Willow & Jahnavi ON: How to Raise Your Frequency & Create Positive Energy with People

When Willow first heard Jahnavi’s music she said to herself, “this is the music I want to make.” Within a few months after they first met at a musical gathering at Jay Shetty’s home, Willow and Jahnavi decided to collaborate. The product of this collaboration, a recently released EP titled R I S E, is a beautiful mix of creative composing, devotional messaging, and inspiring melody. On this episode of On Purpose, Jay Shetty and his wife Radhi Devlukia-Shetty speak with singer, producer and actor Willow Smith and musician Jahnavi Harrison about their friendship and musical collaboration. Our musical guests talk about attracting positive people in your life and how these connections can inspire your creative practices. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Jay Shetty?

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• 0:44Jay Shetty?

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• 1:29Jay Shetty?

  AG1 Next Gen is one of those easy habits to keep. It's the clinically-backed, comprehensive daily health drink that supports your gut health, energy production, and foundational nutrition all in one scoop. AG1's ingredients are sourced from quality partners for absorption, potency, and nutrient density to deliver the foundational nutrition your body needs. And alongside a proper diet, AG1 Next Gen meets 94% of nutrient requirements and it's clinically shown to enrich the gut microbiome. For a limited time, save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at drinkag1.com/onpurpose. That's drinkag1.com/onpurpose.

• 2:16Jay Shetty?

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• 3:00Jay Shetty?

  Give your clothes a second life with Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees, so you keep every dollar you earn. Hey, everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose, the number one health podcast in the world. And I'm here today with none other than Willow and Jahnavi to talk about their new collaborative EP, Rise. Willow is a singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She's well-known for her 2010 hit single, Whip My Hair, and has appeared in several films. I'm also drawn so much of her new music today, which is absolutely phenomenal. And her album Willow is a repeated album in my car.

• 3:43Jay Shetty?

  And Jahnavi is a musician known for her kirtan music and is a presenter on BBC Radio's Something Understood programme and her Paws For Thought. And she is a long-term friend. I've known her for over 15 years, and we have served together in so many wonderful ways. And today I'm talking with both of them about their newly released EP that they collaborated on together. Willow and Jahnavi actually met through my wife and I last year when they came to our home for an event and we were doing the launch of Red Table Talk, Season Two. And it's just turned into this beautiful family, community, and atmosphere. So I'm so excited for this episode, so excited for you to hear it.

• 4:40Jay Shetty?

  Today is a very special episode for a million reasons. I'm gonna start with a couple to get going with. This is the first time that Rani and I are going to do an interview together.

• 4:50Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 4:50Jay Shetty?

  So this is fun and there's a special, special reason for why we're doing it together. Because today we're interviewing two of our dearest friends, incredibly talented, the most creative, who have launched a brand new EP called Rise, which we cannot wait for you to hear. It is none other than Willow and Jahnavi Harrison.

• 5:15Speaker 02

  Thank you for having us.

• 5:17Jahnavi Harrison?

  Thank you.

• 5:18Jay Shetty?

  We're so grateful to be with both of you. I'm so excited to have you both here. We're both so excited to have you here. And just excited to just have this whole energy here, which we have anyway all day long.

• 5:30Speaker 02

  Yes, yes.

• 5:31Jay Shetty?

  And so why not bring it into an interview? So Rani's gonna go with the first question, actually.

• 5:36Speaker 01

  I am. I'm gonna get my professional Jay Shetty vibe on. Okay, so Willow and Jahnavi, tell me,

• 5:47Speaker 01

  tell me about the first time you guys made your music together.

• 5:50Speaker 02

  Oh, well, that would be Surrender.

• 5:55Speaker 02

  I was, I just have to put it out there. I was super nervous the first time we got in the studio together because, you know, listening to your music and seeing you doing Kirtan, it was a level of, um, a level of like channeling that I had never seen another musician have. And so I was just like wanting to be worthy, like so badly, to be able to make music with you. So that was my, that was my initial emotion when, when we first started making music together.

• 6:32Jahnavi Harrison?

  I was, I was probably feeling the same way. It was, it was, it was actually such a magical experience. And just as it worked out, I was only in L.A. for about, I think, like eight, nine days. And we only managed to actually get together in the studio the night before I was flying out. So we knew we had like six hours or so, or actually, we had as much time as we wanted, but we could only meet in the evening. So we were like, okay, there's only so long we're gonna go for. And, but there was just such a special energy, actually. We had met up and we had practiced something, and I was nervous too, because I find the studio can be a lot of pressure and you don't...

• 7:17Speaker 02

  Especially when there's not like a idea that's already set.

• 7:20Jahnavi Harrison?

  Exactly. We didn't have a finished composition or anything, but I think both of us were just feeling excited to work together. And we were like, let's just see what happens. Let's just have fun with this. And if it's not anything, we'll just have had a fun experience and we can work on it another time. And we got so absorbed in it. And it just was flowing. And, and I remember that, you know, it was around midnight when we finished. We were like, okay, let's, let's listen to the whole thing now. And we were just standing there and Willow was like...

• 7:51Speaker 02

  We were delirious at this point. We'd been working for six hours straight.

• 7:54Jahnavi Harrison?

  We were tired, but we were, we were just, and then we came out of the studio and we were like, what was that? What just happened? That was so beautiful. And it was just so natural. So...

• 8:05Speaker 02

  And it's very rare that I have those kind of like synergistic, is that a word?

• 8:11Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 8:11Speaker 02

  Experiences with other artists, because artists are so, I know I'm very opinionated. And I have very outlandish ideas and sometimes the push and pull of that can be kind of uncomfortable. But for me and Jahnavi, it was like second nature from the, from the start.

• 8:30Jahnavi Harrison?

  It felt like old, old friends and, and even though we're so different in many ways, we, there was just this feeling of ease and understanding, which is, it's like, that's what you always hope for in collaboration with other artists. So, yeah, we were like, we have to do this again.

• 8:49Jay Shetty?

  I love that. The reason it's so special as well is that Radhi and I both absolutely adore you individually in your own music. So like, we would be in a car and we'd be playing and listening to you, Willow. Like, we'd just be listening to your music. And then, I've known Jahnavi now for 15 years. And so I've always been attracted to her music and the way she creates and how devotional it is. And so for us to see you both together.

• 9:15Speaker 01

  Magic.

• 9:15Jay Shetty?

  Is just, it's so fulfilling. So I want to ask you both, and we're gonna uncover all the layers as we go along.

• 9:21Speaker 02

  I also, just before you start, I also just want to thank you both.

• 9:24Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yes.

• 9:25Speaker 02

  For bringing us together.

• 9:26Jahnavi Harrison?

  Round of applause.

• 9:28Speaker 01

  You guys were meant to meet either way. Like, whether it was through us or whether it was through another way, there was 100% like, you guys were meant to meet. This was meant to happen and everybody needed this in their life. So I think it was just happened to be us, but it would have been somewhere, somehow it would have happened, because.

• 9:46Jahnavi Harrison?

  But I, but I think you, you need to take credit, some credit because.

• 9:50Speaker 02

  That's what I feel.

• 9:51Jay Shetty?

  Leave it, I'll take it.

• 9:54Jay Shetty?

  If you don't want to take it, I'll take it.

• 9:56Jahnavi Harrison?

  But I think you're both.

• 9:57Jay Shetty?

  Carry on, mate.

• 9:58Jahnavi Harrison?

  You're both such special people that you, you attract such wonderful souls all around you. And you're always, I think, it's probably gonna happen throughout your lives, that you're making these beautiful connections. So, yeah, we were, we were both, we always talk about that. We're so grateful that you've introduced us.

• 10:15Speaker 01

  It's just selfish, really, because I really wanted some, like, new music of yours to do.

