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Foot Instincts

Travel Spirituality & Conscious Living

Start Here
Travel
- Experiences
- Tips
Spirituality
- Life Lessons
Conscious Living
Inspiration
Musings

Start Here
Travel
- Experiences
- Tips
Spirituality
- Life Lessons
Conscious Living
Inspiration
Musings

Home

ASIA

CAMBODIA: THE MYSTIC’S DREAM

EUROPE

Hallstatt: Best kept secret of the Austrian Alps

APARTMENT HOTEL: HOME AWAY FROM HOME

IN PHOTOS: FAIRYTALE WINTERS IN CONSTANCE

IN PHOTOS: CARNIVAL IN CONSTANCE

Romancing Rome in Christmas: 3 Day Itinerary

SANTORINI: THE SEDUCTIVE ISLAND

ZAANSE SCHANS: THE WINDMILL VILLAGE

48 Hours at Lanzarote: A Dream Island In Spain

Switzerland: The Beating Heart of Europe

IN PHOTOS: EXPERIENCE THE ECSTATIC BEAUTY OF MURREN

My First Experience of Hammam – A Traditional Turkish Bath

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foot_instincts

Spirituality is a belief, that we need to cultivat

Spirituality is a belief, that we need to cultivate, and inculate in our system, for its not a choice, but a right that all of us can, and must exercise.

We are all a spirit ( or a soul ) having a human experience on planet earth and not vice versa.

Throughout generations, we have been deeply conditioned to identify with the body, but not as much with our soul, which is formless, which transcends different planes of existence, space and time.

Whether we believe it or not, this is what the truth is.

The more we align our thought and belief systems towards the interconnectedness of all things – living or non living, the more we are in commune with our inner intelligence, the more likely we are to manifest a life that we desire for, with supporting thoughts, efforts, behaviours and actions in real life.

When we are spiritual, we do not see anything that is painful, as bad, but an opportunity for growth.

We ofcourse don’t realise this when pain arrives, but only after we have sat through it we know, what life is trying to teach us, what parts in us are hurting, and what needs healing.

We are at an unusual peace with everything that life offers us.

There is no judgement.

There is nothing good or bad.

We learn to see and accept everything, as it is.

We learn to soak ourselves in the is-ness of our 3D reality.

We embark on the journey of seeking harmony within and without.

Spirituality for me is a way of life that has tremendous potential to uplift and enhance the quality of living in the most profound and unimaginable ways.

What does spirituality mean to you ?

Do you think you are spiritual ?

To be featured, use this hashtag and share your spiritual story #spiritualitywithfootinstincts

I embarked on the journey of #consciousliving 3 ye

I embarked on the journey of #consciousliving 3 years back, when I, almost out of a whim decided to practice Veganism and Minimalism every day, as much as I could, staying honest and kind to myself.

These choices I made then wouldn’t have become a way of life, if there weren't any REAL benefits. Benefits, that have not only changed my perspective towards life, but have also made a huge difference in the way I feel inside.

But besides these and living a fairly conscious life spiritually, there hasn’t been much movement. I haven't really gone out of my comfort zone, to challenge the way I live today or do certain things, despite the awareness and the knowledge I have gathered meanwhile.

For example, I am yet to let go of a Sanitary Napkin, and start using a menstrual cup or a reusable cloth pad. Having known the environmental havoc that it causes, resisting to change is just pure lame, and irresponsible to a large extent.

Yet, staying kind to myself and others, and come from a place of live and no judgement, has always been more important for me, than trying to bring or drive any change.

Everyone need not do everything. But everyone, can surely and certainly at their own pace and comfort bring in little changes, and consciousness in their ways of living.

For which I feel, the biggest show stopper is lack of awareness, or at the other end is, just too much information, or a highly overwhelming list, that we don’t even know, where to start from.

And the narrative around, ‘How can a few of us bring in a massive transformation on this planet, inhabiting 7 bn+ humans and counting?’ is discouraging.

If we know, how the Dominoes Effect works, it's not hard to understand, how the tiniest of our intentions, and thereby actions are impacting this world in unimaginable ways.

Neither are we insignificant, by any means, nor are our actions. We matter. Our actions matter. Our lives matter.

The need to make a shift is urgent.
So while, I try to do as much as I can, I would share my experiences and learnings along the way.

But I am eager to hear from you.

What has been your journey like so far?
What is that one thing that you have changed this year?

Can extensive backpacking and travelling through 2

Can extensive backpacking and travelling through 20+ countries with an infant, make you a travel blogger, Instagrammer?

Can your indisputable love for nature, just having an eye for beauty & a good camera phone, make you a photographer ?

Can just writing a few good words, however honest they are, make you a writer ?

2 years back, I wasn't sure of staying real and authentic here, and saying ' NO' to the idea of having a niche.

