TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Hello. I'm Subah. And I'm Harsh. We are the cofounders of Satvic Movement, which is a community driven health movement based out of India. Very recently, we've written a book called the Satvic Revolution, where we outline 7 habits that you can follow to reach your peak health and joy.

And you're listening to trust me, I know what I'm doing.
My name is Abhay Dandekar, and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It's informal and informative, adding insights to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say trust me, I know what I'm doing.

Hi, everyone.
On this episode of trust me, I know what I'm doing, we share a conversation with Subah and Harshavardhan Saraf, the founders of the Satvic Movement. Stay tuned.

Wellness. It's been a buzzword for so long. We want it, and we seem to idealize it, yet there are always barriers to finding it.
And within a sea of well intended promoters ranging from your grandmother to your doctor to an entire wellness industry, all offering a variety of definitions and blueprints, seeking a healthy harmony of lifestyle, diet, and medical interventions can be a major challenge for anyone. And speaking of healthy harmony and a major challenge, thank you all once again for listening and watching. Trust me. I know what I'm doing and for sharing this with your friends and family. And if you're enjoying these, please take a moment and share a kind rating and submit a written review wherever you might be getting this right now.

I sincerely appreciate it. Now in our quest to seek a holistic approach to finding that healthy lifestyle harmony, educating ourselves through timeless mind, body, and spirit lessons that have been practiced for generations in India may actually get us a few steps closer. As a doctor, I often know that paying close attention to diet, sleep, exercise, and mental health is so central to allowing for any medical interventions to therefore be used minimally and only when necessary. So it was truly great to share a conversation with Subah and Harsha Vardhan Saraf, the founders of Satvic Movement, a mission dedicated to sharing timeless and authentic health knowledge with the world in a practical and accessible manner. Subah and Harsha are a couple who both individually came to a realization that after a variety of bouts of illness where they found themselves relying on pills and medications, they found a healthy awakening together through food, lifestyle, and nature.

With a reverence to many Ayurvedic principles, the Vedic outlining of the 3 gunas of nature including tamas, darkness and inertia, rajas, activity and passion, and sattva, being and goodness and harmony, they've shared practical, simplified methods of online materials and workshops and attainable challenges to appeal to every generation. They created the Satvic Movement to help broadly share a living tradition integrated into a modern lifestyle, highlighting disease reversal, maintenance, and prevention. So I have to tell you that if I think of some of their essential health messaging around movement, sleep, plant based diets, nourishing relationships, living with purpose, and living in a mode of surrender, it's a true reconnection of our mind, body, and spirit to nature, each other, and our surroundings. And I know that all of you know this already, but the content here should not be taken as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. And because each person is so unique, please, please consult your own health care professional team for any actual medical questions.

So I caught up with Subah and Harsha recently just as they were finishing a tour in India sharing their new book called “The Satvic Revolution” and chatted about everything from their journey with health to extremisms of wellness to the challenges of evidence and patience in their work. But I did have a very, very important question to ask them first. In the hustle and bustle of so many things at the same time, how do you deal with moments that are not always so conducive to being Satvic? Sometimes you might miss a day of exercise. Sometimes you might have a heavy meal at 9 PM.

How do you deal with some of those moments that don't necessarily go as planned? So what we believe, Abhay, is that being is more than just a set of rituals to practice or to follow. It is a state of being. It is a state of mind that is inherent within us at all times. So you might already know about the 3 gunas that we are constantly being operated by.

So when we say being Satvic, often it is seen only as a set of rituals that, you know, eating an early dinner or waking up early, exercising every day, eating Satvic food. While these are important, but these are only the, physical manifestations of being that inherently within us. So Yeah. Being Satvic is not just about following these rituals, but it is also knowing when not to be hard on ourselves and when to be adjusting with ourselves when we are not able to follow these rituals. So nonviolence is also, an important characteristic of being.

And nonviolence, when we think of nonviolence, it usually extends on to others, ahimsa, to others that we must be kind with others. But often, when we are not kind with ourselves or when we are too hard on ourselves, that actually defeats the purpose of being. So initially, in our journeys, when we were not able to practice everything to the t that we taught, we used to feel slightly guilty, or we would feel, you know, that how can we teach something to the world and not do it ourselves. But I think over the years, as we have got gone deeper into our own practices, we have also realized that being is more than just following a set of rituals. It's it's a state of being.

And when we're able to practice that state of being at all times, when we are touring around India and when we are meeting so many community members, and even if they are, behaving impatiently or they are sometimes people are not so pleasant. And when we are able to remain calm within and still hold love in our hearts towards such people or hold that calmness within us even when there's chaos outside. We know that we're able to be satvic even if we are not able to follow everything to the all the physical practices to the team. So, of course, when Yeah. When you we are traveling, it's much harder to follow everything.

