The Philosophy of Now (ROOTS Media)

In this episode, we speak with the popular and acclaimed yoga instructor and author. Ira Trivedi. She has truly become a pathbreaker in the yoga community with her ability to make spiritual philosophy and practice engaging for the modern world.

After her own journey exploring the world of Hinduism and yoga, writing books about feminism and human emotions, she has now become a trailblazer in the yoga world. The founder of Namami Yoga, a non profit organization, she went on start a phone app for yoga wellness practices, and an online yoga studio.

Her online courses, retreats, yoga lessons and articles have become attractive for all age groups! She doesn’t shy away from speaking out on fender, women and youth issues. In the episode, she is honest and transparent about her journey into yoga, her struggles staying joyful in yoga, how to stay disciplined on this path, what she feels the youth need to focus on and how she keeps her mind focused running a yoga organization in a capitalistic society and her own life mantra!

As always, she ultimately gives us her philosophy of now - her life mantra! Listen, learn and reflect together.

How do we imbibe the qualities of a monk? What is mean to detach from worldly pleasures? Why does a spiritual life seem so distant to us sometimes?

Well, before becoming a monk, our guest today was a young agnostic in U.C. Berkeley trying to figure out his purpose in life like the rest of us.

Today, Swami Medhananda is a sanyassi or monk under the Ramakrishna Order, founded by the prolific sage, Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Medhananda is also currently Senior Research Fellow and a monk at the Vedanta Society of Southern California. He is also the Hindu Chaplain at UCLA. He's a scholar who has written insightful books and articles about the philosophies of Swami Vivekenanda and Sri Ramakrishna.

While in this conversation Swamiji gives us novices a deep dive into Hinduism 101, he also explains his own journey as a youth figuring out his spiritual purpose. He advises the youth on how to find their own life of meaning and contemplation.

Let's listen, learn and reflect together with Swami Medhananda's life mantra!

In this episode, we learn from the yogi, popular musician and former monk - Raghunath Cappo. 

Cappo achieved success early in his life, leading a punk rock band, Youth of Today, which championed the ideals of vegetarianism, clean living and self-control, to a reach of thousands of fans. Eventually, Cappo went on a spiritual journey to India, becoming a monk in Vrindavan for more than six years.

Diving deeper into his spiritual practice of yoga, kirtan music, meditation and scriptural teachings, Cappo now leads his own yoga teacher training programs, guides in kirtan studies and continues to make music. In 2020, Cappo and Kaustubha Das launched their own podcast, Wisdom of the Sages, currently available on streaming platforms!

Cappo speaks with us candidly and transparently about his own mental struggles during his life journey, what bhakti or devotion means to him and how he sees his art and actions as a means for spiritual growth. 

From the meaning of true love to punk rock to the Bhagavad Gita to pandemic struggles, Cappo navigates us through it all. But at the core, he guides us through his own life mantra at every moment - his Philosophy of Now! 

Let's listen, learn and introspect together.

Welcome to the inaugural episode for the new season!

Our first guest is an extremely special one. We go right into the deep end of our spiritual journeys and meditation practices, as we speak with a renowned Zen master - Henry Shukman.

Henry teaches meditation, mindfulness and awakening practices to a wide range of students from all traditions and walks of life. He is a Zen Master in the Sanbo Zen lineage. He has an MA from Cambridge and an MLitt from St Andrews and has written several award-winning books of poetry and fiction. He has written of his own journey in his memoir One Blade of Grass: Finding the Old Road of the Heart, a Zen Memoir. Henry has recently created a new meditation program, Original Love, which aims to provide a broad, inclusive path of growth through meditation.

In the episode, we learn Henry’s own spiritual hurdles how he stumbled upon the practice, experiencing oneness with the world, the fundamentals of Zen meditation and power of Koans - or anecdotes and statements that provoke enlightenment. He teaches us how to practice mindfulness and gives us the most unique Philosophy of Now yet! Wait till the end for that mind-blowing mantra.

This is an extremely personal, thought-provoking and inspirational conversation for us to all find and improve our purpose and practices. We recommend being full present as if meditating when you listen to this.

We’re excited for this one! Let's listen, learn and reflect together!

