Advertise on podcast: Ojas Oasis with Sasha Bershadsky

In today’s conversation, Sasha sits  with Pen King Jr., holistic transformation coach, health-tech innovator, and CEO of Bonding Health, to explore a radically different approach to ADHD, focusing on emotional regulation, trauma, and mental health. Pen is also a dear friend of Sasha's- they met freshman year at Syracuse University in English class. Their connection deepened when she announced she was raising money to run the NYC Marathon for charity. Pen donated $1,000 on the spot, making it possible for Sasha to run the marathon at all. That generosity marked the beginning of an 18+ year friendship rooted in trust, support, and shared values. Today, Pen is leading a movement that challenges the conventional ADHD model. Rather than overstimulating the brain or defaulting to medication, he shares why slowing the brain down, strengthening neuroplasticity, and rethinking emotional regulation may be the key to lasting healing—for children and adults alike. In this conversation, they explore: Why traditional ADHD treatments may be missing the root causeHow trauma, stress, and emotional dysregulation shape behaviorThe science behind calming the nervous systemHow the Bonding Health app empowers families through warmth, play, and connectionWhy asking “What is my child communicating?” changes everythingThis episode is for parents, educators, health professionals, and anyone curious about holistic mental health, ADHD alternatives, neuroplasticity, and integrative healing. If you’re ready to move beyond bandaid solutions and explore what true regulation and resilience look like, this conversation will change how you see mental health. Discover why slowing down might be the fastest path forward.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Today’s conversation is a powerful reminder that what we often call cutting-edge technology is, in many ways, a return to deeply rooted truth. I’m honored to welcome Scott Hickle, CEO and co-founder of Throne Science, a revolutionary health-tech company reimagining how we understand digestive health. Alongside John Capodilupo, one of the original founders of WHOOP—Scott brings together deep experience in biometric data, human performance, and preventive health. At first glance, Throne’s innovation—a smart toilet that analyzes stool and urine to generate personalized health insights—may sound futuristic. But when we look through the lens of Ayurveda, this technology feels incredibly familiar.  In Ayurvedic medicine, stool analysis has always been one of the most important diagnostic tools. Long before lab tests and imaging, practitioners observed the color, consistency, frequency, smell, and ease of elimination to understand digestion, metabolism, nervous system balance, and even emotional health. Ayurveda teaches that when digestion is strong and elimination is clear, vitality—ojas—naturally follows. What Throne Science is doing is translating this ancient, embodied practice into a modern, accessible, and data-driven format—one that empowers individuals to self-observe, self-educate, and reconnect with their bodies in real time. This is especially important in the context of preventive care. Colorectal cancer is now one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, and rates are rising even among younger populations. Digestive dysfunction often whispers long before it screams—but in modern life, we’re rarely taught how to listen. Throne offers a way to notice subtle changes early, without fear, shame, or disruption to daily life. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this is deeply aligned with the principle of svastha—being rooted in the self. Health is not something handed to us by a practitioner or a system; it’s something we cultivate through awareness. Throne Science puts the keys back in our hands, transforming one of the most overlooked daily rituals into an act of self-inquiry and empowerment. We are living in a really exciting moment—where modern health technology is opening the gateway back to a wisdom system that is over 10,000 years old. Today’s conversation is about championing that bridge: how ancient knowledge and advanced technology can work together to help us understand our bodies more deeply, prevent disease more intelligently, and reclaim a sense of agency in our health journeys. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

 Today's guest is someone who followed a deep soul level pole toward one sacred plant cacao. We're honored to be joined by Jonas Wonka, founder of Ora Cacao, whose journey with cacao began not as a business idea, but as a relationship. In this conversation, Jonas shares how cacao found him, what it means to work with this plant as a teacher rather than a commodity, and how ceremonial cacao can support emotional healing, presence, and heart connection in our modern, overstimulated world. We explore cacao through both spiritual and Ayurvedic lenses, including cacao versus coffee, doshic considerations, and how to work with cacao in a way that builds Ojas, rather than depletes it. This episode is an invitation to return to ritual and tension and relationship with plants, with ourselves and with the heart. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Sasha and Erin talk about the pursuit of mastery in our relationships with Self and Others, and how it may possibly be the tallest order of all. After all, it is one thing to read, study, and teach Ayurveda, and another thing to practice it—especially in trying circumstances. Sasha’s Sankalpa for this episode is to keep a humble seat next to you as she shares her knowledge and experience (both highs and lows) on the journey. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

