Interview with Anumeha Gupta
In this episode, we will uncover 3 keys to:
- The Influence of Elemental Balance
- Self-Discovery and Transformation
- Empowering Moms and Nurturers
Podcast Transcription
Episode 2: Anumeha, Ayurvedic Wellness Coach, Yoga Teacher, Tarot Reader & Speaker
Intro
Odiva Vasell: (00:00)
Welcome, my fabulous entrepreneurs. And today we have a special guest, Anumeha Gupta, and we’re going to talk about self-awareness. We’re going to talk a little bit about her program, and self-awareness is our topic of the day. And just want you to sit back, breathe deep, and enjoy the knowledge that she has to share with us today. Welcome, Anumeha.
The Influence of Elemental Balance
Anumeha Gupta: (00:35)
Thank you so much, Odiva, for having me here. Yeah, I think self-awareness is very powerful. Knowing why things are happening to us, knowing why we do what we do, knowing that why really empowers us and takes out the guesswork and the conflict around it. For example, I can share that I’ve always had very dry skin, and in winters, my hands used to actually, the skin used to peel off. And also my hands are very rough. So, to the extent that if people would shake hands with me, they would kind of pull their hand back and say, “Oh, my gosh, why are your hands so rough?” Like, they can’t contain themselves from asking. It was so obvious. And I have always been conscious about that till I came across Ayurveda. And Ayurveda, this ancient science from India, it’s more than 10,000 years old, explained to me that because I have space and air elements more than the other elements, we have a total of five elements. Because my space and air are higher, I tend to have dry and rough skin, I tend to walk fast, I tend to eat fast, and I also can go towards anxiety more quickly because if I don’t manage my elements well with my food and lifestyle, I can very quickly become anxious and overwhelmed. So just learning why I am the way I am, yes, is so powerful.
Odiva Vasell: (02:24)
Yeah, it empowers you. And the gateway to healing is awareness. Now, you just mentioned that there are five elements. Yes. What are they?
Anumeha Gupta: (02:35)
Oh, sure. So the five elements are space, air, fire, water, and Earth.
Odiva Vasell: (02:47)
Yes, included in that. Okay.
Anumeha Gupta: (02:48)
Yes, and it is the lightest element, the space. And then it gets into the heaviest element, which is Earth. So space, air, fire, water, Earth.
Odiva Vasell: (03:02)
Okay. Do we mean outer space? Outer space or space in general?
Anumeha Gupta: (03:08)
Yes, you can say outer space also because it’s the same in a way, it’s just space. Outer space also. You can take vacuum. A vacuum also is the same.
Odiva Vasell: (03:21)
And balancing those elements, is that part of your program or how do we start to move toward a greater balance?
Anumeha Gupta: (03:34)
Beautiful. So let’s start with the five elements. Okay. And I’ll just give you a little about Ayurveda. Ayurveda is traditional medicine. And how it was found was these people, they used to live in nature. 10,000 years ago, there were these inquisitive people living in nature, and they wanted to understand more about the relationship of man and nature. Just like so many traditional civilizations have done this. Right? Even the Native Americans have learned medicine that way. So these people actually started meditating and they went into higher planes of consciousness. That’s when nature started talking to them and revealed its secrets to them. So one of the secrets, and it’s so beautiful when you start learning, and thanks to them, because they documented everything.
Odiva Vasell: (04:38)
Oh, wow.
Anumeha Gupta: (04:39)
Yeah. And it’s been tested over people over 10,000 years. Validated. So when you start learning, you’re like, oh, yes, I can see this. I can see it’s true.
Odiva Vasell: (04:47)
Yeah. The answers are in nature.
Anumeha Gupta: (04:51)
Exactly. I want to share this with you because it really is coming through.
Odiva Vasell: (04:55)
Okay.
Anumeha Gupta: (04:56)
So they found out that when nature brings the problems, the same nature brings the solutions. For example, when it is winter, it can be so cold. And at that time, you can imagine they are living in the forest. People can die of winter. But once they started communicating, they found out that when you have ginger, ginger, also provided by nature, has this heat in it which helps you balance.
Odiva Vasell: (05:39)
That’s one of my favorite drinks.
