I was always the happy go lucky kinds, always smiling and laughing. I would be around people but go into my space even as a child, as if looking for something. My thirst for inner happiness began when I started rebelling against the societal norms, against what I was taught as a young Indian girl. I found shelter in reading…… Read More.
My conservative, middle-class upbringing suffered a severe jolt when, at the age of 8 years, my mother left us suddenly to pursue another life. I don’t even remember calling her “Ma” and my feelings for her were driven by anger and resentment that she had opted out of raising a family and, instead, had moved on with her life and…… Read More.
It was a typical winter morning in Dehra Dun, a small town located at the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern India. The weak morning sun appeared every now and then from behind the clouds, doing its best to fight the cold. Having feigned a stomach ache, I skipped school for the day. I lay in bed, smarting from what…… Read More.
You could say I was an absolute chatterbox who loved to talk and share everything with my near and dear ones. I needed sound in my life, whether it was blasting music or TV noise in the background. I love to laugh, and I can even laugh even when you shout at me in anger. I’m considered happy-go-lucky despite my…… Read More.
“The heart is intuitive. It does not share the mind’s many limitations.” -Daaji, The Heartfulness Way I write this during a period of surprising struggle with myself over what seem to be multiple unnecessary concerns, blown out of proportion in my own mind. A few months ago, I sat down for my morning meditation with a positive outlook and…… Read More.
Let me start with a story… My husband has a very strong tolerance for pain, and I discovered just how strong it was in June 2013. He felt “a little off” on Thursday, but on Friday decided he was well enough for his usual twenty-five mile bike ride. On Saturday, he “wasn’t quite feeling up to par.” By Sunday…… Read More.
A yearning for something, we know not what, exists in most hearts. -P. Rajagopalachari From a skeptic to a believer. From a rebel to a follower. From a human being to being humane. That, in a nutshell, is my story on this path of the heart. As a child, when all you see is chaos in the form…… Read More.
Depression. What does it mean, and how does it transform a settled state of mind to a disturbed one? Depression is generally described as feeling miserable, isolated and with a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyed with all enthusiasm. Mental stress is a major cause of depression. Endless brooding and worrying can result in anxiety, guilt, apathy…… Read More.
For more than 5 years, my younger brother has been suffering from psoriasis, a skin disorder causing red, scaly patches that can crack and bleed. When he first contracted it, we rushed him to several doctors but scant knowledge about the disorder made the scenario even more dire. The disease spread rapidly, very soon taking over his whole body; even…… Read More.
In today’s material world, we all find ourselves chasing money, fame and love, which ultimately brings us more stress and anxiety-related ailments. However much we try to be our ‘normal’ selves we do not know how to. This is when we need a Guru or Guide who can help us realize our self-worth and find our inner strength to overcome…… Read More.
Smartphones are empowering. They have interlaced practically every facet of our lives with overwhelming speed, convenience and connectivity. Dependency on smartphones has increased to such an extent that we find ourselves more involved with our phone than the meeting we are attending or even the traffic on the road. Today, when there is a smartphone in every pocket, how do…… Read More.
Remember that time when you were totally lost in the moment: drifting to the tune of your favourite song, looking far into the melancholic colours of an evening sky, or crawling through the words of an enchanting book? There are countless such moments in life that are akin to meditation. The magic of such moments is that they happen naturally,…… Read More.