In this practical and empowering episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh sits down with Dr. Jen Ashton—board-certified OB-GYN, nutritionist, obesity-medicine specialist, and four-time Emmy Award-winning journalist—to explore the science of weight management and strength in midlife.

Together, they unpack how shifting hormones, changing metabolism, and lifestyle habits affect women’s health in their 40s, 50s, and beyond—and what truly works to stay strong, energized, and balanced.

Drawing on Dr. Ashton’s medical expertise and her own six-month Wellness Experiment, they discuss how women can combine evidence-based science, smart movement, and self-compassion to thrive through perimenopause and menopause.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (03:17) Why midlife weight gain happens—and how hormones like estrogen, cortisol, and testosterone influence metabolism
• (13:58) How Ayurvedic principles of balance, rhythm, and individuality align with modern science on women’s metabolism and longevity
• (18:58) How to balance strength training, cardio, and recovery to optimize energy and results
• (30:33) How variety and intensity (not restriction) are essential for healthy weight management and long-term vitality
• (43:17) Why adaptability—not perfection—is the foundation for sustainable health
• (47:26) The role of creatine in supporting muscle, metabolism, and brain health—and how to use it safely
• (52:07) Why Dr. Ashton’s one simple wellness tip, to start doing today, is meditation

This episode is your science-backed guide to weight management and strength in midlife—showing how adaptability, balance, and variety can help you feel strong, confident, and fully alive at every stage.

About Dr. Jen Ashton:

Dr. Jennifer Ashton is the founder and President of Ajenda, a multimedia company centered around weight management, women’s health and nutrition. She is the creator of Ajenda’s Wellness Experiment, a daily nutrition, fitness and health program designed specifically for women over 50. One of the only physicians with a national platform who is credentialed in nutrition, obesity medicine and gynecology, Dr. Ashton is the former ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent where she was the first woman and only the third physician to hold this position in the history of the network. A graduate of Columbia College and Columbia Medical School, she is board-certified in Ob-Gyn and Obesity Medicine, is a 4-time Emmy Award winner for her work in medical reporting and has received the Columbia Alfred DuPont Award for Excellence in Journalism and the American Heart Association’s Woman of the Year Award for her work on women’s health advocacy. She serves on the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association and is the author of six books, including the national best-seller, The Self Care Solution.

Connect with Dr. Jen Ashton:

• Instagram: @drjashton / @joinajenda
• Website: https://www.joinajenda.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjashton
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jennifer-ashton-354576204/

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In this episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh welcomes back her good friend and recurring guest, Tara Stiles, founder of Strala Yoga, for a timely and powerful conversation about the health benefits of living softly.

Tara shares wisdom from her upcoming book Living Softly, and explores how the cultural obsession with hustle and constant productivity is not only misguided—but harmful to our health and well-being. Instead, she offers another way: a practice of softness that creates real strength, resilience, and presence.

Together, Tara and Avanti dive into what it means to soften—physically, emotionally, and mentally—and how simple “softness breaks” throughout the day can help us access flow state, regulate the nervous system, and create more meaningful connections in every area of life.

They also explore how, in a world that feels increasingly difficult and disconnected, Living Softly helps us reconnect—not just to ourselves, but to each other. This way of being allows us to show up with compassion, empathy, and presence—qualities that are urgently needed as we navigate the uncertainty and division in our world. It’s a reminder that healing is never just individual—it’s collective. And the more we soften, the more we can support ourselves and each other.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (07:32) How “Living Softly” can have an expansive impact, mentally, emotionally, and physically
• (12:55) Why hustle culture harms our health and what the science says about its long-term risks
• (23:28) How flow state improves productivity, focus, and emotional well-being—and how softness helps us get there
• (32:18) What “Living Softly” really means—and how it’s different from simply relaxing or doing less
• (33:22) Tips for handling negativity and toxic behaviors and how to employ the practice of softness in our relationships
• (37:51) The ripple effect of nervous system regulation and how softening helps us connect more deeply with others
• (41:55) Practical ways to integrate softness into your daily life—including Tara’s “softness breaks” that you can try today

This episode is your guide to redefining strength through softness—and learning how small, conscious shifts in how you move, breathe, and show up can lead to better health, deeper connection, and more grounded power.

