Episodes

What if the technology designed to make life easier is quietly making us worse at living it? In this episode, we explore the hidden psychological and emotional impact of AI - not from a hype or fear perspective, but through the lens of mindfulness, human connection, and real life. I'm joined by Jay Vidyarthi, author of Reclaim Your Mind and founder of Still Ape, and Dr. Jyothsna Bhat, a leading voice in South Asian mental health. Together, we unpack how AI is reshaping our attention, relation...

Many of the beliefs that govern our adult lives were formed long before we had the ability to question them. Ideas about worth, safety, obedience, and belonging often take root in childhood and early environments where approval and survival were closely linked. What begins as adaptation can quietly harden into identity. In this conversation, I'm joined by Amy Green Smith, a certified life coach and hypnotherapist whose work focuses on self-worth, nervous-system awareness, and belief change. Dra...

I first connected with this week's guest - Freeman Fung - through the Mindvalley community. At the time, both of us were actively questioning inherited templates around success, identity, and growth. What began as a conversation about travel quickly revealed itself to be something deeper - a reflection on consciousness, culture, health, and what it actually means to live intentionally in a complex world. That context feels especially relevant now. My son is currently sailing around the world th...

In this milestone 100th episode of Untether Your Life, we revisit a wide-ranging and timely conversation with Mas Vidal Maheshananda - teacher, author, and founder of Dancing Shiva. In today's climate of intense geopolitical unrest around the globe, this conversation is exactly what is needed in 2026. Mas brings a grounded, integrative perspective on yoga, Ayurveda, and spiritual practice - not as lifestyle accessories, but as practical frameworks for living with clarity, resilience, and balanc...

This episode originally aired in March 2023 and is being resurfaced now with added context. Robert Pardi reached out to me on LinkedIn after listening to a previous conversation I'd had on the show with Prison Break author and leadership coach Jason Goldberg. His message arrived during a pivotal moment in my life - the final days we spent with my beloved father-in-law, who was my mentor and north star in fatherhood. That timing mattered. Not because of coincidence, but because Rob was reaching...

This episode is a rebroadcast of a conversation originally released in August 2023. I'm bringing it back because the themes feel even more relevant today. My guest is Neelu Kaur, author of Be Your Own Cheerleader, speaker, and organizational psychologist. Neelu works closely with South Asian and Asian women who are navigating burnout, self-advocacy, and cultural expectations in corporate America. In this conversation, we explore the tension many high performers feel between a collectivist "we"...

This episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Shyambo, founder of The Brighter Mindset. This week, we explore how practices labeled as biohacks (i.e., cold plunges) can double as powerful tools for spiritual discipline. Shyambo shares why challenging comfort through the body can translate into patience, clarity, and emotional steadiness in everyday life. We also unpack a powerful analogy about mental health: if your "basement is flooded," you can’t just keep scooping water out; you have to pl...

This episode explores how spiritual mentorship, emotional equanimity, and intentional social media use can transform an anxious, approval-seeking mind into what my guest calls a brighter mindset. On a day honoring Guru Nanak’s birth and the guru tradition, it felt especially fitting to sit down with Shyambo, a spiritual mentor, founder of The Brighter Mindset, and content creator whose work has reached over 10 million people. Shyambo shares how his life was shaped by his guru, Pramukh Swami Mah...

This episode explores one of the most overlooked drivers of mental health: the quality of our relationships. With a former Surgeon General warning that chronic loneliness can impact the body the same way as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, the stakes have never been higher. So it felt fitting to sit down with someone who has been a guiding voice in this space since the earliest days of this podcast: Dr. Jyothsna Bhat. Jyothsna S. Bhat, Psy.D. CMIP is a clinical psychologist, writer, and one of...

EPISODE SUMMARY In today’s episode, I talk about where I’ve been over the past year, why the show went on pause, and what I’ve learned along the way. From navigating the 2024 US presidential election to rediscovering the spark that started this podcast in the first place, I share the real story behind the hiatus - and what’s aheadfor the next season. I also honor the people and moments that shaped thisjourney, and reflect on the rise of AI, the changing podcast landscape, and the power of commu...

