The Everyday Guide with Shailja Saraswati

We have grownup in society where mental health and mindfulness are not given much importance. But in this pandemic time the most important thing to do is protect our health mentally & physically, doing meditation techniques to keep our thoughts in sanity and to rejuvenate our energy. Remember to prioritize these things: 1) Focus on setting healthy boundaries 2) Make healthier decisions: emotionally & mentally. 3) Improve your internal state instead of what others want you to do. Visit to my youtube channel for more such relatable topics https://www.youtube.com/c/ShailjaSaraswati/videos

If I will get a chance to speak with my younger self- I would say "Take chances, speak your heart out, validate and acknowledge your feelings. Because you deserve to be seen and heard." Always remember light comes only after a dark night. Don't lose hope because every morning comes with a new chance. Cherish the rainbows which comes after the storms and celebrate all the moments.

Have you ever heard of Boat of life? Our life is very unpredictable and sometimes when circumstances kick us to the curb, we have the power to get up and charge at life again. For me - Practising mindfulness has been my life boat. I hope you're all taking deep breaths, taking care of yourself, tending your plants, getting outside and doing mindful practices. Keep going and get better each and everyday. And think about your boat of survival which keeps you going. Be proud of every step you've made in the right direction. You deserve nothing but the best.

Mindfulness is about being in the present moment and we are grown up with this thought from our school time. But do you remember how? This episode will surely take you back to your childhood and remind you to be lively in present moment. Because it's only the present moment that has power to be compelling & vibrant as if that moment were your first or as if were your last.

Sometimes by not doing anything you can find calm and peace. In this constant hustle bustle of everyday. We all have forgotten to take a pause and rest. We start feeling restless even if we are just lying down or watching movie. The constant feeling of "I could have done more during the day". In other words, we all have forget " Art of doing nothing ".In today's world, where everyone is motivated to do new things everyday. I wanted to send a reminder to you to do "Nothing" sometimes. So enjoy the sweetness of doing nothing and just be present in the moment.

We all have experienced the moment when Sunday stops feeling like a Sunday and the anxiety of Monday kicks in. Well, we all should embrace Monday's- the start of the week as a new opportunity.In this episode, I share 5 tips to overcome anxiety of Monday blues. And how to start your Monday with more productivity and energize your week.

When you start living in the moment, is when you are living your life spontaneously. The more and regularly you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from a center of peace. The mind takes the shape of what one focuses on. Take a second, close your eyes, beathe in and out. Yoga, Meditation & Mindfulness are some techniques which helps us to connect with ourselves. Practice these techniques, take breaks through every routine and let the first monday of the year begin.

Our mind always keeps running in the past and future rather than living in the present. Though life is all about being in the present moments. But how do we distract our mind from these disturbances? Sometimes silence is that tool which helps you learn, explore & express. Utilize it for self improvement. When words fail...silence speaks a lot. You are the creator of your own life. It depends on you which colours you want to fill in your life. So live a life full of moments and happiness.

Sometimes in our life there comes a point where our ego gets depleted, we are stuck at a point & our energy for mental activity is low. But do you know how to overcome situation like this? Well, In this episode, I am sharing some tips & techniques to overcome your ego depletion and how to keep a positive ego that keeps us moving forward and helps to stay motivated. The most essential thing is to energize and rejuvenate our body, to keep your mind at ease and relax, focus on your breath. Remember, do not limit yourselves. You are more than your capabilities.

It is said "We become what we think". Our mindset is very powerful! But our mind constantly keeps running the thoughts and we are never in present situation. However, mindfulness and meditation techniques can help you in the process of staying away from thoughts and practising it regularly, you get to see the results and progress you make. It will guide you to feel grounded and good about yourself. Listen to this episode, and start your meditation and mindfulness journey because once you start in small steps rather than big hurdles, your life will truly change.

How we spend our morning can most likely tell us what our day is going to be like. Our morning impacts the whole day, so to be fully energized and have a balanced day. We should focus on our morning energy. In this episode, I'll be sharing some points which we should not do when we wake up and how to start our day. Because your morning should always start with a positive note to make sure your day goes well.

