Women In Wellness: Joanna Rajendran On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Wanda Malhotra

You don’t have to be good at everything. If you’re a connector and not a bookkeeper, find an accountant. If you’re creative but messy, outsource the cleaning. The point is to spend the most time doing what you do best and partner or outsource the tasks that take the most time and offer the least satisfaction.

Today, more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, they break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Joanna Rajendran.

After spending 26 years studying with and learning from a modern-day sage, Joanna Rajendran was inspired to share the story of her time with Master Teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch and the lessons learned in a raw and relatable way in the must-read book MY GURU WEARS HEELS.

As a keynote speaker, mindset mastery coach and yoga instructor, Joanna spends her time facilitating transformation. In addition to working on her next two books, she can be found delivering speeches, leading corporate or private retreats or leading her signature BEST.LIFE.EVER. course on habits of happiness and success. Offering actionable tools, breathwork and meditation, Joanna’s mission is to help individuals, corporations and communities to stop REACTING to life and to begin CREATING it.

Some new things in the works for 2024 are: Manifest Station: a podcast with friend and fellow spiritual badass/wellness concierge Jen Rubinetti, and a fall retreat for women in Tuscany.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

Absolutely. At the age of 17, in a dark season of life, I knew I was at a crossroads. I could use the triggering events of being raped and having an abortion to excuse a downward spiral or to ignite a curiosity. In choosing the latter, I began to seek a path to peace; one that ultimately led me to connecting with an inspiring mentor. And once I discovered how to access this peace & power, it resulted in an immediate knowing that I was meant to spend this lifetime helping others do the same.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

One of the most interesting stories since beginning my career as a speaker, author, teacher & coach was being able to facilitate a meeting of the minds with two of my greatest sources of inspiration; Tao Porchon-Lynch and Tony Robbins. The moment this notion occurred to me, I became obsessed with making it happen! The challenge? While I had studied with, assisted and been close to Tao for years at this point, I had no connection to Tony Robbins other than being a fan of his teachings. In fact, I share the story of how this went from vision board fodder to actually happening in my book because it really serves as the perfect reminder that we are only limited in what is possible by the capacity of our own imagination. The series of events- of micro and macro “miracles” that occurred to enable the meeting were just that… miraculous. It provided the ultimate example of how to harness the power of vision to create that which you seek. It also reinforced the importance of being attached to the outcome rather than the process. I could never have predicted the path to the result as it occurred. These days, when I have a desired result, I focus more on connecting with the satisfaction I will feel when it happens and release trying to control how it unfolds.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

You know when an athlete wins a game and gives credit to their coach? Or when someone earns an award and thanks the parents who shaped them? I always believed that humility and gratitude could be effectively expressed by crediting those who were pivotal in helping you to get where you are. When I began my speaking career, my desire to pay homage to my teacher Tao was such that I ended up sharing more of her insights than my own. Luckily, some early feedback from my speaking coach and my brother helped me to stand more fully in my power and to confidently share my perspective. We all have a unique light in this world and while some of us are lucky enough to have the benefit of great teachers and mentors, we are still the only ones who can share our own stories in our own voices. And each of those stories is so important… and so worth telling.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

If we want world peace, it requires a world comprised of peaceful individuals. We are living in a time and age where we are hyperconnected and overstimulated. It is not only beneficial to take the time to engage with that which enhances your sense of peace and wellbeing- it is essential. Teaching people practical habits of success, reminding them of the magic in their life and showing simple “happy hacks” is my way of helping to create the world in which I want to live.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing?

1 . LIVE IN A STATE OF GRATITUDE- The best way to live gratefully is to sweat the small stuff. Instead of rote answers that me be totally true but said so often that they lose their meaning (ie, my health, my family, my friends) — BE SPECIFIC. Look around in this exact moment. (I am watching Biggie, the cute little pufferfish in our aquarium, and he always looks like he’s smiling!) When you make a habit of being thankful for the little things, it takes less to make you grateful and you begin to experience gratitude as your natural resting place. TWEAK- begin a gratitude text thread. Find a partner and text each other 3 daily gratitudes.

