In yoga, there’s an observance called “santosha” that invites people to find contentment in the present moment, regardless of external circumstances. Embracing santosha can help us develop a sense of inner balance. My family, having recently settled in Chicago, decided to take on the challenge of renovating our place. While we outsourced some tasks, we decided to DIY many others. Throughout this process, I’ve been intentionally trying to practice santosha, and this renovati

I had just finished my third swimming lesson and was headed to my car. The date was Wednesday, June 24. I remember thinking that it was the first time I had experienced peace while underwater. It was the goggles, I told myself. I could finally see where I was going. As I was walking toward the car, I learned that a couple I knew was getting divorced. The news stayed with me longer than I expected it to. I couldn't quite name why it made me so sad, considering I didn't know

Recently, my mom and I took some time to catch up over a video call. At some point during our conversation, we ended up talking about my teenage years and my passions back then. A part of me wanted to withdraw from the conversation then, but I made the choice to stay. To give you some background, I grew up in a very artistic household—my father had a dance studio and was a salsa dance pioneer. My mother, who went to law school, also was a dancer for some time. And my brot