Dhira’s Quest revives the Upanishadic storytelling paradigm. It invites you into a transformative experience—one that transcends time, place, religion, and culture, while leading you toward greater coherence, clarity, and inner alignment. True change begins within. Listening deeply to the Upanishadic stories and exploring all the dramatis personae from the perspectives of different aspects of the self enables deep transformation. Our outer world shifts in meaningful and enduring ways.
The book guides readers through a structured process of introspection and inner growth, through a series of teacher–seeker coaching dialogues inspired by a few stories from the Upanishads. It also uses transformative movements as exemplified in the Natyashastra (A text on expressive arts) to take the reader through ever-deepening journeys within. Also, drawing from the Upanishads and Natyashastra, the authors model the profound inner journey of the Dhira (loosely translated to ‘the hero’). They offer a framework based on the Yoga Sutra and Sankhya that goes into the heart of the inward quest that the Kathopanishad has described as walking on a knife’s edge.
Dhira’s Quest offers a practical and profound model for mapping one’s own journey of self-discovery. As you read, you will walk with the authors in your own journey of discovering yourself.
The book has been reviewed by eminent psychologists and leadership coaches from across the world. The authors have incorporated their suggestions to make the book accessible to both the serious seeker and the lay reader exploring their inner world. “The book articulates the insights gained from the authors’ own inner journeys and their engagement with a variety of dhīra and nãyikā over many years. Based on such first-person and second-person methodologies, it offers a theoretical framework and structure that can be applied in spiritual counselling and therapy.
It will be of great value to psychologists, yoga teachers, wellness coaches, psycho-spiritual healers, transpersonal counsellors and therapists, as well as informed and thoughtful readers.” Dr Kiran Kumar Salgame, Vice-President International Transpersonal Association, Florida, USA.
Raghu Ananthanarayanan's central quest has been: "How to continually look within, transform, be the best and inspire?" This seeking led to a decade long discipleship with Yogacharya Krisnamacharya and TKV Desikachar, dialoguing with J Krishnamurti and collaborating with Prof. Pulin K Garg. An alumnus of IIT Madras, Raghu is a behavioural scientist, yoga teacher and an author. He has pioneered the use of the Yoga Sutras, traditional theatre, and the Mahabharata in experiential learning and developed a unique methodology called "Citta Vidya".
He has dedicated his life to the study and application of Yogic traditions to guide the inner transformation of individuals and shape leadership and culture building of organizations. He has authored several books and built several institutions.
Dr. Sanjyot Pethe is an Organization Development consultant, wellness coach, and certified Somatic Experiencing practitioner with a deep passion for storytelling as a medium for healing. She supports individuals and groups in exploring the connection between the body and personal narratives to foster emotional healing, inner resilience, and transformative growth. Her work integrates body-based wisdom, systems thinking, and the power of story to create spaces of dignity, insight, and restoration. She has written blogs, research papers, book chapters, and a book of poetry. She enjoys reading, writing, telling stories, having reflective conversations, teaching, visiting temples, chanting and traveling to mountains.
Ahalya Ananth is a schoolteacher, dancer, yoga teacher and facilitator in group process work. She has anchored and co-facilitated many workshops with adolescents, musicians, dancers, theatre artistes, people in the corporate sector as well as individual from all walks of life. Her work in this area attempts to integrate yoga, dance, music with regular group process facilitation. She has also reviewed, translated and edited articles, publications and books.