We do as much as we can, but we don't get we don't guilt trap ourselves into feeling that, if you're not doing everything to the t, we're doing something wrong. Of course. I'm grateful that you you've mentioned this incredible balance that has to and it's less of a balance than more of a harmonizing of all three of these. I imagine that, you know, you mentioned that this has come with a lot of grace that you have to give yourselves over time and you've learned this. So, Harsha Varthen, I'm I'm guessing that it helps to have both of you keep each other in in a way kind of having coaching, if you will for for both of you.

And on top of that, I imagine that through the years that this has been a a itself a journey in allowing you not to feel completely guilty or recognize that these are this is a human harmony and not a a robotic one. Definitely. I think sometimes we ourselves may question, is it okay to eat at 11:11 PM? Right. Right.

And then the other person also tends to agree that we couldn't have done it another way even if we had tried harder. When 2 people are there, there's always this support system like you mentioned, where we are collectively supporting each other and ensuring that we are giving our trying our best, giving our best. And, you know, I think that really helps. No. You're right.

And I'm curious for both of you. You mentioned elegantly that it's not a set of rituals to follow. It's not a checklist that feels like it is mechanical and rather something that has to live in harmony with all the things that you do. When do you both first remember thinking that this kind of lifestyle, this kind of behavior, these kinds of attitudes, and this awakening was something that you actually wanted to share with others, not just live yourselves, but but really try and and share as a as a community. I can go first.

I think I was around, 18 or 19 years old when I first got introduced to the idea that food is medicine, and it did come across as something very radical. And I was someone suffering from skin concerns, skin issues. So the schema was very strong. You have to apply something where the problem is, either it's a lotion, a cream, or something. And the fact that we'd have to change what I put in my mouth, I just couldn't reconcile that the thought.

Right. Right. And, when I first realized that through experience, it was a eureka moment. It was like, hold on. This this is something, which I did not expect.

But I still felt it was with me. It was I who was going through this experience, and perhaps I got lucky or there was a coincidence. But there was an incident up there in my family. There was a person, an elderly person suffering from cancer. And, coming from a well-to-do family, you know, we have access to all the right doctors, and they gave all the fancy treatments.

We tried everything, but the side effects were so strong. The patient herself said, I'm not interested in more treatment. And the doctor said, if we don't, it's gonna be tough. So we were in a fix. And that's when we realized or we came across a a doctor who practices natural sciences who said, don't worry.

Let's try it through food. And, you know, at that stage where you've lost all hope, you're like, fine. If there's no other option, let's try it. Sure. Surprisingly, the numbers improved.

Yeah. The medicine stopped. Like, the actual quality of life, which is one of the most important measures at that age, improved. And it was, for me, I was able to connect the dots that it's not just the concerns I had that were able to be diverse using food and lifestyle. Here is someone who is, suffering from a late stage of a very advanced illness that the best doctors in our country have given up on.

Yeah. And we're talking about tomatoes and cucumbers and dates and bananas that are simply able to control those levels. Yeah. There's something to be explored, and that's when I felt I if there's something I want to devote myself to, it's to help research, identify, and promote this. That feeling was too much to let go that.

How can somebody not be actively working on this? Yeah. Just like Harsh, I too was dealing with a lot of health issues growing up from thyroid imbalance to PCOD to half oil to excess weight and acne. And I was taking medicines for these chronic diseases from a very young age, since the age of 13. And, each time I would go back to the medical world, I would get handed one more pill and then one more pill.

By the time I was 17 years old, I was taking multiple medicines every day and living a completely unconscious lifestyle. And, that's when I was exposed to this knowledge through a teacher that, again, your food can be your medicine. And, if you live the right lifestyle, you won't actually need any pills or medication. And every health problem can be reversed. There is a inner healer within us, which is more powerful than anything that sits outside of us.

This teacher who who I had met suggested a lifestyle, a particular lifestyle, which involves changes in food. It involves changes in your morning routine. It involved some natural healing practices, which were very simple. Everything was really simple, but at the same time, it needed some patience. It wasn't a quick fix solution.

But within 3 to 4 months, I saw every health problem within me completely start to go away, start to vanish. And this was despite the fact that I had actually left my tablets in this duration when I was practicing this new way of life. So no pills taken. Only food and lifestyle changed. After 4 months, everything had healed.

The hair fall has completely stopped. The hair I lost grew back. My PCOD, you know, my menstrual cycles started to come completely regular. My TSH levels, which had increased earlier, came back to normal. The acne on my face disappeared.

Everything became better. And then I used to see so many others around me who had the same health problems, the exact same health problems that that I had. And they were stuck in the same cycle that I was stuck in just a couple of months before. So I would just feel that how can I not share with them what I have learned? How can I just keep this knowledge to myself now?

