Founder of eShe magazine (eshe.in) and the peacebuilding initiative South Asia Union (southasiaunion.com). Features in and as 'The Unsuitable Girl', in episode 1 of 'Love Storiyaan' on Amazon Prime. Email: aekta@eshe.in
This Karwa Chauth, as married women around me dressed up in bright saris, gold mangalsutras, red bangles and henna-decked hands, all I could think of was, “Thank God I don’t have to do that any more.” I kept that extreme starvation fast for ten years of my life, all through my twenties. And it used to … More Too fast for me
Yesterday morning, I was hurrying to deposit a cheque in the bank when I saw a tiny black stray puppy on the side of the road. It had a collar on, so some shopkeeper was probably caring for it. A fellow passer-by had stopped to play with it. A big smile spread across my face … More No second chances
“You are my role model, mom,” said my 12-year-old yesterday evening, taking me by surprise. “How come babies and dogs all like you so much?” “I guess it’s because I like them too,” I replied. “Actually, to be honest, I didn’t really care about other people’s kids earlier. But ever since I’ve started on my … More An unlikely conversation
A friend and I were discussing our common love of writing. “I get depressed when I have nothing to write,” he said, while also sharing his insecurities about his work. “How come you’re never insecure about being a good writer?” he asked. “To be honest,” I said, “I really do not think I am a … More Just about write
There are two separate realities in my life – as I am sure there are in everyone else’s – where I play separate roles and have different expectations in relationships. Let’s call them Situation A and Situation B. There’s also a Situation C, which is my work life, but this post isn’t about that. Situations … More Livin’ in the grey zone
I had an amazing morning today, which taught me three lessons, or rather, reinforced them. Accept reality I have two names, as most people know. One is my legal, marital one, the other my maiden one, which I also use for work and all public purposes. It’s an ego issue really. I didn’t want to … More Falling into place
“Endless literary controversy is for sluggard minds. What more liberating thought than ‘God is’ — nay, ‘God’?” I’d meant to read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda for years now, and finally chanced upon it while shopping for stationery at Landmark with the kids a couple of weeks ago. I am not yet halfway … More Yogi bare
My drive to and from work takes about 35 – 45 minutes every day depending on traffic conditions. It took slightly lesser time on my previous work route. On days that I have a driver, I use this time to chat on the phone or introspect, listening to mantras playing on the CD player. On … More Back of my mind
In the past few days, various teachable moments with the kids have come back to the attitude of ‘accepting what is’. The elder one was away on an inter-school sports meet in Ahmedabad, and three days into her trip, she called to say she’s not feeling happy, she’s bugged about something but cannot share it, she wants … More Accepting what is
Today I scolded myself for not spending enough time on my spiritual pursuits and drowning myself in work instead. Due to recent changes in my lifestyle, I am constantly busy, and the first thing to get struck off the list is my chanting. And meditation is a distant memory. Yet, only a few minutes later, … More Working meditation
A few days ago, I found myself in a working relationship with people that I judged in a negative way. I also happened to meet mutual acquaintances who gave me enough goss to reinforce my initial impressions. Around the same time, I read a post at Tiny Buddha about NOT JUDGING others: “When you judge another, you do … More Unjudge
I’ve just started at my new job, and the first couple of days were the hardest I’ve been through in a long time. And it’s not getting any better a week down the line. The physical discomfort of a new workstation, computer, chair, air-conditioning, coupled with the emotional stress of new colleagues, expectations, rules and … More Creating space for more
I changed jobs this month. Letting go of my former job was summed up when I turned back to look at my desk on the last day I worked there, last Saturday. Over the five and a half years that I had worked at that office and in that cubicle, I had accumulated a comfortable pouffe … More Resignation
Goldie Hawn, award-winning Hollywood actress and founder of the Bright Light Foundation that conducts studies on how to enhance a child’s sense of self, capacity for joy and resilience, was in India a few years ago. I had interviewed her but the piece had never been published. I think my blog is a suitable space … More Goldie Hawn, up close and spiritual
It’s never a coincidence, of course, when two messages with similar meanings come across your path on the same day. Here’s what I got in the last 24 hours: “The amazing thing about impermanence is that the realization of it opens up in you the dimension of space or stillness, when it is not resisted. … More From impermanence to love
100 Paths 