Kind Kind

What does kindness look like in the chaos of early mornings, diaper changes, teenage rebellion, and everything in between?How do mothers hold space for themselves while raising the next generation?In this episode, recorded in August 2024, we spoke to three incredible women, each navigating different stages of motherhood. Their stories are full of warmth, reflection, resilience—and a lot of honesty.(P.S. Watch at 1.5x speed if you're short on time—we won’t mind!)Somhrita ChakrabortySomhrita is a 36-year-old woman living in Philadelphia, USA, with her husband and three-year-old son. Passionate about balance, mindfulness, and wellness, she practices and teaches Ashtanga Yoga, which helps her find harmony in everyday chaos. Her life experiences have taught her resilience. As a mother, she’s seen both kindness and harshness, and it’s the kindness that’s brought her joy and hope—something she believes is essential to motherhood and worth talking about.Ashima GuptaAshima, 31, is a Program Manager at Swiggy and a new mother to a baby girl. She plays many roles—responsible elder child, coach and friend to her sister, loving partner to her husband, and is on a constant journey to find joy and meaning in life. Often found walking outdoors, doing yoga, or playing chess with her husband, Ashima cherishes coffee dates with friends. She describes herself as thoughtful, obsessive, and sensitive—qualities she embraces as her strengths.Yamini NairYamini is a Creative Director who has worked with top agencies, including Ogilvy & Mather. A fan of all things indie and handmade, she brings rich experience in driving creative solutions for leading brands. Her paintings have been exhibited at Chitra Kala Parishad and Renaissance Art Gallery, Bangalore. She actively engages in clean-up drives and volunteers for creative workshops in underprivileged schools. Awarded by Garden City University in 2020, she has authored two books and enjoys travel storytelling with her son, tea-fueled Zen musings, and visits to her riverside home in Kerala where her love for literature began.About:Kind Kind is an exploration of kindness and the various nuances that are easy to miss in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The philosophy on which this is based is if one does not have an articulation of their own understanding of kindness, the giving and receiving of it becomes challenging as well. The idea is to empower people with the knowledge and confidence to #TryKindness and approach relationships with more curiosity than judgment. Join the tribe of audacious dreamers who believe that the world can change with a little more kindness! Kind Kind Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kindkindpod...LinkedIn -   / kind-kind  The Orange HeartWebsite - https://www.theorangeheart.inLinkedIn -   / theorangeheart  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the.orangeh...`````In case you missed it - Season 1 can be streamed on all audio streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And no, we had no video in Season 1. ````Our comments and DMs are open for your constructive criticism - thoughts, feelings and suggestions. Do drop in an email at [email protected] if you’d like us to explore a certain facet of Kindness or be a guest on our podcast.

Through the stress of finding a partner, how important is the support of friends and family?

Is not being able to find companionship causing one to be labelled “commitment-phobic”?

Is being single a resistance now? Is it a movement by a generation that is demanding better relationships for themselves?

We spoke to Anusha, Rishi, Arjun, Disha, and Vismaya, who shared their experiences interacting with family, friends and society when it comes to the topic of being in a relationship. Moderated wonderfully by our Producer Dhriti, the episode was a free-flowing conversation where everyone shared their lived experiences, some laughter, their pains and hopes for the future.

Is there a “The One” for all of us? 

What kind of social currency does having a partner give you?

When there is so much internal and external baggage, how are we approaching new potential partners and meeting our own evolving selves with kindness? 

We spoke to Anusha, Rishi, Arjun, Disha, and Vismaya, who shared their experiences interacting with family, friends and society when it comes to the topic of being in a relationship. Moderated wonderfully by our Producer Dhriti, the episode was a free-flowing conversation where everyone shared their lived experiences, some laughter, their pains and hopes for the future. 

We got a bunch of 30-somethings to chat about the pressures of finding and protecting love, while managing societal accusations of being too old to get someone to be with! How and where does kindness figure in all this madness? 

How does our cultural upbringing affect the way we approach kindness?

Why do we sometimes choose not to be kind?

Do you think kindness has a transformative power?

On this episode, we were joined by Colling Batchelor, Fiona Harmsworth, and Jade Phillips in a conversation moderated by Shuchita Pandey and Dhriti Belliappa, where we navigated these interesting questions. 

Do certain roles need you to be “hard-hearted” and forego virtues like kindness and empathy? 

How does one create the balance between organisational guardrails and individual inclinations in showing empathy?

Can gender stereotypes impact how you are perceived in the workplace, be it defence services or corporate jobs?

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Dhriti and Vismaya dive into these conversations and more in this episode of Kind Kind with Amshu. He is a Retired, Lt. Commander Amshumantha S K from the Indian Navy now in the process of transitioning into corporate life. 

Do virtues like kindness and empathy make someone whose role requires them to be ‘hard-hearted’, weaker? Or could they perhaps be a strength?

Stay tuned for Ep. 4 of Season 2 of the Kind Kind Podcast where we explore these questions with Amshumantha SK. 

What does living in a world that tends to flatten experiences and personalities, in a bid to make everything “normal versus abnormal”, look like?

How does self-compassion factor in when one is constantly subjected to overt and covert othering?

Can unbridled kindness shown to someone who is not used to it, actually make them wary?   

Dhriti and Vismaya dive into these conversations and more on this episode of Kind Kind with Sumitra. They are queer and neurodivergent, navigating life as a seasoned curator and academic with a strong foundation in the history of art and the curatorial practice.

Is kindness absolute or contextual?

Can a person’s lived experience inform the way they view kindness?

Is kindness to self greater than kindness to others or is it circumstantial?

These are tricky questions that we have explored with our guests - Gopakumar Menon & Saptarshi Chakraborty and our moderator, Shuchita Pandey.

Do contexts provide the constructs that dictate how we look at kindness? Are an AI Researcher and Conservationist really at two extreme sides of the kindness philosophical debate?

Stay tuned for Ep. 3 of Season 2 of the Kind Kind Podcast where we explore these questions with Gopa Menon & Saptarshi Chakrabarti