The journey of a kombucha bottle filled with Ganges water

The first time I swam in the Ganges was the first morning after our arrival at the Ashram. I had set my alarm early enough to get a walk in before morning asanas, and headed upriver. I was feeling the effects of a 05h30 wakeup after not such a great night’s sleep – daytime temperatures … Continue reading The journey of a kombucha bottle filled with Ganges water →

Swapping Notes: An exchange with a taxi driver in India

The game of getting around as a solo tourist in Indian cities is a topic of its own. This is the story of one interesting exchange I had with a taxi driver in Jaipur. We didn't speak each other's language but, well, money talked (kind of).

Struggle and Acceptance: How to avoid giving yourself uphill

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During a recent three-week hiking trip, there were times where I felt more than a little "on edge". I took these moments of struggle as an opportunity to reflect on something broader: that we can be in a certain amount of discomfort or pain, or generally in a bad situation, without suffering. Assuming we are not being faced with a mortal threat, and leaving aside extreme and lifelong hardship for the time being, is it possible for something to be challenging without it being a "fight"? Can something be a struggle without us struggling with it?

Solo: Reflections on solitude on an overnight hike

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In April 2022, I did a solo overnight hike in the mountains of the Western Cape in South Africa. My objective, if I can put it that way, was not so much to hike but to observe. Accordingly, what follows is not so much a hike report but a collection of observations or field notes, both outer and inner.

Saving People’s Sanity, One Basic Query at a Time

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I know that the stereotype of the IT team spending most of their time answering the phone with “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” must be based at least loosely on reality (and of course I know they made a series around it). I know it must also be a genuine pain when responding to the same basic and often dumbfounding queries takes up most of one’s working life. But for what it’s worth, I would like to point out that, besides helping people fix problems that they might often be able to sort out themselves, support staff are adding potentially much more value to their clients’ lives.

Keeping Time: Synchronicity, regulation and well-being

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To attune means to be receptive to something, to adapt or acclimatise towards it, or to bring things into harmony. This article explores some of the many ways we “keep time” by attuning to others, to our environment, and to ourselves, and how this synchronicity regulates how we function as ultimately social beings.

The Heart of Asking

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To me, a question is the one of the most beautiful devices created by humankind. A request, on the other hand, might just be one of the trickiest. To ask a question is to open and step boldly out the door; to make a request is to stand at the threshold not knowing which way the door will swing.