Bindiya addresses a range of very relevant mental health concerns like stress, depression, anxiety, the emotional impact of the lockdown, an

Green is the color of nature and health. It represents growth, nature, money, fertility and safety. It's a relaxing color that is pleasing to the eye, and is said to have healing powers. It is often used to represent anything that has to do with health, and is also the color of the heart chakra. #healinghideaway #nilgiris #thambatti #bluemountains #healing #chakrameditation #chakrabalancing #meditation #mindfulness #happiness #arttherapy #counselling #therapist #bindiyamurgai

Prayer Beads have been around for centuries. They have been used in most major religious practices including Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Bahai, Bon and Buddhism, and even the ancient Egyptians gave them a go. They come in a variety of forms and their significance varies across different faiths, but their usage and role as powerful instruments for mindfulness, meditation and spiritual practice remain pretty much constant. Yet, plenty of people don't seem to know a

Just love prayer flags for being the simplest spiritual devices, propelled by the natural energy of the wind. Contrary to popular misconceptions, prayer flags are not meant to carry an individual’s prayers to the Gods. This is how they actually work --prayer flags have mantras, prayers, and auspicious symbols on them. These represent spiritual energies and vibrations, which get activated when they make contact with the wind. These good vibrations are then carried by the wind,

Ever since the beginning of time, people from all corners of the earth have prayed, , had their own unique sacred symbols, rituals and beliefs. Slowly, many of these beliefs developed into organised religion, with their own Gods and Goddesses, holy books, guardians, propagators, places of worship, festivals and sacred paraphernalia. Each took its own path, but one element remained common to every single faith that developed across the world -- it's how they used sound and mus

Situational depression is not the same as clinical depression. It is usually triggered by an event or situation, such losing a promotion or a job, a breakup, failure, or a traumatic event. Situational depression can be overcome with counselling, mindfulness, meditation and through practices that change our attitude, behaviours and responses. Situational depression can pass in a few weeks, but can turn into clinical depression if left unattended for long. Read what Oprah has t

If there is one singular quest that binds all humanity together, that is common to all humans, irrespective of their age, gender, race and nationality, it is the quest for happiness. It sounds simple, but is often elusive for many. I believe that happiness is a combination of genetic disposition, emotional ecosystems, and certain life conditions, but most of all, happiness is technique, one that has various elements, processes and steps. The best news is that we can all learn

Not every thing has to be a reflection of our mental health...certainly not the aesthetic choices we make! The problem is that too many rookie opinions, and all kind of flimsy research projects, come up every day, showing people more and more ways in which they are/ can/ will/ or should be depressed. Making things worse, are journalists and bloggers, who pick the most sensational lines and concert them in to sensational headlines. These then get read fleeting by an audience w

Thich Nhat Hanh said, “Sometimes joy is the source of your smile. At other times, your smile is the source of your joy.” For ages, spirituality and science have been trying to understand what really makes the human heart sing. Finally, there seem to be some answers! For starters, there’s some truth is old clichés like “money can’t buy you happiness.” Apparently, once your basic needs are met, all the delightful frills do little to raise your sense of satisfaction. Youth? A go

Monk from Komik : A day in the life of a Buddhist Monk -- that was a documentary we made many years ago, to help raise funds for the restoration of the then-little-known Komik Monestary. Many lovely people came together for the film and its premiere at India Habitat. We brought the monks from Komik to Delhi, and they jammed with Nitin Malik (who also composed the soundtrack along with Raj K Gopalakrishnan), Subir Malik and all the members of Parikrama who came together in sup

Sakya Monastery, Kaza - Spiti Reuniting with some of our amazing friends at our spiritual home! My husband and I have been working in our individual capacities, in Spiti for decades. We are involved with various projects and help out in whatever capacity we can, without being associated with NGOs and formal organisations, where there is too much red tape, and much of the funds get used for administerial expenses. Therefore we like to enage in ways where we can directly creat

Can you spot the psychopaths in your life? Experts are betting you probably encounter a psychopath every day. In fact, a lot of what you think you know about psychopaths is very wrong. There’s a whole class of people who don’t have a conscience or feel empathy, and in all likelihood you deal with at least one all the time. And they probably make your life miserable. They’re “subclinical psychopaths” -- they are not bad enough to go to prison, but bad enough to make your life

Ever wondered why most people are more stressed than ever before? This is a pretty huge question, the answer to which lies in a complex web of changing social beliefs, systems, dynamics and technology! To begin with, the very fibre of our social fabric had changed. Gender roles are no longer well defined in most modern societies, and that changes the way family units operate, interact and negotiate the course of their relationships. Often people are caught in a trap of deeply

Most people really grapple with accepting that they have a mental illness. There is understandably, a huge amount of fear about 'losing our mind,' and people and society at large, does not help. There are stigmas attached, people’s reactions include horror, severing ties, making mockery, and even treating a person with a mental illness like an outcast. Often relationships, marriage and job opportunities dwindle and all this makes coping with an already tough situation, even t

Spirituality and the workplace may seem like an oxymoron, after all it is difficult to 'be spiritual' in a crowded, competitive, materialistic and often frustrating environment. To find the Divine there may seem a little challenging at first, because most traditional spiritual disciplines are not designed to help you do that. But irrespective of whether you are a corporate executive, doctor, lawyer, architect or artist, you can weave spirituality into your work life with a fe

If we can talk openly about our flu, arthritis, obesity, even our cancer, then why can we not talk openly about our mental health? Why do we not treat our mind the way we treat our other body parts? There is no shame in having a mental health disease, just the way there is no shame in have a kidney problem. Let's break the stigma attached to it by openly talking about it. By accepting when we have a mental health issue, and by accepting others who have one. We can only take a

Sound Healing sessions are a really good way to relax, rebalance, revitalise and retune the bodies vibrational frequencies. Sound is one of the most transformative energies on the planet. It can relax, excite, evoke or move us to great heights of emotion. Sound Healing or Therapy has been part of various ancient cultures like the Greeks, Indians, Romans, Egyptians, Aborigines, Native Americans, Shamans, Mongols and Tibetans. While the nuances and instruments may vary, the pr

Mindfulness is a state of being fully conscious or aware of something, be it the present moment, or breath, thoughts, actions, reactions, consumption, where we travel, how we live, what we support, and the choices we make. It makes us better attuned to ourselves, gentler, less passive, more sensitive to out environment, and more sensitive to other beings and life forms. Mindfulness has many physical and mental benefits. It reduce stress, lowers blood pressure, anxiety, discor

We all face situations that put us in a tizzy, make our blood pressure rise, push stress levels up, or make us panic. The next time you find yourself in one of these situations, just follow one or a combination of these simple steps that will make your stress levels dip down and pave the way to a calmer you. 1. The 2-minute Calming Quick Fix To calm down in under two minutes, try diaphragmatic breathing. It’s a quick relaxation technique. Start by breathing in through your

There's a learning for me in every workshop I conduct. This one reinforced how fragile our young adults are, and we urgently need to address the need to provide them guidance on mental wellness. They are struggling on numerous levels, their mental ecosystems are getting weaker, the incidence of depression, suicide, anxiety issues, eating disorders and other mental health problems are shooting up, and there are no proper support systems that help them stay mentally fit, or tea