Words dipped in wellness

All three books by Nona Walia explore different facets of inner wellness. An ex-journalist with Times of India for close to 24 years, Walia talks about why she thought it was important to write about wellness

After speaking to multitudes of people around her, Nona Walia reached a conclusion that to be happy it required something else other than an impressive paycheck and all things supposedly comfortable. “My conversations with psychiatrists and psychologists brought out an inference that there is collective strain on human mind. No matter how happy people look on the outside, yet there’s a huge turmoil happening on the inside. Staying happy on a day-to-day basis while facing challenges is getting harder and harder. Therefore, I wanted to explore these subjects through my writing. The books discover strength and happiness that lie deep within us,” elaborates Walia.

Author of three books – ‘The Magic Within’, ‘Own Your Energy’, and ‘The Art of Mental Toughness’ – Walia explores inner wellness in all her writings. The first book elaborates on what it takes to harness the unlimited potential present within each of us. While the second book speaks of how everything is nothing but energy propelling us into various situations. And the third book emphasizes on how to stay mentally tough and stable in our everyday lives, which is often marked by trials and tribulations. “I wrote on wellness even as a day-job journalist. All the three books that I authored are an extension of my articles on well-being that I wrote for decades for the newspaper. I am passionate about holistic living, which is why I wanted to explore that subject beyond the 1000-word count limit that was expected of me in my day job. The books share a complete perspective of different themes that I chose. There’s an in-depth knowledge and insight into multiple aspects of inner wellness for a reader,” shares Walia who also runs a wellness channel on YouTube.

Did writing the books work as a therapy for the writer herself? “Yes. Writing a book is a fulfilling process. When one writes for oneself, one is free from the deadline and everyday scrutiny which is always playing in the subconscious. While I was writing the books, I felt I was healing from within. That is essential, because as a writer the writing must first impact the one who is conducting it. I was the first person who benefited from my books,” explains Walia. “When I began authoring the books the pandemic and the infamous lockdown had just begun. I found myself caught in lethargy. But then writing proved to be a therapy. For that matter, every form of art is therapeutic. Be it writing, journaling, dancing, painting, or coloring,” she explains.

And did the writer’s work impact the readers’ fulfilling the purpose they were written for? “O yes. I am surprised at the response the books have received. A lot of readers told me that the book made them happier and helped them heal. All the three books are light, easy-to-read, on-the-go type that everybody young and old can read. The books have simple solutions to staying connected and happy, like movement, whirling in a circle like Sufi saints do, painting, socializing with the right set of energies, listening to music, learning to understand other people’s energy, and more,” informs the happy author. And what books on wellness have impacted the author before she became one?

“Pema Chodren’s ‘When Things Fall Apart’ and ‘Welcoming The Unwelcome’. They are brilliant books. I absolutely love reading her books, and have read all of them. I feel completely moved by her writing. I also enjoy Louise Hay’s books. Hay house is a great publisher. They bring out life changing books. Reading these books have cast a huge influence on me from time to time.”

More books on wellness in the pipeline? “Yes, of course. But it’s too early to talk about them. They are in the seed phase. Should be able to share the details in near future.”