Untether Your Life Nikhil Torsekar & Shelly Sood

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.

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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


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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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