THE COCOON INITIATIVE
  • About
  • Application Process
  • Sabbatical Experiences
  • FAQ
  • Contact

Rest is not indlugence, it is the need of the soul

A Pause That Heals, A Journey That Transforms

2/6/2026

 
Ram Prasad Masagani
Sabbatical Dates: 1st August 2025 - 31st March 2026

My sabbatical was a deeply transformative journey that allowed me to step away from the relentless demands of my professional role and reconnect with myself on a personal, emotional, and spiritual level.

Read More

The Paradox of Needing Rest from Meaningful Work

2/6/2026

 
Vijaya Switha
Sabbatical Dates: June 2025 - September 2025

I founded Chitrika at 24, and save for a one-year maternity break in 2011, the mantra since has been "Jame Raho"—keep at it, keep going. So when the first information about the Cocoon Initiative began circulating, friends and colleagues sent it my way with a mix of excitement and incredulity. I had never encountered anything quite like it: the radical notion that one could be supported—financially—to rest, to simply not work.

Read More

Learning to De-Program Myself from Old Patterns

2/6/2026

 
Sachin Kumar Jain
Sabbatical Dates: 1st June 2024 - 31st March 2025


Honestly, it was a serious struggle. I did not realise ever that finding time for my own self and family is a cumbersome exercise, even if I’m given an opportunity to do so. In initial two months, I could not execute the plan and it was very difficult for me to move away from work and the organisational processes.

Read More

Learning To De-Learn

1/6/2026

 
Mathew John
Sabbatical Dates: 1st July 2025 - 30th September 2025

Well, to start with, this sabbatical was in my head more than a year ago and I had a chat with Vishal about it, sometime in late 2023. However, one thing kept leading to another and I had to figure out many things. An important thing was that I could not suddenly have a sabbatical in my sights without having someone take over my responsibilities.

Read More

A Sabbatical of Self Discovery: Four Months Unplugged

1/6/2026

 
Maya Menon
Sabbatical Dates: 1st December 2024 - 31st March 2025

The Bittersweet Beginning
On December 1, 2024, my sabbatical began—a Sunday, fittingly quiet for such a seismic shift. After founding and leading an organization for 22 years, stepping away felt like leaving family. The first week was disorienting: What will I do? What happens to my work?

Read More

Easy As Sunday Morning - A New Way of Life

31/5/2026

 
C Nambi
Sabbatical Dates: 1st September 2025 - 31st January 2026

“I was under the impression that doing work alone is life – it is productive and
expected of anyone – other things are not that useful, not worth it, waste of time,
not fulfilling one’s own duty and feeling guilty about not engaging with the work”.

Read More

The Joys of Rest, Reconnection and Family Time

31/5/2026

 
Sharanappa Barsi
Sabbatical Dates: 1st January 2025 - 30 April 2025

I, Sharanappa Barsi, have been working in the social development sector for
the past 30 years. I was selected for the Sabbatical Leave Programme
supported by the Cocoon Initiative and availed my sabbatical from 1 January
2025 to 30 April 2025. This report presents a summary of my sabbatical
experiences, activities, learning, rejuvenation, and outcomes.

Read More

A Year of Pause, Healing and Renewal

31/5/2026

 
Lalitha Iyer
Sabbatical Dates: 1st September 2024 – 31st May 2025

I took a break from my tasks at Plusturst and started the Cocoon fellowship in earnest in September 2024 and concluded it by 31st May 2025.

Read More

Destination Unknown

15/9/2025

 
Shobhini Mukerji
Sabbatical Dates: 1st January 2025 - 30th April 2025

Earlier this year, I took a sabbatical. It was something I had long thought about but never quite imagined how transformative it would be. The time off wasn’t about doing more. It was about being more — more present, more grounded, and more attuned to what matters.​ ​

Read More

Beyond Service: Lessons from My Six-Month Sabbatical

15/9/2025

 
Pradeep Singh Pundhir
Sabbatical Dates: 1st June 2024 - 30th November 2024

On 1st June 2024, I stepped into something I had never allowed myself in 25 years of social work—a pause. It was the beginning of a six-month sabbatical, gifted to me by The Cocoon Initiative. Just a few days later, on my birthday, I realized this was not just time off, but life itself handing me a precious gift: rest, self-reflection, and a new beginning.

Read More
<<Previous
Forward>>
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Application Process
  • Sabbatical Experiences
  • FAQ
  • Contact