Untether Your Life

Untether Your Life

By Nikhil TorsekarHealth & FitnessMental Health
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Untether Your Life episodes

  • 53: Ankur Varma, LCPC - Brown Man Therapy: Sparking Dialogue on Mental Health Among Males in the South Asian Diaspora

    Untether Your Life has taken a deep dive into mental health in the South Asian diaspora, inspired by the lived experiences of host Nikhil Torsekar and his wife Shelly Sood. One facet of this that merits further exploration is how it impacts South Asian males, a topic near and dear to Ankur Varma’s heart.

    Along with serving as Program Director at Northeast Family Services of Illinois, Ankur launched a valuable Instagram-based resource called Brown Man Therapy which is “on a mission to engage more men and normalize conversations about mental health and South Asian cultures outside of work.”

    Nikhil touched on many topics with Ankur, including:

    Ankur’s upbringing in the homogenous suburbs of Cincinnati, where he was brought up in the “Indian at home and American at school” ethos
    The transition of psychiatry from a consultative model to a more transactional, efficiency-based one over the years
    The manifestation of concepts in South Asian diaspora mental health, including the model minority myth (where South Asians are encouraged to “stay in their lane”) and patriarchy as reflected by tropes such as comic Russell Peters’ angry Indian father (“Somebody gonna get hurt”)
    The pros (understanding) and cons (the “echo chamber”) of seeking therapists with a similar cultural background
    How the reticence of South Asian males in discussing mental health informed Ankur’s launch of the Brown Man Therapy Instagram feed
    Ankur’s views on breathwork, Ayurveda, meditation, and other South Asian practices discussed frequently on Untether Your Life
    The implication of "untethering your life" for his journey into therapy, social media, as well as for clients seeking help for depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health issues

    You can connect with Ankur through his brownmantherapy page on Instagram, as well as on LinkedIn.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    47 min
  • 52: Shermin Kruse - TEDx Producer / Speaker, Law Professor, Global Transactions Expert, and Acclaimed Author on Tactical Empathy, Stoicism, and Much More

    This podcast is all about breaking free of traditional templates and barriers placed upon us by society. Today’s guest exemplifies this in spades. Shermin Kruse is a first generation immigrant from Iran, Northwestern University law school professor, Global Transactions Expert, former law firm partner, TEDx Producer, author, and mother of 4. 

    Nikhil Torsekar had a wonderful discussion with Shermin about a broad range of topics, including:

    Shermin’s interest in Star Trek (dating back to college), and how the Vulcan philosophies of Dr. Spock partly informed her love of stoicism
    Tactical empathy - a framework that Shermin has developed, that can help us become more skilled negotiators and leaders

    Shermin’s multi-faceted involvement with TEDx:

    Founder, producer, and CEO of TEDx Wrigleyville, home to more than 60 talks on neurodegenerative diseases, gender binary distinction, and other topics that “Rethink the Hypothesis”
    A speaker who has delivered two talks – one on cognitive empathy, and another on “how to change the world”


    The ways in which failure can make us stronger – specifically drawing on Shermin’s unrealized ambition of becoming the first Iranian-American federal judge in the US
    What we can learn from concentration camp survivor and world renowned thought leader Victor Frankl about controlling our lives
    Shermin’s involvement in the arts, including hosting art exhibitions, and her critically acclaimed novel Butterfly Stitching, based on the stories of the women of her family before and after the Iranian revolution

    To connect with Shermin, please visit her LinkedIn profile, or Website. To learn more about TEDx Wrigleyville, please visit the Website, or check them out on Instagram.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    42 min
  • 51: Benoit Kim: Discovering More with a Podcasting Policymaker Turned Psychedelic Therapist, "Third-Culture Kid" and US Army Veteran

    Benoit Kim could be seen as the poster boy for the mission of Untether Your Life, as he has broken free of the traditional templates of success for Asian Americans. Further, he’s gone above and beyond in owning his health, exploring the benefits of psychedelic therapies for managing mental illness both in a personal and professional capacity.

    Benoit is a former policymaker turned therapist, US army veteran, and host of the Discover More Podcast - a show for introspective thinkers with growth mindsets seeking authentic life stories.

    On this week’s episode of Untether Your Life, Benoit and Nikhil touch on numerous topics, including:

    Benoit’s journey in launching Discover More – a top 2% globally ranked podcast - 3 years ago, and some of the incredible guests he’s spoken with
    How podcasters and content creators can leverage social media for benefit, and overcome its destructive elements, which some scholars have equated to a casino.
    Insights from thought leaders such as Naval Ravikant, James Clear, and Dr. David Rudd
    Benoit and Nikhil’s struggles and successes in navigating the journey of the Asian diaspora, characterized by a sometimes toxic combo of pressures and prosperity
    How schools of meditation like The Silva Method can help to tune down the static in the "radios" of our brains.
    The ramifications of psychedelic therapies such psilocybin, which was shown to eradicate complex PTSD and treatment-resistant depression for more than 80% of participants in a study published in the prestigious research publication Nature

    To learn more about Benoit, please visit discovermorepodcast.com, or search for Discover More on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also connect with him on Instagram or LinkedIn.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    56 min
  • 50: Jason Goldberg Is Ruining Everything (Re-Broadcast) and...Happy 50th to Untether Your Life!

