We treat wellness like a checklist. Gym, macros, meditation app, step count. What if the pursuit itself has become the stressor? If chasing the perfect routine leaves you more depleted than when you started, this conversation is worth your time.

Dr. Roopa Chari brings a medical training grounded in Ayurveda and a family tradition of Ayurvedic physicians. She makes the case for flexibility over rigidity, awareness before action, and a set of unglamorous fundamentals: morning sunlight, slower meals, deep breaths, movement every hour, and gratitude before sleep.

ABOUT THE GUEST:

Dr. Roopa Chari is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician specialising in Integrative and Functional Medicine, with over twenty-five years in practice. She is Medical Director and co-founder of the Chari Center of Health, which she runs with her brother Deepak Chari, and her work bridges conventional medicine with Ayurveda and mind-body approaches.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Wellness is physical, emotional and mental at once. Stress in one shows up in the others.
• Start the day by giving something back to yourself before you give it to anyone else.
• Morning sunlight helps set the rhythm that supports better sleep at night.
• Eating slowly and chewing properly is where digestion actually begins.
• Perfectionism about routines becomes its own stressor. Flexibility and grace matter more.
• Awareness comes before action. Step back and read the whole picture first.
• Symptoms are a signal, not a verdict. Tiredness and mood shifts are worth noticing.
• Movement breaks up stress. Stand and walk every hour rather than saving it for the gym.
• Technology fasting at night protects sleep quality.
• Stay a beginner. The more you learn, the more you realise how much is still unknown.

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST:

Website: https://charicenter.com

Email: [email protected]

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

[00:00] Welcome to Wellness Reimagined: what if the pursuit of wellness is the problem (approx.)

[02:00] Indian roots, a steamboat in 1955, and a family line of Ayurvedic physicians (approx.)

[05:30] Why she went into medicine: becoming the bridge between two traditions (approx.)

[09:00] The biggest misconception, and wellness as thoughts, emotions and body together (approx.)

[13:00] A morning routine that starts with a hug in the mirror and morning sunlight (approx.)

[18:00] Staying a beginner, and why the more you learn the less you know (approx.)

[22:00] A regular Tuesday: flexibility, grace, and symptoms as a fire alarm (approx.)

[27:00] Breath, hourly movement, technology fasting and gratitude before sleep (approx.)

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00:00:08 Niharika: We talk about wellness like it's a checklist. Green smoothies, meditation apps, step counts and work mode. But what if the way we think about wellness is actually keeping us from it? What is the actual pursuit of us itself has become the main problem today. We are questioning everything we assume we know about what it means to be well.

00:00:37 Niharika: Welcome to wellness. Imagine. I'm your host, and this is where we explore health and healing with curiosity, integration, and open mind. We are not here for quick fixes or one size fits all answers. We are here for deeper questions and nuanced truths and courage to rethink what we have been told. Joining me today is Doctor Shari. Welcome Doctor Shari for this session. We are grateful to have you.

00:01:09 Dr. Roopa Chari: Thank you. It's wonderful to be here.

00:01:49 Niharika: Yeah it's great. Uh, to start with, and I've gone through your bio. I've came to know that you have a strong Indian roots and they had significant influence on you. Can we start with that?

00:02:05 Dr. Roopa Chari: Definitely. So my father came to the United States by steamboat. It took a month in nineteen fifty five, and my mother came on one of the first jet planes from India to the United States in nineteen sixty. So my brother and I were born in the United States, and our parents raised us really loving, respecting and honoring. Of course, our cultural roots and background and my mother's side of the family is in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic physicians for generations. And so when mom was raising us, would always give us natural remedies. Talk about mind body medicine. Our parents always brought about spirituality and science and the arts. So it was deeply raised. Uh, you know, with all of these very precious cultural, uh, you know, uh, background, which influenced my life tremendously in all respects in health, in spirituality, and in every aspect of my life. So it was, it's very profound.

00:03:09 Niharika: Yeah. That's great. It holds a significance. You know, Indian roads are always make us grounded. The holistic approach of wellness, it's always significant, which is great. And you are a medical doctor, right? Like, how did you get into this? Integrative medicine and the whole wellness thing. How did it start? Like, where did it start?

