Psychiatric illnesses – by which we mean conditions that affect a person’s mood, thinking, feeling, and / or behaviour – affect one in seven or eight people around the world, and even so, experts believe these conditions are under-reported. The term includes but isn’t limited to depression, anxiety, bipolarity and schizophrenia. But even though billions of people are coping with these conditions right now – dealing with their own conditions or those of their loved ones – they remain shrouded in mystery and stigma. In this episode, Anshu Bahanda explores the roots of psychiatric illnesses and how they can be managed well, through a conversation with Aparna Piramal Raje, a well-known columnist and thought leader, and eminent psychiatrist Dr. Kersi Chavda, who is associated with Sir H N Reliance Hospital and Hinduja Hospital. Dr. Chavda shares his insights on the complex nature of psychiatric illnesses, including their genetic and environmental roots, and he also talks about the various treatment options available – including Aparna’s seven therapies-model, which includes medication and love therapy. Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on this important topic, so you can learn how to recognise psychiatric problems better, talk about them more openly, and play your part to create a more inclusive world.

Yoga instructor Lamya Arsiwala tells you how yoga can boost brain power, and about some simple asanas you need to perform to experience these benefits. There are many reasons why the practice of yoga helps boost brain power. Studies have shown that practicing yoga regularly causes brain cells to develop new connections. Changes occur in brain structure as well as function, and these result in improvements in cognitive skills, such as learning and memory. Yoga, thus, has benefits in the areas of memory, attention, awareness, thought, and language. MRI scans have been used to study people who did yoga regularly and compare their brains to those who did not; practitioners of yoga were seen to have a thicker cerebral cortex (which processes information) and hippocampus (which is involved in learning and memory) compared to those who did not practice yoga. Moreover, while these areas of the brain tend to shrink with advanced age, regular yoga practitioners experienced less shrinkage – suggesting that yoga may even stave off cognitive decline.

Neurobics are activities and exercises that stimulate the brain. These are the equivalent to aerobic exercises, only they’re aimed at sharpening the mind. The idea is to train your brain with these exercises the way you train your muscles at a gym. A few short sessions of these brain workouts every day will challenge your brain and yield results in four key areas: Memory, Focus, Problem-solving and Calculation.

In this episode, you’ll hear scientist and educator Dr. Arnie Gotfryd talking about the results he’s seen neurobics deliver, why these exercises help and what you need to set up a brain gym at home. Arnie runs Maxi Mind Learning in Toronto and in this episode, he also delves into what his trademarked brain-training programme involves and how you can avail of its benefits.

Leading political journalist and TV show host Priya Sahgal who cares for her 80 year old mother, helping her deal with all the complications that old age brings, shares her experience in this episode. Not only will some listeners really relate with what she’s going through, Priya also tells you what’s worked for her and where the real-life challenges lie in situations such as these. After all, memory loss isn’t the only problem that comes with cognitive decline; caregivers may find their loved ones turn into people they don’t recognise with massive personality changes. They can become difficult, moody, or frustrated – and the difficult task of caring for them can leave you equally changed. Leading neurologist, Dr PN Renjen from Apollo Hospitals and geriatric psychiatrist, Dr Santosh Bangar tell you how to identify that it’s time to get your loved ones help, what to expect as they get older, what you can do to slow down / prevent or manage the symptoms of cognitive decline, and most importantly, what you must do to care for yourself.

The art of calligraphy is not only therapeutic; it actually stimulates the brain and helps improve focus, memory and problem-solving skills. In China, the Tang dynasty (618-907) mandated that officials practice the art of calligraphy, and the art of lettering was one of six disciplines of higher education. Today, there is scientific evidence to show that lettering improves brain function, but long before devices could measure it, the Chinese had observed the positive impact of lettering on visual-spatial aptitude. In this episode, you’ll hear Mumbai’s most sought-after calligrapher, Sanjana Chatlani of The Bombay Lettering Company talk about how the art improved her tennis game, and how it helps boost cognitive function in general. She also outlines what it takes to practice calligraphy, how to assess if you’re cut out for it, and where you can sign up for online classes so as to avail of the cognitive benefits now.

The Dancing Brain: Movements that sharpen your mind

Who doesn’t enjoy dancing. But did you know that the way you dance – the movements, the rhythm and the new steps you push yourself to try – can enhance brain power and creativity, and even help improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. In this episode, you’ll meet dance psychologist Dr Peter Lovatt, who has spent twenty years working in university research labs, where he’s been studying the impact of movement on human thinking and behaviour. Peter’s expertise is in experimental cognitive psychology and his work on memory, thinking, mood, language learning, problem solving, dance and Parkinson’s disease has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals. He’s also the author of two books – The Dance Cure: The surprising secret to being smarter, stronger, happier and Dance Psychology: the science of dance and dancers. And in this episode, he talks about how different movements and dance forms impact the brain, how long you need to dance to sharpen your mind, what research has shown about the impact of dance on the symptoms of Parkinson’s and how dance can improve attention spans and even your kids’ grades.

How often have you promised yourself that you’re going to prioritise your wellness – that you’re going to get fitter or take care of your skin – and then faltered? It’s easier said than done, because, often, the goals we set are too ambitious and the changes required to achieve them are too numerous. It can all be rather overwhelming. That’s why, in this episode of Wellness Curated – the last episode of my ‘Let’s Get Physical’ season – I asked five experts to share simple one-minute rituals that will leave you feeling healthier and happier. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” said the Taoist philosopher Laozi, so begin by dedicating just one minute to yourself every day, and then I hope you’ll step it up gradually until your well-being is no longer an afterthought.

