast; how, despite the comical title and light tone, it can provide serious benefit to those seeking help for their trauma beyond medication and cognitive behavioral therapy
Find out more about Natasha by visiting her Website - highestlighthealing.com, checking out her podcast Getting to Know Woo, or preordering her book on Amazon. You can also connect with her on Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Robert Pardi is the founder of Possibility in Action™, "a powerful personal growth philosophy that can help unlock a world of limitless possibilities and potential."
Robert embodies the tenets of Untether Your Life: after his young wife passed away of metastatic breast cancer, Robert re-imagined his life and left his comfort zone to achieve new dreams. He now shares the many life lessons he’s learned through his work and fashioned his life as an example of Possibility in Action™.
Prior to his dramatic life change, the New York City native had spent several years in the Middle East, as Senior Portfolio Manager in Abu Dhabi, and Co-Founder of the Dubai-based Private Equity firm Evolvence Capital. He now spends the majority of his time in Abruzzo, Italy.
Outside of traditional coaching, Robert hosts personal growth retreats and workshops in Italy, creates micro video mindset modules and hosts the Possibility in Action podcast. In this week's episode host Nikhil Torsekar and Robert touch on many topics, including:
- The origin of Possibility in Action, and how this platform can liberate us from the "land of regret."
- Robert's circuitous journey from an abusive upbringing in The Bronx, to a promising career in private equity and idyllic married life in Abu Dhabi and Dubai (cut far too short when his wife Desiree passed from cancer at 41), to his current vocation in Abruzzo, Italy
- How taking care of Desiree informed his decision to become a life coach and write three best-selling books
- What the imperfections in the pieces of ancient mosaics and Michelangelo's David can teach us about self actualization
- How daydreaming - an activity that we're dissuaded from as children - can serve as a powerful catalyst to help us realize a major life shift.
- Philosophies and authors who have resonated with Robert, including Richard Bach, Rumi, and stoicism - along with the Eastern notion of impermanence
To learn more about Robert and Possibility in Action, please visit his Website - robertpardi.com, or reach out to him on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Facebook.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
The term “polymath” gets thrown around quite a bit these days, with many people positioning themselves as experts in X, Y, or Z. However, a lot of times it's, as they say, "all hat, no cattle." And then there's Erwin B. Valencia who despite wearing many hats - both literally and figuratively, truly embodies the term.
Erwin – (aka “E,” or the “Godfather of Gratitude”) is a professional polymath: Wellness Expert/High-Performance Sports Clinician/ Life Coach / Community Nurturer / Non-Profit Founder / Mentor / Dance Ninja.
He is the Team Physical Therapist & Wellness Lead for the New York Knicks, the first Filipino to be hired on medical staff of any major US sports team (both the NBA and MLB), founder of Grasshopper Project and Gratitude Gang, and has emerged as a Web3 thought leader on a mission to inspire 1 million Filipinos in the next 5 years. He was recently named one of the 75 Most Influential Filipino Americans, alongside celebrities such as comedian Jo Koy and singer Olivia Rodrigo
Join Untether Your Life host Nikhil Torsekar as he sits down with Erwin to discuss numerous topics, including:
- How martial arts can teach us to strike a balance between aggressiveness and stillness and, as Bruce Lee once stated, “flow like water.”
- How Erwin has brought the practice of breathwork and meditation to bring mindfulness to the NBA, which is typically a very adrenaline and fight-or-flight driven environment
- How can starting each day with gratitude, intentionality, and meditation enables Erwin to maximize The 4 P’s – positivity, peace, passion, and purpose – and helped him to manage his mental health even during unforeseen setbacks in initiatives he’d launched
- Erwin's pride in being Filipino, and serving as a mentor, role model, and kuya (Tagalog for "elder brother") to countless future leaders from this region
- The Filipino concept of atat, or extreme urgency, and how it can often lead to the exact opposite outcome of what we’d hoped for
- Erwin’s experience with Mindvalley, the world’s leading personal growth platform, along with The Silva Method, which he’d learned about in the Philippines as a 14-year old
To connect with E and learn more about Grasshopper Project, Gratitude Gang, his work with the Knicks, and his thoughts on gratitude (and much more), follow him on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Lifeand other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Jenny Thrasher is on a mission to "shift the mental health narrative from a fear-based, crisis mentality to one of wellness and empowerment." Through her companies All That We Are and Growing Out of Darkness, as well as her writings, she was able to untether herself from the traditionally dire and hopeless approach to navigating the gut-wrenching journey of loss. This is a topic the tireless mental health advocate is all too familiar with, as her father died by suicide, her own daughter nearly took her life, and she herself struggled with suicidal ideation following pregnancy.
In this episode of Untether Your Life, host Nikhil Torsekar and Jenny touch on many topics, including:
- The vital importance of practicing safe messaging and exercising caution with our choices of words when discussing difficult concepts such as suicide
- How the tragic loss or near loss of a loved one can teach us to shift from simply staying alive to truly living a life we love
- The actual stigma around suicide (most likely different from what you'd think)
- The background and mission of All That We Are and Growing Out of Darkness
- The story behind her published book Growing Through Grief, as well as her upcoming work
- The merits of acupuncture, reiki, reflexology, emotional freedom technique (EFT) and other holistic healing modalities
To learn more about Jenny and request a copy of her book, please visit All That We Are or Growing Out of Darkness, or connect with her on Instagram at jennythrasher.allthatweare.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Untether Your Life has taken a deep dive into mental health in the South Asian diaspora, inspired by the lived experiences of host Nikhil Torsekar and his wife Shelly Sood. One facet of this that merits further exploration is how it impacts South Asian males, a topic near and dear to Ankur Varma’s heart.
Along with serving as Program Director at Northeast Family Services of Illinois, Ankur launched a valuable Instagram-based resource called Brown Man Therapy which is “on a mission to engage more men and normalize conversations about mental health and South Asian cultures outside of work.”
Nikhil touched on many topics with Ankur, including:
- Ankur’s upbringing in the homogenous suburbs of Cincinnati, where he was brought up in the “Indian at home and American at school” ethos
- The transition of psychiatry from a consultative model to a more transactional, efficiency-based one over the years
- The manifestation of concepts in South Asian diaspora mental health, including the model minority myth (where South Asians are encouraged to “stay in their lane”) and patriarchy as reflected by tropes such as comic Russell Peters’ angry Indian father (“Somebody gonna get hurt”)
- The pros (understanding) and cons (the “echo chamber”) of seeking therapists with a similar cultural background
- How the reticence of South Asian males in discussing mental health informed Ankur’s launch of the Brown Man Therapy Instagram feed
- Ankur’s views on breathwork, Ayurveda, meditation, and other South Asian practices discussed frequently on Untether Your Life
- The implication of "untethering your life" for his journey into therapy, social media, as well as for clients seeking help for depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues
You can connect with Ankur through his brownmantherapy page on Instagram, as well as on LinkedIn.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
This podcast is all about breaking free of traditional templates and barriers placed upon us by society. Today’s guest exemplifies this in spades. Shermin Kruse is a first generation immigrant from Iran, Northwestern University law school professor, Global Transactions Expert, former law firm partner, TEDx Producer, author, and mother of 4.
Nikhil Torsekar had a wonderful discussion with Shermin about a broad range of topics, including:
- Shermin’s interest in Star Trek (dating back to college), and how the Vulcan philosophies of Dr. Spock partly informed her love of stoicism
- Tactical empathy - a framework that Shermin has developed, that can help us become more skilled negotiators and leaders
Shermin’s multi-faceted involvement with TEDx:
- Founder, producer, and CEO of TEDx Wrigleyville, home to more than 60 talks on neurodegenerative diseases, gender binary distinction, and other topics that “Rethink the Hypothesis”
- A speaker who has delivered two talks – one on cognitive empathy, and another on “how to change the world”
- The ways in which failure can make us stronger – specifically drawing on Shermin’s unrealized ambition of becoming the first Iranian-American federal judge in the US
- What we can learn from concentration camp survivor and world renowned thought leader Victor Frankl about controlling our lives
- Shermin’s involvement in the arts, including hosting art exhibitions, and her critically acclaimed novel Butterfly Stitching, based on the stories of the women of her family before and after the Iranian revolution
To connect with Shermin, please visit her LinkedIn profile, or Website. To learn more about TEDx Wrigleyville, please visit the Website, or check them out on Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Benoit Kim could be seen as the poster boy for the mission of Untether Your Life, as he has broken free of the traditional templates of success for Asian Americans. Further, he’s gone above and beyond in owning his health, exploring the benefits of psychedelic therapies for managing mental illness both in a personal and professional capacity.
