Transcription

For generations, South Asian and Middle Eastern women have carried the weight of cultural expectations, family obligations, and societal norms that often ask them to shrink, stay silent, or put others first. But beneath those layers of conditioning lies immense strength, resilience, and wisdom.

Reclaiming your power is not about rejecting your roots. It’s about redefining what strength and self-worth look like on your own terms.

In this episode, we are going to explore how to reconnect with your inner voice, break free from limiting beliefs, and step fully into the powerful, authentic woman you were always meant to be.

Whether it’s in your career, relationships, or personal growth, it’s time to take up space and rewrite your story.

Welcome everyone to another episode of Supercharge Your Soul’s Transformation Podcast. Today, I have Ruchika Mehta, who is a holistic, somatic, and psycho-spiritual therapist who helps adults reclaim their true essence and self-worth.

She guides clients in healing deep patterns, connecting mind, body, and spirit. Ruchika also supports spiritually inspired seekers on their journey of growth and transformation, helping them expand and evolve with greater awareness and love.

Ruchika, I’m so excited that you’re here with us today to talk about our topic, which is: How do I take back my power as a South Asian or a Middle Eastern woman?

“Well, thanks so much, Dimple. I’m so excited, really excited to be speaking with you today.”

Thank you.

So Ruchika, I know this topic is really close to my heart, and I know it’s close to you too. So let’s start with your story. Was there a personal experience or a turning point that led you to this path of helping women reclaim their power?

“Yeah, actually, it’s a very long story. So, let’s see how it comes out. When I was a child, I used to go to sacred spaces with my mother. I was born in India, and I was there for the first 12 years of my life. I would go to sacred spaces with my mother and connect with the energies. My mother was also a very devotional person.

It was in early adolescence that we actually moved to the US, and a lot happened in my life. By the time I was in my mid-to-late twenties, I was lost on so many levels—health, career, relationship, everything. I took it as an opportunity to realign because I had a connection when I was younger with the energies.

At different times in my life, I had those connections. But by my mid-to-late twenties, I was so disconnected. I didn’t know what to do. So I went on a dual track. I went to graduate school to study psychology to become a psychotherapist, and at the same time, I restarted my seeking journey.

I went to a lot of different spiritual teachers for the first few years. I was really like, OK, I’m going to try this, I’m going to try this, I’m going to try this. What I found was everything kind of missed me. Psychology missed me in so many ways. Spirituality missed me—not to say that I didn’t get a lot of value from them, but they missed me and what was happening for me.

First of all, immigrating to the US and what that means for South Asian women—how that energetically affected me in particular. But also, so much happens to us when we get hurt in our lives.

Fast forward, I became a psychotherapist, and I also got into a piece of work called Diamond Logos, which integrates psychology and spirituality. I’ve been studying that for about 16+ years at this point.

What happened was I had to go so far away from myself and realize, surprisingly, that I didn’t need to go that far. I needed to return to myself.”

You’re right. I think that’s the golden nugget that our women audience on this podcast is going to hear from you—how to return back to ourselves.

“Yeah. And in that journey, I realized I forgot. I remembered so many things that were wrong, so many hurts, so many wounds, so much rejection that I’d experienced. But I forgot all the richness. I forgot my mother’s richness.

Yes, her ego, for example, may not have known how to be there for me in the way that I needed about certain things. But I forgot—oh my gosh—I have actually been raised around women who are amazing. No matter what they experienced in their lives, they didn’t lose themselves completely.

And what I’m finding is that so many of us—not just me—really went into that place. But what I found is, oh my gosh, I’m not the only one. I’m not the only one in the US. I’m not the only one even in India, for example.

It’s a process that’s happening, and I am still on my inner journey about how to embody who I am. I’m not there yet, but I’ve done more than 20 years of spiritual seeking and have definitely made a lot of progress. But I don’t claim to be fully there. It’s a work in progress.”

I totally agree. So, can you share with us what were some of your biggest challenges during that time, especially when you came to the US? How did you start to shift things about yourself?

“I think a lot of it happened under the surface, let’s just say. On the outward level, I was an adolescent trying to find my identity. I was becoming so influenced by the world around me. I was trying to navigate being accepted, assimilating into the culture.

What was happening inside was, I’d say, decades of work to get here—starting to recognize, oh, it’s in the body. It is deep in the body. The collective around us affects us.

In Western culture, the value tends to be around individuation, which is not true individuation—it’s isolation.”

May I ask—was it confusing for you to form your identity when you came here? Because for me, my biggest challenge was identity too. I was 15, told we’d go back to Abu Dhabi after my cousin’s wedding, but I stayed here, couldn’t go back, and had to work at 15 to pay bills. I felt like—where am I? Who am I? What is this place?

“Yes, absolutely. It was so confusing. I was made fun of. I was asked questions like, ‘Do they have electricity in India?’ or, ‘Do you live with tigers?’ I remember having muffins thrown at me in high school because I was different.

It was hard for my parents. They didn’t know what hit them. On some level, it was good—moving here. But the grief of leaving the warmth and connection of our culture behind was immense. It wasn’t visible externally, but internally, it was isolation.

Nobody knew what was happening. We all ended up in our own little bubbles. My adolescence was hard—I did the best I could, but the isolation hit me, and it hit the whole family.”