But today I feel, that there is no inherent need for anyone to fit in & narrow themselves down to 'JUST ONE THING' to stay relevant, relatable or to feel validated for their work, if they are able to detach from this madness of likes, shares and comments.

They do not represent the actual audience.

And trying to feel validated with what we see here is fueling the ‘EGO’ with more power than it needs.

I say this because I realized the reach and impact of my own posts, only after I occasionally recoiled back in, feeling like a misfit, because it was too exhausting to keep up with trends or with the numbers.

I didn’t want to play the follow unfollow game or promote brands to propagate the consumerist culture, that I am still trying to unclaw myself from. I wanted to stay authentic, and it wasn’t helping.

But those messages, from someone who had read all my posts & was looking forward to my next, someone who could resonate with my thoughts and felt seen or heard, someone who had a smile on their face just looking at our pictures, or someone who wanted to know more about becoming a vegan or minimalist or try Intermittent Fasting, or just wanted to be a part of my daily Reiki Healing Group, kept me going.

I realized, not everyone is vocal here about how they feel. And there certainly are more who were engaging with the content than what I think or know.

So I would work a little harder to bring more informative, and actionable content for you for Travel, Spirituality and Conscious living.

I have faith, that honest work would reach where it has to. And if through my work,I can touch even one life, I would be content.

Do you think this would be helpful?

📷- In pursuit of authenticity always ❤️

1+ decade of my adult life, I spent making resumes

1+ decade of my adult life, I spent making resumes that would impress the ‘others’, however unimpressed I was with myself, unaware. I say this because, the awareness of being unaware has surfaced only now, after I embarked on this most rewarding and fulfilling journey in Oct 2017 when I quit my job on a whim and moved to Germany.

Backpacking in Europe with an infant in tow, watching her grow in each moment, wearing my badge of honor of a messy motherhood, making countless priceless memories along the way.

Travelling within, walking back to my core authentic self, peeling one layer at a time, trembling over the broken pieces of my shattered ego, listening deeply to my intuitive soul, pleasantly surprising myself each day with things that genuinely set my soul on fire. I gathered the courage to do everything that didn’t fit the prescription that culture had conditioned me for.

I found my lost voice through the written word, took refuge in the world of books and nature, turned a vegan, a minimalist, embraced a conscious way of living as much as I could staying kind and non-judgmental and became a Spiritual Healer.

These achievements, if I can call them so, aren’t worthy of bagging a job or becoming a source of income in the consumerist capitalist world we live in, but has the power to sprinkle the magic dust on our existence that leaves us with a constant profound sense of homecoming.

I finally feel at home, inside my own body, mind and soul, owning every bit of it, taking complete responsibility who I am, how I show up in the world, and who I am becoming.

I am grateful to the Universe beyond words for being my constant guiding light, (more so after I started to awaken spiritually), for every single moment of my journey so far, that has made me the person I am today and most importantly each one of you, who so whole heartedly have always encouraged me on my path.

I am finally learning to be my own sunshine, in its truest sense.

Thank you 💞

Love and Light ❤️

#gratitude #gratefulchallenge #feelingblessed #spirituality #spiritualawakening #spiritualpath #spiritual

Life won't be half as colourful, half as adventuro

Life won't be half as colourful, half as adventurous, half as blessed if it wasn't with you. Thank you for being you. Happy Birthday Sandeep Desai 🥳🎉😘😘🤗🤗

' Don't let your fear of what could happen let not

' Don't let your fear of what could happen let nothing happen.'

Vacillating between extreme emotions of pure bliss while floating in the silent waters to unwarranted panic - for getting drenched in the unexpected rains, right when we were cruising through the deepest parts, getting caught in the high currents just when we were reaching our last destination( after several unsuccessful attempts in stopping the canoe by ourselves, we had to cry out for help), rowing zig zag almost all the time, hitting against wild bushes, rough tree branches and long shrubs with thorns, this experience was nothing less than watching a thriller movie sitting right on the edges of our seats- periods of intense stress dotted with moments of calm just before the unexpected took us completely off guard.

But we survived. We faired well as a team and as a family in team work, and are very happy that we completed this quite-a-tough canoeing route of about 10kms( as per the locals here). It took us 5 hours to complete it. But it was worth every bit of it, except for the parts, where we really didn't know, if we were doing it all right.

Our biggest learning today was about TRUST- in ourselves, our team mates and the universe. To trust that everyone is doing their best in any situation and that we would be taken care of. Panic, fear and distress just worsens the unfavourable situations. And for kids to have a positive memory of a challenging sport like this one, it's important, that we grown ups, keep our calm, and work with patience.

I would also love to share our complete experience and a few tips for beginners ( especially for parents with small kids) soon on my blog, for anyone who needs it 🙈.

