The Nomadic Soul

Ria

What lights you up is not a distraction. It is the thread. The Nomadic Soul is a personal essay podcast hosted by Ria — exploring poetry, art, fashion, music, books, and the sacred ordinary. Each episode begins somewhere intimate: a memory, an observation, a question. Then it follows the thread into something larger about how we live and who we're becoming. This is a show about paying close attention — to a silhouette, a measure of music, a basil leaf sprouting — and discovering what it reveals. For women who read slowly, look closely, feel deeply, and follow the thread of what lights them up. Come as you are.

Episodes

  1. Oct 31

    Ep 7: The Souls of Flowers

    For a long time, the small park outside Ria's building was just scenery, something she walked past on the way to somewhere else. But during lockdown, she yearned for nothing more than a simple walk there. When the lockdown lifted, she began to go often. What did she see? Pink rain lilies pushing up through the earth overnight. Mature sunflowers facing east, trusting dawn and pollinators to arrive. Sadabahars growing at an angle, escaping the green iron cage. Each flower was simply herself with her own rhythm, her own dance. And as Ria learned to look closely, she came to know these flowers, not just their names but, really, their souls. Your suggested next listen: If you enjoyed this essay, you may also resonate with Episode 4: The Soul of Birds. Follow the thread: If you'd like to learn more about the people and flowers mentioned in this essay, you can find more information at:Edward Hirsch— American poet, "A Partial History of My Stupidity," from Special Orders (2008). A line from this poem frames the essay, "without paying attention to the trees, whose names I didn't know."Pink rain lily—a small bulb flower that blooms in bursts after heavy rain.Sadabahar / Madagascar periwinkle—a hardy, evergreen flowering plant whose name means “always spring.”Chandni / Crepe jasmine—a shrub with white pinwheel flowers; not a true jasmine.Frangipani / Plumeria—a tropical tree with waxy flowers that release the most scent in the evening; also called temple tree.Madhumalti / Rangoon creeper—a vigorous climber whose flowers open white and deepen to pink and red.Yellow elder—a shrub or small tree with clusters of yellow trumpet-shaped flowers.

  2. Oct 9

    Ep. 6 Poem: A Love Letter to My Upright Piano

    A love letter, in verse, to the piano that lets me be all of me. This poem is a companion piece to my audio essay: On Finally Meeting My Piano.

  3. Sep 29

    Ep.5 On Finally Meeting My Piano

    At four years old, Ria received a kiddie-sized Casio keyboard from her father—a gift bought on impulse during his travels to a foreign land. This gift started a decades-long courtship with the keys. And yet, the inner and outer conditions never seemed ripe for learning to play. Ria travelled across cities, across time, and the pull of the keys remained—a school piano she wasn't allowed to touch, a Yamaha keyboard bought at fourteen and put on hold, and an upright piano finally met on a wintry day in her 30s. The essay asks what happens to the parts of ourselves that go dormant. The answer comes from seemingly stubborn lettuce seeds planted in her balcony garden. Ludwig van Beethoven—German composer (1770–1827); the showroom melody is his "Shepherd's Song" from Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral"), played here by Ria; "Ode to Joy," learned as a teen, is from Symphony No. 9.Karol Bagh—historic Central Delhi market neighbourhood, known for its dense cluster of specialty shops

  4. Sep 11

    Ep.4 The Soul of Birds

    A pigeon once flew into Ria's childhood living room and could not find its way out — flying frantically in circles around the room while the balcony window stood wide open the entire time. It's one bird among many across a lifetime of encounters — a silent visitor perched on an almirah, peacocks strutting like royalty through a garden, a mynah trapped behind a balcony net, painted storks holding still against a vast Bharatpur sky. The ornithologist Salim Ali makes an appearance too — "a migratory bird himself." Each bird is different on the surface, but underneath, they share one thing: the ongoing choice and privilege to be free. Salim Ali—Indian ornithologist known as the "Birdman of India"; instrumental in establishing Bharatpur as a protected bird sanctuaryBharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park)—UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rajasthan, IndiaHandbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan—landmark ten-volume work by Salim Ali and S. Dillon RipleyPainted Stork—large resident wading bird of South and Southeast Asian wetlandsSarus Crane—tallest flying bird in the world; resident across the Indian subcontinentOrange-headed Ground Thrush—brightly coloured, ground-dwelling forest thrushNorthern Pintail—migratory duck wintering across South AsiaRose-ringed Parakeet—bright green parakeet native to Africa and South AsiaRed-wattled Lapwing—ground-dwelling wader known for its loud "did-he-do-it" callAsian Koel—large cuckoo, brood parasite of crows

