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In the pursuit of personal growth and development, there’s often a virtue or habit that individuals aspire to cultivate. Whether it’s resilience, kindness, mindfulness, or any other quality, this intentional focus serves as a compass for navigating life’s journey. ApEx talked to three people about the specific virtues or habits they wish to cultivate and the underlying motivations behind their choices.

Prabesh Shrestha, 22

Resilience is like having a strong, flexible thread running through the tapestry of our lives. This thread helps us deal with tough situations, acting as a guide to navigate obstacles. Resilience is more than just surviving challenges. It’s about learning from them and emerging even stronger. It’s the inner power that allows us to bounce back from difficulties with determination and courage.

Imagine resilience as a compass that points us in the right direction during life’s ups and downs. Instead of just enduring problems, it enables us to adapt, grow, and find meaning in every twist and turn of our journey. Building resilience is a bit like discovering our inner superpower. It involves learning from our experiences, gaining wisdom, and finding significance in every part of our lives.

So, when we face challenges, resilience encourages us to approach them with a positive attitude. It’s like a tool that helps us not only survive but thrive, growing wiser with each obstacle we overcome. 

Shreeya Shakya, 22 

Aspiring to cultivate emotional well-being involves a journey of self-discovery and self-compassion. It’s akin to developing a deep understanding of oneself and extending kindness to one’s own feelings. Taking steps towards emotional well-being includes adopting strategies to effectively manage stress and navigate challenges, such as incorporating mindfulness practices into daily life.

Building and nurturing positive relationships become integral to this pursuit. Having a supportive network where one can freely express emotions and share moments of joy contributes significantly to emotional well-being. This involves not only communicating during tough times but also celebrating good ones together.

Prioritizing mental and emotional health in decision-making is a crucial aspect of fostering emotional well-being. This might involve making choices that align with personal values, setting boundaries, and recognizing when self-care is necessary. By consciously making these choices, individuals create a foundation for a happier and more balanced life, where emotional well-being becomes a central pillar supporting overall health and fulfillment.

Anjila Bhattarai, 21

The one virtue I wish to cultivate in life is kindness. Every time I go to Pashupatinath temple, mostly to see the aarati, I end up witnessing cremations as well. Just like that, people are gone. But it’s so surprising to me that despite the fragility of life, we don’t stop pointlessly competing and complaining. People are killing one another because of hunger, and abuse of power and authority. The greediness, jealousy, and pride we carry are nothing but an illusion of our minds that nurtures our ego.

It’s very important for us to spread a little bit of kindness whenever possible as we never know what the other person is going through. Practicing kindness is good for your mental well-being too. Death is the ultimate truth and so it’s important to live well. And if you can be responsible for someone else’s smiles or happiness, there is nothing better than that. For that reason, I’d like to choose kindness over everything else. I would also want to be talked about and remembered as someone who was nice to people and animals as well.

Muhammad Ali is believed to have said that service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. This statement really hits home with me and I want to live by it.

We all want our homes to look beautiful and stylish. But we might not always have the time or the resources to opt for a complete makeover. Figuring out how to spruce up your home can sometimes be overwhelming. If your home is due a makeover, we are here to break things down for you. Focus on one area at a time. Details matter when doing up a home. Even if it’s wallpapering an area to give it a facelift or adding throw pillows on the couch, little things, done tastefully, can over time elevate your space. Here is a list of some great ideas that can get the ball rolling.

Use throw pillows

Adding some throw pillows or cushions can instantly change the mood of a space, making it feel more relaxed. Try playing with different colors and patterns. Whenever you get bored, you can simply swap the pillows or use different covers and change the look and feel of a space. Choose soft-to-touch fabrics like velvet if you want a classy touch.

Create a bar

It doesn’t have to be elaborate and lavish. A small table with a couple of bottles of good liquor or wine and a few glasses with a small decorative item or a flower vase can serve as an area of interest in your living room. Or you can also repurpose an old cabinet to create a proper bar area.

