Category: Articles
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Running to stand still: Why the notion of a perfect body is doing untold harm in sport
It’s beyond time, now, to reclaim body positivity in sport, and to embrace the message that body shape and sporting fulfilment are not mutually exclusive Sharad Kohli “I was never the leanest cricketer in the world but I won games for franchises. I won games for my country,” Dané van Niekerk told BBC Sport Africa…
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Body positivity in current times
Dr Sujata Singhi The impact of body image and self-esteem has never been more prevalent than in today’s society. The pressure to conform to societal beauty standards can lead to a widespread issue of body negativity, affecting individuals of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. According to a survey conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association,…
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My body divine
It is time to make a paradigm shift from what we do not have or think we don’t have. It is indeed time to give gratitude to what we do have! Shital Ravi Deho devālayah proktah jīvo devassanātanah (sa jīvah kevalah śivah) Tyajedajñānanirmālyam so’ham bhāvena pūjayet॥ (Maitreya Upaniṣad 2.1) “The body is said to be…
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The pressure of looking good on social media for children
Body positivity is extremely crucial and must be taught in school so that children learn to accept and love themselves for who they are and not simply focus on their physical appearance Rajeev Vijayan In today’s world, children are constantly bombarded with images of unrealistic body ideals. This can lead to negative body image and…
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The subtle power of dress codes
Clothes shape mental health and body image. Let us explore the hows and the whys. Sridhar Laxman We often overlook the dress code’s role when we think of workplace culture. However, it can significantly affect employees’ mental health and perception of their bodies. Clothing and identity Clothing isn’t just about covering ourselves – it’s a…
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Giving wings to dreams
The story of Dr Jitender Aggarwal, a successful dentist who got afflicted by macular degeneration of the retina, which leads to blindness and how he set a successful social enterprise riding on faith Prachi Raturi Misra Days merged into nights and the phone, it didn’t stop ringing. With two dental clinics to manage in West…
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In her true colours
From avoiding being photographed to becoming a social media star, Manisha Malik’s journey of accepting vitiligo tells you how to embrace yourself Veenu Singh Social media is like a two-edged sword. While it may be pushing us to look at beauty in a certain way, demanding perfection in every aspect, social media has also helped…
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Winds of change in interpreting LGBTQIA+on Indian celluloid
Arnab Banerjee Cinema being enormously powerful, has the power to change the way we think about ourselves and our culture. Of course, cinema as a medium, can make us laugh or cry or leave us speechless too. But most important of all is its ability to raise voices and experiences of the marginalised to a…
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Unity in diversity: How sport’s rainbow coalition is building a monument to acceptance and respect
In 2022, India’s Dutee Chand called for a world in which LGBTQIA+ athletes can live without fear of persecution or death. Three years earlier, the 100m and 200m runner from Odisha had revealed that she was in a same-sex relationship, her honesty igniting a moral backlash but also earning Chand kudos and support. The act…
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Sexuality and identity
Samindara Sawant Gaurav was 16 when he started becoming aware of the possibility that he might be gay. While his friends ogled at girls, he on the other hand, seemed to notice all the interesting guys. Eventually, he realised that he was attracted to boys, and felt nothing for girls. By the time he was…