In this episode of Breaking the Browndary, I’m joined by Ananya, a workplace wellbeing and pregnancy loss specialist, certified coach, trauma-informed breathwork practitioner, and former reproductive biologist — for a thoughtful conversation on pregnancy loss, grief, healing, and the cultural silence that so often surrounds these experiences.

We begin with a short grounding breathwork practice you can follow along with in the episode, before exploring Ananya’s personal journey through miscarriage, the pressure many South Asians feel to carry loss quietly, and the ways grief can show up emotionally, physically, mentally, and at work.

✨ In this episode, we explore:

🤍 Pregnancy loss and the silence that can surround it
🌿 A grounding breathwork practice for grief and anxiety
🫂 Miscarriage in South Asian communities
💭 How grief can affect the mind, body, relationships, and work
🌸 Pregnancy after loss and the emotions it can bring
👧🏽 The pressure to be the “good Indian girl” while carrying pain privately
🧠 Cultural shame, stigma, and inherited silence
🫁 Breathwork, healing, and creating space for grief in the body
💼 How workplaces can better support those affected by pregnancy loss

This is a compassionate conversation for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss, is navigating pregnancy after loss, or wants to understand better how to support someone through it.

Please share this episode with someone who may need it.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Connect with Ananya:
Website: www.ananyaampersand.com
Instagram: @ananyaampersand

Free resources:
🎧 Pregnancy loss audio bundle + PDF guide:
https://ananyaampersand.myflodesk.com/freemiscarriageaudiobundle

🧰 First response toolkit for HR professionals supporting staff through pregnancy loss:
https://ananyaampersand.myflodesk.com/firstresponsekit

🌿 Guided breathwork and meditation practice specifically for pregnancy after loss: https://ananyaampersand.myflodesk.com/pregnancyafterlossaudio

-------------------------------------------------------------------

If this episode resonated with you, I’d be so grateful if you followed Breaking the Browndary and left a review. It genuinely helps the podcast reach more people who might benefit from these conversations.

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for supporting this space. You can follow ⁠@breakingthebrowndary on Instagram and always feel free to share your reflections with me there — I’d genuinely love to hear from you.

Stay blessed,

Rhea x

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Grief and Pregnancy Loss

02:37 Grounding Practice for Healing

06:20 Ananya's Personal Journey with Pregnancy Loss

17:26 Navigating Grief in South Asian Culture

21:50 The Impact of Interracial Relationships on Grief

24:48 Friendships and Grief

26:30 Tools for Coping with Grief

30:44 Understanding Support in Friendships During Grief

34:26 The Pressure on Women and Male Factor Infertility

34:49 Navigating Grief and Emotional Flexibility

38:44 Cultural Taboos and the Role of 'Aunties'

40:36 Pregnancy After Loss: Myths and Realities

43:05 The Male Perspective on Grief and Support

45:53 Workplace Policies and Support for Grieving Parents

49:14 Future of Bereavement Leave and Support Resources

In this episode of Breaking the Browndary Podcast, we sit down with Ria Lakhani, a creator and brand founder redefining what it means to be a modern South Asian woman. She’s the visionary behind On Cloud Dine, a feel good food platform that celebrates culture through recipes, restaurant finds, and her beloved “Dad Hacks” series. Ria opens up about her journey from pursuing a traditional law career to following her passion for cooking, freelancing, and content creation.

We discuss:

💼 Leaving law & breaking South Asian stereotypes

🍳 Building a career as a full-time content creator

💸 The money side of freelancing and how it all works

👩🏽‍👩🏽‍👧🏽 Family expectations + cultural pressures ( being the eldest daughter)

🧠 Overcoming imposter syndrome & self-doubt

🌱 Advice for aspiring creators: how to just start

🎙️ Breaking the Browndary shares global stories of South Asians who are rewriting the rules, breaking cultural expectations, and living boldly.

