Lessons through Injury

Hi, I’m Naushad. I am an adventurer and athlete. I love to move around and find being still very challenging, although I have now come a long way in slowing down and practicing mindfulness. I grew up in California and started playing various sports at a young age. I found a passion for soccer early on, and I used to dream of playing in the World Cup one day. Pursuing the sport I loved gave me several enriching experiences and took me all over the world. When I got to college, I played Division I soccer at Santa Clara University after making the team as a walk on. 

My excitement for action and competitiveness on the field resulted in several injuries and surgeries during my teens and early 20's. Name any joint in the body, and I can tell you a story about an injury or accident. By the time I finished college, my body was wrecked. I had an option to play another year, but it was the first time I voluntarily said no to soccer. During my experiences with recovery, I visited almost every health professional you can think of: sports doctors, physical therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, yoga teachers, and the list goes on.

Naushad SCU Senior Day.jpg

Throughout the process of rehabbing and getting back into athletics, I learned a significant amount about physiology and functional training. After college, I worked for a healthcare technology startup that was helping medical practices go digital, but I was constantly seeking out my own treatment to deal with the nagging pain and aches from all my injuries. I started to become more interested in health, rehab, and fitness, and took a much more active role in my own healing. After meeting some helpful health practitioners along the way, I was inspired to go on the path of helping others regain their health and perform better.

Looking back at this time in my life, I am now grateful for all these experiences that I perceived to be negative at the time. It introduced me to the world of health and wellness and taught me lessons that I may have never learned otherwise. My experiences with injuries and chronic pain helped me develop resilience as well as the ability to empathize with others. I realized that it really doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down. What matters the way in which you manage to get back up, every single time. 

Waking Up. The Transformational Shift

During my late twenties, my life changed forever. The long-term relationship I had planned to be in for the rest of my life ended suddenly and I was absolutely devastated. I remember struggling to breathe and sleep for several weeks. I was in shock, denial, and pain. I started to question the deeper meaning of my existence and my purpose. Something I thought was certain in my life and future was swept away from me. I began to deal with ceaseless anxiety and inner turmoil unlike I’d ever felt or knew could even be possible. And in this place of emotional wreckage I began on a journey to seek deeper truth and peace inside my own mind.

In the year that followed, I determined to fix my situation by keeping myself busy. I started two new jobs and joined in on all sorts social activities, events, and classes. I started therapy. Worked with coaches. It definitely helped, but then I decided to stop everything I was doing, leave the Bay Area, and take part in a yoga teacher training in Guatemala.

It was at this time that I was first formally introduced to meditation and spiritual teachings. I began to do the deeper work of looking inwards and started learning tools I could use to better understand my mind and process emotions in a healthy way. I knew I needed to face the deeper truths of my life and connect to the calling of my soul.

The revelations and experiences that resulted from following my heart and doing the inner work lead to tremendous shifts and transformation. I started to discover the addictive behaviors and limiting beliefs that were preventing me from being the person I wanted to be and living the life I was meant to.  I became aware of my attachments and began acquiring tools that could help me move forward. I started to see the value of looking into my darkness to allow for the experience of more light in my life. It was with these understandings I felt a new drive to guide people on the journey to deeper transformation.

Holistic Health

The blessing in all of the experiences I went through guided me towards a path of studying holistic health and transformational practices to promote wellbeing. In addition to finding the world of yoga, I immersed myself in various trainings such as the CHEK Institute and ADAPT Health. I learned how to integrate a healthier balance of rest, nutrition, stress management, and self care into my lifestyle so that I could enable my body to heal on its own. I discovered powerful practices such as breathwork, primal movement, and qigong that I use regularly and incorporate into my work. I attended many retreats focused on personal growth and wellness, and started to co-facilitate in some myself. I began to see how deepening my connection and acceptance of myself allowed me to connect more deeply with others. As you can see, the approach to vitality and wellbeing is multi-faceted and comprehensive. Seeking out help and guidance is a game changer.

The Fun Stuff

While movement and mindful practices are a key part of my life, spending time in nature is another big one. I enjoy discovering new hiking trails, jumping into lakes and rivers, or something as simple as the feel of the wind hitting my face as I zip down a mountain side on my bike.

I’m a big fan of going to farmers markets and experimenting with recipes. I mean… I just love it when I can eat things that I know are so nutritious and healing. I’m often obsessing over finding the best cacao and superfood elixirs.

In the last few years, dancing has taken on a new meaning and become an important part of my life. It’s allowed me to open up and access more of my creative spark. Especially when there’s live music or a really good ecstatic dance happening. I do enjoy myself a game of pickup sports every now and then, or any game since I have a craving for competition.

Education and Certifications