Add a floating shelf

Not only do floating shelves look great but they are easily one of the best home decor ideas that create more space on your walls and serve as easy ways to display your favorite things. Find a spot that could use one and create a small art and books gallery wall. You can rotate the items on display to change things up.

Decorate your coffee table

The coffee table is generally the focus of your living space. It’s, after all, mostly placed at the center of the seating area. So do it up and make it pretty. Use a table runner or a pretty tray and decorate it with books, vases, and flowers to give it a Pinterest-worthy look. Play around with scale for a great visual effect. Like throw pillows, you can occasionally change the items to refresh the look.

Wallpaper a small space

You don’t have to wallpaper an entire room. Just a small wall or a corner will do. There are many patterns and prints available these days so you can pick one to match your style. It’s fast, easy, and makes a world of difference. Go for just a hint of shine with a semi-gloss or luster sheen to keep it classy.

Hang art

You don’t have to go out and buy art. You can simply frame some of your favorite pictures or postcards from your travels and display them on your walls. Buy some matching, sleek frames and create a gallery wall that will make you smile while adding a nice personal touch to your space. For a cohesive look, choose frames that work together. Picking two or three colors like black and gold or silver and white will help the display look coordinated.

Bring in the old

We tend to toss out the old and bring in new stuff but antique pieces can be great conversation starters. A black and white portrait of your grandparents, that vinyl record player that has been gathering dust in your parent’s store room, or the old teapot set—sometimes adding an old item into your space can make it charming. Just make sure it means something to you.

Switch out a light fixture

Light fixtures are often referred to as the ‘jewelry’ of a home. They can add a wow factor in the most serious of spaces. Wicker shades are in trend. Paper lampshades, especially large round or oval ones, can work beautifully in small spaces. Alternatively, you can also add a floor lamp to a room to give it a regal touch.

Move things around

Sometimes the easiest way to spruce up your space is to just move things around the house. You don’t have to buy anything new. Change the placements of the things you already have. It doesn’t sound like much but it works wonders in making a space look and feel different. Try it, you will be surprised.

Pick pretty towels

There might not be much you can do to revamp a bathroom on a low-budget but pretty towels or an area rug under the sink can work their magic. Ditch boring towels in favor of interestingly patterned ones. Add a small jute rug under the sink and top it with a pair of lush bathroom slippers for a relaxed feel to the space.

Keep your space clean

Follow the rule of threes (objects look best when organized in odd numbers, especially threes) and leave a generous amount of white space on your walls and surfaces. When it comes to looking elegant, less is always more. File paperwork out of sight, stow away cables when not in use, find a home for everything, and get rid of clutter.

An unhealthy or sick body requires treatment. There are different treatment methods that are being practiced. The most common ones in modern times are medications and surgeries. But, physiotherapy has remained an alternative treatment method for a long time now and its practitioners are increasing in Nepal, owing to significant results they have demonstrated in patients.

This writer had met Jay Prakash Kapari (PT) some six years ago with complaints of severe back pain and diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis. After several medications, the pain had not subsided and medicines did not settle the pain. With a tiny hope, I had visited his clinic Ortho-Neuro Rehab Centre, located near Gwarko. Surprisingly, a few days of session gradually subsided my pain. Later, changing the medication along with physical therapy interventions helped me overcome spondylitis.

Whenever my pain is unbearable, due to various factors, I visit him and he performs manual therapy including chiropractic, cupping, NDT and others and the results have been positive. After conversing with him during our multiple meetings and seeing him progress over the years, I believe there is a large scope of physical therapy treatments in Nepal. 

When asked how he became a physiotherapist, he recounts, “Some of my friends wanted to become a medical doctor, some engineers and others lawyer and teacher, but I wanted to become a little different and I ended up joining physiotherapy considering the future potential.” 

Kapari remembers how he could secure his enrollment in one of the reputed colleges in India for physiotherapy after his high school in Nepal. He completed his Bachelor’s in Physiotherapy from Dolphin PG Institute of Bio-Medical and Natural Sciences and later Master’s of Physiotherapy in Neurology as well from the same institute. He crosses the memory lane and shares a happy moment when he stood the university topper.

