PVLF 2026

Vandana Bhasin, Author of "The Gift of Self"

Vandana discusses The Gift of Self, exploring spirituality, self-discovery, gratitude, and acceptance through poetry and reflection, guiding readers on a journey toward inner awareness.
on Mar 14, 2026

Frontlist: The book blends poetry with introspective commentary, offering both emotional resonance and practical reflection. How did you approach creating a balance between lyrical expression and guiding insights for readers seeking inner growth?

Vandana: Poetry is a medium to express elegantly and judiciously within the structure and boundaries of a few words. While the idea gets across by the use of the right vocabulary and imagery, the initial thought process, and the spiritual ideology, reasoning and explanation behind each piece of poetry, warranted some explanation so that the reader could appreciate the verses better and gain insights from them. Many readers have commented that the prose part guided them in understanding the poetry more effectively, and they felt a sense a connection as if the poet, or I, was in direct conversation with them.

Frontlist: Each section of your book, Path to Enlightenment, Quest for Self, Awakening, Insights, Acceptance, Divinity, reads like a step on a spiritual journey. How did you decide on this structure, and what do you hope readers take away at each stage?

Vandana: Well, I did not decide on the structure at the initial stage. Sometimes, the poetry came first, and at others, it followed the prose. For me, it was a process of peeling my own layers of fears and ignorance and replacing them with knowledge and wisdom. Once I had finalised the content, I knew I had to categorise it for the benefit of the readers. When I started the process of segmentation, it felt like all the pieces of the puzzle were fitting together so well, as if they had been cut from one larger picture in the first place itself, and meant to be structured that way. So, in the end, they did reflect the steps of a spiritual seeker’s journey, as so they were.

The first section, “Path to enlightenment”, gently nudges the

reader to embrace spirituality by introducing concepts like ‘Shoshin’–A beginner’s mind, ‘Shunyata’, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, and talking about notions as the existence of the soul distinct from the body and mind, walking alone on the journey to knowing self, shedding our ego, understanding the purpose of our existence, and trying to follow the footsteps of the Buddha.

The section on “Quest for Self” highlights the highs and lows one experiences when they start their journey of knowing themselves. It talks about how one keeps floating in the past and future to make one’s present meaningful. This section is highly introspective and dwells upon failures, fears, desires and the working of the mind. It forces the readers to introspect to find answers to their life’s questions. The concepts of “Shikata ga nai” and “Kintsugi” are also introduced here.

After introspection, the reader is slowly led on to “Acceptance”. The merit of liberating oneself from the cage of the past, relinquishing the fear of the future and the regrets of past choices, and accepting the present moment fully as pre-sent are some of the thoughts infused in the reader’s mind. The reader is urged to take a pause, reflect, and choose the new path.

The section on “Awakening” begins with asking the reader to embrace forgiveness by acknowledging that each of us is on our individual journey. Learning from nature is the key takeaway here, and the section ends by emphasising that acceptance is the only mantra, and we must flow with the waves of change.

“Insights” asks the readers to believe in the power of miracles and in the plan of the Universe. This section motivates the readers to rise above their fears and not lose hope in themselves or their journey. “As within, so without,” is the philosophy stressed upon.

The last section, “Divinity”, begins with a prayer of gratitude and focuses on complete surrender to the Universal power. With references to Rumi and Gurbani, this section is full of reverence to the Almighty, seeking guidance from the divine and offering gratitude for all life’s blessings.

Frontlist: The concept of gratitude, acceptance, and transformation is central to your work. In what ways do you think embracing these qualities can cultivate the joy, kindness, and togetherness celebrated during Christmas?

Vandana: Every religion focuses on the oneness of God and the unity of mankind.

The qualities of acceptance and gratitude make a person humble, content and compassionate. Once we are happy and gratified, we not only feel joy all around us, but we also want to spread it to others, thus cultivating a sense of kindness, unity and oneness. Being open to such a transformation enables us to accept the impermanence of people and things in our lives, thereby reducing attachment and fostering compassion and togetherness.

“As within, so without” is one of the concepts detailed in the book, which aptly defines the spirit of Christmas.

