Mind Meld 137 | Everything Is Breathing with Niraj Naik

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Niraj Naik is the founder of Soma Breath, a system that combines yogic breathing exercises with modern wellness modalities.

Niraj developed the system after an existential crisis that changed him forever.

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There’s isn’t much utility in brining in our own pessimistic juices, especially if that pessimism is stemming from circumstances outside of our control.

That said, with all of the atrocities boiling over out there, it is pretty easy to stew ourselves into a fist-shaking kerfuffle.

There are plenty of ripe examples of said atrociousness (predatory loans, private prisons and greedy politicians all come to mind), but without a doubt, some of the most pernicious are corrupt pharmaceutical companies that place profit above human suffering.

When these entities at their worst, the nature of their existence is essentially vampiric– The more a person suffers, the deeper the pharma fangs sink. This parasitic feedback loop cycles millions of times on a daily basis, which enables all sorts of ills– the opiate epidemic, ridiculous healthcare costs, political coercion and of course multi-billion dollar big pharma mergers that will only exacerbate all of the above issues along with countless others.

And that my friends is why I try not to dwell on these things. It’s bleak and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Every now and then though, a glimmer of hope shines through the howling hopeless abyss and I suppose that is how I’d classify our guest on this episode, Niraj Naik

Niraj himself was a cog in this very system. As a pharmacist, he personally (often reluctantly) handed out shopping bag after shopping bag of drugs on a daily basis. But after a personal meltdown and a serious illness (which you’ll hear about), he walked away from his vocation and turned to yogic practices via which he found peace, healed himself and transformed his life.

From those disciplines, Niraj developed a system centered around yogic philosophy, pranayama exercises and science called Soma Breath, which he now teaches to thousands around the world.

***Disclaimer: Not that I expect anyone to do this but– Don’t stop taking your pills because of a rant from a dummy like me. Always do plenty of research and have the necessary doctor chats. 

Featured art– by Beeple