The Vital Veda Podcast: Ayurveda | Holistic Health | Cosmic and Natural Law

When an eclipse happens, something shifts. The light changes. The atmosphere feels different. Traditionally, these moments were never treated as ordinary.
In this episode, Dylan is joined by Jyotishi and Ayurvedic practitioner Laura Plumb, Vaidya Dr Krishna Raju, Vaidya and medical astrologer Dr Harsha Raju, and mantra teacher Purnesh. Together they explore eclipses through the lenses of Ayurveda, Jyotish and mantra śāstra.
They speak about Rahu and Ketu, the difference between solar and lunar eclipses, why digestion and prāṇa are considered more sensitive during these periods, and why eclipses have long been used as powerful windows for mantra and inner practice. Specific mantras and simple ritual guidelines are shared, along with practical recommendations around food, rest, meditation and how to orient the mind during these heightened times. The conversation moves between astronomy, subtle physiology and lived experience, offering a steady and grounded way to approach eclipse events.
Rather than sensationalising eclipses, this episode invites a composed perspective. A reminder that moments of shadow can also be moments of alignment.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
🌒 The Vedic understanding of eclipses
🌒 Rahu and Ketu in Vedic mythology
🌒 Solar vs lunar eclipses and their different impacts on mind, prāṇa and physiology
🌒 Agni, digestion and subtle sensitivity during eclipse periods
🌒 Practical Ayurvedic guidance for food, fasting and daily routine
🌒 Mantra practices and specific chants recommended during eclipses
🌒 Moving beyond fear toward steadiness and alignment in times of shadow
RESOURCES:
Show Notes for this episode (with full resources & mantra spellings)
Seven Dhatus and Nine Planets - Online Course with Dylan & Vaidya Harsha Raju
Vital Veda’s Abhanga Courses (2026) in Byron Bay, Australia & London, UK
All of Vital Veda's online & in-person courses and trainings
Ayurveda x Astrology: The Cosmic Blueprint For Health - Masterclass with Vaidya Harsha Raju
Book a Jyotish session with Laura Plumb - Discount Code: LAURA10 for 10% discount 
Book a Jyotish session with Vaidya Harsha Raju
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In this profound wisdom session, Dylan sits with Dr Krishna Raju to explore how fear consciousness disrupts health, and how prāṇa, pulse awareness, and subtle Ayurvedic sciences restore balance at the deepest level.
Rather than approaching disease as something external to fight, this conversation returns to a core Ayurvedic truth: health and illness arise first in consciousness. Through stories, clinical insights, and lineage-based knowledge, Dr Raju explains how fear weakens prāṇa, how confidence and understanding support healing, and why Ayurveda prioritises early imbalance long before disease manifests.
This episode weaves together classical Ayurvedic philosophy, pulse wisdom, marma science, and lived experience from generations of Vaidyas, offering a rare glimpse into healing that begins within.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
🌿 Fear as a Root Cause of Disease
🌿 Doṣas, Consciousness & the Inner Churning
🌿 Prāṇa as the Foundation of Healing
🌿 Pulse Awareness as a Healing Practice
🌿 Agni, Ama & the Six Stages of Disease
🌿 Marma Therapy And The Power of Touch
🌿 Sound, Mantra & Subtle Prāṇic Healing
🌿 Seasonal Intelligence & Ritual Reset
ABOUT OUR GUEST: Vaidya A.V. 'Krishna' Raju
Vaidya Krishna Raju is the Director and Head Physician of The Raju Family clinic in Hyderabad, India, where thousands of patients travel from across the world for expert Ayurvedic care, ranging from preventative health to complex and chronic conditions often considered “incurable.”

Renowned for his refined mastery of pulse diagnosis, Dr Raju brings decades of clinical experience and a deep, practical command of classical Ayurveda. He is a specialist in Pañcakarma (Ayurvedic detoxification and rejuvenation), and is widely respected for his encyclopaedic recall of Ayurvedic knowledge and its precise application in real-world cases. In 2022, he received the Health Conclave Award in recognition of his service in successfully treating countless patients across Telangana during the 2020–2022 COVID pandemic.
RESOURCES:
Marma & Pulse Retreat with The Raju family
Introductory Self-Pulse Course with The Raju Family
Essence of Ayurvedic Nutrition Online Course
Podcast: "Navaratri: The 9 Nights of The Divine Mother | Acharya Shunya #093"

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Ever been told surgery is your only option for a hernia—and felt deep down there must be another way?
In this episode, Dylan sits down with George Hirst, founder of Comfort Truss, who healed his inguinal hernia naturally after being told it was impossible. George shares the physical, emotional, and practical steps that took him from a painful two-golf-ball bulge to living symptom-free—no mesh, no surgery.
Together they unpack what a hernia really is, why it develops, and the five core factors that often drive it—poor digestion, weak deep-core muscles, pelvic misalignment, emotional tension, and lack of mobility. You’ll learn how to strengthen the transverse abdominis and pelvic floor safely, the role of proper digestion in reducing pressure, and why awareness and breath are key to true recovery.
Whether you’re facing surgery, living with a hernia, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers grounded hope and actionable tools to help you rebuild strength from the inside out.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
💪 Understanding What a Hernia Really Is
💪 Root Causes of Hernia Development
💪 Strengthening the Core & Healing Naturally
💪 The Role of the Hernia Belt
💪 Diet & Digestion for Hernia Healing
💪 Emotional & Energetic Healing
💪 Practical Steps for Prevention & Recovery

ABOUT OUR GUEST: George Hirst
George Hirst is the founder of Comfort Truss, a company born from his own journey of healing an inguinal hernia naturally. When surgery was presented as his only option, George set out to find another way - developing methods to strengthen his body and support healing while documenting his process to help others do the same.

