In this episode of Men Who Pause, Gurcharan Das—a man who has spent a lifetime at the crossroads of power and philosophy—joins us to explore the masks we wear, the reckoning of midlife, and what it means to live wisely and adventurously.

From Harvard to the helm of Procter & Gamble India, Gurcharan was at the peak of his corporate career when he walked away. What followed was a journey inward—toward meaning, freedom, and truth.

This conversation moves through ambition, surrender, ego, legacy, and the quiet courage it takes to reimagine success—not as accumulation, but as alignment.

👤 GUEST:

Gurcharan Das is a former CEO of Procter & Gamble India who went on to lead global strategy for P&G Worldwide. A Harvard graduate, he lived and worked across four continents before walking away from the corporate world to write, reflect, and seek deeper meaning.

He is the author of nine books, including the acclaimed trilogy on Dharma (duty), Artha (wealth), and Kama (desire). His memoir, Another Sort of Freedom, explores his own midlife reckoning with success and selfhood. He has contributed to The New York Times, Financial Times, and Harvard Business Review, and was a longtime columnist for The Times of India.

🌐 Website: https://gurcharandas.org

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurcharan-das-a7b7375/

📝 SHOW NOTES:

• The corporate mask and the quiet absurdity of “success”
• Making a living vs. making a life—and how early influences shape that choice
• Midlife as a reckoning: when achievement no longer fills the void
• Why real fulfillment often begins in the second half of life
• Weekend passions, second careers, and the courage to pivot
• Ego, humility, and the art of not taking yourself too seriously
• Kamble’s rise—from night watchman to director—and what it means to love your work
• The calculus of “enough” and trading status for freedom
• Marriage, meaning, and what happiness really looks like at 82
• Midlife transitions, mortality, and the freedom to write your own script

🧭 LEARN MORE:

inborderlands.com

Request an invite to our next retreat: https://inborderlands.com/booking-form

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https://linktr.ee/inborderlands

🎧 Subscribe and follow for more conversations on men, midlife, and meaningful change

Gurcharan Das—former CEO, global strategist, bestselling author, and philosopher—remembers the moment Harvard made him question everything:

🗣️ “I was mugging up Bernoulli’s equation.

My roommate was dreaming of Anna Karenina.

Something was clearly off.”

At 82, he’s still asking: what does it mean to live wisely and adventurously?

🎙️ Full episode drops Tuesday: When the Mask Falls on Men Who Pause

🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon

📺 Watch full episode on YouTube: youtube.com/@BorderlandsRetreat

🔗 inborderlands.com

#MenWhoPause #MidlifeCrisis #MidlifeTransformation #GurcharanDas #AnnaKarenina #Masculinity #ReinventYourself #LifeAfter40 #MenOver40 #HeadHeartGuts #BorderlandsRetreat

In this episode of Men Who Pause, Rohan Kapur—a non-dual yogi and guide in the Kundalini process—joins us to explore the subtle power of presence, the awakening of energy through the spine, and why ancient modalities like Kundalini are deeply relevant to men in midlife.

This conversation moves through stillness, structure, vitality, and transformation—offering an intimate look at what happens when we stop thinking our way through life and start aligning the head, heart, and gut through lived energy.

👤 GUEST:

Rohan Kapur is a non-dual yogi who works with the Kundalini process. He leads Advaitashram.org, where he works as an initiator, teacher, and guide. He currently holds workshops and retreats around India, Europe, and Japan.

Instagram: instagram.com/vedic.vortex

📝 SHOW NOTES:

– How inner presence can be cultivated and projected—like adjusting an opacity slider

– Why Kundalini isn’t mystical fluff, but a biological and energetic reality

– The spine as a living axis—your juicy core and channel for transformation

– How being stuck in lower chakras can create the experience of midlife crisis

– Demystifying Kundalini, vitality, and the integration of head, heart, and gut

– When structure helps you grow—and when it starts to hold you back

– The internal combustion engine of awakening: energy meets intention

– Casting light on the shadow aspects of self

– Why ancient practices remain relevant for modern men navigating midlife

🧭 LEARN MORE:

inborderlands.com

Request an invite to our next retreat: inborderlands.com/booking-form

🔗 CONNECT WITH US:

linktr.ee/inborderlands

🎧 Subscribe and follow for more conversations on men, midlife, and meaningful change.

A new kind of conversation for men.

Men Who Pause is a podcast for men in midlife—when old maps no longer serve and a new path must be felt, not followed.

No self-help fluff. No guru speak. Just honest reflections and tools for deeper connection.

Follow now — the first episode drops Tuesday.

🎧 inborderlands.com