00:03:35 Dr. Roopa Chari: So really, that was because of my mother. And she was a universal mother to everyone, treated everyone with so much love and compassion that they considered her their second mother. And so when we were growing up, mom would always speak about natural healing, mind, body medicine, spirituality. And she would bring in healers from and renowned spiritual leaders from India and other parts of the world who then spoke to my brother and I as we were growing up about mind, body medicine, spirituality, healing, and really getting to the root cause and Ayurveda. And then mom told me that if I go into medicine, I can be the bridge between Allopathy Allopathy and you know, traditional medicine, what they're referring to and true traditional medicine, which is what what dates back over five thousand years and be the bridge between both to help people address their lifestyle, use natural remedies and prevent them from getting on medication and help them get off of medication. You know, by addressing the root and having the knowledge on both sides. So really, that's why I went into medicine and both of my parents, mother and father were always into social service, helping others from all walks of life. So that was greatly ingrained in me and my brother as well.

00:05:01 Niharika: Interesting. Um, when it comes to wellness, like most of the, when most of the people hear about the wellness, all the thing is running behind the green juices, yoga mats and gyms. You know, it goes in a loop. What's the biggest misconception? Um, you can see or you can address people carrying about what wellness actually is.

00:05:29 Dr. Roopa Chari: Wellness is definitely at a physical level. And it's much beyond that. It's the emotions, it's the stress, it's our thoughts, it's our quality of life that plays a huge role in what we refer to as wellness. And yes, the physical, of course, is very important because if we don't have our energy, our health, our vitality, that will affect our emotions and thoughts, our relationships with others, it affects everything and vice versa. If we're under a great deal of emotional stress and don't have ways to manage that or have issues in our life that haven't been addressed, that haven't been addressed, that creates stress, then that will affect us physically. So it's this, you know, cycle and circle. So if we can address our thoughts, our emotions and our physical body, that is the ultimate goal, I think, towards ultimate health and wellness and quality of life.

00:06:30 Niharika: Yeah. So like the past moments, uh, they hold so much in our life. They influence so much in your life that we don't even get to address it until and unless someone like you actually addresses it and like tells this is how it is done. So it's great. And so, uh, we can say that wellness, uh, from what you said, wellness is not about perfecting the routines, like not going to the gym right on time and practicing diets, although they are important. But what is it more about? How do we, uh, start addressing what is actually important other than, uh, behind the diets and the gyms and how do we start? What would be the first step you would suggest to the listeners?

00:07:24 Dr. Roopa Chari: Yes. So what I tell what I do myself because I want to practice what I preach and what I share with others is that one beautiful routine. I know people think, oh, I have to get to the gym, I have to do my thirty minute workout and so on and so forth. And oftentimes that puts a lot of pressure, like you were saying. And, you know, of course exercise is important, but here's what I recommend to start the day. Give back to yourself. And what I mean by that is simply just look in the mirror, hug ourselves because we don't do that enough. We don't give back to ourself. It's easy to give to others, but to receive for ourselves is equally, if not more important. And so to look at ourselves in the mirror, give ourselves a hug that actually releases healing hormones that enhance the immune system, increase circulation oxygenation Releases hormones in our in our body that enhance our happiness and joy as well, like oxytocin. And so I literally, we have to have physical contact with ourselves and tell yourself as you're looking into your eyes in the mirror that you love yourself. Say, I love myself and I accept myself just the way I am. I am perfect just the way I am. And that is something I know it sounds different. Um, but that is so important to start the day. And then I always then, you know, I do a few stretches, some a little bit of yoga. Nothing major. And I go outside and I make sure I get sunlight and fresh air. The sunlight gives much more to us. People talk about vitamin D, but there's other frequencies that will never be identified. I can guarantee you that that have as much and in fact more influence on our health and well-being. For in every aspect, including emotionally. And on top of that, when you get exposed to morning sunlight, it activates the pineal gland to release melatonin at night. So we get better quality of sleep by going outside in the morning. So that's very important. And just a short walk to kind of relieve stress because our mind starts going. And then what you can, you know, have a nice breakfast and then go to work, whether it remotely or in an office and you'll be in a much higher state because you've given yourself love, you've stretched, you moved your body a little bit, you've gotten some sun and fresh air. You'll be actually more productive, happier, and that will reflect in every avenue of your life. It seems very fundamental and basic, but in all the relationships and another thing, a key thing that again, it sounds very simple, is to take our time when eating, enjoy the food, chew slowly digestion. And that's what Ayurveda talks about is the most important first step in for our health and wellness is looking at our digestive system. Play nice music. Relax. That will enhance more than taking a lot of supplements and enzymes and so on. That will help your body to release more enzymes and digest food better, which will enhance the quality of your health and wellness by just slowing down, eating slowly, enjoying the food. It seems very fundamental, but Ayurveda talks about this from the very onset. Is that.

