Episodes

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...

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 thi...

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 Seattl...

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 ...

This podcast takes aim squarely at the templates that many of us in the South Asian diaspora grew up with – around the ideal career path, marriage, and managing our mental health. It’s therefore gratifying to connect with others in the community who question the norms and fight against the status quo that has caused us great turmoil over the years. One of these iconoclasts is Tracy Vadakumchery, aka "The Bad Indian Therapist." Tracy is a licensed therapist in New York, California, and Florida....

Mental Health is a mixed bag in 2024. I'm thrilled about the community that has blossomed since I launched this podcast two years ago - especially within the Asian diaspora. However, I'm disheartened by the assembly line approach that has evolved as a by-product of the skyrocketing demand for psychiatrists, therapists, and other providers. In this environment, Dr. Elizabeth Nguyen - a highly credentialed California-based psychiatrist - is a breath of fresh air. Born and raised in Honolulu, Haw...

And that's a wrap! 2023 was such a transformational year, thanks in large part to the more than 20 epic souls I spoke with on the Untether Your Life podcast. In recognition of their contributions to the raising of our collective consciousness, I've published a highlight reel recapping the most impactful moments of our conversations. I've provided their information below, in case you'd like to learn more about their platforms and / or connect with them. Jonaed Iqbal (02:18) - Founder, NoDegre...

As a member of the South Asian diaspora, I'm humbled by the vast wisdom in our DNA and at our fingertips as evidenced by traditions such as Ayurveda - literally the "science or wisdom of life." I also have great respect for others in our culture who have embraced these holistic modalities to own their health, and have pursued their true dharma or calling in lieu of the limited "doctor, engineer, failure" menu that we grew up with. I was therefore very glad to speak with this week's guest Amish ...

One of the mantras of this podcast is to "Own Your Health;" while conventional modalities such as surgery are very helpful for addressing trauma, optimizing one's health requires a rigorous exploration of alternative approaches. This week's guest, Kyle Peche, demonstrates the benefits of "ripping up templates" in charting one's health journey, when the tried-and-true comes up short. After resolving his own 7 year health battle with chronic fatigue, brain fog, panic attacks, and other mysterious...

This week's guest, Chris McDonald, is a breath of fresh air in a world beset by false dichotomies between "traditional" and "holistic" approaches to mental health. Chris is a holistic therapist, yogi, meditation teacher, author, and host of The Holistic Counseling Podcast. She owns a group online practice called Path to Hope Counseling. Chris is a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, is certified in brainspotting and offers gentle yoga to clients in session, and offers private yoga sessions. She s...

As a podcaster, I love connecting with like-minded hosts such as Benoit Kim, given our shared interests in mental health, mindfulness / mediation, the cultural implications of the Asian-American “model minority” myth, and much more. My wife Shelly Sood and I appeared on his show - Discover More - in early 2023, shortly after the devastating loss of her father / my father-in-law. We found great comfort in this far-ranging discussion, touching on the following topics: How Albert Einstein’s perspe...

One of the most rewarding aspects of hosting Untether Your Life is having conversations with folks who have attained great success by overcoming adversity, fighting the status quo / ripping up templates, and staying true to themselves. This week's guest, LeRon Barton, typifies these values. LeRon L. Barton is a a 3x TEDx speaker, writer, and information technology professional originally from Kansas City, Missouri. LeRon is the author of two books, Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American...

Freeman Fung is an international speaker, best-selling author and certified life coach, who has advocated new global citizenship at TEDx, Mindvalley and world tourism forums. He left his native Hong Kong at 19 to begin a journey to travel and experience life in over 35 countries. Freeman's book Travel to Transform teaches readers how to use traveling as a holistic personal growth tool and the fast-track to self-mastery. In this episode, host Nikhil Torsekar and Freeman explore the following: ...

Laura Carney is the author of My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free. It's the story of how the author found the courage to go after her own dreams after tackling an ambitious 50+ item "bucket list" compiled by her late father Mick Carney, who had been killed by a distracted driver more than a decade prior. Host Nikhil Torsekar deeply enjoyed speaking with Laura, as he had lost his own father-in-law earlier this year after a grueling decades-long struggle with Parkinson’s dise...

South Asians often encounter limitations in corporate America in adhering to the model minority myth, a collectivist mindset and many other "unqiue" nuances of the culture. This week’s guest, Neelu Kaur helps clients tackle these challenges head on. Neelu is an expert in leadership, wellness, and diversity, who has worked with Google, RBC, and many other top firms over her 15-year career in coaching and leadership development. A certified NLP coach and master practitioner with degrees from NYU ...