Sanjana's Expressions

In the last article, we learned about boundaries and understood the significance of their implementation in our personal and professional lives. In this article, we shall dive deep into this subject. For our reminder, let’s reflect on the definition of personal boundaries again. They are guidelines, rules, or limits that a person creates to identify for himself what are safe and reasonable ways to behave around him and how he shall respond when someone steps outside those limits. Let’s reflect on these signals in our lives, which may be an indication of sloppy boundaries.     • Difficulty saying no when required     • Failing to stand up for yourself when mistreated     • Feeling taken for granted in relationships     • Living in constant fear about other people’s opinions     • Attracting people who have a controlling tendency     • Oversharing details about your personal life     • Disregarding your own needs These are some signs that we may observe ourselves experiencing. It would h

"Boundaries are the separations that humans need—mentally, emotionally, and physically—to feel safe, valued, and respected," explains Carla Marie Manly. Boundaries are an important act of self-care and self-love to be paid heed to in our daily lives. In this article, we will understand the importance of drawing personal boundaries in our lives. The term ‘boundary’ is defined as a real or imagined line that marks the edge or limit of something. In the case of personal boundaries, we can imagine a line between what we are comfortable with and what we are not comfortable with in regards to our tolerance threshold, personal space, emotions, and relationships.  An important aspect of human life is interpersonal relationships. Humans are subject to behavioural errors and are unconscious of others comfort and space. Also, different cultures have different innate values governing how people interact with each other, which may be uncomfortable for somebody from a different culture. Fo

Hello friends, Sharing a simple guided commentary for moving inwards into a meditative state. Let’s pause and take out some time for this quiet, inward journey. You can play a soft instrumental music in the background and slowly read these words, trying to feel them deeply. Begin by sitting in a comfortable posture, and allowing your eyes to close. Put your hands on the lap and let your shoulders drop. Keep your back straight. Now, begin by taking a few slow, long, deep breaths. Breathe in fully, and breathe out fully through your nose. Allow your breath to settle into its own rhythm. Pay close attention to your breathing cycle. Notice each breath, as it enters through your nostrils, travels down your lungs, and makes your belly expand. Notice your breath flowing outside through your nostrils, contracting your belly inwards. Observe and accept your experience in this moment without judgement. Now, we shall do a gradual relaxation of our body muscles. Bring your awareness to your body.

Durga Puja is an annual festival celebrated in India for paying homage and reverence to the Indian goddess, Durga. It is celebrated across India but is particularly famous in the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Tripura, popularly in the eastern parts of India. This festival is observed in the Indian calendar in the month of Ashvin, which corresponds to September-October in the Gregorian calendar. Durga Puja has significant social and religious importance since it symbolizes the universal victory of virtue over evil. It is also a spiritual metaphor for one’s eternal journey towards self- realisation. The rituals carried out during this festival have profound spiritual meaning worth inner contemplation. It represents the triumph of universal life force over the individual ego and upholding the cosmic cause over the malevolent interests of the indomitable ego. According to Hindu mythology, Durga is the manifestation of divine powers of the Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva combined

In this article, we shall understand and reflect on the possible ways to break the pattern of people pleasing. In our last post , we learned about the causes of this tendency. People pleasing is a form of self-abandonment, whereby we lose our identity in order to win the approval of others or to make them happy. We must comprehend the distinction between pleasing people and being kind. Kindness is a virtue that denotes strength, but people pleasing is a weakness that arises from fear, anxiety, and low-esteem. There is a significant difference between a nice guy and an authentic and kind individual. Thus, there is a dire need to delve deep into the root cause of this trait. Let’s examine some approaches to decondition ourselves from this pattern. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt     • Developing high self-esteem: We need to develop a high level of self- esteem and self-confidence. We need to realize our self -worth and have a clear awareness

A “people pleaser” means a person who feels a strong need to please others, even at their own cost. They may feel that their wants and needs are unimportant, so they alter their personalities in order to make others happy. Often, we engage in people pleasing unconsciously or witness people around us doing that, but we often fail to comprehend the underlying causes of this tendency. Let’s analyze and understand the reasons behind it, and give it some contemplation. Some common factors behind it are:     • Low self- esteem     • A childhood trauma     • Avoidance of conflict      • Low self esteem:  People who have low self-esteem are dependent on the external validation, and approval of others to feel confident. They feel good, when others shower them with compliments. They unconsciously base their esteem on outer appreciation, and seek reinforcement of value from others. They also feel they are less worthy and deserve less in comparison to others, holding onto fears of rejection. They

Raksha Bandhan is an Indian festival that is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Shravan according to the Hindu Lunar calendar. This day is observed as the day of siblings as on this day sisters and brothers come together to express their love for each other and also pray for each other’s wellness. The sisters tie a knot of rakhi (thread) on the wrist of her brother, who promises to protect and support his sister amidst challenges and struggles in life. Traditionally, Raksha Bandhan is a celebration of the unbreakable bond between brother and sister. When a sister wraps her brother’s wrist with that elegant and beautiful thread, she celebrates her faith and trust in her brother, but this Indian festival has deep spiritual significance also. When it comes to a spiritual Raksha Bandhan, it symbolizes the pure and divine relationship with our soul. It’s a celebration of the eternal relationship of our soul with the source. It’s a promise, made to self, for being the protector

Empaths are those amongst us, who have more “empathy” than average person. “Empathy,” is the ability to feel the emotions of others as our own, from their perspective. Empaths are gifted people who have the inner capacity to tune in to other’s feelings, pain and happiness, and feel it as our own. The ability to feel empathy allows people to "walk a mile in another's shoes," so to speak. This could be a ‘boon’ as well as ‘curse’, depending upon our discretion in using this gift. Empaths take in from the surroundings, emotions and energies, whether they are good, bad, or something in between. This could create issues for the empaths, as their system becomes vulnerable to excessive stimulation. The sensory overload, can be too much for an empath to handle. Thereby, comes the need of SELF- CARE practices, for Empaths for self-protection. Some guiding tips for empaths:     i) Washing hand with soap after coming back home from outside, helps to shed off outside energy and conne

Rath Yatra, also known as Dasavatara Yatra, colloquially, Chariot festival, is an exquisite annual festival celebrated in India.It is held on the second day of Shukla Paksha according to traditional regional calendar and pays homage to Lord Krishna also known as Lord Jagannath. It has a deep rooted socio cultural influence, aesthetic appeal and religious sanctity and holds immense significance in India. The spiritual significance of Rath Yatra is immense. It is symbolic of our human body being the Rath (chariot) and the driver of this bodily chariot being God who drives the Rath (chariot) out of the Yatra (journey) of Bhavasagar (material existence) and bestows liberation (moksha).On more spiritual meaning is that in this festival Lord comes down from his pedestal among the public to bless his devotees and soothe their hearts with His divine presence. The Lord showers all devotees with his benign presence irrespective of caste, creed and colour. It shows the magnanimity and universalis