The Writer’s Flight

  From high-quality mats and props to stylish apparel and eco-friendly water bottles, there are premium props and yoga gear available in the market today to elevate your wellness experience By Namrata Kohli  “I joined my dream company at 19 as an intern, achieved my goal of becoming a CA (Chartered Accountant) at 22 and landed a handsome package at the top consulting firm PwC. But after four and a half years, I found myself dealing with a lot of stress, anxiety, monotony and bad eating habits.”- this is the story of Prateek Kedia who started looking for a solution to his problems and stumbled upon the most obvious one: YOGA! He then went for a trial yoga class at a yoga studio which he says “was really challenging” because he had not worked out in the last few years. But after the class, he felt great as body was certainly lighter and mind rejuvenated. So, he went to one of the famous e- commerce portals to buy his first yoga mat “but sadly whatever I encountered was anae...

  Come summers and everyone wants to head overseas for a holiday. But the visa nightmare can completely wreck your holiday plans if you haven’t prepared to apply well in advance. Know about varying visa rules, visa processing times and cost across countries By Namrata Kohli This summer, India was the third country after China and Turkey in terms of number of Schengen area visa applications, as reported by the European Commission. For foreign travel, if there is one singular thing which is most important it’s your visa- or in simple words, that stamp/endorsement on your passport that you are allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in another country. For many, the visa process can be plagued with innumerable issues. Says Abheek Anand, a 32-year-old Delhi based entrepreneur who was planning a trip to the US this summer, “Visa applications tend to take a long time to process, often due to high demand and bureaucratic inefficiencies. Many countries require exten...

  “The first and most crucial step in foreign travel is early planning for visas,” says Yummi Talwar, Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, VFS Global in an exclusive interview with Namrata Kohli                                                           Yummi Talwar, Chief Operating Officer Of VFS Global The recently appointed COO  Yummi Talwar  of  VFS Global- the world’s leading visa and consular services outsourcing technology company,   has been the company's regional head for the visa business for Europe. VFS Global serves as a trusted partner to 67 governments. Headquartered in Zurich and Dubai and backed by majority shareholder Blackstone, along with the Swiss-based Kuoni and Hugentobler Foundation and EQT, VFS Global has efficiently processed more than 287 million applications since...

Much like we wear lightweight, light-coloured clothing to help our bodies stay cool, and apply sunscreen to prevent sunburn, there are ways and techniques to summer cool our homes and protect them from extreme heat By Namrata Kohli At least eight people have died of suspected sun stroke in Odisha in the last three days. Officials say India is in the middle of the longest heat wave it has seen since records began. Temperatures have crossed 50 degrees Celsius in some areas recently.  It's time to adopt a more proactive approach to heat illness prevention and response not just at a personal level, but even the way we do in our homes. Here are strategies to ensure you can act promptly and effectively. Use light colour exteriors to reflect light and keep the house cooler inside. Tinted film should be able to block out 60-80% of the heat - ask them to do a test on a sample and then install it! Make judicious use of plants that absorb humidity such as English Ivy, Peace Lily, Palms, Bosto...