    Today marks the 50th episode of Untether Your Life. We're commemorating this important milestone by rebroadcasting one of our favorite discussions, with Jason Goldberg. Enjoy! And...enjoy some more!

    Do personal growth books and podcasts make you roll your eyes? Are you tired of hearing the same story of “infinite inspiration” rehashed again and again? Then the guest on this episode of Untether Your Life may be the perfect alternative solution to the dry and heavy content that you’re used to.

    On today’s episode we speak with an award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx Speaker, bacon-atarian (that's a vegetarian who still eats bacon), funky sock lover, a former rapper (who opened for the Wu-Tang Clan - YES, really!), and previously a 332lb man (who has since lost over 130lbs despite his affinity for bacon).

    The legendary person just described (in his own humble words) is Jason “JG” Goldberg, host of The Jason Goldberg is Ruining Podcasting Podcast, who is also a best-selling author of Prison Break, and celebrity mental performance coach. He is also a content creator and active contributor to MindValley, a transformational personal growth platform that is a personal favorite of our host Nikhil Torsekar, and his wife Shelly Sood.

    With a desire to do things his own fun way, Jason has applied his passion for storytelling and witty sense of humor to help others find their happiness. He believes our resistance to experiences is what causes unhappiness or discontent, and he’s talking with host Nikhil today about how he reframes his thoughts on the daily to find joy.

    Listen to this episode for lots of laughs, Jason’s thoughts on identity and ego, and to learn more about why Nikhil and Jason both love MindValley!

    Topics discussed in this episode:

    Jason’s background and career
    The story behind Jason’s book, Prison Break
    How Jason changed his life and mindset
    Jason’s weight loss and the impact on his life
    Resistance and its role in happiness
    The concept of play in your self-improvement
    Jason’s inspiration for his podcast
    Working as a mental performance coach
    Jason’s definition of and thoughts on intuition
    Jason’s current focus on identity
    Using Batman to explain the importance of identity
    Nikhil and Jason’s experience with MindValley
    What’s next for Jason?

    Check out JG’s book and listen to his podcast here: http://TheJasonGoldberg.com/

    Connect with Jason:

    Instagram

    Facebook

    TikTok

    YouTube

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life:

    Website

    Instagram

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    Facebook

    38 min
  • 49: Mike and Teresa Florence - Motth: Find Your Light and Untether from the Darkness of Teenage Addiction and Depression

    Mike and Teresa Florence have been married for 24 years and have 3 sons and 1 daughter.  Mike spent over 25 years in the global financial services and management consulting industry. Teresa earned a degree in early childhood development and spent 15 years working with children before leaving the workforce to focus on their family.  Mike and Teresa always had a passion for mental health and through their own experiences have begun a journey to create a community focused on providing support to caregivers of individuals struggling with mental health.

    Mike and Teresa faced great challenges when their teenage son began struggling with addiction and depression. These were exacerbated by the complex and unwieldy process of navigating addiction treatment centers. They found the power of conversation and connection to be extremely therapeutic in navigating this harrowing journey.

    Seeing that there were few resources that catered to this need for community and connection for caregivers, they developed an app called Motth, whose tagline is "Find your Light."

    To learn more about Mike and Theresa's journey, and Motth, please visit motth.com, or connect with them on Instagram or Facebook.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    46 min
  • 48: Jonaed Iqbal: Founder of NoDegree.com; Untethering from the Template South Asian "Doctor / Engineer / Failure" Career Menu

    Happy New Year! With the start of a new year, kids are likely back to the grind - whether it's at high school, college, or other insitutions of higher learning. 

    So this week's discussion is timely: host Nikhil Torsekar speaks with Jonaed Iqbal, the Founder of NoDegree.com and host of The NoDegree Podcast where he interviews people without college degrees and has them share their stories so others can follow in their path. 

    Jonaed is also a YouMap® certified career coach who has helped hundreds of candidates land jobs and promotions at Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Spotify, and other top firms. 

    Nikhil and Jonaed touch on numerous topics in this interview, including:

    The humble origins of NoDegree.com - the

    and

    - in a response to a Reddit thread in 2014 about career paths for candidates without college degrees

    How Jonaed's perspectives were shaped by his time at Bronx Science, Queens College, and Columbia University
    The incredible value Jonaed has gotten from the podcast, and lessons from noteworthy guests of the NoDegree podcast such as MMA Champion Demetrious Johnson and Scribe Media CEO JT McCormack 
    How NoDegree seeks to address deficiencies with Indeed, Monster, and other job posting sites
    The turning tide of the limited traditional "doctor / engineer / failure" menu of career options in the South Asian diaspora, which places undue emphasis on college rankings

    To learn more about Jonaed, please visit nodegree.com and nodegree.fm, or connect with him on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    44 min
  • 47: JD Murgolo on "Fragile Moments" in the "Dark Days / Bright Nights" of Managing Mental Health