• 10:19Jahnavi Harrison?

  Which I'm just gonna do together.

• 10:22Jay Shetty?

  No, we, thank you. You guys are both really sweet. We, we love you for that. And we're, we're loving seeing both of your collaboration and friendship and our friendship all blossoming because of this devotional connect that we all have. And I want to ask you, what did you, what have you both learned from each other in this process? And it can be musical or non-musical, it can be anywhere you want to go with it.

• 10:45Speaker 02

  A lot of things.

• 10:47Jahnavi Harrison?

  Oh, yeah, I'll, I'll say, I, I feel I've learned so much from Willow. I think one of the, one of the very obvious things about the process of working together was our different.

• 11:00Jahnavi Harrison?

  Just different like pace and way of approaching creative work. And Willow's obviously had so much more experience as a recording artist, as a composer, you know, you've you've recorded so much and composed your own, written your own songs. And for me, even though I have recorded music, it's still, it's still something I get very nervous about because most of what I do is is sort of live meditation experiences. So, but we hadn't worked together that much apart from that one song. So I didn't really know Willow's sort of style and pace.

• 11:37Speaker 02

  Especially with production.

• 11:38Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah. And the first day I was like, I was taken aback. I was like, wow.

• 11:43Speaker 02

  I could tell.

• 11:43Jahnavi Harrison?

  Willow's was so confident about, you know, what she's looking for in the sound and also fast paced. And I I tend to be quite slow, too slow sometimes. Like, people are always wanting me to make decisions faster. So although it was like, by the end of it, I was like, wow, this has really pushed me creatively in such a wonderful way. Initially, I was like.

• 12:07Speaker 02

  I know, I know, I was, I was trying to like.

• 12:11Jahnavi Harrison?

  Not in a bad way, not in a scary way, but it was, it was just like, you know, when you, you, you're just like, oh, okay. I'm gonna be growing here, I'm gonna learn something here.

• 12:20Speaker 02

  Pick you up a gear.

• 12:20Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, it took me up a gear. But I love that, you know, I, I was sharing with someone the other day that

• 12:28Jahnavi Harrison?

  it's just Willow's approach is so, I feel it's the ideal artistic approach, which is, which is to be.

• 12:35Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 12:36Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, it's, it's to be curious and not overly controlling of the, of the end results. Like, it's really to discover, for the studio to be a space of exploration, rather than like, I want to have this specific thing and it can't be anything other than that. It's, it's a very playful and curious approach. And I think I can tend to be more focused on like, okay, but it has to be just like this. So, yeah, but by the end of it, I just felt like. Wow, I'm ready to be just more fearless in creating and more open to what I could discover. That's just one thing. There's many more, but I'll let you.

• 13:16Speaker 02

  I think, you know, I would even almost say like the inverse. Like, I felt in times that I was overshooting and like kind of getting lost in the, but what about this? And we could do this, and maybe it's this. And like, I felt like John Avi was really instrumental in like kind of bringing, grounding me and being like, okay, what's the intention behind this? Like, I know you like that sound, but why are we using that sound? You know what I mean? Like, what's the, where does that sound go in the song? What is that sound gonna say? Like, what's the intention of this? So, like, your intentionality with everything, you might think that it's sometimes a hindrance, but I think it's a blessing because, you know, you know in your heart of hearts

• 14:01Speaker 02

  what every single instrument and every single lyric means to you. And you're not just throwing things at the wall. Like, let's see if this sticks and maybe this. You know what I mean? And I think those two approaches, they just complete each other in a really nice way. As they say, opposites attract. Yes. And I think that this was a case of that, definitely.

• 14:32Speaker 01

  Both of you together and individually, what was your intention for the music that you were creating together?

• 14:39Speaker 02

  I always want my music to bring people closer to themselves, make them feel like they're, like they're learning something or there's a thought that's being planted that grows over time. And listening to John Avi's music, that's exactly how I felt. And then seeing it live, it was like... Okay, how can I just bottle this?

• 15:07Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:07Speaker 02

  Just like, I just wanna have this. Obviously, that's the beautiful nature of it, because you can't bottle it and you can't just have it. That's why it's beautiful. But, you know, I think that going into it, that was my... And I had never made a devotional album before. So I was even extra excited to explore that different part of me and what I could do with this new, you know, with this new path in my life.

• 15:33Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 15:33Jay Shetty?

  I think also, just speaking from having heard you do it and just hearing you talk about it when we're all having lunch or when we're hanging out and just... I feel like your intention was so pure for it. Like, from the moment that you first heard devotional music, I remember the first time, it was we were doing a session and then I was like, "Oh crap, I can't sing." And then...

• 15:55Speaker 01

  And I got the instrument.

• 15:56Jay Shetty?

  Radhi can sing, but she chooses not to. And then we were like, "Oh, let's play Jahnavi on our phone."

• 16:03Speaker 01

  Yeah!

• 16:03Jay Shetty?

  And then that's the first time we all meditated in that way.

• 16:06Speaker 01

  And then there's Willow on the floor.

• 16:07Jay Shetty?

  Yeah.

• 16:07Speaker 01

  I know, just like, "Oh my goodness." Like, just fully with your heart open, like, ready to receive. And that's the one thing about you, like... And actually, on that note, when you were even thinking about doing this album, I feel like from what Jahnavi has told me and even experiencing from you, you wanted to get things so right. So whether it was your pronunciation or whether it was like, "Oh, what does this word actually mean?" Like, "Oh, how is this word used?" Like, you really want to understand the depths. You're not just trying to say...

• 16:36Speaker 02

  And that journey...

• 16:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 16:38Speaker 02

  I wanted to continue and I wanna keep nourishing that. Because just through this music, I've found such a deep love for just the Bhakti tradition in general. And I'm just so excited to just dive deeper into that and learn more and just... Just broaden my horizon in that devotional sense.

• 17:01Speaker 01

  Which is so beautiful, like you want depth, you don't just want, you know, just like, oh, this sounds really good.

• 17:06Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 17:06Speaker 01

  You really wanted to understand it and feel it in you so that other people can feel it. And I think that makes a difference, like both of you feel it so deeply and you've experienced it in different ways, so you're trying to share that experience with other people. But you can only share an experience that you've had yourself.

• 17:21Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 17:21Speaker 01

  And so I think you really feel that through both of your music and through your words and it comes from your heart, so. But I have enough from you, your turn.

• 17:30Jahnavi Harrison?

  No, I think that definitely that was our desire to to try to capture the essence of what that is, this this experience with mantra, with sacred sound, and share it in a way that makes it that little bit more accessible for people who haven't experienced it before. So that's manifest in the form of, you know, the song, like the typical mantra session might be like half an hour, an hour, and you're singing the same thing over and over again. That might be very daunting for someone who's never experienced that before. So one of our mantra tracks is two minutes long. And and some of our songs are, you know, touching on stories or themes from the Bhakti

• 18:12Jahnavi Harrison?

  tradition, but they're more in a kind of typical song format with, you know, a couple verses, a bridge, like that. So it's something familiar, but it's conveying something of this deep, authentic tradition. And so I think it's very natural that when something profoundly affects your life and touches your heart and is is offers a space of shelter and upliftment, you want to share it with other people. So that's what we we want to just give it as a gift, you know, if we can. And I I really treasure the fact that we both had that same intention and.

• 18:49Jahnavi Harrison?

  It makes working on anything just a complete joy. Because you feel so aligned and you know.

• 18:55Speaker 02

  And that trust was really there, like we both knew our intentions. And so, you know, trying to do things over long distance because of Covid and, you know, having to make decisions maybe without one another because of time differences and, you know, that trust was always there because we knew that our intentions were the same.

