Exploring the Soul: My Journey with Raj Yoga Meditation - Day 1

 Today, I embarked on a new journey by attending the Brahma Kumaris' Raj Yoga meditation course. It was the first of eight sessions spread over this week and next. With everything going on in my life, I have been feeling the weight of stress, and I was hoping this course would bring some much-needed peace and self-reflection.

The session began in a fascinating way. The teacher guided us through two meditations. In the first one, as we all naturally closed our eyes, I was able to immerse myself in the practice. After finishing, I found myself smiling, feeling a deep sense of peace wash over me—a kind of calm that I had not felt in a while.

Then, the teacher posed a surprising question: Was it necessary to close our eyes? She challenged us by suggesting that perhaps, by closing our eyes, we were limiting our connection to the soul. This led to the second meditation, where we were asked to keep our eyes open. It was an entirely new experience—meditating with our gaze open, allowing the external world to be part of the meditation instead of shutting it out.

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The Tired Mind in Meditation

Interestingly, despite having coffee just a couple of hours before and a brief evening nap, I still felt tired during the second meditation. My body was awake, but my mind was fatigued—perhaps a reflection of the stress I have been carrying. Yet, amidst the tiredness, I also felt a sense of hopefulness. This meditation, with eyes open, was a challenge, but it offered a different kind of clarity.

I left the session feeling curious about what tomorrow’s practice would bring. There is so much more to explore and many questions to reflect upon as I continue this journey.  I am optimistic and looking forward to tomorrow’s session, hoping for more clarity and deeper reflection.

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So Many Questions About the Soul

As I sat in quiet contemplation after the session, a flood of questions filled my mind:

• Where do we come from?
• If the soul is small dot of light, how does it choose which body to inhabit?
• If the body is simply a vehicle, does it affect how quickly or slowly we progress on our spiritual journey?
• Are souls finite or infinite? what would then explain increasing population? or is a population of some species increasing and some decreasing, keeping overall number the same?
• Is there one type of soul, or are there different types of souls depending on which species of living being it uses as its body? So do all living beings—humans, animals, birds, plants—share the same type of soul?
• If so, can we communicate with them, soul to soul?
• Does the soul ever finish its journey, or is it an eternal traveler? Is that Moksha/Salvation? How does it know when it is nearing its completion of its journey?
• With millions of thoughts passing through daily in our mind, how does the intellect filter and decide which ones to keep? Where has it learned its knowlege from? Does that knowledge carry from one life to another?
• Do rejected thoughts remain with the soul, or are they discarded forever?
• How does the soul absorb and learn, knowing what is beneficial and what is harmful?

These questions swirl in my mind as I continue this journey of self-discovery.

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The Challenge of Seeing Everyone as Pure Souls

One of the teacher’s most profound teachings today was to look at everyone as a peaceful, pure soul, no matter if they have hurt us or brought us joy. This concept resonates deeply, but it also brings up an important question:

• How do you reach that state of pure acceptance?

The teacher hinted that this might be achieved through conscious meditation, by continuously training the mind to see beyond human behavior and recognize the purity of the soul within each person. This is no small task, and I wonder how long it takes to reach that level of detachment and acceptance.

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Looking Forward

As I continue with these sessions, I hope to find answers to some of my questions or at least start down a path toward understanding them. I am eager to learn more about the connection between the body and soul, the eternal journey of the soul, and the art of seeing everyone as a peaceful pure being.

I will keep reflecting and learning. In the meantime, have any of you ever encountered similar questions or experiences in meditation? I would love to hear your thoughts and reflections on the nature of the soul and its journey.

Reflections on the Foresight Journey: Building the Future, One Bold Step at a Time

 If you have known me professionally or personally, or have been following along, you know by now that I have had the privilege of diving into the world of Strategic Foresight over the past few years. It has been one heck of a journey—both exhilarating and challenging—one that has shaped not only how I see the future but also how I approach the present. Foresight is not just about predicting what is to come; it is about crafting the future you want, in a systematic, strategic, and creative way.

Looking back, I have always been curious and a bit of a dreamer when it comes to the future, but co-founding Horizon Z, IMI's first-ever global foresight team, catapulted me into a new realm. We were not just thinking about tomorrow; we were building it. And let me tell you, it was not a smooth ride the whole way—definitely not a piece of cake. But then again, when has the pursuit of greatness ever been easy?

