The Mindful Initiative: Recent Episodes
The Mindful Initiative
The purpose of The Mindful Initiative podcast is to bring together people from all over the world to speak about overall well being of the body and mind.
✨ We’re excited to release the latest episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast, featuring a profound conversation with the revered Swami Premanand Ji.
Swami Ji’s connection with nature and spirituality is something that resonates deeply with me. His life in Ganeshpur and Uttarkashi, surrounded by the wilderness, is more than just an existence—it’s a journey filled with profound spiritual insights. Listening to him talk about his solitary time in the jungles and mountains, I felt a deep sense of awe and inspiration. His stories aren’t just tales; they’re windows into a life lived with purpose and deep spiritual connection.
Some of the key takeaways from this episode include:
• The essence of Tapasya and the lasting impacts it has on one’s being.
• The importance of controlling the five senses as a foundation for spiritual growth.
• A deep dive into the concept of Karma—how every action we take sets off a ripple effect.
• The difference between divine happiness and fleeting joys, and what truly nourishes the soul.
• The exalted state of ‘Brahmanand’—a state beyond meditation and samadhi, marked by profound inner peace.
This episode is more than just a conversation—it’s an invitation to reflect deeply on the spiritual path. Swami Ji’s teachings have a way of piercing through the noise and reaching the heart of what truly matters. I encourage you to listen, reflect, and let his words inspire your own journey.
There is a need to understand overall well being in a much holistic way specifically by unraveling knowledge passed on to us through Indian scriptures and people. With this podcast series, I will try and bridge the gap of India’s past and its present. Hoping that we can move to being happier and healthier by focusing on overall wellness.
We are very happy to announce the launch of our podcast titled – The Mindful Initiative Podcast. Our first guest is Dr. Shubha Chetan, who is an Ayurveda Doctor based out of Bangalore. Ayurveda is the sister science of Yoga. It has been part of the Indian culture for centuries and helps people live a happier and healthier life. With changing seasons we need to adjust our lifestyle accordingly. Through the perspective of Ayurveda we understand some changes we can bring in our life. What are some recommendations regarding our diet, regarding necessary detoxes or cleanses that will help us lead a better life. Please remember share the episode, if you like it.
Ron LumsdenAbout Ron Lumsden:
I spoke to Ron for the 24th Episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. Ron is from the Moray Firth in the North of Scotland and currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He is an author, an artist, a Buddhist practitioner, Ron’s story is simple yet extraordinary. From teaching a group of Hearing Impaired Students in London, he went on to work in many countries across the globe. His story is our story. A cancer survivor – who managed his pain by facing it head-on – is something that we can all learn from. He is the author of the popular blog, Dhamma Footsteps, where he shares his writings and thoughts.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
Please click the Transcript tab for a transcript of the podcast.
Ron studied Art for four years In the Glasgow School of Art, (Diploma in Art) then one year in Jordanhill College of Education, Glasgow (Post Grad Cert in Education). I went to East London and taught Art in Secondary schools in the Inner London Education Authority for two years. After that, one year in Lady Spencer College, Oxford (CTD) – Cert. in the Education of Deaf and Partially Hearing Children). He went back to the Inner London Education Authority and taught for eight years in schools for the deaf and partially-hearing units attached to secondary schools.
In 1982, he traveled to India and started doing publications and artwork for Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in Madras and Pondicherry, South India working with children’s health. After that, he was with an NGO in Bangkok Thailand, and support organizations working on the issue of child labor and children in hazardous situations. Around that time he met the Buddhist monks in Wat Pah Nanachat in Thailand who showed me the Theravadin Buddhist Path.
The work in Thailand continued for 10 years, he was teaching English in Japan for 3 years and continuing with publications for the NGOs. Meanwhile, the group he’d been working with in Bangkok was now supported by a UN network and I’d gotten married to a Thai along the way who became part of that network.
Since then my wife and I worked in Geneva, Switzerland for 9 years, Dhaka, Bangladesh for two years and Delhi, India for seven years. We are currently in Bangkok, Thailand. I am retired and spend my time in the study of Buddhism, a little writing and my blog https://dhammafootsteps.com/
Shantala SriramaiahIn the 25th Episode of The Mindful Initiative, we speak to my Veda Chanting Teacher, Shantala Sriramaiah. Shantala teaches Vedic Chanting to people worldwide through her online portal Veda Studies. According to Shantala, Vedic Chants create positive vibrations, and these vibrations can uplift us, especially during challenging times. These vibrations originate in our abdomen and travel through our lungs. In the current times, we can use some of the vibrations for uplifting our spirit, create an anchor that can hold us through these extremely trying times. This episode may introduce Vedic Chanting to you and for others, it may serve as a reminder for you to get back to your chanting or keep chanting.