Frustrated by the bulky, painful belts available, he designed a lightweight, low-profile truss that offered genuine comfort and confidence in daily life. What began as a personal solution has now supported tens of thousands of people worldwide - whether pre-surgery, post-surgery, or pursuing natural recovery.

Through his videos, online program, and the Comfort Truss community, George continues to empower people to take an active, informed, and natural approach to hernia healing.
RESOURCES:
Comfort-Truss Website
A Proactive Approach to Hernia Intervention (Online Program)
Use code VITALVEDA for a community discount on both the Comfort Truss and the online program
George Hirst on YouTube
Book: Healing Back Pain: The Mind–Body Connection by Dr. John Sarno
Book: The Great Pain Deception by Steve Ozanich
Vital Veda Online Course: The Essence of Ayurvedic Nutrition - Learn Ayurvedic principles to support digestion and healing (currently 50% off). 
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From the depths of the cosmic ocean, Dhanvantari arose - radiant and serene, carrying the pot of Amṛta, the nectar of immortality. This is the birth of Ayurveda, the birth of healing itself.

In this special Dhanteras episode, Dylan retells the ancient Vedic story of the Samudra Manthana (the Churning of the Ocean of Milk) and reveals how this timeless myth mirrors the process of transformation within us all. As light and shadow churn together, both poison and nectar emerge, showing that healing is not about escape, but integration.

A meditative and mythic journey through one of the Vedas’ most profound tales, this episode invites you to awaken the Dhanvantari within - the innate intelligence that restores balance, purifies what’s toxic, and reveals the radiant nectar of health and consciousness that lies beneath the surface of all experience.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
🌿 The Karmakāṇḍa Layer: the outer story of the Samudra Manthana
🌿 The Emergence of Dhanvantari
🌿 The Alchemy of Poison and Nectar
🌿 The Treasures of the Churning
🌿 The 'Inner' Samudra Manthana
RESOURCES:
• Mantra Śāstra Explained: The Ancient Science of Sound | Purnesh #148
• Diwali: Spark Radiance & Supersede Limitations | Acharya Shunya #071
• Marma & Pulse Diagnosis Retreat – Byron Bay, Australia (June 2026)
• Abhyanga Massage Practitioner Training – Ayurvedic Massage Training in Byron Bay & London
Support the show
🌿 Follow us on Instagram (@vitalveda)
🌿 Our Courses
🌿 Our Treatments
🌿 Our Online Shop
🌿 Vital Veda Website

Ever wondered what makes a mantra truly powerful? Is it the precision of pronunciation, the ancient lineage it comes from, or the sincerity of the heart behind it?
In this episode, Dylan speaks with Purnesh (formerly Swami Purnachaitanya), a teacher and practitioner who has spent over twenty years immersed in the Vedic tradition of mantra. Together they explore what mantra really is - not just words or sounds, but vibrations that carry & enliven consciousness itself. The conversation traces Purnesh’s own journey of initiation and study, the importance of authentic transmission, and how mantras can shape not only our spiritual practice but also our daily lives.
This is a grounded, heartfelt exploration of a subject often clouded by mystery and misconception. Whether you’re curious about starting a mantra practice or seeking to deepen your understanding, this episode offers clarity, wisdom, and inspiration for engaging with sound as a profound tool for transformation.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
🕉️ Purnesh’s personal journey with mantra — from childhood fascination to deep study and initiation in India.
🕉️ What makes a mantra effective
🕉️ The difference between universal (prasiddha) mantras and specialised mantras.
🕉️ Mantra Shastra as a systematic, scientific tradition — and its connection to other Vedic sciences like Jyotish and Ayurveda.
🕉️ The inner symbolism of the Samudra Mantana (Churning of the Ocean of Milk) and its link to mantra practice and the 108-bead mala.
🕉️ Why meditation and emptiness are essential foundations for effective mantra practice.
🕉️ How modern seekers can responsibly approach mantra, initiation, and daily practice in today’s world.
ABOUT OUR GUEST: Purnesh
Purnesh (formerly Swami Purnachaitanya) is an internationally respected teacher of Sanskrit mantras and Vedic wisdom, with over 20 years of dedicated practice. Trained under Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and later initiated into the Shaiva Agama tradition, he has mastered Vedic hymns, rituals, and the deeper science of mantra śāstra.

As a former monk, he travelled for more than 15 years across 30+ countries, teaching meditation, yoga, and mantras to diverse audiences from heads of state to prison inmates. His bestselling book Looking Inward has been translated into over 10 languages and is a practical guide to meditation and inner peace.

Now based in the Netherlands with his partner Rowena, Purnesh leads Just Be (justbe.org) and offers online courses on mantra practice, bridging authentic tradition with modern seekers eager to unlock the transformative power of sound and vibration.
RESOURCES:
- Mantra Mastery Level 1 program in English (20% OFF Discount Code: VITALVEDA)
- Purnesh's Website
- Purnesh's Youtube Channel
- Japa, Mantra, Sound Energy, Rites of Passage & Expert Guidance | Swami Purnachaitanya #102
- Sanskrit & Vedic Chanting: Vibratory Sounds of Cosmic Intelligence | Samadhi Collective w/ Kamala & Jahnavi #066

Support the show
🌿 Follow us on Instagram (@vitalveda)
🌿 Our Courses
🌿 Our Treatments
🌿 Our Online Shop
🌿 Vital Veda Website