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From Crafting Futures to Being Intrapreneurs

One of the most transformative aspects of this journey was getting to work as an intrapreneur within a corporate giant. We had the spirit of a startup, but with the resources (or should I say stability) of an established company—a balance that gave us space to innovate but also came with its own set of hurdles. And trust me, we hit plenty of them.

But that is where the magic happens, isn’t it? When things get tough, that is when you learn about resilience, design thinking, and the power of a growth mindset. And through it all, the biggest lesson I learned was this: do not get too attached (After all, one of the first things they teach in foresight and design thinking is having strong beliefs which are lightly held!! Easy to say, much difficult to practice, dare I say...).

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Letting Go: A Foresight Team’s Struggle

As a foresight team, we were the first ones in with the ideas, partnerships, and projects. Sometimes it felt like putting our baby up for adoption, wondering if anyone would care for it as much as we did. The reality? Most of our projects—90% of them, to be a bit precise—either got killed, delayed, or put on hold. Painful? Yes. But necessary. We had to quickly learn not to dwell on these losses. We could not sit around mourning an idea’s premature death. Instead, we had to move forward, planting the next seed and getting the next idea rolling. It is a practice in resilience, creativity, and above all, learning not to hold on too tight.

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The Futurist’s Toolbox: Owning the Future

One of the absolute highlights of this journey? The chance to design and build our "Owning the Future" workshops. I had the privilege of interviewing some incredible futurists—each conversation like a mental fireworks show, sparking new ideas, igniting fresh perspectives, and pushing our team to think bigger.

From forming signal scanning clubs to the exhilarating moonshot team exercises (highly recommend this from Google’s X, by the way), it was like getting a brain workout on steroids. We explored forecasting, backcasting, and built scenarios for a variety of possible futures—each one more exciting and sometimes terrifying than the last. But, we did not just look at the what-ifs; we looked at the how-to’s: how to harness our strengths, adopt new processes, and position ourselves to outwin the competition. It is one thing to dream up the future; it is another thing entirely to own it.

If you are stuck in a rut with your team, or looking to push boundaries in your own thinking, give the moonshot exercise a try. It might just be the creative shakeup you need to break through the ordinary. Here is a link to run this moonshot exercise with your teams: Moonshot Exercise.

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The Burnout Lesson

Of course, the journey was not all adrenaline and brain-bending exercises. The intensity and pace were, at times, overwhelming. There were moments when my managing partner/co-founder and I found ourselves burnt out—and I mean literally. We both spent our times in the hospital, and it was during those moments of forced reflection that we learned perhaps the hardest lesson of all: take a pause.

Sometimes, even in the middle of a high-speed project, the best thing you can do is stop and reflect, no matter how counterintuitive it may feel. Those pauses were crucial for recharging, recalibrating, and ensuring that we were still on the right track.

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What’s Next: Dreaming Forward

As I look back on these past few years, I cannot help but feel that this has been the perfect preparation for the next step in my journey—becoming an entrepreneur (some day, some day who knows maybe?..😜). All the tools, processes, failures, and successes I have encountered have carved out a path that leads me closer to this dream.

And so, I leave you with this: keep dreaming. Keep pushing forward, even when things get tough, even when your “babies” get left behind. Because the future is wide open, and there is so much more to create.

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What About You?

Now, let us make this a two-way conversation. I would love to hear from you:

• What is one future trend you are curious or excited about? (For me, it is about how AI will impact our world and life, our interactions—will it be the cure for all our problems or create more of them?)
• Have you ever had to let go of a project you believed in? (There are a couple of projects I feel proud of, and as I see some potential weak signals (don’t go by the words, here in context  weak  signals are a good thing) on the horizon, I feel a moment of pride knowing that it will eventually become a reality, even though the ownership might be someone else’s. But that is where the art of letting go, and resilience and bigger humanity comes into play)

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Looking Forward
In my next post, I will be diving into some exciting scenarios for the future—visions for life in 2030-2040. I will also share some weak signals I have spotted, those little whispers of change that tell us the future is coming faster than we think. Stay tuned, because you will not want to miss this one!