And you ? Have you had canoeing experience ( or any other water sport) anywhere, anytime with or without a kid accompanying you ? How was your experience ? Any other sport you would like to recommend to us to do with kids of age, 5 years ?

Drop it all in the comments. We are all ears 😊.

Love and Light ❤️

📷: Photo Dump from our today's canoeing experience ☺️☺️

Thank you @krumosaktivreisen for hosting us.

Nature Therapy ❤️ #camping #campinglife #camp

Nature Therapy ❤️

#camping #campinglife #campingplatz #naturetravellers #naturetherapy #natureisbeautiful #roadtripping #germany #nature_perfection #campingtrip #campingwithkids #campingwithfriends #lifeisbeautiful #lifeisgood

We all have a day(s), month(s)or year(s) of deep i

We all have a day(s), month(s)or year(s) of deep intense emotional adversity in our lives, that we have always wished had never happened.

Even thinking about it makes us shudder in unbearable scathing pain and fills our heart with grief that almost feels real, sensations that run through our body taking us back in time to suffer it all, all over again, to slip into the skin of that someone who we have left far behind in the darkest bylanes of our memory.

In those moments of pain, we grew. Silences spoke, darknesses reveled. We emerged out of ashes like a phoenix.

Growth happens through pain. And I can never be grateful enough for everything that life has taken me through to help me evolve on the path of spirituality. And it would have been incomplete if those people hadn’t walked into my life who helped me evolve, who made me who I am today.

Thank you everyone, my tribe, my constants, for being the primary driving force on this profound journey.

Hope I am now able to give back what I have received from you and the universe and much more and express my gratitude.

Love and light ❤️

Last few weeks have been very overwhelming for me

Last few weeks have been very overwhelming for me for variety of reasons as it would have been for many of you.

What had made it worse for me was, I just sulked, felt drawn into the abyss of negativity and nothingness, but I did nothing substantial, to pull myself up and out of this situation.

Now I am slowly getting back to this daily routine, which I had kind of abandoned when I was holidaying in India, and just couldn’t get back, after coming back to Germany.

This is helping me a great deal to stay motivated and inspired through the day, while I also consume some bit of news, and do what I can to become a positive change in the immediate world around me.

✓ 20 minutes of Meditation
✓ 20 minutes of Journaling
✓ Practicing Gratitude, Affirmations & Forgiveness
✓ Reiki for Self Healing
✓ Reiki for Others
✓ 4-6km of Nature Walk
✓ 30 minutes of Reading
✓ Writing whenever I can
✓ Healthy consumption of news only from free independent journalists

And you, how are you holding up ? What’s keeping you sane ?

There is a lot of pain and suffering wherever I lo

There is a lot of pain and suffering wherever I look. I am fiercely aware that I am privileged in many ways, for being able to learn the art of energy healing and even write this post from the comfort of my home, while the Corona situation is getting scarier by the hour especially in India -number of deaths shooting up and acute shortage of oxygen, beds, and even cremation slots. My heart sinks, to even think of the agonising pain and grief, the families of the affected would be going through.

If you have faith in energy healing, and the Universal Life force Energy, and if you feel you, your loved one, or someone you know, needs it, please feel free to reach out🙏🙏.

And please wear that mask, and follow social distancing come what may. Call out anyone who doesn’t.

🌸🌸🌸🌸

What is Energy Healing or Reiki ?

"Energy healing is a traditional healing system that restores the balance and flow of energy throughout the body, mind, and soul. This technique works directly with the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of well-being.

It addresses the illness caused due to disturbance of the energy flow in the body, whether it is physiological or mental. There are different types of energy healing techniques, which work differently to heal a person." ~ TOI

And Reiki is one of them.

A Reiki healer works as a channel to tune in to the Universal Life Force energy which in turn is drawn in by the attunee. The wisdom of Reiki reaches out to the places, and parts, where it is needed the most, for the highest good, in a sequence that’s most appropriate in that situation.

It can be performed in person, or through distance. Both the methods are equally effective.

🌸🌸🌸🌸

May we all come out of this situation soon and see each other hale and hearty on the other side.
Stay well. Stay safe.

Love and Light 💗

It's WORLD BREATHING DAY today. Take a moment an

It's WORLD BREATHING DAY today.

Take a moment and BREATHE.
Deeply. Consciously. Intentionally.
Because breathing not just supports our life processes, but also how we breathe determines how we feel in each moment, while we go about the business of the life we have created for ourselves that somehow deprives us all of this very basic element of Peace and Tranquility.

While you take a moment to reconnect with your inner self, if you also want to experience the joy and energy of collective breathing, you may consider participating here.

IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW 👇👇

"WBD is an annual global event that invites everyone to remember, experience and celebrate the healing and unifying power of the breath.

The International Breathwork Foundation (IBF) and its partners welcome you to World Breathing Day 2021. This interactive and experiential 24-hour, online international event via Zoom offers a day dedicated to learning about your breathing and ways to use it to enhance and achieve physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing."

