‘Every Breath You Take’: Luke Coutinho Discusses Wellness and Longevity at AKLF 2026
Kolkata, 09 January 2026:
Wellness expert and author Luke Coutinho led a thought-provoking session at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2026 titled ‘Every Breath You Take: On Wellness, Inside and Out’. In conversation with legendary radio jockey Jimmy Tangree, Coutinho discussed sustainable approaches to health, longevity, and overall well-being to reach homeostasis.
The session drew from Coutinho’s recent book, ‘The Calm Prescription: 75 Scientific Ways To Create Better Health, Longevity, And Happiness’, which explores the scientific and lifestyle foundations of long-term wellness. Luke demonstrated practical breathing exercises, including inhaling and double-exhaling to decrease stress, explained how movement helps stop the fight-or-flight response, and shared the importance of venting to trusted individuals for stress relief.
During the discussion, Luke Coutinho stressed again and again the critical role of calmness in healing. “Medicines can only treat the symptom. They can never really make you fully recover. Along with medicine, you also have to be calm, you have to change your lifestyle.” He introduced the medical concept of homeostasis, explaining that when the body is calm, everything—from blood pressure and blood sugar levels to wound healing—functions optimally.
Luke Coutinho also addressed the modern epidemic of chronic stress and sleep deprivation, stating, “Most of the patients we see are sick today because of chronic stress. Oncologists will say, I don’t see a tumour. I see a stressed-out body.” He distinguished between being “rich” and being “wealthy,” explaining that true wealth includes time, freedom, peace, and good relationships… not just financial success at the cost of health.
In an engaging audience interaction that followed, Luke and Jimmy explored why people fail to prioritise health despite knowing its importance. Most responses centred on life’s pressures preventing health from being valued. Luke addressed this directly: “When you assign value to some aspect of your health that you want to improve, you’ll start to make little changes.” He noted how mindset shifts can transform health from an obligation to a priority. Jimmy concluded with a rapid-fire with Luke on things health, with Luke humourously answering that his favourite movie was ‘Forrest Gump’. Run, Luke. Run!
The session reinforced AKLF 2026’s commitment to hosting conversations that extend beyond literature, engaging with contemporary concerns around wellness, mental health, and conscious living.
