Sapna Mehra

Recently, I’ve been struggling with being decisive. It’s not just the big choices, but the little ones as well. Pancakes or an egg white omelette? Sleep in or get up early to meditate? Put this design into production, or maybe that one? Pre-order or ready-to-ship?

In my mind, being decisive is like being a ninja. The ninja takes definitive and precise action. There is no thinking about it, wondering about endless consequences or pondering the “What If” scenarios before she strikes. Fluid, swift, powerful. Movement, thought and spirit aligned, with ease and grace, like a choreographed performance, effortless.

This is a beautiful, energizing thought for me. So why do I feel so paralyzed when it comes time to take a decision, to move, to strike? I’ve made endless lists of tasks and goals, filled journals and notebooks with plans and visions, made heartfelt efforts to become svelte and enlightened. So what keeps me from striking with the swift force and determined power of a ninja?

In order to take action, to be decisive, confident and sure, you must know what it is that you want, you must truly know your mind. Sure, everyone wants to be fit, healthy, financially secure and satisfied in the work that you are doing. But if I am so sure I want to be fit, then why is it such an arduous task, why do I fall off the track? Why is it so hard to wake up early, to keep a meditation practice, to stay focused on work? What if instead of being a task, it could just be living - effortlessly, gracefully?

I’ve just started an amazing course (taught by these two incredibly insightful and thoughtful gurus) that has put me on the path to honing my alignment, my purpose and craft, to pull me out of the muddled depths of doubt - to becoming my true ninja self. Our first homework assignment was to write out “Your Perfect Day.” From the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to bed. Everything. But the key is to think about and write out all the details. Where are you? What does it smell like? What kind of sheets do you have, how is the space furnished, how do you feel? Keep doing that, writing out the whole day. It takes a while.

While doing the assignment, I found that I was forced to think about what I wanted and why I wanted it. What did my room look like? Why did I have that kind of furniture? What was I working on? Who was I working with? What did my workspace look like? As I asked myself these questions, I found I had to be completely honest. Any inconsistencies quickly revealed themselves in me struggling with the image I was building.

In choosing the objects that surrounded me, the people I interacted with, the food I was eating and the work I was doing, I was deeply engaged in identifying my core beliefs and deepest desires - unleashing my true self. I realized that living in alignment is practicing mindfulness with ease. I understood that to be mindful means that you truly know your mind, that you are active about your choices rather than reactionary. Living in alignment means that you can be free of the constant, draining battle of what you think you want and what you believe you need. You can be fully present in every moment, because you are no longer burdened with the need to rationalize your thoughts and actions.

This exercise allowed me to understand what my life can look like with my desires, thoughts and actions aligned. A beautiful vision. And I know that I can achieve it too, by wielding my sword of decisiveness and determination, effortlessly, with ease and grace. By being my true ninja self.

What about you? What are your deepest desires? What does your ninja self look like?

Sapna means “dream” in Hindi. When I was a kid, my mother once told me that she named me Sapna because I was her dream. I remember my heart and my chest swelling with pride.

Back then, I truly believed I could do anything. I believed I could will the clouds to move, that I could manifest heat into rocks, that I was endowed with incredible artistic skill, that I could run with electric speed - unstoppable. I believed, unconditionally and absolutely, that I was beautiful, brave, invincible. I believed in the universe, I believed in me.

I’m not exactly sure when it was that I stopped believing in the universe, that I stopped believing in me. There were events and circumstances that turned my world upside down, but really it was a subtle shift that happened quietly, over time, without me even realizing it. For the life of me, I can’t remember when it was that I started believing that I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. When I started to believe that possible meant I needed to be practical and readjust my dreams.

I do remember, however, the first time I articulated aloud my vision to design my own line of jewelry.

The person I confided in quickly told me that I was aiming too high, that it was too hard and that I should focus on the practical, the achievable. I was a little puzzled but, mostly, I conceded and nodded my head in agreement. Looking back on it now, I can see that his response to me came from a place of fear and insecurity. But instead, I read it as grounded in experience and wisdom. I believed him because I didn’t believe in me, in my experience.

In that way, I continued for years, to deny my belief in myself, my vision, my dreams and believed instead, in whatever crap others told me. I became a committed cynic, silenced my instinct, dedicated myself to saying yes with fervour to everything I wanted to say no to. I devastated myself financially, physically, emotionally, spiritually.  I did everything imaginable to sabotage myself. Until I didn’t.

