Today, Vandana Shah is amongst the top divorce lawyers in India. The story of how she got there is unique. Vandana was in an abusive marriage and only got out of it because her in-laws pushed her out of the house one night. With only 10 dollars in her account, Vandana rebuilt her life taking every opportunity that came her way. When she found that she was running around in circles as a litigant, because of her limited understanding of the law, she decided to study law. She chose to document her journey as a litigant in a book to help others who may be in similar circumstances. The book, The Ex-Files: The Story of my Divorce is a best-seller and currently part of the judicial college syllabus. Vandana shares her story of triumphing over adversity while keeping a positive outlook towards life and inspiring other victims of domestic abuse find the courage to rebuild their lives. Connect with the guests:Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/360degreesbacktolife/ Email: 360degreesbacktolife@gmail.comPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p

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The Ex-Files: Vandana Shah #54

Bhavna has a career in IT, but her passion lies in connecting people through food. She's the author of the blog, Just a Girl from Aamchi Mumbai which featured in the top twenty blogs in Perth. Her most recent venture, The Modern Desi, a culinary experience represents both, the girl holding on to her culture and roots in India and the newer her as she embraces and grows in a different culture in Australia. Bhavna's birth-home, India and home of choice, Australia are different at various levels. Yet, both societies have strikingly similar views towards those choosing to be childfree. It is barely understood. Bhavna hopes that by sharing her story of wanting to be childfree, more people can see it for what it is, a choice. Connect with the guests:Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themoderndesi.co/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/themoderndesi.co/ Website: https://themoderndesi.co/ Email: hello@themoderndesi.coPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p

The Modern Desi: Bhavna Kalra #53

Suzanna grew up surrounded by nature and by all things natural in Munnar, India. When she moved to the city, she quickly adapted to the city life of access and "use and throw" mentality. All that changed when Suzanna's daughter was born. She wants her daughter to grow in a world that is not being crushed under the burden of consumption. And so, Suzanna became conscious of the everyday choices she made. She found this shift in her way of living was not easy, cheap or accessible. We consume and never question where anything is coming from or where it's going. Suzanna hopes to change that way of thinking by sharing the story of the product, where it came from, who made it and why it may be the right fit for you through her eco-conscious store Inkahaani. Connect with the guests:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inkahaani/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzanna.verghesePlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p

Inkahaani: Suzanna Varghese #52

Priti Raman Vishwakarma's love for travel began after her first solo trip to Himachal Pradesh in India. Despite her initial apprehensions, she found the courage to travel alone, and her life was forever changed. She hopes that by sharing her experience, others are encouraged to travel more. That's how Womaniya on road trips, a travel company for women, led by Priti began. Priti has Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and was advised by the doctor to stop travelling after she had a seizure at an airport on one of her trips. She weighed her options and decided not to give up on her dream of travelling. Now, Priti briefs her co-travellers about her condition and how to handle the seizure if it happens. She continues to be amazed by the support and encouragement she receives from other travellers while doing what she loves. Connect with the guests:Email: preeti2791@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/womaniya_on_roadtrips/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womaniyaonroadtrips/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p

Womaniya on Road Trips: Priti Vishwakarma #51

Reshma is an artist-activist advocating and supporting several issues from mental health and sexuality to human rights. Val Resh as she's popularly known was diagnosed with schizophrenia at twenty-two. Since then she's had many diagnoses. She does not let these labels define her and calls herself the schizophrenist, combining the words schizophrenia and artist-activist. She gives us an insight into what it is like to live in our society with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, in her book Fallen, Standing. She hopes that we will stop labelling others and see the individual before their label.Correction: In the episode, we've stated Reshma rode her bike for three days. She rode her bike for 36 hours. Apologies about the error and thanks Resh for pointing it out. Connect with the guests:Website: https://www.valresh.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valresh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/val_resh Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p

