That's So Hindu

In this episode Sheetal Shah talks with Riki Warren, one of the top global movement coaches. His London-based movement school, Bodyweight Gurus, qualifies fitness professionals and therapists with accredited certifications. Riki has been practicing advanced bodyweight movement, yoga, and mixed martial arts (including the ancient Indian martial arts Kalari and Kushti) for over three decades. He cur...

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In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Prof Chris Fici. What sets Chris apart is that he manages to stand balanced authentically in a couple of worlds that don’t always, shall we say, play well together: The academy and the world of devoted Hindus. He was born a Catholic and went on to be a monk in the Gaudiya Vaishnav lineage, before embarking to earn a PhD from Union Theological Seminary, in...

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Aditi Banerjee. Aditi is a book author, essayist, and attorney, whose first novel, The Curse of Gandhari — which gives a perspective on the Mahabharata from the unique viewpoint of one of the matriarchs of the Hindu epic. Hope you enjoy it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode HAF Director of Human Rights Deepali Kulkarni speaks with Bhuwan Pyakurel, a refugee from Bhutan who emigrated to the United States, settled in Ohio, and is now a city council member. He talks about what led to the Hindu community of Bhutan to be expelled from the Himalayan nation, the challenges of being a refugee in India, and his journey to and success he and his family have fou...

In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Mandar Apte. Mandar’s a former petroleum engineer turned filmmaker meditation teacher, and ambassador for peace. We discuss his documentary From India With Love , his work teaching police officers how to meditate, and how the pandemic his changed his teaching. More info: Cities4Peace .  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Ravinol Chambers is the founder of the multi-award-winning Be Inspired Films . His work focuses on stories that cross boundaries, challenge our thinking and inspire change. After growing up in Ireland wanting to become a stockbroker, he instead became a monk in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition for most of his twenties and lived in Africa and India. He made his first film in Africa in 1995, while st...

In this episode Samir Kalra speaks with author Rukhsana Hasib, who recounts her first hand experience during the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh, as well as providing perspective on how Bangladesh is faring today 50 years after gaining independence from Pakistan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Sheetal Shah speaks with artist Manjari Sharma about her groundbreaking work Darshan , her ongoing work How to Wear a Sari , plus much more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special episode, recorded shortly after the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, HAF Managing Director Samir Kalra and HAF Director of Public Policy Taniel Koushakjian discuss how important issues for Hindu Americans are likely to fare in the next four years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Nirva Patel. Nirva is one of the executive producers of the hit documentary The Game Changers (yes, there are hit documentaries), a board member of Farm Sanctuary, and one of the leading dharmic voices for improving animal welfare and advocating for plant-based diets.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with Jeffrey D Long, professor of religion and Asian studies at Elizabethtown College. We discuss stereotypes and misunderstandings about Hinduism, his latest book on Hinduism in America, and the Hindu themes in Star Wars - including the new Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Taniel Koushakjian talks with human rights activist Richard Benkin about how he came to devote his life to the plight of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, and what he’s personally seen visiting Hindu refugees living in both West Bengal and Bangladesh itself. **TRIGGER WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault.** Richard Benkin's book, A Quiet C...

In this episode Sheetal Shah talks with the husband and wife writing duo Ami Majmudar and Amit Majmudar about their latest works and how Hinduism is the foundation of both.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Suhag Shukla talks with Melanie Chandra about her path, through karate, mechanical engineering, corporate consulting and modeling, to become the actor and producer she is today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Fred Stella speaks with Ram Sahadeo and Vishnu Bisram about the state of affairs for Hindus living in Guyana. They discuss challenges the Hindu community there faces such as being targeted for conversion by Christian groups, alcoholism in the community, corruption in Guyana’s politics, as well as how discoveries of new large oil reserves in the Carribean nation factor into all this. Hosted on Acas...

In this episode Mat McDermott speaks with HAF’s very own Easan Katir about his recent article in Hinduism Today magazine about dharmic investing: what it is, how it is different from other forms of ethical investing, and how we can all apply Hindu principles to our financial decisions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Sheetal Shah talks with Kanchan Koya, food as medicine practitioner, health coach, and founder of Spice Spice Baby , about the benefits of different spices and the science behind them.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Sheetal Shah has a conversation with the founder of Mango and Marigold Press Sailaja Joshi and the founder of Modi Toys , Avani Modi Sarkar, about what led each of them to start companies making books and toys aimed at Hindu and Indian Americans.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Sudarshan Ramabadran, senior research fellow and administrative head at India Foundation’s Center for Soft Power. In addition to talking about the so-called soft power India holds in the traditions of yoga and ayurveda, which have spread to what seems like nearly every country on Earth in the past two decades, Suhag and Sudarshan have an informative discuss...

In this episode Suhag Shukla speaks with Brahmachari Sharan. Brahmachariji is Director of Hindu life and campus ministry at Georgetown the first Hindu monk to serve in this capacity at a Catholic university. They talk about the ongoing pandemic and continued Black Lives Matter protests, concerns he’s seeing among Hindu students, as well as both the opportunities and challenges in applying ancient...

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