Column: The Good Life: for Mint Lounge
The Dalai Lama Part 2
When the Dalai Lama greeted me, I sensed in that most primitive, reptilian part of my brain that I was in the presence of – not the “greatness” that hits you like a ton of bricks, but a softer gentler guiding spirit, a guru. Stand near His Holiness and you will feel yourself relaxing, less careworn. You become calm, mirroring the stillness that surrounds him like a cloak. Answers arise from the subconscious – all without a word being said. You see what you seek. Clarity is gained, peace regained.
Yearning for the barber during Covid-19
For men, the barber is not just a haircutter. He is a therapist, beautician and philosopher, all rolled into one.
The Dalai Lama Part 3
What do you do when you are angry? I ask His Holiness. I expect a discourse. Instead, he says, “Hit yourself,” with his typical cackle of laughter. “When strong anger comes, go like this.” He hits himself in the side of his head and laughs. Mixing the playful with the profound is His Holiness’s signature. The Nalanda tradition that the Dalai Lama follows has very specific practices to equalise emotions. Veer Singh, the founder of Vana, told me that His Holiness wakes up at 3.30am and meditates for several hours. A lot of his practice involves visualisation: sending love to all directions.
Life Lessons about negotiation at the bazaar
Bargaining isn't about the money. It is about creating relationships out of transactions
Confession: my husband is a better cook than me
Confession: my husband is a better cook than I. So here I talk about cooking. Are you struggling to cook? Phone your relatives.
Profile of a dancer: Malavika Sarukkai at the top of her game
Dance is a beautiful and holistic way to access Indian culture. Here is a profile of a dancer at the top of her art. Twenty minutes before the world premiere of her latest production, The Battle Within, Malavika Sarukkai, ‘India’s greatest living dancer’ according to pre-eminent art critic B N Goswamy, stands alone in her green room, warming up.
In times of turmoil, choose fear or embrace life
In times of great turmoil like the one we are experiencing now, there are two ways to live. You can choose fear, or you can embrace life.
27 things to do at home during a lockdown
Realise that you are witnessing history in the making, however uncomfortable it may be.
Korean Pop and how it made Aunty Jasleen dance
The writer loved the neighbourhood aunty with that unabashed sincerity of starving little kids who saw sunshine in a samosa and rainbows in the raw mango slices she fed
In residence at Vana
All of the diverse individuals mentioned will stay at Vana for different durations of time, in order to share their offerings in a meaningful way with in-house Vanavasis.