Schizophrenist: Reshma Valliappan #50

Sonam Shekhawat is the first Indian to win an Emmy Award for writing. She shares her story of growing up in Jaipur, India, watching cartoons all day to becoming one of the most coveted animation series writers. Sonam had offers to pursue a degree in medicine or engineering from some of the most prestigious colleges in India, and she chose to pursue a degree in animation, a career choice her parents were not keen on. However, they supported her decision, and Sonam is grateful for their support. Convincing her parents is part of the story, how she got her break in the animation industry is a story that shows her grit and ingenuity.She's a born story-teller, and her story is interesting, funny and inspiring. This is our final episode of Season Three, and we will be back with more in September 2019.Connect with the guests:Email: sonam.shekhawat@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonam-shekhawat-6b94382a/ IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7278484/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Tathastu: Sonam Shekhawat #49

Isha Soni has moved between twelve apartments, four cities and two countries over the past three years and is currently settled in Canada. She shares her story of growing up in India and then moving to the west and finding herself in an environment that felt completely alien, causing a kind of cultural chaos she hadn't expected. She chats about her about life abroad, trying to make sense out of different cultural norms and a whole new way of living while trying to hold on to her culture, identity and life as she knows it. Connect with the guests:Email: ishabsoni@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ishabsoni/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!  Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Culture Chaos: Isha Soni #48

Snehaa Sundaram, our guest today works with Wildlife Trust Of India, helping address wildlife emergencies across the country. Before this, she worked in the forests of Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Sanjay-Dubri National Park & Great Nicobar Island. She followed her passion for a career, and it led her to find love with Yaju, a naturalist, in the beautiful Sal forests of Kanha.Working closely with nature every day means they are always aware of the impact we have on earth and chose to have a small, simple, eco-friendly, zero-waste wedding in Chennai. She shares her story of choosing her calling over a conventional career and hopes more people will be encouraged to reduce, recycle and reuse, especially at weddings. Connect with the guests:Email: snehaa.sundaram@gmail.comFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/SnehaaSundaramPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneInGet in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2pCreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Green Wedding: Snehaa Sundaram #47

If the word diet immediately makes you think of a stringent weight-loss plan, you are not alone. Humans have been obsessing about their weight for over two thousand years. We chat with Uma Narula about the importance of nutrition and why we must focus on nourishing ourselves instead of obsessing about following diet fads. She shares her opinion on various current diet fads. She believes in holistic nutrition and not overcomplicating food and that a happy, healthy and balanced life can be achieved by following a realistic, practical and personalized plan based on one's lifestyle.Connect with the guests:Email: uma@nutriguide.co.inFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/UmaNarulaNutriguide/ Website: http://nutriguide.co.in/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

The best diet: Uma Narula #46

Suman Manning is an events organiser, entrepreneur, manages the community Twinplus Arabia which supports parents of multiples and is mum to triplets Zara, Zoe and Zander.She shares her story of finding love with Shane, fertility struggles, having triplets and now raising them in a culture that is different from both hers and her husbands. She hopes her children will grow up to be cross-cultural and can feel at home anywhere in the world. Connect with the guests:Email: suman@square1me.comInstagram: @trippie_mumPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Raising Third Culture Kids: Suman Manning #45

Parshati Patel is an astrophysicist, planetary scientist, science communicator and educator. As a young girl, she discovered astronomy on a trip to the planetarium on holiday with the family and has not looked back.She struggled to convince her traditional Gujarati family about her career choice and found a unique way to win them over. With her family convinced, she moved to Canada to study astronomy and build her career as an astrophysicist. Today she is a passionate advocate for Women of Color in STEAM and inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers through space science and technology. Connect with the guests:Email: parshatipatel@gmail.comInstagram: @spacegeek.parshPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Astrophysicist: Parshati Patel #44