Motherhood is a rollercoaster of emotions. It brings the joy and happiness in mother's life but also brings the challenges and questions along "Am I doing it right?". But I guess there is no perfect way of parenting, no step by step guide to follow. It's more of a journey with love and mistakes. Motherhood is heroism because no one knows how to love unselfishly as a mother. To all the mothers out there; you are not alone, It is okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes. But in this phase it is equally important to prioritize self-care. Remove some time for yourself to focus on your energy and growth too.

Where Mind goes Energy Flows! This quote is as powerful as our mind. Our mindset leads our lifestyle and the way we treat & balance our body. If our mind is focusing on the energies and techniques to live a healthy life there's no going back. Panchkarma is one of the healing procedure for complete detoxification and purification of the body. It involves the process of Strengthening the immunity, restoring the balance and rejuvenates our body. As we are a part of nature and our body is a gift. We should respect it and give it the natural demands which is very essential. I hope my experience will help you to figure your Ayurveda path.

The 21st century has seen technology infiltrate every aspect of human lives. From communication, to business, travel and entertainment. In this time of technology and fast paced world, we get easily distracted & disconnected from our own inner being. But what helps us to reconnect with our own self is meditation and being mindful. A calm mind can bring a lot of peace and energy. And peace comes from within. Remember, to stay connected with your inner self. Because it will seem much easier to with others once you're fully in tune with your own self.

Sometimes we feel so anxious and caught up while others are living their mindful life. If you're feeling this way use this chaotic energy to help you to reconnect with yourself. Allow this to inspire you and transform the energy into gratitude and conscious living. Mindfulness and meditation allow us to move through unexpected changes with grace and ease. So take a step back, deep breaths & and pause. Don't be in a rush to figure everything at once. Be in the present moment with your thoughts and it will help you to understand everything better than before.

Sometimes starting all over again can be overwhelming, especially when you have come so far. It becomes so hard to stay positive and motivated. However, it is very important to give yourself time to heal. In this episode, I share top 10 tips on "What not to do when unwell". I hope these tips help you to come back stronger from any illness. Remember to give your body the nourishment it needs, give your nervous system the calm it craves and be kind to yourself. Have a good week ahead.

For all the grown ups who desire to keep the child within alive. Childhood is a happy place to be in, so enjoy your childhood days and make good memories! You will cherish them when you grow up. Happy Children's Day. A day to remind us to let go of our concepts and labels and just be, may all us of today embrace the children around us and the inner child in us, with tenderness and compassion and without blame or judgement.

What does it mean to agree with your soul? To revitalize your resources and re-engage yourself into your deep values. It is through the different practices of yoga, likes asanas, meditation, pranayama, connecting with nature and many more such things that will guide you towards the awakening of the Self. A deep breath and a pause can make a lot of difference. Signs are everywhere, the only way to know if it's a sign is to use your intuition. These signs help us to know the universe is speaking with us. Listen to this episode, as I take you on my spiritual journey. I hope you find your path to spiritual and mindful journey soon.

Why do we limit our celebration to only special days. Why don't we celebrate every moment everyday? Festivals bring joy and happiness everywhere, but why do we reserve our celebration only for festive days. So whenever you feel low, remember the celebrations that made you happy. Recreate that moment, light up those scented candles, and switch on those fairy lights like you did during Diwali. Celebrate every moment, be mindful and do the things you love.

Wishing a very Happy Diwali to Everyone. These festivals are a reminder for us that the good times will always be in our path. The last two years have been tough for all of us with the new normal. But aren't we grateful that we survived the virus and realized the importance of family and health. This diwali let's celebrate the sheer positivity and solidarity in these difficult times. Wishing more peace for this world and for your inner being. Be happy with more wisdom, energy and mindfulness. May this auspicious festival bring happiness, joy and success in your life, may the delicious diwali deserts add sweetness to your life.