In a world that feels increasingly hard and divided, Living Softly reminds us that healing isn’t just personal—it’s relational. The more we soften, the more we can connect—with ourselves, with others, and with the communities we’re part of. This practice helps us create calm within, so we can become a calming force in the world around us.

(correction: the World Health Organization (WHO) study discussed in this episode was published in 2021; not 2019)

About Tara Stiles:

Tara Stiles is the co-founder of Strala Yoga, best-selling author, and well-being expert. Tara has revolutionized yoga for millions, transforming a practice so often seen as dogmatic, and guru-based, into an everyday movement that supports ease and well-being.

Strala Yoga is practiced in more than 100 countries, thousands of Guides lead Strala classes around the globe every day, and Tara shares yoga with thousands of people on the Strala Yoga app. She has been profiled by The New York Times, Times of India, The Times (UK), and featured in most major national and international magazines.

Connect with Tara Stiles:

• Instagram: @tarastiles
• Website:

Artificial Intelligence is changing everything—including how we care for our minds and bodies. But how do we make sense of its growing role in healthcare without losing the human connection that healing depends on?

In this powerful episode of The Healing Catalyst, Dr. Avanti Kumar-Singh sits down with Poonacha Machaiah, CEO of the Chopra Foundation and co-founder of Cyberhuman.ai, to unpack the evolving role of AI in mental health, loneliness, and preventive care. From AI-powered wellness coaches and personalized health dashboards to emotional support through chatbots and even therapeutic applications in the metaverse, this episode explores how technology can be a tool for healing—if used consciously.

Dr. Avanti and Poonacha also discuss the risks, the ethical questions, and what it means to keep intuition and empathy at the center of care, even as tech continues to accelerate.

AI isn’t here to replace healthcare—it’s here to reimagine it. And when used consciously, it has the power to move us from reactive treatment to personalized, proactive, and deeply connected care.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• (00:00) Welcome Poonacha Machaiah of the Chopra Foundation
• (06:50) Why AI is already part of your health journey—whether you realize it or not
• (08:52) How AI is being used to address mental health and loneliness at scale
• (10:52) What “conscious technology” means—and why it matters now more than ever
• (14:27) Why behavior change needs more than good advice—it needs smart, contextual nudges
• (18:45) How Personalized Medicine and Data-Driven Health has roots in Ayurveda
• (26:35) How platforms like Cyberhuman.ai are creating AI-powered tools for personalized wellbeing
• (27:55) How wearable tech and AI-powered dashboards can support preventive care
• (30:55) The surprising connection between gaming, mental health, and the next generation of healing
• (36:59) Why human intuition and empathy must remain central—even in an AI-driven future

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or skeptical about AI in medicine, this conversation will shift your perspective—and show you how AI might just help us reconnect to what really matters in health: awareness, agency, and human connection.

About Poonacha Machaiah:

Poonacha Machaiah is the CEO of The Chopra Foundation, a mission-driven organization committed to enhancing personal, societal, and planetary well-being. A visionary leader at the intersection of technology and consciousness, Poonacha co-founded Cyberhuman.ai—a pioneering personal AI digital well-being companion—and Seva.Love, a transformative metaverse platform for healing and mindfulness. Both ventures were launched in collaboration with best-selling author and mind-body medicine pioneer, Dr. Deepak Chopra.

Poonacha also leads initiatives like NeverAlone®, a global mental health movement focused on suicide prevention and emotional resilience, and Peak Living, which celebrates the synergy of intergenerational wisdom and vitality.

With a background in engineering and business, Poonacha has held leadership roles at global tech companies including Nortel, Iridium, Motorola, and Sasken, where he helped shape emerging technology landscapes. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering, and an MBA from the College of William and Mary.

Through his work, Poonacha continues to champion the conscious use of technology as a force for healing, inclusion, and global impact.

Connect with Poonacha Machaiah:

• Instagram: