A curated guide to slow, sustainable living in India
In our new section Samay: Reclaiming Time, we consider how the clock moved differently across the Indian subcontinent before the Industrial Revolution. In ancient India, time was understood as cyclical rather than linear, kaal that encompasses the cosmic dance of creation and destruction. And it …
From silent shifts to radical turns, four creatives speak of how life has transformed with time Transformation isn’t immediate. Or noisy. It requires patience, presence, and the willingness to let life unfold at its own pace. Beejliving traces how a new generation of Indian creatives …
What does it mean to nurture the future of luxury? Carrying legacy into a data-heavy world? We’re not talking about chatbots in couture or NFTs posing as provenance. Rather, nurturing something slower, more deliberate, a pursuit with purpose. Three minds. Three maps into the future. …
Aangi is a garment woven with history. In the arid landscape of Shekhawati, Rajasthan, it tells the story of women whose hands, generation after generation, have crafted it with great finesse and artistry. The Aangi, a tight blouse paired with the flowing Ghagri skirt, is
Contemporary narratives are challenging narrow Indian beauty ideals. We celebrate the myriad shades of Indian skin, body types, and expressions of identity. Rich and luminous Deccani miniature paintings in Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum depict women as sensuous beings with fair complexions, wide open eyes, prominent
Accused of being too dowdy for the spotlight, sustainable fashion is now stealing the show at parties For years, conscious togs have been derided for being shapeless sacks that don’t serve at soirées. Well, times have changed, and so have we. Eco couture is bringing
The top 12 natural deodorants that banish BO and nix nasties for round-the-clock freshness Our sweaty ancestors knew a thing or two about sourcing fragrances from nature. They crafted concoctions from simple ingredients like rose, cardamom, cinnamon, and lily to more unconventional ones like ostrich
Blending tradition with innovation, ghee, a kitchen’s best kept secret, finds its way into the realm of skincare. Ghee’s golden hues, steeped in goodness and a part of ancient remedies, merges seamlessly with modern beauty rituals. Like an alchemist’s magical touch, ghee transforms, nourishes, and
Surrounded by the Thar Desert is Bikaner, the desert city of Rajasthan. From here comes Ashok Bishnoi, who in 2004 founded the NGO Hastshilp. Working with folk crafts, he founded The Charkha (formerly knowns as Lokashram) representing the crafts of the region and khadi products.
Neeti Mehra is an award-winning, multidimensional communications professional and brand consultant with 20+ years of experience in bringing stories to life. She works as an independent storyteller at the intersection of sustainability, ecology and people, shaping the voice of homegrown and international brands. In 2007, she founded Beejliving, a multi-disciplinary platform that records our living traditions, making them accessible and relevant to a young, curious audience.
Through the lens of modernity, she interprets ancient practices, showing there is an alternate, viable path to living a fast-paced, burnt-out life. In 2024, she was featured on the cover of The Week magazine’s health supplement for being the leading voice in advocating slow living in India. In February, she launched the #BeejlivingPowerCircle a B2B platform targeted to help conscious businesses in India scale.
Neeti has partnered on projects with leading global brands such as Marriott International, Jaipur Rugs, AB InBev, South African Tourism and the India Wine Awards. She is a former editor with FICCI’s India Travel, LuxeBook, and Indian Express Newspapers.
She has been published in over 60 global publications such as Lonely Planet, Vogue, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, The Hindu, Business Traveller UK, The Spruce, Treehugger and The Times of India, writing about responsible luxury and sustainable living. A Technical Accountant, Neeti has a Post Graduate Certificate in Yoga & Tantra and Indian Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha. She has completed a CSR workshop with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
A student of Vedic studies since the past six years, she has also been studying Sanskrit. She has studied traditional knowledge of Ayurveda, Jyotish and Tantra with world-renowned Ayurvedic practitioner, Dr Robert Svoboda. A wine lover, she finished her WSET Level 1 award in wine with a perfect score.
From architectural fashion to couture mastery, material exploration, ritual-led wellbeing and communal dining, Chorus is a complete universe of craft that unfolds.
In Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda, a new voice in craft takes centre stage. Chorus, the multidisciplinary atelier envisioned by Karishma and Avantika Swali, builds on Chanakya International’s 40-year legacy while looking ahead. It’s a place where clay, cloth, scent and every material in between are treated not as objects, but as storytellers.
“Chorus is a space beyond fixed definitions, where disciplines blur, and the unexpected takes shape,” says Co-founder and Creative Director Karishma Swali, who is also the Creative Director, Chanakya International and Founder & Chairperson, Chanakya Foundation and Chanakya School of Craft.
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Our Founder, Neeti Mehra, seen on the cover of The Week Magazine’s Health Supplement
Slow living is an antidote to our fast-paced lives. A slow life is balanced, meaningful, and life-affirming, purposeful and fulfilling. It’s a long-term view of your own life and the world around you. Slow living helps you control the narrative of your own life, where you are not defined by the standards, timelines and a lifestyle the world decides for you, but what you decide for yourself. The slow life is not escapist, rather, it is a dynamic, self-aware and reflective.
Beejliving is a haven for a discerning community seeking to explore, embrace, and redefine the art of slow, sustainable living. We invite you to cultivate a mindful lifestyle, indulging in unforgettable experiences that celebrate conscious consumption and thoughtful craftsmanship.
