This book has been the amalgamation of the teachings of many who have graced my understanding of both life and medicine. I’m deeply grateful to the various teachers who sparked my interest in medicine as a young child and to those that gave it shape and momentum in medical school, residency, and cardiology fellowship. I’m fortunate to work with some of the best physicians in my field; they inspire me daily with their compassion, selflessness, and commitment to science and patient care.
I’m humbled to continue to learn from some of the finest teachers of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Vedanta—Swami Chinmayananda, whose writings on Vedanta fueled my fire of longing for truth; Yogani, the founder of Advanced Yoga Practices, who helped shape my understanding of Yoga; Greg Goode, whose teachings on the Direct Path shifted my perspective in a profound and permanent manner; Byron Katie, whose self-inquiry method has brought deeper understanding, joy, and peace to countless patients and participants of my program; Dr. Stuart Rothenberg and Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf of Maharishi Ayurveda, whose delightful and practical teaching of Ayurveda has made it easy for me to incorporate this great science in daily medical practice; and Dr. Sumit Kesarkar, whose teachings on Ayurveda, Yoga, and nondualism continue to shape my spiritual and medical practice. I’m grateful for the many teachers who shape my understanding through their work, books, papers, and talks. Thank you.
My deep thanks go to Dr. Joel Kahn, my dear friend and colleague who guided me in the book-writing process, and to Lisa Hagan, my wonderful agent and friend for her uncompromising support and encouragement during this long and sometimes challenging writing process. I’m indebted to the wonderful team at Llewellyn for their advice that helped shape the format of this book. My special thanks to Angela Wix, my editor, for her insightful comments that helped clarify the message of the book.
Thank you to my wonderful friends who gave me valuable feedback as this book was taking shape, especially Drs. Beena Vesikar, Sarah D. Hashmi, Sridevi Gandrajpalli, Jaya Kumari, and Shylaja Swami. My deep thanks to David Kuttruff, whose feedback helped clarify my writing. Neither the Heal Your Heart program nor this book would have taken shape without the able and efficient help of my dear friend Ann DePetris. Thank you.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to all my patients who show me what medicine is really about. You give me more than I can ever give you—you help me grow as a human through your stories, frailty, courage, and grace. I’m humbled to interact with each of you.
I’m grateful to my parents, Nataraj and Geetha, whose selfless and unconditional love and support cannot be described in words. I love you. My loving thanks to my husband, Arul, who held space for me when I was juggling the roles of a full-time cardiologist, mother, wife, and writer. Thank you to my beautiful daughters, Anya and Annika, who continue to teach me the meaning of love and devotion.