We are stronger when connected to our roots. The values and strength we gain in childhood from our family always stays with us. Sometimes, life changes the path and turns things upside down. When we have strength from our inner core, these situations just become phases in our life. In those times, the most helpful thing for us is to stay grounded and rooted. It will help us in emerge stronger than before.

We have so many distractions these days that take away from your personal time. Your time is very precious, so to have a clarity and a plan to action will make your day. In this episode, I'm sharing some techniques to help you manage your day and to channel your energy. Investing 9k seconds every morning to schedule your day. Can make a huge difference in your life. Remember, mornings should always be positive no matter how yesterday went.

Nadi Parishka is an ancient Ayurvedic technique for diagnosing a person's physical and mental health. Through this method, a personalised wellness regime can be established that includes various aspects of life - diet, lifestyle, yoga and meditation. It's interesting that you can get to know your inner world through your wrist. Ayurveda is a natural way to cure illnesses and bring balance to our body. However, this depends on the vibrations in our body. Stay positive, good vibes are important for health.

Last year, the whole world was going through a hard time. When the only option was to stay home, the global pandemic made us realize the small joys and we decided to let our gratitude take over the fear of virus. We decided to cherish the small things, to care about health over money, and most importantly, to be more grateful everyday for everything. My way of being mindful during those times was to have a centered mind, doing yoga on my 24×76 mat. That yoga mat became my zone of positivity, the space for my mental health and helped me stay strong each day. Remember to count your blessings, that you have a meal to eat, a house to live in and a healthy family beside you.

Our life has many different phases. Sometimes, dark nights are triggered by crisis and the results are emptiness and deep spiritual calling.Once you detach yourself from those psychological concepts and drama and employ techniques such as mediation to help connect with true yourself, you will see yourself evolving. Phases will come and go, but life is made of much more than these. We all are connected by the universe's energy which helps us to grow and move forward. Remember, there is no growth without pain and no light without the dark.

Childhood is the most important part of our lives. It has a huge impact on our adult life. Our early days decide what the next step for us will be. They either make or break us. The values and belief systems we grew up with go long way with us. Though the lessons learned in childhood are powerful, they don't have to limit us. The other way is to realize and accept our issues, analyze them and then choose the right path. In this episode, hear Esha's story. How her childhood impacts her life and how she overcomes her depression. Meditation is like a calm sea in this chaotic world. We feel at peace within once we hear the sound of waves. Once you start taking some time for yourself, you will find inner peace; like Esha found hers in meditation. She left the battle of depression she was facing behind. To everyone listening this episode, put yourself first over everything and prioritise your mental health.

Most of the time, we feel uncomfortable when we're alone. We often associate being alone with being unloved. We fear being alone, but why is that? We never spend as much time with ourselves, never acknowledge our own thoughts; so the thought of being alone leads to anxiety and pressure. Well, once you realize that the key is having the right mindset: one of self- love. The relationship you have with yourself is important. Working on yourself, healing from the past, and keeping yourself physically and mentally healthy. It is important to know that sometimes isolation is about teaching you to be self-sufficient, to be there for yourself no matter what. Often, your internal dialogue is the game changer - for better or for worse. It can motivate as well as demotivate you. On this World Mental Health Day, remember that taking care of your mental health is one of the most important parts of self-care. Practice being comfortable in your own company and be present with your thoughts. Love, appreciate, encourage, and accept yourself unconditionally.

Everyday can't be the same, and especially in COVID times, where everyone is trying to make sense of everything going on, it's okay to have low moments. Let your low moments or breaking points be the catalyst of change and make you strong and you will emerge more powerful. From your darkest phase, you will learn the most in life. Give yourself some time to befriend those feelings of sadness and anxiety. Allow yourself to feel them and move past them. My technique of meditation, breathing exercises bring me back to the center. It really helped me. Get enough sleep, give yourself break, understand your limits. Remember, you will always make it through.

The reason for the burnout we experience is our desire for validation from others. When you tend to expect appreciation from others, that's where the internal struggle grows and your productivity declines. It leads to physical and emotional exhaustion. Try to prioritize yourself and remove the source of stress from your life. When you take care of yourself, you're in a healthy environment and your productivity will flourish. You can also take a step back to resolve this problem. Give yourself a work free, stress free weekend away from gadgets. Have a good week.

