Anamika Chakravarty faced the challenge thrown at her with a single-minded zeal to Thrive! She reinvented herself from a corporate avatar to take on the mantle of a life coach and healer, taking lessons from her own life to enable and empower others through a venture called Joy Hamesha; as a Cancer Coach and a Holistic Wellbeing Artist!
I learnt Bagavad Gita chanting from Anamika and have experienced firsthand her dedication, commitment, and devotion to making a difference in other’s life.
Her life story has been written entirely by her and I have only played the role of an editor. I have also included a link to the podcast which shares a crucial part of her Cancer journey; as listening to her tell the story connects with us deeply and in many different ways.
Please do get in touch with her at annchaks@gmail.com
Her podcast on Spotify app is called: Anamika’s Amazing Adventures.
Do listen.
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Let’s start at the very beginning. It’s a very good place to start:
Anamika :
I was born on 3rd January 1966 in Kolkata, India, since my mom went to her mother’s place for delivery. We returned to Mumbai by flight. So that was my first airplane journey!
I am the first born of my parents in a home and community where there is no distinction between a boy and a girl. The world was my oyster. For me life had infinite possibilities. There were no restrictions. With the roots firmly given by my parents, I had developed the wings to fly through wonderful journeys and to marvelous destinations. I was a happy child! 3 years and 1 month after I was born, my parents were blessed with another child, my brother.
I studied in a convent school, Auxilium Convent, Wadala. My focus was mainly academics and I had to be at the top of the class. My friend Vandana and I took turns – one year she was first and the next year I was first! I remember all my teachers vividly and I even remember all my classrooms. Some of my school friends I am still in touch with. So many memories!
Those were the days:
I did my junior college and graduation from SIES college which was a 5 min walk from my house. I could not stay back after class and loiter in the canteen. So, I would add an hour or so to my actual class end time! I have very vivid memories especially of the 11th standard; 11th E the most notorious class we were!
My dad was very keen I do engineering. But I did not pass JEE and so I did not get admission in VJTI, and going away from home was not an option. During those days, Bombay University was offering a 3 year graduate course in which I enrolled. My main subject was Computer Technology where we had to create circuit boards with tapes, transistors and resistors and one of my projects was creating a digital clock.
After this, I did my internship at Tata Unisys at Seepz. The project I did was on recognition of handwritten numerals. There too I forged friendships. Then I joined TCS, India’s premier software company. After one memorable year in TCS, I did my 2-year full time course from IIM Bangalore. Yeah, so what if I did not pass JEE. I passed CAT! In 1990 IIM B was in the middle of nowhere and most of the land was bare. Today, there are plants and trees and shrubs and bushes galore and not to forget buildings and marriage halls, and before you realise the campus arrives! I am still in touch with many of my classmates at IIMB.
After IIMB I rejoined TCS again in the Management Consulting Division. But after a few years, I transitioned back to Computer Consulting as a project manager and then as an Account Manager for one of the largest accounts. With this role I found myself back in Seepz. This tenure made me interested in software process definition & improvement and I traveled to various places on assignments. I specifically remember my time at Edinburgh.
I left TCS to join KPMG and became a certified CMM appraiser and then a certified CMMi appraiser. I went to the Software Engineering Institute which was in the campus of Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburg. When I left KPMG to join Deloitte Consulting, my role was to help Deloitte centers worldwide adhere to the CMM model. Apart from the Mumbai centre I helped the Markham center in Canada and the Majadahonda center in Madrid to get the CMM certification. A very fulfilling and wonderful career I had made for myself!
Life is all about making choices:
In January 1999 when I left TCS, I decided to get married. In 2004, while I was in Deloitte little Kimberly miraculously appeared! Miraculously, because I was traveling 28 days a month, my base was Mumbai, and my husband was transferred to Rajkot in the state of Gujarat!
In 2008 or so I went to US for a 2-month project and Kimberly was with my parents and her father. It was a very difficult 2 months for me as a mother. We used to Skype on many days. One day my mom said: “The days she speaks to you, she has a very disturbed sleep at night. If she does not see you, she is ok.” So, my husband would bring her in front of the screen, while she could not see me, I could see her. That experience sowed the seeds of not wanting to be in the corporate race anymore!
After quitting corporate life, I did various projects – content creating, editing, training, specifically outbound trainings which I think was the foundation for the retreats that I conduct today (more about that later!).
So that brings me to the turning point in my life and the event that made me reinvent myself.
I am the Chosen one!
Anamika :
“It all started with me losing weight. Way back in Nov 2015 we were celebrating my brother’s wedding, and everyone commented on how much weight I had lost. I took it as a compliment. Little did I know what was awaiting me.”
(Anamika’s tryst with destiny begun from those significant comments and moment. She perceives herself as the “chosen one” and has captured this journey in her Spotify podcast Anamika’s Amazing Adventures.
In the episode called My Journey with Cancer – The Beginning; Anamika poignantly recalls and revisits all the emotions and events that led to her diagnosis and subsequent treatment.
I felt I can not do justice to her narrative by attempting to rewrite it here, so I request my readers to go to Spotify and listen to her story in her sweet voice.)
When life gives cancer, I make Life better!:
Anamika :
I believe I was living a ‘Life of dreams’ with my parents, partner, daughter, and friends supporting and encouraging me at every turn of life…but then on one fine day, Life decided to give me a wake-up call called Cancer.
The journey of recovery has been difficult and arduous and I feel the overwhelm just in recalling it. When all treatments were completed and the last PET scan done, I was finally given a clean chit and in fact I was told by my doctor that I could go on a world tour!
I didn’t go for a tour, but I did go out for dinner with my family and friends to celebrate and that night I slept quite peacefully. When I woke up the next morning, I felt I had a new zest for life!