Curious to learn more about foresight and future?  Here are some interesting reads and people/futurists/institute to follow:

Books and Materials - 

• Amy Webb - The Signals are Talking - https://amywebb.io/book/the-signals-are-talking/
• Peter Dimandis - Future is Faster than you think - https://www.amazon.com/Future-Faster-Than-You-Think/dp/1982109661

My Favorite Futurists:

• Astroteller - http://www.astroteller.net/about/bio
• Matthew Griffin - https://www.311institute.com/matthew-griffin/
• Rohit Talwar - https://fastfuture.com/
• Kevin Surace - https://www.kevinsurace.com/
• Richard Watson - https://nowandnext.com/who-is/

Futures Learning Institutions and Thought Leaders:

• Institute for the Future - https://www.iftf.org/
• TFSX - https://tfsx.com/about/
• Jane McGonigal - https://www.iftf.org/people/jane-mcgonigal/
• Yvette Montero Salvatico - https://tfsx.com/about/

The Curious Case of Art, Likes, and the Mysteries of the Beholder

Gather round, my fellow creatives, for today’s story is all about the rollercoaster ride that is the art world and, more importantly, how what we think is magic might not always translate to others... or does it?

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So, a couple of years ago, I decided to take my love for crafting, creativity, and those endless afternoons spent with acrylic paints, medium, crystals and glitter to the next level—I jumped into the art scene and started my very own Instagram journey!! (Visit me at https://www.instagram.com/artsbybhumi/)

Here’s the thing: I’ve always been creative. Growing up, I loved everything crafty and my craft teachers, but if we’re talking about actual drawing skills, well… let’s just say that wasn’t my strong suit. I owe a huge thank you to one of my close friends (Shloka, and to this day, she does gently remind me of that 😜) who saved me during biology classes and more when we had to draw all those detailed diagrams of the respiratory, circulatory, and digestive systems. (Honestly, I’m still convinced my circulatory system sketch looked like a confused noodle and thats why I am an mechanical engineer (not civil engineer) and definitely not a doctor).

But art and crafting—that’s different. It’s like bringing your vision to life, shaping something out of nothing. Craft lets your ideas leap off the page and into the world. And like Craftfulness:Mend Yourself by Making Things by Rosemary Davidson and Arzu Tahsin’s book says, it brings out your strengths and your energy.

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The Happy (Accidental) Dive Into Resin Art

Let me tell you about how I fell into resin art. One fine day, while casually scrolling through Amazon (don’t we all?), I saw this resin kit on sale. It was discounted, looked interesting, and, well, I clicked "add to cart." I had no idea what I was getting into.

That first resin project? Total disaster. I’m talking epic-level failure. You see, the instructions said, "Mix A & B, let it sit for a bit to remove bubbles." Simple, right? Except my version of "a bit" involved taking a one-hour TV break. When I came back, the resin had hardened inside the beaker. Not only had I failed at my first project, but I also managed to capture the beaker’s measurement marks inside the resin. Perfect.

But hey, at least I knew to wait the full 24 hours to unmold it. I kept that failed piece as a reminder of where I started.

From there, things got better—a lot better. I dove into paint pouring (the wonderfully messy kind), alcohol inks, and eventually found my groove in mixed media art (I am guessing that is what it is called, who knows? whats in the name anyways?), where I mix different techniques, mediums and materials to bring my visions to life. It’s been quite the ride, and I’ve never looked back.

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The Instagram Puzzle: What People Love vs. What I Love

So fast forward to today. I’ve been growing my Instagram channel and followers steadily (Definitely a Dopamine boost!). And here’s where it gets really interesting—and let’s be honest, a little confusing. The artworks that I pour my heart and soul into, the ones I am certain are my masterpieces—well, they get a few likes, a couple of comments. I mean, they are appreciated, but not as much as I expected.

Then there are the pieces I consider, well, meh. Maybe I wasn’t feeling it that day, or the colors didn’t pop the way I wanted. To me, these were the “failures.” But guess what? Those are the ones that skyrocket in likes and comments! People go wild for them! It is the ultimate case of: Wait… you like that?

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And this got me thinking. Beauty really does lie in the eyes of the beholder. Each person sees something different in the same piece of art. It’s subjective, personal, and unpredictable. But what I find most fascinating—did this happen to the greats?