Benoit is a former policymaker turned therapist, US army veteran, and host of the Discover More Podcast - a show for introspective thinkers with growth mindsets seeking authentic life stories.
On this week’s episode of Untether Your Life, Benoit and Nikhil touch on numerous topics, including:
- Benoit’s journey in launching Discover More – a top 2% globally ranked podcast - 3 years ago, and some of the incredible guests he’s spoken with
- How podcasters and content creators can leverage social media for benefit, and overcome its destructive elements, which some scholars have equated to a casino.
- Insights from thought leaders such as Naval Ravikant, James Clear, and Dr. David Rudd
- Benoit and Nikhil’s struggles and successes in navigating the journey of the Asian diaspora, characterized by a sometimes toxic combo of pressures and prosperity
- How schools of meditation like The Silva Method can help to tune down the static in the "radios" of our brains.
- The ramifications of psychedelic therapies such psilocybin, which was shown to eradicate complex PTSD and treatment-resistant depression for more than 80% of participants in a study published in the prestigious research publication Nature
To learn more about Benoit, please visit discovermorepodcast.com, or search for Discover More on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also connect with him on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Today marks the 50th episode of Untether Your Life. We're commemorating this important milestone by rebroadcasting one of our favorite discussions, with Jason Goldberg.Enjoy! And...enjoy some more!
Do personal growth books and podcasts make you roll your eyes? Are you tired of hearing the same story of “infinite inspiration” rehashed again and again? Then the guest on this episode of Untether Your Life may be the perfect alternative solution to the dry and heavy content that you’re used to.
On today’s episode we speak with an award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx Speaker, bacon-atarian (that's a vegetarian who still eats bacon), funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!), and previously a 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon).
The legendary person just described (in his own humble words) is Jason “JG” Goldberg, host of The Jason Goldberg is Ruining Podcasting Podcast, who is also a best-selling author of Prison Break, and celebrity mental performance coach. He is also a content creator and active contributor to MindValley, a transformational personal growth platform that is a personal favorite of our host Nikhil Torsekar, and his wife Shelly Sood.
With a desire to do things his own fun way, Jason has applied his passion for storytelling and witty sense of humor to help others find their happiness. He believes our resistance to experiences is what causes unhappiness or discontent, and he’s talking with host Nikhil today about how he reframes his thoughts on the daily to find joy.
Listen to this episode for lots of laughs, Jason’s thoughts on identity and ego, and to learn more about why Nikhil and Jason both love MindValley!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Jason’s background and career
- The story behind Jason’s book, Prison Break
- How Jason changed his life and mindset
- Jason’s weight loss and the impact on his life
- Resistance and its role in happiness
- The concept of play in your self-improvement
- Jason’s inspiration for his podcast
- Working as a mental performance coach
- Jason’s definition of and thoughts on intuition
- Jason’s current focus on identity
- Using Batman to explain the importance of identity
- Nikhil and Jason’s experience with MindValley
- What’s next for Jason?
Check out JG’s book and listen to his podcast here: http://TheJasonGoldberg.com/
Connect with Jason:
TikTok
YouTube
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Mike and Teresa Florence have been married for 24 years and have 3 sons and 1 daughter. Mike spent over 25 years in the global financial services and management consulting industry. Teresa earned a degree in early childhood development and spent 15 years working with children before leaving the workforce to focus on their family. Mike and Teresa always had a passion for mental health and through their own experiences have begun a journey to create a community focused on providing support to caregivers of individuals struggling with mental health.
Mike and Teresa faced great challenges when their teenage son began struggling with addiction and depression. These were exacerbated by the complex and unwieldy process of navigating addiction treatment centers. They found the power of conversation and connection to be extremely therapeutic in navigating this harrowing journey.
Seeing that there were few resources that catered to this need for community and connection for caregivers, they developed an app called Motth, whose tagline is "Find your Light."
To learn more about Mike and Theresa's journey, and Motth, please visit motth.com, or connect with them on Instagram or Facebook.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Happy New Year! With the start of a new year, kids are likely back to the grind - whether it's at high school, college, or other insitutions of higher learning.
So this week's discussion is timely: host Nikhil Torsekar speaks with Jonaed Iqbal, the Founder of NoDegree.com and host of The NoDegree Podcast where he interviews people without college degrees and has them share their stories so others can follow in their path.
Jonaed is also a YouMap® certified career coach who has helped hundreds of candidates land jobs and promotions at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Spotify, and other top firms.
Nikhil and Jonaed touch on numerous topics in this interview, including:
- The humble origins of NoDegree.com - the Website and podcast - in a response to a Reddit thread in 2014 about career paths for candidates without college degrees
- How Jonaed's perspectives were shaped by his time at Bronx Science, Queens College, and Columbia University
- The incredible value Jonaed has gotten from the podcast, and lessons from noteworthy guests of the NoDegree podcast such as MMA Champion Demetrious Johnson and Scribe Media CEO JT McCormack
- How NoDegree seeks to address deficiencies with Indeed, Monster, and other job posting sites
- The turning tide of the limited traditional "doctor / engineer / failure" menu of career options in the South Asian diaspora, which places undue emphasis on college rankings
To learn more about Jonaed, please visit nodegree.com and nodegree.fm, or connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
JD Murgolo, aka JD the Jedi, is an author, ACE Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer, speaker on anxiety and depression, and founder of the mental health community platform Fragile Moments. Host Nikhil Torsekar connected with him to dicuss several topics, including:
- How JD's background as a middle school Montessori teacher informed his love of helping adults "navigate their emotions"
- The dubious promise of health and wellness coaches "guaranteeing" elimination of anxiety, or loss of specific amounts of weight
- The role of social media in shaping community around mental health, including Fragile Moments
- Distinctions between active and passive meditation
- The origins and meaning of "Dark Days, Bright Nights," a platform that JD launched, which evolved into the Fragile Moments blog, podcast, and community
- How a humble bag of Funyuns can serve as a litmus test for attending to physical and mental health
To learn more about JD, please visit fragilemoments.org or connect with his jd_thejedi handle on Twitter and Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Spirituality is something that seems quite elusive in a hyper-notified, always-on world where we're glued to our screens, engaged in FOMO, doom-scrolling, or curating our Instagram feed to portray a perfect social and professional life. Justin S. Grant, however, has found a way to artfully blend these two worlds in his book Spirituality for Busy People (an abbreviation of his earlier work Business and Spirituality). In this episode, the Los Angeles, California-based author, entrepreneur, singer, and mentor speaks with Untether Your Life host Nikhil Torsekar about many topics, including:
- The distinctions between the views of psychology in eastern and western views, and how some consider Buddha (not Freud) to be the father of modern psychology
- The roots of FOMO, doom scrolling and other modern technology-driven behaviors, in our primal "reptilian brain-based" need for survival
- A deep dive into the concepts of transformational psychology, and Justin's lifelong passion for the wisdom traditions and Eastern and Western spirituality
- The destructive impact of poor diet (i.e., refined sugar) on physical and mental health
- Nikhil and wife Shelly Sood's work on advancing the mantra of "owning your own health" and embracing holistic treatment modalities beyond just surgery, medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy
- The evolution of Spirituality for Busy People into an highly impactful online platform with visualization meditation videos, worksheets, one-on-one Zoom calls and much more
To learn more about Justin, please visit his Website or connect with him on Instagram at @spiritualityforbusypeople or @justinsgrant
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Today's episode features a guest appearance by Nikhil Torsekar on an Instagram Live hosted by Shani, a coach based near Lisbon, Portugal who practices breathwork and cold water exposure therapy. After these tools pulled him out of a major depression, he made it his mission to share them with others and help them discover their own power.