Our 25th Episode marks the 3 year anniversary of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. With so many of our friends, family, children, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts suffering, it is difficult to even use the word celebrate. However, I would like to take this moment to acknowledge and Thank all our listeners, who have been listening to us, providing constant feedback so we can keep delivering top-quality content. Thank you to all our previous guests for sharing your lives with us, our advisors, our most ardent volunteer Gita Venkataramaiah, Pranjali, Naureen and our Editor Juan Pablo Velasquez Luna.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
About Shantala Sriramaiah
Shantala has been inspired by her mother Saroja, who taught chanting classes in their home for over 30 years, she is very grateful to the early exposure to Sanskrit chanting and Indian scriptures through her family tradition and school education. Born and raised in Bangalore, India, Shantala is an Engineer by qualification and enjoyed a 20-year career specializing in Learning & Development before making the change to Veda chanting classes to continue her family tradition. Her teaching draws from her previous experience, bringing structure, detail, and clear objectives and methodology to all the classes & courses. She has developed a unique system to accurately and completely transmit all the nuances of Vedic phonetics to help support students learn without error. She is a student of Sri M. S. Sreenivasan of The Challakere Brothers who has been guiding her Veda recitation practice and mentoring her teaching.
She lives in Brussels, Belgium with her husband and two small children.
We now have a social media presence. If you like our work, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter for updates.
Dr. R Balasubramaniam (Dr. Balu)In Episode 26, I speak to Dr. R Balasubramaniam (Dr. Balu). Dr. Balu is a Grassroots Physician. His life has been inspired by the work and life of Swami Vivekananda. Like Swami Vivekananda, Dr. Balu has dedicated his life to upliftment and to the betterment of the underserved. His kindness, wisdom, and clarity of thought stand out for anyone who speaks to him but his sheer dedication and willingness to end human suffering is what separates him from his peers.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
Dr. Ramaswami Balasubramaniam (Balu) is a development scholar, author, public policy advocate, leadership trainer known for his pioneering development work with rural and tribal people in Saragur and Heggadadevana Kote Taluks of Mysuru in Karnataka, India. He founded the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), a development organization based in Saragur when he was 19. After spending 26 years in development work among rural and tribal people, he pursued academic degrees in leadership, organisational development and public policy. He was the Frank H T Rhodes Professor at Cornell University between 2012 to 2014, and continues to hold academic positions in Cornell and other universities
His books ‘Voices from the Grassroots’ and ‘i, the citizen’ are a compilation of narratives and reflections of a development expert and are now globally acclaimed. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement (GRAAM) A public policy think tank based out of Mysuru. Inspired by the message of Swami Vivekananda, he sees his life’s mission as building a resurgent India by inspiring leadership in the youth of the country.
If you enjoy listening to our podcast, please share it with your friends and family.
Please click the Show Transcripts tab below on this page to read the transcript of this conversation.
We now have a social media presence. If you like our work, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter for updates.
James WoodThank You so much for being a dedicated listener of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. Before you read about the podcast, I would like to let you know that I will be offering Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT), an 8-week course developed at Stanford University from July 10th to Aug 28th. This course helps manage emotions, stress, and challenges in your life. If you are interested in knowing more about the course, please visit https://compassioncultivation.in.
In Episode 27 of The Mindful Initiative Podcast, I speak to James Wood, who is an author, and also a spiritual teacher. At the age of 33, after many years of study, James woke up to reality and has dedicated his life to the awakening of beings everywhere. James studied philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin, and then transformational studies with Richard Moss. He has combined his education experience and awakening experience to express a modern integrated vehicle for others to use as a means of growth in consciousness. He is the author of Ten Paths of Freedom, Awakening Made Simple.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
Swami Sarvapriyananda JiWelcome to Episode 28 of The Mindful Initiative Podcast with Swami Sarvapriyananda ji, the current resident Swami and head of Vedanta Society of New York (VSNY). He is a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. I have been extremely blessed to meet many spiritual teachers on my life journey. Each person has helped me move along on my path forward – however, there are times when you meet someone who becomes a guiding force in your life – and Swami Sarvapriyananda ji is one of those teachers in my life. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels that way about Swami ji.