I must pass this on because this is a knowledge that the world isn't aware of, and we cannot afford to afford to lose it. Otherwise, we will all just be stuck in a trap of pharmaceuticals and medicines, which do not address the deep root of the problem. You know, you you both came through this journey out of illness and had these moments that not only were self realized moments, but they, as you mentioned, Naresh, that they were they connected dots between yourself and those around you, the, you know, family members, and they definitely were had they had successful outcomes for you both, and you saw some of the effects that they may have on the community. Are are there times when you also have to remind people that it is okay and it's important, in fact, sometimes where other modalities of medical practice actually are have some advantages and have some role in this as well. And that food is medicine, life is medicine, taking advantage of the world around you, and and in a way kind of optimizing the potential of your own inner healing sometimes actually needs accelerators, you know, with other modalities, whether that's western medicine surgery, you know, other practices in in eastern medicine.

How have you found some of those ways of practicing medicine or even healing to be complementary to the work that you do on an everyday basis? And and how do you remind those people who are around you that that there is a role sometimes for them? So at movement, we are not against medicine. We genuinely believe that medicine, modern medicine, western medicine has its role to play. But we are against the dependency of on medicine.

A lot of times, we are given a pill to take for the rest of our lives, and we are continuously taking that pill day after day, week after week, year after year, from a young age to the days we grow old, not knowing how it's affecting other organs in our body, not not knowing that until we address the root cause, which is which is actually causing my health problem in the first place, these quick fix medicines cannot give us permanent or real relief because we're continuing to we're continuing to add to the root cause, but we're trying to cover it up with these quick fix solutions. Yeah. So we are we're not against medicine. When medicine is taken consciously, when it is taken, when it is needed, and when there is no, dependency that is developed on that medicine, it is actually true medicine. But when that medicine is taken unconsciously and we become totally addicted to it, And even when that problem that we're taking medicine for can be healed naturally, and even then we are taking medicine for it, then that same medicine is actually no longer healing us.

It's actually making us more and more sick. Yeah. It's adding to the problem. So there there are a lot of issues for which, western medicine is the only way. So if someone gets into an accident or if someone has an acute problem, which they cannot get out of quickly through food and lifestyle, then it's amazing.

It's it's really what's needed. But most chronic health problems like thyroid, like diabetes, like Heart disease, blood pressure. Yeah. Yes. High blood pressure, respiratory diseases like sinusitis, asthma, digestive disorders like acidity.

You know? Skin issues, psoriasis. Yes. Absolutely. For those when we're unconsciously just popping pills without addressing the root cause, that cannot possibly help us at the deep rooted level.

Yeah. And that's what we are against at Satvic movement, and that's what we want to, fix at Satvic movement. You know, the the one thing that I'm I'm curious about in your conversations with people, and you meet so many people, both digitally and in person is, and maybe how she can you both might be able to speak to this, but, are people surprised to hear you say that? Are people surprised that there can be some role for Western medicine, as you said, in an acute phase and when it's absolutely necessary and for people not to necessarily be dependent on things or not take medicine consciously as you say. Aren't they not only surprised to hear that, but do they also need to be in a way do they need to unlearn that that these things are are the only mechanism to sometimes fixing disease because that's what a lot of common western practices and common medicine traditional western medicine preaches that this is the way.

This is based upon evidence, placebo controlled trials, etcetera, etcetera. And people sometimes are are very rigid in their in their thinking about that. I'm just curious what, surprises maybe that you feel when you have to perhaps not just convince people of this, but but you really have to share, exactly what you just told me in in in a few moments here, like Subah just did. I feel, Abhay, that in our videos, we do a lot of explanation. We don't we are not very quick to give tips or do this and don't do this.

We really explain the inner healer within us. If we are not taking medicine, then how are we going to get better? Is there something in the food that is going in and doing the the same role as the medicine, or is there something within us that is capable of healing us? So I think the videos are so well explained that when people understand, okay, if we are being asked to not take medicine, what is it that we are going to do instead to achieve a better purpose? Right.

I think that there is a conviction that they feel at that time when watching those videos or attending those workshops that they believe, yes. I will get better. I know this will work. So it's not about a logical, discussion at that point. It's more of a, intuitive feeling that this makes sense.

Why have I not explored the healer which I have within? Because quite honestly, there is no scientific evidence to go and look for that healer within. These are powers which is beyond a telescope or a blood test. Yes, we would love to deduce it scientifically that this works, but, understanding the concept is a very important aspect and feeling, trusting that power within. I think we are focusing on the, explanation of this.

And when people align at that level, then we don't give in to the smaller doubts. When we are like, okay. We do it for 2 weeks. We check the sugar level. It's lower.

We check the blood pressure. You don't need the medicine. So I think that realization is very it has to come from within. We cannot be loud. We cannot throw research papers because that does not hit the heart.

And Yeah. See, we are an online platform. And even if there is a 10% risk that somebody stops taking medicines and it adversely responds. It's a big risk for us. Yeah.

So we are very conscious to say, please do not change your medication based on what we tell you. Right. Please check with your doctors. What we are assuring you is that your doctor will stop your medicine if you follow what we say. Let's hope.