They touch on numerous topics geared to help you untether your life and break free of "templates," including:
- The mechanics of methodologies such as SOMA breathwork, and how they can help manage mental health
- The stigma against mental health in South Asian diaspora, and the irony that many effective stress management tools (i.e., yoga, Ayurveda, breathwork) originated in South Asia
- The concept of addiction as applied to "bad" (drugs, alcohol), and "good" things (productivity, professional success)
- The impact of careers like management consulting on mental health
- Nikhil's long and winding road with bipolar disorder, from denial, to diagnosis, to treatment, and management
- The double-edged sword of technology / social media for community building, but also "FOMO" and the insatiable need for validation
- Shani's initiatives, including a mobile app and community around breathwork, mindfulness and meditation
- The philosophy behind the new name of the podcast (Untether Your Life)
To connect with Shani, please visit him on Instagram or YouTube.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Today marks a new chapter for this podcast: we launched this initiative a year ago alongside our blog, the book we'd co-authored, as well as an upcoming movie. The core themes are owning your own health - i.e., looking beyond surgery, medication, and cognitive therapy to manage your mental and physical wellness.
More broadly, our mission is to help you as the listener "untether your life:" break free of "templates" - professional, cultural, and health-related - that you may have accepted as being written in stone. We do this by speaking with experts in meditation, folks who have struggled with mental illness, clinicians with insights on the South Asian experience and other incredible guests.
To better reflect this motivation, and serve you as the listener and continue attracting high-caliber guests on the show, we will be rebranding the podcast as "Untether Your Life." You can find us online at https://untetheryourlife.co, on Spotify, Apple, and other podcast platforms at Untether Your Life, as well as untetheryourlife on Instagram, and other social media platforms.
Niraj Naik has a highly effective prescription to optimize the health of your mind, body, and soul. He is a certified UK pharmacist, turned holistic wellness, brain training and breath work expert who launched SOMA Breath. Through SOMA, Niraj has trained thousands of coaches in the powerful, scientifically-backed benefits of breathwork, music, dance, and community.
Niraj developed a course called Breathwork for Life that is among the most popular on Mindvalley, a personal transformation platform with more than 12 million members. His journey is a fascinating one that demonstrates the power of "owning your health" and "untethering your life" - the key tenets of The Shelly Story podcast.
In this episode, podcast host Nikhil Torsekar and Niraj touch on the following topics:
- Niraj's time as a highly successful DJ, hosting some of the UK's largest raves, followed by returning to a his "fall back career" as a community pharmacist
- How a Tony Robbins event opened his eyes to the power of nutrition, breathing, and other nascent forms of biohacking to optimize health
- Niraj's application of these holistic health management principles as a pharmacist to rave reviews, which then ended and sent him into a deep depression combined with nearly fatal ulcerative colitis
- Niraj's "dark night of the soul," which led to a discovery of Ayurveda, meditation, music, "brain training," colostrum, and other alternatives to invasive surgery and dangerous medication
- Niraj's reinvention as "the renegade pharmacist," creation of content on YouTube, development of a music therapy business, and collaboration with Marisa Peer and Wim Hof
- How SOMA Breath has won over skeptics in the Indian medical community through the stamp of approval from Cambridge University
- The "inner pharmacy" paradigm of SOMA Breath, as a more personalized, fun alternative to the one-size-fits-all "pill for every ill" pharmaceutical model
- How community be beneficial in the healing process, but also lead to rigid, dogmatic indoctrination
- Reflections on Mindvalley, where Niraj and Nikhil had met, and how a trip to the company's "AFest" led to a very fruitful partnership
- Nikhil's reflections on teaching SOMA Breath box breathing to a classroom of 3rd graders, and the myriad benefits of teaching the next generation breathwork and meditation
- The science behind breathwork, leveraging studies by Dr. Prakash Chintamani Malshe, and the benefits on generation of stem cells for healing
To learn more about SOMA Breath, visit the Website, or sign up for a free masterclass.
You can also connect with Niraj on his Instagram channels (@nirajnaikofficial and @somabreath) and his Facebook group.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Bipolar disorder is at its core a global issue: although the systems for managing the disease vary from country to country, it impacts more than 45 million people worldwide. With this, it is always enlightening to speak with individuals around the globe who have found strategies for effectively managing the disorder.
Oliver Seligman, today's guest, is a prime example: mental wellness coach, advocate, meditation teacher, and author of Befriending Bipolar and The Broker Who Broke Free. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Oliver was diagnosed with bipolar type one at seventeen. Having spent time in mental hospitals in Norway, Australia and the U.K, he finally gave up the fight, learned to accept his illness, and turned his life and his relationship with bipolar around.
Join host Nikhil Torsekar and Oliver Seligman as they explore numerous subjects, including:
- The meaning of the title “Befriending Bipolar:” how Oliver adopted the calm, accepting mindset of the Tai Chi master, versus the bloodied, aggressive professional boxer
- A deeper dive into aspects of bipolar disorder that Oliver experienced, including mania (euphoric and agitated), hypomania, depression
- The key practices that helped Oliver manage his bipolar disorder, including medication, meditation,
- An overview of time inside a mental hospital, how it differs from classic depictions in media (i.e., One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), and the variances in approach to mental health between the United States, Norway, Scotland, and India
- What constitutes a “good,” versus “bad” therapist
- The pivotal importance of relationships in effective management of bipolar disorder
- Oliver’s journey with meditation, including The Bright Path Ishayas’ Ascension
- The benefit of taking a light-hearted (versus excessively serious) approach to discussing mental illness
- Tactics for effectively managing bipolar disorder, including asking for help, finding purpose, and surrounding yourself with the right people
- Authors who have contributed to greater understanding of the disorder, including Kay Redfield Jameson and mutual connection Paris Prynkiewicz
You can connect with Oliver on his YouTube channel, Instagram, LinkedIn, and his Website - befriendingbipolar.co.uk.
Check out his books on Amazon, including Befriending Bipolarand The Broker Who Broke Free.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
One of the most rewarding aspects of The Shelly Story journey has been collaborating with organizations such as the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute (SAAPRI). SAAPRI is a non-profit nonpartisan organization established in 2001 with the mission to serve South Asian Americans in the Chicago area by using research to formulate equitable and socially responsible policy.
Nikhil appeared as a panelist on the SAAPRI Health Equity Project “Movember” panel held on IG Live. The topic of the discussion was men's health (in observance of the famous “Movember” movement), as well as mental health in the South Asian diaspora. We've taken excerpts of this discussion and presented them here for your review. To learn more about SAAPRI, please visit saapri.org.
Some of the topics covered include:
- How gratitude can devolve into gaslighting when South Asian immigrant parents unintentionally invalidate their children’s concerns
- A brief overview of SAAPRI organization, and the panelists Karan Gowda and Emmanuel Ravichandar
- Nikhil background of The Shelly Story, and its mission of helping people own their own health, and untether their lives from “templates” of what success looks like, specifically through the lens of the South Asian diaspora
- Nikhil’s experience with bipolar disorder, and the analogy to the movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper
- How the concept of bipolar disorder has evolved since 20 years ago
- Social media - its benefits (driving community and engagement) and disadvantages (portraying unattainable false images of others) vis-à-vis mental health for South Asians
- The limitations of mental health resources at universities, which was only exacerbated by the pandemic
- Why South Asians are typically unwilling to seek help until mental illness reaches crisis proportions
- One reason bipolar disorder is so difficult to diagnose: people may misinterpret mania as their loved one “coming out of a funk,” and welcome it
- How gender, race, and other demographic factors may impact choice of a therapist
To learn more about SAAPRI, please visit their Website at saapri.org. You can also connect with them on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
The crux of The Shelly Story platform lies in "owning your own health," through healing practices beyond surgery, medication, cognitive therapy, and other traditional modalities. Additionally, it is all about untethering ourselves from conventional career paths and "templates" handed down over generations - especially as South Asian immigrants.
