"My Soulful Life" with Niraj Naik

Welcome to our monthly series, “My Soulful Life”. Through 13 life-affirming questions - inspired by the points on The Art of Soulful Living compass - we’ll ask one luminary we admire to reflect on and reveal their true self

This month, we’re talking to pharmacist turned breathwork meditation specialist, Niraj Naik who has collaborated with House of Rituals where he offers breathwork exercises in the Mind Spa. After working professionally as a pharmacist, Niraj became ill with an autoimmune disease which led him to learn and discover the power of healing through breathwork. It is through this discovery that he founded his company, Soma Breath. His combined passion for breathwork and meditative practises makes him the perfect fit for The Art of Soulful Living. Learn more about Niraj through the 13 life-affirming questions below.  

1. When in the day are you at your most reflective? 

“Night time.” 

2. What one person, place or thing is guaranteed to give you joy? 

“My new baby daughter.” 

3. Do you think it’s more important to forgive or forget? 

“Forgive, but don’t forget.” 

4. Which moment in your life are you most grateful for? 

“Being able to leave my house symptom free after being practically housebound for nearly a year.” 

5. Have you found your life’s purpose yet? 

“Purpose always evolves, but right now I am in a pretty purposeful place.”

6. Do you believe that compassion can be taught? 

“Yes, but it also needs to be experienced. Unfortunately, we sometimes need to hurt people or get hurt to understand what that really means.” 

7. What do you wish you could do more mindfully? 

“Tidy my studio.” 

8. How would someone know that you love them?   

“I tell them often.” 

9. Which 3 words describe your authentic self? How often does he appear? 

“Visionary, Honest and Generous. What you see is what you get.” 

10. Are you faithful or fickle with your passions? 

“Faithful.” 

11. When in your life have you most needed a positive mind-set?  

“When I was told by everyone around me that my condition was incurable when deep down inside, I knew they were wrong.” 

12. What is always guaranteed to grab your awareness and keep you in the moment?  

“Music.”  

13. What was the last random act of kindness you did or witnessed? 

“At Soma Breath we are sponsoring a new music school and platform for talent in Kenya for the youth who have been affected by the lockdowns.” 

To learn more about the 13 points of The Art of Soulful Living compass, and how you can use them to boost your personal wellbeing, click here.