Kanchan Yadav

I n today’s digital age, we rarely give our minds the space it deserves. After leaving my full-time job recently, I decided to do a 10-day Vipassana course—and honestly, I don’t remember the last time I felt this close to my own thoughts and emotions. Maybe not in the last 4–5 years. I had heard about Vipassana through a friend, and I’m grateful I took her advice. The experience has made me more observant of my feelings, my reactions, and the way my mind jumps from one thing to another. But my thoughts on Day 0 were completely different. When I reached the centre—a small one in Nagpur—I wasn’t sure how I would spend the next 10 days without my phone, without talking, without any distraction. Still, a part of me was willing to experience something new. Buddha statue in Dhaama Sugati, Nagpur Day 1 was about understanding the routine, and it felt extremely tiring. Waking up at 4 am, sitting for hours, and simply trying to make it to “lights out” became a daily goal at first. In the next f...

When I think of school mornings, I remember two things: the weight of my school bag, and the tug of my Dadi’s hands gently braiding my waist-length hair. Me in my Dadi’s lap while my elder sister smiles at the camera. Back then, I used to sit cross-legged on the floor, grumbling about how long it took, while she sat behind me on the edge of the bed, her fingers moving with rhythmic precision. Without fail, each day, she would tell me the same story—word for word, with the same pauses, the same expressions. "Beta, jaise paudhon ko paani nahi doge toh wo nahi ugte, waise hi agar baalon ko tel nahi doge toh wo nahi badhenge." (If you don’t water plants, they don’t grow. Likewise, if you don’t oil your hair, it won’t grow.) And just like every day, I would pretend to hear it for the first time. Truth be told, I never liked oiling my hair. It made my scalp feel greasy, and my hair, sticky and outdated. It wasn’t cool . While she lovingly warmed up coconut oil and massaged my ...

Every time I step into a railway station, an odd wave of anxiety grips me. It doesn’t matter whether I’m there to board a train, drop someone off, or simply receive a loved one- the feeling remains stubbornly intact, like an unwelcome companion. The cacophony of hurried footsteps, the blaring announcements, the sight of people navigating their way through the maze of platforms- it all adds to the unease. For the past six to seven months, I’ve travelled alone by train almost every month, yet the nervousness refuses to fade. The first time I embarked on a solo train journey, I assumed it was the unfamiliarity that caused the unease. I told myself that with time, I would adapt, that the repetitive process of booking tickets, checking seat numbers, and boarding would eventually dull the nervous edges. But as each month passes, I realise that nothing has changed. It’s strange how a place brimming with movement and life can feel so overwhelming. The station is a hub of countless stories- tea...

'So long I have been in my thoughts, that my heart has yearned for a pause.' Ah, finally, a moment of reflection amidst the whirlwind of recent months. From the exhilarating leap into a new job, to the bittersweet farewells to certain bonds, and the spontaneous adventures that beckoned, these past few months have been a rollercoaster ride of experiences. It's almost surreal to pause and sift through the kaleidoscope of emotions that have colored this journey. Yet here I am, compelled to capture these fleeting moments with words, to give them the weight and significance they deserve.   Eventually, I'll break it down everything for you my dear readers, but for now, in this moment of reflection, I'm reminded that life's essence lies in its inherent goodness. Amidst the chaos and the calm, the losses and the gains, there's a reassuring comfort in the simple truth that life, with all its complexities, is indeed good. And perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, th...

I devote a lot of my time to writing, both for my professional obligations and for my own satisfaction. For those who don't know me personally, I work as a content writer on a full-time basis. Whatever time I am able to invest here writing blogs for my website is only in between and after office hours. That's the time, that I owe to myself and my growth. And nobody asked but that is also one of the prominent reasons I lack consistency in putting something here.  I have been writing since I was in 6th standard. I had a aptitude for writing things, be it poems, fiction short stories, songs, and stuff. Although I never truly saw it as a secure career option but what kept me going for the 12 years up till now is the amount of content we are always surrounded by (I'll come back to this before I sum up). My knack for observing things and people has always helped me. More than finding commercial success, I seek to find a purpose by writing content here. Thus, I always say that my ...