2 . PLAY! The fastest way to grow old is to stop playing. Do you have a kid in your life who could remind you to take life a bit more lightly when you feel the weight of it? If not, here’s a reminder… YOU can be that kid. Do a cartwheel on the grass in a park, have a dance party in your kitchen for no reason, scream sing your favorite song in the car with the windows down. Happiness is contagious. Connect with your playful spirit. It will revitalize your energy, help you feel more present and make you be able to focus on tasks and people with more clarity. TWEAK- add something on your calendar each week that is a TO-BE instead of a TO-DO!

3 . WATCH YOUR MOUTH The fastest way to create your best life is through your words. If you want to enhance your experience and to have more meaningful connection, eliminate the following 4 letter words from your vocabulary: FINE, OKAY and GOOD. Not the 4 letter words you were expecting? If you stop answering everyday questions with the predictable responses, you will turn your casual interactions into moments of actual connection. For example, if you are at a checkout line and someone asks how you’re doing and instead of “Fine thanks. How are you?”… you say, “I’m absolutely amazing. How’s your day going?”, you will have effectively broken the unspoken pattern. That disruption of the norm will lead to more eye contact, true engagement and an actually real response. TWEAK- spend the next 7 days without using those 3 words and note the difference you see in the reactions you get.

4 . DON’T QUIT YOUR DAYDREAM. This is a power we inherently use as kids and then somehow forget about as we grow. When you’re little and you desire something, you will dream about it, think about it, talk about it. You will use the power of your imagination until it becomes a reality. As adults, we have inextricably linked the effort with the outcome. And yes, inspired action could yield a desired result. But do not skip over the importance and magnitude of the power of visualization. Everything we now see in our world began first as an idea. SEE that which you are intending. FEEL it. ENGAGE all the senses. Then enjoy the unfolding. But do not skip the dreaming phase. TWEAK- great times of day to spend focusing on your dreams are first thing in the morning to create the energy of the day as opposed to responding to it and right before sleep to trigger the subconscious as to what you request to focus on overnight.

5 . CONNECT WITH NATURE. Just a few minutes a day in nature could make a world of difference. And the good news is that this can be done wherever you are, with whatever time you have. I live on the beach and love walking or biking on the sand, watching the vastness of the ocean and seeing dolphins swim. If you’re a mountain person, go for a hike. If you work in a city, take a walk. Look at an old tree, examine the perfection of a flower, marvel at a beautiful moon. Nature brings us back to the magnitude of the world and our being a connected part of it. TWEAK- start small and add a 10 minute section of your day that you are doing something in nature… and leave your phone at home as you do it.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

Prioritizing connection; with both yourself, your loved ones and community in general. I would love if from an early age, we were encouraged to have a practice of peace. I would love to see more schools offer breathwork and mindfulness as standard curriculum. And for community connections to be a part of the fabric of neighborhoods.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

• That there is no one path to success. Find what lights your soul on fire and figure out a way that you can make a living doing that. We spend too much of our lives at work to not enjoy it.
• Collect experiences more than stuff. If you’ve ever lost a loved one and been tasked with the job of cleaning out their home, you’ll get how the stuff is just that- stuff. It’s really the moments, the connections, the adventures, the love that shape a life. Being mindful of this early on can help you curate of lifetime of what you’ll cherish both in the moment and in the memories.
• You don’t have to be good at everything. If you’re a connector and not a bookkeeper, find an accountant. If you’re creative but messy, outsource the cleaning. The point is to spend the most time doing what you do best and partner or outsource the tasks that take the most time and offer the least satisfaction.
• The failures will shape you as much, if not more, than the successes. In this regard, any outcome is meaningful if you focus on the lessons learned, the connections made or the confidence gained.
• The seasons change. If you are in an easy, abundant moment in life- appreciate in and revel in the magic. If you are in a difficult chapter, remember that the page will turn, and this will not be forever.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Mental health is the cause nearest and dearest to my heart. My favorite quote is the Gandhi one, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Beginning with ourselves is where we have the most power to effect immediate change.

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

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joannarajendran.com/
• Instagram: @joannaraj
• Facebook: Joanna Rajendran
• Linkedin: Joanna Rajendran
• Twitter: @JoannaRajendran
• Youtube: Joanna Rajendran

Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com .