Anumeha Gupta: (05:41)
Right? Yeah. Especially in winter. And this is something I see with my clients, that when the clients bring problems, the same client brings the solution. We just need someone to show us we know everything.
Odiva Vasell: (06:02)
So powerful, what you’re saying.
Anumeha Gupta: (06:05)
Yeah.
Odiva Vasell: (06:07)
The solution and the problem and the solution are there. There’s a balance there. We just need to be shown the way.
Self-Discovery and Transformation
Anumeha Gupta: (06:14)
Exactly. So the other thing they found was everything in this world is made of five elements. Everything. You, me, this computer, this table, Mother Nature, everything. And when we are born, we have a certain combination of these elements in us, and they grouped the elements to make it called Vata Pitta Kapha. So Vata is actually people who have more of space and air in them. You can call them the wind. They are like the wind. So I want to ask you, when you look at the wind, what comes to your mind about the wind?
Odiva Vasell: (07:00)
Well, when we did the meditation, I felt how gentle the wind is. It’s cooling, it’s that one physical element that actually touches you.
Anumeha Gupta: (07:15)
Oh, my gosh.
Odiva Vasell: (07:17)
Even though we don’t see it, but it actually can gently caress us.
Anumeha Gupta: (07:21)
Oh, my gosh. I love that.
Odiva Vasell: (07:24)
Yeah. And of course, there’s the other side where it’s get out of the way. But I really thought about the caress of a breeze, a gentle breeze.
Anumeha Gupta: (07:32)
Beautiful. So when people have more of space and air in them, compared to the other three elements, they are like the wind, they behave like the wind. Their sense of touch is heightened. So these people love. Hugs you share very beautifully, and that’s a very powerful observation you have, Odiva. Not many people would say that, that they can feel the wind caressing them.
Odiva Vasell: (08:02)
Yeah.
Anumeha Gupta: (08:08)
If they go to a store and there are garments or things and it says don’t touch, these people have to touch. Is that you? Right. They are very enthusiastic, just like the wind. They are always on the go, and then they will do too much at a point of time, excess, and then they get so tired.
Odiva Vasell: (08:39)
You know, me personally, so we have already talked about this. Tell me more about the wind.
Anumeha Gupta: (08:50)
Amazing. Yeah. So these people have a lot of ideas. It is easy for them to be spiritual because they don’t ask for proof for everything. They can believe someone’s word easily. And they are auditory learners. Their sense of hearing is heightened and sense of touch. And they love music because of that. And they are the people who cannot sit still if music is playing. Right.
Prioritize self-expression and not be constrained by fear of others’ opinions
Odiva Vasell: (09:26)
I’m going to just interrupt. Not interrupt, but bring what’s coming to my mind here. Yesterday I went to a dinner with a few friends. And we sat outside. Well, we were inside because it’s still kind of cold, but outside they had these heat lamps, and I could feel the breeze. So the breeze called me outside. And I went outside, and we sat, and there was a band playing. I got up, and I started dancing. And I understood that they were like, well, and maybe some other people in the restaurant, like, well, this is not really a dance floor. I’m going to enjoy myself to the fullest. And so I stood up, and I danced to some really great music. There was a really great singer, and that’s me.
Anumeha Gupta: (10:24)
Wow. I couldn’t just sit there. Wow. And you didn’t care, right. You were not worried about what people thought. No.
Odiva Vasell: (10:34)
And that’s another part of self-awareness. Like, years ago, I would have tried to contain myself for the sake of others or what they’re thinking or what they’re feeling. Now I actually feel sad for the people that the other people that want to dance and express themselves but hold back. Concerned about others’ opinions. No. Be like the wind. Yeah. Flow with it.
Anumeha Gupta: (11:01)
Absolutely. Yeah, I hear you. Totally. And kudos to you for not letting that stop you anymore.
Odiva Vasell: (11:09)
Yeah. I’m becoming more and more aware of who I am each day. Beautiful.
Anumeha Gupta: (11:20)
Yeah. That’s very interesting also because these wind types are a little hard to understand by the other two types.
Odiva Vasell: (11:28)
Okay, tell me more.