  5. Aug 28

    Ep.3 The Soul on Music

    Ria grew up alive to sound—a Casio keyboard's pre-recorded violin rendition of "Greensleeves," the family ritual of watching Chitrahaar on Doordarshan, the menacing tone of Ring a Ring o'Roses. Long before she had words for it, she was being shaped by everything she heard. This essay moves through the sounds of a childhood: a timeless Mohammed Rafi song, the roar of the Arabian Sea, the hymns sung at the school assembly, the vibration of a piano felt through a wooden stage on a birthday morning. This is an invitation to step into one girl's sonic landscape and feel the vibration of the original symphony. "Likhe jo khat tujhe, jo teri yaad mein, hazaaron rang ke, nazaare ban gaye," lyrics by Neeraj, from "Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe," Kanyadaan (1968), music by Shankar-Jaikishan, sung by Mohammed Rafi. "Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe" (film song)—from Kanyadaan (1968); lyrics by Neeraj, music by Shankar-Jaikishan, sung by Mohammed Rafi; English translation: Ria"Greensleeves"—traditional English songChitrahaar—Doordarshan's twice-weekly Hindi film-song programme, since 1982Doordarshan—India's state-owned public broadcaster"Ring a Ring o' Roses" — The Countdown Kids (lyric video)"Showers of Blessing" — Bill & Gloria Gaither, ft. Sue Dodge (Live)"This Little Light of Mine" — Soweto Gospel Choir (Live)"Heal the World" — Michael Jackson"Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music"Morni Baga Ma Bole"—from Lamhe (1991)"Jana Gana Mana"—India's national anthem; written by Rabindranath Tagore"Silent Night" — Bing Crosby

  6. Aug 13

    Ep.2 Baby Steps in Balcony Gardening

    Ria had killed every plant she'd ever owned — marigolds, money plants, snake plants, succulents — and had accepted her ineptitude at growing things. Then her son asked how onions grow, setting in motion one family's first season of gardening: an onion propped up in a glass of water with mismatched forks, basil that dies and returns, an avocado that arrives bruised and speaks a deeper truth. This is a meditation on tending — to plants, to a child's curiosity, to yourself. A Book Of Luminous Things: An International Anthology of Poetry

  7. Jul 29

    Ep.1 Fashion for the Soul

    Episode 1: Fashion for the Soul — How the way we dress shapes who we become For most of her life, Ria wore a uniform of some kind — school uniforms, corporate dress codes, and the informal codes of every season of life. Then, in her 40s, the uniform disappeared. For the first time, there was no dress code. The question that followed was harder than it looked: who am I, and what am I craving? This episode follows one woman's journey back to herself through fabric, silhouette, and colour — from a childhood bracelet of jasmine flowers at India Gate to barrel-leg trousers that changed how she writes. Along the way, a quiet argument forms: that fashion is not frivolous. That what we wear shapes who we become. That dressing with intention might be one of the most honest things a woman can do. "I want to unfold. I don't want to be folded anywhere, because where I am folded, there I am a lie." — Rainer Maria Rilke, from Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God, translated by Anita Barrows and Joanna Macy (Riverhead Books, 1996) Asta/Aastha Tibi Style Class Enclothed cognition study Oziss Unrush Suta Nicobar Fab India

  • 7 Episodes

About

What lights you up is not a distraction. It is the thread. The Nomadic Soul is a personal essay podcast hosted by Ria — exploring poetry, art, fashion, music, books, and the sacred ordinary. Each episode begins somewhere intimate: a memory, an observation, a question. Then it follows the thread into something larger about how we live and who we're becoming. This is a show about paying close attention — to a silhouette, a measure of music, a basil leaf sprouting — and discovering what it reveals. For women who read slowly, look closely, feel deeply, and follow the thread of what lights them up. Come as you are.

Information

  • Creator
    Ria
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    7
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Ria
  • Show Website
    The Nomadic Soul