I now understand what you’re saying because you’re right. In Abu Dhabi, we were always around people—my dad focused on social gatherings, and in India, you’re surrounded by family, neighbors, and everyone knows your business. You don’t feel isolated because you share your grief, joy, everything. Moving here, it feels like a cultural shift from connection to isolation.

“Yes, exactly. The cultural shift is immense. It’s not about building identity in a healthy way; it’s about survival in a system that promotes isolation.

Even language plays a role. In my home country, I spoke Hindi, and it vibrates differently in my body. It has a sweetness to it—both in speaking and listening. Coming to the US, I still spoke Hindi at home, but most of my connections outside were in English, which feels different in the body. Even the frequency of the land affects us.

When you’re on a land resonant with your soul, you feel it. That resonance was gone when I moved here. Nothing against the US, but culturally, we are a different tribe.”

I agree 100%. South Asian and Middle Eastern cultures are so heartful, warm, and connected. The women I grew up around were amazing. Sure, they faced oppression and challenges, but they navigated their lives with so much warmth and generosity.

“Yes, exactly. Despite their struggles, they had this richness flowing through them—an embodied fountain of love, warmth, and giving. It wasn’t about image or external validation; it was about being deeply connected to their essence.

But over time, we’ve turned against our own nature. Whether it’s due to our own hurts, westernization, or societal projections, we’ve dried up that richness in our bodies. It’s heartbreaking.”

You’re right. Even I’ve felt it. Moving here, the sense of community and warmth disappeared. And clothes—oh my gosh, even that changed. I used to wear long tops to cover myself, and people would ask, “Why are you dressed like that?” Eventually, I adapted, but I still feel more comfortable in covered clothing.

“Yes, exactly. Clothes hold meaning too. In the East, colorful, flowing clothes with gold accents are the norm. They have an impact on our bodies, hearts, and minds. But here, we often trade that richness for simplicity or practicality, and something gets lost in the process.

It’s not about judgment—everyone gets to choose what feels right for them. But it’s important to recognize what we might be losing in the process. Even during the pandemic, when I lived in yoga pants and gray clothes, I felt the difference. Color and flow bring a certain energy, a certain frequency, to our lives.”

That’s so true. And I’ve noticed that color meditations are so popular for a reason—they elevate your energy and frequency.

“Yes, absolutely. It’s about reconnecting with those elements that make us feel alive and vibrant. For South Asian and Middle Eastern women, it’s also about remembering the deeply feminine, embodied, and juicy woman within us.

Many of us have shoved that part of ourselves away due to hurts, westernization, or oppression. The first step is remembering her—whether it’s through the women who raised us, the warmth we felt, or even through something as simple as the clothes we wear or the language we speak.”

Grief is another piece of the puzzle. Many women are grieving without even realizing it. It could be the grief of leaving their home country, the grief of losing their cultural identity, or the grief of not being the woman they used to be. But grief, when truly felt, transforms. It softens us, connects us to our hearts, and allows us to reclaim our essence.

“The key is to feel it—not to push it away or get stuck in it, but to truly feel it. Witness it, allow it to move through your body, and let it transform into something new. Sometimes, the right kind of tears can shift everything in a moment, softening and warming us from the inside.

It’s also about creating spaces for ourselves—spaces where we can drop the layers, feel supported, and reconnect with our true selves. Whether it’s through gatherings, yoga, meditation, dancing, or simply being in the presence of other women who understand, these spaces are vital.”

I completely agree. South Asian and Middle Eastern women need spaces where they can gather, share, dance, and heal together.

“Yes, absolutely. Women need these spaces to remember who we are and to grieve, heal, and reconnect. It’s not about rejecting the world we live in now; it’s about finding a way to embody our true selves within it.

The journey isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. The cost of not doing it is too high—exhaustion, depression, anxiety, and emptiness. By saying yes to ourselves and creating those spaces, we can begin to reclaim our power and live more fully.”

This conversation has been so transformative, Ruchika. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your journey with us. Before we wrap up, can you tell our listeners how they can find you?

“Of course. My website is ruchikamehta.com—that’s spelled R-U-C-H-I-K-A M-E-H-T-A dot com. I also have a growing YouTube channel under the same name, Ruchika Mehta.

I’m really excited to share that I’m hosting a workshop next week for South Asian and Middle Eastern women, focused on reclaiming our inheritance. It’s just a one-time workshop, but I hope to provide these spaces for women worldwide as a part of my mission.

So, if this resonates with you, please feel free to connect with me through my website or YouTube channel. I’d love to hold space for anyone who feels called to join.”

That’s beautiful. Thank you so much, Ruchika. This was such a powerful and emotional conversation for me. I’ve had moments during this recording where I’ve felt deeply moved, and I know our listeners will too.

You’ve reminded us that the first step is remembering. Remembering who we are, what we’ve forgotten, and the richness that lies within us. And I’m so grateful for that reminder because it’s something I felt during this very recording.

“I’m so glad, Dimple. Thank you for creating this space for such an important conversation. I hope this message reaches the women who need to hear it and encourages them to take the first step on their journey back to themselves.”

To all our listeners, always remember—metamorphosis, not medication. If you have any questions or feel ready to start your own transformation, you can book a 20-minute free consultation with me through my website.

If you loved this episode, please leave us a review on iTunes—it means so much and helps us reach more people. Thank you for tuning in, and I can’t wait to see you on the next episode of Supercharge Your Soul’s Transformation.

Namaste.