Mango Bites 🥭

Meditation sounds great... but don’t know where to start? 🧘‍♂️💭

Author

Shaunak Kulkarni
May 02, 2025

If you’re new here, welcome to Mango Bites - a newsletter featuring the best South Asian professional events happening in NYC. Reply and say hi!

NYC is loud. Your mind doesn’t have to be.

For our May event, I thought a lot about what folks in this city - myself included - could really use right now.

And in a place that never stops moving with deadlines, subways, side hustles, plans-on-plans, quadruple-booked weekends, one thing kept coming up: we don’t really get time to pause.

So we’re switching things up this month with something a little different. The Mango Pause is a beginner-friendly intro to mindfulness and meditation, led by my friend Chirag Kulkarni, a certified meditation instructor. He’ll guide us through a calming session and share practical ways to bring more stillness and intention into your daily routine - no experience required, just curiosity and an open mind.

Whether you're a meditation skeptic or just haven’t known where to start, this one’s for you. We have limited capacity for this one (and it’s a free event) so lock your spot on the link above ASAP!

Upcoming Mango Events 🎇

Register at the links below! 

The Scene 🪔

Other South Asian events I’m keeping an eye on in NYC

Date

Event

Link

5/3/25

Desi Standard Time Show

Here

5/4/25

Mother’s Day Chai and Paint

Here

5/4/25

Aangan House

Here

5/4/25

Mahesh Kotagi Album Recording Sessions

Here and Here

5/8/25

Vatavaran: Chai & Cocktails

Here

5/15/25

Brown Girl Mag Reiki + Soundbath Session

Here

5/15/25

Pyar is Pyar: LBGTQIA+ South Asians and Allies Celebration

Here

5/26/25

Bollywood Trivia Night Presented by Drunk Bollywood

Here

5/31/25

DJ Rekha Bollywood Disco

Here

Cool Desis Doing Cool Things 🐘

Highlighting people in our community making strides in diverse fields!

Anjali is a 600-hour certified Pilates instructor based in NYC, known for bridging the gap between quality and accessibility by offering $25 reformer classes in Flatiron. She hosts monthly wellness events alongside fellow founders and practitioners, building community while creating content that highlights her life in New York —shared through her growing TikTok and Instagram platforms.

She’s also the founder of SQZ Wellness, a patent-pending Pilates ring designed as an all-in-one tool to sculpt and tone the body. SQZ is set to launch this summer, with pre-orders already live and early support from studios across the U.S.

Why do you do what you do?
I believe pilates is such a good workout and it should be available to everyone regardless of cost. I made it my mission to have an affordable practice and by being resourceful and authentic with my audience, I am able to be profitable at a much lower cost.

What does your Desi identity mean to you, and how has it influenced your journey?
I love being Indian in a field that isn’t traditionally diverse. Growing up, I didn’t see instructors who looked like me—and fitness wasn’t always seen as a “real” career path in my community. So being here, doing what I love, and having the full support of my parents? That means everything.

I’m proud to be a role model for other South Asian girls and guys who are curious about this path but unsure if it’s “for them.” And I love when clients of color see me leading a room, owning my space, and feel inspired to do the same.

We need more diverse faces and voices in wellness and I’m here to help make that happen!

What advice do you have for those entering your field?
Start as a part-time instructor. It takes time to build your client base and start making consistent income, so give yourself the space to grow without pressure.

A strong social media presence is vital —that’s how people discover you, trust you, and book with you. But don’t just copy what’s out there. The wellness space is loud right now. To stand out, you have to be authentic, offer something fresh, and speak directly to the people you want to serve. Be patient and be consistent.

Anj’s favs 🌟 
🎬 Bollywood Movie: Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani
🍛 Desi Eat: Rajma Chawal
🌶️ NYC Restaurant: Sushiro (not indian) Dhabba (indian)

Meme Bazaar 👳🏽‍♀️

Random Stuff 💃

  • Mango Resume Drop - if you’re looking to make a career switch!

  • Love what Mango is doing? 🥭 Buy us a coffee - any support would go a long way and let us keep hosting events!

  • Want to sponsor an event or host something with me? Get in touch!

  • Have a friend who’d want to be on this newsletter? Sign up for Mango Bites here!