I failed in  Mathematics in standard 7th, which was one of my very firsts and remains one of many of my worsts till the present day. More than the embarrassment of failing a subject so crucial, what bothered me was the process that followed it. The need to start preparing from ground zero.  Imagine that more than half of your classmates are preparing to go on a vacation, cause they cleared their finals while you have to sit in the remedial classes to prepare for the supplementary exams. Endorsing all the mental struggles during the whole session and then back to square one. It does break you a little. Nevertheless, the next year was followed by equal hustle and I somehow scored a 9 CGPA in grade 8th. I believe very little is spoken about how it takes so much practice and patience to rebuild the lost confidence, whether in a classroom's four concrete walls or in life.  Starting over is a struggle of your present you with the past you to build a better future YOU.  You...

This is the longest break I have taken from writing since I started blogging. My apologies to those countable few who were genuinely, consciously, and willingly bothered by me missing in action all this while.  One constant problem with writing something regularly is that you often seem to run out of ideas and imagination. Then you run back to your old discarded ideas only to re-confirm that you have already passed that stage a zillion times and have dismissed those thoughts from putting here.  So where does this ship lands? "To the same old discarded ideas!" Thus, I fell back on my neglected ideas for moral support and rendered upon this very feeling of love, I am still full of.  Well sorry but I initially refrained from writing anything about the emotion of love here, due to my many conflicts with this very superlative feeling. But somehow we are here, back at it.  Fortunately, Unfortunately, I leave it for you to decide, my dear readers! (Lemme know what you feel ...

My heart! "The world of friends is so therapeutic that it is enough to be your home, to make you feel where you belong." The amount of genuineness I personally associate with the emotion of friendship doesn't allow me to refer to each and everybody as my friend. I have got a lot of friends but there are a few close ones who are the main character of this particular blog. Friendship is a beautiful word. But let me tell you a more beautiful word than it, "Female friendships". I also refer to them as my personal therapist, also they give the best life advice out there with zero charges (this exclusive service is just for me though :p). "FRIENDS", I do not think I would be able to do justice to the amount of love this one word encompass. So I'll leave some screenshots to do the talking here! Each SS below holds a story and it's a beautiful one! 

So many of you intellectuals out here would have rightly guessed by the title that this blog post, is not about humans!  Yes, this is about the most faithful and genuine beings on this planet! I am talking about our four-legged buddies. My affection for all animals is the same, with the exception of reptiles (read: lizards), which kind of creep me out for the very obvious reason that they do nothing but appear scary. If you are a movie freak like me and have come across this not-so-recent Kannada release, 777 Charlie. Then I am so glad that our choice of interests aligns. We both love dogs! And why not! How beautifully this movie describes the relationship between a man and a dog, giving out a thoughtful message about dog adoption and why one should not abandon them.  Animals deserve all of our love for just being more humane than we as humans actually are!  Don't be surprised if you find more of my posts here talking about dogs! I have a pet dog, named Coco; two college ...

“I love the way that each book — any book — is its own journey. You open it, and off you go…”  – Sharon Creech Reading gives voice to the deafest thoughts and beings around, be it listening to the gusty winds flowing by your hair, the chirping of birds early morning, the sound of ripped pages of an old book, raindrops hitting the ground, everything around us has a voice which you could only listen when you’re in touch with your emotions and with nature therein. Reading is one habit that brings you close to your soul, and helps you keep in constant touch with your emotions and feelings.  It improves your communication skills and aids in the development of your whole personality, and it also makes you more alert, empathic, and intellectually a seeker of information and understanding. Long story short- reading frames you.  When you take up a book, you unwittingly embark on a long trip. A journey at the end of which you become a different person, or perhaps a better human; yo...