It's a FREE ONLINE event. If you aren't too late, join it 🙏🙏

Happy to share with you all, that I am a professio

Happy to share with you all, that I am a professional Reiki Healer now 🙏🙏

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Everything is energy. And that is all there is to it. We are born natural healers. We can not only heal ourselves but also others. But over the years we have kind of given this power away to the world that’s outside of us.

I have been an atheist for most part of my life, and did not practice any religion actively. But since my journey as a spiritual person began about a decade back, I could constantly feel the Universal Life Force Energy in every walk of my life.

And today when I look back, the darkest phase of my life, bestowed me with the growth that was needed, that came through experiencing pain, and restored my faith in the process of life and spiralled my way into deep spiritual evolution.

I received so much from some wonderful humans I was surrounded by, along the way, to become the person I am today, that I felt compelled to give back. Like that was the only way, I could stay connected to my purpose.

The world needs healing now more than ever. I feel grateful and blessed that taking this course allows me to practice Reiki professionally in person and also through distance.

In the past 20 days, I have done distance and in person healing for over 50 sessions, for about 15 individuals. And the feedback I have received has been not just overwhelming but also quite miraculously beautiful in many instances.

I just want you to know, that If you ever feel the need for any kind of physical, emotional and spiritual healing for yourself or your loved ones( including pets), please know I am there. We would work together to make it better🙏🙏

Love and Light 💗

@priyankaagrawal8478 and @shhyamalide - Thank you for walking into my life. You both have not just been the anchors, but a great source of inspiration. My journey wouldn’t have even started if it wasn’t for you. Thank you 🙏🙏

@sandeepbdesai thank you for always being my cheerleader in everything I do🤗😘

📷: Mother nature - My constant source of inspiration

I am here to express, my view of the world, throug

I am here to express, my view of the world, through words and images. To connect with a tribe that's like minded. To live those inexplicable moments of joy, when a kind text from someone, who felt touched by my words, would light up my soul. I would live a thousand lives in that one moment where time would lose it's meaning.

However, what comes along is hours of exasperation that throws me off in a jiffy. I feel angry, disturbed, hollow, and disgusted. Inaction, performative action, and armchair activism triggered by unconscious consumption of news and social media makes me feel inadequate.

When I ask uncomfortable questions to begin with, to delve deep, into the genesis of my actions, I realise, I need to get away, to get closer to myself. And so, I do. To look within, for answers to questions, that bother me inadvertently, while I look occupied, feeling worried, adding to the global anxiety, vibrating at a lower frequency, becoming vulnerable to negativity and less immune to the fact that information is not knowledge and just knowing isn't doing, that overconsumption of media is brain numbing.

I remind myself that sometimes ignorance is truly a bliss, and magic happens only when mystery unfolds. So, I get away, to act, and not just think. To do, what I can do. To stay focussed.

I pick up the pen, which makes me feel empowered. I write, to release tension, to stay fulfilled. I meditate, to become more mindful, of the way I use my hours in a day, and thereby live my life. I learn new skills like making my own vegan soap or make a vegan brownie in a mug. I read everything that comes my way, except news.

In the past 1.5 year, I went on a complete digital detox twice for 4 months each with no social media app installed on my phone. I came out nourished and full. It became clearer on how I wanted to use social media, than let it abuse me, my time, my life.

Do you also feel consumed by the news and social media ( with constantly blurring lines between them) and your own inadequacy to act on it? What do you do, to feel otherwise ?

📷: #Nature #foreverasourceofinspiration

Don’t be in such a rush to figure everything out

Don’t be in such a rush to figure everything out. Embrace the unknown and let life surprise you.

It’s been more than 100 days, we have been bingeing on familial bond, soulful food that we so dearly miss when we are away, and everything on OTT that’s not streaming in Germany. However exciting, it may sound, boredom did seep into the mundane.

So in Feb, on a whim, we decided to hit the road, for 2 weeks. It didn’t matter that we didn’t know where we would go. We had no places booked, no itinerary to guide us.

We started from Goa, and made our way down south.

Traversing through the deeper, less travelled forest areas, in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, we wondered how less we have explored our own country.

Marveling endlessly at the magnificence of Hoysala architecture and the grandeur of the Mysore palace, we travelled back in time.

Living in homestays nestled all snug inside tea estates, treating ourselves to stay in luxury tents quietly tucked inside coffee estates, miles away from the hustling cities in almost no network zones, made us question the dichotomy of our modern urban lives, where we want to live close to nature but also enjoy the amenities.

Going for jeep safaris spotting animals thriving in their natural habitats, driving through lanes flanked by pine forests, taking long walks above the hills chasing sunsets and sunrises almost everyday, made us contemplate on how do we really want to live our life everyday.