A former monk for 15 years in India and New York City, Pandit Dasa gives talks and teaches classes on yoga, mindfulness, meditation, resilience and stress management. From being a child of the American Dream to facing the reality of the ups and downs life very early to then becoming a monk and now a speaker, teacher, and author, Dasa speaks with us on his spiritual journey, the beauty of mindfulness meditation and what devotion means to him.

We also speak about Dasa's new book, "Closing The Apps: How To Be Mindful At Work and At Home!"  It available on Amazon and his website - panditdasa.com. 

One of the most reputed consciousness theorists and neuroscientists in the world, Dr. Allan Combs talks about his journey. Having written over 200 books, articles, and chapters on consciousness and the complexity of the mind, Dr. Combs tells us about his spiritual journey, mysteries surrounding the root of human awareness, and why he believes learning to explore our conscious nature can make us more compassionate people. 

We learn from Rameshwar Das, the dear friend of spiritual leader Ram Dass and disciple of renowned guru and yogi, Neem Karoli Baba. An artist and author, Das talks about his own spiritual journey, most intimate moments with his guru in India and best memories of Ram Dass.We dive into his latest book, “Being Ram Dass,” a memoir which he co-authored alongside Ram Dass. The book releases in India on July 6th. Buy it here.

We learn about the wisdom he received throughout his life especially from his guru and friend. And ultimately, we get the answer to the question - what is his philosophy of now?

Our guest today, Dr. Pamela Wisniewski, is the Task Force Chair at the University of Central Florida’s Socio-Technical Interaction Lab and a professor at the university’s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Department.

Much of her research focuses on the threats and impact of social media on youth and adolescents. From mental health struggles on youngsters from bullying online to the need for online safety for parents and children to the threats of privacy, she has been a part of more than a 100 publications related to the field.

In our insightful conversation, she explains the major pitfalls of the social media landscape, if there are any rays of hope for us living in a social dilemma that threatens our privacy, and how we can become more aware and cautious consumers of digital media for the future.

The director of Hindi film classics like 'Rang De Basanti,' and 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,' Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra sat down with us to talk about his journey in to filmmaking, his fondest memories while making his movies and why he sees his movies as mirrors. With his latest film, 'Toofan,' starring Farhan Akhtar, the masterful artist talks to us about the common themes in his films, his thoughts on the socio-political commentary in his films and his relationship with spirituality. The National Film Award-winning director also gives us the latest scoop on his next movie inspired by the story of Karna from the Mahabharata.

At the core, Mehra teaches us his philosophy of now! Listen to learn more and take a glimpse inside the wonderful artist's mind.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's latest memoir, 'The Stranger In The Mirror,' is available online.

Our guest today is Nikhil Taneja, the founder and CEO fo Yuvaa, the purpose-driven media company for the youth of today. Nikhil is a trailblazer - an entrepreneur, media superstar, writer, creator, speaker and teacher.

Very early in his life, he became a leading force within Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. He led the Dharmatic Productions, with streaming and digital shows - way before they became popular!

But at his peak, he decided leave the entertainment world to take care of his mental health. He realized his true purpose was to inspire and guide the youth of today. Becoming an inspirational teaching force and building Yuvaa for inspirational content for the youth of today to value mental health, Nikhil is now living a purpose-driven life.

He speaks on his mental health journey, what the youth of today should value, spirituality, how he learned from his hurdles, why he doesn't think of the future anymore and what guides him.

This one is like an entry and open book from Nikhil's journal. Let's be mindful, introspective and enter with an open-mind!

Join us to learn, listen and reflect together.

We speak with Roopa Pai, the acclaimed children’s author. Having written more than 15 books ranging from a fantasy series, the Taranauts, to the Crossword Award-winning book, The Gita For Children, she has proven to be a trailblazer in children’s writing.

In this conversation, we speak about her love and dedication to children’s writing, how she stumbled upon the deep knowledge of the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and Vedas, how she makes the ancient scriptures engaging for kids, the meaning of swadhyaya and why she hopes her work can inspire children and adults to not only understand the core message of the Gita but also that their only duty is to love themselves.

At the soul, as always, we go on this journey of questions to truly ask only question - what is Roopa Pai’s Philosophy of Now?

Today we learn from Pooja Bhale.

An environmentalist, ecology warrior and social activist - all these words still don’t do justice what she is. At heart, she is a free spirit.