• 19:14Speaker 01

  Which is also probably why what you were saying before about how your differences actually didn't make a difference in a negative way, because you both had such a deep rooted intention that even if, and we're saying you guys did, but even if there was something that you're like, oh gosh, like, but as soon as you take yourself back to the intention, you guys were like, oh.

• 19:31Speaker 02

  And there were a couple of those things.

• 19:32Speaker 01

  Yeah, of course, naturally.

• 19:34Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 19:35Speaker 01

  Which could bring feuds to people, but because of how deep rooted everything was for you, it kind of just didn't hit that strongly.

• 19:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, we just had to talk it through. I remember we had a long phone call because we were trying to do, we were trying to do creative things over long distance and there were other artists that were involved and, you know, we just had to call each other and just be like, man, like, this is really hard. And that was, that was really healing for both of us, I feel. Just to be able to express that to one another and to be able to like, kind of come back and be like, this is why we're doing this. Let's not stress about something in a material sense, because that's not why we're doing it anyway. So, that was a good convo.

• 20:18Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, that was wonderful. And even, I would say even in terms of the musicality of what we were doing, like, you know, Willow was taking the role of producer and, and I know, it takes me a lot to sort of sometimes break out of the box of the sound of what I do, which is often rooted quite in the traditional origins of the Kirtan tradition. So, I remember we were playing with different sounds and with, you know, kind of bass sounds and electronic sounds and Willow was getting so excited on the little sampler and I was just sitting behind her like, okay, let's see where this goes. But I always, you know, initially I was like, okay, let's see. But then I really

• 21:02Jahnavi Harrison?

  felt a sense of trust because I knew, as we've said, that we were both aiming for people to have this. Heart connection with the music. So I was like, I'm gonna see where Willow takes it. And I trust, you know, we're both aiming for the same space. And that's a beautiful thing.

• 21:17Speaker 02

  And there were a lot of things that at first seemed to you to be like, oh, that sound is a little deep, that's a deep bass. And I'm like, but trust me, Jonathon, people are gonna hear this and go, oh, it's gonna hit right in their chest. And then you hear it and then you're like, oh, wow, like, I see, I see this.

• 21:34Jahnavi Harrison?

  And I feel that.

• 21:35Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 21:36Speaker 01

  And it's such a like, sorry, no ego. No, I was just gonna say, how you guys are communicating now, you can just see there's no ego involved in it. It's like, you're like, yeah, you were right. And you're like, yeah, you were right. And just the communication, I imagine it's so difficult, even in relationships, it's sometimes difficult, even if you've known someone for such a long time. You're sometimes scared of saying something that you think might hurt their feelings. But, you know, you guys have built such an honest, you've built a foundation on honesty and integrity. And so it's easy for you guys to communicate because you know where that person's coming from.

• 22:07Jahnavi Harrison?

  100%.

• 22:08Jay Shetty?

  I think it's a really important part of the story that you guys created this during COVID, during lockdown, being in different parts of the world for a big part of this work, coming together for a very short part of it. It's like you created a really collaborative piece at a time when the music's needed most, at a time when it's actually difficult to be collaborative and creative. Like, the way, the relationship you guys built, just to anyone who's listening or watching right now, it's fun to watch you both just go back and forth. But to think about the fact that you've actually done this at a time when you weren't always in the same room, I think that's a really important thing to honor. And what I'm intrigued by now is to understand from both of you and to hear from both of you about your own journey.

• 22:52Jay Shetty?

  So Willow, we'll start with you in terms of, tell us about your own journey. You've been sharing so much more about mental health, anxiety, your own healing, always through your music, but also through your words. Tell us about your journey towards wanting to do more, even more healing, devotional music that you felt is going to help people this year, because this collaboration you both created this year was truly wanting to help people with the pain that everyone's been going through. So tell us a bit about your journey to that over the last, you know, decade.

• 23:27Speaker 02

  It's a lot. I mean, I don't want to go into like my whole life story. But I mean, is that what I'm? We're listening. Should I do that or should I?

• 23:37Jay Shetty?

  Wherever your heart wants to go. We're with you, we're with you the whole way. Whatever you genuinely feel like sharing from the heart.

• 23:42Speaker 02

  Totally. So my first interest in, you know, the lifestyle of just integrity and spirituality and meditation. I was introduced to that at a very young age. My mother had a bunch of beautiful art pieces and books about Hindu gods and goddesses. And I would just sit on the floor of her meditation room and just like look at these beautiful photos and read, you know, about the sentiments of these gods and goddesses. And from a very young age, I was so encapsulated by that and so inspired by that. And, you know, fast forward to, you know, me doing all the whit my hair stuff

• 24:25Speaker 02

  and being a pop star and having to realize that that's not the content that I wanted to put out into the world. That's not really the person that I wanted to be. And that was a really difficult decision to make. What made you realize that?

• 24:43Speaker 02

  I would go out and I would be with peers, like kids my age. And I would just be stopped and constantly, oh, that's the girl from whit my hair. Oh, can you do da da da? And I just saw my other friends being able to live and being able to have experiences and being able to make mistakes and not have the whole world know what's going on with them. And so that kind of made me think like, is this really, truly the life that I want to be living? Like, I want to actually live. I don't just want to be like a caricature for the world to look at, you know? So that took a lot of courage to just say, you know what, I'm not going to continue. There were a lot of people who had invested in me. There were projects that were already paid for,

• 25:28Speaker 02

  scripts that were already written that I had to go back on. I'm surprised that I didn't get sued. It was a crazy time, but through that, I was like, okay, now that I'm free of this lifestyle that I don't want to live, now what's the lifestyle I want to live?

• 25:49Speaker 02

  And so I was so confused, I kind of went into just a spiral of just like depression, desperation.

• 25:57Speaker 02

  I was self harming, I was hanging out with people that were just wrong for me. And that lasted for about two to three years. And then I started realizing, this is psychotic, literally. Like, I have to stop doing this. This is not all, this is not the person I want to be either. So I was like, okay, I hadn't been recording music during that time. So I was like, really in the dark, like, no creative outlet, no.

• 26:22Jahnavi Harrison?

  You weren't doing anything creative?

• 26:24Speaker 02

  No, I was really just in the dark, in the darkness, I should say. And so then I started kind of coming out of my shell and trying to get back into the studio, which felt so like weird and daunting because I was like, what do I make? Like, am I gonna go back and just be like, hey, like, what am I gonna do? You know what I mean? So like, the first song that I had put out was, it was called Sugar and Spice. You could probably find it somewhere, but it was a Radiohead, a Radiohead loop. And I remember just listening to that and going,

• 26:58Speaker 02

  I think, I think I can continue. Like, that little spark of like inspiration was just like, ooh, ooh, like, I think I'm, I think I'm coming back. And so, you know, ever since then, I've just been kind of digging more into that. And as I've gone deeper, just over that time of just, you know, trying different types of music out, learning how to play the guitar, I just really realized that I just want to be in service. The only thing that makes, you know, having this lifestyle worth it, and for me to feel like I'm, I have a purpose at all, and to not fall back into that dark spiral, was making music that I felt would inspire people and that I felt would be in service to others. And.

• 27:43Speaker 02

  That's really the only reason why I feel like I got out of that dark place, because people would come to me and tell me, you know, that they were in that same dark space that I was and that my voice brought them out of that. And that would just bring me so much joy and just make me feel like I had a purpose. Like, there's a reason why I have all of these resources and why, you know, people are looking at me and why I'm in the tabloids and all of this. And so it just gave me a reason. And this is just expanding on that reason. And I'm just so excited to continue to expand that reason and to grow that reason and to help that reason spread to others.

• 28:26Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 28:27Jay Shetty?

  That is beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing that.

• 28:30Speaker 02

  Thank you, guys.

• 28:32Jay Shetty?