Devouring on fresh home made meals, and savouring every interaction with our hosts , that went from being inconsequential small talks to deeper conversations about life and choices that we all have made, brought us closer to being humans with basic needs - food, shelter and real connection.

Now, even a month later, we truly miss who we were in those moments on our trip. We miss being the person we had become.

Have you ever travelled on impulse and let life surprise you ?

I write and post today to remind myself to be kind

I write and post today to remind myself to be kind - to myself, my fellow women tribe, and to humanity. To not fall prey to divisiveness, to practice inclusion, to not constantly judge, to not pull each other down, to call out ourselves, and every person in the pettiest of instances whose actions or words foster patriarchy, misogyny and sexism.

I remind myself, that everyone can't become a revolutionary, but we all can definitely participate in the revolution. If we can’t steer the change, we can atleast be a part of the change. The change we wish to see in the world. The world we imagine where we can raise our daughters to enjoy true freedom. Freedom of choice to be whoever they want to be.

And the work begins with us, within us. Let’s leave passivity, inaction, pessimism behind us and never undermine the tiniest of our efforts, that can help us stride ahead as a generation of women, who want to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma.

We don’t need to go too far away from home if we really want to make a difference. I still see women around me of my age, also older and younger, stuck in abusive marriages, not being acknowledged for their efforts as homemakers, being stared at when they walk out of their homes, for not being accepted for who they are, for being dictated the 'shoulds' and the 'should nots' in every walk of their lives. And privileged are those who do not face any of these.

Let's break the cycle. Let's trust our inner knowing. And stand up, for ourselves, and for the women around us. Let everyday in our lives be a grand celebration of these small victories and triumphs and cheer for womanhood wearing the widest smiles.

‘ You get a strange feeling, when you leave a pl

‘ You get a strange feeling, when you leave a place, like you will not only miss the people you love, but you will miss the person you are at this time and place because you will never be this way ever again.’ ~ Azar Nafasi

Places are like people. You keep them alive in your memories, inside you. They become you.

They touch your senses in the most profound ways, for you to devour and lose yourself completely in it’s glory.

You may feel an instant connect, a sense of belongingness that grows into a sort of homecoming as you see time pass by.

The place that seemed like you knew nothing about, slowly grows into you, becoming your safe cocoon, you never want to go away from.

To feel this way is to feel life, that thrives inside you. So all you do is hold it all together tight and never let it go.

You don't want to ever leave, even long after you already have.

And when it's time to bid adieu, you leave a piece of you behind, for it to become a part of that place, in those moments, which were truly yours.

Has a place ever meant so much to you ? How did it make you feel ?

All that matters is today. Waiting for the perfe

All that matters is today.

Waiting for the perfect moment, isn't wise.

Wisdom lies in embracing the happening of life, in the moment,
That is unfolding dreams, you had once longed for, now coming true.

Past and Future are mere reflections of our thoughts, in the present.
Chasing either, robs us from being.

The mind, never stops enslaving and binding our existence to the routine, to monotony, to the mundane.

It fears, to abandon, the known, to walk away even for a while to experience the unknown.

It fears to surrender to the magic that lies beyond the ego. It feels safe in attachments, however painful and deceiving they are.

Living in the moment is underrated. Because no one talks about it, when we are growing up.

And as we grow up, despite the knowledge and awareness, no one really knows, how to be.

While we seek the answers, the questions shift,
Longing, slips into a shadow of an invisible obsession,
With becoming comfortable in the stories we tell ourselves,
For the happenings, and the unhappenings.

Happy or sad, justifications take precedence over the state of mind itself.

Why is there a need for a reason to be, for everything ?

Why cant we put our minds to rest without trying to make too much sense out of every situation, overanalysing, over hypothesising, over estimating ?

When all we need is to just be.

Today is one of those days when I am wondering at

Today is one of those days when I am wondering at the pointlessness of everything.

In a blink of an eye, the year is almost coming to an end. 4 more months to go. Yet it feels like, this is how its gonna be. No matter how much we try to stay away, aloof, indifferent, and consume positivity from everywhere and exude the same, somewhere deep down, we get affected, by the whataboutery of everything.

And the list is long, quite endless. Its unpleasant, distasteful, worrying and plain negative. This is not a rant. But exactly how I am feeling right now - overwhelmed.

And this is my only way to not escape my emotions and feelings, but to live through them, till I get through them - Writing and Nature

If my words find you somewhere in the middle of a similar thought or emotion, I am here. We can talk.

Love and light to you all ❤️

Why do we behave in a certain way with certain peo

Why do we behave in a certain way with certain people - put on pretence unknowingly, unintentionally ? No matter how hard we try, we can never be ourselves around them. And the saddest part is, we have to try. It doesn't happen organically.

You may say, any interaction with such people is best avoided. And that's the point of this post.