Anumeha Gupta: (11:29)
The fire and the water and earth people, they find it hard to understand the wind types.
Odiva Vasell: (11:32)
Okay.
Anumeha Gupta: (11:34)
So that’s interesting. So we can come to the fire people, then.
Odiva Vasell: (11:38)
I would love to hear about the fire.
Anumeha Gupta: (11:40)
Yeah. So tell me what comes to your mind when I say fire.
Odiva Vasell: (11:44)
Fire burns. But fire is so fascinating, and every chance I get, I put on our fireplace here in the house every chance I get, even though that means I have to go outside and get logs and carry the heavy logs. I love to watch the fire and feel the warmth of it, but it’s intimidating for me. That’s the most intimidating element.
Anumeha Gupta: (12:15)
Yes. So fire people can be intimidating. They do have a lot of, they have an authority, they have strong opinions. They do very well in leadership roles. At the same time, they love to transform. Like fire, if you see it transforms everything and anything it comes in contact with. That is its nature. So these are the people who are really good coaches and leaders, and they love teaching them, and they would enjoy watching shows about transformation as well.
Odiva Vasell: (13:04)
Okay. And one wise thing I learned about fire years ago, that fire cannot exist without the wind. Without it has to breathe.
Anumeha Gupta: (13:20)
It has to breathe. Wow. There is beautiful. And it is true because space element and then next is air. So air has so fire has the other elements in it as well. So that’s going to be a little complicated. So let’s not go there.
Odiva Vasell: (13:44)
I would tell you another good thing about the dancing that I did. Other people joined in after. Yes. So we were dancing in front of the live band, and that gave the singers more inspiration to keep performing. And then there was a little kid that came, and he was like, yeah, this is what I do. I think we lose that part of ourselves with a little kid who just wants to run into on the stage in the performance and start dancing sometimes we have learned to quiet that part of ourselves down and it’s good to kind of rediscover the kid in ourselves. That is freedom.
Anumeha Gupta: (14:29)
Yeah, absolutely. And that’s what the wind people do. They are motivators. You kind of brought that enthusiasm and energy for everyone, right, to join in.
Odiva Vasell: (14:42)
Yeah, it was good. Tell me another element. Tell me another element.
Anumeha Gupta: (14:52)
Okay, so for the fire people, I’ll just finish a little about them and then we’ll move on to water and earth. So fire people have a really good vision. They know exactly the goal, and they know the fastest way to reach the goal. And that’s why they make really good business people as well. They have a business sense, and they could get angry when they are hungry because their digestion is very strong. Their fire helps them digest very quickly. So a lot of the time of their self-development journey is actually understanding their anger and managing it. And in Ayurveda, they say how to take that energy, which is anger, and transform it into energy, which is enlightenment. It’s the same energy. It’s up to you where you use it. Right. Beautiful. So that’s about them. Any questions about fire people before I move to water and Earth?
Odiva Vasell: (16:09)
I can imagine, as you say, transforming people. So part of the anger is that you’re supposed to transform when the fire comes. And if someone is not transforming or resisting the fire, that can be a flare-up, so to speak. And it’s not that they want to burn you, it could be that they’re trying to help and it accidentally comes across as burning someone, being misunderstood.
Anumeha Gupta: (16:44)
Absolutely.
Odiva Vasell: (16:47)
Something that happens to fire people. That’s just my impression.
Anumeha Gupta: (16:53)
I think that’s a very good impression because if you see interaction between a fire person and a wind person, a fire person calls a spade a spade, and a wind person who has such a heightened sense of hearing wants to hear only sweet words, they get affected very quickly. So if a fire and a wind person are interacting, the conversation can go downhill. So exactly what you’re saying.
Odiva Vasell: (17:31)
Good to know. What’s next?
Anumeha Gupta: (17:35)
Next is water and earth people. And what comes to your mind?
Odiva Vasell: (17:45)
I think one of the most influential people in my life is probably a water person. Water is healing. We all need water. We’re made up of water, and water flows. So the harsh words of the fire or the bluntness of the fire doesn’t bother water as much as the wind person. And I think that’s just an amazing gift because water can absorb even the tensions of other people and just kind of flow with it. I’m just describing my mom, I don’t know, 100% she’s water, but I’m going to guess.
