Author: Karina Pandya

      “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts.  At some time of time in our lives, we all have been overwhelmed by our emotions and have not been able to process our feelings completely. Either it could be because of anger due to injustice, grief from a loss, a panicked fear or an impending threat.  Whatever it has been has led to a lot of dysregulation in our nervous system, in turn leading to physical changes such as headaches, insomnia, high blood…

Not everything that we want will be handed to us; sometimes we have to go out and get it i.e. we have to be assertive in our communication. Being assertive is knowing how to communicate, exactly what you want and need (require) in a very clear manner. It is not about being ‘forceful’ in our communication but pacing importance to your wants, needs or requirements while communicating. It is also the ability to defend yourself appropriately and the ability to be your advocate.  It is very important to communicate assertively so that you can get across your side of any…

Can your attachment style be the sole determinant in forming relationships with people? In this groundbreaking book, ‘Attached’ by psychiatrist and neuroscientist – Dr.Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel S.F. Heller, we explore the main dominant adult attachment styles – anxious, avoidant and secure to decode relationship behaviours.        When we think of relationships, we often think of whether the two people are actually in love or compatible with each other but it’s not so common to dive into understanding one’s personality as a determinant of whether a relationship will work or not.   Think of the personality that…

  “Nothing is what we thought. Emptiness is not what we thought. Neither is mindfulness or fear. Compassion – not what we thought. Love. Buddha nature. Courage These are code words for things we don’t know in our minds but any of us could experience them. These are words that point to what life is when we let things fall apart and let ourselves be nailed to the present moment.”   Fear is a natural reaction when we move closer to the truth.   No one tells us to stop running away from fear. It’s sometimes close and sometimes far,…

 “Only in an open, non-judgmental space can we acknowledge what we are feeling. Only in an open space when we’re not all caught up in our version of reality can we see, hear and feel who others are, which allows us to be with them and communicate with them properly.” #Pema Chodron Suppose we want to help someone and this person is at a deprived status, perhaps living on the streets. Nobody would want to pay a glance at him or even hear him out. At this point when you (or anyone else) are determined to help him out there…

Have you ever wondered what your sense of purpose in life (ikigai) is? Your career is what you spend the majority of your life engaged with and is what fulfils your day. There are many reasons one may choose to pursue a career and it is very important to understand that.    Either it is an activity that ‘energises’ you, is based on the hard skills that you possess – the knowledge that you have or is based on the soft skills and abilities that you have.    Hard skills refer to specific abilities that a person possesses, capabilities a person…

Have you ever wondered why you behave or act out sometimes the way that you do? Most likely it stems from certain events that have happened during your childhood that have left certain wounds behind. Maybe you were bullied, maybe you lost a parent, maybe you were neglected by loved ones; but whatever it has been it has been some negative event that has led you to behave a certain way in your adult life.    The internal war you wage with yourself may not be seen by others but it is always felt by you!   Lorraine Dawn Nilson…

  As Norman Vincent Peale remarked, “Change your thoughts, and you change your world.” This shift in thinking can transform our thoughts and also our lives. The power of positivity leads to tremendous transformations in our lives and it is through positive thinking and our attitudes that help us stay mentally healthy and able to combat challenges in our lives.    When we talk about mental health there is a myriad of terms such as anxiety, depression, stress, anger, grief, fear, etc. that come into the picture.   Concepts such as motivation, positive thinking, emotional resilience and happiness play a very…

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is “what are you doing for others?” .”The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves” – Helen Keller   After a fulcrum meeting that took place on 6th January 2024 of over 25-30 NGOs to provide a strategic and single platform to one another, Vinay Somani – the founder trustee of Karmayog organised another on 13th April 2024.    Over 40 attendees thronged the C.K. Nayadu Hall at CCI Club.    While issues such as organisational capacity; implementing and fulfilling their mission is quite a task for organisers and trustees…

“You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can’t do something themselves, they’re gonna tell you that you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period.” Chris Gardner as played by Will Smith in the movie” The Pursuit of Happiness.”   Happiness is by far the most crucial aspect of our lives and we seek it through a good profession, relationship, self-love, doing things we love, having thought processes such as self-compassion or gratitude, doing things we enjoy, family, and friends or any other activity bringing us contentment.   Have you heard of the half-empty…