Who is Somya?
An Inquisitive Creature.
Somya is a third culture kid from India, Singapore, Japan, and the United States. Being exposed to the breadth and depth of life at an early age, she developed a keen curiosity and drive to explore the human condition. Whether through art, science, athletics, or business, Somya has always longed for deeper intimacy with this planet and its inhabitants. Somya has had to assimilate into new environments all throughout her life, and therefore tries her best to engage with the world through a “beginner’s mind.” If there’s one thing she knows, it is that she knows nothing at all. It is for this reason that she believes the best answers are inherently questions. Somya leads her life one question at a time, participating deeply with this mystery which we call life.
A Metaphysical Investigator.
While growing up in Japan, Somya developed a close relationship with her grandfather who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. As she witnessed his mind wither away, she could not help but wonder about the nature of his consciousness. It was as though Somya’s grandfather had to lose his mind in order for her to chase the Mind. Inevitably, she tumbled down the rabbit hole of metaphysical inquiry, and began her pursuit of the holy grail of all questions: what is the nature of reality? This path blew open Somya’s curiosity, leading her to study psychology, music, philosophy, criminology, social innovation, and international affairs for her undergraduate degree at Northeastern University. Somya is interested in investigating reality through a transdisciplinary lens as she attempts to discover the soul of our world (anima mundi).
A Philosophical Entrepreneur.
As Somya’s intellectual journey unfolded, she began to feel a burning desire to create and build. It was time for her philosophically utopian ideas to meet a new friend: entrepreneurially pragmatic actions. Through her study of entrepreneurship, it became evident that the market economy could be a form of valid feedback to her philosophical musings. And so, she created a new role for herself: the philosopreneur. This portmanteau posits that the planetary phase of civilization will require an integrated human being who can both, engage in civilizational thinking and commercial undertaking. The meaning of “philosopreneur” continues to unfold as Somya engages in dialogue and personal practice. You can learn more by listening to the philosopreneur podcast.
An Archetypal Astrologer.
Seeking solitude, Somya began to walk the path of Zen Buddhism at the age of twenty-two. Along the road, she came into contact with the teachings of Jiddu Krishnamurti and witnessed time itself dissolve into the essence of dialogue. Somya also found a deep interest in modern physics, which led her to enroll in the Philosophy, Cosmology, & Consciousness (PCC) graduate program at CIIS. During those two years, Somya journeyed through the “belly of the whale,” experiencing a spiritual emergence. The new worldview that embraced her was that of archetypal cosmology. Since late 2019, Somya has been developing and sharpening her “archetypal eye” through historical and cultural research. While macro-level astrology is Somya’s true passion, she has begun her journey into the micro-level through personal readings.
A Holistic warrior.
Somya was born with the planet Mars in the Midheaven; in the sign of its rulership, Aires. In a natal chart, the Midheaven signifies one’s aspired direction in life, while the planet Mars expresses: the will to act and drive forward; the desire to compete and fight; the feeling of anger and courage; Mars is the archetypal warrior. Being an important placement in her chart, Somya participates with this fiery cosmological pattern in her attempt to walk the Earth as a warrior. From weightlifting to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Somya continues to explore and develop her athleticism in many areas of life while learning to treat her body as a temple. Recognizing that “life’s a great balancing act,” Somya plays with the Mind, as she grounds the Body. She also honors her Gujarati heritage which traces back to the Lohanas, who were known to be the “Master of Swords” in both, combat and business.
An Idiosyncratic Writer.
Having lived a kind of idiosyncratic life by moving between English and Japanese medium schools, Somya fell through the cracks of academia during her pre-college days. When transitioning to middle school, she was put a grade below because her writing was not up to a standard. Somya struggled to develop and enhance her writing skills during that period, but through hard work and determination she received an IB diploma in both higher level Japanese and English literature. Somya has now found a sense of empowerment through writing. She experiences writing to be a perpetual process of creativity and destruction, in which the lines of duality between the writer and the word fade away. Somya also writes and engages on X (formerly Twitter) every day.
AN EXPERIMENTAL ARTIST.
From a young age, Somya was pulled in the direction of the arts. She has been vocally trained in three languages: English, Japanese and Hindi; she was a competitive ballroom dancer; she became certified in Japanese calligraphy; and she attended a well regarded entertainment school in Tokyo, Japan at the age of fourteen to fulfill her dream of becoming a “gaijin” J-pop star. When Somya moved to Boston, MA in 2013, a new dimension of creativity opened up as she fell in love with the sound of jazz. She picked up the alto saxophone, and is now attempting to integrate two uniquely American art forms: jazz and abstract expressionism through her saxophone paintings (in collaboration with her partner in crime, Abeer Desai). Somya is also fully immersed in the world of aesthetics. Along with Abeer, she is developing a new design theory based on planetary alignments and diachronic patterns in history.
A Transpersonal Adventurer.