  That's phenomenal. It's amazing how you came to that conclusion for yourself, that service is where you want it to be. And that's at the heart of devotional music. Like, that is it. So it's incredible to hear you explain just the natural challenges that come with your experience of life and the kind of back and forth and the recognition of both, that I don't want to be this, but I also don't want to be...

• 28:56Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 28:57Jay Shetty?

  That's... Thank you so much for sharing that.

• 28:59Speaker 02

  Well, before the age of 20.

• 29:00Jay Shetty?

  I know, yeah. Oh, yeah, we'll have just turned 20.

• 29:03Speaker 02

  It's a crazy life. It's a crazy life, y'all.

• 29:07Jay Shetty?

  I love it.

• 29:10Jay Shetty?

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• 29:53Jay Shetty?

  That's indeed.com/podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs. This episode is brought to you by Amtrak. You know that feeling when you're already tired and you haven't even gotten there yet? That's where Amtrak comes in. Leave the driving behind and settle into a comfortable seat with plenty of room to stretch out. Catch up on work with wifi, grab a snack at the cafe car, or just sit back and enjoy your favourite podcast. Choose a cellar or North East Regional and get there without the stress of getting there. Visit amtrak.com to plan your next trip.

• 30:32Speaker 04

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• 31:02Jay Shetty?

  And Jahnavi, I want to hear from you because, so as I was saying before, Jahnavi and I have known each other for 15 years. Roddy's probably known Jahnavi for like 10?

• 31:10Speaker 01

  Since 2012-ish. No, I heard Jahnavi 2010 or something, so a good 10 years.

• 31:17Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, known each other for about eight.

• 31:18Speaker 01

  I was a fangirl.

• 31:21Jahnavi Harrison?

  The first time we met, Roddy was like, "This is the tattoo I got inspired by."

• 31:24Speaker 01

  Inspired by your music! And she was like, "Oh, okay, amazing."

• 31:29Jahnavi Harrison?

  I love that.

• 31:30Jay Shetty?

  She was like, "That's not what you're meant to be."

• 31:34Jay Shetty?

  But you know, Jahnavi, you grew up in the Bhakti tradition. And so this music has been a part of your life forever. And it's been a part of your soul. But also, it was different being someone who's a consumer of it or hearing it, but then to actually creating and sharing it. Like, that journey must have been really interesting. Can you share that with us? That transition of growing up, listening to it, but then actually being someone who's sharing this tradition and culture so widely?

• 32:02Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, yeah. Well, I grew up being involved in it all the time, every day, really. You know, we would do, I attended a school at the temple that was very near to my house. So the school was, you know, we did regular academic subjects, but we also studied the Bhagavad Gita and we did chanting together before we started our school day. So that was very normal, but it was, it was collective. It was, you know, I wasn't singing on my own or anything. And also, my dad was very well-known as a singer of Kirtan, all over, all over Europe and other countries of the world.

• 32:44Jahnavi Harrison?

  Back in the cassette tape days, the cassettes used to be everywhere. And, and so as I got older, I mean, he was like, you know, he was like a hero. He is a hero to me, but we loved his singing. And, and I felt, I mean, I always loved music, but as I got older, people would be like, "Oh, do you sing like your dad?" And like, like sing.

• 33:10Speaker 01

  Willow, you must know nothing about that.

• 33:15Jahnavi Harrison?

  Nothing in common, you guys. No, I know. We, so I think I was, I was quite shy as a child, very shy and introverted. And I also felt this pressure that people are like wanting to see if I'm also gonna be like my dad. And, and so I just, I was too shy to, I didn't really know that. I knew I could sing because I sang, you know, in my, in my bedroom, in the shower. And, but I didn't know, I, I remember actually, I went to regular school for a few years. And the first, my, in my first year of regular school, and this is something we share as well, like a bit of unusual schooling experiences.

• 33:57Jahnavi Harrison?

  But my, I was so shy and I was, I, it was because, you know, growing up with this tradition, I knew that, okay, I'm a little bit different from other, other kids. And, you know, I've grown, from the age of four, talking about life and death and the, the body being like a coat that, you know, you take off and put on a new body. These kind of concepts reincarnation and karma and kids don't talk about that kind of stuff. So I was really shy and the school play was, the end of year school play was the Wizard of Oz. And my teacher cast me as the cowardly lion. Because I think she knew that it would help me to, you know, she could see that I was shy,

• 34:40Jahnavi Harrison?

  but it would be good for me to play a role that would kind of bring me out of myself. So I remember I had to sing a song on my own on the stage and like, you know, swing my tail.

• 34:51Jahnavi Harrison?

  And it was this moment where I was like, oh my God, I'm singing in front of people. And it's actually, it's nice, you know, but that was it then for many years. And it wasn't till I was nineteen, twenty, around your age, that I started to lead Kirtan. People were kind of, just friends were just encouraging me and I found that it was something that I felt more and more connected with. But it is, because it's such a, it's such a deep tradition and it's a form of prayer, a form of worship. It is kind of a thing where you have to navigate your ego. Because it's not, it's not a, it's not a performance genre of music. It's a prayer and an offering.

• 35:35Jahnavi Harrison?

  So for many years, I didn't, I didn't really identify with being a person to sort of go out in the world and like, share this with lots of people. It was just something I did within my community. But as circumstance goes, you know, sometimes destiny finds you and you try and push something away. Many times, I think, you know, Jay and I have had probably many conversations over the years where I've been like, I just don't know if this is what I meant to do or like, yeah, I do this. You know, that kind of thing where you keep trying to turn away from something, but it kept coming back to me.

• 36:13Speaker 02

  It's so interesting that both of us kept on trying to go, no music. No music. And it was like, yes.

• 36:19Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah. You know, like when you have to write on a form, you know, occupation. And I would always stop and be like, What do I write there? You know, am I? Because I was a, I wrote, I did art, I was a dancer. But I didn't want to write musician or artist or writer. I just didn't know what to write because I didn't fully identify with being able to say, this is what I am. So yeah, it came, it came bit by bit. And I think one of the big catalysts for me with feeling confident to try to accept the role of embracing my creativity and engaging it in service of spreading this type of music more

• 37:03Jahnavi Harrison?

  is the fact that yoga, meditation, mindfulness, those things over the last 10 years became so much more mainstream than they ever were. And when I was a child, I never would have imagined that would be the case. I thought that that was just the strange way that I grew up, you know? And that like kids used to ask me like, so why don't you, you know, like, why are you vegetarian? And what are you, why do you have a name like that? And stuff like that.

• 37:28Speaker 05

  Geez, kids.

• 37:32Jahnavi Harrison?

  But now it's like, no, this is pretty, it's pretty normal, especially in L.A. So yeah, it's, it's been a, it's been a journey. But I'm so grateful to be doing this now. It brings me so much fulfillment.

• 37:47Jay Shetty?

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• 38:32Jay Shetty?

  Visit MazdaUSA.com to learn more. Consumer Reports does not endorse products or services. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. We talk a lot about intentional decision making, and that extends to the practical stuff too, like making sure your coverage actually works for your life. State Farm is there to meet you where you are, and they know how sweet it is to feel good about your decisions. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings, and eligibility vary by state. This episode is brought to you by Whole Foods Market.

• 39:16Jay Shetty?

  If you're talking about quality food, you can't forget Whole Foods Market, who've been holding themselves to the highest standards since they opened in 1980. That means you'll see thousands of organic products across their stores, from the produce department to the aisles. It also means you'll never see certain ingredients. They've banned artificial sweeteners and colors, high fructose corn syrup and more, so you can shop with peace of mind. Shop Whole Foods Market in-store or online. There's such a pressure these days for young people, especially to find their purpose or discover what they want to do for the rest of their lives. And you can see in both of the way you are experiencing, it's kind of not been like that.

• 40:00Jay Shetty?