As such, we were very excited to speak with Rahul Kay, Founder and CEO of Sukhi, a company that seeks to reduce corporate burnout and promote wellness through both in-person activities and an innovative digital app. The platform focuses on numerous areas, ranging from meditation and mindfulness to improving performance in the workplace. Sukhi includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Amazon, Microsoft, and numerous other leading organizations in its impressive roster of more than 50 clients.
Join Rahul and host Nikhil Torsekar as they touch on
- The definition of the term Sukhi (Sanskrit for "happiness")
- Rahul's time at a 10-day retreat at Global Vipassana Pagoda in India
- Differences between Sukhi and Calm, Headspace, and other mental health apps on the market
- Concepts that informed the launch of Sukhi, including positive psychology and Vipassana meditation
- How Sukhi is similar to a "Peloton for emotional wellness"
- How the pressures of business school and management consulting informed Sukhi
- The resistance of many South Asians to therapy
- "Model minority" - why it's a true myth
- Rahul and Nikhil's motivation to better leverage meditation - "in their DNA" - to manage mental health
- How Sukhi is being implemented at corporations
- Future plans for Sukhi
To learn more about Rahul and Sukhi, please visit thesukhiproject.com
You can also follow the company on Instagram and Twitter.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
Paris Prynkiewicz was diagnosed with depression at age 16, while her suspicion of having bipolar disorder was ignored by doctors because her productive life didn’t “fit the mold”. A few years later, she was hospitalized and court-ordered into treatment, leading to a life-changing journey of healing.
Podcaster and author of the incredible memoir, Crooked Illness: Lessons From Inside & Outside Hospital Walls, Paris Prynkiewicz is joining host Nikhil to discuss her mental health and how the shame she felt surrounding her bipolar diagnosis affected her road to recovery. You’ll also hear both of their experiences with inpatient psychiatric treatment.
On her podcast Live Well Bipolar, Paris shines light on many issues and possible solutions for those living with bipolar. Today, she’s sharing what has helped her conquer her mental health, including evaluating relationships, finding community, and challenging her inner critic.
Tune in to hear an inspiring story of change and learn how to find gratitude in the little things!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Paris’ background and advocacy
- How she came up with the term “Crooked Illness” for her podcast and memoir
- Paris shares her diagnosis journey
- Nikhil and Paris reflect on their experiences with inpatient treatment
- Changing relationships and finding community
- What has helped Paris manage her mental health?
- Paris' work with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and more mental health organizations
- Starting her podcast (Live Well Bipolar)and its goals
- What’s next in Paris’ personal and professional life
- Advice to anyone struggling with mental health issues
To learn more about Paris Prynkiewicz, listen to her podcast Live Well Bipolar on Apple Podcasts and check out her memoir, Crooked Illness: Lessons From Inside & Outside Hospital Walls.
You can follow Paris on Instagram!
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
GIOSTAR Chicago
With the publication of her book Saaya Unveiled, Mrinal Gokhale is trying to help break the stigma surrounding mental health, especially in her community. She joins host Nikhil on The Shelly Story this week to discuss the harmful model minority myth, and how it can lead to intense pressures and lack of focus on mental health issues.
Host Nikhil of The Shelly Story, and today’s guest, Mrinal Gokhale, reflect on shared similar experiences of being from an immigrant family. Mrinal and Nikhil have dealt with the repercussions of mental illness, which are compounded by shame and stigma in South Asian culture. However, Mrinal and Nikhil both ultimately found redemption through diagnosis, finding the right treatment plan, and sharing their stories through podcasts, books, and other creative outlets.
Mrinal and Nikhil touch on the irony that South Asians often have closed-minded views on mental health, considering that wellness modalities like yoga and mindfulness originated in India. In this episode, you’ll also learn how self-awareness can help you get through life and career challenges.
Tune in for a personal look into mental health from the South Asian perspective, and the importance of sharing your story!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Mrinal shares her mental health background
- Pressures of the model minority myth
- Mrinal’s education and career
- Mental health is taboo in the South Asian culture
- What neurodivergence and neurodiversity taught Mrinal about herself
- How the pandemic affected her life and work
- The positive outcomes of getting a diagnosis
- Do you need a South Asian therapist to feel understood?
- Falsehoods surrounding marriage and divorce in South Asian cultures
- Eastern philosophies and South Asian modalities of wellness
- Finding community through her book, Saaya Unveiled
Learn more about South Asian mental health in Mrinal’s book, Saaya Unveiled!
Connect with Mrinal:
TikTok
Resources mentioned:
Brown Girl Magazine
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”
This quote attributed to Albert Einstein describes our collective misunderstanding of the relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind. For those who have experienced trauma, the learned act to rationalize our experiences can mean missing sometimes life-changing information from our subconscious. By tapping into her own intuition, today’s guest was able to escape an abusive relationship and start to heal.
Joining Shelly on today’s episode is Kiersten Parsons Hathcock, founder of Mod Mom Furniture, TEDx Speaker, and author of the book Little Voices: How Kids in Spirit Helped a Reluctant Medium Escape and Heal From Abuse. Kiersten is also an intuitive medium, and uses her gift at the National Institute for Law & Justice (NILJ), which she helped create with CEO Mark Pucci.
Kiersten is sharing her emotional story of healing her inner child, including repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse and finding—and then learning to listen to—her intuition. She also discusses wounded detachment, trauma bonding, and what she’s learned from children in spirit.
As you’ll hear Kiersten say in this episode, knowledge is power, so tune in to learn about intuition, healing your inner child, and more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Kiersten on her book, Little Voices
- Her cathartic experience writing a letter to her abuser
- Acknowledging and healing her inner child
- Breaking the cycle of generational trauma
- The story behind National Institute for Law & Justice (NILJ)
- What pushed Kiersten to leave her relationship with a narcissistic abuser
- Kiersten explains wounded attachment and trauma bonding
- How to tap into your intuition
- Using binaural beats to get into an alpha state of mind
- Kiersten speaks to future generations
- The creation of Mod Mom Furniture
- Kiersten’s final thoughts and resources for abuse survivors
If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to grab Kiersten Parsons Hathcock’s book Little Voices: How Kids in Spirit Helped a Reluctant Medium Escape and Heal From Abuse!
Connect with Kiersten:
Website
TikTok
Connect with Shelly to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
Resources Mentioned:
Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the Other Side by Tyler Henry
Check out Shahida Arabi’s series of writings on narcissistic abuse, including her article, Your Brain on Love, Sex and the Narcissist: The Addiction to Bonding with Our Abusers.
Do personal growth books and podcasts make you roll your eyes? Are you tired of hearing the same story of “infinite inspiration” rehashed again and again? Then the guest on this episode of The Shelly Story may be the perfect alternative solution to the dry and heavy content that you’re used to.
On today’s episode we speak with an award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx Speaker, bacon-atarian (that's a vegetarian who still eats bacon), funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!), and previously a 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon).
The legendary person just described (in his own humble words) is Jason “JG” Goldberg, host of The Jason Goldberg is Ruining Podcasting Podcast, who is also a best-selling author of Prison Break, and celebrity mental performance coach. He is also a content creator and active contributor to MindValley, a transformational personal growth platform that is a personal favorite of our host Nikhil Torsekar, and his wife Shelly Sood.
With a desire to do things his own fun way, Jason has applied his passion for storytelling and witty sense of humor to help others find their happiness. He believes our resistance to experiences is what causes unhappiness or discontent, and he’s talking with host Nikhil today about how he reframes his thoughts on the daily to find joy.