    JD Murgolo, aka JD the Jedi, is an author, ACE Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer, speaker on anxiety and depression, and founder of the mental health community platform Fragile Moments. Host Nikhil Torsekar connected with him to dicuss several topics, including:

    How JD's background as a middle school Montessori teacher informed his love of helping adults "navigate their emotions"
    The dubious promise of health and wellness coaches "guaranteeing" elimination of anxiety, or loss of specific amounts of weight
    The role of social media in shaping community around mental health, including Fragile Moments
    Distinctions between active and passive meditation
    The origins and meaning of "Dark Days, Bright Nights," a platform that JD launched, which evolved into the Fragile Moments blog, podcast, and community
    How a humble bag of Funyuns can serve as a litmus test for attending to physical and mental health

    To learn more about JD, please visit fragilemoments.org  or connect with his jd_thejedi handle on Twitter and Instagram.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    36 min
  • 46: Justin S Grant: Finding Synergies Between Business and Spirituality – Even for Busy People!

    Spirituality is something that seems quite elusive in a hyper-notified, always-on world where we're glued to our screens, engaged in FOMO, doom-scrolling, or curating our Instagram feed to portray a perfect social and professional life. Justin S. Grant, however, has found a way to artfully blend these two worlds in his book Spirituality for Busy People (an abbreviation of his earlier work Business and Spirituality). In this episode, the Los Angeles, California-based author, entrepreneur, singer, and mentor speaks with Untether Your Life host Nikhil Torsekar about many topics, including:

    The distinctions between the views of psychology in eastern and western views, and how some consider Buddha (not Freud) to be the father of modern psychology
    The roots of FOMO, doom scrolling and other modern technology-driven behaviors, in our primal "reptilian brain-based" need for survival 
    A deep dive into the concepts of transformational psychology, and Justin's lifelong passion for the wisdom traditions and Eastern and Western spirituality 
    The destructive impact of poor diet (i.e., refined sugar) on physical and mental health
    Nikhil and wife Shelly Sood's work on advancing the mantra of "owning your own health" and embracing holistic treatment modalities beyond just surgery, medication, and cognitive behavioral therapy
    The evolution of Spirituality for Busy People into an highly impactful online platform with visualization meditation videos, worksheets, one-on-one Zoom calls and much more 

    To learn more about Justin, please visit his Website or connect with him on Instagram at @spiritualityforbusypeople or @justinsgrant

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    31 min
  • 45: Inspire with Shani: Guest IG Live Appearance: Breathwork, Mental Health in the South Asian Diaspora, and the Double-Edged Sword of Social Media

    Today's episode features a guest appearance by Nikhil Torsekar on an Instagram Live hosted by Shani, a coach  based near Lisbon, Portugal who practices breathwork and cold water exposure therapy. After these tools pulled him out of a major depression, he made it his mission to share them with others and help them discover their own power.

    They touch on numerous topics geared to help you untether your life and break free of "templates," including:

    The mechanics of methodologies such as SOMA breathwork, and how they can help manage mental health

    The stigma against mental health in South Asian diaspora, and the irony that many effective stress management tools (i.e., yoga, Ayurveda, breathwork) originated in South Asia
    The concept of addiction as applied to "bad" (drugs, alcohol), and "good" things (productivity, professional success)
    The impact of careers like management consulting on mental health
    Nikhil's long and winding road with bipolar disorder, from denial, to diagnosis, to treatment, and management
    The double-edged sword of technology / social media for community building, but also "FOMO" and the insatiable need for validation
    Shani's initiatives, including a mobile app and community around breathwork, mindfulness and meditation
    The philosophy behind the new name of the podcast (Untether Your Life)

    To connect with Shani, please visit him on Instagram or YouTube.

    Connect with Nikhil to learn more about Untether Your Life and other projects:

    Instagram

    Website

    LinkedIn

    Twitter

    31 min
  • 44: Introducing "Untether Your Life"

    Today marks a new chapter for this podcast: we launched this initiative a year ago alongside our blog, the book we'd co-authored, as well as an upcoming movie. The core themes are owning your own health - i.e., looking beyond surgery, medication, and cognitive therapy to manage your mental and physical wellness.

    More broadly, our mission is to help you as the listener "untether your life:" break free of "templates" - professional, cultural, and health-related - that you may have accepted as being written in stone. We do this by speaking with experts in meditation, folks who have struggled with mental illness, clinicians with insights on the South Asian experience and other incredible guests.

    To better reflect this motivation, and serve you as the listener and continue attracting high-caliber guests on the show, we will be rebranding the podcast as "Untether Your Life." You can find us online at https://untetheryourlife.co, on Spotify, Apple, and other podcast platforms at Untether Your Life, as well as untetheryourlife on Instagram, and other social media platforms.

    4 min

About Untether Your Life

From the publisher's feed

Untether Your Life empowers listeners to own their own health and break free of "templates" for managing physical and mental wellness, along with key issues impacting the South Asian diaspora. Nikhil Torsekar speaks with experts in meditation, folks who have struggled with mental illness, clinicians with insights on the South Asian experience, and other incredible guests.

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