about balrāj
yogin, self-sabotage & stress / anxiety coach
Balraj is, above all else, a yogin (or “yogi”).
Balrāj’s approach to anxiety is guided by the simple and profound wisdom of the spiritual traditions born on the Indian subcontinent. Generally speaking, these spiritual traditions were meant to solve the problem of anxiety, and required developing the capacity to sit with our anxiety rather than avoid it (so that our anxiety wasn’t directly or indirectly determining the course of our life). In these traditions, learning to sit with our anxiety was the very beginning of experiencing freedom from the compulsions and anxieties of our habitual self (and developing self-awareness). Simple, yes. But certainly not easy. And always made more difficult by craving the state of being that we think is on the other side of anxiety (which is just another way of trying to avoid our anxiety).
Balrāj is also a professional astrologer
& certified hypnotist.
As a Vedic astrologer, Balrāj uses your birth chart to identify and articulate the tensions underlying your major anxieties, allowing you to make sense of the moving parts of your life (including your past). The intent of a psychological Vedic astrology reading is to produce self-awareness, identifying the major tensions in your life that pull you in different directions (and which are often the root cause of your stress). A reading often provides something of a “reality check” and encourages you to stop asking the wrong questions. As a conversational hypnotist, Balrāj takes you straight into the heart of your anxieties, beneath the “foggy” or “knotted” experience of attempting to address your anxieties. This process—of getting to the heart of your anxiety—gives your unconscious the space to clear the fog or untie the knots, and thus produces—often unexpected—behavioural change.
Balrāj, MA, MSc (Oxon), BA (Hons)
Balrāj received a BA (Hons) and MSc (Oxon) studying South Asia and India respectively. He then obtained an MA in philosophy, defending his thesis on phenomenological method. He received his Diploma in Yoga from Annamalai University and the title of Yoga Vidyā from his teacher. Balrāj received his astrological training from a respected South Indian family of paṇḍits spanning several generations in the Tamil Nāḍu region of South India. He is also a certified hypnotist. Informally, he has been a student of spiritual philosophy since his childhood.
Balrāj is a private stress / anxiety coach & teaches classical yoga philosophy.
In his private work, he helps professionals and business owners confront their anxiety so that their anxiety no longer restricts their personal and professional growth. Using traditional yoga, psychological astrology, and conversational hypnosis, he designs individualized stress management protocols that help clients no longer avoid their feelings of anxiety (including whatever thoughts and feelings, people and situations produce their anxiety). This is the beginning of self-awareness and freedom from self sabotaging habits. Ultimately, dealing with stress (or reducing stress) is just a matter of being able to remain with it (rather than let it determine your life). Simple, but certainly not easy.
In his public work, he teaches the philosophy of classical yoga from the perspective of existential phenomenology, and in 2022 was featured in an article published by ABP News (one of India’s largest news networks) that discusses the relationship between contemporary yoga practices and the spiritual goals of traditional yoga.
To learn more about how Balrāj might be able to help you, take a look at who we work with and then schedule your free Clarity Call with Balrāj.
Balrāj lives in Toronto, Canada.