Did Van Gogh think his Starry Night was just another painting? Did he look at it and think, “Meh, it’s okay, but I’ve done better”? Was Leonardo da Vinci’s true favorite some other work that didn’t make it big, while Mona Lisa became the most famous smile in the world?

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What’s the lesson here, you ask?

It’s that sometimes, what we think is ordinary might just be someone else’s extraordinary. Our “meh” could be someone’s “wow.” And that’s the beauty of art—it’s not about perfection or what we think is a masterpiece. It’s about how it connects with people, even in ways we don’t expect.

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So the next time you’re creating, whether it’s resin art, a mixed media masterpiece, or your favorite noodle-like circulatory system diagram, remember that art speaks—and sometimes, its voice isn’t always what we anticipate. But that’s what makes it all the more magical.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite that no one else seems to love? Or a piece that surprised you with how much people adored it? Let me know in the comments—I’m curious to hear your story!

Keep Creating, keep mending!!

Today’s Kitchen Adventure: Dosa vs. The Pan That Stopped Giving

Gather around, my curious readers, for today’s story isn’t just about dosa—no, it’s about life, change, and yes, crispy surprises that show up when you least expect them. So grab your tea, coffee, or masala chai, and let’s dive in!

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It was a regular evening in my kitchen (recently I have been spending more time in my kitchen again and enjoying being creative and trying new things or  combining different things for a unique spin for myself), and I decided to make dosa. Now, I have done this before. Heck, I am no newbie. I had this trusty old nonstick pan—a pan that has seen its fair share of golden, crispy dosas. You know, the kind of dosa that gives you that satisfying crunch when you fold it over. Yeah, that pan!!!!

The batter was store-bought, but I knew it worked because I had used it before and got dosa perfection. Today, I was confident. So, I heated up the pan, poured the batter, and...

Well, the first dosa turned out like a sad crumbling pancake. But hey, the first dosa always has some issues, right? It’s like the test run. I wasn’t too worried. I got back at it, but—oh no, the second one? That didn’t just fail. It stuck. It curled up like mini dumplings, taunting me as I stood there, spatula in hand with all the force and pressure I could gather, wondering what cosmic force had betrayed my perfect dosa dreams.

Now, here is where my inner innovator kicked in. I thought, “It can’t be me, right? Must be the batter. It’s always the batter.” So, I pulled out a trick from my old playbook and added some rava. If you have ever cooked Indian food, you know that rava (semolina) is the magic dust that fixes all. Crispy dosas? No problem! I was certain it would work now. I stood there, smug as a dosa pro, ready for redemption.

And what did I get?

More mini dumplings. ;)

I was frustrated. My dosa dreams were crumbling faster than I could fix them.

Then it hit me—maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the batter. Maybe the old nonstick pan had finally given up on me. I looked around the kitchen and spotted this shiny new pancake pan that I had bought a while back, inspired by my mom's collection in India, but not used much. It had these cute little four slots, usually used for—well, pancakes. But hey, desperate times call for desperate measures. Plus, I had already given up on dosas and figured I could at least make uttapam (the chunky cousin of dosa) by adding some onions, tomatoes, and green chilies to the batter. What did I have to lose?

So, I poured the batter into those slots and braced myself for more failure.

But then, as if the universe finally decided to stop messing with me, out came four perfectly golden, crispy uttapams. Voila! I was back in business.

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Now, what’s the lesson in this crispy catastrophe?

1. Just because something worked well before doesn’t mean it will work forever.
My old pan had served me well in the past, but today? Not so much. Things, tools, and even people sometimes stop working the way they used to. And that’s okay. It’s a sign to move and change things up.

2. Don’t bang your head against the wall (or pan) when things aren’t working.
I was convinced the batter was the problem, but it wasn’t. Sometimes, you’re focusing on the wrong issue. A change in tool—or even environment—can be the breakthrough you need.

3. When life gives you dosa batter, but no dosa, make uttapam.
Or at least try. Don’t be afraid to adapt when things don’t go as planned. You might just end up with something even better than you expected.

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So, the next time you’re frustrated that something isn’t working—whether it’s a work project, a relationship, or your beloved dosa recipe—take a moment to pause. Maybe it’s time to change the tool. Or maybe it’s time to change you.

After all, life’s big lessons come in small crispy packages—even if they sometimes look like mini dumplings at first. 😜

Stay curious, stay crispy, and keep innovating!