short course

A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI
An artwork that depicts humanoid figures in various postures connected to each other on a black background with twinkling stars.
A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI

The pandemic has put us through interesting times, to say the least – of reflecting, learning, realigning, thinking about what really matters, a time to pause and care for ourselves with kindness. At TARSHI, we’re just delighted to have been able to do the same – while also sharing something of what we’ve learnt with you.
By Vani Viswanathan
July 19, 2021
A pandemic, self-care, and collective care: Experiences from TARSHI
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists
A photograph of a woman sitting indoors. She has cropped white-grey hair and is looking upwards. She is wearing a black full-sleeved top and her palms are open outwards. She is wearing a black necklace and is smiling. In front of her, a person is half-visible, clad in black, holding out their palms. There are red chairs on the side, and at the back, a person with black short hair, wearing a white top and mask, using a phone, is sitting.
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists

I know that the lives of many human rights defenders are under continuous threat, that sometimes it is impossible to sleep or to enjoy a moment of peace because of the harassment coming from the outside. What I address in this text is our internal disposition as activists, and the ideas that stop us from taking care of and holding ourselves together.
By Rosa Posa Guinea
July 19, 2021
The Nun Within: Reflections on our self-care workshops with activists
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care
A photograph of a water body. The sky is tinged with pink-mauve-yellow and is reflecting yellow on the different shades of blue of the waves.
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care

My self-care journey has only just begun and I have a long way to go. I do have bouts of self-doubt, anxiety, and panic, and I still go through periods of feeling overwhelmed. However, more than anything, I have learnt that self-care, for me, is a subversive act, and caring for myself gives me the strength to challenge the status quo and play my part in social justice movements.
By Devika
July 19, 2021
Burnout, Boundaries, and Better Self-Care
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth
A photograph of a bench on a rocky-slightly bushy terrain. The bench is facing the other direction, which stretches out into wilderness. The sky in tinged with purple, blue, yellow, and pink.
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth

What does it mean to hold space and extend compassion to ourselves and our  communities? Rachel Cargle reminds us to ask ourselves: who  would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? Similarly, what would care and vulnerability look like if we weren’t trying to survive? The anarchy of queerness constantly and necessarily resists the capitalist engineering of the Survival Myth: one that wants us to endure an isolated life instead of embracing it with the radically transformative joy of togetherness. Caring for yourself precedes, succeeds, and exists alongside caring for the collective.
By Rukmini and Soumya
July 19, 2021
Who would we be if we weren’t trying to survive? A Conversation on the Survival Myth
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community
On a blue background, an illustration of a person sitting cross-legged, in lighter blue, with 6 arms outstretched over the other. From each arm emanates a light blue line and shapes. Different objects circle the person such as a yellow-orange open book, a black mobile phone, a yellow sun with rays, a glass of water in light blue, a pink pen, a pink cup, a sheet of white paper outlined in pink with the lettering YOU'RE ENOUGH, a black watch. On the top right, in capital yellow letters: PERSONAL TOOL KIT. On the bottom right, in roman black letters: Instructional guide / Health and hygiene / Personal diary / Visual reminders / Phone apps. Under it, in yellow roman font: (Find detailed instructions on the website)
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community

In a country like India where both mental health and non-binary identities are topics that are neglected despite being essential parts of an individual’s identity, it can be quite challenging to navigate through issues regarding the same. Accessibility to affordable and quality mental health services is a serious difficulty that the queer Indian population faces.
By Curated Content
July 19, 2021
A Guide To Affordable Mental Health Care For The Queer Community
The Politics of Self Care and Feminism
On a pink background, an illustration of a person of colour with black curly hair. On each side are plants, hanging and potted including leaves, cacti, and flowers. The person's arms are wrapped around their torso.
The Politics of Self Care and Feminism

In a time when reason is more valued than emotion, unravelling and understanding the politics of self-care becomes all the more fundamental for us, and the movements we seek to develop and build. When our bodies, our emotions and our needs become weapons to be used against us, acts of defiance become rooted in thinking about your self and how we practice it. I find I am faced with more questions than answers, but I also know that asking the questions is the first step to finding the answers
By Curated Content
July 19, 2021
The Politics of Self Care and Feminism