So we are guiding them to not change their medication. We are guiding them to change their food and lifestyle, and we are giving them the confidence that when you go to your doctor, especially with situations like blood pressure and blood sugar, which are easy to track and monitor, That there will be an easier way and, you know, I think that not trying to get into an argument and remaining focused on why we are saying why it's going to work work has has worked well for the people in our audience who are inclined towards this or who have already burned their fingers with too much medicine and now they've realized they want to look for another. But somebody who's coming in with a very doubtful mind, somebody who's coming in with a challenging attitude, it will be difficult for us to try and fight it. So we try to not you know, if this is not something that appeals to that person, so be it. We are not here to change everyone for that matter.

And, you know, what's one thing you said is is strikes me as well is that there are not just years but generations of evidence when it comes to Ayurvedic practices, and they're not necessarily always published in the latest journal. But in fact, you can tell that our many, many generations, eons of scholars and Ayurvedic practitioners have learned these sciences, and so that's important evidence unto itself. You're listening to Trust Me. I Know What I'm Doing. After a quick break, we'll come back to our conversation with the founders of Satvic Movement, Subah and Harshavardhan Saraf.

Stay tuned. Conversation. It's the antidote to apathy and the catalyst for relationships. I'm Abhay Dandekar, and I share conversations with global Indians and South Asians so everyone can say trust me, I know what I'm doing. New episodes weekly wherever you listen to your podcast.

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Welcome back to Trust Me. I Know What I'm Doing. Let's rejoin our conversation now with Subah and Harshvardhan Saraf. I'm imagining that as you like you said, you have people both of you have experienced so many stories from people. I'm curious what are some of the lessons that you have learned collectively, just both of you, from the feedback that people offer you, especially as you have now been sharing the work through the workshops, on the book tours and and speaking with more and more people.

What kinds of lessons have you specifically learned from, you know, touring and meeting people where it actually I mean, obviously, it's great positive feedback, but at the same time might inform you that, wow, that's that's, something new that I didn't necessarily think of. I think one one idea or one problem that our community continues to share with us, which we heard not just on this book tour, but whenever we meet the Satvic community, physical settings, we hear this that when someone follows this way of life, they have to prepare food a little differently. They're they can't have the same food that they have been used to having. Even if they're having the home cooked food, even that, they need to prepare differently without using any refined ingredients, without using any any artificial packaged ingredients Yeah. And making it tart weak in nature, not too heavily spiced, you know, regular spices, etcetera.

So often, it gets tricky for people to follow a different lifestyle living in the same home with their same family. I can do it. What about my family? What about my family? Right.

I want to live this way of life, but my spouse or my mother or father, they just, they just want to live the old way. Yeah. And I can't force them. If I try to convince them, then it creates arguments in the home. Mhmm.

Another one is that there is so much health knowledge, health wisdom being shared from so many people on the Internet, off the Internet. So even if we teach them something, even if we spend 21 days with them teaching them a philosophy of health, On the 30th day, they're surfing on the Internet, and they find something else, which is saying something opposite to what we are sharing. Right. Right. Then they get really confused, and they're like, now who do I listen to?

There's so many things. And then they when their, roots are not so deep, then they can get swayed very easily by different experts and different philosophies. And no one is it's not like we are 100% right and others are wrong. Not like that. Every every path has its own pros and cons.

But it's important that if you're choosing a path, you sail through that path for a specific time till you see results. But often people, when they see another path, they get tempted by it and, you know, they half entered this path and they feel like they want to get onto that path also now, and then they don't end up getting benefits. Yeah. That's actually a a tough one because, again, you know, wellness as a a practice and especially in the digital era and especially even more so in, the post COVID now, era, there's an ocean of choices, right, and and so many different stimuli that people feel where they have many, many messages sometimes often conflicting. And I I can see how some people, when they experience your work, they are are conflicted in fact.

And especially, like you said, on that 30th day, all of a sudden they heard something that doesn't necessarily match. In that same light, you know, the appetite for consumption in a very, very consumer driven world, you know, can be almost exhausting where there is, you know, sometimes even obviously, we see addictions and difficulties that people have with not necessarily living a lifestyle and finding it that they they struggle to do it, but even more so their family members, their partners may struggle to do so. So so this kind of addictive behavior, this kind of this kind of choice that people make sometimes, is there sometimes even an addiction to wellness or an imbalance of that rigor as we talked about it in the very beginning here where people, they mistake the rigor and discipline of following a satvik lifestyle, with actually an addiction to it, and they've gone away from necessarily the harmony of things. How do you, coach people to remember what those guardrails are? You know, the ones that we even talked about in the very beginning.

How do you remind people that there are important guardrails that you should remember even for the best of those who are trying to to practice this on a daily basis? So I think it's a very tricky, path we have to sort of traverse between. On one side, you have to be very confident when you're saying it will work. Just do it. Do what you're saying.

On the other hand, we're saying, listen, you have to know when to not do it and you have to be disciplined, but yet, trust yourself. If we are too quick to say things like trust yourself, listen to yourself before establishing the actual rules, people will not even they will not take you seriously. So initially, we have to be a bit more, authoritative and not allow too much flexibility. Initially, we are a little just follow it and then start. But in the twin so we have a 21 day program where we guide people through this, journey.