I don't know why, but I have been thinking over this for a while now - trying to practice inclusion at a personal level. To find a place where, the differences do not matter any more.

How can we better our relationships with them without being inauthentic ?

How can we become more inclusive, compassionate and empathetic rather than cutting them off completely by showing indifference or distancing ourselves ?

How can we embrace diversity and also get included in their circles, make their universe diverse and grow together as a community ?

How can we constantly push the boundaries that keep us divided, and find our feet, somewhere midway and transform from being different parts of the same whole to becoming one part of that very whole ?

Despite my pursuit of trying to find answers to these questions, I know, it may not be entirely possible to practice inclusive behaviours under all circumstances or with all kinds of people. However, the thought of doing so now makes me wonder, why do we look for differences in the first place, and part ways, rather than find ways to gracefully embrace ( not accept forcibly ) the differences and still be together.

Your thoughts ?

PC: authentic me with my authentic self 🥰

Few lines from my journal ❤️ Resting their h

Few lines from my journal ❤️

Resting their heads back on the bench,
They stare in the oblivion,
Holding hands,
Fingers entwined like all they ever knew was to feel the warmth of the skin that brushed through,
Like a gentle caress,
A soft tickle,
A gracious reminder of all that they had seen in life when they had grown apart.
They want to talk, share,
But loss of words,
Under the burden of heavy untold stories,
Make way for an uplifting silence that speaks and also listens.

PC : Nature without Filter 😍

Home is where the heart is ❤️ We moved in her

Home is where the heart is ❤️

We moved in here over an year back, but could never come in terms with the fact that this whole house belonged to us, both spatially and aesthetically. We could never get ourselves to do anything, beyond keeping it clean and clutter free being the self proclaimed Minimalists that we had turned into, after living out of a room and mostly 3 bags for 2 years of our nomadic family life in Konstanz.

The idea of growing roots anywhere, was overwhelming then, it is now. But now, that we don't see why we would have it any other way, we are unlearning. We are slowly finding our feet - a sort of a middle ground, where aesthetics can meet the minimalist ways of life - where empty spaces nourish our body mind and soul. A home which truly represents us.

We have just begun, I would say, but very happy to share a peek into our life 😍.

I haven't really felt like myself in the past few

I haven't really felt like myself in the past few weeks, despite having my days dotted with ridiculously long laughter riots, incredibly delicious food, and having my loved ones besides me, just always.
.
.
May be because I haven't read as many books or poured my heart out on as many pages, inking them with my emotions. May be because, I still wait for that perfect day and moment, when it would all come together to make it happen. May be I am still very hopeful of finally arriving.
.
.
And for that, I need my ' Me-Time' to think, to start, to finally work on what it means to be 'Me' beyond a ' Mother'. But is there even a thing like that for a Mother ? I wonder.
.
.
The more I chase, this absolute delusional, crazy myth of ' Me-Time', the farther it seems to get, like an oases that gives me hope but also leaves me yearning and longing for it more.
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How do I get around this ? How do I tell myself that I would get there soon, when I know that this is all I have - Today and now. If I ain't doing anything about it now, probably I aint as committed as much as I would like to believe. How do I keep reminding myself, to keep my priorities on top of all that I need to get done today? The guilt is real and never seizes to gnaw at me.
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But then there are also these tiny moments, when I feel I have figured it all out. Once I have walked past my guilt, I realise that I need to make way for life to happen in its entirety. I need to surrender - live life moment by moment by moment.
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I am learning to not lose focus on what I can do now, while I still go about planning my days. I am learning to not wait for the perfect day, rather seize the day. Feel life, stay alive. I am learning to chase my dreams with open eyes, staying real, and prioritising what matters the most in each moment.
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Have you ever felt this way ?

" Motherhood is a choice, you make everyday to put

" Motherhood is a choice, you make everyday to put someone else's happiness and wellbeing ahead of your own, to teach the hard lessons, to do the right thing, even when you aren't sure what the right thing is, and to forgive yourself over and over again, for doing everything "wrong". " ~ Donna Ball
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Well, I ain't sure about the right or the wrong, because it's always a matter of perspective. But, when life throws curve balls at you, you gotta get your shit together, and act for sure. Because you won't have too many choices to make, but acknowledge, accept, make peace and work around.
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Last few weeks, about more than a month, has been tough on many fronts. But what I am truly delighted about, is the kind of learning we have had in the process. May be I would write about it on a separate blog some day. But for now, I want to call out, all the parents, who endure the journey of parenthood, which is both exigent and rewarding in equal measures. They work hard on it round the clock, with constant hope, enthusiasm, and patience.
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Yes, bringing up a( or more) child( or children) is a lot of hard work. Much more than you would have read or heard about. It really needs a village and an army of people to bring up a child, and when you don't have the village around you, you gotta up your game, and become one who is equivalent to all that support you miss when you are away from them, doing it all by yourself. Because truly it's your journey alone so to speak. Having said that, an act of kindness, a distant phone call, a beautiful message from your loved ones, go a long way in keeping you afloat. And nevertheless a passion that can help you disengage and re-engage.
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I have too many things running on my mind now - addled and muddled. So may be this post, sounds like one as well. And if you too are feeling this way, let's have some coffee together - A virtual Coffee Date ❤️❤️ 😍