She is the founder of The Protecterra Ecological Foundation, dedicated to creating a global society that respects nature, practices sustainability and comes together in solidarity. believe that people will only do as much as they are aware of and our work aims to increase this level of awareness to enable action.

Her main work is with her initiative The Farm - based in the outskirts of Pune. It is a space where one can feel oneness with nature based on the philosophy of spiritual ecology - bringing a human-being closer to nature, while leading workshops on spiritual healing, yoga and meditation.

While she came from a very well-off upbringing, Pooja Bhale chose a minimalist life with her many animals, farm, initiative and a tent where she lives!

Join us as we learn from her about her spiritual journey, the courage it took to leave it all, what it takes to be so driven for a mission, the importance of spiritual ecology and of course - her life mantra at every moment!

Let's listen, learn and grow together.

Join us in this new season of The Philosophy of Now Podcast! New episodes every Wednesday.

What is you life mantra that keeps you grounded in every moment? How do we continue perservere as human beings on our spiritual journeys? How can the trailblazers and thought leaders of today guide us along our journeys? Our mantras become our best friends on this journey.

The Philosophy of Now is the podcast for seekers. We, as the hosts, represent us all - seekers wanting to learn. We want to learn to progress, develop and introspect. When we reflect, we grow. This podcast is a guided meditation, an environment for us all to reflect, introspect and grow together.

In this new season, we bring the biggest and most innovative thought leaders, spiritual personalities, philosophers, celebrities and artists to give us their journeys and wisdom. Join us starting February 12th for new episodes and documentaries! New episodes every Wednesday!

We speak with Jeffrey Alan Henderson, the pathbreaking designer, engineer and entrepreneur. He has worked with brands like Nike, Yeezy, Cole Haan and more.

Realizing the need for social impact in his community, he used his design expertise and passion to create initiatives like goodthin.gs and NiinetyNine Products, designing shoes for and schools and collaborating with the educational community to create social change.

In this conversation, we speak about his journey and experiences workiing with the biggest names in design and fashion, how to manifest your dreams, the importance of STEAM in education and of course...his life mantra at every moment, his philosophy of now!

We speak with the phenomenal singer and musician, Shashaa Tirupati. With instant hits and classics like Vaan, Kanha, Phir Bhi Tumko Chahunga, The Humma Song and Khulke Jeene Ka, the star has taken India by storm having won a National Film Award!

But in this conversation, we go deeper as usual. We learn about the singer's multicultural and unique background, what drives her musicially and creativity and her struggles early in the industry.

We dive into the source of her unending curiosity, the spiritual guidance from her mentor the Grammy-winner maestro, A.R. Rahman, wy she believes she's an "old soul," and the level of detachment in her creative journey.

She speaks about her upcoming goals, music as therapy and ultimately - her Philosophy of Now!

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Christian Braneon, a  scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies and a visiting professor in the Environmental Science Department at Barnard College. His work outside of academia is focused on stakeholder engagement, satellite imagery and climate projections. 

He speaks to us about the urban heat island effect impacting our cities across the globe. He explains the steps we can take to make sure we ensure a better future for ourselves and the generations to come, as we face a major climate change crisis. 

In this episode, Sri M, the yogi, mystic and spiritual teacher guides us through a wide range of philosophical discussions. The Padma Bhushan recipient speaks to us honestly about his spiritual journey, from being a wandering monk in the Himalayas, to his guru's teachings to what he discovered about true yoga.

The Satsang Foundation founder speaks to us about the true value of free will, what he defines as success, the importance of yoga and what the practice has to offer for our wellbeing. And ultimately, he tells us his philosophy of now - his life mantra at every present moment.

Sri M provides insight for the modern generation of youth - he's open, honest and clear!

Let's listen, learn and introspect together. 

Our conversation today is with the bestselling author, Ami Ganatra. Her bestselling books 'Mahabharata Unraveled' and 'Ramayana Unravelled: Lesser known Facets of Rishi Valmiki's Epic,' swept the globe with unique perspectives and analytical gems on the ancient Indian epics.

As a student of Sanskrit, yoga practitioner and lecturer on ancient Indian epics and wisdom, Ami has provided clarity, context and nuance to the ancient Indian wisdom and texts.

For the youth of today, her books have become guides to understanding the heritage and what to take away and practice from these texts.

