Better Together-A Vaisnava Family Podcast

Ten years, two kids, countless lessons. In this special episode, we look back on a decade of marriage—the highs, the hard parts, and the unexpected ways we've grown together. Tune in for a real, heartfelt conversation on love, faith, and our wishes for the decade ahead.

What started as a simple bedtime request turned into one of those parenting moments that made us laugh, think, and wonder if anyone really knows what they’re doing. Join us on this episode as we share the full story—cardboard, feelings, and all—and reflecting on how something so small sparked some unexpectedly large feelings and conversations between us.

On this episode, Gopika interviews Aksh on his highlights, challenges and special moments as a father. We walk down memory lane, recalling Aksh's feelings when we first found out we were expecting and when he held our first child for the first time. Don't miss this personal, heartfelt episode!

Join us on a short and casual episode as we reflect on and debrief our latest vacation as a family of 4 to Orlando!

Join us for a short, casual episode where we reflect on our recent vacation to Orlando and Sadhu Sanga, a large kirtan retreat!

On this personal, heartfelt and vulnerable episode, we dive into Gopika’s experience of motherhood, detailing the overwhelming challenges and the profound joys and impact it’s had in her life.

In this episode, we honestly explore feelings surrounding child protection issues in ISKCON. We reflect on how Bhakti wisdom supports child protection and brainstorm ways we can teach body safety and abuse prevention to our children.

Aksh gets personal as he shares his messy journey of uncovering a career that aligned with his nature. We chat about the importance of working according to your unique personality in the Bhakti tradition and brainstorm ways we can support our own children in uncovering their true selves.

As our son entered into another phase of picky eating, we found help from an unexpected source....a llama! Join us as we reflect on the story, explore the power of play and its connection to Bhakti, and share practical, easy strategies to utilize play to foster cooperation within the home. A fun and not to miss episode!

When our son experienced a bout of picky eating, we found help from an unexpected source, a llama. Join us as we reflect on the story, explore the Bhakti connection to playing with your kids, and share practical play strategies to foster cooperation and deepen relationships within the home. A fun and not to miss episode!

Join us as we share our own experience of Gaura Purrnima as second generation kids, and explore ideas of how we can connect our little ones and youth to Lord Chaitanya in an authentic way.

Join us as we walk down memory lane reflecting on the role Valentines Day played in our relationship . We honestly reflect on how our relationship has shifted after having children and how we hope to share the idea of love and Valentines Day with our children.

Join us as we share our journey raising a highly sensitive child, what we've learned along the way and how the Bhakti faith supports us through some of our hardest moments.

Aksh and Gopika have a candid discussion about whether or not parenting should be something that is intentionally learned. They reflect on parenting and family goals for 2025 and share what's recently inspiring them from Bhakti wisdom.

Join us as we reflect on our past experiences as Hare Krishna kids celebrating Gita Jayanti--the day that commemorates the original recitation of the Bhagavad Gita. We debate the importance of memorization of verses and brainstorm ways we can foster an authentic and positive relationship between our children and the Bhagavad Gita. Additionally, we demonstrate a practical method to support genuine understanding and connection to verses in scripture.

With the passing of Diwal-o-ween, we take the time to reflect on the complexity of trying to celebrate both holidays for our children in one day! We share stories of visiting our son's school to celebrate Diwali, trick or treating with our son as Lord Ram and more! How do we navigate celebrating holidays from both our worlds with meaning and intention?

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a public health advisory regarding parents, declaring that parenting is a public health hazard.Are we actually too stressed? What can we realistically do about high levels of stress with so many societal and cultural obstacles? How can we lean on Bhakti wisdom to navigate parental stress during this critical phase of life? We chat about all these questions and more!

In passing our dating anniversary, we wonder, did we get together TOO early? Join us as we reflect on our own relationship beginnings and how Bhakti philosophy can inform the way in which we guide our children through this future phase of life.

While many families prepare for pregnancy and birth, many families are woefully unprepared for the infamously challenging postpartum period. Research shows that many women experience adverse postpartum effects but feel they were inadequately prepared for what they might experience postpartum. Join us as we reflect vulnerably and honestly on our own experiences raising our little ones during that first year postpartum.

A tour of our neighbor's home with our three year old sparks a conversation about our experiences growing up as a Hare Krishna youth. Join us as we reflect on the first times we realized we were "different", our journey of having double lives, how we attempt to feel whole and how we hope to support our own children on their own faith journeys.