Ritu Kaushal's Blog, page 7

An Online Retreat to Nurture Your Creative Spirit!

If you are a sensitive creative, you might feel a deep longing to express your creativity. But you may also feel stuck in actually giving voice to it. Maybe, you are a writer who is trying to give form to the story embedded in your soul. Or another kind of artist who feels unsure & frightened of revealing their vulnerable self to the world.

If you’re looking for a nurturing space to hold your energy & kindle your creativity, you might enjoy this ONLINE retreat I’m teaching at, happening t...

If you don’t know where you end & someone else begins, you might just be a woman.

Even though I have written a book about being an empath, some things about the online conversation around being sensitive REALLY bother me. Sometimes, we talk as if EVERYTHING can be solved on the individual level.

There is no doubt that as highly sensitive people, we need to take responsibility for saying no. We need to pay attention to our energetic boundaries, so we can stand our ground instead of feeling pushed around by other people’s feelings.

But in addition to all this, w...

“Sometimes, the most beautiful experience with a flower is brief.”

In my last post, I wrote about reading Ingrid F. Lee’s book Joyful & experimenting with accessing joy through little, tangible things. I also wrote about an early memory of being delighted by a playful activity.

One time my naani, my maternal grandmother, had us kids make little plates and cups from the kind of kneaded dough that Indian rotis (flatbreads) are made of. Later, we baked these in the hot Delhi sun to create miniature utensils.

It was a delightful act and one of my ea...

The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness!

I picked up Ingrid F. Lee’s book Joyful during a dark mood. I was feeling heavy with fear, and I wanted to bring some lightness in. I am still reading the book (It’s divided into chapters like Energy, Freedom, Play, Magic). But it’s already nudged me into thinking of the small delights that are within arm’s reach.

I started with ice creams. Not only is a new ice cream now on my weekly shopping list, I also got waffle cones. Then, I found a list of local ice cream shops online, which is n...

Are you feeling re-entry anxiety as a highly sensitive person?

If you’re a highly sensitive person who is vaccinated, you might be feeling re-entry anxiety. The “summer of joy” might actually be feeling like a summer of mixed emotions. In the last two & a half months, as I’ve tested the waters, my husband & I have met up with friends. We’ve gone to our first post-pandemic music concert. I also went clothes shopping for the first time in 16 months as well as to my favorite bookstore.

Here are my experiences & some ideas that might be helpful! ...

Online Event, Hosted by East West Bookshop.

I will be back at the wonderful East West Bookshop on Friday, July 9 in an ONLINE zoom event on energetic boundaries for sensitives. In our culture, we often talk about setting psychological boundaries. But energetic boundaries are just as important. If we can’t energetically feel where we end & the other person begins, it can be REALLY hard to say no EVEN IF we intellectually understand what our boundaries “should” be.

If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by other people’s expec...

Are you highly sensitive & think you are the only one who does these things?

So many of us sensitives experience similar things. And yet, often, we don’t realize that we are not the only ones who feel like this. We are not the only ones who have elaborate rules to keep ourselves from getting overwhelmed. We are not the only ones who hate things like bright white lights or open-floor offices. We are not the only ones who get frazzled when we have a lot going on.

I thought I would do a list of “I thought I was the only one who did this” experiences that I have...

Navigating Trauma-Laced Sensitivity as a Sensitive Gay Man.

This guest post comes from Rick, the blogger behind the site Mystical Bear, a blog that Rick describes as having a threefold purpose: “An experiment to help overcome PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A way to rediscover the voice lost years ago. A motivational tool to help write the novel that’s haunted me for years.” Rick talks vulnerably and courageously about his journey as a sensitive man. It’s a real pleasure to have him here. Over to Rick!

“I don’t bother anyone,

Nervous when I stand...

Navigating Trauma-Laced Sensitivity as a Sensitive Gay Man

This guest post comes from Rick, the blogger behind the site Mystical Bear, a blog that Rick describes as having a threefold purpose: “An experiment to help overcome PTSD, depression, and anxiety. A way to rediscover the voice lost years ago. A motivational tool to help write the novel that’s haunted me for years.” Rick talks vulnerably and courageously about his journey as a sensitive man. It’s a real pleasure to have him here. Over to Rick!

“I don’t bother anyone,

Nervous when I stand...

Feeling conflicted about getting the vaccine? Here’s how I decided.

If you are a highly sensitive person who has been feeling anxious about getting the vaccine, I want to say: I feel your pain. I know it feels overwhelming to make a decision like this. As HSPs, we are naturally cautious, so when it comes to new situations, especially ones with so many different factors involved, it can feel like a lot!

On top of this natural caution, many of us are also pretty exhausted by this point. I have had many days recently when just the idea of making a decision,...