She chats with us about the deepest questions regarding the wisdom and stories - why did Rama make the decisions he made? How is Krishna's life journey something we can learn from? How was history recorded then? Do we look at these texts as history or religion? What are the life lessons for us in our daily life? How do we remain critical of them ?

She goes into it all! And as always, she speaks on her own spiritual journey, finding meaning and her life mantra!

Join us in meditating, listening, learning and reflecting with Ami Ganatra NOW!

We speak with one of India's most popular and talented singers today, Sid Sriram. Sriram, born in Chennai but raised in the U.S., fell in love with both worlds of music at a young age. Learning Carnatic music from a lineage of classical artists while being exposed to R&B and soul music in America, the singer graduated from the Berklee School of Music.

Grabbing the attention of Oscar and Grammy winner, A.R. Rahman, Sriram instantly made his mark in the Tamil and Telugu film music industry with hits numbers like Adiye, Samajavaragamana, and Ennodu Nee Irundhaal,  multiple awards and and a vast fanbase.

The singer-musician tells us why he calls himself a true hybridist, the spiritual side of music-making, his own album, the relationship between intuition and intention and why A.R. Rahman told him to fast.

Our guest today, Sensei Sandeep Desai, is the first South Asian to teach T'ai Chi martial arts across the globe. As a master in the martial arts and yoga, the Sensei has traveled across the globe teaching and holding workshops.

Winning numerous accolades worldwide, he learned directly from the Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Tian Chi. He's been featured in BBC World, TEDX and numerous festivals including the Woodstock Festival in New York.

The Sensei, having taught and spread the ancient martial arts and yoga for the past 30 years, sits down with us. He speaks about his journey in to this ancient world of wisdom and spirituality. He talks about the spiritual and health benefits of T'ai Chi, the similarities between yoga and the martial arts and how the youth today can develop holistically through this ancient craft.

He speaks about day-to-day routines that can change our health and spiritual progress exponentially. From a raw food diet to basic breathing exercises, he guides us through it all. Ultimately, he speaks on his philosophy of now!

Join us as we continue this journey of learning, listening and reflecting together.

Our guest this episode is Dr. Christopher Emdin, Director of Science Education at the Teachers College in Columbia University. A researcher in urban education and  the founder of the HipHopEd movement, Emdin has built programs to help educators create a positive impact in classrooms for students to learn subjects in creative ways like rap and hip hop.

A public speaker on topics like race, culture, inequality and youth empowerment, Dr. Emdin speaks to us about his journey, hip hop, what is lacking in our modern education system, and what is required for real change. 

Today we speak with Dr. Fritjof Capra. An Austrian born theoretical quantum physicist who has done research at the likes of Stanford Linear Accelerator, University of California Santa Cruz, and University of Paris. Through his notable books, Tao of Physics and Turning Point, he was one of the first scientist to draw similarities from and highlight the insights of eastern philosophy. He concentrated also on his interests in systems thinking - incorporating various paradigms into a worldview that allows for coexistence and ecological sustenance. Inspired by the Bhagwad Geeta, he consistently maintained an outlook that challenged the traditional Cartesian structure of Western science.

Dr. Diane Hughes, professor of Applied Psychology at NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Development, and Education, tells us about her research into the impact discrimination and racism on teens and adolescents. Along with her personal journey into the field of psychology, Dr. Hughes helps us understand the cause and impact of the modern racial divide and health crisis youth face today. 

Today we speak with the founders of the Baithak Foundation, Dakshayani Athalye and Mandar Karanjkar!

The foundation is a nonprofit based in Pune, India - but focuses on making Indian classical music accessible to all students regardless of their socio-economic background. The goal is to bring the essence of all Indian art and classical music to young students: that it is a sadhana or practice to help us all live a more spiritual and meaning life.

What started as a weekend activity is now a program in collaboration with more than 30 schools in 3 different cities with over 3,000 students. They run workshops for underprivileged communities. The idea is to make classical music what is was always rooted in - inclusiveness and spiritual development.

Both Mandar and Dakshyani are trained in Indian classical music and seek this all-rounded development for themselves and their students.

We speak to yet another group that seeks to make service a means of spiritual practice - a process of self refinement. We learn from their journey, their relationship with music, their amazing stories of kids from underprivileged communities sprouted into their own, and what spirituality means to them.

As always, we learn their life mantra - philosophy of now!

