Woooosah.....

Urban Dictionary defines Woosah As.-to calm down and relax.
I was proper Woosah on that tiny boat on Hooghly river that gorgeous evening with AS, with the gentle ripple of the water against old bengali music. It’s amazing how poetic one gets when one is that relaxed. It’s almost poignant.


 It’s a jungle out there, literally! It’s hard enough to be able to pay constant attention to all the words around us; it’s even harder to pay attention to that soft voice inside oneself. Silence! As life gets busier we need a sanctum sanctorum, created by a conscious effort to be able to get some Woosah time.


Living most of my adult life as a modern Bedouin, it has not been possible to have a constant comfort place, which I can call my happy place. As and when I have acclimatized myself to new surroundings, it has become imperative for me to find a place/time/state of mind to be in my happy place. It’s a burgeoning need for every individual to have a place to calm down in which is uber personal and just about oneself. No intruders please!


My recent happy place seems to be this wicked restaurant town side which has sand spread on the floor and has a view of the beach. It makes me feel like being on holiday and the place is so purty! I spent almost an entire day at work, mentally being at my happy place.  We go extreme lengths to calm ourselves and to deal with the pressure of getting by each day.  The earliest sanctum sanctorum of a human is in its mother’s womb. The womb is a symbol of protection and comfort. This sense is emulated in adult life when one retreats into a fetal position when scared or upset. To cuddle with a loved one is also a symbol of fetus as it provides sense of protection and comfort.

Ages ago, AA told me that he closes his ears under a running shower to block out all noise and to be in suspension of white noise. Those few minutes to him were a crucial necessity as it helped him focus his center. Ideally the noise is not on the outside, the cacophony is within oneself. To stay sane one needs a balance of that inner noise and calm. To center and balance ones Ubuntu, people meditate, go to retreats, and create a 20 minute noise cancellation bubble which is amongst many ways to relax. The point is to make some “ME” time.

Shifting and creating new sanctum sanctorum’s, I have always had this idea of the ultimate Woosah time in my mind which I will Inshallah soon implement. So, the idea is that it’s a tiny room with 2 walls having a shelves packed with books from the roof to the floor and the third wall of glass, overlooking a koi pond/indoor garden or a high-rise. There will be a ginormous one seating sofa in which one can just sink in with a tiny coffee table next to it and a massive coffee mug. Smell of books, a comfy sofa and coffee. Ummmm Nirvana! What more does one need?

Even now in the middle of a work day, this thought of something so personal gives me an immediate sense of relaxation and calm. I don’t have the resources to have my ideal sanctum sanctorum as of now, but I am happy to make do by being at the sea side, listening to waves wash ashore.

Peace and calm is, after all, all in the mind.