Equanimity with Michala Sabnani

There’s a certain curiosity that follows Roshan Melwani, the social media personality known as the “Tik Tok tailor.” Perhaps it’s the polarising persona he dares to frequently lean into, or the radically different approach he’s embraced to leading Sam’s Tailor, a 67-year-old Hong Kong institution that’s dressed British royalty, American presidents, and global movie stars. His videos consistently draw millions of views and hundreds of thousands of fans, with a passionate following. In this conversation, we uncover a side to Roshan that’s revealing and raw. What’s influenced him, what haunts him, and the impact his dedication to sharing every aspect of his unfiltered views has on his family and business — Roshan Melwani on being audacious.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When she was 23, Nikita lost her mom to breast cancer. But her uphill battle with the disease only started from there. A few years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer herself. She was 25 at the time. Dealing with the reality of having cancer in her twenties, and confronting the illness that took her mom -- her story is a remarkable one. We talk about grief, we get into what it means to feel beautiful, and perhaps the most inspiring part is how one maintains a sense of equanimity when the dreams you had for yourself are painted with a very different stroke of struggle.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's nothing quite like the topic of love - being in love, falling out of love, searching for love - so we needed a true expert: Innayat has been on the front lines of love for over 17 years, organising some of the most prominent South Asian weddings around the world. But his own relationship to love is complex. He has experienced both his parents divorcing at the age of seven, as well as his own divorce -- but that hasn't stopped him from being 'obsessed with love'. In this conversation, we go through the lessons he's learned through love, what the business of love means for his personal life, as well as the impact covid had on himself and the wedding industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Tarini was 23, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after experiencing a crushing eight months of a depressive episode, followed by five months of a manic episode. While our understanding of mental illness is continually evolving, its prevalence is widespread. One in five people suffer from some kind of mental illness - more commonly depression or anxiety - a number that is only rising since the pandemic. In this conversation, Tarini shares her brave journey navigating being bipolar, how she's been able to remain episode free for over nine years, and what we can all do to be a little more aware about the importance of mental health. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mehek Gidwani started using drugs at 12 years old – by 19, her family checked her into rehab. Her addiction was so crippling, at such a young age. Now, 11 years into her sobriety, Mehek has turned her pain into purpose – she’s training to be an addiction recovery counsellor that leverages her experiences, marrying both western methodology with eastern holistic healing. How does addiction start and how can with stop it? We demystify the term -- because we all have addictions, some more harmful than others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world's most famous Indian chef is known for pushing boundaries -- but in 2019, when he walked away from his two Michelin star restaurant at the peak of its success, it was described by many as "remarkable". Now, years later, Gaggan Anand truly opens up about that time. Gaggan's story is one that represents the power of perseverance -- from Kolkata to the world stage, from getting it all, to losing it all. We talk about healing, what it takes to get to that place of inner peace to be able to start climbing a new peak, and what this new era of Gaggan represents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're stepping into the ring with fear and Ramona Pascual, MMA fighter and Hong Kong's first female to fight in the UFC. The depths of fear can be truly paralysing -- fear of failure, fear of being judged, fear of being different -- so how does Ramona's experience training as a combat fighter translate into a masterclass for equanimity? Our conversation explores the crippling feeling of defeat, overcoming that time and time again, building the mental conviction to reset, while always viewing fear as a fuel for growth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The pursuit of equanimity actually has its roots in ancient religion -- this episode takes it back to the scriptures of Hinduism to explore that perspective. Our guide is Hanish, a 24 year-old Hindu priest. He's on a mission to contextualise and modernise the practice of Hinduism. Our conversation on modern faith is wide reaching - from exploring purpose, to questioning the restrictive nature of religion, understanding what the scriptures say about things like queerness, and ultimately, how we can lean on this body of knowledge in our own journey of more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Identity seems so complex – for something that you are born with. The process of staying true to who you are can be a journey. For Bhavna, identifying as bisexual was not always as obvious. On this episode, we speak about her journey of exploring sexual identity, undoing dreams that are not your own, the importance of role models, and ultimately, how forging identity often comes at moments of unknown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Momentum. Having it, or more importantly, not. Reflecting upon that feeling when you are cruising from milestone to milestone…or the polar opposite - stagnation nation, where no matter how hard you try, it’s all red lights. That’s where we started this conversation with Monish. Where we ended up? Getting obsessed with zen, the luxury of purpose, and the realities of the grind. Listen to us get straight into it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.