Listen to this episode for lots of laughs, Jason’s thoughts on identity and ego, and to learn more about why Nikhil and Jason both love MindValley!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Jason’s background and career
- The story behind Jason’s book, Prison Break
- How Jason changed his life and mindset
- Jason’s weight loss and the impact on his life
- Resistance and its role in happiness
- The concept of play in your self-improvement
- Jason’s inspiration for his podcast
- Working as a mental performance coach
- Jason’s definition of and thoughts on intuition
- Jason’s current focus on identity
- Using Batman to explain the importance of identity
- Nikhil and Jason’s experience with MindValley
- What’s next for Jason?
Check out JG’s book and listen to his podcast here: http://TheJasonGoldberg.com/
Connect with Jason:
TikTok
YouTube
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
Being “gifted” doesn’t only refer to intelligence; people can be highly skilled in other areas, such as emotionality, leadership, and interpersonal skills. Neurodiversity captures the broad range of unique strengths of individuals who don’t neatly fit the typical molds that society creates. But who is serving this population of gifted adults?
Dr. Tracy Winter, aka the “Nerd Coach,” is on the show to discuss her experience coaching gifted adults and why their quirky brains are so important. She believes that neurodivergent people can change the world; they just need to live in a world where they’re able to flourish and function at their highest level.
Take a peek at Tracy’s LinkedIn profile or website for Nerd Coach and you’ll see this exemplified in one photo that shows a row of ducks, with one odd duck having a stormtrooper helmet for a head. Not everyone is “normal;” some of us are ducks, some are stormtroopers strong in their armor, and some are something entirely different — like a squirrel.
Tracy has been hired by both businesses and gifted adults in various stages of life, many of them also having ADHD, autism, and other disorders. Just like the unique brains of her clients, Tracy’s coaching process is completely individual to each person.
Whether you need help thriving in your career as an artist, scientist or stay at home parent, this episode can give you some insight and a place to look for help!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The concept of giftedness
- Tracy’s career and educational background
- The philosophy behind Tracy’s coaching business, “Nerd Coach”
- How Tracy’s Stormtrooper photo reflects the philosophy of her business
- What drew Tracy to her profession as a coach for gifted adults
- Discussion on the definition of “gifted”
- Asynchronous Development
- Tracy shares her experiences being a gifted child
- The importance of being around others like you
- Tracy’s typical client profile
- Examples of famous celebrities that fit her client profile
- Myers–Briggs Type Indicator and the gifted population
- Being gifted and finding success in your career
- How the COVID pandemic affected Tracy’s clients
- Tracy’s LinkedIn Series, “If I’m so smart, why can’t I…?”
Be sure to follow Tracy on LinkedIn and check out her website for more information on Nerd Coach: https://www.nerdcoa.ch/
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
YouTube
One of the key themes of The Shelly Story is owning your own health. Although doctors, nurses, and medical professionals play an important role, we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for optimizing the health of our mind, body and soul. Helping to save her husband's life inspired Shelly to launch GIOSTAR Chicago - a leading stem cell therapy provider - which is how we met today's guest, Cain McQuinley.
Cain is a prime example of the benefits of owning your health. He transformed his life by going against the one-size-fits-alfl treatment model prevalent in today's healthcare system.
After suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a teenager, Cain McQuinley pushed through the subsequent struggles to take charge of his own health and decided to experiment with regenerative medicine.
Combined with his time studying sports medicine and regenerative medicine in college, his own injury has helped him gain insight and knowledge to advocate for others in his roles at the nonprofit Veterans In Pain, and Regenerative Ops.
Cain found success with stem cell therapy and ketamine infusion therapy, combined with positivity, perseverance, dogged stubbornness, and refusal to accept the status quo.
Tune in to this episode to get inspired and learn more about cutting edge regenerative medicine!
Topics discussed:
- Cain tells the story of his TBI and recovery time spent in the hospital
- How Cain’s TBI and drug-induced coma inspired him to explore new age therapies
- How Peyton Manning’s stem cell therapy inspired Cain’s interest in cutting edge therapy
- The lack of regenerative therapy options in the healthcare system
- Cain’s TBI symptoms and the effect on his life
- Cain’s successful experience with his own stem cell IV infusion
- Cain venturing into a career to make regenerative medicine available to others in need
- Veterans In Pain supporting those who haven’t had success with traditional therapies
- Veterans In Pain’s goal to share research and processes to adapt change within the VA
- How Cain’s success with ketamine infusion therapy led to Veterans In Pain creating a branch for this treatment within the organization
- The stigma of ketamine and the shifting view on psychedelics in the medical community
- Cain’s inspiration to co-found Regenerative Ops
- What is orthobiologics and what products does Regenerative Ops offer?
- Cain’s advice to anyone who is struggling with an injury or chronic pain
- The importance of advocating for yourself
- How important mindset and gratitude is on a healing journey
Connect with Cain McQuinley on LinkedIn and Instagram.
To learn more about Veterans In Pain, head here: https://veteransinpain.org/
Find out more on Regenerative Ops here: https://www.regenerativeops.com/
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
YouTube
South Asian immigrants face a number of mental health challenges associated with the pressures of straddling two different worlds. The stress that comes with acculturation, trauma, and discrimination has been linked with depression, anxiety, and more, and getting help isn’t always as easy as it seems.
Most traditional psychotherapy has been modeled on Western families, which is why today’s guest takes a more collaborative and multicultural approach. Today, we sit down with Dr. Ammara Khalid, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in individual, couples, and family therapy with children, adolescents, and adults of diverse backgrounds.
In 2012, Dr. Khalid, together with Dr. Amanda Rios, co-founded the Center of Relational Empowerment (CORE), which helps individuals, couples, and families strengthen their core selves and, in doing so, empowers them to strengthen their relationships with others.
Mental health in the South Asian diaspora is a key component of The Shelly Story, so we’re grateful to have the opportunity to speak to a mental health professional like Dr. Khalid, who is deeply knowledgeable and compassionate about this topic.
Ultimately, an understanding of different cultural perspectives and experiences is vital to how we shape mental health services for different populations of people. Tune in today to learn more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
- How Dr. Khalid’s background informed her interest in psychology
- Insight into CORE’s multicultural philosophy
- The collaborative approach of internal family systems (IFS) therapy
- Stress related to acculturation that many South Asians experience
- Why the model minority myth is so harmful
- Overcoming stigma around mental health issues in South Asian communities
- A look at CORE’s community outreach efforts
- Incorporating Eastern elements into Western psychology
- Couples therapy, love, and divorce in South Asian cultures
- Generational differences in perceptions of mental health
- Making mental health more accessible through social media
- Shifting away from strict binaries and toward understanding
Want to connect with Dr. Khalid? You can find her on LinkedIn.
To learn more about CORE, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
YouTube
Are you looking to improve your mental health and overall sense of wellbeing? Focusing on deep breathing and gentle poses through the practice of yoga may help!
On The Shelly Story, we speak to people from a variety of backgrounds about diverse issues, most notably mental health, but we also love to dive into topics that might be considered outside the mainstream when it comes to managing mental wellness.
Today we will be discussing yoga as a mental health management tool. To help educate us and our audience, we have invited one of the practice’s preeminent voices, Dylan Bernstein. Nikhil and Dylan have quite a history, going back to their middle school days at Maumee Valley Country Day School in Toledo, Ohio in 1989. This is where Dylan was introduced to yoga and meditation when he was just 14 years old, from their favorite teacher Jenny Barthold. Since then, he has called upon these practices to engage the body, still the mind, and seek more subtle expressions of self.
He has gone on to teach classes, workshops, retreats, and teacher training in Hong Kong, Istanbul, Bali, and other locations worldwide.
While all physical exercise plays a role in improving your mental health, yoga is particularly helpful as it incorporates breathwork and meditation to help quiet the mind.
Tuning in today, you’ll learn more about Ashtanga yoga, the self-directed practice of Mysore, and some of the benefits of yoga and meditation for not only your physical health but your mental and emotional wellbeing too!