Soon after earning his master’s degree, Kapari attended a number of seminars, received fellowships and participated in workshops and trainings, all related to chiropractic, NDT, Dry needling, Vestibular Rehab, PNF, Cupping Therapy, Osteopathy, Mulligan, etc. After lots of training and practice, he returned to Nepal with an aim to serve the local people needing his services. Kapari then joined a few hospitals and clinics in Nepal. He also taught a few physiotherapy classes in colleges. 

After working for a while, an idea hit him that would take his service to a larger community. He decided to start his own clinic in order to provide direct therapy sessions to community people and provide employment to a few of his juniors. He resigned from his job and provided treatment in his own clinic for long hours. He is also found to be teaching his juniors for them to be better physiotherapists. 

Kapari also travels to other cities of Nepal, providing planned physiotherapy training to physiotherapists running clinics there. He says, “Besides running my own clinic, I want to share my skills and experiences with other physiotherapists who are less experienced than me. This lets them increase their knowledge as well as their new skills can benefit their community people. After all, I will be satisfied because I won’t be able to visit all the places for the sake of treatment.”

Every day is not the same for him. Most cases are repetitive and a few new cases require thorough study and planning. Kapari reminisces about some critical cases when asked what sort of difficult cases he has come across. He says, “In my clinic, I provided treatment for many critical cases like brain stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Cord injury, Guillain Barre Syndrome, head injury, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Arthritis, Nerve Compression, PIVD, Parkinson, Bell’s Palsy, etc.”  Asked how he feels when his patients recover, Kapari says, “When severe cases are treated successfully, the patients call the treatment a miracle and their family members consider it totally unbelievable.”

Kapari shares a case of a GBS (Guillain-Barré Syndrome) on a 12 year-old boy who had suddenly found his four limbs not working and was totally bedridden. “All of his family members lost their hope initially but after a month of my treatment, the boy was cured and was back to normal,” he says. 

Another challenging case was of a 32 years old female suffering from PIVD (Prolapsed intervertebral disc). “The woman was very frustrated and depressed because she took many treatments in numerous hospitals and clinics, but to no avail. One of her relatives told me about my clinic and she visited me. After just seven sessions of chiropractic treatment, she became totally fine and fit.”

There was another critical case which required his serious attention. It was a three-year-old child unable to sit, stand and walk. After pediatric rehabilitation he was completely cured and then he could join the school. 

Kapari’s Ortho-Neuro Rehab Centre has been providing highly advanced and newly researched specific treatment method for patents ranging from Chiropractic (Spinal manipulation, traditional bone setting), manual therapy, dry needling, cupping therapy, vestibular rehab, neuroplasticity, kinesiology taping, ergonomics training, electrotherapy and exercise therapy.

When asked how he feels now after a decade of service and after treating thousands of people, he says, “I have been seeing lots of people not undergoing appropriate treatment and visiting India and other countries with high hopes of cure. I have been working very hard to make such an environment here in Nepal so they need not take sorrows with them while they travel outside Nepal and receive standard reliable treatments in their own country.”

With the getaway culture picking pace in Kathmandu, the hotel and resort business is booming and how! There is a resort, two or more on every hilltop around the valley, the search engines are filled with recommendations, and you are spoiled for choice. It isn’t easy to make a pick when the list of options is endless, is it? The next time you are looking for an escape from the hustle and bustle of the valley, consider this list of five resorts that are surrounded by the woods and offer a front-row seat for a mountain viewing.

1. Haatiban Himalayan Height Resort

Located on the outskirts of the valley, near Pharping, Haatiban Himalayan Height Resort has for years been a sought-after destination for an easy weekend getaway, and for good reasons. Nestled in the pine forest of its namesake hill, the resort is a quaint hideaway blending urban comfort with nature. With cozy rooms featuring mountain views, a sprawling garden to laze around in, and an open-air dining affording a stunning view of the Himalayan range and the gorgeous valley, it is the peaceful forest escape you need. Guests can explore popular hiking trails, enjoy spa treatments, dine on global and local flavors and participate in activities like yoga, ATV and mountain biking.