Now, I also run, while I am bleeding 😍 . . Peri

Now, I also run, while I am bleeding 😍
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Periods for me have always been just very painful. It always came with an air of eeriness. Days before, I started bleeding, the PMS would loom over like an unforgiving, dense cloud of discomfort. And I would very impatiently wait for those days to get over somehow.
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While the pain did wither away over the years, as I recovered from various hormonal issues, the uneasiness and the tiredness would make me want to just curl up on the bed, and embrace inactivity, passivity.
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But, now, with consistent focus on running, I am able to go about my period days, just like any other. Staying active during periods, is helping in a big way to iron out issues, that would otherwise slow me down, or make me feel quite unlike myself.
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I can sense a huge mental shift, which has been the driving force, behind me keeping up with my training. The distances are short, and the weather has been on my side too. However, consistently hitting the road, no matter what, atleast on every alternate day, is making all the difference. I am increasingly feeling fitter and lighter on my feet.
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Though, I know it's been just two months which isn't a statistically significant data to conclude anything, yet, here I am ,celebrating, an insignificant yet important achievement on my way to becoming a fitter version of myself.

The way we see ourselves, is exactly how and what

The way we see ourselves, is exactly how and what we end up being or becoming.
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Last evening, after a 3-day break for reasons not quite in my control ( more on that later 😞), I stepped out for my usual short 2km run. But somewhere, something coaxed me to just keep going, until I got too tired to take another step forward.
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I ended up running double the usual distance at my usual pace, but without walking or stopping. A small yet significant milestone.
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I have always underestimated my physical stamina and stopped because I thought I couldn't. Becoming more and more aware of my thoughts, has been the most powerful way of overcoming this.
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Yoga complements all sports ( running included). It helps to build muscular strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, mental focus and breathing efficiency. And practicing mindfulness, meditation and breath work, would only make it better. .
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I am celebrating both my body and mind today, that in conjunction have helped me to see me becoming better version of myself, with every passing day.
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And you ?

#runduringperiods . . Day 2 of periods have always

#runduringperiods
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Day 2 of periods have always been the toughest for me to get through. And today would have been no different, if I hadn't made an attempt to just wear my running shoes and get out for a run.
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Running, while I am bleeding and feel considerably more tired and exhausted than normal days, is sort of a milestone in itself. Winning over my own demons that reign the world of failures inside my head, is what I celebrate today.
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I did only 2km at just 9.21 min/km, which wouldn't even qualify for a run for the real runners 🙈. But it still doesn't stop me from smiling and reaffirming on the fact that if I could do this, I can do more and better with consistent efforts. .
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One day at a time and one step at a time, is where I keep my focus now, instead of setting unrealistic goals for a distant future, without putting any concrete work into it.
Hope I would be able to share more experiences with you in the days to come.
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Happy Running 🏃🏃‍♀️
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Dont forget to share your story 🥰
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Have you ever done a period run or any other form of workout while on periods ?

In 2013, when I was emotionally, and physically co

In 2013, when I was emotionally, and physically coping with the loss of our first child ( a blighted ovum at 6 weeks), I couldn't even walk fast ( as a workout) without getting cramps in both my legs.
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6 months later, out of a whim, I registered for a half marathon, in Hyderabad, which I completed in 3.5 hours 🙈, mostly walking and running intermittently. I never trained for it ( swearing to myself that I would never do such mistakes, ever again 😔 ). May be I was just trying to prove something to myself.
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In 2014, I had to undergo 2 surgeries, within a span of 6 months, for infertility issues.
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In 2015, I did my first and last IVF which failed.
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During these 2 years, I had gained phenomenal amount of weight, and staying fit was not even on my priority list, because I explained it to myself, that it could wait. ( I was wrong again. )
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In 2016, our daughter was born, and needless to say, I had put on more weight, and never managed to lose more than the baby weight, until I started doing Intermittent Fasting in 2018, post which I lost 12 kgs within 2 months.
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With combination of mild yoga and walks, I got fitter with time, however, running was never on the radar until NOW. I had kind of made peace with not being able to RUN, with being UNFIT. Not everyone must become a Runner after all. And not everyone is FIT.
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In 2020, I finally started running, and now I am able to run without walking atleast for a couple of kilometers 🙈, (consistently increasing my distances every week.) Personally, its a huge growth for me, because it took 7 years, literally, to get here.
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And I would credit, it hugely to PRACTICING MINDFULNESS , MEDITATION and JOURNALING. That I am finally able to look beyond who I always identified myself with.
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It's not so much about your physical capabilities that matter when it comes to fitness, as much about mental and emotional preparation. If we feel too consumed inside, no matter what we want to achieve, we never will.
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How has been your relationship with fitness ?

