Priya Shah of Köppen Ayurveda: How We Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness

Parveen Panwar, Mr. Activated
Authority Magazine
Published in
13 min readFeb 25, 2021

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Smile at yourself in the mirror — It might sound silly, but the power of a smile is a very real thing. Modern science has proven that smiling spurs a chemical reaction in your brain that makes you feel happier. Smiling back at yourself can actually signal to your mind that you care about what you see, and the dopamine release in your brain can boost your mood and reduce stress, putting you in a mindset where experiencing and practicing gratitude can come more easily.

As we all know, times are tough right now. In addition to the acute medical crisis caused by the Pandemic, in our post COVID world, we are also experiencing what some have called a “mental health pandemic”.

What can each of us do to get out of this “Pandemic Induced Mental and Emotional Funk”?

One tool that each of us has access to is the simple power of daily gratitude. As a part of our series about the “How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness” I had the pleasure of interviewing Priya Shah.

Priya Shah is an Ayurvedic health guru, meditator, and co-founder of Köppen Ayurveda, a leading lifestyle essentials brand inspired by Ayurveda. Originally from Los Angeles, CA and currently residing in Oslo, Norway, Priya has spent over a decade running sales teams at Fortune 500 companies and unicorn start-ups helping them scale and enter new markets. To avoid burnout and to combat the stress inducing environment of sales, she adopted holistic health and wellness practices, predominantly those found in ancient Eastern sciences, and saw a significant increase in her physical and mental well-being. This inspired multiple trips to India to learn and study about these practices, which further inspired her to build a company with her brother and co-founder, Parag, to demystify Eastern wellness practices and share the healing benefits of these sciences to the Western world.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about you and about what brought you to your specific career path?

I graduated college and started my professional career selling payroll and HR services for a Fortune 500 company to businesses in the Los Angeles area. I found success quickly and started moving up the infamous corporate ladder at a rapid pace. Within a few years, I moved from Los Angeles to New York City to lead a global sales team and as with many sales roles, it came with extreme highs and lows — all of which accumulated to a stressful lifestyle. To manage this stress, I found myself adopting age-old practices from India that I grew up watching my mother incorporate into her daily routine — practices like Yoga, Pranayama (Breath work), and Meditation. As I started seeing the shift these practices had in my overall health and well-being, I started to spend more of my free time learning about holistic health and soon my thoughts were occupied by wanting to explore that world a bit more. After two impactful trips to India, the voice in my head telling me I’d regret it if I didn’t take the leap of faith to pursue this passion, became too loud to ignore and I knew I had to find a way to share the benefits of ancient wellness practices, particularly Ayurveda, with a broader audience.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Starting a business forced me to come to reality with parts of my childhood I didn’t realize impacted my definition of success. Like many immigrants, my parents left India and came to America with a couple dollars and big dreams. They immediately started to seek out and observe people they believed achieved the “American Dream”, a concept for them that involved having enough financial freedom to own a home, a nice car, send their children to reputable universities, and support their families back home. And from these observations, they became convinced that the key to a successful life had a clear trajectory: go to the best school, get good grades, graduate from a top ranked university, and land a job at a stable company where you can climb the ladder and have a pension waiting for you at retirement. Any departure from those steps was viewed as high risk and a recipe for failure. So for me, I grew up believing the same because it had been indoctrinated in me at the kitchen table, on the car ride to school, and during family gatherings. As I went through life, I had that checklist in front of me for every decision I made, and I was careful to cross off all the right boxes. After the first few years of my professional career, I had noticed more clearly that the world had changed and was much different than when my parents arrived. More so, I had changed and I wasn’t sure I believed in that definition of success anymore. As I explored passions and hobbies that brought me joy, I strayed further and further away from the checklist until finally taking a leap of faith and starting a career centered around those passions. What has been most interesting in the journey is that the lack of structure and uncertainty, something I was conditioned to believe was a sign of doom and recipe for disaster, is something I am now excited about and drawn to. My definition of success and how to achieve it is now defined by my thoughts and beliefs, and in this change, I have found the happiest and most content version of myself.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why do you think that resonates with you? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life?

My favorite life lesson quote is from Naval Ravikant: “Embrace the rare ability to start over.” This resonates with me because it’s a reminder that you have control over your life and are not defined by actions of your past, or expectations of your future. In every second of every minute of every day, you can consciously make the decision of how you want to show up and who you want to be. I feel strongly that this quote subconsciously inspired me to take the plunge into the career I have now. I spent many years building a successful sales career at a Fortune 500 company but that didn’t mean I needed to continue down that path. As I evolved as a person, I became more critical of how I decided to spend my time and I knew I wanted to spend it doing something that I was passionate about and would bring good to the world. This ability to “start over” from a career perspective was a choice many of my friends and family might have considered to be too risky, but it was the right one for me and I am proud of my decision to make that change.

Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story about why that resonated with you?

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a must-read. For many, building productive and healthy habits often seems like a daunting task, but Atomic Habits feels like a cheat code to life — it shows you easy, actionable ways to build good habits. In particular, the easy to implement techniques shared in the book helped me structure my days in such a way that I am able to incorporate all the self-care practices I enjoy into my daily routine without sacrificing time dedicated to work or personal priorities.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

There is nothing that gets me more excited than to introduce and share the benefits of time tested mental and physical practices found in ancient Eastern sciences. As modern science and medicine evolves, the age-old wisdom in these ancient practices is making a comeback and being able to share the healing benefits and positive impact this can have on overall well-being in a modern and practical way, while also paying homage to its cultural roots, is very exciting. Currently, I am working with our team to build out digital content that will share practical tips and implementable routines that one can incorporate into their daily life to improve their physical and mental well-being.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I am extremely grateful and forever indebted to my co-founder and brother, Parag Shah. He constantly encourages me to explore my passions, celebrates my wins, both big and small, and lifts me up when I come across moments of frustration, fear, or doubt. He actively listens to ideas I share, gently pushes me to think bigger, and inspires me to exercise my creative muscle. Building Köppen with him has been a dream come true for me as it’s given me a channel to pursue a common passion we share, while bringing different strengths and complementary skill sets to the table.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now that we are on the topic of gratitude, let’s move to the main focus of our interview. As you know, the collective mental health of our country is facing extreme pressure. We would like to explore together how every one of us can use gratitude to improve our mental wellness. Let’s start with a basic definition of terms. How do you define the concept of Gratitude? Can you explain what you mean?

For me, it’s simple: gratitude is a way of living. When you’re grateful, you’re mindful. When you’re mindful, you’re present. When you’re present, you’re happy. This pandemic has forced millions of people into unexpected realities and right now practicing gratitude can seem like a futile task, but it is in these moments that gratitude can yield the best results.

Why do you think so many people do not feel gratitude? How would you articulate why a simple emotion can be so elusive?

Gratitude has become commercialized and overly structured; we have been sold that in order to practice gratitude we need to bio hack our way into incorporating into our life by writing in a journal every morning and night, or reciting a bulleted list of people, things, and experiences we are grateful for. While these exercises are certainly meaningful, they are not required to practice gratitude. First and foremost, practicing gratitude should not feel like a line item on your daily to-do list. In fact, there is a concept in Yoga called “Santhosa” which is a Sanskrit word that translates to “contentment” and/or “satisfaction.” This 5,000-year-old concept is about finding contentment and gratitude for who you are and what you have in the present moment: no journals, no trackers, no gamification: it simply teaches that you be present in that moment and appreciate yourself, your surroundings, and your experience.

Unfortunately, practicing this technique requires a reprioritization of what modern day society has convinced us we should care about. Overstimulation and constant access to information has pulled us away from the present moment and pushed us into a perpetual state of a “comparison mindset”: comparing our lives with others online and being reminded of things we don’t have, people we can’t be with, places we haven’t been to, and relationships we haven’t experienced. When you’re so far down the rabbit hole of this algorithmic hijacking of your mental well-being, it can become difficult to be aware of the present moment, a key requirement of practicing gratitude, thereby making the practice seem too difficult and/or too time consuming to try. Again, gratitude is a way of living, not a thing to do.

This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be constructive to help spell it out. Can you share with us a few ways that increased gratitude can benefit and enhance our life?

In the Vedas (ancient Indian spiritual texts) gratitude is similar to Yoga’s concept of Santosha. In a nutshell, Santosha is the inner state of peace or contentment and is fundamental to achieving happiness. It can be achieved by practicing gratitude on a daily basis. Today, modern science has proven the benefits this has on the mind and body. For example, increased gratitude has been scientifically linked to a positive change in thought patterns, longer lasting and more fulfilling relationships, decreased depression, better sleep performance, mental agility and strength, and enhanced empathy.

Let’s talk about mental wellness in particular. Can you share with us a few examples of how gratitude can help improve mental wellness?

Just like physical wellness, mental wellness can be achieved through proper habits. One of the most fundamental building blocks of mental wellness is gratitude. Practicing gratitude reduces the stress hormone cortisol and increases the production of dopamine in the body. At a macro level, when you are able to practice gratitude, what you are really doing is living in the present moment. So while many of us are constantly stuck revisiting the past — past decisions, past actions, and past thoughts, or overthinking the future — future decisions, future actions, and future thoughts, we completely miss the current moment! By practicing gratitude for the things you have — such as health, wealth, or relationships — you are saying to yourself, I am choosing to be happy because in this moment I have everything I need.

