Welcome to the new season 3 of Come chai with me, once again, hosted by Simmi Arora. On this episode her co-hosts are: Daksha Mistry and Manjusha Malhotra. This episode focuses on understanding and outlining what makes a good conversation.

This podcast is inspired by Celeste Headlee’s Ted talk on 10 ways to have a better conversation: We Need to Talk - the talk gives listeners 10 simple tools to help facilitate better conversations, ranging from the errors we routinely make, for exampling putting down our smartphone when being face to face with someone, to the less obvious blind spots that can sabotage any conversation, including knowing when not to talk, being aware of our own bias and avoiding putting yourself at the centre of a discussion. When your job hinges on how well you talk to people, you learn a lot about how to have conversations and that most of us don't converse very well.

Celeste Headlee has worked as a radio host for decades and she knows the ingredients of a great conversation: Honesty, brevity, clarity and a healthy amount of listening. In her career as a National Public Radio host, journalist Celeste Headlee has interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life, and if there's one thing she's learned, it's that it's hard to overestimate the power of conversation and its ability to both bridge gaps and deepen wounds. In her Ted talk she shares what she's learned on the job about how to have effective, meaningful and respectful conversations in every area of our lives. Now more than ever, Headlee argues, we must begin to talk to and, more importantly, listen to one another - including those with whom we disagree.

Conversation is like reading a book, an opportunity to learn from others. In Bill Nighy’s words, ‘Everyone you will ever meet will know something that you don’t.’

As Maya Angelou once said, ‘ I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

We hope that you find this episode interesting and useful.

Trying new experiences not only helps us vanquish some fears but it also allows us to expand our minds and learn. Your brain will thank you for trying. Unless you try new things you may never know your true passion, purpose or power. The more new and fun things you do, the more fulfilling and satisfying your life becomes.

We all love to hear the giggling, cackling and uninhibited screams of joy from children who are out and about playing. Seeing children playing is a joyous moment in itself. It can make us think back to simpler times in our own childhood, if we were lucky enough to have one that included a lot of fun, laughter and play.

Play in childhood leads to healthy adulthood. The list of benefits for children is endless from learning social interaction, figuring out how to solve problems without adult intervention, standing up for yourself and even making mistakes and apologising.

Research shows that children who are deprived of play can have long term impacts such as isolation, depression, reduced self-control and poor resilience. As adults we often give up play for more serious persuits such as careers, our relationships and our families; all of which are valid pursuits.

Play for adults is critical in our busy, stressful lives.  It has been shown to release endorphins and improve brain functionality. Playful characteristics can lead to lower blood pressure. One study found being ‘playful’ makes you more attractive and can help you feel more young and energetic.

Simmi, Kiki and Manju agree with a lot of what has been discussed in the associated podcasts and Ted Talks they have listened to about the benefits of play and having fun as an adult. They also talk 8 play personality types and uncover which particular one they fit into! Play isn’t something new that you have to do. It’s tapping back to something that is personal and fulfilling. They share their own thoughts and ideas of what play means and how to incorporate it into everyday life, even if it’s just finding micro-moments of play.

Experiment a bit and find out what works for you.  We could all use a bit more play in our responsible, adult lives. 'We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.’ - George Bernard Shaw

References:

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 where we continue to explore why 'Community’ is central to the human experience. Last month Kiki, Simi and Manju discussed how some communities come together to create phenomenal changes in their own and other's lives.

In Part 2 we're joined by our guest Harsha Burton. Harsha guides us through what impact she has had on her local community and her amazing work as run Director for Junior Park Run.

Part 1 of 2 explores why 'Community’ is central to the human experience. Essentially, a community is a social group whose members have something in common such as geographic location, culture, heritage or a shared passion or hobby.

Why are communities important?

Frances Moore Lappe , author of: 'You have the Power: Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear’ says  'Community for me is nurturing, human connection is our survival. We humans wither outside of community. It isn’t a luxury, a nice thing; community is essential to our well being.’

After listening to podcasts from Johann Hari - Kiki, Simi and Manju discuss how some communities come together to create phenomenal changes in their own and other's lives.

A public health study done in Canada even ranked social isolation as a higher risk factor for premature death.

In Part 2 we're joined by our guest Harsha Burton. Harsha guides us through what impact she has had on her local community and her amazing work as run Director for Junior Park Run. 

Is laughter the best medicine?

There is strong evidence that laughter can actually improve health and and help fight disease.

In his Ted talk, Daniel Murray discusses how laughter builds up resilience. He talks about his fathers many ailments and the legacy that he left was, 'through laughter we can extend our time here on earth.’ 

Among the many benefits, laughter is a potent endorphin releaser. This in turn explains why social laughter is so contagious. It is central in forming relationships.

Dr Madan Kataria, the founder of Laughter yoga says, 'I have not seen anyone dying of laughter but I know millions who are dying because they are not laughing.’

Our hosts discuss how and why we should bring as much laughter and smiles as possible into our lives.

'You don’t stop laughing because you grow older. You grow older because you stop laughing.’ - Maurice Chevalier

Everyone keeps saying how important it is to travel. So what’s the fuss about? Why do people travel and love travelling? More importantly, why should we travel more? Why we travel may differ from person to another but people who travel always develop empathy and a deeper understanding of other cultures.

Travelling makes you more interesting. Who do you think people want to listen to: guy who spent his vacations at home doing some gardening and reading the newspaper. Or, the woman who spent a week in Cuba, driving an old American car, swimming with dolphins and tasting deliciously spicy food?

Travel takes us out of our comfort zones and inspires us to see, taste and try new things.

‘The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave and it feels even better to come back’. You will truly understand the meaning of those words by Wendy Wunder, only upon your return home.

Ageing is beautiful! As many people would say "what’s the alternative?"

There’s a lot of pressure in our society, especially on women, to age gracefully. What does that even mean?

Ageing at all, is most definitely a privilege and the accumulation of experience and wisdom should not be feared.

Dr David Sinclair, biologist, professor of genetics and Co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Centre for the Biology of Ageing at Harvard Medical school discusses his pivotal studies on the human ageing process. 

If you are looking for the "fountain of youth",  Simmi, Kiki and Manju  talk about their knowledge and experiences.

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for a fitness instructor, professional medical / food advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor / nutritionist or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast.