Good evening Reader,

I hope you've been well and getting what you need from the end of this summer.

For me, that's been a lot of reflection, shedding, and rebirth. One of my coworkers once told me that the changing of seasons means we are evolving into a higher version of ourselves, and I've been reflecting on that thought for a while after traveling back from my motherland.

For context, I lived in various parts of India for the first seven years of my life before moving to the United States in 2009. Apart from a visit in 2012, I had not been back until 2023. This physical distance from my family and culture played a great role in shaping my views towards the culture and I slowly began to resent my family back home because they simply could not understand.

I was "too brown" for my friends here, and "too American" for my family back home.

Stuck between two worlds.

But as I've started to get older and pave my own path in this complex world, going back to my roots has allowed me to stay grounded amidst the chaos. I've noticed that I keep coming back to this concept of identities and the power in being able to hold multiple at once.

Traveling to India twice this year and losing a family member allowed me to shed the notion that I have to fit into only one category, and embrace the fact that I am a complex individual with multiple languages to express in.

All this to say that I am in a new stage of life, evolving and growing exactly into the person I was meant to be.

And I'm so thankful you're here with me, continuing to grow and evolve into the person you were meant to be.

Announcement:

Announcing Aangan's newest program, Samyoga! This program will be highlighting the intersection of arts and sciences, as well as the mental health outcomes of being involved in art practices through interviewing professionals in these fields.

Follow @samyoga_connect on Instagram to keep up with future updates!

Recap:

This month we introduced Mindful Mondays and Wellness Wednesdays...we would love your feedback! What type of content would you like to see next?

Reply back to this email and let us know!

New Member Spotlight:

We're incredibly excited to welcome Mahathi to the Aangan team!

Mahathi is a sophomore in high school passionate about Carnatic Music, Kathak, and science. She hopes to connect individuals with shared interests through Samyoga and Aangan helping create a community where people can share, and listen to other’s experiences and stories and interact freely without fear of judgment.

Sincerely,
Reshika
Aangan