Anumeha Gupta: (18:38)
Yes. All Water and Earth people, they’ve combined Water and Earth to make the third kind of person is like that. Very forgiving and adjusting, accommodating and very nurturing. And they make good partners for both the wind and the fire type.
Odiva Vasell: (19:05)
Okay.
Anumeha Gupta: (19:06)
Because they bring the groundedness, they are grounded people. They can easily be content, and they have a heightened sense of taste and smell. And if you have these two senses heightened, can you make a guess? What would you enjoy the most?
Odiva Vasell: (19:32)
Food.
Anumeha Gupta: (19:33)
Food. Absolutely. So these people, they like eating food. They are very good cooks. Like, so much of our cooking is done with the nose. Right. They are great cooks. They love feeding people. They just like water. When drops of water are on a table, sooner or later they just connect with each other. Right. Similarly, these people, they love connecting people together. And they are in touch even with their childhood friends. Yeah, that is yeah, most of it, they enjoy. They’re very graceful people, and they make really graceful dancers. Yeah. So these are all the people when they are in balance. And when they go out of balance, the same elements get increased too much. For example, if this Water and Earth person is out of balance, they will become rigid and stuck. Because you can imagine, as the Earth element is more in them. So now they have become heavy. They don’t move much. They can become couch potatoes watching TV all day, having too much lethargy, or they can start holding stuff. It’s hard for them to let go, whether they hold material things or they hold on to emotions and nostalgic moments.
Odiva Vasell: (21:18)
Are we talking about the mixture of the two, the water and the earth, or the earth by itself?
Anumeha Gupta: (21:26)
So in these people, the water is the main element, but it’s a combination of water and earth. Water and the container of it is earth. That’s how I have come to understand it.
Odiva Vasell: (21:38)
Yes, of course. Water needs a container. Yeah. Okay. Is earth by itself as one of the elements as well, the rock?
Anumeha Gupta: (21:55)
Yes. Earth is an element separately, but when they grouped the kinds of people, it’s called doshas. Then they found that we can group water and earth together instead of having it separate. So there are three main doshas, which are types of people, and then you have combinations of them.
Odiva Vasell: (22:20)
All right. This has given me great insight into a little bit into myself, into my family. I have studied just a little bit of Chinese zodiac. That’s what I did. Study. That because I read something somewhere and I said, this is so accurate. I kind of need to find out what is going on with this. Of course. When I was living in Japan, there was a television show that really turned me onto the elements earth, Wind, Fire. This is about 15 years ago, and it was based on an avatar, so it was animation.
Anumeha Gupta: (23:13)
Oh, is this an avatar? Animated cartoon.
Odiva Vasell: (23:14)
Animated one.
Anumeha Gupta: (23:15)
Oh, yeah. I love it.
Balancing nature and career can lead to well-being, particularly for entrepreneurs.
Odiva Vasell: (23:19)
And that kind of turned me on to the fact that there was so much more to it than we realize. And coming from that and what we talked about earlier and being close to nature, I probably knew this before, but recently I’ve been really aware as how I worked on the computer and how we were in lockdown, how we need nature to kind of heal us and bring us away from all of the kind of burdens that life puts on us. Our jobs are, for most of us, our jobs are in these kind of contained office environments, and we build our society in these high-rise buildings, artificial light, and it’s okay. I don’t believe in making judgments on these things. It’s okay to have that. But what we don’t recognize is that it takes us so far away from nature, and then even though we’re successful in one area, having more money, more material things, we’re still not happy many times. And what people do is they say, okay, I’m going to plan a vacation, and I’m going to go skiing, or I’m going to the beach and try and fill up really quick one week of nature and go back to the void of my career and my work. And I always thought, like, wow, we’re missing something here. What if we could have both with the nature and also still function in society? We’re not trying to go the Amish route, but we really want to have a balance in that, and that’s what I seek for myself. And I think entrepreneurs have a special opportunity to find the balance when you work for yourself by doing it out in nature or finding a way to include nature in your environment on a daily basis.
Anumeha Gupta: (25:33)
Yeah. So you are asking me how I do it.