00:10:40 Speaker 3: Key? Yeah.

00:10:42 Niharika: Yeah. There's obviously such a big routine, but it's just very simple. It takes like minutes to practice. But yeah, they have very big influence on your life personally. Like these are some are like traditions that have been followed from ages, right? Like my grandma and grandfather used to do this every day. So my grandma is like sixty or seventy. She does it every day, that she doesn't have the. Like any hormonal problems or even BP or diabetes, which are in my generation or my parents generation, you know, these little changes listeners make these changes in your routines and you'll see a great change. Yeah. Thanks for mentioning this, doctor. So moving on. Um, yeah, we have just discussed if someone wants to reflect wellness, there's something, um, you know, in humans, uh, mostly we hesitate to be beginners, um, whatever the age it may be. Going back, learning something, being a beginner in something you're learning of is most of the people hesitant about maybe because of their ego, uh, egoistic, uh, thoughts or whatever it may be. So there's something powerful in giving ourselves permission to be beginners again, to have it all figured out. Not. But maybe that's where the real wellness lives are in the wellness to start small and stay curious. You know, uh, people start strong and life happens like they see they miss a week or a day of these practices and feel out of track, feel like they fail. You know, this is not my routine. So how do we sustain, uh, this new relationship with wellness? While setbacks are inevitable? You know, you can't train them, but how do you suggest to go back and like, having to start again? What do you suggest to your business?

00:13:01 Dr. Roopa Chari: Yes. Well, my attitude has always been and will always be. Continue to be. Be like a child. That is very important because when we're like a child, we're curious. We're asking questions. You know, as adults, we tend to think, oh, I've spent years studying this. So this is the end result. Nothing could be further from the truth. And in fact, I can tell you right now, medicine as we know it is being turned upside down. In fact, what has been taught for so many years and decades, the concepts that we thought were written in solid, were actually are now being transformed. We're realizing as we study more, the more we know, the more we study, the more we realize we don't know. So we so what you shared, the point is so critical to be like a child. Put our preconceived ideas and what we believe and what we have studied and think that, oh, this is the way it is. put that aside and really learn information as if we're a beginner. That's when I study. I study from that perspective to keep things as simple as possible and to say, okay, this is what they're saying, what else is possible and what else are we seeing? And then bridging that in, I always, and I think I tell everyone, keep as open mind, open heart as possible, because the more we learn, the more we realize we really don't know anything. Everything is so complex in that sense, and it makes it increases the joy of life to the wonderment, the curiosity, the. It's just fascinating as we study and learn the new items or distinctions, and that will change and then that will change. So for example, when somebody says, oh, this particular supplement has or this remedy has this, this, this, this. And I said, yes, for sure. And Another one year from now, we're going to find out. It has another thousand ingredients that are very healing and so on. So it's very important to always keep an open mind and open heart, and to realize the magnitude and beauty of what this creation of life is, this planet and everything that we've been blessed with here.

00:15:24 Niharika: Yeah. So it's not about how about never stumbling. It's about how we come back. And, you know, maybe the return is actually depending on practice, not breaking it. Yeah. Being a child is something I do. It makes sense. I can realize it now. Um, like, let's bring this to into your real life, you know, what does this look like the wellness look like for someone on a regular Tuesday? Juggling with work, family stress and maybe the burnout keeping in like how can we, uh, like cooperate or, uh, make it a part of the life for them with that busy routines.