This episode was released on the heels of perhaps the most dramatic election of our time—one that will have a serious impact on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and leadership initiatives in corporations throughout the United States. So I felt very fortunate to speak to one of the most compelling and dynamic authorities in this space—Dr. Priya Nalkur. Priya Nalkur, Ed.D. is the President of The RoundTable Institute, where she leads a global group of coaches and facilitators to help compan...

Since moving to Southern California last year, I've been blessed to cross paths with many souls on a similar journey of spirituality and wellness. I had one of these folks on the podcast a year ago, Kyle Peche, and am now delighted to welcome his wife Sundarri Rodriguez as a guest. Sundarri is an award-winning actress, musician, and philanthropist. You may have seen her appear in shows on Hulu, indie films, or even local theater. Sundarri is passionate about healing others with sound. She is a ...

To comemorate the 90(ish)th episode of Untether Your Life, I'm rebroadcasting my appearance on the Happy and Human podcast. I always walk away from my exchanges with the hosts - my friends Dinesh Melwani and Dr. Seema Desai - with some new insight, an expansion of my network, and at the very least, a good chuckle. This conversation was no exception. It's full of light-hearted banter, mixed with discussion of weightier topics such as breathwork, epigenetics, and the triumphs and tribulations of ...

This episode gives credence to the saying that "there are no coincidences in life." It's being released on the eve of World Mental Health Day, October 10th. Every year on this date, I marvel at the mental health journey I've been blessed to embark on thanks to this podcast. Further, this episode was recorded on September 20th. Eight years ago on this date, I'd hit rock bottom in a psychiatric hospital in Chicago - divorce, unemployment, complete detachment from my kids, and the nadir of my men...

As busy, hard-working professionals with families, demanding jobs, and multiple other obligations, we often go into auto-pilot. We mindlessly follow scripts and templates that were passed onto us about what success looks like. We rarely stop to ask "why?" and fail to see that saying yes to too much may in the end lead us on to the people-pleasing road to ruin. This week's guest, Amy Green Smith, has successfully navigated this dance, and has helped many clients get out of this trap. Amy is a c...

Always love connecting with folks who share my passion for everything from breathwork to podcasting to cold plunges to the iconic So Cal rock group Sublime. So it was a sincere treat to host this week's guest Sam Kabert. Sam is a Serial Entrepreneur turned Certified Breathwork Practitioner and TEDx speaker. He is the Author of the #1 Bestselling book, SOUL/Life Balance, and host of the Soul Seekr Podcast. In the past 5 years, he has courageously embraced a transformative path of self-discovery,...

In line with the mantra of this show - to "own your health" - this week we speak with gastroenterologist Dr. Supriya Rao, whose Gutsy Girl MD platform has evolved into the go-to resource for all things gut health, nutrition, and lifestyle-related. Supriya is quadruple board certified in internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine. She received her undergrad degree from MIT, followed by graduation from Duke University School of Medicine. In addition to her role...

My time at one of the prestigious “Big 4” consulting firms sharpened my analytical skills and built my professional network immensely. It also contributed to me bottoming out physically and mentally. This rock bottom forced me to embrace meditation and go within, while working to shed my dependency on external validation and traditional symbols of "making it." I'm always fascinated, therefore, to cross paths with Big 4 alums who have also gone on a journey of spirituality and self-realization –...

There's a concept in Eastern wisdom tradition called sangha, which centers on the power of community. When I launched Untether Your Life two years ago, I had no idea what an incredible sangha awaited me with the podcasting ecosystem. Connecting with fellow storytellers and content creators has led to impactful collaborations. It's exposed me to life-changing frameworks, and it's given me many a good chuckle. One of these podcasters is this week's guest, Dr. Seema Desai. Seema is a transformati...

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 pr...

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 li...

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 aw...

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 pr...

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 "Untet...