April
FLOW FREE LIKE WATER
here’s to
Surfing The Waves:
For when you need to stay afloat
let’s start by setting
the playlist right
Books for Finding Your Rhythm
The Overstory
Not about water, but about nature holding us. About interconnection, patience, and how everything flows into everything else. Pulitzer Prize winner.
The Old Man and the Sea
Man vs. ocean. Timeless, poetic, about persistence and release. Short enough to read in an afternoon by water.
The Hungry Tide
an eco-critical novel set in the Sundarbans, a hostile, volatile mangrove archipelago in Bengal where rivers merge with the sea. Bengal's rivers, tide country, nature and humanity intertwined
Films That Move You
let us try something new
RAJASTHAN'S STEPWELLS: A GUIDE
Ancient Water Architecture Worth Visiting:
Stepwells (baoris) aren't just functional—they're spiritual, architectural marvels. Built to store water in the desert, they became gathering spaces, cooling sanctuaries, and works of art. Here's where to find them:
Near Jaipur:
Panna Meena ka Kund, Amer
10 km from Jaipur
Symmetrical steps descending into water
Instagram-famous, but still peaceful early morning
Best time: Sunrise (6:30-8 AM)
Bring: Water, camera, respectChand Baori, Abhaneri
95 km from Jaipur (day trip)
One of the deepest stepwells in India (13 stories, 3,500 steps)
Featured in The Dark Knight Rises
Geometric perfection
Best time: Morning or late afternoon (it gets hot)
Combine with: Harshat Mata Temple nearby
Elsewhere in Rajasthan:
Adalaj Stepwell, Ahmedabad Gujarat border
5 stories, intricate carvings, octagonal structureNeemrana Baori, Neemrana
9 stories, 170 km from Jaipur
Near Neemrana Fort, make it a weekend tripToorji Ka Jhalra, Jodhpur
Restored, active, in the Blue City
Stepwell Etiquette:
These are sacred spaces - dress modestly
Don't litter (please, seriously)
Some have water, some don't - don't swim unless locals do
Early morning = best light + fewer crowds
Respect if it's being used for actual water storage
Why Visit?
Architecture: Symmetry, geometry, ancient engineering
Coolness: Literal - 5-6°C cooler than ground level
Meditation: The descent is a ritual, the water a mirror
Photography: Patterns, light, shadows, infinite stairs
History: Each one has a story - queens, droughts, devotion
rituals and practices
This month, get yourself to some water; a pool, a beach, a lake, whatever you can access. Walkin, breathe, stay. Go slow, no need to rush. Once you are in, just stand there or float for a bit. Close your eyes and imagine everything heavy you have been carrying dissolving into the water. Stay as long as you need. When you come out, notice if you feel lighter. If you ca not get to actual water, stand in the shower with your eyes closed. Same intention. It still works.
recipe to try
Infused Detox Water for Summer
Hydration that feels like self-care
Ingredients:
1 liter water
1/2 cucumber (sliced thin)
Handful of fresh mint leaves
1/2 lemon (sliced)
Ice
Method:
Add everything to a pitcher
Let it sit in the fridge for 2-4 hours
Sip throughout the day
Refill water 2-3 times before replacing ingredients
Poem to carry
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I’ve known rivers:
I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset.
I’ve known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.
My soul has grown deep like the rivers.
— Langston Hughes
Quote for the month
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it."
— Bruce Lee
…see you in May