Fortune India mentions Sarvapriyananda as “one of the best-known lecturers of the Vedanta in the world today”. In this episode, I speak to Swami ji’s about the highest goal of life and the challenges one may face on the spiritual path. Swami ji’s profound wisdom is nourishment for any soul who is looking to overcome challenges in life. (For the transcription of the podcast, please click the link below).
Here is the link to the research paper titled, Why Pray to God who can Hear the Ant’s Anklets? Prayer, Freedom and Karma by Dr. Arindam Chakrabarti on Freewill mentioned by Swami ji in the podcast.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
About Swami Sarvapriyanada ji
Swami ji joined the Ramakrishna Order of monks as a novice brahmachari in 1994 and received sannyasa (monastic ordination) from Swami Ranganathananda in 2004. Swami ji is known for his lectures on the various texts of Advaita Vedanta. His speaking engagements have included discourses at the Rubin Museum in New York City, the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur, and the Parliament of World’s Religions as one of the keynote speakers. He has been a Nagral Fellow for the year 2019-20 at Harvard Divinity School.
Swami Sarvapriyananda ji received his Masters in Business Administration from Xavier Institute of Management in Bhubaneswar. After joining the Ramakrishna Mission as a brahmachari, he served as the principal of the Shikshana Mandira Teacher’s Training College in Belur Math. He was also the first registrar of the Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University. Prior to joining the Vedanta Society of New York, Swami was the assistant minister of the Vedanta Society of Southern California for a year.
Welcome to Episode 29 of The Mindful Initiative. This episode was recorded during the pandemic. Our guest for the podcast is Krishna Das – a Grammy Award Nominee – Kirtan Singer. We are grateful that we could have him as our first guest for the video series. Since this is our first video podcast – so you can listen to it on YouTube.
I first heard Krishna Das live in 2015 during his annual Kirtan event in New York in a church on Thanksgiving night with Manaswini Bhalla.
There were people possibly from all faiths. The gathering had new mothers with very young babies, to people in wheelchairs. We both got a spot on the floor right in front of him.
It was mesmerizing to hear him live and see so many sing along, dance, and meditate, all at the same time.
So many of my friends and acquaintances listen to him – I feel because there is no one else like him – there is no one else who sings like him – there is no one whose music touches you like his.
During our conversation, we talked about what it means to practice, how to deal with death, his inspiration, teacher, and Guru Neem Karoli Baba, and above all, Grace. I hope you enjoy listening to him.
About Krishna Das:
Krishna Das began leading chanting in 1994 in NYC, and has been traveling all around the world ever since, developing his signature style, fusing traditional kirtan of the East with western harmonic and rhythmic sensibilities. The audiences have been ever growing, responding to his remarkably soulful voice, which touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener. He’s taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, is a Grammy-nominee and has become a worldwide icon. He continues to travel and to share online his chanting and stories of his guru Neem Karoli Baba. and the best- selling western chant artist of all time. Krishna Das has released over 15 albums, authored 2 books, has his own podcast and is the subject of the documentary – One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das. More information on https://www.KrishnaDas.com
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
We are very pleased to announce that Swami Sarvapriyananda ji is visiting Bengaluru from Thursday, Nov 17th to Monday, Nov 21st. We are helping to host his talk at IIM Bangalore on Friday, Nov 18th from 6PM to 8PM. If you are intersted in attending his talk, please register by clicking here. Welcome to […]
Welcome to Episode 28 of The Mindful Initiative Podcast with Swami Sarvapriyananda ji, the current resident Swami and head of Vedanta Society of New York (VSNY). He is a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. I have been extremely blessed to meet many spiritual teachers on my life journey. Each person has helped me move […]
Welcome to Episode 28 of The Mindful Initiative Podcast with Swami Sarvapriyananda ji, the current resident Swami and head of Vedanta Society of New York (VSNY). He is a monk of the Ramakrishna Mission. I have been extremely blessed to meet many spiritual teachers on my life journey. Each person has helped me move along on my path forward - however, there are times when you meet someone who becomes a guiding force in your life - and Swami Sarvapriyananda ji is one of those teachers in my life. I am sure that I am not the only one who feels that way about Swami ji.
Fortune India mentions Sarvapriyananda as "one of the best-known lecturers of the Vedanta in the world today". In this episode, I speak to Swami ji's about the highest goal of life and the challenges one may face on the spiritual path. Swami ji's profound wisdom is nourishment for any soul who is looking to overcome challenges in life. (For the transcription of the podcast, please click the link below).