If you ever get a chance to meet your younger self. What would be the advice you want to give? As we are living in the fast paced world, my advice would be to appreciate life, live every moment & learn to embrace all the good things around. In case you're not feeling happy it's okay, because happiness isn't a destination but a long life journey. The process might be slow but the results will be worth the wait. Look for joy around you and all these chakras around help us to improve our well being and enable us to live life as our best. And to live at best we all need a companion in life. Our fallback, our go to person- whom we can trust. A positive person next to us will impact and cherish our life beautifully. So choose your fallback wisely.

We tend to see people and situations in our lives the way we want to see them. This is based on our own experiences. The truth is that we allow these situations affect us, the problem is not with the external world or other people, but within ourselves. In this episode, I'll be sharing some insights into how we can we can take ourselves out of the everyday situations that make us feel perturbed or defensive.

As per the great sage Ashtravakra, any disease affects our aura and chakras and mind before it seeps into our body at a cellular level. Physical and mental distress can be tackled in the early stages of stress through mindfulness techniques. However without a check of self awareness these emotions and feeling can seep into our deeper cellular and prana body and affect us over a period of time and also take a long time to cleanse out of our system. In this episode through life insight, I will share how any pain which has become chronic has originated in our mental makeup first and this very realisation can bring a change in the way we live and tackle life

Have you heard this quote "Paper has more patience than People". It's because we often interrupt and start sharing our own stories & experiences. Being able to listen effectively means you're able to better understand the other person's perspective. And when you give your attention to the people expressing their thoughts and feeling that are important to them, those people then see you as someone who cares about their well-being. This way they develop trust and feel peace in your company. Can we normalize just listening while someone is pouring their hearts out? All we need is someone who will just listen to us without judging, comparing and sharing their own relatable story. In today's kahani, hear how chandni becomes a listener, a friend, a therapist to one who needed her.

The Ikigai is a long term, challenging process. Everyday we evolve and learn something new. As we are living in this technology world. Thinking about this I realized how our everyday life and a way of living has changed within few years. Even during the bus or train ride, it's now difficult to see people with books in their hands. We all are stuck in gadgets infront of us. Do you know, some tourist organizations are advertising more and more about digital detox holidays. Why can't we detach ourselves from mobiles? When was the last time you kept this technology and gadget world aside and gave yourself a quality time? Let's start a practice this weekend, let the sun rays and birds chirping be your alarm, spend some time with nature to reboot, re-energize and connect with yourself. Just ask yourself what is worth living for you? May be you are already living your Ikigai. And if not; try to think about it. Have a good week everyone.

Have you ever wondered what is the purpose of your life? The reason to jump out of your bed every morning? As we are glorifying our busy life, we tend to forget to live for ourselves. Don't forget, sometime hustle can be overrated. All you have is now, remember to soak it in. This Japanese term "Ikigai" will surely change your perspective, the direction in your life and the flow state of your mind. It is a pleasure and delight process to be in a creative flow completely immersed in life. Once you notice what tasks you do in a state of "flow," try to make changes in your life to focus on the things that have more meaning to you. Following your passion is a simple way to your Ikigai. I hope after listening to this episode, you will ask yourself a question. What is my Ikigai?

Covid has been difficult on many levels - the Uncertainty of the economy, Isolation, Working from home, The challenge to keep ourselves motivated and focused during lockdown. But on the top remains; Keeping ourselves and our loved one safe from this pandemic. But, there's some positivity too in this tough phase too. We got the time to take pause and make most out of it, The best quality time to spend with family, to be able to recognize small things that really matters. We all have accepted this as "New Normal ". This virus may have destroyed our routine life and turned it upside-down but if we see this from another angle. The world needed this change, The earth was begging for this change for a very long time. This is the time we just need to be there for each other, to be grateful what we have today and show gratitude towards each other. Remember, this too shall pass.

