COFFEE TALKS and a lot more!

There were days when I used to hold on to anger for long stretches. A small fight was enough to ruin my entire day. I would keep a fussy face, stop talking, and taunt again and again, as if punishing the other person would somehow make me feel better. But it never did. It only made the day heavier. Monk Man would calmly advise, “This is not the way to live. Anger is not a blanket you wrap yourself in.” I would snap back, “This is how I am! If you can’t accept it, just tell me.” Back then, I never realized that life is meant to be taken beautifully, not forcefully. We don’t have to drag hurt, stretch silence, or prolong irritation. Holding anger doesn’t make us strong; it only makes us stuck. Slowly, he made me understand that anger is just an emotion passing through the mind, like a storm passing through the sky. We don’t need to chase it. We don’t need to feed it. We just need to let it settle softly. Very slowly, I began to understand that it is better to speak, resolve, and move on ...

  There were days when if I didn’t like someone, I would keep complaining about them. I would talk about them over the phone, with friends, or with whoever was ready to listen. I never realized how deeply this habit had settled into me. One day Monk Man asked, “What do you gain by criticising people all the time? What do you build inside yourself?” He said when we bad-mouth others, we don’t damage their image first — we damage our own mind. We create negative thoughts, negative energy, and negative impressions inside ourselves. But I didn’t listen. I happily continued with my habit. I thought complaining made me feel lighter. But Monk Man warned me strictly one day: “If I hear you doing this again, I will talk to the person on the other side and tell them not to speak to you anymore. Enough of this!” The shock was real! So I started doing it secretly when he wasn’t around, and behind his back. But he kept noticing—not the words, but the energy. Monk Man never complained...

   There was a time when my phone used to sleep right beside me—literally under my pillow. I would scroll endlessly through reels until my eyes gave up, and I finally drifted off. That habit continued even after I had my baby. My justification? “I didn’t even touch my phone the whole day! I deserve a little time for myself… scrolling relaxes me!” But Monk Man kept gently reminding me, “It’s not the way. The more you scroll, the less you sleep. Your energy drains without you realizing it. You may think you’re not sleepy, but slowly, it eats away your patience. That’s why you feel irritated or don’t feel like answering Putu’s calls or questions. Sleep is the real nourishment your body needs.” I ignored him for the longest time, thinking, “He’s just being old-fashioned.” But the best part about Monk Man? He never forced it. He simply said one day, “Try it for a couple of days—for my sake. Let’s see if it works.” So, I did. And now… I don’t ever want to go back! Th...

  Before Conceiving: Followed a simple, home-cooked diet Practiced yoga regularly and stayed disciplined Lost weight naturally — from 62 kg to 42 kg Avoided sugary and processed foods Introduced a soothing Golden Latte — warm milk with soaked almond paste, elaichi, kesar, honey, and turmeric — a ritual that brought comfort and calm During Pregnancy: Focused on low-carb, home-cooked meals Completely avoided processed Monitored sugar levels closely After Delivery: Dealt with postpartum piles naturally — ate 2–3 tender radishes daily , soft rice, and rasam Relished my mother-in-law’s laddus — black sesame-jaggery laddus, and aromatic methi laddus — pure comfort after an oil massage and bath Stuck to traditional meals — soft palya and saaru varieties Avoided all baked and processed foods for nearly a year Continued breastfeeding for 2 years and 3 months , maintaining the same mind...

There were days when I just couldn’t stop cribbing — complaining about my annoying boss, little inconveniences, or anything that irritated me at work. Slowly, going to work started feeling like a headache… like I was walking into a lion’s den. Monk Man kept advising me: “Stop cribbing. Don’t let it fester in your mind. Either speak up once and let it go or simply release it. Don’t keep discussing it with colleagues or friends — replaying it only strengthens negative feelings. Over time, your mind starts developing a kind of hatred for the environment itself.” In the beginning, I stopped cribbing only because he told me to. Honestly, I felt frustrated — like he didn’t understand my feelings. I kept thinking,  “Does he even get what I’m going through?” But slowly… very, very slowly, things began to change. Watching him — someone who spoke up when needed but never nagged or complained — made an impact. Gradually, I too started practicing the art of letting go instead of revisit...

Small Changes, Big Calm I once asked, “How do you wake up so early? Don’t you just sleep a little more? You don’t even have strict office timings or morning chores!” Monk Man smiled and said, “True, I’m a bachelor, but even half an hour of extra sleep can mess up my whole day! Traffic piles up, ETA can vary by more than an hour, breakfast gets delayed… and I don’t like rushing my food. Honestly, we work hard for good food — it’s a reward. I don’t want to have my brekky outside; I like it slow, warm, and peaceful. Leaving early means I reach the office stress-free and avoid that slow-moving traffic frustration. Then lunch, coming home, sleep schedule — it’s all a chain reaction. One delay ruins the next day too.” I laughed and teased him, “You sound like a programmed system! After all, we’re humans — not robots.” So, I continued with my routine — snoozing the alarm, rushing later, skipping proper breakfast, and dragging through the same anxious, chaotic mornings. But slowly, what he s...