How to get there: From Kathmandu, head towards Dakshinkali. Take the off-road on your right in Bhanjyang. The resort is easily accessible on 4X4 vehicles and motorbikes.

2. Chandragiri Hills Resort

Perched atop Chandragiri Hills, the Chandragiri Hills Resort is a place of luxury, retreat and adventure, all boxed into one. At 2,551 meters, this luxurious resort is accessible via an easy and scenic 10-minute cable car ride. Its vantage point allows absolutely breathtaking views of the Himalayas from the east to the west, and the emerald pines all around. A set of rooms face the mountains and the others face the pine forests. The infinity pool is a highlight in itself and adds to the laid-back vibe that a resort should have. Guests can enjoy hiking nature trails, participate in adventure activities such as wall-climbing and zip-lining, fine dine under the stars and more. The amenities, location, and the overall setting of the resort also makes it an excellent option for a destination wedding in Kathmandu.

How to get there: From Kathmandu, get to the Bottom Station of Chandragiri Hills at Matatirtha via private or public transportation. A 10-minute cable car ride later you will reach the Top Station. The resort is a short 5-minute drive or a 15-minute stroll from here. Pick-up and drop-off shuttle service is available upon request.

3. Prakriti Resort & Organic Farm

Away from the cacophony of Kathmandu lies Prakriti Resort & Organic Farm—a place of solitude and nature. Tucked away in the hills of Shivapuri, the resort delivers the essence of what its name represents in everything it does. From the comfortable wooden cottages, the flower garden, their organic farm to the dining hall and bar, everything seamlessly blends with and complements the lush surroundings. It is quiet enough for you to hear the waterfall on the neighboring hill. The mountain range is visible from the garden on a clear day. There are plenty of opportunities for short and longer hikes, such as the walk to Dhap Pokhari. Encounters with deers are to be expected and plenty of colorful birds will keep birdwatchers enthralled. Wi-Fi access is limited, so make payment cash. 

How to get there: The easiest way is via Sundarijal Bus Park. You can either hike for three to four hours or ride it out on a two-wheeler for 60 minutes. A 4X4 is highly recommended if you are planning to drive. There is a park entrance fee, so carry cash.

4. Tayo Eco Resort

Tayo Eco Resort is a luxury eco retreat located in one of the most popular hill stations of Nepal—Nagarkot. Set on a side of the Shanti Danda, the resort’s strategic setup offers guests an exceptional view of the Himalayan range, the endless terraced farmland, and a shimmering slice of the Kathmandu valley. Besides the view, the heavy influence of Newari art and culture on the resort’s architecture makes this place unique. From the plush, well-appointed rooms with picture windows, incredible restaurant and bar, to the infinity pool and spa facilities, everything at Tayo has been designed to offer its guests a luxurious stay. Pair it up with the view and multiple leisurely hikes, and you have a one-of-a-kind stay at a hill station.

How to get there: On the way to Nagarkot, take a sharp right-turn at the Telkot Deurali Junction and look out for Shanti Danda. Tayo Eco Resort is on the left. 

5. Namo Buddha Resort

Set in a destination known for pilgrimage, Namo Buddha Resort gives a reason to make it a trip for leisure. The organic farm is just outside Kathmandu, perched on a hilltop not far away from its namesake heritage. This tranquil retreat offers breathtaking Himalayan views and a taste of rural Nepali life. The cottages are built in traditional Newari style amidst farmlands and forests, and feature comfortable amenities while encouraging sustainable cultivation. Guests can hike to nearby villages, towns, and Buddhist sites and monasteries. Away from the city's bustle but still easily accessible, Namo Buddha Resort provides a peaceful nature getaway with a sense of adventure.

How to get there: Easily accessible via private vehicles, the resort is eight kilometers away from Dhulikhel on the Sindhuli Highway. Take the Namo Buddha road after Kavre Bhanjyang. Try public transportation if you are feeling adventurous.