Thank You so much for being a dedicated listener of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. Before you read about the podcast, I would like to let you know that I will be offering Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT), an 8-week course developed at Stanford University from July 10th, to Aug 28th. This course helps manage stress, […]
In Episode 26, I speak to Dr. R Balasubramaniam (Dr. Balu). Dr. Balu is a Grassroots Physician. His life has been inspired by the work and life of Swami Vivekananda. Like Swami Vivekananda, Dr. Balu has dedicated his life to upliftment and to the betterment of the underserved. His kindness, wisdom, and clarity of […]
Shantala Sriramaiah
In the 25th Episode of The Mindful Initiative, we speak to my Veda Chanting Teacher, Shantala Sriramaiah. Shantala teaches Vedic Chanting to people worldwide through her online portal Veda Studies. According to Shantala, Vedic Chants create positive vibrations, and these vibrations can uplift us, especially during challenging times. These vibrations originate in our abdomen and travel through our lungs. In the current times, we can use some of the vibrations for uplifting our spirit, create an anchor that can hold us through these extremely trying times. This episode may introduce Vedic Chanting to you and for others, it may serve as a reminder for you to get back to your chanting or keep chanting.
Our 25th Episode marks the 3 year anniversary of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. With so many of our friends, family, children, brothers, sisters, uncles, and aunts suffering, it is difficult to even use the word celebrate. However, I would like to take this moment to acknowledge and Thank all our listeners, who have been listening to us, providing constant feedback so we can keep delivering top-quality content. Thank you to all our previous guests for sharing your lives with us, our advisors, our most ardent volunteer Gita Venkataramaiah, Pranjali, Naureen and our Editor Juan Pablo Velasquez Luna.
Listen to us on: Apple Podcasts | Android | Google Podcasts | RSS
About Shantala Sriramaiah
Shantala has been inspired by her mother Saroja, who taught chanting classes in their home for over 30 years, she is very grateful to the early exposure to Sanskrit chanting and Indian scriptures through her family tradition and school education. Born and raised in Bangalore, India, Shantala is an Engineer by qualification and enjoyed a 20-year career specializing in Learning & Development before making the change to Veda chanting classes to continue her family tradition. Her teaching draws from her previous experience, bringing structure, detail, and clear objectives and methodology to all the classes & courses. She has developed a unique system to accurately and completely transmit all the nuances of Vedic phonetics to help support students learn without error. She is a student of Sri M. S. Sreenivasan of The Challakere Brothers who has been guiding her Veda recitation practice and mentoring her teaching.
She lives in Brussels, Belgium with her husband and two small children.
We now have a social media presence. If you like our work, please follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter for updates.
About Ron Lumsden: I spoke to Ron for the 24th Episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. Ron is from the Moray Firth in the North of Scotland and currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He is an author, an artist, a Buddhist practitioner, Ron’s story is simple yet extraordinary. From teaching a group of Hearing […]
We interviewed Dr. Anuradha Choudhry for the 23rd Episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast. A Vedantic Scholar – Dr. Choudry is an Assistant Professor of Humanities and Social Science Department at IIT Kharagpur for Sanskrit, Indian Psychology, French and History of Science and Technology in Ancient India, where she explores the contributions of Indian […]
Happy New Year! The Mindful Initiative is pleased to bring to its listeners this new episode as we begin new journeys in 2021! Our guest for Episode 22 is Eddie Stern, who is a Yoga teacher, author, and lecturer from New York City. We interviewed Eddie online. This interview is very personal to me […]
About David Ingalls: David Ingalls was my first Ashtanga Teacher. I am eternally grateful to him for his teachings and wisdom. He has been teaching Meditation, Yoga for more than 45 years. David became certified to teach Transcendental Meditation in 1972 and has been teaching ever since! He first began the practice […]
Shabnam Virmani is a National Award winning documentary filmmaker, a soulful singer, an enigmatic storyteller and an inspirational writer. Shabnam has been exploring the myriad possibilities and power of mystic poetry and its oral traditions. It was during the Gujarat riots of 2002 that she started to explore deeper questions of […]
In our 19th Episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast, I speak with Uvinie Lubecki, who is probably the youngest person, I have interviewed for the Podcast. About Uvinie Uvinie Lubecki is a leadership development trainer, consultant, and author. She has worked with executives and teams at leading corporations and nonprofits including Macy’s, Johnson & […]