Frontlist: Your work blends your experiences as a poet, editor, life coach, and artist. How do these diverse roles support the way you approach the themes of self-discovery, generosity, and spiritual joy in your writing?

Vandana: I believe in growth through learning, and that helped me assimilate the diverse experiences in the field of art, writing, editing and coaching.

Being an artist helped me to pause, reflect, focus, accept my mistakes, and learn to create beauty out of the mess of colours. That was one of my earliest introductions to mindfulness.

The course and role of a Life Coach helped me practice the virtues of empathy and listening, and increased my emotional understanding of dealing with people and situations.

Writing poetry has always been therapeutic for me, and I have always been grateful for the ability to express myself eloquently through words and verses.

When I started to express my understanding of what I had learnt by diving into spiritual content, all my skills and learnings came together to create a cohesive whole. The pause, mindfulness, emotional intelligence, resilience, empathy, and expression (all traits that were being polished in various roles) became allies in what fructified as “The Gift of Self”.

Frontlist: In the book, divinity and the Universe are recurring motifs. How do you make these profound, abstract ideas accessible and relatable to readers while still retaining a sense of awe and reverence?

Vandana: I consider divinity and universality as distinct from religion. Divinity is trust in the power of the Creator, irrespective of any religion, and I believe, every person (atheist or a believer) concedes to the existence of a Creator.

Since the existence of “being” cannot be denied, or we cannot deny that we, as beings, exist, this fact can be extended to say that the existence of being implies the existence of the Universe, as well as our interconnectedness with it. Hence, the existence of some force or power that controls the Universe cannot be refuted.

The book has accentuated this idea of Universality and offered it gently to readers in a simple, effective vocabulary using both prose and verse, and without hurting readers’ religious beliefs, while affirming to their belief in the Universal power.

Frontlist: Poetry often allows readers to experience transformation, subtly and personally. Can you share a moment or verse from The Gift of Self that you feel particularly captures the essence of giving oneself fully to others and to life?

Vandana: “The Gift of Self” reiterates the philosophy of surrender and acceptance through a variety of verses, gently directing the reader to give oneself fully to others and to life.

The first poem of the book titled “Embracing Enlightenment” is very special to me as it’s an invitation to readers to open the doors of their hearts to the Universal wisdom, and embrace uncertainty, silence, oneness and miracles. Here is the first verse:

I open my heart to a journey to self,

As surrounded by fears, I found myself,

The burden of the past, the fear of the unknown,

The fear of fall despite all I know,

I acknowledge my fears and forge ahead,

I open my heart to an uncertain world.

Frontlist: In a world often focused on external achievements and material gifts, your book emphasises the inner gift of self-awareness and presence. How do you see this perspective as a form of kindness and contribution to one’s community and relationships?

Vandana: We all know that change begins with us. If we wish to see a kind, understanding and compassionate world, then we have to work towards changing ourselves first.

We are all a continuous work-in-progress and have to evolve through relationships, whether with others or with ourselves. The awareness that we need to grow by improving ourselves in

certain areas and knowing ourselves deeper is the first step towards a better and kinder society.

The more the number of people in the community who focus on developing humility and kindness as their basic virtues, the better their relationships will be with other members of society. What a blissful sight it would be to see every person working on themselves through self-awareness and being mindful of their actions and reactions!

Frontlist: Finally, if readers could carry away one enduring insight about joy, compassion, or togetherness from The Gift of Self this Christmas, what would it be, and how do you hope it transforms their daily lives?

Vandana: Acceptance of the present moment is the most profound and wisest mantra from “The Gift of Self”. Once we accept the present moment without resistance or regret, we find joy in every moment, no matter how daunting it is. If we are happy and content within, compassion finds its way to us, and we look for opportunities to spread joy, love and happiness in the lives of people around us. Our presence becomes a reason for their delight, as we radiate the light of bliss and cheer from within ourselves.

I have summarised the same by including the six categories of my book in the following statement:

“As we forge ahead on the quest for self through insights, an awareness arises, revealing that acceptance is the ultimate mantra to understanding divinity on the path to enlightenment.”