Let's listen, learn and introspect together.

Our Christmas special! In today's episode, we speak with the legendary kirtan singer, Krishna Das. Known for his numerous devotional song albums, the founder of the Kirtan Wallah Foundation speaks to us candidly and honestly about his spiritual journey.

The Grammy-nominated artist speaks about his own life hurdles, personal life lessons from his guru, Neem Karoli Baba, the importance of finding your path and the beauty of devotion and music.

Known as the "chant master of American yoga," by the New York Times, Das is extremely vulnerable in this conversation. While he speaks about his own mental roadblocks in the past, he provides us with countless wisdom nuggets on how to "be here now," how to meditate on music and ultimately his life mantra - his philosophy of now!

Join us on this journey with Krishna Das. Let's listen, learn and grow together!

We speak with Nandita Das, the acclaimed filmmaker and actor and former Cannes Film Festival jury member. Celebrated for her path breaking roles and directorial ventures in films, Das has allowed her films to be a voice to speak out about issues that matter. 

Whether it be the National Film Award-winning film Firaaq or the critically-acclaimed film Manto about the life of the outspoken short story writer, Saadat Hasan Manto, Das consistently shows how historical social flaws reflect our living reality today. Beyond her feature films, Das has led social justice campaigns too. 

We speak to her about her journey into the Indian film industry, the seamless union of filmmaking and activism, and how self-reflection drives her to create more meaningful content. 

We are back! In our first episode of the new season, we speak with Nina Rao. The acclaimed kirtan artist and spiritual guide talks to us about the importance of practice.

Practice, we talkin about practice?! The reality is - without it, we don't become true seekers on our paths towards self development ans true inner peace. Nina Rao talks about destiny - how she found her path and guru.

She dives into the spiritual wisdom and science behind mantras. She reminds us we can also be Hanuman, if we learn to trust the process!

In our first episode, we cherish her philosophy of NOW - her wisdom, insight and guidance for us all.

Let's kick of this season with an amazing conversation in our sanctuary. Let's meditate, listen and learn TOGETHER.

In today's episode we speak with Acharya Prashant. He is an acclaimed Vedanta exegete and author of over 80 books, including the National Bestseller  'Karma – Why Everything You Know About it is Wrong'. An alumnus of IIT-Delhi, IIM-Ahmedabad and a former Civil Services officer, he is an exponent of pure Vedantic wisdom, a vocal warrior against superstition and inner weaknesses, a promulgator of pure spiritual veganism, and an expounder of essential human freedom.

He is honest, straightforward and deep in this conversation. We learn about his spiritual journey, how one can balance between detachment and ambitions, navigating in this modern consumer landscape, dissecting the struggles of the modern youth, Vedantic inquiry and self-analysis and ultimately a life philosophy to adopt.

We dive deep into the insecurities, struggles and questions and leave with guidance at the end of the conversation!

Let's listen, learn and reflect together with Acharya Prashant!

In our first episode, we speak with Swami Sarvapriyananda, the Head Monk at the Ramakrishna Mission's Vedanta Society of New York. The swami, popular for his viral lecture videos, tells us his take on the most pressing issues that we face today, what we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic, and what today's youth can do develop spiritually. 

Samuel Freedman, a former Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times writer for the On Religion column, speaks to us about the modern news landscape and  navigating through the clutter of fake news.

The professor of Media Ethics at the Columbia University School of Journalism tells us about the role of news and transparent reporting during the current political turmoil and post-Election climate. He guides us in being conscious consumers of the media and tells us the true historical value of looking at both sides of a story to understand the reality we live in. 

We learn from Hanuman Dass. Another "Das" in our podcast! 

It's not a surprise because to be a das in Sanskrit means to serve. And like the other great guests, Hanuman Dass' very mission is to serve all people.

The founder of Go Dharmic, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals to help create positive social change throughout humanitarian and environmental efforts and campaigns, Hanuman Dass' foundation is a spiritual one.

Inspired by Ram Dass and the Neem Karoli Baba, he speaks to us about his spiritual learnings, how the philosophy of seeing divinity in all guides him and the vision of his mission. He teaches us how social work and giving each other hand is actually the very tenant of spirituality if our intention are pure. He shows how to do it and the hurdles along the way!

He ultimately guides us to his life mantra.

Let's listen, learn and reflect together.