The medical treatment had treated the cancer, but had it healed me? I grappled with many questions, like Why me, Am I cured, What did I do to get this etc etc? But the ultimate question that stayed with me was:
“What could I do at least now?”
Fortunately, I did not dwell on the questions of self-doubt and stigma for too long and I was also lucky to meet my mentor Vijay Bhat in 2017. Vijay who has written the book My Cancer is Me based on his journey with colo-rectal cancer, was to be my guiding force. He has done a lot of research on the mind- body connect, studying western psychologists and researchers as well as ancient Indian philosophies and Chinese medicine. The coaching protocol I use today is heavily influenced by his work. Through him I discovered the wisdom of many healers, thinkers, scientists, and philosophers.
I soon put in all my efforts to change my lifestyle and started paying attention to my thoughts and feelings. I started journaling. A lot of information on the mind – body connect came my way. A body of knowledge that I had no idea about. So yes, this cancer experience was a springboard for my personal development.
In due course I certified myself in Heal your Life (HYL teacher), Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), Reiki Healing, Enneagram System, Nutrition and Physiology, Sleep Therapy, Death, Grief and Overwhelm. I then introduced all this and added my own flavor into my Cancer coaching. I had to reinvent myself and equip myself with the necessary skills and tools to be successful as a Cancer Coach and a Holistic Wellbeing Artist.
With all these experiences and learning I was able to re-frame my Cancer experience. I now know and feel that Cancer has healed me!
The loving embrace of caregivers:
The cancer journey is difficult for the patient, but it is more difficult for the caregivers. Anxiety, Guilt, Sadness, Helplessness and so many more emotions are experienced by them.
My husband was my primary caregiver and luckily at that time, he was on a sabbatical and staying at home as he was studying for his PhD. That meant he was there by my side 24/7. He came for all my chemotherapy sessions and in fact he would keep track of my medicine dosage and accurately predict how long the chemo would take and for sure that would be true! He would ensure I was hydrated and keep all the liquids ready by my side. He served me selflessly.
I had another Cancer detected in my Uterus, the next year and I had to undergo Radical surgery. By which time he had joined work in Bangalore, so he came back to take care of me before and after. I have this to say here, that for 7 lifetimes I have forgiven him (Saath Khoon Maaf!) for the service he has done for me.
I am again lucky that I did not move out from my parent’s place and my husband had moved in. So, as caregivers, for my parents too, it must have been very difficult to watch their first-born battle cancer. I did not realise until one day some friend commented that my father who is usually very garrulous had become very quiet. My mother cooked for me and the others, making two different meals when we did not have a cook, and she cared for me through all of it.
My husband did not want to tell my daughter Kimberly, who was 11 years at that time. Yet being a smart and a voracious reader, when she heard the word chemotherapy, she knew it was Cancer and wanted to know more. So I had to sit her down and explain the condition and treatment. She too managed her studies and her exams during this period and afterwards very well. She is a resilient child.
My aunt, who was with us when I was a young child, close and good friends were all there with me. Supporting me with food, dropping in to talk. I remember a special friend who made Beetroot barfi to help increase hemoglobin. A friend taking me to exams as I was doing a Vedanta course along with the treatment! So many friends who prayed for me, even though they did not know me!
In fact, it was an old school friend who followed up with a call asking me if I had seen a doctor for some uterine bleeding, I had mentioned to her. That follow up call led to investigations and then the discovery that I had uterine cancer.
This time I remember my father grasping my hand and saying that we will get through it, just like last time. When that was treated and cured, my doctor said, “How did you do it?” and I can only say “I did it”. Somehow miraculously this body of ours, this complex machine that serves us in every way possible has the capacity to heal.
I must mention my doctors, nurses and all those who supported me. I have immense gratitude for each one of them. I express my deepest and total gratitude to my family, friends and acquaintances, doctors and medical staff who have seen me through this journey.
(Here you can listen to Anamika share her gratitude to all her caregivers)
My Journey with Cancer – The Caregivers
Two roads diverged and my Transformation began:
My transformation started then and continues till date. My mission is to support Cancer Thrivers. Thrivers are those who are willing to reclaim their path and see Cancer as a springboard for self-development. To honor it as a wake-up call; not a bump in the road, but a fork in the road where they have to; have to take the road less traveled.
The whole experience is arduous and scary, but I want to help people to know how to live their life more joyfully. For which I have designed a 5-day retreat where one can find courage to live life without fear or anxiety of the future, without the shadow of the past. Only find learning from it and find courage and wonder from the experiences of life, so that they can truly enjoy the present moment. So, I encourage you to take the leap of faith and attend the Retreat!
I leave you with few words from the book Getting Well Again by Simonton et al:
No matter how sick you are. It is possible to get well. When a patient starts to say, “I have participated in the development and progress of my disease, I know there are some deeper factors at work, and I need help in dealing with them”; that is the moment they start to heal.
Not blaming oneself but taking responsibility for the illness.
Let Cancer change your life for the better!
The Healing Mantra:
Affirmation for surgery
Every hand that touches me is a healing hand and expresses only love. The operation goes quickly and easily and perfectly.
I am totally comfortable at all times.
I am healing rapidly, comfortably, and perfectly.
Every day I am feeling better and better.
I love you and I am helping you get well.
(Make a list of 6-8 affirmations and play it on a loop.)
Once again do listen to Anamika as she shares all the ways in which the disease manifests and the meaning that it holds in our body. She also shares affirmations on how one can heal after surgery and treatment.
My Journey with Cancer – The final frontier
Let your self-flow with the tide of life….
Reinvention Stories 