
Episode info
In this deeply personal solo episode, Jitesh Vaswani takes us through his journey from a curious book-loving child—curled up with Harry Potter under a blanket fort—to a spiritual seeker guided by science and meditation. He reflects on how his interests matured from fiction to physics to inner exploration, eventually leading him to practices like Sudarshan Kriya that helped him make bold, centered decisions. With honesty and vulnerability, Jitesh shares his fears and self-doubt around launching the podcast and uses this moment as an invitation for listeners to overcome their own mental barriers and finally start something they’ve been holding back on. Through this episode, he sets the tone and mission for Beyond The Known — to have real conversations with extraordinary people and extract timeless lessons from their stories.
Episode Transcript:
00:00:00
Hi everyone. I remember something from my younger days. Back in middle school or high school, there was always that one day before the school year started when we would all buy our new books, the textbooks. And a few days before classes began, I remembered I would tear open my literature book, crawl under a blanket fort, and just get lost in those pages. The smell of fresh print, the weight of those stories, it took me somewhere. I was always drawn to learning and I also loved fiction.00:00:34
I can't believe I'm saying this on the microphone, but I used to read Harry Potter while sitting on a toilet seat. Sorry for the TMI. I would be so immersed in that magical world that I would lose all sense of time. As I grew older, that curiosity evolved. My love for fiction turned into a hunger for science. I started asking questions like, "What's inside an atom? What is matter? What is energy? From Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to Bernoulli's theorem, I just did not want to just know the answers.00:01:07
I wanted to understand the wonder behind them. And then in my high school, I took my first art of living course for teenagers. That is when my curiosity turned inward toward my own mind, my breath, my emotions, and my soul. Fast forward to now. I feel like I have been given a strong foundation built on values, discipline and purpose. But still there is a part of me that is restless. That part of me is still asking questions. And that is what brings me here today. By hitting record and speaking directly to you, I'm taking a bold step.00:01:46
I'm making a quiet but a strong declaration. Learning never stops. This podcast is my way of defending myself from the slow creep of apathy, from the myth that adulthood means settling. I want to keep exploring, keep learning, and most importantly, I want to learn how to adult properly because let's be honest, adulting can be overwhelming. I'm expected to keep up with global politics, manage my personal finances, file taxes, and pay a mortgage. But no one really teaches us how to do all of that in a meaningful way.00:02:23
So here's what I want to do. I want to sit across from people whether they are successful, unconventional people or even those who have failed publicly and ask them how did you do it? What have you learned? What do you regret? And what do you wish someone had told you earlier? Because behind every story is a lesson. And behind every lesson is a chance and an opportunity to grow. And maybe in the process I will grow too. And maybe so will you. I remember something from my college days.00:02:59
I studied in a beautiful mountain town called Hamirpur. Life there felt still, grounded and peaceful. Every morning I would wake up and I would practice my Sudarshan kriya which at that time I had learned very recently. The sky breath meditation. That daily ritual changed everything for me. It felt like I was handed a clean slate every morning. My thoughts were clearer. My energy was stronger. And most importantly, I carried no emotional baggage. And that's what gave me the confidence to take risks and not overthink the consequences.00:03:36
When your mind feels light, your decisions feel bold. Even today I'm taking a risk by starting this podcast. What will people think? Will they take me seriously? Will they judge me? Probably. But I've learned to show up anyway. I've learned that it's not about being perfect. It's about being honest. Now I teach the sky breath meditation, the Sudarshan Kriya and art of living courses to people all over the country. And I've seen how these practices change lives. not just spiritually but practically.00:04:13
And I want to bring that same energy into the show. I'm sure I will make mistakes on this journey and I'm okay with that. But what I promise is I will always show up as my most authentic self. That's what my teachers have taught me and that is what I want anyone listening to take away from this. Today I would like you to think of a project or a hobby you have always wanted to start. That thing that you have always wanted to try but you did not because of fear, maybe self-doubt or what will they say? Let this moment be your sign.00:04:51
Let this episode be your permission slip. Break that mental cage and just go for it. Today I sit here from a place of privilege. I have access. I have time and a microphone. And I don't want to take that lightly. I want to earn your trust by showing up every week with something meaningful, something that expands our understanding of success, purpose, life, and what it means to be human. You know there's a beautiful Indian saying, the more you know, the more the unknown grows. And that is the heart of this show because what we don't know is vast.00:05:30
And exploring that vastness is what keeps us alive. I am Jitesh Vaswani your host and together let's take this journey Beyond The Known.