Over time, Somya’s perception has expanded from the personal to the transpersonal. She now recognizes that her individual journey is nested within the larger unfolding of our collective existence, and beyond that within the evolutionary dynamics of the universe. Embracing the multidimensional and multivalent nature of life has enabled Somya to venture into various areas, such as creating a student-led entrepreneurial incubator for spiritual practitioners, improvising with jazz and Hindustani music on her saxophone while contemplating the mysteries of quantum mechanics, and arranging flowers according to planetary archetypes. Somya is passionate about living at the intersection of life. Her next phase of integration includes: history, fashion, finance, astrology, art, and ecology. This is an adventure in which Somya feels a deep movement towards wholeness.
Historical Timeline
I am still reflecting and writing this part out. But in order to beat my perfectionism, I’m making it live and will continue to fill in details over time.
2022 – present
Numinous Realm, Integrate This, Klima DAO, Crypto, financial management, building a business within a philosophical framework, engagement, social media return, Philosopreneur podcast, NYC
2019 – 2021
Malini’s wedding, Abeer, Intequity, CIIS, Astrology, History, Esalen, Impact@CIIS, off of social media (list all my classes), Covid-19
2018
Japan, Ecuador, last semester of undergrad, London, move to SF, The Last Mile, graduate school application, the philosopreneur
2017
Kiva, SF, Machu Pichu
2016
Social entrepreneurship, South Africa, Kilimanjaro, Amsterdam, Neend
2013 – 2015
TheatreWorks, Drew & Napier, Abu Dhabi, “gap year”, gym , Northeastern, living alone, philosophy, jazz, working out, bossa nova and wine in the hot tub, Co-op at Boston Municipal Court
2010 – 2012
Experienced a tough transition back to Singapore until I enrolled into Saint Joseph Institution International (SJII). Although the first year and a half was challenging academically and socially, I managed to find my way through the school. / Activities and societies: Played the role of "Maria" in the production of West Side Story; performed at several cultural events (sang in Japanese, choreographed and performed a Bollywood dance); a member of Folk Song, Glee Club, and the School Choir; participated in Challenge Week in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (IB's Creativity Action Service program); organized, facilitated, and participated in Slum City and Welcome Week. Hospitalized with over consumption of alcohol, underage partying, social media (Instagram), “the high life” , Harvard, Stanford IB summer school
2007 – 2009
Due to the fact that I spent the last three years learning all my subjects in Japanese, my English was beginning to deteriorate. My family decided to put me back into an English-medium school, and so I began middle school at Canadian Academy, an international school in Kobe. Ironically, while I was in Japanese elementary school I still only listened to and watched Western media (Avril Lavigne was my favorite musician, and Disney channel was my jam). But as I transitioned to international school, I began watching Japanese TV dramas and listening to J-pop music, ultimately becoming a huge fan girl of the Japanese boy-band Arashi 嵐. Japanese entertainment seemed far more interesting to me that I completely quit watching and listening to Western media. I was also determined to become a professional singer, and decided to enroll into Watanabe Entertainment School in Tokyo. During 8th grade I was going to regular academic school during the weekday, and then on the weekend I’d take the shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo to attend my not-so-regular pop-star school. In addition to my calligraphy classes I began a new traditional activity: Japanese Tea Ceremony. I had a fun group of international friends who all interchangeably spoke in English and Japanese. Our favorite hangout spot was the karaoke lounge. Midway through 9th grade I began experiencing some emotional hardship and was told by a school counselor that I should be closer to my mom during this crucial period of my life. And therefore, I moved back to Singapore so I could at least have a few years with my OG family-of-five before my brother would leave for college to the U.S.
2004 – 2006
Boarded my first solo flight and moved to Kobe, Japan to live with my grandparents, uncle, and aunt. I attended a Japanese-medium elementary school, struggled to communicate with friends and teachers for the first year and a half as no one else spoke English, and I had just begun to learn Japanese. However, I managed to graduate from this elementary school in three years with fluent Japanese. I developed a close bond with my grandfather who was in his early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. When I was 10-years-old, I had my first encounter with entrepreneurship. Seeing the leftover inventory of pashmina scarves from my grandfather’s business, I decided to set up a shop right outside our garage and sell the remaining scarves–which were almost ready to be thrown out–with my Japanese friend. Within a day, my friend and I sold roughly 30 scarves (at a high discount) for ¥15,000 (~$130) in total. It was a period of immense creativity, experimentation, and growth as I ventured into several activities such as: Japanese calligraphy, ballroom dancing, and music (including classical guitar, vocals, and percussion). Reading Japanese manga was my all time favorite hobby, and perhaps what led me to master the language within a couple of years.
1994 – 2003
I was born in Singapore as an Indian citizen (despite the fact that I have never lived in India). I attended local school in Singapore, and spent holidays in Japan with my extended family. My family of five, including my mom, dad, sister, and brother were pretty much scattered across the globe during most of my childhood. There were only a few consecutive years when we were all together living in one place. We moved to London, UK in 2003, but it was short-lived as I decided to embark on an independent journey at the age of nine.