Daulat Shtankey is a leader of the Datta Temple, the only full-time Hindu Temple in Baton Rouge and the only temple of the Datta sect of Hinduism in all of North America, with nearly 1000 members from the entire region.

This Datta Temple was formed by an internationally renowned Hindu spiritual leader, and master yogi named Ganapathy Sachchidananda in 1997. He decided Baton Rouge, of all places, should be home to his North American temple because two years earlier, he had performed his first musical concert at LSU.

The Datta sect is a denomination of the Hindu religion and the Datta Temple in Baton Rouge, located off Siegen Lane, holds daily ritual prayers and also serves as a community gathering spot for hundreds of area Hindus. Daulat is a retired real estate developer and broker, who serves on the temple’s committee and was president of its board for many years.

The Datta Temple is a literal temple. But I’m sure you’ve heard people who take health and fitness seriously use the expression, “My body is a temple.” What they mean by that is, they’re careful what they put in their body, and they take care to use it wisely.

To these people, getting in shape doesn’t mean running around the block carrying a tractor tire like cross-fit, or punishing themselves with grueling marathon training. For the more discerning whole-health fan, there’s a sophisticated tech-driven and data-based fitness program that’s available here in Baton Rouge, called Kinesics.

Matt Adler became CEO of Kinesics in 2020 and today the company provides health services to employees at the FMOL health system, which includes five medical centers in Louisiana and Mississippi. It’s the first of what Matt envisions as several large-scale employer-based contracts for Kinesics.

This show was recorded over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. You can find photos from this show by Erick Otts on our website. And here's more lunch-table conversation about the Baton Rouge mind/body connection.

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