Ok wonderful. Now here is the main question of our discussion. From your experience or research, what are “Five Ways That Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness”. Can you please share a story or example for each?

  1. Use Your Senses — Our ability to see, hear, taste, touch, and feel are gifts that we should take full advantage of each day. Simple ways to do this is going for a walk without your phone, literally stopping and smelling the roses, sitting in solitude taking in the sounds of everything happening around you (yes, even if you’re in a city!), or even tasting a new fruit or dish and taking in the textures and flavors mindfully.
  2. Forgive Yourself — Talk to yourself like you would talk to someone you care deeply about — like a best friend or a close family member. Now imagine if they were as hard on themselves as you are on yourself — what would you tell them? Surely, you would remind them of the bigger picture or how special they are. In the same way, you must be your own best friend and be forgiving with yourself when you began to walk down the path of negative self-talk. Remember, the longest relationship of your life is the one with yourself, and by learning to forgive yourself, you will naturally start to understand yourself more deeply, and this only yields positive outcomes on your overall well-being.
  3. Practice Stillness & Breathe — There is a saying, ‘To the person that is still, the whole universe reveals itself.’ When you’re practicing stillness, you’re no longer caught between the words, deeds, and thoughts of your past or the engineering of your future by overthinking — instead, you are trusting the moment and actually living it. Practice stillness by practicing slow breathing. Exercises like Pranayama require you to focus on your breath which help exercise your mental ability to stay in the present moment.
  4. Do Something For Yourself Every Day. Unapologetically — Big or small, tangible or intangible. Carve out time each day to do something that is solely for you and brings you joy. One day this might be squeezing in a workout and on another it might be enjoying a nice glass of wine (be mindful of moderation with any activity!). No matter what you decide, the key here is to be unapologetic about it. Keep in mind you have you to live with yourself every day so give yourself the time and space to exist on your own terms.
  5. Smile at yourself in the mirror — It might sound silly, but the power of a smile is a very real thing. Modern science has proven that smiling spurs a chemical reaction in your brain that makes you feel happier. Smiling back at yourself can actually signal to your mind that you care about what you see, and the dopamine release in your brain can boost your mood and reduce stress, putting you in a mindset where experiencing and practicing gratitude can come more easily.

Is there a particular practice that can be used during a time when one is feeling really down, really vulnerable, or really sensitive?

Practice breathwork. This practice transcended millennia because its proven effects for millions of people. When it comes to dealing with heavy emotions like stress, depression, vulnerability, or fear, your breath is one of the best remedies there is. Pranayama, commonly known as breath work or controlled breathing, is a practice that dates back thousands of years and is now being proven by modern medicine to help alter the state of mind and engage the parasympathetic nervous system that calms and soothes us. One particular form of pranayama, called equal ratio breathing, is particularly effective. In this practice, you inhale and exhale for equal counts (i.e., 4 second inhale, 4 second exhale) for a specified period of time (i.e., 10 minutes). The equal ratio of breath creates a natural balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and reduces the heart rate which leads to calm, clarity, and focus.

Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or resources that you would recommend to our readers to help them to live with gratitude?

The Knowledge Project with Shane Parrish, and Into the Well by Ryan Williams are two really great podcasts that I like to call “brain food’’ because every time you listen to them you get nuggets of wisdom that are easily implementable. Other great ones are Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations and Ten Percent Happier with Dan Harris.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

A movement for slower living to give us an opportunity to appreciate and understand we are one with nature. I’ve always believed you can look to nature to understand how everything works. Nature moves slowly. Nature takes its time. But after every natural process there is beauty. Roses grow in dirt, fruits were once seeds, sunlight comes after the dark. In today’s world, however, we want everything quickly — we want to lose weight or add muscle in a matter of weeks, we want to look better or have nicer things quicker. Yet, we forget we are nature too. Existence and evolution is not human centric. If we take note from nature, we’ll find that the beauty is actually in the process, not the end result.

What is the best way our readers can further follow your work online?

You can learn more about the healing benefits of Eastern practices for increased mental and physical well-being by subscribing to our monthly newsletter, at www.Köppen.co. For a Monday Mantra + 1 tip for better living, you can join our free Third Eye Therapy SMS program by texting us at +1 (323) 402–6921 (we’re not run by bots!), and to simply join a community of fellow wellness enthusiasts, follow along on Instagram @itsKöppen.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

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Parveen Panwar, Mr. Activated
Authority Magazine

Entrepreneur, angel investor and syndicated columnist, as well as a yoga, holistic health, breathwork and meditation enthusiast. Unlock the deepest powers