Swishing Mindsets with Anuradha Varma

In a freewheeling chat, Anand Neelakantan , who is out with his new book The Asura Way: The Contrarian Path to Success , talks about how our ancient heritage taught us to believe in action and not just look inward for solutions. He busts the myths of the so-called six enemies of the mind — anger, passion, greed, infatuation, pride and competitive spirit. The author is clear — those who seek moksha...

Listen in to Dr Wallace J Nichols , marine biologist and author of Blue Mind - The Surprising Science that Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected and Better at What You Do. Blue Mind, explains Dr Nichols, is a simple phrase for something that is familiar, intuitive and about our emotional connection with water or nature. Science, he says, is fi...

In this special podcast with ‘Leap Day Lady’ Raenell Dawn, we connect on our common birthday — February 29. Based in Oregon, USA, Raenell, who turns 16 in leap years, started the The Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies in 1988, doing it how it was done then, through newspaper ads. The group has since metamorphosed into a lively Facebook group with many members coming across fellow “leapers” for...

Niranjan Kaushik , who went from puffing 35 cigarettes a day to zero, likes to call himself a non-smoker rather than an ex-smoker. His book Kick Smoking with Ninja takes those trying to kick or “overcome” the habit through a journey to rewiring the brain. In this candid chat, he talks about how the brain of an addict works, strategising during flights, car rides or dining out (even, heartbreakingl...

A self-confessed die hard romantic, London-based Ruchita Misra’s latest novel Her One True Love , published by Harper Collins India, took her five years to write. The plot is complicated, with both protagonists in committed relationships when they meet — Ekadashi is married and has a son and Fredrick, a handsome billionaire, is dating a celebrity. It doesn’t shy away from the hard questions, as Ek...

Noel Parent’s latest children's book Legend of the Flute Player was recently published by Harper Collins India. Originally from the US, Noel has lived in the international township of Auroville for the last 16 years, working as a landscaper and gardener. He is also doing research in the areas of Cellular Consciousness and Peace. In this episode, he speaks about his deep connection to the spiritual...

Last rites can be wonderfully life-affirming as they guide a family through the ultimate sendoff and bring a community together. A lot of common themes run across India’s various belief systems, explains Minakshi Dewan, author of The Final Farewell , Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India’s Major Faiths , published by HarperCollins. Listen in as she talks about her experience of visitin...

Artist Olivia Fraser crash-landed in India in 1989, still in her 20s, following her then boyfriend and now husband, the celebrated author William Dalrymple, losing her luggage on her maiden trip with only her kinsman James Bailey Fraser’s Company School artworks for company. She began by painting scenes on the streets of the Capital, till she found her calling in Rajasthani miniatures, which she m...

Nothing changes unless you do, says Ajith Anirudhan , Bengaluru-based ICF-accredited wellness and personal empowerment coach. He recommends taking small steps towards one’s goal, so that the body registers a win each time, gradually becoming more embracing towards change. Ultimately, even in failure, you’re better than when you first started. The art of manifestation, he believes, is about mindful...

It’s a merry Christmas with Jonas Olsson , originally from Sweden, who has been a resident of Bengaluru for over a decade and is founder of the all-male choir The Bangalore Men and the all-female Cappella Bangalore . He also heads the vocal department at The Bangalore School of Music. All this besides working at his corporate day job as Head of India Tech Hub at Volvo Cars. Olsson talks about the...

“Earlier, we were separated, now he has become me, there is no division,” says Shweta Singh Kirti of her brother, the actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who passed away allegedly by suicide in 2020 at the age of 34 in the public eye. California-based Shweta, who has written the book ‘ Pain: A Portal to Enlightenment ’, published by Penguin Ebury Press as a part of her “universal responsibility” to those...

Pooja Sharma spent over 15 years in the corporate world before setting up The Sarvodya Collective , a non-profit working to weave inclusive communities around persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities, especially through their programme Inclusive Duniya . Here, she talks about how society at large can show up for the neurodivergent community, which accounts for 0.2 percent of the po...

We are born grieving when we enter the world screaming from the warmth of the womb, says Shiv Shukla , US-based Grief Recovery Specialist. In this fascinating conversation, he shares his experience of overcoming feelings of anger and loss at his mother’s passing, the importance of a structured approach to grieving and how the physical relationship may end, but the emotional and spiritual bond cont...

