Roma Tandon is a retired pharmacist who continues to pursue a holistic approach to life, integrating physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. Her life journey began in Algeria, later taking her to France and the United States, where she built a successful career in pharmaceuticals. Later in life, she reconnected with her Indian roots through practices like yoga, Ayurveda, and the Heartfulness Movement, which now guide her life in Monroe, New Jersey.
Tandon is deeply grateful for her upbringing, which was shaped by her parents’ resilience and determination. Her mother, Shobha Bharwani, was born in 1945 in Hyderabad, Sindh (now in Pakistan). The family faced the challenges of Partition, fleeing to India because of their Hindu faith, and losing their land and wealth. Her father, Gobind Bharwani, also from Hyderabad, shared a similar story of displacement, with both families relocating to Mumbai after losing everything. Despite the hardships, Tandon’s parents remained united. Shobha, who had a limited education, and Gobind, who finished high school, began their life together through an arranged marriage in the 1960s. Shortly after their marriage, they moved to Algeria, where Gobind helped run a family business, learning French and Arabic as part of his work. Shobha followed suit, developing her language skills by interacting with household helpers.
Tandon was born on December 12, 1971, in Algiers, Algeria, where she experienced an accepting and diverse environment despite the political tensions following Algeria’s independence from France. She attended an international school, Lycée Descartes, where she excelled in science, learning both French and Arabic. At home, the family spoke Sindhi and celebrated Sindhi and Indian festivals, connecting with their roots through events organized by the Indian Embassy and gatherings with the few Sindhi families in the area.
In the eighth grade, Tandon’s interest in science solidified, motivated by her fascination with vitamins and biology, especially as her mother’s health declined. Without informing her family, she applied to college in Paris and became the first of her siblings to leave home. Living with an uncle’s family, she found it difficult to balance her studies with the distractions of home life and eventually dropped out after her first year. A friend introduced her to a pharmacy school, and after two attempts, Tandon passed the entrance exam. She completed her pharmacy studies in 1993, specializing in retail pharmacy, and successfully defended her thesis on epilepsy, a moment of pride marked by her first white lab coat.
Tandon’s life took a spiritual turn in the late 1990s after witnessing a positive transformation in her sister, who had embraced the Heartfulness Movement. Intrigued, Tandon began meditating and found that it helped her reset and approach life with a renewed sense of purpose. This led her to volunteer at a Heartfulness ashram in Chennai, India, where she met Kamlesh Patel, a New York-based pharmacist and Heartfulness global guide, who became her mentor and helped her transition to the United States.
In 1997, Tandon moved to Staten Island, New York, where she lived with Patel’s family and worked in his pharmacy. She experienced another culture shock, adjusting to the fast-paced work environment in the U.S. Her personal life also evolved, and in 1998, she married a man she met in Queens. His values and kindness mirrored those she admired in her sister after discovering Heartfulness, and their marriage brought her closer to the Indian family dynamics she had missed growing up in Algeria.
Tandon earned her American pharmaceutical license in 2001. Patel offered her a pharmacy of her own, but she stepped back from full-time work after becoming pregnant, instead working part-time during her daughter’s early years. When Patel returned to India to focus on his spiritual work, Tandon continued working with his sons until her retirement in 2022. Reflecting on her career, Tandon appreciated the service-oriented nature of her work, which required meticulous attention to detail as she ensured patients received the correct medications. She also trained pharmacy technicians and managed operations, using her Heartfulness practice to stay calm and focused.
In 2013, Tandon moved to New Jersey, drawn by the good school system for her daughter and the proximity to the Heartfulness Institute in Monroe. To become licensed in New Jersey, she had to defend her education and experience to the Board of Pharmacy, becoming only the second person to waive the state’s educational requirements. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Tandon worked tirelessly, ensuring the pharmacy operated smoothly despite staff shortages. She took her role seriously, knowing how critical her position was in maintaining patient health during such a challenging time. Heartfulness once again played a vital role in helping her navigate the uncertainty of the pandemic, as she taught her daughter meditation and shared the latest information about the virus with her family.
In her retirement, Tandon has deepened her spiritual practices, teaching meditation both in-person and online. She has also explored Ayurvedic practices and is working toward earning her yoga certification. Collaborating with the Heartfulness Institute, she has helped bridge cultural and spiritual divides by partnering with a local Sikh heritage center and inviting other community groups to join in the Heartfulness initiative.
Tandon’s life has been a continuous journey of growth, both professionally and spiritually. From her childhood in Algeria to her career in pharmaceuticals and her current role as a spiritual teacher, she has remained committed to self-improvement and helping others. As she reflects on her experiences, she emphasizes the importance of inner transformation and the ripple effect it can have on the world around her.