At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this, we invited Meenakshi R Karthikeyan for an exclusive interview with us. She is an Entrepreneur, Meditation Trainer, Mental Health Ambassador, Healer and Founder of AAGHNYA® – ‘Your Inner Awakening Space’. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, background and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Meenakshi:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I’m an MBA Graduate with 19+ Years of experience in Meditation & Wellness practices. I’m a certified Meditation Trainer, Sound Healer Master, Mental Health Ambassador, Addiction Counsellor, Pendulum Reader, Yoga Nidra Trainer.
I’m from a middle-class family and studied at a government school in Tamil Nadu. During my Higher secondary days, my mother introduced me to Meditation classes. Though it was a bit monotonous at the beginning, slowly I grew interest and became passionate about meditation as I could feel the transformation in me. There were times when one session even extended up to 18 hours non-stop.
Starting it at a young age really helped me to have a strong understanding about the various techniques of meditation. I also had an opportunity to take classes for smaller groups which triggered my interest in taking up formal teacher training certifications and a lot other advanced courses in meditation, wellness and Healing. Years rolled on and I was continuing to practice meditation on my own and was taking classes for closed groups on a need basis.
“You are awakened to your true potential, only when, you identify yourself with a CAUSE larger than yourself”
True to the above quote, the Covid lockdown was a watershed moment in my professional career. I was overseas then, and I could see people in the community were extremely stressed because of the situation or anxiety about the kith and kin back home. I wanted to do something for the society. I conducted a free 14 days online meditation program/workshop for one of the Popular online communities with 7000+ odd members.
That programme was extremely well received and helped several people to cope with the stress and Anxiety that was prevailing at that moment. That was one of the most satisfying experiences for me personally as I could give something back from my side.
Due to the positive feedback, a lot of new people started approaching me for individual and group meditation classes. We started facilitating more wellness and mental health awareness sessions on a regular basis. My MBA degree coupled with my rich experience as a meditation trainer along with my inner calling as an entrepreneur paved the way to start a professional wellness centre in Chennai, India.
I Started AAGHNYA – ‘Your Inner Awakening Space’ in May 2023 to provide professional wellness and meditation services. I’m Specialised in leading in-person and online workshops in various types of Meditation, Sound Bath, Sound Healing, Pendulum Reading, Chakra Balancing, Aura Healing & Cleansing, Creative Rituals and so on.
I’ve conducted workshops and retreats on various creative rituals and have helped touch the inner selves of over 1000+ individuals including Corporates, IT professionals, Entrepreneurs, Private Sector Employees, Home Makers & Students (Colleges & Schools) over the years for Clients across India, Middle East, UK, USA & Japan.
‘AAGHNYA®’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
AAGHNYA Means The Third Eye
There are 7 chakras in the human body. Aaghnya Chakra also known as Third-Eye Chakra, is the Central connecting point of all other chakras.
It is the centre of universal consciousness, knowledge, & clarity and is said to represent the unconscious mind and the link to ultimate reality.
AAGHNYA®-‘Your Inner Awakening Space’ purpose is to help and support the people who search for Liberalization & Inner Peace along with Self-Realization.
We offer a wide range of carefully curated services aimed at holistic well-being and personal empowerment. We believe that wellness and healing is a deeply personal journey. Our services are designed to support in achieving balance, clarity, and transformation.
In addition to traditional meditation practices, we provide Sound Baths, Aromatherapy, Addiction Counselling, Anger Management, Anti-anxiety & Anti-stress Counselling, Yoga Nidra (Therapy for insomnia), Colour therapy, Herbology counselling and so on.
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going when things get tough?
PASSION. I’m extremely passionate about Meditation and the mental well-being of myself and others around me.
At AAGHNYA, we wanted to create an awareness that meditation is not a very tough practice and also want to break some of the common myths around it.
Our courses are structured in such a way that one can see tremendous benefits with a lot of simple techniques which make them understand, learn and practice it regularly.
Of course, no journey is without challenges. For example, some of the people who I look up to professionally were continuously discouraging my entrepreneurial venture and asked my centre to be dissolved and work as a trainer in their organization. However, AAGHNYA is committed to providing quality service and space for everyone even if the growth curve may not be that steep and we decided to march ahead with our plans.
One of the most common issues these days is Stress. It is no longer an age-related issue. I see a lot of youngsters too go through stress and depression due to the unrealistic demands of today’s fast-paced world.
I believe that I have the necessary skills and experience to support and prepare them face the challenges and overcome stress and related ailments which is the need of the hour.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
1) People Around You Matter – The people closest to you—parents, siblings, spouses, children, and friends—shape your life profoundly. My parents taught me resilience and unconditional love, my spouse provides steadfast support, my daughter brings joy and purpose, and my friends offer wisdom and encouragement. Together, they form the foundation of my strength and growth.
2) Faith and Trust in the Process – Keep Upgrading Yourself Life rarely unfolds exactly as planned, but I’ve learned that trusting the process can lead to outcomes far more rewarding than imagined. This faith in life’s flow has allowed me to approach difficulties with a calm and open heart, knowing that every experience contributes to my growth.
However, trusting the process doesn’t mean standing still. It’s essential to keep evolving and upgrading yourself. Whether it’s through learning new skills, exploring different perspectives, or refining existing ones, continuous growth ensures you’re prepared for the opportunities life presents.
3) Never take your Extracurricular activity lightly – What begins as a pastime or hobby often holds the seeds of your true calling. Early on, I explored meditation and mindfulness as personal interests. These activities were my way of finding balance and joy amidst the demands of life.
Over time, I realized their profound impact—not just on me but on others. What started as “extracurricular” evolved into my core profession. Today, these practices are at the heart of AAGHNYA, allowing me to help others heal, grow, and transform their lives.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
– Passion
– Integrity
– Empathy
– Trust your intuition
– Consistency
– Adaptability
– Continuous Upskilling
– Learn from mistakes
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Understand Yourself
Know what you Love and what makes you happy.
Focus on continuous learning
Never Ignore your Passion
Stay Resilient
It’s better to crawl forward than to remain stagnant.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
What makes my journey truly satisfying and exciting is the constant evolution—both personal and professional. Every day offers new opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with others.
Seeing the impact of my work in helping people transform their lives through practices like meditation, sound healing, and chakra balancing fills me with purpose and fulfilment.
Below are the excerpts from our clients feedbacks.
“The way they treat and the patience to understand our concerns was really awesome”
“It was Life Changing”
“It was a feel-good and deeply therapeutic experience”
“Got more knowledge about my own personality”
“This session also helps to my studies. Thanks to AAGHNYA”
“Personally, I have learnt many useful insights and could clearly see that my confidence is boosted and there is more clarity to mind”
“The atmosphere is serene and inviting, making it the perfect place to unwind and find inner peace”
“Teacher who guides everyone from the heart”
Feedbacks like these are really more satisfying and motivates me to give my best.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