00:16:09 Dr. Roopa Chari: And yes, that's a great, another great question is that and that very practical too, because what's happening, I'm noticing a lot of people are putting a lot of pressure on themselves to do everything perfectly, which is creating another stress in in its entirety. Every day is going to be unique because of pressures of family and work and so on. We may not be able to do that regimented amount of exercise or have that kind of regimented diet and so on. And when we put too much pressure on ourselves, that creates another issue entirely. I like to keep things simple. We have to be flexible, very important to be flexible because when we start getting too rigid or have a check mark that we've done X amount of things per day, that creates more stress, which is the last thing we need in this day and age. So definitely keep things simple. Be flexible. Give yourself grace. Whether you've done something or not. Know that our bodies are so powerful that we can adjust and always are adjusting to everything that we're exposed to in this daily life. And so that's very important. And then while keeping things simple, just keep in mind that symptoms are just like, you know, in a fire alarm that it's going off and just to pay attention to that, not from a fear perspective, but if you're feeling more tired, if you're feeling more moody, if you notice you're putting on more weight, if you notice that you're, you're not feeling like you used to feel, you know, these are just some symptoms. Just pay attention to that and say, okay, the first step is look at your life and say, okay, what am I like? What is taking place in my life right now that I may need to address? Maybe because of stress. I'm just eating a lot of fast foods or drinking too much coffee. Some people may be drinking too much alcohol or, uh, you know, to cope with the stress and not getting enough sleep. So just to take a step back awareness, just as they say in Ayurveda, awareness is always the first step versus jumping in and trying to do something, get the big, you know, biggest picture possible. Like we're in a satellite looking down. And then we can start to say, okay, maybe and not to think that you have to do everything overnight, but okay, maybe I can start to eat more home cooked foods or drink a little bit more water, or just stretch my body for one or two minutes and also breathing. Uh, that's another key thing that seems very simple, but when we're under a lot of stress, we're not breathing deeply. So we're not getting enough oxygen to our cells and circulation, etc.. Just take a step back, do a couple relaxing breaths, no specific technique. Whatever. Breathe in for as long as feels comfortable. Hold for as long as feels comfortable. Breathe out through your mouth for as long as feels comfortable. And just do that for a couple, two or three rounds, because that will kind of reset the level of stress hormones. And when we're under a lot of stress, movement is important. And I don't mean going to a gym, I just mean going for a walk with animals do when they get stressed, they move their body and that breaks down the stress hormones and then everything goes back to normal. What happens with us is we're under stress. Then we're sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time. And that's building, building, building, and it's staying at this high level. So when we're under stressful situation or at work, just every forty five minutes, even just stand and walk around and come back. And if we're in a stressful situation with another person, just say, you know what, let me let's just both take a breather here and then I recommend walking while you're breathing comfortably to release the stress, bring down the stress hormones, and when you come back, then you'll have a new perspective. The other person will also have a new perspective. Maybe, or maybe not, but at least you will come from a place of empowerment. So these are just small steps. But wellness is again, in totality. It's how we feel physically, emotionally and mentally is very, very important. And that will enhance your quality of sleep as we release stress. Walking for a little bit, doing a few deep breathing exercises and before sleeping. And first thing when I wake up, this is one thing I do do is I just say to myself two or three things I'm so grateful for from that day, because the mind tends to go into negative things. So when we focus on the positive and gratitude, that will do as much for you as taking vitamin C, very powerful.

00:20:41 Niharika: Yeah, sure. On a whole, the body knows like it tells it we are having what we are sourcing versus what actually are in the flow. I mean, the challenge is just slow down enough to listen and which it feels of course, intuitive somehow. But when everything around is moving fast, you just have to slow down, listen to it and go with the flow. And it's the best. Yeah. Interesting. So how would you, how would someone, uh, like, even recognize if they are from this place, like very curious or, uh, through the stress or to have that perfect thing to be the perfect person instead of, uh, genuinely caring about the body, how do they even recognize which place or which position are they from?

00:21:37 Dr. Roopa Chari: Yes, I know we're just over information overload at this point.