Self mastery requires having a vision of your future self. The key to mastering anything is practice; the more you practice, the more proficient you become.In this episode, I share some tips from my learnings and observations on how to be a master of yourself.1: Decoding Genius - To nurture talent in others requires finding yourself first.This means understanding and identifying what each team player can contribute towards reaching your goal.2- Self Defense- Through proper self-defense for the mind, the “no-thought” state of mind can be transferred into the mind-body relationship, which can be combined with the overall awareness of one’s environment & oneself.3- Inner Engineering - Once our thoughts and ideas are well organized, We can clearly see things that are working in our favour.I hope this episode helps you incorporate these practices into your daily life.

What is the purpose of life? Does life need a goal post or can be enjoyed as a journey. So the question arises does life need a purpose? We all have read quotes like "Life is all about the moments," but our mind is always oscillating in the past or future rather than staying in the present. When we are singularly focused on the destination, we lose sight of how beautiful the journey can be. We forget to stop and smell the roses. We forget to feel the air and be present to the moment. In this episode, I share my observations through moments and stories .I want to leave you with this thought: we should live in the present moment, because there's no other life than this very moment.

Self-mastery is the ability to self-control and build an attitude to tackle life through mindfulness. These tools can be acquired through observation and practice. In my life I have mostly learnt these tools through observing life and penning down my thoughts. Which off late I have started sharing in my podcast and YouTube channel. In this episode I will share some more tips for self mastery: 1. Reverse engineering of life milestones to achieve our dreams 2. Not to Minimise existence and giving 100% to tasks. 3. Channelize energies in a productive way in response to blockages in life. I hope you carry the learning from this episode into your life as well. Enjoy.

What is happiness? We always look for happiness in people, things and situations around us. However, truly blessed are those who realise happiness is here and now and not to be postponed and pinned for a special day or event. Yes, we can be happy now! It starts with quietening the mind and noticing the little things which can make you happy. The measure of happiness is when you cherish little things life bestows on you and a sense of gratitude is felt. We might take somethings for granted but with awareness a new dimension will open and then sunrise & sunset, beautiful morning dew drops all will make you happy just like that. Happiness is a state of mind and not an end goal.

Mindful living is about practicing being here and now and in the moment. It is not always possible to go for retreats or to sit for long hours to meditate, especially if you are just starting your mindfulness journey. For beginners these mindful morning to night hacks and rituals can be a good starting point to bring the mind to peace and equanimity.The first step is to understand what is mindfulness: It is about choosing to pay attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way. This will sharpen the intellect, clear the perception and improve the quality of decision making skills. This episode will introduce you to the hacks and importance of mindful living and the reasons why you should be practicing it...

आज में अपनी बातें आपको तीन किस्सो में सुनाती हूँ। १- ज़िन्दगी को आप जिस नज़र से देखते हैं उसी नज़र से ज़िन्दगी भी आपको देखती हैं | अगर हम दुसरो का भला सोचेंगे, वही हमारे साथ भी होगा। २- हमे समय को अपना दोस्त बनाकर उसके साथ चलना चाहिए, समय जो है वो चलता रहता है। अगर हम वक़्त के साथ नही बड़े, तो कई मौके हमारे हाथ से निकल जायेंगे। ३- प्रकृति को बड़ने से रोका नहीं जा सकता। भले ही हमे जिंदगी में बदलाव नहीं चाहिए पर वह होगा ही। चाहे वह हमारे अंदर की मानव प्रकृति हि क्यों ना हो।

Sports and Bollywood are two passion points in India. We celebrate together when our teams win and experience collective euphoria. And then one winner from billion shines and the hero workship begins. However, do we support our players in their lows too? Do we support them through their training? What about the ones who don't get a medal back home. How do we support them to keep the hope ignited. The toll this can take on mental health of sportsman is beyond comprehension. "Learn to say goodbye before you harm your mental health". This is the lesson we learnt from this Olympics. As Simone Biles said “We have to protect our mind and our body rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do". In this episode, I want to leave you with the thought "That it's okay to be not okay". Because when we are equanimous within, it will reflect in our environment too. Positivity reflects and attracts Positivity.