Ultimately, Dylan believes that yoga is for everyone, not just Instagram models in designer yoga pants or devout yogis who can twist themselves into seemingly impossible poses. It’s all about owning your health and doing what works for you, and we hope that this episode will inspire you to do just that.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- The value of having a good teacher
- Insight into Dylan’s yoga journey, which began when he was in high school
- The surprising role Indian comic books played in inspiring his first trip to India
- How Dylan learned to follow his bliss – as per Joseph Campbell
- Why he believes that education is key to your personal foundation
- How the pandemic influenced his practice and brought philosophy to the fore
- Sacrifice, gratitude, practice, and detachment: what yoga means to Dylan
- Breath and pose in the practice of Ashtanga
- Why yoga is often misunderstood as a physical, acquisitive practice
- An understanding of the self-directed approach of Mysore
- Dylan’s thoughts on the commercialization of yoga
- Going beyond the cookie-cutter solutions of medication and cognitive therapy
- Benefits of yoga and meditation for your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing
- How to start your yoga journey, starting with finding a good teacher!
You can stay up to date with Dylan by following him on Instagram and Facebook! You can also check out his website or reach out to him directly at dylanyo@gmail.com
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story:
Website
YouTube
The need for mental health advocacy is at an all time high right now. Having gone through two years of a devastating pandemic, with mental health services unable to keep up with the demand, we need to speak out on behalf of those who are suffering before it is too late.
Our guests on today’s episode are two people that know how precarious mental health can be, as they watched their brother and son fall victim to mental illness, and experienced how help was not so readily available.
Joining us today are Dana Marks and Paulette Mitchell, a mother and daughter who have dedicated their lives to mental health advocacy in light of the passing of their son and brother, Joshua Marks.
Joshua was a second runner up on the popular television show ‘MasterChef’, who suffered from bipolar disorder. Dana and Paulette furiously attempted to seek adequate assistance for Joshua’s mental illness, however were disappointed with the results time and time again.
After Joshua’s passing, Dana and Paulette launched The Larger Than Life Foundation to advocate for change in how people receive mental health help, destigmatize mental illness, and champion initiatives in culinary arts and philanthropy - two causes near and dear to Joshua’s heart.
Tune in to hear a story about two strong and empowered women dedicated to change the way we think about mental health.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Joshua’s philanthropic nature
- Joshua’s experience on ‘MasterChef’
- The aftermath of ‘MasterChef’
- Joshua’s experience with mental illness post show
- The warning signs of Joshua’s diminishing mental health
- Being failed by the crisis intervention team due to geographical location
- Stance on mental health on a cultural level
- Importance of self care as a caregiver
- Memories of Joshua’s last weeks
- What Dana and Paulette are doing to take care of their own mental health
- Information on the ‘Larger Than Life Foundation,’ and collaboration with NAMI Chicago, No Shame on U, and The Jones Foundation
- How Dana and Paulette are leading the way in mental health advocacy
Learn More About Dana, Paulette, and The Larger Than Life Foundation:
Website
Connect with Nikhil Torsekar and Shelly Sood:
The Shelly Story
Website
Instagram (shellyandnik)
Instagram (theshellystory)
LinkedIn (Nikhil)
LinkedIn (Shelly)
GIOSTAR Chicago
Website
YouTube
Some of the most successful people of our age have experienced issues with mental health. From the outside it seems as if things couldn’t be better, but the inner world can be insidious in its ability to show the world one thing but experience the inner turmoil in another way.
This rings true for our guest on today’s episode. Chris Brogan, co-author of Trust Agents, chief of staff at AppFire, executive level strategist, CEO advisor working with companies at the $100 million revenue and up range, sought after keynote speaker, and The New York Times bestselling author of nine books and counting, and, did we miss anything? The point is, this man has accomplished more in this lifetime than most dream to accomplish in 10, and he did it while dealing with depression.
Chris’ grew up in a loving, supportive home - much like The Brady Bunch, as he says. However, he still experienced severe clinical depression. After trying many different treatments, he found what worked for him and was able to manage his depression in unique ways, while still hitting major professional and personal milestones.
Chris has faced demons head on, and has come out on the other side with a ton of wisdom to share with our listeners.
Tune in to hear a story of triumph and perseverance, and someone who did not give up in the face of mental health challenges.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Background of Chris’ story
- What does AppFire do?
- Chris’s experience with social media then and now
- How has social media impacted Chris’ mental health
- Curating social media to impact your life positively
- The idea of collectively pushing social media to a more positive direction
- Chris’ journey with depression and how he manages it
- Advice for those dealing with mental illnesses
- Chris’s experience with ketamine therapy
- Cultivating connections with a good network
- The importance of advocating for your mental health
- What schools of thought has helped Chris manage his mental health
- What it means to heal the inner child
Head to Chris’s website for more information on what he is up to or follow him on Twitter!
Connect with Nikhil to learn more about The Shelly Story
Website
YouTube
Owning your own health is one of the key precepts of The Shelly Story and GIOSTAR Chicago. As our lived experience showed us, it's important to look beyond "tried and true" methods for managing your body, mind and soul health. Eastern medicine offers many insights that may prove elusive with solely relying on surgery or medication.
With this in mind, Nikhil speaks with William J. Kaplanidis, Acupuncturist, Therapist, Teacher, Author and Founder of Acudragon Wellness. For over 30 years, William has helped people find the insight and courage to transform their lives and move towards true freedom and happiness. He developed the Acudragon® Wellness System to provide clients with skills and various modalities to achieve their goals and find their own path in life.
William has helped thousands through his individual treatment sessions as well as through his many classes. Individual sessions combine eastern modalities like acupuncture, acupressure, tui na, herbs, moxibustion, cupping with western mind-body therapies like the Sandlin Technique, hypnotherapy, counseling and aromatherapy. William teaches workshops and lectures on these modalities, as well as T’ai Chi and Qi Gong.
William lives and practices in New York City.
For more information:
- Acudragon Wellness: acudragonnyc.com
- The Shelly Story: shellysood.com
- GIOSTAR Chicago: giostarchicago.com
"ENTJ." "ISFP." You've likely heard these abbreviations, but what do they mean exactly?
These are two of the 16 types in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - a framework for analyzing individuals' personality types, strengths, and preferences based on a self-assessment. Every day the test is used by hundreds of universities, almost 90% of Fortune 500 companies, and more recently even on dating apps such as So Syncd.
A few years ago Joe Arrigo, author of the recently published Marble and Sculptor: A Personality Type Manifesto, became fascinated with the MBTI and its potential application to his job as a corporate recruiter. He took a deep dive into the subject, became an expert on it, and developed a coaching practice around this approach to personality type. With great insight and humor, Joe shares his unique perspectives with Nikhil on MBTI, and how he's helped clients leverage the tool to achieve alignment between job candidates, companies, and employment opportunities.
For more information:
- Joe Arrigo (Web): joe-recruiter.com
- Joe Arrigo (LinkedIn): linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo
- The Shelly Story (Website): shellysood.com
- The Shelly Story (podcast): theshellystory.com
“Trauma” means many things to many people. Mytrae Meliana is innately familiar with its myriad implications, having endured an indescribably abusive marriage, being subject to exile and house arrest in India by her own parents, and fighting against cultural and societal patriarchy to find her own voice. She captured her harrowing, and ultimately redemptive story in a memoir entitled Brown Skin Girl: An Indian American Woman’s Magical Journey from Broken to Beautiful.
Nikhil and Shelly spoke with Mytrae about her incredible story, which provides hope to many South Asian women who feel they are suffering in silence. She exudes light, wisdom, and quiet power in recounting her tale of triumph and healing, which now finds her as a holistic psychotherapist, trauma specialist, women’s empowerment and Divine Feminine teacher, channel, award-winning author, musician, sound healer, and speaker in Portland, Oregon.