The first 15 days, there is no discussion or not much discussion on flexibility. It's a little bit more understand the base ground rules. Yeah. But the last few days, when we feel that the person is now prepared and willing, ready to see when to apply what, we explain certain characteristics which actually are impediments on this path. Things like not being an extremist, where we start ruining our relationships, where we start ignoring the repercussions of our decisions, and we hold on to the principle so strongly that we upset our family.

So we discuss how to overcome that, how to not fall into that trap, how to how to identify even if we are becoming that. We discuss 5 character types that somebody who has just gained this knowledge can fall in, can, traps that they can fall into, and they can learn through examples. Mhmm. So I think that that time towards the later half is a good time to introduce them to these traps. Sure.

And I think, Subah, you can highlight some of these traps if which are very interesting because we all sort of find ourselves having done some of these at some points in our life. Yeah. Yeah. I think especially when one is new to this way of life, they are more likely to fall into these traps. One of them, as you were discussing, whether it's an addiction to wellness Yeah.

It's a we call it extremism, in our words, that people just become too extremist about things. So if we are prescribing, let's say, as a Southwick lifestyle, to have an early dinner, to have a 7 PM dinner, and if there are guests coming over to their home, on a day of the week at 9 o'clock at night, They will be like, no. I will not eat with my guests. I will eat by myself at 7 PM. And then rather than this lifestyle adding joy to their lives, adding happiness to their lives actually becomes a very strict, set of rules and rituals to follow.

And people just cling on to those rules and rituals and don't take on to the essence of what it means to live this way of life. So extremism is 1. The second, we just quickly go through these character types because we find them very interesting, and we noticed them we noticed them within us when we started living this way of life. Sure. And now having, been through this journey for many years, we were able to overcome them.

So now we're able to see them in others who in our community who start this way of life. The second one is, to be a snob. So oftentimes, when someone starts eating better or living better, if they see anyone around them who's not doing it that way let's say, if I'm if I'm starting to live this life and I'm starting to eat really clean food, and if I go for a family dinner, I will, in my mind, keep thinking, oh my god. What are all these people eating? They are so they don't even know what they're eating.

They're so unaware. Look how unhealthy they are. Look how they're not at all conscious about their habits. In my mind only, I'll keep thinking of all these things. I may not even express them through my words.

But in the mind, there's always this mental chatter that I am the better one because I'm following this new lifestyle and these new habits, and everyone else is inferior to me. Sure. But this actually is nothing but our ego inflating, which again is not at all a characteristic of the satvic guna. Yeah. And, the third one is to become a preacher, which we also notice a lot.

But when you learn something, you just want everyone else in your family, in your friend circle, when you go for your morning run, to the group of aunties who walk with you every morning in the park, everyone. You want them to follow the same habits because it's benefiting you so much. So you think, okay. Now everyone must know about it, and every month everyone must follow it. And we forget that each person is on their own journey, and they are we can't just cut short their journey with a pair of scissors.

We have to respect that it took us so many years to come to this journey, and everyone will have that point in their lives when they will be most receptive and open to this. We can, plant the seed in them, but we can't force grow the plant in them to, you know, say that you must do it and enforce this lifestyle upon them. That's not right. Rather, we should just follow it ourselves. And when we shine and glow after that, then we'll automatically attract others to, live this way of life.

So we will inspire others through being a beacon of light ourselves rather than enforcing them do this, do that. You want to know the other 2, Ashut? I do. I know. I'm I I by the way, you know, you both, have strong careers in behavioral psychology if you ever decide to pursue a different, pathway.

This is this is great. Yeah. I would love to know the other 2. So the 4th one is to be an excuse master. So that's what we call it, being an excuse master, that sometimes people understand everything.

And then at the slightest opportunity they get, they start making excuses as to why they can't do it. So let's say they make it a ritual that, okay. Now I want to start exercising every day, and they join a yoga class, an online yoga class. And they are sitting on their mat, but their teacher says, oh, I'm unwell today. I can't come.

I can't join online for your class. Yeah. Then they'll be the first person to say, oh, okay. Now I can go back to my bed and just, take some more rest when they have the option to actually continue, their practice on their own. Or let's say someone is going, out to travel, and they see that, okay, options that are that are healthy for me are not easily available.

So they'll be the first ones to make an excuse and say, okay. You know, I should be lenient with myself. There's nothing good here, nothing healthy here. So let's give myself That's only today. Yeah.

Today is, like, a a free day. I can do what I want. Yeah. I shouldn't be so hard also on myself. So out of every small thing that is not working in their favor, they try to get out of it, convince themselves why they can't do it, at the slightest drop of the hat.

And the last personality type who is not able to continue on this path is it's the one who's easily swayed. So they'll they learn this way of life. They then, they learn the principles. They do the workshops. They study it.

They read the books. And then they go out to the world, and someone says that, oh my god. You've started looking so thin. Seems like you've lost a lot of weight. You've started looking so, like, pale and dry.

