A walk within

Time of India

24-05-2025

It is a complete dichotomy to ideate a professor dancing like a peacock in rain and laughing her head off with her squad, for Dr. Anjali Sharma — teaching has always been beyond books. A philosopher at heart, she reckons that life can be painted vibrantly with an optimistic stance. As a motivational strategist, she facilely gels with the corporate world through her inspirational talks. With more than a dozen research paper publications in highly esteemed management journals, book reviews with Oxford University Press and her words of appreciation documented in a Marketing Management book by SAGE Publications — she has made laudable contributions in the precinct of management studies. The spark of her life comes from her funny family and her precious students. She believes that happiness is a choice and through her column, "The Talking Sparrow", she is naturally inclined to connect with people intending to live a high spirited life. LESS ... MORE
A gull perched on the mast of a sail.
Some days feeling the cold breeze and some days the harsh waves.
Remember, my darling bird, the storms shall pass, and the wind shall abate,
But the love for thyself should never fade!
— Dr Anjali
Hello, beautiful human!
Oh yes, I mean you — the one reading this right now!
How have you been?
I wish you said — all days blooming like a sunflower under the lively and yellow rays. You might have said that many times when you were a blooming child. But here we are, talking of adulthood — staying in bloom is a challenge in this space.
So, some days are really hard to digest, and you wonder, 'Is it really happening to me?' And you are left drained, just like a shell washed away by the waves on the shore — lying alone, parched under the sun.
But are you alone in feeling this? No, no. The wound might be different, but the pain?
It's the same, I bet.
So my dear Gull, what do you do when the breeze is cold and the waves are harsh?
Let me tell you what I do. Some time ago, I stumbled upon a Buddhist way of meditating — the Metta meditation. Showering yourself with care and kindness. Being in charge of that golden smile on your face!
It is a guided meditation that requires you to settle in your most comfortable position, with your palms facing up. I love to do this under the open sky with birds chirping around, by the way. And then you start—with deep breaths. And with each of your warm breaths, you would feel your stress starting to melt. Relax and just keep breathing— that's what every living human wants to do.Ironically, it's the toughest task. One more thing — you don't have to force your mind to shut its chatter; let it parrot the real and the imagined. It will eventually slow its pace and flow in the joy.
After a few minutes of consistent deep breathing, you will start becoming aware of your body — feeling more aligned with it! And slowly, your focus will shift to that part of you that defies all logic — your beautiful heart! Now stay here and remember the beautiful feeling— your heart beating with love.
Now, keeping your awareness here, visualise yourself smiling — no stress exists here, only your love-filled heart and your carefree smile. The stress — if it's still bothering you— imagine it drifting into the sky as smoke. And this my friend is going to make you feel like a feather flying in the breeze.
Now here, promise yourself that you will 'choose' to feel 'free' and 'happy' — each day, every minute. You are full of love and complete in yourself.
Remember, my darling bird, the storms shall pass and the wind shall abate.
But the love for thyself should never fade!
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Views expressed above are the author's own.