At 18, Maya Tiwari was given a death sentence — six months to live. Instead, she spent six months alone in the Vermont woods, and came back a different person entirely. That single decision set her on a path that led through 25 years as a Vedic monk, a pioneering role bringing Ayurveda to North America, and now, a new book calling women — and men — back to a power she says we've forgotten how to hold.
In this conversation, Maya and Brian explore Shakti — the divine feminine primordial power — and Shiva, its masculine counterpart, and why she believes restoring balance between the two is the work of this moment, both individually and collectively. They talk about the patriarchal roots of Western religion, what it costs us to lose touch with the sacred feminine, and what it actually looks like to start reclaiming it.
About Maya Tiwari
Maya Tiwari is a spiritual teacher, humanitarian, and the pioneer who introduced Ayurveda to North America. A cancer survivor and former Vedic monk, she is the author of several books, including her newest release, I Am Shakti. Her work centers on self-knowledge (Vedanta), the healing science of Ayurveda, and restoring the divine feminine and masculine to balance.
📖 Learn more about Maya and her work: Mayatiwari.com (https://mayatiwari.com)
In This Episode:
• Maya's cancer diagnosis at 18 and the six months of solitude that changed everything
• Why she walked away from 25 years wearing the robes of a Vedic monk
• What Shakti actually means — and why it's been suppressed for centuries
• How patriarchal religion erased the divine feminine, and what that costs all of us
• Practical first steps toward reclaiming your own inner power
• Shadow work, forgiveness, and becoming the observer of your own mind
What resonated with you in this conversation? Drop a comment and let me know — I'd love to hear which part landed for you.
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