꧁
During my backpacking trip in Asia, I left one thing behind every time I moved to a new place. It was a form of spiritual practice for me. Vairagya in Sanskrit means detachment, particularly from the pains and pleasures in the material world. I was not throwing away things, rather I always found a way to give away something to someone who needed it more than me. For example, I gave a dress to a local woman or donated a pair of shoes to our host in the homestay. Once, when I forgot about my practice, a few days later I noticed that I did not pack a short from a drying rack, so it stayed behind anyway. The Universe was there watching me and supporting my intentions. Upon arriving at the Indian ashram toward the end of my travels, I only had a smaller backpack, and yet, I left half of it there on my departure day. In the beginning, it felt scary, and over time it became liberating.
What I’ve learned since is that to practice vairagya I don’t necessarily have to physically let go of the things, places, or people to become non-attached to them. It’s enough if I detach myself from the outcome, and focus entirely on the process. I give because I want to give. I coach because I find joy in helping women transform their lives. I love because to love is a wonderful thing to do. I show up as myself not to impress or achieve any kind of impact, but because I can’t be anyone else. If being me attracts certain people, situations, and events, that’s wonderful. If not, that’s also wonderful. I refuse to be attached to the emotions I’m experiencing, the thoughts that are going on in my mind, and the seemingly fortunate or unfortunate events that happen to and around me. I’m becoming more and more passionate about navigating life embracing all these experiences while curiously keeping some solid distance from them. Life flows. I’m all in. I’m around of it all.
꧁
🎧 Listen to the Soft Bloom playlist.
“It has to come from the heart if it is to have an effect on the heart.”
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
In my writings on Substack, I explore the theme of blooming both literally and metaphorically: finding and thriving on an authentic path as an adult woman, learning to flourish, living a simple life, and tending to a garden. Soft Bloom is a collection of writings, musings, stories, and poems for women to bloom into themselves at their own pace.