  It's kind of been much more of this meandering path than kind of getting lost and then refinding and then feeling stuck and then questioning everything and then finding it. This almost like magical approach to like, I found my purpose or I found my, you know, calling. It doesn't work like that. And it's nice to see two people who are creating an artistic, but it's kind of coming over time.

• 40:22Speaker 02

  It's such a process. It's such a journey and there's so many internal obstacles that need to be looked at and that need to be worked on until you can step into your calling, until you can step into your purpose fully.

• 40:38Speaker 02

  And God knows, I'm still trying to step in. I'm still trying to step in.

• 40:43Speaker 01

  What would you say are both of your, I don't know, daily things that you do in your lives that help enrich you or uplift you? What are the things that you've started to do? Yeah, I think on a daily basis because I feel like they're the things that really make, you know, a difference if you're doing something regularly. Consistently.

• 41:02Speaker 01

  I've watched a few of your... No, I haven't, no.

• 41:06Speaker 01

  I haven't, but thank you. Please, please continue.

• 41:10Jahnavi Harrison?

  Well, I, I find that daily meditation, I practice mantra meditation daily. And that is something that I really hold on to. Like, I imagine, you know, if you take life to be like a river, that is, the current is flowing very fast. In some of these sacred rivers in India where people, they take a dip, you know, as a purifying kind of act. They have these metal chains that are in the water that you hold on to when you go in to make sure you don't get swept away. So I, I, I see the, the mantra meditation as sort of like this chain to hold on to in the rushing current of life. And it really, even though it's not, it's not easy.

• 41:55Jahnavi Harrison?

  I, I know Willow has, you know, a yoga practice. You've been cultivating for a long time. To do anything daily is not an easy thing. And you don't always feel like doing it. And sometimes you do it robotically. And then you're like, oh, you know, I gotta come back to, you know, the, the deeper reason of why I'm doing this. But to just keep that commitment. It develops a relationship with sacred space within. It develops a relationship with the divine. That really is, it's, it's a lifesaver. It's, it's, it gives me inspiration. It gives me sense of connection. And it, and it's a meditation, the, the particular mantra that I, that I recite daily. The meditation is on how can I be of service?

• 42:40Jahnavi Harrison?

  And a prayer for service. Please allow me to be of service in this life. So I love how Willow was describing that, that, that service. It brings you out of that space. Cause every day we have to push against our tendency to be self-absorbed. It's like at every moment, we tend to be caught in our head thinking about our own worries and things like that. And, and to turn that around to how can I serve? It's, it's such a dramatic, you know, state change. And so for me, that helps. It helps then, you know, whether I'm doing one thing or another, just to, to keep connecting with that core reason of why, of, of what is, what is the purpose of my existence?

• 43:22Jahnavi Harrison?

  To serve, it makes things, it makes things a lot more simpler and joyful.

• 43:29Speaker 02

  I'm just gonna piggyback off of what Jonavie said. Yes, I've been cultivating a yoga practice for about, I wanna say, two years?

• 43:40Speaker 05

  We see those poses.

• 43:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah, I wanna say two years or a year and a half. And, you know, another thing, aside from meditation, that I try to do daily, sometimes it doesn't happen. I read every day.

• 43:57Speaker 02

  Right now, I'm reading Inner Engineering by Sadhguru, so that's something that I've been putting my time into every day. So, whether it's, you know, literature, yoga, or meditation, one of those things is happening every day. So, I'm, just like Jonavie said, I truly believe that that consistency and that repetition is what's needed in order to get into a state where it is second nature, where you don't have to think about it anymore, where it's habitual. It's part of you. Exactly, and that's where I'm trying to be, that's what I'm striving to. I think what you both are doing, keeping it consistent, that's probably how, you know, you've realized what the benefits are,

• 44:37Speaker 02

  that living a life without it, that feels more unnatural than doing the practice. And I was also thinking, what was I thinking about when they were speaking? Oh, I was thinking about how, you know, both of your practices are things which people have been doing for years, such an ancient thing that people have been doing. But what's incredible about your music is that it's, I think it's shown so many people who are probably unfamiliar with meditation, unfamiliar with yoga, or see it as something that's so...

• 45:33Speaker 01

  Unfamiliar, that, you know, meditation music or mountain music is for everybody. Like, it's such a universal thing, that so many different types of people can connect to it, just by your different backgrounds, that you two have connected to it in such a different way. And how you're sharing it, it's, yeah, it's beautiful to see how different meditation music and devotional music can actually be, and how many different types of people it can, it can connect.

• 46:01Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I'm glad you put that base on it, so I can turn it up.

• 46:05Speaker 02

  See, I knew it. I knew we needed that. I knew it.

• 46:08Jay Shetty?

  I, I love it. The first time I heard it, I was telling Jahnavi, I was just like,

• 46:11Speaker 01

  You feel it.

• 46:12Jay Shetty?

  It's just all the mu, what you've made is, it's like that perfect combination between being timeless and pure, but then being current and relevant.

• 46:22Speaker 01

  Exactly, exactly that.

• 46:23Jay Shetty?

  And you've created, in my, in my opinion, whatever it's worth, like, it sounds like a no genre. Like, it's, it's new, it's different, it's, it's not, you can't just go, oh yeah, that's that kind of music. I wouldn't even put it under meditational music. Like, it's, it's beyond that.

• 46:37Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 46:38Jay Shetty?

  And I think that, you know, credit to both of your artistry to be able to expand that much. What's different about creating devotional music for both of you? And Jahnavi, for you to, to stretch out of your comfort zone from a music place of now creating this new genre that you have together. So for, for Willow, for you more like, what's, what's different about creating devotional music for you, from your perspective? And, and then Jahnavi, from yours, like, almost going the other way and like, oh, now we're creating something a bit newer to what I'm used to.

• 47:06Speaker 02

  Yeah. You know, my lyrics that, you know, in the Willow album and in Art of Pithecus, my first album, you know, I talk a lot about duality. I talk a lot about spirit. I talk a lot about, you know, cycles. I have a song that's called Cycles on, on my first album. But it's very, the language is very modern, and it's very...

• 47:36Speaker 02

  What I love about Sanskrit is that it's deeper than language.

• 47:42Speaker 02

  And I think that the real difference is bringing that ancient vibration to it that isn't just coming from me. It's coming from generations and generations of deeply spiritual individuals who have carried this on. And I think, you know, feeling that is the biggest difference for me. Because it's not just me coming up with something. Yeah.

• 48:08Jay Shetty?

  Wow.

• 48:09Speaker 05

  Powerful.

• 48:10Jay Shetty?

  That's really powerful, yeah. That's incredible to think of it like that. That's so well articulated. That's beautiful. Thank you.

• 48:19Speaker 02

  I'm just happy you accept me.

• 48:23Speaker 02

  Oh, my gosh.

• 48:25Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, wow. Wow, I've just been, I've been hit by your articulation of that. That's so beautiful.

• 48:31Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 48:32Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, I think it's so interesting because I think for me, it was almost, I wouldn't say the opposite, because naturally, we're trying to retain the purity of devotional space. And like with recording, we set up a little altar, like in the studio. It's really nice to have that feel to be a sacred space.

• 48:54Speaker 02

  That intention, like you're making it.

• 48:56Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah. But with this EP, because most of the time I'm singing mantra, which obviously those words are not mine. I'm putting my heart and my prayer into it, but I'm also trusting the power of that ancient vibration, that timeless vibration, to touch the heart of another. And then, for that reason, I don't, I don't take credit when someone has, you know, a powerful experience with it. It's like, oh, yeah, that's what it does. That's what it does to me, too. So I'm just trying to, you know, facilitate this experience. But with this album, I definitely was stretching myself because I think just before we came together, I was, I'd been recently feeling a lot more inspired

• 49:42Jahnavi Harrison?

  to write lyrics in English that convey some of these ideas and themes, which was daunting for me because it's not something I, it's something I hardly ever do. Let alone record. I have tons of voice notes in my phone, which will never see the light of day. Ideas that I've had. But it was so cool because I didn't think we would actually work on those things. But when I showed some of them to Willow, she was so encouraging and excited about it. And I was sort of like, well, what do you think? Like, you add your lyrics in too. She was like, no, I love this. I think we should go for it. I was like, really?