00:21:41 Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:21:42 Dr. Roopa Chari: So it can definitely feel very overwhelming. That's why I like to keep it simple. What I would tell people is look at your daily routines to start with, you know, trying to eat dinner by eight o'clock. Let's say it doesn't have to be perfect and trying to sleep earlier whenever possible, you know, if as much as possible, because we tend to be on our all of our computer equipment or iPhones, etc., or androids, you know, till late at night. So that light is affecting our body's release of melatonin and sleeping. So we have to almost give ourselves permission to say, I call it, you know, people talk about intermittent fasting. I say about technology fasting at night so that you can get that more better quality, deep, restful sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. Sleeping is very important. And then again, as far as movement goes, keep it simple. Don't worry about getting your heart rate to a certain level. Just move. Just move. And not just like as an exercise, But, you know, every hour say, you know what? I'm it's forty five minutes or doesn't have to be forty five minutes, but every hour, every couple of hours, say, you know, I've been sitting too long. Let me get up and move and just stretch a little and come back weather. So it doesn't have to be a thirty minutes of fixed exercise. It can be done in that way too. And then of course, some exercise is definitely important and water is important. We don't necessarily need too much water as well. Follow your body's instinct and sip on water throughout the day versus oh my gosh, I didn't get this many glasses and let me try to get as much in as possible. That puts stress on the kidneys. So just sip on it. Keep a glass or something stainless steel container next to you and drink that way as a reminder, because our body is mostly water. And then when it comes time to eating, don't put too much pressure on yourself, but just know that, okay, let me use, let me avoid, you know, let me use healthy oils when cooking. Try to eat home cooked food and make cooking a form of meditation or relaxation versus, oh, another thing on my plate. And because that energy is where cooking will affect our physical health too. That's why our mothers cooking is so delicious. It's cooked with so much love. Or that grandparents or loved ones who are cooking for us. So that all makes a difference. And then the timing of the meals and relaxing when we eat, you know, these again, this is all part of wellness is I feel it's we have to go back to the fundamentals. Taking time to eat, chew our food carefully. There's one gastroenterologist who's a specialist in the digestive tract who told me we've got we've forgotten the fundamentals. When we chew our food thoroughly. That's the first step of digestion that causes our stomach to release more acid and enzymes. That causes our liver to release more bile. That causes the movement and contraction of our bowels to have a bowel movement after we eat. So and it increases good bacteria in the gut, she said. All just from proper eating and relax eating. That's why they say rest and digest. So doing that, savoring whatever you're eating, noticing the texture, the flavors, all of that makes is very important. And then with regards to supplements, you know, there, because our soil has been depleted, we do need to give ourselves back some nourishment through supplements. It's ideally whole food supplements is important. So b b complex, all the B vitamins and B12 is very important. Vitamin C, you can don't have to take it every single day, but periodically minerals, you don't have to take it every day. I like liquid minerals maybe two, three times a week because we're not getting enough. And just we can start with there because some other people will have different needs, of course. And, you know, oils are very important. Healthy oils, whether it's olive oil, you know, guy of course, is very good butter and right from grass fed cows as well. The source of being is very important. And avoiding canola oil, corn oil, these are very inflammatory very inflammatory. Create a lot of inflammation in the body. Avoid those kind of oils. And yeah, just kind of minimizing processed foods when possible as well as things we know, like soda, minimize alcohol, minimize caffeine. You know, what's happening is people are tired. So there's then, you know, again, so it goes back to then they drink more coffee and caffeinated beverages. That's why it's important to go back to the fundamentals to see why am I so tired? And, um, you know, there's different green powders sometimes, you know, have to make sure the source is right. Um, vegetable juices are very important also can, you know, don't, don't worry about doing it every day, but a few times a week just to get the body the nourishment it needs. So it has the building blocks to heal ourselves and have the energy to direct it towards a healing.

00:26:44 Niharika: Very helpful. And for listeners, please take note of all these helpful tips. They are going to change your life. Though these are very simple, but it takes me back to our old, uh, you know, common routines that older generations used to follow. Like everything. Uh, no, they didn't romanticize these, um, you know, fast foods or caffeine, but became a culture right now. But back then, they were more grounded and they used to take more as natural food as they can. So they are much more healthier than now. You know, as I told earlier, my grandmother, she's almost ninety, but I'm twenty right now. But she's healthier than me somehow. I think she's more active than just because, uh, you know, these little changes that we are gonna make today in our It helps in the long run. Yeah, this is a great doctor. So the key takeaways from this session listeners. Wellness is some is not something we achieve or we earn. We prove it's something we return to again and again with more honesty each time. Like this isn't about having the answers, it is about staying curious enough to keep asking, to keep knowing, to, to keep getting more aware. So until next time, take what serves you and leave the rest.