What's happened to you? And suddenly, they start thinking, oh, I'm not doing the right thing. I should go back to my old habits. Or they meet another group of friends, and the group of friends say, oh, you're not even consuming enough protein. Where do you get your protein from?

This diet and all has no protein. And then they start thinking, oh, they are right. I'm actually not getting protein. Let me add something. So they're just very easily swayed by the slightest things that others say.

They don't have the full conviction in their own path. And they too are not able to sustain that path because they give in to the slightest External steps. External, advices. Yeah. They they they sort of move with wherever the water flows as opposed to having confidence in in the process.

You know, you both first off, you're like I said, those are the 5, or 5 characteristics. They're very relatable, for for many, many people, and you're right that they can they can, in a way, derail you from finding the harmony that is is part of this, you know, Satvic movement, Satvic revolution. You both, like I said, came to this process and this journey through both illness, wellness, and experience, but neither of you is a actual practitioner or a a physician in that way. Right? And so in in that way, are there some advantages or disadvantages to not coming at this approach from the vantage point or perspective of an Ayurvedic doctor or a western doctor or, you know, a naturopath or or someone who's had the the scholarly degree, you know, behind their behind their name And yet your the power of your own experience of the workshops of developing a lot of research and and really cultivating this, speaks for itself.

How do you find and reflect a little bit on that of some of those advantages or disadvantages? So I can share what I personally feel. I feel everything that has happened in our lives has happened through perfect divine intervention. And we started out on this path at a very young age, and we had a lot of time time in our hands when we started out. And I personally also had the option of studying, pursuing a degree in naturopathic medicine or Ayurvedic medicine or even western medicine.

But I never felt compelled to pursue that path because I felt that it is not my innate strength or my innate duty to study medicine as a doctor does. Because I always felt that I'm I I didn't ever feel connected to the path of a doctor, but rather always felt connected to the path of a teacher or an educator. Yeah. And, I also felt that I I, today, feel really happy that I didn't choose the stream of becoming a doctor or medicine. Because today, I feel I'm able to simplify concepts like nobody else can.

Mhmm. Because I don't understand the technical terms. I don't understand the very, complex jargon of the medical world. Had I understood that, then in the videos of movement today, I would have set those same jargon words, or I would have explained concepts only using research studies and technical terminologies. And then nobody would have related to it except a few educated people.

But the fact that I didn't study made me so simplify things so that I could understand them because I didn't know these jargon, technical terms. And that simplification, when I understood it with that simplification, I could communicate it with that simplicity. And today, when we hear from people, when we ask them that by how did the videos help you? What do you think of the videos? One thing that they always end up saying is that we just got it.

Like, we just understood it. We don't understand health related videos usually. We just get confused. But in your videos, the way you explain, we just get it. We understand things for the first time, what what's happening in our bodies.

Yeah. And I feel that's thanks to the layman approach or me being a layman that, And you having that personal experience too. Yeah. But, of course, that time and again, we run into situations where we need the expert of a qualified doctor. Sure.

So we have around, 3 doctors, 2 Ayurvedic doctors and 1 naturopathic doctor onboard at movement with us, who we continually take support from as and when we need it. Even the new book, The Satvic Revolution, we got it, reviewed by all three doctors. Yeah. We also got it reviewed by a clinical researcher to make sure that everything we are sharing is completely in sync with, modern, research science, with Ayurvedic sciences, with naturopathic sciences, with western medicine. And it's not like we are just sharing facts which are not based upon firm research.

So that really helps to have experts on board who are continually validating the work that we are doing. Yeah. No. Absolutely. And I think, even any team based approach to health, whether it's in any medical discipline, any healing discipline, there is such a huge, huge value to health literacy and being able to communicate effectively.

Your medical communications are only as good as what is synthesized by the patient. And so the education part of this especially for as a as someone who's gone through this for both of you to have gone through this and now share this with so many is is really amazing and and I think it's so important. You're listening to trust me. I know what I'm doing. After a quick break, let's rejoin our conversation with Subah and Harshavardhan Saraf, the founders of Satvic Movement.

Stay tuned. Every story told is a lesson learned, and every lesson learned is a story waiting to be told. I'm Abhay Dandekar, and I share conversations with global Indians and South Asians so everyone can say, trust me, I know what I'm doing. New episodes weekly wherever you listen to your podcast. Hi, everyone.

This is chef Vikas Khanna. I am a chef. I am an author, filmmaker, documentarian, and you're listening to trust me. I know what I'm doing. Hi.

I'm Saurabh Netravalkar here, athlete from the USA Cricket national team, and you're listening to Trust Me. I Know What I'm Doing. Hi there. I'm Abhay Dandekar, and you're listening to Trust Me. I Know What I'm Doing.