Addiction is a progressive mental illness. Mehek Gidwani shares her story of addiction, recovery and now living a sober life. She was born and raised in Hong Kong and had her first interaction with alcohol and drugs at the tender age of thirteen. The drug didn't seem like a drug. It was a natural thing found around the house. What started as a fun, exhilarating experience and way to fit in with friends quickly progressed to full-blown addiction by the age of fifteen. She was torn, one part of her wanting help, wanting to get better, and the other part was utterly fighting and trying to push it away. Rehab became a huge turning point in her life. Her values, how she viewed the world, her relationship with herself completely changed and she was able to forgive herself and come to a place of acceptance. Today she works as a Holistic Addiction Recovery Coach supporting people who are in recovery from addiction. Connect with the guests:Email: mehekgidwani143@gmail.comInstagram: freedomcreationshkPlease help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneIn Get in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Forgiveness and Acceptance: Mehek Gidwani #43

Janani Viswanathan from Sunnyvale, California was on a break from work a couple of years ago, and that lead to her becoming the co-creator of Project NoMoreNirbhaya in Chennai, India. This initiative aims to create safer public spaces for women. Their team teaches free self-defence sessions for school and college girls. They've also conducted gender sensitivity training for bus drivers and conductors and safety audits to rate which parts of the city as safe or unsafe. She also works as a Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line- helping people in crisis over text and is an active domestic violence advocate at a South Asian organization based in Bay Area and a certified California Domestic Violence Survivor Counselor. She hopes more people will be encouraged to support organizations that are taking action to make India a safer place for all. Connect with the guests:Email: jananiviswanathan09@gmail.comWebsite: http://aware.org.in/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you!Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneInGet in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2pCreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

No More Nirbhaya: Janani Viswanathan #42

Gulshan Kavarana is the founding member of SFS - Special Families Support group - a support group for families with children with special needs and an art mentor at Mawaheb, an art studio for adults with special needs. Zara, her younger daughter, was diagnosed with Dravet's syndrome before the age of one. At the time Gulshan desperately tried to seek advice from others who may have been in a similar situation like hers, but she couldn't find a network. So she set up SFS, a place where others like her could find support, seek advice and even have fun. Gulshan shares her journey of how she got from denial to acceptance and why she thinks she's now at a stage, where she considers her life to be too blessed to be stressed. Connect with the guests:Email: gulshankavarana@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/99391483188/ Website: https://mawaheb-dubai.com/our-team/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneInGet in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

Too Blessed to be Stressed: Gulshan Kavarana #41

Have you ever wondered what Hypnotherapy is all about? No, it's not a swinging watch over your head or people clucking like chickens. Explaining the difference between Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis is Arti Tuteja, a world-renowned hypnotherapist, and founder of Potential Unlimited, a company focused on helping people improve their Emotional Intelligence, learn to manage stress, change behaviour and improve self-confidence. She has many titles to her name like NLP Coach and hypnotherapist but the one she relates to most is an emotional health coach. She chats with us about what emotional health means, how one can use tools like neuro-linguistic programming or (NLP), transactional analysis, hypnotherapy and even past life regression to change behaviours and mindsets and better manage one’s emotions. Arti also believes that one can achieve anything when the conscious mind and the sub-conscious mind agree. She also shares some easy tips one can follow to deal with stress and reduce anxiety.Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT, is a psychological acupressure technique that involves tapping near the endpoints of “energy meridians” located around the body. People use EFT in order to reduce tension, promote a deeper mind-body connection, and manage symptoms of anxiety, depression or stress. Arti Tuteja shares how to practice the emotional freedom technique Connect with the guests:Email: info@potentialunlimitedtraining.comWebsite: http://www.potentialunlimitedtraining.com/ Please help the voices of our guests be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We promise not to bore you! Subscribe!Apple Podcast AppGoogle PodcastsSpotifyCastboxStitcherTuneInGet in touch.Instagram: @nriwomanpodcastTwitter: @nri_womanFacebook: NRI WomanEmail: hello@nriwoman.comLinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p CreditsEdited & mixed by Deepthy Shibish @ deepthysivadasan@gmail.com

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N.R.I. Woman

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