Nayana's Stories

Many times I hear people taking holidays for a lot of days without really thinking of the task to be missed. Like even if the event is for 3-4 days there is the culture in our country to be on leave for at least 15days. The reason could be marriage, death, illness, the exam for children, or any such reasons. People miss the office, yoga routine, exercise routine, and many such daily activities just because there is a social event in the family. In our culture, celebrations have become part of daily life and people believe that they can excuse themselves irrespective of the actual need. How do we create a professional environment although even we are not in the workplace? But in our daily routine can we be more answerable to ourselves so that there is more commitment and accountability in that environment. My heart bleeds when I hear servants taking one month's holiday for the death of a distant relative. The same process also exists in times of weddings. If this act had a m...

  Recently I attended a lab conducted by Sumedhas Academy for Human Context which was titled Gender and Identity. There was a very deep level of introspection around Gareth's framework around how each one responds in a Masculine and Feminine manner. My discovery of myself was that over these years I have made a choice of being in power being in control and being at the top of things related to a Masculine identity. According to the framework, feminine does not denote any weakness but different types of choices like nurturing, creativity, and taking initiative. Through my fighter identity, I always respond to situations through a warrior-like identity. For me losing has always been very difficult therefore made all choices related to the dynamic masculine identity. It was a journey of deep reflection and intensity where I discovered that I have completely disowned the static feminine within me which needs to rest and be at peace with whatever the situation comes. All these...

  Most of the time every place we visit gives you the vibrations and energy of a home. However, at times some places are so negative that you almost wish that you never stepped into them. When we go on holidays also, we seek rejuvenation and renewal of ourselves. We are bored and stuck in our own structures which we call home. So, you see many times people are running away from homes all the time. However, I feel that I would always wish to come back to a home that has the energy of the relationship of the infrastructure and all the domestic processes that are part of the home. As we grow older there is a collective feeling that we should get out of our homes to really enjoy life. The burden of a few years left looms large on each one of us and hence we wish to make the most of the precious time that is left. For me, the comfort and peace of returning to the home are larger than the thrills of a five-star holiday. This feeling varies from individual to individual. I am ...

  We oftentimes struggle to get into role appropriate behaviour which is out of duty towards people around us. All of us need to be dutiful towards our children, our parents, our teachers, our employees, our students and our colleagues. We wish to project a good image of ourselves in the world that we exist. This image is also important for good functioning in that particular role. Otherwise, there will be conflicts, misunderstandings, let-downs and interpersonal dilemmas if these are not addressed. Hence, it is important that in a society there are people who follow the norms, values and discipline of that particular society. Deep down within each one of us is also a soul which feels, discovers and experiences life with different emotions. This calling may not be in accordance with the roles or people who sanction your behaviour. End of the day you are answerable to yourself for who you are as an individual or human being. Hence, there are continuous dilemmas around wh...