• 50:19Jahnavi Harrison?

  And then so to actually bring some of those ideas to life. For me, that was a beautiful experience of being able to come outside of the space of, okay, this is just mantra. It's not me, but here's this, here's this, you know, ancient sound vibration. To actually hear some words that I wrote, which convey how I want to, you know, take a snapshot of this, this sentiment, for instance, of surrender or what's another.

• 50:48Speaker 02

  How you've experienced it.

• 50:49Jahnavi Harrison?

  How I have experienced it or what's meaningful to me or to us, you know? And for me, that was a really, that was extremely powerful. I came away being like, whoa, I didn't know I could do.

• 51:02Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:03Jahnavi Harrison?

  So I'm so grateful for that. Yeah, it was, it was, it was beautiful.

• 51:08Speaker 02

  Yeah, I could feel, I could feel that, that sense of hesitancy. That's why I was like, yeah. I was like, let's go full flash.

• 51:16Jahnavi Harrison?

  I was like, are you sure? She's like, let's do it.

• 51:18Speaker 02

  Yeah. Yeah, because I was like, you, you gonna know the greatness of you today.

• 51:30Jay Shetty?

  Both of you live real lives in the real world. You know, you, you go through your challenges every single day. And people who listen to this are going through their own challenges. What's been something that's been really beautiful or powerful for both of you individually? That you feel has helped you discover answers at tough times? Or find new directions at tough times? What is it that both of you have turned to in your own life, whether it be musical or not? That, that you think that almost, what is it that people can do to express themselves more? Because it feels like so many of our feelings do get bottled up and, and do just get thought about inside. What has been powerful for you individually?

• 52:11Speaker 02

  I mean, it might, it might be a little unorthodox. But I actually really, really enjoy looking at myself in the mirror. And explaining, like, like telling, like having a conversation with myself, basically. Like when I'm, when I'm having tough emotions that I feel like I don't want to express to other people, or I feel like embarrassed, or whatever it is.

• 52:38Speaker 02

  I always try to like, just look at myself and be like, no, you're valid. Like, explain the full depth of everything that you're feeling. And then look at yourself and like, explain back to yourself why, why those emotions, not why those emotions are okay, but accepting yourself in a certain way. And, you know, sometimes when the FaceTime doesn't work and people don't answer their phone, you can talk to yourself. And it does work. It does work. For me, it does.

• 53:09Jay Shetty?

  I love that. That's so good. Yeah, I've never heard anyone do that in the mirror.

• 53:13Speaker 01

  I feel like it's taken journaling to another level. You're actually facing yourself, which I think a lot of the times we are battling with our own self, rather than with other people. And so actually like, looking at yourself in the mirror and, and, and speaking to yourself is so powerful.

• 53:28Speaker 02

  It gets deep. The tears start flowing and then you start looking at yourself. Exactly. And you're like, dang, like, I see you. Like, you're, we're together in this. Like, we got each other.

• 53:37Jahnavi Harrison?

  I love that.

• 53:38Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 53:38Speaker 02

  Me too.

• 53:39Jay Shetty?

  That's awesome. I hope everyone tries it out this week. Anyone who's listening or watching, try it out. I'm being serious.

• 53:45Speaker 02

  Sometimes I feel weird saying it because some people, you know, are like, that's ridiculous. But I've done it. And it has stopped the tears. That's great.

• 53:58Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, I was thinking as you were speaking that for me,

• 54:02Jahnavi Harrison?

  Writing has always been a powerful one. And it's funny because I think of the page being like a mirror. And I think many people find writing to be like that. To the point where I remember some difficult points in my life where I didn't write for a very long time. For probably two years, I didn't write anything on a page because I was afraid of what would come out and what I would see. I felt just this complete block, you know. And then to release that to start. I always feel such a relief when I put a pen on the paper and start to write. And I was introduced to the practice of free writing some years ago. There's a famous book called The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.

• 54:45Jahnavi Harrison?

  And this practice of morning pages is something that many people have found a lot of, yeah, just incredible experiences from. So I started to do that. And I still turn to that when I, I mean, I tried to do it regularly, but it's also one of those things. You go through phases, you know. But for me, yeah, so writing is always a huge, huge help. I mean, stating the obvious, I think, you know, kirtan, meditation, music, of course. But my other huge one, which I think Willow and I share, is to connect with nature. Just to walk. I mean, I think I try and go for a walk in nature every day. And without fail, it's like a balm. It's uplifting. It brings me back to myself.

• 55:30Jahnavi Harrison?

  It sparks ideas and creativity. It's, it's just like the road and the page. They're my two friends that really help me so much.

• 56:04Jay Shetty?

  I love that. Yeah, I love that. That's so awesome. And I guess that's what's inspired a lot of your work. I know, Jahnavi, whenever you're doing your BBC Pause for Thought sessions, you talk a lot about the environment and climate change. And where do you see that intersection between art and the environment or climate change or expression? And is there a synergy there? Or is it just something that you feel is a different part of you where your care comes from?

• 56:29Jahnavi Harrison?

  I think it's absolutely intertwined. I mean, nature is the most beautiful art that we can witness and observe. I'm so inspired by the natural world. And my mom is a really avid gardener and lover of wild plants and herbs. And she sort of brought us up like that to observe and learn about all the properties of plants and trees around us. So I'm kind of obsessed with plants and flowers. And people laugh at me, but it's like, I'm always looking at, inspired by the textures, by the shapes, by the different aromas. Yeah, everything. And so, nature inspires me creatively, immensely.

• 57:13Jahnavi Harrison?

  And in terms of caring for nature, I think like a person, the more you know a person, the more you care. So the more we observe and connect and feel a sense of relationship with nature, that care, it's like, why wouldn't I care? It's a beautiful exchange.

• 57:32Speaker 02

  It nourishes me.

• 57:33Jahnavi Harrison?

  Absolutely. There's a mutual exchange of nourishment going on. And I think also with the particular type of creativity and art, you know, the questions that I'm asking or that we're asking about service, about divinity, these kinds of things, they bring us also closer to our deepest essence, which I believe is meant to be in harmony with nature. So the more that you're coming into that space, again, it just becomes a very natural connection to feel. And so, yeah, I'm kind of a nature addict.

• 58:13Jahnavi Harrison?

  And I, and I, I know like when I visited Willow and her home, you know, there's such a beautiful view of the ocean and it's like, it's, it's just a, it's a part of you, right?

• 58:24Speaker 02

  Yeah, 100% I have to, I would, I, I think a significant decline in my mental health would happen if I were to live in a city.

• 58:34Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah.

• 58:35Speaker 02

  Or, I mean, I do live in a city, but if I were to live like amongst buildings. Concrete. Exactly. Like I need to wake up and see trees. I need to. Just one tree. Exactly. At least one, at least one. I, I need, it's, I'm a nature addict. What can I say? Just like you. Yeah. And that's definitely one of the biggest healing agents in my life, 100%.

• 59:01Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. Willow, we've been talking about this for the past couple of days about how you see this connection between spirituality and science and physics and spirituality.

• 59:10Speaker 02

  Now that's gonna get going.

• 59:11Jay Shetty?

  And, and you're, you're, you've always been very much talking about like science and physics and like, but then you're also really interested in spirituality. Tell us about how you started to see so early in your life, the connection and synergy between the two.