The last in our series on the Yamas and Niyamas, Sasha and Erin discuss Svadhyaya, or self-study, and Ishvara Pranidhana, which examines one's relationship with God.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Sasha and Erin offer a little comic relief from the seriousness of the Yamas and Niyamas series. Ironically, the Niyamas this week are Tapas, or discipline, as well as Santosha, or contentment.  Proving that, even with the highest intentions of demonstrating discipline, sometimes, what we need most is just conversation and a little laugh with a friend. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

The Yamas and Niyamas series continues! Sasha and Erin discuss the first Niyama, Saucha, which translates to cleanliness. Also discussed: Panchakarma, the Ayurvedic process that releases all toxins from the body.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Erin and Sasha continue the series about the Yamas and Niyamas, with a discussion on Brahmacharya, or sexual abstinence, and Aparigraha, or non-possessiveness.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Erin and Sasha continue the series about the Yamas and Niyamas, with a discussion on the 2nd Yama, Satya, or truthfulness, and the 3rd, Asteya, or non-stealing.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Welcome to the first episode in our new Yamas and Niyamas series, where we explore the foundational ethical principles of Yoga and Ayurvedic living. In this conversation, Sasha and Erin dive deep into Ahimsa, the first Yama and the core teaching of nonviolence and non-harming. This episode offers a clear, accessible introduction to Ahimsa as a daily practice—one that supports mental health, emotional balance, spiritual growth, and overall wellbeing. Sasha and Erin explore how non-harming extends beyond our actions toward others and into the subtle ways we speak to ourselves, manage stress, and navigate relationships. Listeners will learn:     •    What Ahimsa truly means in Yoga philosophy     •    How the Yamas and Niyamas serve as a roadmap for a peaceful, happy, and healthy life     •    Practical tools for cultivating compassion, mindfulness, and self-love     •    How Ahimsa supports healing through an Ayurvedic lens If you’re interested in Ayurveda, Yoga philosophy, conscious living, or personal transformation, this episode offers grounding wisdom and real-life insight to begin your journey with intention and gentleness. Tune in and start your exploration of the Yamas and Niyamas with the principle that roots them all: Ahimsa. Send us a text Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Step into the world of Ayurveda with this foundational episode of Ojas Oasis: your beginner-friendly guide to the world’s oldest holistic healing system. If you’ve ever wondered What is Ayurveda? How does it work? Where do I even begin? — this episode is your starting point. We break down the core Ayurvedic principles in simple, accessible language, including:     •    What Ayurveda actually is and where it comes from     •    The three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) explained clearly     •    How to understand your unique mind–body constitution     •    The role of digestion, daily routines, and seasonal living     •    Practical ways to start incorporating Ayurveda into your modern life Whether you’re brand-new to this wisdom or looking to refresh your foundation, this “Ayurveda for beginners” episode will help you understand the basics, reconnect to your intuition, and begin living in harmony with your natural rhythms. ✨ New here? Start with this episode. ✨ Follow Ojas Oasis for more Ayurvedic teachings, meditations, and modern wellness conversations. If this episode supports you, please follow, rate, and share. It helps our healing community grow. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

The true initiation did not happen in a classroom or a clinic. It happened in silence, when I began to see that the same intelligence that moves the cosmos also moves through my breath. To become an Ayurvedic Doctor is not merely to know about herbs and doshas. It is to see that you are a living laboratory of existence; the rivers of prana, the fire of digestion, the air that sustains life; all of this is you. A sacred initiation is not a ceremony someone else gives you. It is the moment when you dissolve as a seeker, and life itself becomes your teacher. This journey, from seeker to Ayurvedic Doctor, is not about what I have achieved. It is about who I have become. When the medicine is no longer something you practice, but something you are, that is the true initiation. This isn’t just about a degree; it’s about transformation. It’s about what happens when you say yes to the pull of your purpose, again and again, even when the path is long and uncertain. And as I arrive at this threshold, the completion of eight years of study and surrender, I bow in gratitude: To the Divine, the silent presence guiding each step, even when I could not see the path. To my teachers: including the ancient rishis and unseen gurus, who carried this light across time so it could reach me. To my friends and fellow travelers, whose laughter and courage made the long journey lighter. To my family, whose love and patience became the soil in which this journey could take root. May the merit of this work ripple outward; to all who are still seeking, to all who are still healing, and to all who are remembering that the medicine has always lived within them. Because every great becoming; every healing, every awakening, begins the same way: with one brave decision to listen to the truth inside you… and to follow it home. From Love, Sasha Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

