Swasthik Iyengar

Iyengar said that her progress stalls when her motivation is material gain rather than authenticity.

“I think the universe knows when my intent, my reasoning for it isn't one coming from a really authentic place and potentially it's for material gain”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 59:14

Iyengar said her connection to nature is as important to her as her connection to God.

“having that connection to nature is equally as important as connection to God too, for sure”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 44:15

Iyengar said that drawing deities and esoteric art reconnected her with God after losing her faith in adolescence.

“drawing deities and spiritual and esoteric art, the more I started connecting back with God, the more I would wake up”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 24:49

Iyengar argued that because tattooing is a permanent energy exchange, the artist's state of mind directly affects the quality of what she delivers.

“if I'm not in the right state of mind, then I'm not delivering something to the best of my ability”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 15:13

Iyengar said modern Indian street tattooing was heavily influenced by English sailors arriving at the Bombay docks.

“that was heavily, very heavily influenced by Western culture and the bringing about of the English sailors to the Bombay docks”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 10:15

Iyengar described the belief behind her grandmother's kolam tattoos that negative entities or illness become trapped in the exitless design and are expelled.

“any negative entity will go to that point where the tattoo is and trap itself inside the matrix because there's no exit in a column design”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 9:07

Iyengar said she will mainly stay in New York and prioritize building a local clientele over frequent travel.

“I predominantly actually will be staying in New York because I have moved my life here. I think it's extremely important for me to build local clientele”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 1:04:26

Iyengar said social media gave her guest-spot opportunities and connections she would not otherwise have had, though it also encourages comparison.

“There's people I would have connected with. I would never have had the opportunity to guest in their shop if I didn't have social media”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 50:07

Iyengar said Robert Ryan was the first person she followed on social media and that American tattoo legends became her gurus.

“I came across, I think it was the first person I followed was Robert Ryan”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 23:35

Iyengar recounted that her first tattoos, about 18 years earlier, were of Lakshmi Narasimha.

“because my first tattoos were Lakshmi Narasimha when I was this is 18 years ago I didn't want to get any old tattoo”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 20:00

Iyengar explained that kolam is drawn in rice flour so it can be worn away and eaten by insects and crows, which is taken as a sign of blessing.

“And it's made of rice flour because it's meant to be rubbed off, eaten by insects and crows”

Seekers of the Eternal: Ep 66 - Swasthik Iyengar - Sacred Tattoos (Jun 30, 2025) · Listen from 5:35