As Indians, we need to shift our mindsets about how we see food and manage diabetes. For starters, we need to stop counting rotis and start with a plate of salad, moving away from carb-focussed meals. In this conversation, diabetologist Dr Rajiv Kovil along with marketer and entrepreneur Dr Ami Shah , co-founders of Zandra Healthcare, talk about changing the narrative around creating healthier lif...

Did Ravana abduct his “daughter” Sita to save her from a life of struggle with Ram? In this chat, Anand Neelakantan , author of ‘Asura: Tale of the Vanquished’ talks of the many tellings of the Ramayana that follow this narrative. He speaks of Ravana as the “complete man”, full of flaws as well as goodness, which acts as a foil to “ maryada Purushottam ” Ram. Ravana is also believed to be an incar...

Arundhuti Dasgupta , journalist and co-founder of The Mythology Project , takes us on a delightful ride through the many versions of the Ramayana, including folk songs where Sita has been truly understood as a woman with a mind of her own. She talks about the eternal nature of the epic, the various tellings through Valmiki, Tulsidas and Kamban, the rationality of the Jain version as well as Sarala...

Sexual intrigue, workplace politics, obsessive love is all reflected in the epics, which are metaphors for life, says author Kavita Kane . In this chat, the bestselling writer of mythological fiction talks about how the much vilified Kaikeyi in the Ramayana may have just been playing her part in propelling Lord Rama towards his preordained destiny, the beautiful Meenakshi transformed into Surpanak...

The smell of ‘hing’ coming in contact with oil, tomato and basil cooking together, melting chocolate…these are a few of chef Ritu Dalmia’s favourite things. In this delightful chat, the co-founder of Diva restaurants talks about how success for her has never been about money, how a shared meal can end the worst fights and her journey to becoming a voice for the LGBTQI community. She also talks abo...

A runaway cat that is reluctant to return home, leading a lizard to safety, dogs looking out for their pet parents…this is all in a day’s work for Shraddha Bochgiri , Pune-based interspecies communicator and trainer. In this chat, she tells us how anyone can hone their telepathic skills to communicate with any living thing in nature. Follow and share to grow the conversation. Chapters: 00:30 What...

Driving coach Seema Sinha is helping women across Delhi-NCR to take charge of the steering wheel, teaching them to drive in high heels and ending with a celebratory victory dance! The fearless mom of three talks about reentering the corporate world in her mid-40s after an existential crisis and finally finding her flow as a driving coach. In between, she was also crowned first runner-up at the Mrs...

American blogger Beth Watkins talks to Anuradha on her love for Bollywood, feeling welcomed on her first visit to India by spotting a giant billboard of Shah Rukh Khan and why she found Sholay’s Hitleresque Asrani problematic! Of course, she talks about her famously viral Bollywood family tree, which she says is about how influence works in the industry. She also co-hosts the podcast Filmi Ladies...

Preeti Vyas , CEO & President at Amar Chitra Katha , tells Anuradha how “Brand Amar Chitra Katha is not just the collection you have under your bed or in your library, there is whole new content.” She also talks about encouraging kids to read, launching a new collection for early readers on Uncle Pai’s birthday, keeping alive ACK’s legacy as the keeper of heritage and lots more! Follow and sha...

Single adoptive parent Supriya Deverkonda talks to Anuradha about the strong support system she has in her parents and meeting challenges such as getting her name as the parent on her daughter’s passport. She opens up about her hearing impairment, coming to terms with it in her childhood and becoming a diversity & inclusion advocate. She has also recently learnt to drive her car, conquering a...

Coach Dexter Rodrigues , L&D leader, NLP practitioner, spiritual educator and past life regressionist, talks to Anuradha about how NLP helps you access the toolbox we carry within us, giving us more control over our life. As a spiritual educator, he believes the guru lies within us and past life regression is a healing modality that allows us to experience our karmic actions and understand how...

From her dad telling her she was destined to be an author to a serendipitous journey that led her to turning children’s books publisher with Pickle Yolk Books , Richa Jha has developed an abiding passion for picture books. She also talks candidly about an ADHD diagnosis in her late 40s, which she calls a blessing as “power lies in the knowing”. Follow and share to stay updated and grow the convers...