In today's episode, we explore one of Ayurveda's most fascinating diagnostic tools: the tongue. The art of tongue analysis, or Jivha Pariksha, allows practitioners to see what's happening in the body and mind before a single word is spoken, revealing the subtle imbalances, stagnation and vitality reflected on the surface of the tongue according to ancient texts. The Charaka and Sushruta Samhitas, the color coating, texture, and shape of the tongue, provide profound clues about an individual's health. In Ayurveda, the tongue is seen not merely as a muscle for taste and speech, but as a map linked to multiple organs and systems in the body. Key diagnostic insights include: detection of doshic imbalances, accumulation of toxins in the system, status of metabolic health, and signs of organ dysfunction. Joining us today is Dr. Rama Prasad. A distinguished Ayurvedic practitioner and educator with over three decades of clinical experience. Dr. Prasad is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in therapeutic fasting mind, body medicine, and holistic health assessment. He has been instrumental in introducing Ayurveda to Western health professionals through international conferences. Training programs and coaching. Currently, Dr. Rama leads innovative projects at Vaidyagrama Ayurveda Healing Village, where he focuses on online education, app development, and specialized wellness programs for a range of health conditions. His mission is to bridge the timeless principles of Ayurveda with modern healthcare, empowering both practitioners and clients to deepen their understanding of the body's innate intelligence. Today we dive into how the tongue serves as a mirror to the organs, what specific colors, textures, and shapes reveal about the doshas, and how Jivha Pariksha can help us detect and balance as long before they manifest as disease. So take a deep breath, settle in and prepare to see your health through a whole new lens: one that begins right at the tip of your tongue. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

 Are you a fan of yoga therapy? Meet the man single-handedly responsible for the professional certification of Yoga Therapy in the West. He's the reason your health insurance covers it. John Kepner is a pioneering leader in the field of Yoga Therapy and a dedicated advocate for integrative health since 2003, through times of unprecedented opportunity and challenge alike. John has worked tirelessly to advance the profession of Yoga Therapy. Serving as executive director of the International Association of Yoga Therapists until 2020. He holds certifications from the American Viniyoga Institute and A.G. Mohan in Chennai, India, and brings a systems-level perspective shaped by his background in economics, finance, and nonprofit leadership. In today's episode, John shares his experience navigating the evolution of Yoga Yherapy in the west. And how that journey parallels with where we are now in the Ayurvedic profession. As a current board member of NAMA, the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, John is helping shape national standards for Ayurvedic accreditation and certification. We explore how the field can grow with integrity and integrate with our current healthcare system and how it would work with insurance companies. We also share reflections on the future of namas three day annual conference. And the larger movement to advance Ayurveda in the West.  Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

Sleep has become one of the biggest health challenges of our time. Millions struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up refreshed, and Ayurveda has so much wisdom to offer. Earlier this season, we spoke with Dr. Suhas about his new book, Awakened Sleep, and we thought, "Why not invite his co-author to hear her take?" We are so thrilled to welcome Dr. Sheila Patel, the current Chief Medical Advisor to The Chopra Foundation. She also served as Clinical Director of their research team, co-authoring multiple scientific studies on the benefits of mind body practices. With over 30 years as a physician, she brings together Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation with modern medicine to help people unlock their body's innate healing potential. In Awakened Sleep, Dr. Sheila and Dr. Suhas combine decades of clinical experience with modern science to create a personalized protocol for reclaiming deep restorative rest in our overstimulated world. Today, we'll get Dr. Sheila's perspective on the sleep crisis, why it's happening, and what practical tools we can use to help all of us reset. Send us a text For 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkout For 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkout For 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025  Support the show To learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube