Padmajaa Iyer
Pioneering Holistic Wellness and Transformative Healing
This is the story of a woman of influence, Padmajaa Iyer. She is a highly regarded corporate wellness and conscious leadership coach and mentor, transforming lives at ground level. From within the realm of conscious living, Padmajaa takes people across age groups and socio-economic backgrounds on a transformative journey of self-discovery. She serves as a catalyst for personal growth, where mindfulness, purpose, and authentic living converge. This article explores the essence of Padmajaa’s practices for conscious living alongside the personal experiences that have shaped her journey. Here are excerpts from our conversation.
“There is no time to die” This was the thought that propelled Padmajaa 26 years ago to start her journey of healing herself which eventually led to what she does today.
Padmajaa Iyer is the Founder-CEO of her namesake venture. She conducts wellness workshops for large organizations and mentors and coaches senior leadership. Her first corporate stint was as the Head of Wellness at a renowned data analytics organization in Bangalore, where she conceptualized and implemented a comprehensive health and wellness program for the organization’s 3000 employees.
The challenge was in creating bite sized nuggets that made it easy for the left brained corporate world to accept and practice what she had to offer. She then went on to become the COO of a spiritual foundation before finally branching out on her own.
Her professional trajectory began with a deep dive into holistic psychology, specializing in diverse modalities such as Past Life Regression, Re-Birthing Breathwork, Mindfulness, Inner Child Work, Hypnotherapy, Psychodynamic therapy, CBT and Theta healing. She has trained under some formidable teachers and Masters such as Dr Newton Kondaveti & Dr Lakshmi of the Quantum Life University in Hyderabad, Dr Sumant Kant Kaul from the THInK Institute USA, Nithya Shanti a teacher of conscious living practices from Pune to name a few. Her multifaceted background and commitment to holistic approaches underscore her innovative leadership in the wellness sector.
Padmajaa has been able to marry the intricacies of spirituality and scientific research to create a methodology that is unique to every individual and corporate that she works with.
Padmajaa shared that there was a point in her life when she was diagnosed with a degenerative condition and as a single mother, navigating the care of two children with serious health concerns presented a daunting and complex task. When she was told that there was no cure for her condition, she decided that “there was no time to die” and she faced the challenge head on, determined to choose life over death. Her journey as a single mother navigating the complexities of her own health vis-à-vis her children’s wellbeing underscored the strength and fortitude she exhibited during challenging times.
Charting the course
Padmajaa’s life philosophy and sense of purpose are deeply rooted in her personal experiences. She places strong emphasis on helping individuals know themselves better, leading them to discover their purpose. According to her, every individual is seeking meaning in their life. She firmly states that many of our struggles arise from living a superficial existence and advocates for the importance of understanding the power of the mind- body connect.
She is the architect of a transformative shift in her own life allowing her to fully reach her potential. Drawing from this she now dedicates herself to healing others and bringing about positive changes in their lives. Today, her mission is to inspire others to embark on their own journey of self-discovery and purposeful living. Creating clusters of conscious creators is the motto of her practice.
She echoes the fact that, the coHer confidence was given a boost when she was told by one of her Masters that she has the power to heal people with her voice. This is a blessing that she carries with her to date. She echoes the fact that, the conditioning we undergo from childhood sets the stage for the various challenges we encounter.
In her healing and therapy sessions, she concentrates on guiding individuals to unravel the layers of their identity — exploring self-discovery, selfactualization and more. She emphasizes that grasping the essence of our being plays a pivotal role in unlocking our inherent capabilities and liberating ourselves from recurring patterns.
A woman of substance
As we moved on with our conversation, we asked her what her USP was. It was clear that what distinguishes Padmajaa in her field is how she utilizes her personal experiences as a potent tool to inspire clients, offering them a distinctive perspective on their lives. We are all storytellers and the quality of the stories we tell ourselves determine the quality of our lives is the firm belief that she operates from.
Understanding the way our minds work, the chemistry and biology of the way the brain functions and the role that the body plays as a feedback mechanism for our current state of being is vital for us to chart our journey to becoming conscious creators. As a versatile individual—assuming roles as a biker, mother, healer and entrepreneur among several more—she has rightfully earned the distinction of being a woman of substance, undoubtedly serving as a source of inspiration for many.
Padmajaa’s authenticity is rooted in a plethora of diverse experiences. Notably, she shared a transformative entrepreneurial journey—launching a successful restaurant during a period of personal adversity. Her passion for cooking wholesome and healthy food came in handy and from idea to execution, she took just 121 days to open it to the public.
Her resilience and the support she received during that challenging time from arranging for finances to getting advice from experts in the field to managing resources for curating an authentic experience for the palate, bordered on the miraculous. Her inspirational tale extends to her love for exploring new experiences, where at the age of 53 she decided to do the much-aspired ride to Ladakh to explore solo travel and overcome the fear of the unknown.
She passionately contends that fears can act as allies for personal development, urging others to explore life with curiosity and wonder for positive transformation, marking a departure from conventional perspectives. She has dabbled in various projects all her life alongside her main profession like network marketing and small business opportunities which she says have only given her valuable life lessons and contributed to her in ways that cannot be measured.
Empowering you to become a better version of yourself
Padmajaa initiated a women’s empowerment program titled “Naari Shakti’’ when she was a resident of Dehradun. She used to visit groups of women in various Housing Societies and conducted programs that helped women who were homemakers, appreciate who they were and what they did.
Today, almost 20 years down the line, she is working on an initiative titled, ‘The Voice of Men’. When asked why this shift in gears, she expressed the viewpoint that men and women are inherently different beings, each endowed with unique capabilities. Rather than advocating for one or the other, she suggests that individuals, irrespective of gender, should focus on discovering their true potential.
This involves recognizing and leveraging their distinct competencies for the greater good. She also created a technique called iHeal for children to help them overcome past life trauma. She ran summer workshops for school children called Conceive Create Conquer where she endeavored to plant the seeds of conscious living practices early in the minds of children. She also is passionate about giving back to society and engages with an NGO named Aasraa Trust that works for the welfare of street children.
‘Infinite patience is the fastest way’, is a mantra that she lives by in all that she does. You can get in touch with her on her website www.padmajaaiyer.com
