We often focus on our physical wellbeing while allowing our mental and emotional health to take a back seat. Many of us drift away from difficult situations without attempting to process or resolve them. The constant pressures of everyday life can affect our relationships, careers and overall sense of wellbeing. Addressing some of these concerns, Dr Srinidhi Veldanda, an intergenerational trauma therapist, NLP practitioner, life coach and author based in London, conducted the ‘Heal to Rise: Inner Wealth Mastery Retreat’ in the city. CE speaks to her about the session, emotional conditioning, relationships and finding inner freedom.
Tell us about the session.
When we started, people were saying that they have everything but are still unable to get through certain situations. They want to be happy in their relationships, but keep repeating the same mistakes. This does not happen only in relationships; it can also affect money, career and health. There is something within us that we need to address. My work is based on neuroscience and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), where we help a person acknowledge what is happening within them and integrate healthier patterns. The first session focused on childhood memories and how people could let go of experiences that were holding them back. Essentially, it is about shifting the way we perceive our reality.
Can you give us some advice on building stable relationships?
Ideally, it comes down to our conditioning or programming. When we have already programmed ourselves to believe that something will not work out, we tend to reinforce that belief. We need to reprogramme ourselves in a way that prevents us from remaining stuck in the same position. In a relationship, when we start internalising everything, it becomes important to recognise what is happening within us. Once we understand those patterns, we can work on them instead of allowing them to damage the relationship.
What can one do when dealing with anxiety and depression?
In the first session, we used what I call the alphabet game, where we worked on changing a person’s emotional state, understanding how they feel about themselves and observing their condition. It is important to understand that emotions need to be processed. We often bottle them up and suppress them, thinking that this is how we are supposed to deal with things. But when we keep suppressing emotions, they can eventually become uncontrollable. We need to process them rather than continue to carry them.
How can one handle challenges in relationships?
The first step is to understand childhood trauma and recognise similar patterns in our relationships with our partners. When we start consolidating these experiences and working on them, it can help us move from constantly fighting against each other to balancing our energies. Being present for the other person also matters. Presence can elevate a relationship because it makes the other person feel seen and comfortable. When you start observing the subconscious patterns within yourself, you begin to see how assumptions are formed. Once we break those assumptions, misunderstandings can be resolved and relationships can become more stable.
Tell us about your books.
I have written three books. My first book, Embrace Your Life, is about emotional freedom. There are people who have everything but still lack emotional freedom. The book is about a girl who breaks free from the judgments that have held her back. The second book, I Can Coach, which I co-authored by me, is available at airports as well. It is about my own journey and how a person can bounce back in life. The third book, Amma, is very close to my heart. I wrote it for my six-year-old son. Through the book, I talk about the stereotypes surrounding motherhood and the support I received from the people around me. It is a tribute to all women and men — to every person involved in raising a child.
How would you like to take these sessions forward?
I would like to bring in more retreats. I have seen people change through these sessions, and that is happening right here as well. I think this is something that is much needed today.