In Episode 18, I speak with Dr. Chris Germer, who is a Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer on Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, co-founder of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) and author of several books on the subject. Dr. Germer unravels intriguing aspects of human behavior, his connection with India, the inspirations he derives from Indian contemplative wisdom, […]
Dr. Thimappa Hegde In Episode 17 Nitesh Batra speaks to Dr. Thimappa Hegde. Dr. Thimappa Hegde is a distinguished neurosurgeon, and is presently working as the Director of Narayana Institute of Neurosciences, Bangalore. A Vedantic Scholar, Dr. Hedge speaks about wide variety of topics including connection between science and spirituality, communication and parenting to his […]
Sri M In Episode 16 of The Mindful Initiative podcast, we travel to Madapalle in Andhra Pradesh to speak to Sri M: a spiritual guide, an educationist and a social reformer. In this episode, host Nitesh Batra and Sri M engage in a conversation that covers a wide array of topics from different phases and […]
In the 15th episode of The Mindful Initiative podcast, host Nitesh Batra talks to Professor Mahadevan. He is a currently a Professor in Production and Operations Management at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore. Professor Mahadevan’s research interests include researching the possibility of using ancient Indian wisdom to address contemporary concerns, spirituality in the work place, […]
In this 14th episode of The Mindful Initiative podcast, host Nitesh Batra talks to Gopi Krishnaswamy, a Mindfulness coach and a Zen practitioner, who walked away from a corporate life that was a diverse tapestry of experiences,
This episode of The Mindful Initiative podcast unravels the fascinating and inspiring story of Dr. Saamdu Chetri’s life. As the Executive Director and one of the principal architects of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Center appointed by King Jigme...
From arriving as a Tibetan child refugee in India at a tender age of 1, to relocating to a children’s home in Shimla, to quitting formal school at 10 to adopt monkhood, to being called upon by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be His interpreter,
Host Nitesh Batra, in an engaging conversation with Prof. Ellen Langer, known as the “Mother of Mindfulness”. As the first female professor to gain tenure in the Psychology Department at Harvard University, Dr.
This week our guest is Latha D., who is the Principal of Parikrma School, which is part of the Parikrma foundation. A teacher, a daughter, a mother, a wife, a Principal and above all a great human being, Latha has overcome many barriers in life to be w...
This week our guest is Dorcas Quynn Mcwilliams, who was my first Yoga teacher. She is the founder of Sol Yoga in Frederick, Maryland, US. Dorcas has had a profound impact on my life not just by being my teacher in the first few years of my Yoga life but as a role model, as a parent, as a mentor and as a friend.
Our guest today is Suman Ghose, who has co-authored the book From Command to Empathy along with Avik Chand. In this podcast, he talks about what led them to writing the book, his journey along the way that uncovered aspects of empathy and emotional intelligence – terms that are often considered abstract and understood by a few.
Our guest today is Renuka Taneja, founder of Windows: The Art and Craft Corner. Windows is a unique Art school based in New Delhi, that nurtures creativity in children. Renuka has also been able to extend the concept of using art as a medium of creative expression to school teachers and administrators, NGOs and corporates, besides school children.
About Guru Our guest today is Guru Prasad, a Chartered Accountant by profession. Guru is the founder of Guru & Jana, a CA Firm based in Bangalore, India. He has also authored a couple of books viz., “The God in the Boardroom” and “Banter Beyond the Buck”. In this podcast, Guru talks about what led […]
About Dr. Sampath Dr. JM Sampath is a Management Thinker, Author of several books and a Mindful Entrepreneur. A quintessential learner, Dr. Sampath is an ardent practitioner of enabling learning and transformation through stories and parables. Over the last 24 years, he has successfully leveraged the power of stories and parables in coaching global leaders […]
Our guest on today’s podcast is Arul Dev – an Author, Radiant Universal Leader coach TM and Integral Educator, has been in the field of leadership, education and human resources consulting for the last 23 years. He is the author of the new book Into Great Depth of Being. An engineer from BITS Pilani, he […]
The current podcast unravels Unani Medicine, an ancient and traditional system of medicine. Listen to Dr. Mohammed Zulkifle to understand what Unani is, its origins, its fascinating journey from Egypt to India several centuries ago and how it is now an established system of medicine under AYUSH. Dr. Mohammed Zulkifle is Director-in-charge of National Institute […]
In this episode of The Mindful Initiative Podcast, Introduction to Homeopathy, our guest Dr. Munavvar Shaikh, shares with us nuances, origins and recent developments in the field of Homeopathy. She approaches Homeopathy in a very holistic way by talking about Homeopathy, diet and Yoga. Homeopathy deals with treatment and remedies for various lifestyle diseases and […]