There’s a particular loneliness that comes with succeeding in ways your community celebrates while quietly unraveling in ways they refuse to acknowledge. Shweta Ravi Shankar and Rema Chari know this terrain intimately. As South Asian women who’ve navigated immigration, motherhood, and multiple cultural identities, they’ve learned that the hardest migration isn’t across oceans – it’s the journey from who you were raised to be to who you’re brave enough to become. This conversation goes beyond surface-level empowerment t...
There’s a particular loneliness that comes with succeeding in ways your community celebrates while quietly unraveling in ways they refuse to acknowledge. Shweta Ravi Shankar and Rema Chari know this terrain intimately. As South Asian women who’ve navigated immigration, motherhood, and multiple cultural identities, they’ve learned that the hardest migration isn’t across oceans – it’s the journey from who you were raised to be to who you’re brave enough to become. This conversation goes beyond surface-level empowerment to explore the messy, non-linear work of healing generational patterns, challenging mental health stigma, and building communities where women’s full humanity is finally welcome.
Key Takeaways
* Building authentic communities requires both courage to show up fully and compassion to hold space for others
* Living between cultures requires constant negotiation of conflicting identities and expectations
* True transformation begins with unlearning the societal scripts written for you, not by you
* Motherhood often becomes the catalyst that forces us to confront unexamined beliefs and inherited trauma
* Mental health struggles remain deeply stigmatized in South Asian communities, creating isolation when support is most needed
* Challenging cultural norms means redefining success on your own terms, not your community’s metrics
* Vulnerability and shared experiences create pathways to healing that isolation never can
* Intentional practices—gratitude, mindfulness, continuous learning—anchor us during upheaval
Why This Episode Matters
This conversation breaks the silence around what South Asian women abroad carry but rarely speak aloud—the invisible weight of cultural expectations, the isolation of motherhood far from home, the exhaustion of performing perfection while crumbling inside. By sharing stories marked by vulnerability rather than polish, Shweta and Rema create permission for listeners to acknowledge their own struggles and reimagine what’s possible beyond the limitations they’ve inherited. In communities where mental health remains taboo and women’s needs consistently rank last, this episode offers something revolutionary: validation, practical wisdom, and the radical hope that transformation isn’t just possible—it’s your birthright at any stage of life.
If this resonated with you, share your biggest takeaway on social media using #NRIWomanPodcast and tag us to connect with women on similar journeys.
Connect with the guests:
https://www.instagram.com/chai_break_podcast/
Please help our guests’ voices be heard by sharing this podcast with your friends and family. Don’t forget to follow us on our socials, and please rate us wherever you’re listening so more people can find us. Thank you, and we are so grateful for your support.
#DesiMentalHealth #SouthAsianMentalHealth #BreakTheStigma #ImmigrantMotherhood #NRIwoman #SpecialNeedsParenting #CaregiverJourney #SelfCareIsNotSelfish #MotherhoodUnfiltered #MentalHealthMatters #ResilienceStory #ParentingWithPurpose #FindingYourself #CaregiverSupport #MomLife#NRIWomanPodcast #RealWomenRealStories #PodcastCommunity
Subscribe!
YouTube
Apple Podcast App
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Castbox
Stitcher
TuneIn
Get in touch.
Instagram: @nriwomanpodcast
Twitter: @nri_woman
Facebook: NRI Woman
Email: hello@nriwoman.com
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/2WSSQ2p
View more
