How do two Jain monks become award-winning filmmakers without film school, Hollywood backing, or a clear roadmap?

In this episode of LIVING IN BALANCE, hosts Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti reveal the unexpected journey that took them from spiritual life at an ashram to red carpets, Oscar-qualifying documentaries, and the creation of BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey.

They share how their early experiences with television, production, web design, and storytelling eventually led them to pick up a camera and teach themselves documentary filmmaking through YouTube, Google, instinct, and a willingness to figure things out.

But behind every finished film is a story audiences rarely see.

Siddhali and Anubhuti open up about starting BALANCE with no money, struggling to find support for a project affecting half the world’s population, building a small team they could trust, and facing offers from people who wanted to pay their way into the docuseries.

Even when funding was desperately needed, they refused to compromise the integrity of the project.

Their guiding lesson: believe in the vision, keep your intention pure, do the hard work, and never sell your soul.

They also discuss why filmmaking became a form of healing, how storytelling helped them process childhood trauma and perimenopause, and why they believe a film can become much more than entertainment—it can become a movement.

In this episode:

• How two Jain monks became documentary filmmakers
• Why they never attended film school
• Starting their first film with little experience
• The hidden financial struggle behind independent filmmaking
• Why BALANCE was harder to fund than expected
• Refusing pay-to-play opportunities
• Building a small team with talent, heart, and trust
• How filmmaking became part of their healing journey
• Why men also need to understand perimenopause
• How storytelling can inspire cultural change

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti are award-winning Jain monk-filmmakers who live and serve at Siddhayatan Tirth & Spiritual Retreat outside Dallas, Texas. They help manage the ashram and lead spiritual retreats, meditation and yoga programs, wellness workshops, and retreats focused on stress, trauma, and PTSD healing.

They study under their spiritual mentor, Acharya Shree Yogeesh, and use filmmaking, education, and spiritual service to raise awareness about human suffering and inspire meaningful change.

🎬 BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey is now available on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and free on Plex in 130+ countries.

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#LivingInBalance #BALANCEDocuseries #JainMonks #IndependentFilmmaking #FemaleFilmmakers #DocumentaryFilmmaking #Perimenopause #Menopause #WomensHealth #Spirituality #Meditation #Yoga #PTSDHealing #TraumaHealing #Siddhayatan #SadhviSiddhaliShree #SadhviAnubhuti

Continue Your Spiritual Journey

Living in Balance is recorded at Siddhayatan Tirth & Spiritual Retreat, a spiritual center and ashram near Dallas, Texas, where Acharya Shree Yogeesh, Sadhvi Siddhali Shree, and Sadhvi Anubhuti offer teachings, retreats, meditation, yoga, and programs for inner transformation.

Visit Siddhayatan to step away from the distractions of everyday life, deepen your spiritual practice, and experience these teachings in person.

Explore upcoming retreats, events, teachings, and ways to visit at Siddhayatan.org.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Production by Siddhayatan Tirth Productions
Hosted by Sadhvi Siddhali Shree & Sadhvi Anubhuti
Produced by Sadhvi Siddhali Shree
Senior Producer: Cesar Ramos-Ortiz
Artwork by Sadhvi Anubhuti
Edited by Abishek Sen

Hosts: Sadhvi Siddhali Shree & Sadhvi Anubhuti

In this episode

Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti share the deeply personal origin story behind Living in Balance and BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey. From a vow written years ago to protect others from harm, to the moment early perimenopause upended their lives, this conversation opens the door to the realities that couldn’t fully be captured on screen.

This episode explores what happens when there is no language for suffering — and how one word can change everything.

What we talk about

• The vow that started their filmmaking and advocacy journey
• Becoming filmmakers with no experience — and saying “we’ll figure it out”
• Early perimenopause showing up as rage, exhaustion, and loss of self
• A month-long conflict that didn’t reflect their values
• Being dismissed because they “looked healthy”
• The shock of bloodwork revealing depletion and anemia
• Why spirituality alone didn’t prevent hormonal chaos
• How discovering the word perimenopause brought clarity and relief
• Why BALANCE became a four-part docuseries
• The real reason this podcast exists — the stories that didn’t make the cut

Key themes

Perimenopause • Women’s health • Hormones • Mental health • Relationships • Spirituality • Nonviolence • Advocacy • Healing • Community

Why this matters

Millions of women enter perimenopause without preparation, language, or support. This episode is a reminder: you are not broken, you are not alone, and knowledge reduces suffering.

Listen & connect

Watch BALANCE: A Perimenopause Journey
Follow Living in Balance for new episodes
Share this episode with someone who needs the word

Continue Your Spiritual Journey

Living in Balance is recorded at Siddhayatan Tirth & Spiritual Retreat, a spiritual center and ashram near Dallas, Texas, where Acharya Shree Yogeesh, Sadhvi Siddhali Shree, and Sadhvi Anubhuti offer teachings, retreats, meditation, yoga, and programs for inner transformation.

Visit Siddhayatan to step away from the distractions of everyday life, deepen your spiritual practice, and experience these teachings in person.

Explore upcoming retreats, events, teachings, and ways to visit at Siddhayatan.org.

EPISODE CREDITS:

Production by Siddhayatan Tirth Productions
Hosted by Sadhvi Siddhali Shree & Sadhvi Anubhuti
Produced by Sadhvi Siddhali Shree
Senior Producer: Cesar Ramos-Ortiz
Artwork by Sadhvi Anubhuti
Edited by Abishek Sen