• 59:26Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 59:26Jay Shetty?

  Because I think so often they're talked about so separately.

• 59:29Speaker 02

  100%.

• 59:30Jay Shetty?

  They're seen as like divisive or disconnected.

• 59:33Speaker 02

  Exactly. I think one of the, the biggest, the biggest moments in my life that made me really move towards this marriage of, of spirituality and science was, you know, I had been reading a lot of spiritual literature. I had been reading a lot of Osho, a lot of, I read this one book called Oneness by I think Rasha? Ram? Rasha, I think, or Rama. But it's called Oneness. And that book changed my life forever. And just the idea of vibration and that everything is vibration really hit me because I am a musician and music is like the biggest love of my life.

• 1:00:19Speaker 02

  And then learning about string theory was, ah, just opened my mind into such a place that it was like,

• 1:00:30Speaker 02

  These two things are the same. Like, people think that they're separate, and in some ways, they are. But, in the fundament, they're just two sides of the same coin. And so, that inspired me to just dive really deep into the physical world and just how things work. And that's how I just got into physics and started studying physics. And, you know, I haven't been... I've been studying more of the spiritual lane recently. It's hard, it's hard, I will say, to study them deeply at the same time.

• 1:01:05Speaker 02

  But I, I study them separately deeply, and I go back and forth. And then try to figure out how to bring them together in some way. But in my life, you know, I'm constantly, I'm constantly relating my spiritual experiences with, you know, all of the scientific things that I've read. Or, you know, just being in physics class and telling my physics teacher, like, "Oh, you should read this book." And he's like, "Okay." I'm a physics teacher, I'm not, I'm not a metaphysics teacher. So, I just, I just wanna continue to just get more intelligent and, and more intelligent while also losing my ego. I think is where I'm trying to go, which is kind of counterintuitive.

• 1:01:51Speaker 02

  But, I think it is possible.

• 1:01:53Jahnavi Harrison?

  Absolutely.

• 1:01:54Speaker 02

  And...

• 1:01:54Jahnavi Harrison?

  Intelligence in service.

• 1:01:56Speaker 02

  Exactly. And so, that's, that's really just, I have lots of goals. But that's one of them.

• 1:02:04Jay Shetty?

  Save the world.

• 1:02:04Speaker 02

  Exactly, yes. I have lots of goals. But they all give me joy and, and really just my curiosity for both makes, makes life just exciting. You know, those, those two things just make my life feel exciting to me.

• 1:02:20Jay Shetty?

  Yeah. I actually think that, that, that paradox is what makes it exciting.

• 1:02:25Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 1:02:25Jay Shetty?

  If your pursuit was only to become intelligent, you'd get bored.

• 1:02:28Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 1:02:29Jay Shetty?

  And if your pursuit was only to remove ego, it wouldn't be as exciting.

• 1:02:32Speaker 02

  Exactly.

• 1:02:33Jay Shetty?

  It would be quite tough. And so, actually, both of them together is, is a beautiful path. And, and often, the path that can only be walked when you do both paths to really, to really get it right.

• 1:02:44Speaker 02

  100%.

• 1:02:45Jay Shetty?

  I love that. What were you gonna ask?

• 1:02:48Speaker 01

  And I wasn't.

• 1:02:51Speaker 02

  I wanna, I wanna add something. That's also why I really admire you, Jay, because you, while also having been a monk for five years.

• 1:03:00Jay Shetty?

  Three.

• 1:03:00Speaker 02

  Three years. You are also one of the most intelligent people I know. And that's so inspiring to see that you can do both and that both can be done. It just inspires me to do it. It just inspires me to try to actually, try to actually put that into my own life. And I'm just so happy that you're, you're in my life so that I can, I can see you grow and constantly learn from you. And that's really amazing to me.

• 1:03:31Jay Shetty?

  Oh, you're the sweetest. I'm getting all emotional now, but.

• 1:03:35Speaker 02

  Now we're just gonna all be crying.

• 1:03:36Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, no, I love that. I really appreciate it.

• 1:03:41Speaker 01

  That was like Willow's 40-year-old grandma inside her talking. I'm just so proud to be here.

• 1:03:45Speaker 02

  I know, I love it.

• 1:03:48Jay Shetty?

  No, I really appreciate that from you. It's, you know, it's, I think we both have a lot more in common than we know too. We're kind of discovering it recently.

• 1:03:55Speaker 01

  I love seeing you guys have a conversation.

• 1:03:57Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, so I'm just like, oh yeah, I can learn a lot. And that's why, yeah, I think what we all were talking about yesterday is, and I think why we all like being around each other is, and why, who, everyone who's listening or watching, I'm hoping that this is encouraging you to connect with like-hearted people, connect with, and collaborate with people that you're close to. Because when you can be yourself and you don't have to apologize by asking for permission to say something or expressing who you are and you're welcome there, I think that's the kind of community that we're all looking for, where, where people just try.

• 1:04:30Speaker 02

  Is it right to say Sadhusanga?

• 1:04:33Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, yeah. Oh, there we go.

• 1:04:37Jay Shetty?

  Pulling it out. Breaking out of Sadhusanga. So Sadhusanga, for those who don't know, Willow's now gonna give the definition.

• 1:04:43Speaker 01

  Willow's gonna give a song.

• 1:04:45Speaker 02

  Is basically your spiritual family, you know, the like-minded individuals around you that facilitate your growth towards pure love for God. And that is, that's fire in my eyes.

• 1:05:00Jay Shetty?

  I wanna do a mic drop.

• 1:05:05Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yes, yes.

• 1:05:16Jay Shetty?

  We end every series with a fill in the blank and a final five. So fill in the blank is as it.

• 1:05:23Speaker 01

  I do this all the time.

• 1:05:25Jahnavi Harrison?

  You need to do this together.

• 1:05:27Speaker 02

  I know.

• 1:05:28Jay Shetty?

  Fill in the blank is as it is. We'll read out a sentence for both of you and you both will fill in the blank. We've got different ones for both of you.

• 1:05:35Speaker 01

  I'm gonna add some to you.

• 1:05:36Jay Shetty?

  Okay. And then we're gonna do a final five. So we'll start with fill in the blank and you do Willow, I'll do Jahnavi.

• 1:05:43Speaker 02

  Okay. Making music is about unlocking people's hearts.

• 1:05:50Jay Shetty?

  Peace is found.

• 1:05:52Jahnavi Harrison?

  When, when my actions are in alignment with my values and my heart.

• 1:05:58Jay Shetty?

  I love that.

• 1:06:00Speaker 01

  I want my listeners to.

• 1:06:04Speaker 02

  I want my listeners to break down in dance. With the love of God. That's what I want.

• 1:06:15Jay Shetty?

  I love that. Like that massive dance party we had before, before Covid.

• 1:06:19Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yes, yes, before Covid.

• 1:06:21Jay Shetty?

  Okay. Music allows me to.

• 1:06:27Jahnavi Harrison?

  Fly.

• 1:06:29Speaker 01

  Vulnerability allows me to.

• 1:06:32Speaker 02

  Be strong.

• 1:06:34Jay Shetty?

  The word rise is about.

• 1:06:41Jahnavi Harrison?

  Moving up, going into my heart. And like we said in the song, don't hide from the questions within that rise within. Hide from the questions that rise.

• 1:06:58Jay Shetty?

  That's, that is, that is really good though. It's like, yeah, questions arise inside and we just try and go try and push them down. Yeah, I love that.

• 1:07:06Speaker 01

  I wish I knew 10 years ago that.

• 1:07:11Speaker 02

  Other people's opinions don't matter.

• 1:07:15Jay Shetty?

  Okay, Jahnavi. 2020 has allowed me to.

• 1:07:19Jahnavi Harrison?

  Create as I haven't before in the past.