Odiva Vasell: (25:36)
I’m just saying this is one of the ideas that I came up with, and I just put these questions out there. I don’t have an answer yet, but if you do, please, yes. Give us some insight and tell us, of course, a little bit about your program.
Empowering Moms and Nurturers
Anumeha Gupta: (21:51)
Yeah, sure. So I totally agree with you. And luckily, in the US, they can have these parks very close to homes, right? You have parks, and I have a front yard. Which is flowering right now. So that definitely helps with nature. So, yes, I agree with you completely. And if you want to know what is the work I do with moms, so I focus on moms, and I am a mom myself. I have two children, and in my own journey, I battled a lot with anxiety, overwhelm, and anger. And I have used their tools from Ayurveda and yoga to bring that balance and calm. And when I did that, I found that my relationships became so much deeper with my children. And also my children have more confidence because I’m not really yelling at them anymore, which I used to. That makes a big difference. So I help moms like me, who are struggling with low energy, they can’t sleep well, anger, anxiety, and I help them understand themselves and create a lifestyle that helps them bring themselves into balance and calm so they can be the mom they want to be. It’s very frustrating when you get so angry and it’s out of your control. Totally. I have actually thrown an iPad out of anger because I just can’t control it. That’s what I do.
Odiva Vasell: (27:43)
Fire element. There a little fire element there.
Anumeha Gupta: (27:46)
Yeah. And fire and I have a combination. I am a combination of space and air and fire. So what happens if you give wind to fire? You can imagine.
Odiva Vasell: (27:56)
Yes.
Anumeha Gupta: (27:57)
Right. So I used to blow up like a volcano, and it was not good at all. Not good. And I just feel so much more peaceful now. And I feel like every mom can enjoy this if I can do it. Really? Anyone can do this.
Odiva Vasell: (28:18)
Fantastic. That is fantastic. And I love the idea that mothers who are feeling bad because guilt is the worst thing that you can suffer with in your life. It’s just a vicious cycle. Once you get guilty, then you’re feeling more anger and more resentful. And mothers are supposed to be perfect. You know, society kind of looks at you. You have to be a certain way and do everything just right.
Anumeha Gupta: (28:47)
Yeah.
Mothers can achieve emotional balance through self-care and grounding practices, improving their well-being and parenting.
Odiva Vasell: (28:48)
Mothers need that release. And now you have created a space for them where they can kind of really tap into their souls and get grounded and become better mothers and partners in their life. That is fantastic.
Anumeha Gupta: (29:07)
Exactly.
Odiva Vasell: (29:10)
That’s so beautiful.
Anumeha Gupta: (29:12)
Yeah. And for that I do run programs like a six-month program to help moms that is like a group program. And then I also do one-on-one consultations so that’s how I help people.
Odiva Vasell: (29:30)
Excellent. And so today we kind of jumped into just learning and awareness. And now women are aware of you and they can talk to you and learn more about your journey, and that will bring them some peace because all need mothers. Mothers are super important to our lives and our society. The mothers who might have adult children could also consider being a part of your program because they just weren’t aware of why their actions were as they were. Too much of any element is just too much. So we’re not mothers who get angry from time to time. We’re talking about mothers who overprotect or over-nurture. Over. No, nurturing is a positive word. But I mean smothering; there are so many ways, and you will find it in the faces of the kids. The kids aren’t as happy as they could be, and you don’t know why because you’re doing everything right, but you’re just separate from yourself. And I just want to thank you for being here today and giving us a taste of what it is to reconnect with ourselves.
Anumeha Gupta: (31:11)
Sure, Odiva. It has been my pleasure. Totally.
Odiva Vasell: (31:15)
And that can apply to every facet of our lives.
Anumeha Gupta: (31:19)
Yeah, absolutely.
[music]
Conclusion
In our fast-paced world, finding balance within ourselves can be a challenge. Anumeha Gupta, a practitioner of Ayurveda and yoga, has shown us the path to self-awareness through the natural elements. Understanding and harmonizing with these elements can lead us to a life of authenticity and fulfillment. As we conclude, remember that the journey to self-awareness is ongoing, and embracing our connection to nature is key. Here’s to a life lived in harmony with our authentic selves and the world around us.