There was no great epiphany or moment of clarity or enlightenment. It was little things at first. I remember I picked up some books on Zen philosophy and there began to be a shift in my perspective. I started to do things for me, choose what suited me. I began listening to my instinct and dreaming my own dreams again.

And with that shift, little by little, I’ve been able to amplify the voices that are uplifting, encouraging, that push me through and forward. They have always been there, the love and support of those that really care for me, but in order to hear them, I really had to care for myself first. And the voices that are laden with fear, insecurity and negativity are still there as well, though I’ve become adept at muting them. I’ve become skillful with saying No when I need to, and understanding when it’s important to say Yes.

Though I’ve made lots of progress since my darkest days, I’ve mostly played it safe. I did take a few big, bold steps and risks here and there and realize now that they were the best decisions I ever made (like quitting my “real job” to travel to India and produce my very first collection and proposing to the love of my life, spontaneously, after knowing him for about 6 weeks. We’ll be together 9 years next month).

I was able to choose the best path for me when I struck through my resistance, followed my heart and took the leap, despite my fears or anxieties. I’m ready now to really hone in on that experience, to keep pushing through. I’m ready to bring my work to the next level, to bring alignment in my life, to push my limits - physical and metaphysical.

I’m excited and looking forward to this journey. And so excited and grateful to share along the way. I’d love to hear your experiences, tips, advice, insight. I invite you to share in the comments or we can connect on twitter, facebook or email—-> sapna {at} sapnamehra {dot} com! 

Thank you for reading and sending everyone peace and happiness.

“Only from the heart can you touch the sky.”

I love these words from the mystic Sufi poet, Rumi.

They remind of yoga class, when my teacher gently prods us to open and lift up your heart. With those words, I straighten up through my spine, bring my shoulders down away from my ears, roll them back slightly and breathe deeply in and then out. Then I feel my chest expand, my heart open up and feel my lips curl up slightly into a smile.

I so love that part.

I need to be reminded to open my heart. To be reminded that when my heart is open, when I bring awareness to my form, to my thoughts and to my actions, I can be open to all the wonders in the world. My breath, the air, the birds chirping, the sky. The feeling of possibility, abundance and confidence. A truly wonderful place to be.

I need to be reminded because somehow and somewhere on my journey, I lost the wisdom that opening my heart will lift me up, let me touch the sky. I became sloucher, a huncher, my shoulders caved in and my back rounded out. An adept at creating an impenetrable fortress around my heart that would protect me from ever getting hurt, safe from the harm that comes with taking crazy risks, and from the discomfort that comes from leaving your comfort zone. But instead of keeping pain and suffering out, I only succeeded in keeping any light from getting in.

I suppose it’s possible to stay in that zone forever, but I realized that this was not the place I wanted to be. I wanted a change. So lately, I’ve been working on dismantling the fortress and creating a shift in my world view. A shift that allows me to recognize and nourish my own strength, my own sense of well-being and joy. I am working on being mindful of my thoughts, creating positive daily habits, and embracing new ways of acting and thinking. 

It’s just so nice to be reminded to do this, to be reminded to open your heart. To take a break and go for a little walk, do one round of a Sun Salutation in the middle of the afternoon, smile at someone you don’t know, pay an unexpected compliment, listen to music you’ve never hear before, sit silently in the morning sun, drink tea away from your desk, talk to a friend, take a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

Feel your heart expand and lift up. I so love that part.

A while back, as I was walking into my house and chatting on the phone, I put two Very Important Things on my desk that I absolutely needed to take with me the next morning. As I set the things down while I continued my chat, I had a subtle but very clear vision and thought: 

What would happen and how much it would suck, if I forgot these two Very Important Things. 

But I quickly brushed away my thoughts, thinking, I’m placing these right on my desk, next to my bag, right by the door, so I won’t forget and continued with my conversation.

The next morning, I realized after I was already far enough away from home, that in my haste, I forgot my two Very Important Things.

Usually, I would’ve made myself more than a little aggravated, cursed up a storm and beat myself up.  But somehow, for some reason, I didn’t. I sort of shrugged it off and moved forward- no use crying over spilled milk - and quickly used my energy to think of solutions and alternatives.

Later, I thought about what happened and suddenly my mind became bright and Two Very Important Lessons became absolutely clear to me.