Listening to the Birds Chirping, Feeling the Wind

Listening to the Birds Chirping,
Feeling the Wind in our Hair,
We Trot about our Way into the Forest,
Fill our Lungs with the Misty Morning Air.
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This ' World Environment Day ' needs us all to be more sensitive to everything that builds our ecosystem. The pandemic surely has put an abrupt and a much needed pause to life as usual, and has given us a gracious reminder that we indeed are sitting on a ticking time bomb. If we don't act now NOW, we would all be not only a mute spectator to a massive destruction, but also would end up being an active contributor for it's happening. Not doing anything about it, would mean we are okay to welcome this insurmountable distress.
But what about our children ? Of course they would never experience a childhood that you and me have been blessed with. And that's GRIM.

We are the only problem, and we are the only potential solution. Our actions matter. Wouldn't we all want to leave behind a safe environment for our tiny humans, animals, plants and every variety of life form that's possible on earth, to thrive in, respecting, embracing and celebrating biodiversity ? 📷: From our walk into the forest this morning

We live in a hyperconnected world where news trave

We live in a hyperconnected world where news travels/spreads faster than the pandemic. And it is good news indeed, that for the first time may be in the past few decades, we are all unanimously, quite inadvertently, thinking and discussing about the present and future of our own existence, that seems quite endangered right now after the curtains were lifted off the pandemic of Covid-19.

The whole of Humanity stands united against it. It has taken precedence over the other divisive conflicts that had blinded us with the uncompassionate light of our selfish needs to survive and thrive in our own little worlds, taking refuge in unawareness, because wearing apathy up our sleeves was villainous. If we could turn away from the news, it no longer existed. And that's how we had learnt to live. But sadly enough, we can't afford to live like that any more. There would be news, and so would be it's indirect repurcussions on the more vulnerable minds, besides the direct impact of the virus attacking the bodies of the less immune.

So, Is this now a wake up call for all of us, to not just unite, but come together, irrespective of the labels we attach ourselves to, and connect at an elementary level, as the different parts of the same whole - strewn pieces of flesh and blood but one consciousness. We all are one. That's the universal truth. The sooner we align ourselves with the consciousness of the earth, and hence with each other, the better we would live - as a whole and in our complete fullness.
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Who doesn't get goosebumps to even imagine a world like that ? Our own changed selves ? But it's hard work. There is a lot of unlearning and rewiring that needs to be done. Of old thoughts, behavior and actions. A new way of life is to be embraced.
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A GLOBAl PANDEMIC OF LOVE AND COMPASSION is all we need that would convert the news to something that we don't have to look away from or turn a blind eye to.
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Are we ready for that kind of an awakening ? Or would we need more of such occurrences to detach ourselves from the world of form and become one in the world of the formless ?
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Are we up for the transformation as yet ? And How ?

We live in strange times. Just a month back, we w

We live in strange times.

Just a month back, we wouldn't have imagined that, a day would come in our lives, when we would be forced to slow down, stay put, stay home and just be.
And when something in an accelerated motion is brought to an abrupt halt, it has jarring effects.

While we do see the silver lining and are excited to be with our loved ones, overcompensate for all the time that we couldn't give each other in the past, focus on creativity, binge on Netflix, try new dishes, and be there for each other more than ever.

We also grieve for the underprivileged, the suffering and the deceased. We get overwhelmed with barrage of information thrown at us from everywhere. And trying to make too much sense out of what seems like the end of the world in it's most literal sense, We experience sadness, anxiety, nervousness and also fear.

We feel different on different days and at times all at once.

But after having experienced the initial jolts that have finally put us at ease with the hard truth, we are all now experiencing moments of deep realisations, that are constantly coaxing us to look at life differently, because now we have the time and also the quiet.

Isn't this exactly what we always had longed for when we were busy making the ends meet and running the errands ?

So while we are all looking at life more closely than ever, and there really isn't any right way to feel during these times, just go ahead make memories - capture these moments as much as you can.

Capture these myriad of emotions - everything that you feel today, tomorrow and the days that would follow.
Write in a Journal, Photograph or make a Video of your experiences, and your learnings that are laying the foundation of a new life, a new tomorrow.

Soon this too shall pass, and it would become history. All that we would be left with, are these realisations and memories. Make more of them.

Create and Share.

Waiting to hear from you, about you, in these times when all we need is each other.

Stay Safe. Stay Home. Stay Well.

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