Let’s Get Physical: Not so long ago, only celebrities opted for aesthetic treatments. Botox, liposuction and dermal fillers were things that most regular people only read about in magazines with a mixture of awe and trepidation. Today, however, everyone is familiar with these procedures. It’s not uncommon for working professionals to stop by a clinic to get their Botox shots on their way to work; it’s become as ordinary as picking up a takeaway. The fact that technological developments have made these treatments more accessible is great – because issues like scars, acne and the physical after-effects of cancer treatments can sometimes destroy one’s self-esteem. But there is a downside to the fact that these treatments have become so commonplace, too. From the dangers of addiction and excessive use to the risks of having inexperienced people performing these procedures, Dr Barbara Dalbos from the incredible Sha Wellness Clinic in Spain, lays it all out in this episode.

Let’s Get Physical

Shiamak Davar, the man who has helped numerous celebrities like Shahid Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, and Alia Bhatt find their footing, both literally and metaphorically, tells you about the ways in which he has seen dance make a difference to people’s lives. Shiamak pioneered a new wave of dance in Indian films with Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), which is come to be known as ‘Shiamak style’ in India. A powerful arrangement of movements that have come to be synonymous with Shiamak, the ‘Shiamak style’ changed the face of dance in Bollywood. Film director Vishal Bhardwaj has highlighted Shiamak’s unique indo-contemporary style in the new film, Fursat, starring Ishaan Khatter and Wamiqa Gabbi. Shiamak also runs Victory Arts Foundation, through which he extends the benefits of dance to all those who may not otherwise have been able to afford his expertise: people with economic challenges, or mental or physical disabilities. And in this episode, the incredible dance supremo tells you the many ways in which he’s seen dance heal. Listen! Get inspired! Get dancin’!

Let’s Get Physical

Although few people in relationships take the trouble to lay down the boundaries, or clearly define their relationship agreements, most people would define an affair as an occasion when a partner broke such an agreement in what they felt was a committed partnership. That could be a physical affair, at times, but people can feel just as betrayed by partners who secretly correspond with another. Expectations vary from one relationship to another and even partners in a relationship can have different expectations. An affair is, therefore, really a case of breach of trust, in one way or the other.

It’s tough, but not impossible, to get back to a healthy relationship – if that’s what partners want to do. Whether you’re the one who strayed or the one who feels betrayed, in this episode, psychosexual and relational therapist Anvita Madan-Bahel, relationship reinvention specialist Aili Seghetti and psychotherapist Cassandra de la Thea tell you how to get through this rough patch.

Let’s Get Physical 

Aches and emotions: Why heartbreak really hurts 

Most people would agree that pain is influenced by emotion to some degree, but in this episode, you’ll hear psychologist Sushma IR and psychotherapist and psychological astrologist Arya Timblo talk about how bottled-up emotions can actually cause everyday aches and pains. Remembering that you have control over your life and resisting the temptation to catastrophise – “don’t get trapped in a whirlpool of ‘what-ifs’” as Sushma IR says – can help counter this. Listen to this episode to understand how you can live a relatively pain-free life.

In the post-COVID world, where well-being is finally getting due attention, technological advances in  fitness technology – especially in the area of wearable devices and interactive apps – is helping people to take nutrition, health and daily activity more seriously. The downside is that you could be taking it a bit too seriously. Listen to our experts, nutritionist Neha Sahaya, fit-tech entrepreneur Armaan Kandhari and fitness expert, Karan Khurana talk about the pros and cons of fitness technology, the tools they love and the ones they don’t and about how you can watch out for the pitfalls and get the most out of fitness tech. Discover how innovations like sensors and wireless technology are helping the world get fitter and learn about tech that costs a packet but which will pay you huge dividends.

In the final part of our meditation series we find out how to attract abundance, happiness and joy, guided by healer, seeker and yogini Amrita Mann.

Today we are looking at the healing powers of herbs, a tradition of medicine that dates back millennia.

In this podcast, we will explore the world of herbs, with my guest Collette Ruddy, who is a Trained Nutritionist and Medical Herbalist, and who specializes in women’s health.

Our fourth instalment in our meditation series will help you remove negativity and conflicts in your relationship and fill it instead with love.

Let us hear from Amrita Mann who is a healer, seeker and yogini, and discover how to surround ourselves with Love.

Money is a form of energy and like energy it is meant to flow, in and out.

Listen to episode 3 in our meditation series – meditation for wealth.

Let’s follow Amrita Mann as she guides us…

Meditation can give us a sense of calm, peace and balance that can benefit both our emotional well-being and our overall health.

In episode 2 of our meditation series, we’re looking at how meditation can lead to better health.

Guiding us is Amrita Mann, healer, seeker and yogini.

Through her guided meditation, she has helped people sort out a number of issues from aches and pains, poor digestion, dizziness, anxiety, chronic fatigue, auto-immune issues and more.

In this podcast, we dived deep into Psychological Astrology – discovering what it is and how it can help us understand more about our life and ourselves.

My guest, Arya Punj Timblo is a professional adult and child psychotherapist  and an experienced psychological astrologer who has been working in both these fields for the past 20 years.  She also teaches Psychological Astrology online internationally.

In this podcast we discussed how to prepare for Death and live with the dying.

Dr. Sarah Holmes is a Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Medical Director of Marie Curie Hospice Bradford, UK – who has worked extensively in end of life care.

Amrita Mann is an incredible healer.

Let’s look at how meditation can really help to clear our minds, boost concentration, energy, and sleep.

In our series on meditation,  my guest Amrita Mann will be our guide and we’ll cover key aspects in each session including Meditation for Health, Wealth, Love and Happiness.