Untether Your Life Nikhil Torsekar & Shelly Sood

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

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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 Patel and 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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