Awaken with Dr Amritha

In my family, like many traditional homes, mornings begin with prayer. Evenings end with lighting the diya. There is rhythm. There is devotion. But there is also a rule. If a woman in the house is menstruating, the rituals pause. No diya lighting. No entering the puja room. No formal prayer. I grew up with…

In the early days of my postpartum, my doctors told me, “You can slowly return to your exercise routine.” My baby was tiny then. She would sleep for longer stretches. I could ask my mom to help. I went for walks. I did my workouts. That was my therapy. It felt like I was reclaiming…

For a long time, I wrote to be read. Not consciously. But somewhere inside, I was waiting. Waiting for someone to say, “It’s good.” “It’s deep.” “You write well.” Even after writing books, I would send them to people close to me and ask, “Tell me how it is.” I wasn’t just asking for feedback.…

Yesterday, I went to a temple I used to visit during my teenage years. I still remember standing there as a young girl and crying. Praying to God to make me beautiful. I don’t know why I believed I wasn’t enough. Maybe puberty. Maybe comparison. Maybe the silent insecurity most teenage girls carry. But I…