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Making Space for Me: Designing a Culturally Safe Self-Care Practice
Introduction Self-care is often portrayed as face masks, bubble baths, and expensive getaways. But for South Asian women, self-care can look radically different—and often, it must. With cultural expectations, family responsibilities, and the lingering weight of generational guilt, “taking time for yourself” can feel like a rebellion. What if, instead of adopting a Western blueprint, we reimagined self-care rooted in cultural understanding and emotional safety? This blog post explores what a culturally safe self-care practice can look like for South Asian women—one that honors our heritage while prioritizing our well-being. Why “Traditional” Self-Care Doesn’t Always Fit The mainstream self-care narrative often ignores the complexities of being a South Asian woman.…
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Generational Trauma: How South Asian Daughters Are Redefining Healing
We inherit more than just our names, traditions, and recipes from our families.Sometimes, we inherit their wounds, too. For many South Asian daughters, the path into adulthood is littered not only with their own battles, but with unspoken histories — of silence, survival, sacrifice, and sorrow — passed down like heirlooms. These wounds are called generational trauma.And for too long, they lived in the shadows, unacknowledged. But today’s daughters are beginning something powerful:They are choosing not just to carry these wounds, but to heal them. What is Generational Trauma? Generational trauma is the emotional, psychological, and even physical pain that isn’t just experienced by one person — it gets woven…
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“I Chose a Different Path – And That Doesn’t Make Me Lost”
They say success has a shape: a framed degree, a 9-5, a stable paycheck, a matching family WhatsApp profile picture. But what if that shape didn’t fit? Preeti’s POV Every morning I wake up to chai and comparisons. “Mihir just bought a new car.”“Mihir just got promoted again.”“Mihir is sending money home every month.” And me? I write SEO blogs in my pajamas, sipping lukewarm tea between client calls, trying to explain to my mom what keywords even are. I didn’t take the CAT, the GRE, or the government exam route. I didn’t want to.I took my words, my laptop, and the guts to bet on myself. But no one…
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“We Are Not Our Academic Scores, Career Titles, or Marital Statuses”
Bhavna’s POV I’m tired.Tired of every conversation at home turning into a Shurti highlight reel. “Look at her. PhD student. Getting married too. Shaadi ki tayari chal rahi hai, pura mohallah dekhega.”Meanwhile, I’m the girl who “just” has a Bachelor’s degree and a stable corporate job. But let me tell you something no one in my family cares to hear:I know Shurti. I know her beyond the heavy bridal lehenga and academic medals. I know she cries in the bathroom after every family function because she’s exhausted of being perfect.I know she dreams of painting, not publishing.I know her marriage was arranged in a rush because her fiancé’s family said…