Let's rejoin now our conversation with Subah and Harshavardhan Saraf. I'm curious about one thing, and and that is you know, again, people are, continually impatient, and they are even most seasoned practitioners of lifestyle medicine in in the West, naturopathy, holistic principles, they are aware and experienced enough that they know that disciplined, harmonized choices over a long, long period of time evolve and they lead to this kind of healthy existence and consciousness, and yet that's not always what sells and that's not always what is the gateway for especially new people to experience a change, a big pivot sometimes in in their lifestyle and and one that's going to, we hope, have dramatic effects. So even on day 1, when someone is brand new to your workshop, to the book, they are getting to know 7 habits, and and they're just getting introduced to this. What sort of transformations are you hoping that people have even on that very first day? How do you hope they actually feel at the end of of one of your sessions or or watching a video that will hopefully help them unlearn some of those pieces of of wanting a very, very quick fix?

Again, a you know, even metaphorically a pill to take. I think that there are 2 kinds of people, Abhay, who are usually coming to us. Ones who are already suffering from a health concern. So on their side, the willingness to learn is very high, and they are looking for a solution. So, the way we would guide them or support them is to help them identify that what they are going through, you know, establishing some basic trust that, yes, it can be fixed.

We are here for you. We share our own journeys with them, so there's relatability. There's a sense of we've been in the same, journey together. We've start we've we we know what you're going through. So I think when someone's already coming in with a health concern, addressing that, and I not sympathizing, but it's truly letting them know that it's gonna be alright.

Yeah. I think that's what they need more than a solution immediately that someone who can relate with them. And I think our age really helps us that we come across as friends, not as senior people who know more than them. Yeah. I think we try to, strike that friendly teacher vibe where we, of course, have experience, which they may not, but we don't put it across as though we we are going to be talking down to them.

Yeah. I think there's a sense of sharing, teaching, sharing, and teaching at the same time. So people are able to connect at that level who are those especially those who are coming and looking for a health concern. Right? I think those who don't have a health issue, who are just, perhaps stumbling upon these videos or They're browsing.

Yeah. That's where we have seen something would have happened in their life that is put making them come in this direction. Either if they've lost someone close to them, their parents are just having a challenge, they're not able to conceive, or there has to be something for which they are looking for something more in life. And I think that's when they are interested. And at that time, for those who don't have health issues, they are looking for something.

They don't know what, but there's something more they're seeking in life. At that time, I feel what works for us. They find people like us who are genuinely genuinely interested in helping them. They can see through the words. They can see through the intent that, wow, these are people just who who are genuinely wanting to help me, not looking to gain something, not looking to take, and they've told us, that's why I'm able to say it so confidently, that they feel comfortable that, yes, these are people who can guide us.

These are people who are let us listen to more to more as to what they have to say. Right. So I think that it's almost sounds a little as though we are boasting or talking, you know, saying good things about ourselves. The intention is not to boast but to tell you what they have told us that works, especially for Subah, I can say. The purity with which the words are conveyed.

It it's almost sounding cliched when I say this out loud that the purity, but the the simplicity with the intent of helping, they connect at that level. And when that established when that's established, then I can trust them. I feel they're not trying to pull a fast one. Then that openness is much more. Then that willingness to learn is much more.

Then that tell me more, I want more. There's a appetite. And once the appetite is built up, I feel the knowledge is powerful enough to take them through. For us to maintain maintain that energy, we have to constantly keep reminding ourselves that when we go to take a program, when we go to speak to people, when we go to even record a video, what is the intent that we're entering that conversation or that session or that lecture with often living in this world, we become so what's in it for me? What will I gain?

How many likes will I gain? How much followership will I gain from this? How much fame will I gain out of this? If that's the intent, then no matter what the words say, no matter how accurate the script is, it will not end up touching the hearts of people because they can sense that energy. But when we genuinely step into each of these scenarios with the intent that I truly have nothing to gain out of this, I've already gained so much in my life.

And now I just genuinely from my the core of my heart, I want to simply spread and serve others who are looking for these solutions. I feel when we just do that mindset shift and keep ourselves in that mindset that we're not here to gain, but we're here to serve. We're not here to take, but we're here to give. I feel that's what really just makes other people know that, okay, I can confide in these people. I can trust them.

And then even though we may not have huge degrees and badges on our side, I feel that conviction, that attitude of true service speaks more than the most qualified degrees often do because they feel that okay. For the first time, I'm here guided by someone who is there to really give me and not to take from me. Yeah. And that's what we continually teach our team and ask our team to always keep within them, that you're always going to give and to share and not to take or receive, never from the community at least. I I'm curious.

In a way, you both speak so elegantly about service and the experience that has brought you here and now how much of a community you've built through in person workshops and the book and and the digital space and videos, and yet there this is a journey still that's evolving for both of you. And so I'm curious what lessons in self trust and self confidence have you both gleaned from going on this journey and and having it evolve, particularly with the idea that you're still evolving and that you still have much to grow, you know, much to go when it comes to growth and development in continuing this journey of service and learning and and sharing as well? To be honest, I feel that I don't have confidence in myself. I don't have confidence in my abilities. But I have confidence or I have trust in the divine power, in God.

