This episode is a very special one! I so wanted to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11, when the World Trade Center Towers shockingly came down twenty years ago on this day.  Being that I live in close proximity to New York City, it’s impossible to ignore the anniversary each year, and it is especially hard this year with the end of the “Forever War” in Afghanistan that was launched in response to the 9/11 assault.

 My guest this week is a gentleman who was in the Tower that day and lived to tell about it, the first survivor of 9/11 I have ever spoken with directly.  Kushal Choksi, who came to America from India, was working for Goldman Sachs at that time, and was realizing the so-called “American Dream”.  He was ascending the corporate ladder, and avidly integrating into the company’s go-go culture until that fateful day dramatically changed his life. 

 Kushal’s accounts of that day are compelling and visceral:

• Seeing the second tower get hit with his "naked eye" and being right underneath it as it happened. 
• The grey cloud outside looking just like an apocalyptic movie, with splinters and embers falling from the sky.
• Running mindlessly through the streets, and leaping onto a ferry that had already left the dock.

There are so many wonderful lessons in this episode. Kushal’s story is so much about negotiating life when we face unexpected difficult circumstances. He is a genuine example of the Unconditional Healing ethos, where difficulties force us to get in touch with ourselves in a much deeper way and reach a level of healing that was heretofore unimagined. 

During our conversation, Kushal describes:

• His initial time working 70 hour weeks “in a blind race to get to I don't know where”
• How Sky-Breath meditation practice, which while not eliminating his memories of 9/11, has helped to lessen their grip. 
• Feeling like he was driving with a foot on both the gas and the brakes, and how he decided to take his foot off the brakes in order to really live life. 

Today, Kushal and his wife, (also a Wall Street trader originally),  have created and built Elements Truffles, a company that creates unique artisanal chocolate products inspired by the healing science of Ayurveda.   And as part of his healing process, Kushal has just completed an autobiographical novel, “On a Wing and a Prayer” which tells a heartwarming story of spirituality, redemption, and self-exploration. 

And after you listen, you can learn about and register for our next online Healing Circle here.  It's free,  and you’ll find like-minded folks with whom to practice meditation and share the journey toward unconditional health and well-being.  

If you’d like to help support this podcast and Jeff’s other projects, while also receiving benefits and admittance to events not available to the general public, please check out our Patreon page here.

Finally,  you are always invited to join our Unconditional Healing Facebook group here.