👇🏽 Follow along if you want real convos on culture, self-growth & identity

Instagram: @breakingthebrowndary

-----------------------------------

Chapters

00:00 Intro & Rapid Fire

12:09 The Journey from Law to Content Creation

14:48 The Wake-Up Call: A Life-Altering Accident

17:59 Finding Freedom in India

20:55 Building a Brand: The Slow Process

24:07 Time Management and Avoiding Burnout

26:33 Family Support and Cultural Heritage

28:12 The Journey of On Cloud Dine

32:01 Navigating the Creator Economy

37:30 Challenges in Content Creation

42:38 Cultural Pressures and Personal Growth

49:16 Breaking Boundaries in Content Creation

--------------------------------

Ria's socials:

@on_clouddine

@Ria_lakhs

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and trauma. Please listen with care.

In this powerful episode of Breaking the Browndary, we explore what it truly means to come back home to your body. I’m joined by ⁠⁠Anisah⁠⁠, a holistic therapist specialising in somatic healing, trauma recovery, and nervous system regulation.

We don't hold back- diving straight into intergenerational trauma, cultural shame, and the conditioning that’s kept so many of us stuck in cycles of control, people-pleasing, and emotional suppression. But we come out of the other sideto explore how we can start reconnecting to our bodies, reclaim our inner safety, and actually feel free. Anisah breaks down how the bottom three chakras—root, sacral, and solar plexus—hold the blueprint for survival, shame, and power struggles, and how reconnecting with the body through simple somatic tools can create deep shifts right now.

You’ll walk away with real tools to:

🔹 Understand somatic therapy & using it in daily life (aka: healing through the body, not just your brain)

🔹 Break free from survival mode and generational trauma

🔹 Use the chakra system as a roadmap for healing (Root, Sacral & Solar Plexus)

🔹 Real-life grounding tools to root into your power(yes, including hugging trees 🌳)

🔹 Practical ways to regulate your nervous system and not just pushing through it

🔹 Set boundaries and navigate cultural expectations(without spiralling into guilt)

🔹 Honour your South Asian roots while creating your own path

🔹 Abundance vs scarcity mindset and how it links to our lineage

🔹Connect to your body's innate intelligence and start inner child healing

This episode is an activation. Take notes, take deep breaths, and get ready to remember your body’s wisdom.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Breaking Boundaries

01:02 Rapid Fire Round: Healing Practices

08:07 Anisah's Journey to Somatic Healing

13:00 Understanding Somatic Healing

15:52 The Throat Chakra: Speaking from your Authenticity

18:00 Intergenerational Trauma in the South Asian Community

20:25 The Root Chakra: Survival

21:28 The Sacral Chakra: Shame

23:23 The Solar Plexus Chakra: Control

26:11 Reclaiming Our Heritage and Healing

29:36 Understanding Ancestral Healing and Privilege

30:36 Cultural Expectations and Personal Growth

31:57 Setting Boundaries in Relationships

35:10 Representation and Identity in the South Asian Community

37:45 Abundance vs. Scarcity Mindset

40:08 The Impact of Somatic Healing

44:01 Connecting with your Body's Innate Language

46:28 Honouring the Female Cycle

48:53 The Mind-Body Connection in Healing

50:16 Guided Somatic Practice: Practical Tools for Somatic Healing

53:51 Grounding Practise: Nervous System Regulation

55:18 Tree Technique: Nervous System Regulation

57:24 Reclaiming Power and Community Healing

01:00:08 Continuing the Conversation on Healing

------------------------------------------------------------------

Anisah's Socials:

Instagram:@holistic.anisah

Tik Tok: @holistic.anisah

------------------------------------------------------------------

If you enjoyed this episode, please do give a follow to Breaking the Browndary Podcast and leave a review as it really helps it to grow.

Stay tuned for the next episode as we explore the incrediblestories of South Asian millennials and beyond, who have challenged conventional norms, and are living life on their own terms.

Instagram:⁠⁠ @breakingthebrowndary⁠⁠

Stay blessed,

Rhea x