For more information:
- Mytrae Meliana: mytraemeliana.com
- The Shelly Story (Website): shellysood.com
- The Shelly Story (Podcast): theshellystory.com
Rick Clemons is a globally recognized professional speaker, a published author (Frankly My Dear I'm Gay - A Late Bloomers Guide To Coming Out), successful podcaster (Life (UN)CLoseted and 40 Plus: Gay Men, Gay Talk), and highly regarded public speaking coach. Like more than 15 million other Americas, he also contends with the challenges of depression on a daily basis.
In this episode, Rick speaks with Nikhil about his struggles with mental health, and what it means to live an unapologetic, uncloseted life on your terms. It was a long journey for him - coming out of the closet at 36, and stepping into entrepreneurship at 43 - but ultimately a very rewarding one.
For more information:
- Rick Clemons - rickclemons.com
- The Shelly Story (podcast) - theshellystory.com
- The Shelly Story (Web) - shellysood.com
Alexa James is the CEO of NAMI Chicago, the Chicagoland chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness - the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Since assuming the role in 2020, she's played an integral role in influencing mental health policies and initiatives in the nation's 3rd largest city.
We were fortunate to speak with Alexa on a broad variety of topics, including:
- What led her on the path to a career in healthcare in NAMI Chicago
- The challenges of combatting mental health in Chicago (i.e., financial, organizational, cultural) versus Los Angeles and other metropolitan areas
- Steps NAMI Chicago is taking to build a culture of wellness
- The double-edged sword of social media in managing mental health
For more information:
- NAMI Chicago: namichicago.org
- Shelly Sood: shellysood.com
- The Shelly Story (podcast): theshellystory.com
Mental health is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It's important to find the a therapist that understands your individual situation, and can help you manage your treatment plan accordingly.
In this episode, Nikhil speaks with Dr. Monica Kathuria, PsyD, CEO and Founder of Encircle Wellness, an established private practice located in Chicago’s West Loop which focuses on mental health and wellbeing. They touch on numerous topics, including the importance of the "five basic food groups" of mental health, the pros and cons of social media, and the importance of gathering input from the patient's family.
Additionally, Nikhil shares what constitutes a "good" vs. "bad" provider, based on his own personal experience with seeking therapy for bipolar disorder.
For more information:
- Website: shellysood.com
- Podcast: theshellystory.com
- Encircle Wellness: encirclew.com
Jeff Brown is an app strategist and patented inventor by trade, and bipolar and neurodiversity activist by passion and lived experience. He has lived with bipolar disorder for nearly two decades and shares his story and discoveries of his neurodivergence online as The Bipolarist.
In this discussion, he speaks with host Nikhil Torsekar about how bipolar disorder impacts his career; offers guidance for folks with the disorder to navigate professional pathways; and his future plans for his Bipolar and Neurodiversity Advocacy work.
Jeff also touches on one of his forthcoming apps, Peercare, which helps friends, family members, and other members of a patient's community provide clinicians with a 360 degree view of their condition and recovery.
For more information:
- Bipolarist - bipolarist.com
- Shelly Sood - shellysood.com
Pinaki Saha is a creative missionary, digital explorer, and CEO / Co-Founder of Anshar Labs, a global engineering powerhouse delivering outstanding user experiences to Fortune 500 firms, mid-level organizations, and fledgling startups. After graduating from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, he moved to the US in 1996 and launched a flourishing information technology career. This culminated in the launch of Anshar Labs.
In this episode, Nikhil speaks with Pinaki about his journey as an entrepreneur, father, and immigrant, navigating the twists and turns of the American Dream. He touches on the challenges of parenthood, encouraging innovation, managing mental health as a South Asian immigrant, and the importance of consistency.
For more information:
- Anshar Labs - ansharlabs.com
- Pinaki Saha - linkedin.com/in/pinakisaha
- The Shelly Story - shellysood.com
The Shelly Story explores various methods for optimizing one's health beyond surgery, medication, and other "tried and true" modalities. One of these is Ayurveda, which originated in India thousands of years ago, and has shown great promise in managing numerous health conditions.
We were fortunate to speak with Neelam Singh, who offered serveral valuable insights on this fascinating, yet sometimes misunderstood approach to health.
Neelam is a certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Expert on Eastern Nutrition, and Breath Work Coach. She was raised in an Indian household that incorporated many aspects of this approach to health. After turning to Ayurveda for healing of her health complications in 2012, Neelam decided to dedicate her life to teaching Ayurveda from a more practical, hands-on approach. She was trained and certified in Ayurveda in both India and the US.
For more information:
➡️Enlight Living: enlightliving.com
➡️The Shelly Story: shellysood.com | theshellystory.com | giostarchicago.com
Saadia Khan is the host of The Immigrantly Podcast, a weekly program that aims to deconstruct stereotypical narratives of immigrants, their second-generation kids, people of color, and change-makers with cross-cultural, nuanced conversations.
Nikhil and Shelly spoke with Saadia on a range of topics, including their journey of healing, the struggles of being a first generation immigrant, how their experience shaped their parenting philosophies, and the priceless gifts of abundance, awareness, and other elements of happiness.
To learn more about Saadia and The Immigrantly Podcast, please visit https://immigrantlypod.com/. You can find out more about Nikhil and Shelly at https://shellysood.com.
The past 2 years have witnessed disruption on an almost unprecedented scale. In this episode, Julie Taparia shares her insights on Vedic Astrology, a school of thought that may provide context to these turbulent times.
Julie has studied Vedic Astrology extensively for over 13 years, and under the guidance of Pt. Sanjay Rath’s, 6-year Parasara Jyotisa Course. Her astrology passion has allowed her to work closely with Anita Dongre, a top fashion house in NYC, the United Nations, and collaborated with Bravo TV personalities on astrology fashion wear and astrology podcasts.
For more information on Julie Taparia, please visit her on Instagram or Facebook page
To learn more about "The Shelly Story," please visit shellysood.com
Vijay Nallawala is an entrepreneur, author, and mental health advocate. In 2013, he launched Bipolar India as an online portal and community to help those suffering from mental illness.
He also authored A Bipolar's Journey: From Torment to Fulfillment, which details his struggles and ultimate triumphs after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2003.
In this episode, Mr. Nallawala speaks with Nikhil about his journey, and the state of mental health in India.
For more information about Vijay, please visit bipolarindia.com. To learn more about Shelly Sood and her book and upcoming movie, please visit shellysood.com.
Keisha Nicole is the host and producer of The Oh Hell No Podcast and the Side Talk Podcast. The podcasts allow her to share stories of passion, purpose and struggle with the hopes of helping people to push past their fears to move into their next stage of life with awareness, passion and intent. Keisha's goal is to empower people to step outside of their comfort zone and try that thing that they have always wanted to try or do.
In this episode, Shelly discusses with Keisha the triumphs and struggles that she faced in her journey as an entrepreneur, author, wife, and mother of 3. Specifically, she speaks about her success in getting her husband to seek treatment for his undiagnosed bipolar disorder, thereby saving his life. This epiphany led her on a journey of introspection and healing, culminating in the launch of stem cell therapy center, a book, and a movie currently underway.
For more information about Keisha Nicole and her podcast, please visit ohhellnopodcast.com. To learn more about Shelly, stop by shellysood.comor giostarchicago.com
Amy B. Scher is the bestselling author of This Is How I Save My Life and three other books. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Good Morning America, CNN, and many more outlets.
As a sought-after editor and marketing strategist, she has helped Harley-Davidson, Thrillist, and others—create "quality content that pops."
After surviving a decade of chronic illness and making a complete recovery, Amy spends her time writing, traveling, and relaxing.
In this episode, Amy speaks with Shelly about her struggles with autoimmune diseases, combatting the physical impact of trauma upon the body, the concepts of emotional freedom technique, tapping, and other innovative healing techniques, and her journey to becoming an author.
For more information, please visit Amy B Scher's Website, or reach out to her on Instagram.
