Life is better with friends.

Reaching emotional peak was not remotely part of the plan…

Over an year ago, I remember trying to figure out where to sit and walking into an empty room at someone elses home, figuring out if I should join the call via mobile or laptop… the excitement of starting something new and finding new faces via zoom in a similar setup… like sitting outside in her mom’s backyard,… on their couch/chair with his black wireless earbuds,… in the backroom of a restaurant/bar with her iPhone connected via wired earphones,… in front of her laptop figuring out the camera and seating position,… and finally in a room with at least one calming colourful painting, wearing a subtle colour shirt and a cap. This was the group of strangers that I met via zoom during a pandemic.

I learned to tear layer by layer, shed the pain, shared tears and happiness, and more importantly recognised my own skin… finding ways to live in it and appreciate it with kindness and compassion. If there are 100 steps in this process, I feel like I would have taken two or three over precisely, 14 sessions. So did everyone with an open heart, honest intention, we listened, cared, and shared.

Some days expressing felt like we tore our skin, bathed in sweat and blood. With a kind heart on ones sleeve, we listened… we did it with intention and respected each one of our pouring heart which felt deeply heard.

I’m pretty sure that after a certain point our souls gave a damn about the pandemic, a big FU to everything else and hung out forever* in a group hug, consoling and lifting each other with pride while sipping fancy cocktails. (*usage data limits, apply ;))

It’s not all the struggle… we achieved what we set out in our own way, basked in glory, celebrated, welcomed new life, moved jobs, houses, and countries, learned new tricks, and finding inner peace within the four walls even when there’s construction outside.

Climate change, flying to Mars, setting space factories, flying cars, et al., are simple problems... these are far too easy when compared to dealing with emotions, expressing them, and feeling heard or loved or cared for. Further difficult ones are learning ways to recognize emotions and being in tune with it.

Without our skilful teacher, mentor, and coach/masterful facilitator... we couldn't have moved an inch. I'm sure everyone high fives to this! (mic drop <boom>)

What I have experienced today is "collective joy" and internalized the fact that I have an amazing group of freinds who are always there for each other, forever. After our last session, I was basking in joy through out the day and couldn't sleep till I jot this down at around 2am :'D

Photo was taken a day after in Notting Hill.
Another fun fact - I met up with an old friend from our days at Aashayein in person after 11 years :-) One of the cherished memory we share is contributing the start of a new chapter of the foundation in Mysore in 2010. It took over 3 years to meet in person despite living in the same city.