Anxious, agitated, angry? Does this describe your day? It doesn’t have to be that way. Yoga coach Pragya Singh speaks to Himanshi Dhawan, senior editor with The Times of India on how to move beyond Instagram-worthy poses towards meditation, pranayama, and stillness. Singh, who is a founding member at Lifeyoga, an immersive yoga centre in Delhi, shares how yoga is far more than a physical workout.

Drawing from her journey from corporate life to a full-time yoga teacher, including working with trauma patients in Canada, Singh makes a compelling case for why modern, overstimulated minds desperately need yoga's deeper practices. She answers questions on how to develop a curious mind, be aware and present in the moment.

Pragya also introduces her signature hammock sound bath sessions, where participants lie suspended in hammocks while being immersed in healing sounds and vibrations. The experience triggers a profound sense of safety and release, with most participants reporting simply feeling "light" afterwards.

In a world where our attention is constantly fragmented, she argues that focused awareness is our most underused and precious resource. With India and the world celebrating World Yoga Day on June 21, it is time to take a deep breath and centre yourself.

Don’t miss the nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/) in the end.

Chapters

00:41 Yoga, a journey in curiosity

3:17 How yoga can help to battle stress, anxiety

4:25 Intimidated by the discipline required for yoga? Here's how to start

6:11 How Indians are reclaiming yoga from the West

8:09 The doorways to yoga

10:26 What is sound healing?

11:36 What is a hammock sound bath?

13:31 What happens when you surrender to an experience like a hammock sound bath?

14:20 Advice to people who may want to experiment?

15:57 How to be present in your everyday life?

Feeling jetlagged on Mondays even though you haven’t flown across time zones? It’s called social jetlag, where you have to literally drag your sleepy self to work after a weekend of partying or OTT binge. It’s not just your mind refusing to wake up to the grind, it’s also your body telling you it’s not ready for the rigour yet.

In this episode, host Srirupa Ray, an Assistant Editor with TOI, explores the science behind the “Monday blues” and the phenomenon of social jetlag — the shift in our internal body clock caused by late-night weekends and screen time. Joining the conversation are two experts: Dr Manvir Bhatia, a senior neurologist and sleep specialist from Delhi, and Rohini Rajeev, a senior psychotherapist from Bengaluru.

Together, they delve deep into how digital habits, blue light exposure, and doom-scrolling suppress melatonin (sleep hormone) and trigger cortisol (stress hormone), disrupting our circadian rhythm. They outline the extensive toll this takes on health, connecting social jetlag to inflammation, metabolic stress, emotional instability, and cognitive decline. Finally, the experts share practical recovery strategies, emphasising the importance of a gradual transition, digital sunsets, and anchoring a consistent morning wake-up time to realign the body’s internal rhythm.

Cherry on the cake? A nutrition power tip by nutritionist Sangeetha Aiyer (https://www.rewriteyourstory.in/).

Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Monday Blues

(01:37) - What Exactly is Social Jet Lag?

(02:40) - Rise of Connectivity & Doomscrolling

(03:22) - Revenge Bedtime Procrastination

(04:04) - Blue Light and Melatonin Suppression

(04:55) Cognitive Bleeding: Why We Can’t Wind Down

(05:41) - ‘Executive Sunday’ & Midpoint Sleep Shifts

(07:55) - The Myth of ‘Catching Up’ on Sleep

(09:08) - How Circadian Disruption Triggers Hyper-Arousal

(10:48) - Orchestra of the Body: Light, Food, & Activity

(14:48) - Mental Health Toll & The Impulsive Brain

(17:25) - Crafting a ‘Digital Sunset’ & Cognitive Downloads

(20:25) - Rewiring the Clock: Gradual Shifts & Sleep Diaries

(28:26) - Final Pro-Tips: Anchor Your Wake-Up Time