GIOSTAR Chicago – a leader in regenerative technologies – conducted a discussion on holistic healing with Dr. Sheila Patel. The conversation was led by Shelly Sood, GIOSTAR Chicago Founding Partner. Dr. Patel is a board-certified family physician and Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Chopra Global – “a modern healthcare company positioned at the intersection of science and spirituality,” founded by renowned healthcare expert Dr. Deepak Chopra. The full interview is available on the GIOSTAR Chicago Website, with an accompanying transcript.
Jo Bevilacqua is the multi-award-winning founder of Hallmark Carpets and Flooring, Serenity Loves and Jo Bevilacqua Mentoring. She is also a wife and a mother of two beautiful girls.
Jo works with business owners to help them grow profitable and productive businesses. She tries to live and breathe the advice she gives in her best-selling book No Longer Last on the List and encourages you, like the mentor and friend she is, to stop putting your dreams off until tomorrow and start working on them today, because she knows you’re truly worth it.
In this episode, Jo talks to Shelly about what it takes to have a successful life and career, the highs and lows of building 3 businesses, raising a young family, and the triumphs and challenges of being a woman in 2022.
To contact Jo, please visit her Website (jobevilacqua.com), or contact her on Twitter / Instagram.
Sujata Day is a "triple threat:" she wrote, directed, and starred in Definition Please, now available on Netflix. Set in Greensburg, PA, the film takes a uniquely raw, unflinching, and at times comedic look at mental health issues in the South Asian community
In this episode, Shelly and Nikhil speak with Sujata about the motivations behind Definition Please, mental illness in the South Asian community, and what's next for the talented filmmaker and actress.
For more information:
- Sujata Day - sujataday.com
- Shelly Sood - shellysood.com
- The Shelly Story podcast - theshellystory.com
Dr. Jyothsna S. Bhat, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and mental health advocate specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship and family issues, and stress management. She is a featured contributor on Psychology Today, and runs a practice based out of Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Nikhil spoke with Dr. Bhat about the impact of mental health on South Asian communities - both in the United States and abroad. They discuss numerous issues, including the "model minority myth," the role of technology and social media, organizations that are helping address the issues, and ways South Asians can manage stress and anxiety.
For more information about Dr. Bhat, please visit her Website (bhatpsych.com) or check out her column at Psychology Today(psychologytoday.com).
Melissa Bright is the host of The Bright Side Podcast, in which she and her guests "navigate and discuss people's successful journeys to happiness." She spoke with Shelly and Nikhil about their journey in getting to the root of Nikhil's mental illness five years ago.
After a harrowing journey, involving near dissolution of her marriage of 15 years, Shelly discovered the unparallaled joy of helping to saving a life. This informed her decision to launch GIOSTAR Chicago - a stem cell therapy center specializing in regenerative therapies for degenerative conditions. Melissa concludes by speaking with them about what "The Bright Side of Life" really means to each of them.
Ben Fuchs is the host of The Bright Side syndicated radio program. He is a pharmacist, nutritionist and skin care chemist with more than 30 years of experience, most notably his launch of the Truth Treatment Systems™ line of skin care products.
In this episode, Shelly's husband Nikhil speaks with Ben about techniques that have been effective in managing bipolar disorder. These include meditation, mindfulness, metacognition, and regular exercise. Ben and Nikhil speak about the importance of the breath in regulating emotions, and the teachings of Deepak Chopra.
Frankie Boyer is the host of The Frankie Boyer Radio Show, carried on BizTalkRadio. She is an impassioned voice for folks seeking information on traditional and alternative approaches to lifestyle, healthcare and wellbeing. Five days a week, Frankie speaks to experts to educate listeners on taking personal responsibility for their own health and graceful aging. Through engaging dialogue with Dr. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and thousands of other gurus Frankie seeks to explore effective solutions to diseases beyond superficial band-aids.
Shelly Sood appeared on Frankie’s show as a follow up to her earlier appearance. For more information about Shelly, please visit shellysood.com or giostarchicago.com. Frankie’s story and show can be found on her Website, frankieboyer.com
This interview is a follow up to Shelly's discussion with Shep Cohen (host of WDVR's The World of Work radio program). In this episode, Shelly's husband Nikhil talks about his experience with bipolar disorder, his family relationships, and what has helped him to better manage this illness.
To learn more about Untethered, the book about Shelly and Nikhil's story, please visit shellysood.com. You can find more information about GIOSTAR Chicago at giostarchicago.com.
Quantum healing is a holistic approach to health that appeals to folks looking for alternative approaches to mind, body, and soul care. In this episode, Shelly Sood speaks with Dr. Motherella and Walker, experts in this discipline. They touch on neuroplasticity, cellular vitality, and the role of authenticity in healing.
To learn more about Motherella and Walker, please visit drmotherella.com or avatararmory.com. Learn more about Shelly Sood at shellysood.com, or giostarchicago.com.
Mary Jane Popp is the host of Poppoff, a fast-paced magazine radio show hosted on the KAHI radio network in Sacramento, California. The energetic and upbeat host is dedicated to keeping her listeners on the cutting edge of today’s hot button issues.
In this episode, Shelly speaks with Mary Jane about what it means—as a mother of three, a wife, an entrepreneur, and author—to “have it all.” They discuss her four tips in achieving this elusive goal, as well as the past, present, and future for GIOSTAR Chicago—Shelly’s regenerative medicine practice.
Frankie Boyer is the host of The Frankie Boyer Radio Show, carried on WADK Newport, WCRN 830 Worcester, and other stations. She is an impassioned voice for folks seeking information on traditional and alternative approaches to lifestyle, healthcare and wellbeing. Five days a week, Frankie speaks to experts to educate listeners on taking personal responsibility for their own health and graceful aging. Through engaging dialogue with Dr. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, and thousands of other gurus Frankie seeks to explore effective solutions to diseases beyond superficial band-aids.
Shelly Sood appeared on Frankie’s show to discuss her success in helping her husband seek treatment for bipolar disorder – even after going through extremely acrimonious divorce proceedings. This experience, in turn, revealed to her the immense fulfillment in helping save another life, and spurred the launch of GIOSTAR Chicago, a leading stem cell therapy service provider. Further, she speaks about how meditation, mindfulness, and spiritual healing helped her find inner peace and greater mind-body health and happiness.
Rob Nobrega is host of the Conversations with Rob podcast, carried on 20 radio stations throughout the country. He interviews guests from all walks of life, with amazing stories to tell about climate change, mental health, politics, and myriad other issues. Previous guests include hedge fund manager and 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer. In this episode, Shelly speaks with Rob about what shaped her journey in launching GIOSTAR Chicago, and her upcoming book and movie Untethered.
Divya Parekh is an internationally-known business coach and speaker, best-selling author, and head of The DP Coaching Group. She speaks with entrepreneurs and corporate leaders on her radio show Beyond Confidence, carried on W4WN radio. In this episode, Shelly speaks with Divya about how she essentially saved her husband’s life by helping him tackle his mental health issues. This transformative experience informed the launch of GIOSTAR Chicago– an innovative provider of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine services – and her upcoming book Untethered.
Shep Cohen is the host of The World of Work, on New Jersey radio station WDVR. For more than 20 years, he's interviewed entrepreneurs, authors, celebrities, and other noteworthy figures about their unique journeys. Previous guests include presidential candidate / entrepreneur Andrew Yang, and the late legendary comedian Carl Reiner.
In this episode of The World of Work, Shep interviews Shelly about her mission to get her husband help for bipolar disorder. This experience led her to team up with leaders in regenerative medicine to launch GIOSTAR Chicago.
Ben Fuchs is the host of The Bright Side syndicated radio program. He is a pharmacist, nutritionist and skin care chemist with more than 30 years of experience, most notably his launch of the Truth Treatment Systems™ line of skin care products.
Shelly speaks with Ben about her experience as an entrepreneur, wife, and mother of 3. Her husband of 15 years struggled with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, which wreaked havoc on her family. In this talk, she shares lessons learned, and how they informed her path to launching GIOSTAR Chicago.