And when, you know, when you have that trust, that confidence that whatever God is doing to me, to my life, is what's best for me. Even if he's making me suffer or even if he's making me face tough situations, that's what's right for me. I feel that surpasses the the peace that you can gain by merely trusting yourself because we are so small. We are so insignificant. But when we are able to play when we are able to truly have that trust in whatever higher power who we believe in, everyone has a different term they use for god, for the for divinity, for grace, whatever term we use.

But when we are able to trust that divine power, I think the the peace that we gain is way higher than the piece we can gain by just trusting ourselves. And even to the community, we never say that believe in yourself, believe in your ability. We never say that because it just feels very, fake. We say believe in mother nature because when you give her a chance to heal you, she can heal everything. She can she can fix all the wrongs that we have done to our own bodies.

And we we strive to establish, the person who comes to movement, their connection with mother nature. We you know, we live our whole lives having turned our backs towards nature. We don't even know who this mother nature is, how we all have a part of nature within us. Can can I quickly ask you in in a way, is that the ultimate as you mentioned, this sort of this is a not necessarily a trust in yourself, but in what is, in your case, the spiritually divine. Is that the ultimate, way to live in a mode of surrender?

Yeah. Absolutely. That's habit 7, out of the 7 practices that we shared even in the book, in our workshops, that living in the mode of surrender simply means to accept things the way they are, that, accepting that there is a divine plan which is guiding our lives. And even if the self created plan we have all crafted a plan for ourselves, even if that's different from the divine plan. You know, and even if they don't meet at times Right.

When we're able to simply know that it's okay, there is a better plan for me, which is guiding my life right now, that is living in the mode of surrender. Yeah. And if you're truly able to live in the mode of surrender, it's very difficult. We feel it's the hardest of the habits that we share. Then we can remain resilient through the most difficult situations of our lives.

Yeah. Yeah. That's and that's again, it's it's prob quite possibly the most difficult way to constantly maintain that self trust and that self confidence because, that can be quite a challenge, I imagine, as well. Harsh, for you, is there a lesson perhaps that that has particularly accelerated your own self trust and self confidence as well? You know, when you ask the question, I was equally confused.

Like, I was like, what do I do? Like, there where is this confidence coming from? Yeah. Do I really am I even a confident person? And then the two thoughts that came, one of which, Subah, already shared, there is immense trust and faith in the divine power.

And the other force is the knowledge that we are speaking on behalf of. We had people up here. We were at these tours meeting people many times, not once. I I would say 3, 4 times. A young father and mother would come with their child in the hand to take a photo, and they would quietly whisper in our ears, this child is here because of you all.

And we would be like, what do you mean? Like, we weren't able to conceive. We just simply followed what you shared and looked. They would Right. In the name of the child.

That child is only in this world because of what you should. And we think to ourselves, what did we do to help you have that child? We don't even know you, but the knowledge that we shared, we believed in it so much that, yes, it has the power to change anybody in terms of the health. We didn't even tell. There is not a single video where we have said you are having a, tough time consuming.

Follow these steps not once. We say, believe in this power. It can do miracles to your health. And the person, of course, has taken that up, believed in it, practiced it, and got the benefit. So we have people telling us we couldn't walk.

We were on bed rest. And today is the first time we walked in 6 months to come to this event, and now we are able to walk. We think, did we do this? Absolutely not. The power of the knowledge is so immense that even if we were to assess it, we would be, limiting it.

Right. That let it be. It's so powerful. It's beyond us. And that has come from our teachers, our masters who have taught us, not from us.

So we are the instruments. We are the postman taking the knowledge, shit, giving it to somebody else. We have not even opened the envelope to see what's inside. We are simply passing it on passing it on. That faith that what's inside the envelope is so powerful is this what is confidence in ourselves.

Well, I love that. I mean, it's it's not only just faith in the knowledge, but it it speaks to nourishing healthy relationships and living with a purpose, you know, to ensure that, again, part of the the habits that you speak about and and most importantly building community. I I have to tell you that, just in hearing you both speak, I know that there's great power in the knowledge. There's great power in trusting yourselves with what you're doing, and I know that your many, many people around the world are are paying great attention to you both and whether you're postman, delivering an envelope or really sort of helping shepherd and steer people towards better choices for themselves and taking advantage of their own natural healing. I know everyone is paying attention and and hopefully really having great outcomes from it.

Subah, Harsh, thank you so much for for joining me. This was really a treat. I I honestly feel like we could talk for a lot longer, and and so I hope, in the future, we can visit with you again. Definitely. Thank you for hanging us.

We're very we're really enjoying the conversation. You make it very easy. I think you pay a lot of attention to what we say, and, you, are very comfortable to speak with. So thank you for that. And, we've done many interviews and podcasts, and I think you've asked the most unique questions.

Thank you so much. Please check out Subah and Harsha's work online at satvicmovement.org, and their book, The Satvic Revolution, is available everywhere. Till next time. I'm Abhay Dandekar.