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Menstrual Cups forever now

Being a nature lover, I do my best in every way to save this beautiful environment. The one time I felt guilty though was during my periods, for using plastic pads. I told myself I was no less than a person chopping off trees. That I didn’t care.

My first time looking at a menstrual cup was at @happyhealthyme an organic store. I stopped by many times but only to look at it. It was daunting to even think about it. Then in one of Karen Anand’s farmers market I happened to see @boondh in the stall of @grindingstone. I have to give the credit to the two girls selling it, for me having made this shift. Personal feedback from having used it themselves, not pushy, helping me understand who to approach to learn to use it. They said they loved it and it is super comfortable,  they worked out with it even. I just picked it up.

Now the cup was in my court, literally. I read the instruction manual and it was not the best for a newbie, honestly. I tried it and thought I hit dead end. I was going all wrong. Anxiety hit me as usual and the Internet is just the wrong thing to do when you’re anxious. So I YouTube-d and hit upon several videos, some websites even tell you to get lubes. I was not going to give up, so I decided to have this awkward conversation over the phone with Boondh.

The nicest lady on the phone told me that there is no stress of having to learn it immediately. Half my worries dissipated. I needed to relax and it would take me some time to really get the hang of it and she cleared all my doubts. For someone who hasn’t even used a tampon it can get real scary. I looked at the size of that thing and wondered how it’s even going to make its way inside. Here I am, today I went swimming on the first day of my periods.

It took me 3 times of giving up, this beautiful link http://divacup.com/2015/okay-so-i-bought-the-divacup-now-what/ and now I’ve got how to use it. This link should be on the first hit on google search. Best help. I can’t even tell you what an achievement this feels like. No more plastic pads! Hurray! One lady less to clog and choke the landfills.

Quickly my experience-

  • Putting it on: I realized its not like wearing a pad, it’s a learning. I got to know my body better and with some patience, I got it only the third month after I bought it. Now it’s a piece of cake. If you’ve got it right this doesn’t betray you like how sanitary napkins do sometimes. Read, watch videos, google, ask your seller, or just go to the link mentioned above, but don’t give up till you’ve figured. Its totally worth it.
  • While its on: I forget I have my periods. No rashes from the sanitary napkins, Oh my gosh YESS! I’ve gone running, swimming, to the gym, to work and basically everything and its like its not even there. You can even address your natures call and not have to worry about it.
  • Removing it: 12 hours of gap is fine to remove, clean, and sterilize it. It can get messy sometimes don’t freak out and jump up, just deep breaths. Its your body and your own blood, it doesn’t have to be so bad.
  • Life: The internet claims you can use one cup safely for 10 years. The more you dig, though, the more you learn that there isn’t one set shelf life of menstrual cups. Each of them will probably last a different number of years, depending on how it’s taken care of — how it’s cleaned, how it’s stored, how it’s used, etc. See link below on maintenance.
  • Popularity: Honestly I don’t know why this never got popular and why Akshay Kumar didn’t make a cup-man movie instead of padman. You can always encourage other ladies to make a shift too. Just share your personal experience.

Happy Nature and Happy Periods!

More links:

Best link to go to: http://divacup.com/2015/okay-so-i-bought-the-divacup-now-what/

Shelf life and Maintainence: https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/long-menstrual-cup-lasts/

The first video that made sense: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voqd8e8aaBs

History for the curious: https://www.lunette.com/blogs/news/short-history-of-menstrual-cups

 

 

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High on life

How tough is it to feel high spirited all the time? Is social media to be blamed? I have not been able to stop myself from using a lot of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp. I could just say its unavoidable but I personally know a lot of people who hardly or never use it to go about their lives. Did it get me anxious at some point? Yes. Does the likes and comments on social media give me a high? It did, at least sub consciously.

No one would document their entire life on social media, especially not the lows. You just have to know everyone’s human and no one is posting a selfie when they are crying. Imagine seeing photos of people crying everyday, that’s not what you want. So be happy for someone if they’re doing good. I only got this recently thanks to Hitha Chandrashekhar‘s ‘hithavachana“. Have courage to find people posting their beautiful moments on the web and not feel bad about yourself, or your life. Self talk- ‘Dont make it about you.’ Its their moment of shining glory, clap for your tribe. WE CANNOT COMPARE.