• 1:07:23Speaker 01

  Well, Willow, creativity is about.

• 1:07:27Speaker 02

  Creativity is about expressing oneself entirely.

• 1:07:32Jay Shetty?

  Hmm, I love that. Collaboration is about...

• 1:07:37Jahnavi Harrison?

  Listening.

• 1:07:39Speaker 02

  Yes!

• 1:07:40Jay Shetty?

  Amazing.

• 1:07:40Speaker 02

  Yes, Jonny B, yes!

• 1:07:43Jay Shetty?

  Done that.

• 1:07:44Speaker 01

  Um, I feel cute when...

• 1:07:47Jay Shetty?

  This one's obviously not on the list.

• 1:07:49Speaker 01

  From Jay's list of questions.

• 1:07:53Speaker 01

  I feel cute when Prema's coming on to me.

• 1:07:58Speaker 02

  Yeah, I'm loving guys.

• 1:08:00Speaker 01

  Jonny B, you feel cute when?

• 1:08:01Jahnavi Harrison?

  I feel cute when I'm around Roddy.

• 1:08:05Jay Shetty?

  Boy, you turned to the sentry!

• 1:08:09Speaker 01

  I think you ended it really well.

• 1:08:13Jay Shetty?

  Okay, so these are the final five. That was very good, by the way. Brown and close for fill in the blanks, you guys. Final five, so these have to be answered in one word or one sentence maximum.

• 1:08:22Speaker 02

  Oh.

• 1:08:23Jay Shetty?

  And they're the same questions for both of you. Okay. What is the biggest lesson that you've learned this year?

• 1:08:29Speaker 02

  Detachment.

• 1:08:30Speaker 01

  Nice.

• 1:08:31Jay Shetty?

  Beautiful.

• 1:08:33Jahnavi Harrison?

  The power of community.

• 1:08:36Jay Shetty?

  Love that. Okay, the second question is, oh, this is one of my favorite questions I ask on the show. So, what do you know to be absolutely true, but a lot of people may disagree with you on?

• 1:08:48Jahnavi Harrison?

  Ooh.

• 1:08:49Speaker 01

  Oh, what do you know to be absolutely true?

• 1:08:51Jay Shetty?

  What is it that you're so confident about and so sure about in your life, but a lot of people may disagree and they may not necessarily understand?

• 1:09:00Speaker 02

  Self-love is the most important love?

• 1:09:02Jay Shetty?

  Hmm.

• 1:09:04Speaker 02

  But I don't know if anyone would disagree.

• 1:09:08Jahnavi Harrison?

  I'd say, uh, connection with spirit and the divine is essential for a purposeful life.

• 1:09:22Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 1:09:23Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, I can see people disagreeing.

• 1:09:28Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, all right. The third question is, um, if you could set one law that everyone had to follow in the world, what would it be?

• 1:09:41Speaker 02

  It's either treat people the way you want to be treated, or... Treat people with the utmost respect at all times, no matter what. I feel like that would help a lot of the wars and a lot of the inequality that goes on.

• 1:10:01Jay Shetty?

  Yeah, thank you. Wonderful answer.

• 1:10:03Jahnavi Harrison?

  I want Willow's Laws, but also, I was thinking, I don't know how this would actually be manifest or policed, but a law to about being truthful and honest. Can you imagine if everyone had to be truthful, if there had to be integrity to one's word, what a place the world would look like, along with Willow's Laws of love and respect.

• 1:10:31Jay Shetty?

  Okay, so two more questions left. Fourth question is, what is your personal favorite song on the EP and why? So you can be over one sentence, obviously.

• 1:10:39Speaker 02

  I'd have to say Born to Give, just because the instrumentation.

• 1:10:46Speaker 02

  It's like, when do you ever hear a guitar solo on top of a mantra that's being repeated? Like, we're saying Sachit Ananda, like over an electric guitar solo, while Sachit Ananda is being repeated. I just was like, I'd never heard anything like that. So I was like, I really love this moment. I think that would be my favorite song.

• 1:11:08Jay Shetty?

  I love that. That's cool. That's a cool reason.

• 1:11:11Jahnavi Harrison?

  It's really, I mean, honestly, I actually do love them all equally, but Gajendra or Let Go is one of my favorites because I love the story that it's connected to, which is from the Bhakti tradition. And this theme of surrender is so meaningful to me, but to express it in English lyrics.

• 1:11:39Jahnavi Harrison?

  Yeah, I just love it. And I love this bridge. A lot of people have been posting themselves singing.

• 1:11:47Jahnavi Harrison?

  I just love that. I was telling Willow that a couple, like a few weeks before we met up, I watched Hamilton when it went streaming online. And I was so inspired by the lyrics and the way that the music was composed and constructed. And I think that was in my head a little bit when I wrote this. So, yeah, I love that song.

• 1:12:10Speaker 01

  And lastly, the most important one. Both of you do an impression of each other from your experience in the studio.

• 1:12:18Jahnavi Harrison?

  100%.

• 1:12:23Jahnavi Harrison?

  Perfection, perfection.

• 1:12:25Speaker 02

  Literally me.

• 1:12:27Jahnavi Harrison?

  I feel like that would be such a vibe.

• 1:12:30Speaker 02

  That's me. And then when I'm like on the keyboard trying to find the sound, Jahnavi's like, "Okay, I could see that maybe." And I'm like, "Okay, she doesn't like this. Let's move on."

• 1:12:44Speaker 01

  My favorite, Willow, is "That Hits Differently." Only hits different.

• 1:12:49Speaker 02

  Yesterday, when we were talking about the Bhagavad Gita, I was like, "Oh." I kept on saying that. I was like, "That hits different." "Oh, that is different."

• 1:12:57Jay Shetty?

  It's a great statement. I love it. Everyone, Willow and Jahnavi, go and listen to the RISE EP. We'll put the link everywhere. Please, please, please go and check it out. It's a beautiful experience.

• 1:13:07Speaker 01

  It will transform your heart, open it, and fill it with so much joy.

• 1:13:12Jay Shetty?

  No, no, we really want you to go check it out. And thank you so much for listening today. Thank you so much. And if you don't already, go and follow Willow and Jahnavi on Instagram and tag us when you share it. Tag them when you share it because we want to hear you guys singing along. We want to see you finding your peace, finding your calm. And so, please, please, please tag them when you share it because they'll be looking out. We'll be looking out. And we're so grateful again to have you here on purpose. Thank you so much. Big thank you to Radhi, my co-host, for doing this for me today.

• 1:13:39Speaker 02

  Thanks for having me. She's hired.

• 1:13:41Speaker 01

  Yes. Made the cut.

• 1:13:42Jahnavi Harrison?

  Make her a regular!

• 1:13:45Jay Shetty?

  Thank you, guys. This was amazing.

• 1:13:46Speaker 02

  Thank you.

• 1:13:47Speaker 01

  This is wonderful.

• 1:14:08Jay Shetty?

  This podcast was produced by Dust Light Productions. Our executive producer from Dust Light is Misha Youssef. Our senior producer is Juliana Bradley. Our associate producer is Jacqueline Castillo. Valentino Rivera is our engineer. Our music is from Blue Dot Sessions. And special thanks to Rachel Garcia, the Dust Light Development and Operations Coordinator.

• 1:14:59Speaker 06

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• 1:15:08Speaker 07

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• 1:15:16Speaker 08

  What would happen if I stopped drilling? You're stalled, you freeze in there, that's what.

• 1:15:20Speaker 07

  With great power comes great deniability.

• 1:15:23Speaker 08

  I'm not the first then.

• 1:15:24Speaker 07

  Digger. See the trailer online. Only in theaters October 2nd. Rated R. Under 17. Not a middle without parent.

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• 1:15:39Speaker 10

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• 1:15:46Speaker 06

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