During the pandemic the most common concern for people was sleep. Ridden by insomnia and anxiety, a lot of people have developed sleep disorders. Dinesh Ghodke and Khurshed Batliwala's book Sleep Your Way To Success is for those who want to understand their sleep patterns and know how to make the best of rest. You can find answers to questions such as why must one sleep, the benefits of good sleep and tips to incorporate good sleeping habits.
Batliwala says, "I went through a terrible phase of insomnia with its associated issues—anxiety and panic attacks. I researched about sleep during all those nights I couldn't sleep. I reclaimed my sleep and health without any allopathic intervention whatsoever. Just through making healthier, greener lifestyle choices." He says that they didn't stop at writing only about sleep—when one sleeps enough and well, they experience incredible energy and enthusiasm for life. "The energy that you get from proper sleep can then be channelled towards realising and manifesting your dreams into reality," he concludes.
Available in bookstores
Price: Rs 499
Ayurveda for the lips
Come winters, it can get difficult dealing with dry lips. After a recent trip to the Himalayas, where the temperatures dropped to -6 degree Celsius, this writer's concerns got worse, when her chapped lips, began to bleed. Lip balms and petroleum jelly worked, but only temporarily. By the end of it, we were left with darkened, discoloured lips. There are of course, a range of lip masques, polishing oils and lip serums in the market—none of which we had tried in the past, and none of which we wanted to include in our already very basic beauty regimen. On a friend's suggestion, we used the Just Herbs lip scrub and mask, and must we say, it was truly a lucky find. The exfoliating scrub and mask duo come in five flavours—rose, mint, cardamom, peach and green apple. We tried the rose. To begin with, it is vegan, Ayurvedic, and parabens, silicone and SLS-free, and is made using sesame oil, liquorice and gotu kola. We generally apply a small quantity daily and scrub the lips for a few minutes; it's very gentle on the skin, and once you wash it away, it leaves your lips smooth and soft. We use the mask twice daily—once in the day, and before sleeping. It has a light, buttery texture and keeps the skin moisturised throughout.
Price: Rs 695 for lip scrub and mask
To Buy: justherbs.in
Check your alfaaz
Evita-Marie Marques and Yamini Joshi
The pandemic has played a big role in getting various artistes and their art to digital platforms. The latest addition to that is Alfaaz Productions, a digital theatre platform. Started by Mumbai-based duo, Evita-Marie Marques and Yamini Joshi, Alfaaz is for creative freelancers, theatre students and professionals who are looking to showcase their stories online. Alfaaz was conceptualised in March 2021 when the world fell into a lockdown for the second time. Marques explains, "Our assessment at the time was that the nature of the theatre industry has changed due to social distancing norms and large auditoriums being closed; the idea was to bring plays to people's homes via their phone screens. While across the world, televising and filming of plays began to take over, within the Indian circuit, productions had visibly slowed down. We wanted to create a space where artistes felt safe, free to explore and value for the skill sets they bring to the table." Their core idea is to tell unconventional stories that go beyond the boundaries of what theatre-making can be. Along with digital/live performances, they wished to also provide quality and accessible theatre education to young professionals.
@team.alfaaz, Instagram
Celebrating diversity
Illustration copyright, Jenny Bloomfield. Published with permission from Penguin Random House India
Chitra Soundar, 50, an oral storyteller and writer from Chennai, collaborated with 42-year-old Jenny Bloomfield, artist and illustrator from Leeds, UK, for the book We All Celebrate. This is a four-colour illustrated compendium of occasions to celebrate from around the world, uniquely divided by season. Soundar's interests in festivals, rituals, cultures and traditions stem from her immersion in Indian culture and her travels across the world.
Jenny Bloomfield and Chitra Soundar
She says, "Today's generation needs to see how people come together and celebrate with their families, communities and neighbours. While some celebrations offer prayers and have rituals, others are full of dance and music. Every celebration has a story and that story is celebrated in this book." Adding colour to the book are Bloomfield's illustrations.
Price: Rs 250
Available in bookstores
Home away from home
Darshan Shah and Priya Bajaj
When you live abroad, the mere sight of a fellow Indian brings joy and a strange comfort to a lot of NRIs. It's Ok Yaar tries to do something similar in the content creation space. Started by Darshan Shah, 33, and Priya Bajaj, 32, it is a content platform for South Asians living abroad. Bajaj says, "Whether you've recently moved as a student, a dependent spouse, through work or have been here for decades, we have content that will appeal to you. Through our platform, we aim to entertain, educate and empower the desi community living abroad." They do that by creating relatable multimedia elements ranging from blogs and guides to web series, short videos, reels and podcasts. Bajaj continues, "We create guides on multiple topics ranging from visa-related issues and dependent life to immigrant stories. We do it all by ourselves because of our experiences of jumping through several immigration-related hoops over the past four years."
itsokyaar.com
