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BOOK REVIEW: ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER - ELIZABETH GILBERT

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Twenty years after Eat, Pray, Love took us on a journey of self-discovery through Italy, India, and Bali—delivering Felipe as the seemingly perfect ending—Elizabeth Gilbert returns with a memoir that shatters our illusions about “happily ever after.”  All the Way to the River is an unflinching look at what happens when life refuses to stay static—when the Brazilian man from that sun-drenched conclusion becomes just another chapter, not the final page. Life continued beyond Bali. And when Rayya Elias entered Gilbert’s world—raw, unpredictable, and intense—we witness a love story that refuses to conform to expectations. The heart of this memoir lies in its brutal honesty about codependency. Gilbert reveals how our need for another person’s presence can quietly transform from love into burden, often without our noticing. She shows how women give more than they should, are nicer than they need to be, and find comfort in constantly doing for others—while forgetting to treat themselves...
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Braiding Sweetgrass - Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants

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Review of Braiding Sweetgrass Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to live with more intention—slowing down, noticing the gifts around me, and questioning the endless drive for “more.” In that search, I picked up Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It turned out to be exactly the kind of book that doesn’t just give you information, but gently shifts the way you see the world. What follows is my reflection and review. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass  is one of those rare books that feels like both a lesson and a gift. It blends Indigenous teachings, ecological science, and personal storytelling into a vision of what it means to live in true relationship with the earth. What makes it powerful is not just the knowledge it shares, but the way it reshapes how you see the world around you.   Reciprocity and Ritual At the heart of the book is the idea of reciprocity: the practice of taking only what you need, offering gratitude, and givin...
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The Lion Women of Tehran - Marjan Kamali

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Lion Women of Tehran is an unforgettable page-turner that deeply resonated with me. It seamlessly weaves a vivid political backdrop with an intimate exploration of friendship and self-discovery.  Huma’s unwavering courage and selflessness contrast beautifully with Elie’s vulnerability and search for identity, creating a dynamic that is both relatable and inspiring. The novel thoughtfully examines the nuances of relationships, highlighting how one person’s strength can empower another to find their own.  The juxtaposition of Huma’s boldness with Elie’s introspection underscores the beauty of human connections and the complexity of personal growth. Beyond their individual stories, the book paints a rich picture of Iran’s culture and struggles, offering universal truths about resilience, love, and forgiveness. Huma’s final words encapsulate the novel’s message: “Not the world, nor the owning of it, nor even success in it. I wish for you the ability to be free....
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Attunement - A Receipt from the Cosmos

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In the popular book "The Alchemist," the main character, Santiago, discovers that a Personal Legend, which represents one's deepest desires, is connected to the Soul of the World.  It is about these messages I am writing about today As the onset of Navaratri arrives, a vibrant transformation sweeps through the atmosphere, signaling the start of a festive season. The colors change, radiating an infectious vibrance that beckons us to join the celebrations. On the first day of Navarathri, we participated in a Chandi Homa ceremony held at the sacred Sharadamba Temple. The weather, though brisk, graced us with bright and sunny skies. Beneath the vibrant canopy, the sacred fire was kindled, drawing a gathering of devotees. The air filled with the melodious resonance of chants. After each adhyaya, or chapter, offerings were presented, often consisting of dry fruits and coconuts. With devotion in their hearts, the crowd bowed in reverence, embracing the experience and continuing ...
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The Man in the Arena

To those of you who put yourselves out there,  more power to you! Don't let yourself be judged. If you feel like you do, just remember this speech.  On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt  delivered a speech called “Citizenship in a Republic,” which, among some, would come to be known as “The Man in the Arena.” "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place sh...
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Fleeting Moments of Pride

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𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜, 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐞, 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫  𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧  𝐑𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐮𝐥𝐥  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐛𝐛, 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐀 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲  𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦, 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧  𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐀𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐀 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲  𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 ?...
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A convergence of power, beauty and passion - Durga

Yaa Devi Sarva-Bhutessu Vishnumaayeti Shabditaa | Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namas-Tasyai Namo Namah || I bow to the Devi in you, for each one of you is a form of Durga. Growing up, Navratri meant visiting friends' homes, chanting in chorus, matching our outfits to the color of the day, and relishing the prasad that always tasted better at someone else's house. But 2020 changed everything. Stripped of the usual fanfare, I discovered what this festival truly meant. Durga didn't descend from Mount Kailasa to destroy Mahishasura—she is the peak itself. That mountaintop symbolizes the zenith of Shakti, the ultimate power within us all. Born from the combined energies of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara, she embodies what we often forget: that power, knowledge, and grace aren't separate—they're one. Nine Nights, Nine Forms, One Journey Each night of Navratri reveals a different facet of this divine feminine: Shailaputri grounds us with the determination of mountains. Brahma...
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