What is Social Change? Inspirations from my Mom

February 28, 2013 By

This is the last video I will share during my journey in India. I wrap up my journey with a heavy heart and such deep gratitude for the blessings of the past two and half months.

I have had the opportunity to spend the past ten days with my amazing mother, who has come to India to dive deeper into the next phase of her life to create social change in the world.

For her this means carrying out her dream to help poor children and families who are living in and around the slums of Mumbai to have access to education, clean water and proper sanitation.

Inspired by my mother and my own desire for social transformation, my question to you this week is what is your vision of social change and how do you see yourself carrying this out?

I have created a short video that offers a simple and practical framework and exercise to begin to implement the change you want to lead in the world.

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Journey to Kumbh Mela

February 28, 2013 By

This was an experience of a lifetime, so filled with joy, blessings and challenging to the core. I was called to the Kumbh, I found out in being there it was to become humbled by the devotion and hearts of Ma Ganga’s devotees. People walking for hours, days, carrying bags on their heads, many with thin slippers or no shoes at all. Bodies, bodies, bodies, people everywhere, about 35 million on one day to bathe, purify and hope to escape the cycle of re-birth. I felt spirit in the hearts of the souls I walked with, and for the first time understood with more grounding that spirituality cannot be taught from the robes the swami’s and gurus adorn upon themselves and preach from. It is already here in our hearts and only to remember. Jai Ma for her blessings that we could take another dip.

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Mama Desai has touched down in India!!

February 27, 2013 By

Mama Desai has touched down in India!!!

I will be spending the last few weeks in this special journey here with my mom. She is supporting me in recovering my health :) and I am supporting her and her mission to begin philanthropic work in India.

After more than 30 years as a practicing physician in the US, she wants to give back in the country of her birth. Yesterday, we visited a wonderful organization called Door Step School. This organization helps poor children in Mumbai and Pune slums to go to school. I remember visiting their first school in a Mumbai slum when I was six. It was a make-shift room built of tin panels. Since that time they have blossomed to over 200 school sites and 500 staff under the leadership of the amazing, dynamic woman you can see her in the picture. She has so much energy!!

As we learned yesterday, their work is now focusing a lot more on serving the children of migrant workers. Migrant workers migrate for work and in many cases are construction workers. All throughout India there is a HUGE construction boom going on…malls, high-rise apartments, industrial parks, you name it. And most unfortunately the construction workers, or migrant workers (many of who are women), are very poorly paid, live in horrible conditions and migrate along with their children who will never have the opportunity to go to school because they go from construction site to construction site. [Read more...]

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Devotion

February 12, 2013 By

What does devotion mean to you?

For me devotion has saved my life, it has brought me closer to understanding the love and power that exists within me and all beings. It has brought me into a place of peace, humility and deep service in Birthing my Mission and calling in the world.

In this week’s video I offer you a definition and four simple steps you can take to go deeper into your path of devotion in order to birth your Mission and Movement in the world.


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Heart of Education is the Education of Heart

February 4, 2013 By

In any given day on this trip there is so much experience, angst, love, devotion, heartbreak, serendipitous grace.

It is often said that India is the land of paradox, and if you make up your mind that “India is….” it’s exact opposite will be also be true. This is my experience here, on any given day there are moments that my heart expands and breaks, expands and breaks…

I left my ancestral state of Gujarat and got to spend the last couple days with my dad who was visiting. It was special to connect with him in the place he grew up and help his movement to uplift the village. He’s a great man. I will carry the memories, the students, the AMAZING WOMEN, my grandmother’s spirit, family, neighbors, healing, MA with me and through me until I return again soon.

I wanted to share some photos of the wonderful memories. I had an opportunity to address the community the last day and spoke especially to the women. I brought back the messages of Gandhi who came from the same state and who’s legacy of India’s independence we were celebrating. [Read more...]

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