Everything’s downhill one second and exorbitantly great the next. I don’t know this unpredictability is growing on me or I’m ignoring the lows. Now I can say I’ve come a long way from that. “Not all days are the same!” This was told to me by my Coach at boxing class when I was upset about not giving my best. We cannot expect all days to be the best. Everyday is not a Sunday and we have to love Mondays too with equal force. EACH DAY IS BEST IN ITS OWN WAY, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN FROM IT.

The one thing that keeps me really up and about is my workout schedule and my body clock. I don’t compromise on it and my body doesn’t compromise on me. Its important to have a morning routine and I go up to my terrace to see the sunrise even if its cloudy. Even if it’s a bad day look for the good- that’s the message I’m taking in everyday. And when its that golden goldy coming out of the tank of my neighbours building I close my eyes and just feel the light on my face. That’s me. You could have your own thing going. MORNING ROUTINE.

Exercising or sportsobviously as the internet and mostly everyone I know of, proclaims to keep your mood up! There’s not much I can add to it, its all out there, endorphins, sweating it out, blood circulation, be active. WORKOUT.

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Watching movies like “Chak de” or “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”, “Wonder Woman” and “Creed” brings the enthu cutlet out of me. I keep myself in reach of anything that can motivate me. Its just contagious. Reading books help too. The lead character from the series “Me Before You”, “Me After You”, and “Still Me” by Jojo Moyes, Louisa Clark really inspires me to be upbeat in every situation. My friend once suggested I watch videos of people breaking their limits before I workout and Yes that does get your spirits up. GET INSPIRED.

This one you don’t want to try for every time. I use all the healthy food that I like as a motivator, like dark chocolate and banana chips. I set it like a reward system. If I finish my work by a time I’ve set, I get a piece of the healthy treat. Its like a carrot stick effect. It totally works for me and I’m not indulging in something completely off my lifestyle. TRICK AND TREAT.

Sometimes I break my routine by doing something very different. I call a friend in the middle of work, eat in front of the TV, don’t speak for a whole day. Its what distracts me from my routine, but believe me these small changes have a huge effect when you get back to the regular. Travel can’t be convenient for everyone at all times, so try to do some thing differently everyday. May be play music in the shower if you don’t already. MAKE IT DIFFERENT.

Last one, to be motivated you have to care enough about something, that you are interested in. Enough to do something about it. If you don’t care about anything and you don’t mind being complacentabout everything, then you really don’t land yourself anywhere but where you already are. CARE ABOUT SOMETHING.

Start making an effort towards your attitude to approaching anything in life. If you want to be motivated all the time its up to you. When you find your own motivator inside you, you don’t need to look outside. Or wait for someone to cheer you, you are enough. It’s a skill you want to develop because not everyone is waiting to pat your back. Keep the spirits up and amplify the motivating voice inside.

 

Motivation in the 21stcentury business world

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Just happy or human?

Are we all looking for happiness instead of a fulfilled human experience? Even as a baby when we cry everyone tries to cheer you up immediately. What about that part of the human experience? Like having to miss people, to be heart broken, to fail at times, get uncomfortable. Is it all not natural, like a part of the journey of life?

Its very important that we stop reading articles which says “10 ways to be happy” or “do this to have a happy life”. Situations are going to come which will throw you off your couch and make you feel really low. Chances are you’re not going to be able to make yourself happy instantly. To accept being in that place and be okay  because its a part of this experience should be the normal. Not getting anxious about your next bout of happiness.

I have been there and done that. Read some 10’000 quotes on happiness and how to be happy manuals. Its only going to make you feel like being unhappy isn’t normal. Sad and unhappy is also a part of human emotions. The sooner we accept it, we go through it and come out of it, the more human and normal it is.

May be when you’re not happy you’re just neutral, it doesn’t  necessarily have to be sad. Neutral is also an experience to take in.

Yes there may be research backing up the importance of being happy for good health and laughing and smiling more often. I just feel I can’t force laugh if something isn’t funny, laughing clubs isn’t my thing. If I genuinely feel its funny I know I can’t control my laughter. Why hide other emotions? If ‘LOL’ is a thing even “Crying Out Loud” should be a thing. Its only real that we treat all emotions with equal respect.

The sky is the same, the clouds keep changing shapes. I am the blue inside and my emotions are just like passing clouds. Imagine if the clouds never changed their shapes or moved. There would be no rains and the sun would just shine through in the same way everyday.

Everyday is different and we can just take it as it is. Happiness is being glorified but I would not fixate on the idea of being just happy.

“Openness means no conclusions – simply looking at everything the way it is.” – Sadhguru

I want to be every expression this human life can give. So when I’m actually happy I can relish it for what it is.

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