LESSON ONE:

No matter what happens, life goes on. 

It’s true, and I’ve heard and said this before. I’ve faced (and overcome) much more challenging difficulties besides forgetting two Very Important Things, but for some reason it was on this occasion that I really understood this Very Important Lesson.

There is no reason to lose it, no matter what happens.  Because, essentially, losing it is a supreme waste of your precious energy.  I realized by keeping my cool and assessing the situation calmly, I was able to quickly figure out how to best remedy the situation.

LESSON TWO (perhaps the more important lesson for me):

I have the power to manifest anything I can imagine.

You see, while I was chatting on the phone, I actually visualized leaving my things on my desk. And the next morning, I did actually leave them there.

By thinking it, I somehow made it true.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve negotiated risk and navigated decision making by consciously imagining the worst. I thought I was protecting myself from potential pain and suffering in case things didn’t go my way. By imagining the worst, I could base my decision on whether or not I’d be able to live with the worst and whether my decision would be worth it.

But, the thing is, that I can never know what will happen. And there are many things that I will never have control over. What I do have control over is, what I choose to imagine and how I choose to act.

Recently, I’ve started to visualize the beautiful, the most-promising, my dream ideal, the very best.  I imagine my perfect morning, see myself as a super-fit yogini, calm, compassionate and endlessly productive. Somewhere on my journey, I’ve abandoned visualizing the worst and have shifted towards abundance.

And I see and have experienced the very real results of this shift.  While I haven’t achieved Bodhisattva status, I have started going to yoga regularly, I’ve found that I’m more compassionate towards myself and thus have the capacity to be more compassionate to others, I’m more productive and active and more grateful for the life that I have. 

It took me so long to actually know these lessons and now that I have, I am so ready and excited for 2012!

What about you? Any lessons you learned last year that you are bringing forward with you this year? Please share… I’d love to hear!

Announcing my new packaging for my Asmi collection for the New Year! Yay!!

Every necklace will come with three different keepsake, inspiration cards.  Keep them in your wallet for a quick motivational nudge when you feel yourself steering away from your New Year’s resolutions!

Asmi Means I Am.  This card shows all the Asmi icons on one side, and on the other explains the meaning of Asmi, numerology and life path numbers and how your necklace is personalized for you.

Your Number.  This card shows depicts your flower icon and explains the unique meaning and inspiration behind your life path number.  The reverse features motivating and inspiring quotes by famous people who share your number with you.

Gold becomes kundan only after passing through fire.  This card features this folk proverb from Rajasthan that inspires my work and explains the 400 year old techniques that are used to craft your necklace.

I also fell in love with this amazing handmade paper from Nepal and India and just had to incorporate it into my packaging!

It’s so beautiful… the pink has ripples of gold and feels almost like cloth and the black and white paper with the flower motif is batik paper.  You can still feel a waxy residue on it! And I love the gold flowers blooming all over the pink and black handmade papers.

I really love the beauty of handcrafted paper, jewelry, textiles… and I hope you’ll enjoy my new packaging that’s meant to dazzle and inspire!

Chai (or a very close variation of the word) means tea in Hindi, Persian, Russian, Swahili and many other languages around the world. 

(my steaming cup of afternoon tea)

In any Indian home around the world, after water, the next thing your host will offer you is a cup of tea.  Sharing tea is like breaking bread together.  Some of my best times have been while sharing a cup (or several!) of tea with good friends. I’ve even brought chai in a thermos to the airport for relatives arriving after a long and not-so-comfortable 14 hour journey from India!  Chai refreshes and rejuvenates and doesn’t dehydrate the way coffee can (although, I ADORE good coffee as well and do require my daily fix!).

During the holidays, when you are together with family and friends from near and far, and you’ve been indulging in lots of rich foods, a hot cup of spiced chai seems to hit just the spot!

Everyone has their own version of the perfect cup of chai… here’s my version, with a special secret ingredient that adds a delicious depth and flavor.  Even the most seasoned palettes will be hard-pressed to guess the secret ingredient!

To make the perfect cup, it’s important to start with high quality spices, if possible in their whole form.

SPICE LIST:

Cardamom (Whole pods or powdered. I’ve bought wonderfully flavorful, organic powdered cardamom at Whole Foods.) Cardamom is a digestive and is often added to heavy and sweet Indian desserts to aid digestion.  You can also chew on a cardamom pod to freshen your breath any time.

