Hello and welcome to my blog, titled, Sandhu Bhamra.

(pronounced Sun-dhOO BHaa-M-Raa)

I blog under my double last name – maiden and marital written together.

I am a Canadian journalist-turned-blogger and academic with transnational experience. An award-winning broadcaster, I have reported across major media platforms – print, television and web for over 20 years. Please visit my website to know more about me and/or to look at my past work.

At present, I am engaged in academic research in media at
The Graduate School of Journalism at The University of British Columbia.

The blog story:

SandhuBhamra.com, virtually launched on May 21, 2012, is a voice to the internal conflict of finding who I am.

In the summer of 2010, after my second child was born, I took a break from an active journalism career and enjoyed being a full-time, stay-at-home parent, for the next two years. For the people who still ask me why I went on a break, my opening blog post talks in depth about it, but on behalf of all stay-at-home parents, allow me to say this: I technically wasn’t on any break. I, like other stay-at-home parents, did more work, back-breaking work, which included pulling an allnighter, not one, but many, and yes, it didn’t come with paid leaves or vacation time. Arguments aside, I also don’t like to put a monetary figure on parenthood, because a family is not a business enterprise. The point I am trying to make is: it was a different phase of life, a rewarding and a beautiful phase, where I also devoted more time to my yoga practice.

After about two years, I decided to launch this blog to help myself and others like, or unlike me, understand the concept of identity and belonging by critically deconstructing it through the lens of life: as a person of colour, an immigrant on settler land, a woman, a mother, a wife, a former journalist, and as a practitioner of yoga. I do this by examining issues under: Canadian Identity, Racism, Gender Equality, Parenting and yoga. I write as and when a subject moves me – to tears or to smiles, or when a situation asks me to challenge status quo, to peel the layers, and deconstruct identity; click here to read my reflections on my blog’s one-year journey.

During the course of this journey, my blog has been nominated for Canadian Weblog Awards under two categories: Feminist and Parenting, web magazine Vancouver Mom chose me as the top 30 Ultimate Blogger and Huffington Post named me 15 of the Best Canadian Parent Tweeters.

My double barrelled last name:

Identity is the focus of my writings. In fact, the blog’s name after my double last name is the first band of my layered identity – one of birth and the other of marriage. As a woman, both last names represent patriarchal order – one that comes from the father and the other from the husband. It doesn’t matter which last name a woman takes – in the end, both dictate patriarchy. I chose to use both names purely for societal identity. For the Self in me, even my first name fails to define me.

On Yoga:

A Canadian citizen on unceded Aboriginal land for 16 years, I was born and raised in India (Bhārat), the land that gave yoga to the world. By yoga, I do not mean just the yoga asanas (postures), but yoga as a holistic practice. The postures are a means to an end, they are a minuscule part of yoga, intended to strengthen the physical body to attain the higher Self.

Here’s one of my blog posts on yoga that attracted maximum traffic and dialogue:

Stop cultural appropriation of Yoga: Yoga is all about Hinduism, albeit without the ism.

Anyone born in India, or culturally associated with the ancient civilization, consciously or sub-consciously, is steeped in some aspect of yoga; I was no different. As I mentioned above, the break from workforce allowed me to devote more time to my yoga practice, which included all aspects of the ancient Indian practice. The intention was not to become a yoga master, but to deepen my practice to find answers within. I just followed that and it opened a beautiful dimension in my life. I try and live a yogic lifestyle that gives me the strength and the vision to live a balanced life. If I were to say I have mastered all aspects of yoga, I’d be lying and grossly misjudging myself. Yogic lifestyle teaches one to surrender ego, discover the Self, and live a healthy life where body and mind are in sync. As for me, I am trying a little, each day.

A little more on me:

I live with my very supporting and loving husband of 16 years, and our two children under 12, in Vancouver/unceded traditional territories of Coast Salish First Nations, Canada. As a family, we are deeply respectful of this land’s Aboriginal ancestry.

I can read, write and speak three languages fluently: English, Punjabi and Hindi. I love to read, mainly non-fiction, and I enjoy performing arts and cinema, Indian cinema being my favourite. By Indian cinema, I don’t mean just the Hindi cinema (better known as Bollywood in the West), but the diverse and rich cinematic experience across the length and breadth of the country. I particularly enjoy Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Bengali storytelling on the big screen (with subtitles). I am also a big fan of Asian cinema; stories of the rich cultural Chinese heritage interest me. I watch Hollywood and European cinema as well, mainly classics, documentaries and the occasional story that tugs at heart.

On comments and sharing content:

Comments are welcome and encouraged. I try and reply to each and every comment, so if you are looking to engage with me, or other readers of the blog, please do leave one. I moderate the comments, because I do not allow any abusive, racist or inappropriate language on the blog, but I rarely edit it. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but please be respectful when you express yours.

Feel free to share excerpts and link my posts, provided; full and clear credit is given to
Anupreet Sandhu Bhamra and SandhuBhamra.com with appropriate and specific direction and links to the original content. But please take permission, if you want to re-post. Read the full Copyright Notice in the sidebar.

To contact me, please refer Contact Sandhu Bhamra.

Looking forward to engaging in a dialogue with you.