Black Pepper (Whole peppercorns or use a quality pepper mill.) Did you know pepper is rich in chromium which can aid in the prevention of diabetes? It also assists digestion and reduces gas.

Fresh Ginger (Fresh ginger will give the maximum in flavor and benefit, but you can use dry, powdered ginger too.) Fresh ginger is great in cold weather and helps to soothe your throat and keep a cold at bay.

Cinnamon (Sticks or powdered) Also a digestive and good for balancing blood sugar.

**The Secret Ingredient: Ajawain Seeds (You can buy this from any Indian grocery store, or if you have none nearby, and live in the US, contact me and I will send you some!) Ajwain acts as a decongestant, is warming and relieves gas. It has a wonderful, complex flavor that adds a level of nutty flavor with a bit of a kick.  One of my all time favorite spices!

MAKE IT (Serves 2, Time - 10 minutes):

• Put 2 cups of fresh water in a pot on medium to high heat. 
• Add sugar (or agave nectar or other sweetener) to taste for 2 cups of tea (I think about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon per cup gives a nice sweetness without being too sugary sweet).
• Take 5-6 cardamom pods and remove the seeds.  The seeds should be dark, almost black and have a sheen to them.  If the seed is dry and beige colored, the cardamom pod has dried out and won’t deliver any flavor. 
• Crush the cardamom seeds with a mortar and pestle. 
• Take a pinch of ajwain seeds and add them to the ground cardamom. Grind them with the mortar and pestle till you get a fine powder.
• Add 4-5 peppercorns to the ground cardamom and ajwain and crush the peppercorns till grainy. (I usually just use 2 twists of a pepper mill and it works just as well.)
• Add the dry spices from the mortar and pestle to the pot of water.
• Take a 1/2 inch piece of ginger and peel the skin off. Crush it with the mortar and pestle. Add the juicy, crushed ginger to the water.
• Grate just a bit of cinnamon over the water.
• Bring to a boil.
• Add 1/4 cup of milk to the boiling, spice water.
• As the mixture comes back to a boil after adding the cold milk, reduce heat and add 2 tea bags (use your favorite, high quality black tea - orange pekoe, Assam, Ceylon, or English Breakfast are good choices).
• Simmer for a minute or so, remove from heat and cover with a lid.  Allow the tea to steep for a few minutes.
• Strain, serve, sip and feel refreshed!

The key is to get the amount of spices just right.  Too much, and it will taste spicy - not spiced. Too little and you’ll wonder what all that trouble was for!

Experiment until you find a combination that works for you!

The winner of the Asmi Necklace Giveaway has been announced on An Indian Summer! Yay!!

In order to enter the giveaway, readers posted comments with their life path number and answered the question:

                             “What does being a global soul mean to you?”

I was so inspired reading all the thoughtful comments and it was really difficult to choose just one!

Curiously, as noted in one of the comments, many of the commenters shared the life path number 7! Even more interestingly, Bhavna, the creative force behind An Indian Summer, is a life path number 7 too!

I’ve done several shows with my Asmi collection and love meeting people, calculating life path numbers and talking to them about their numbers’ meanings (you can discover yours or, ahem, your secret crush’s here).  It always happens that when I do an event, a particular number keeps coming up on that day.  And if the event is more than a day, then a different number prevails on the other day.  But without fail, there is definitely one number (sometimes two) that resonates throughout the day.

I’m not sure why and haven’t really been tracking patterns yet (there has to be one!!), but I think it’s time I start to keep detailed notes on dates and numbers… and then go back after some time of keeping notes and see if there are patterns.  That would be an interesting project!

The energy around numbers, dates and people is so very compelling.  By no means am I an expert numerologist, but I just find it all very interesting, like getting insight from and peeking into another dimension of this awe-inspiring universe! I definitely have particular numbers (the number 8, actually) that keep popping up in my life story… are there any numbers that keep popping up for you?  

I’ll leave you with some inspiration from the winning comment for the Asmi Necklace Giveaway:

“Being a global soul mean(s) being open to and enriched by the diversity that is encompassed by earth, sky and water. It means a soul engaged in the endless cycles of life, of love, of pain, of sorrow and joy. It is a soul connected fully to the web of life.”

Lovely sentiment, isn’t it? Congratulations Laura!