Dancing Feet In A Man's World: A Woman's Journey Across Cultures To Herself

By Sumedha M Khanna

This is a personal story of Sumedha Mona Khanna's extraordinary life journey, presented in images, stories, and anecdotes. She wrote this book especially to share with the younger generation of girls in her extended family: her nieces, and most of all, her grandnieces. "I want them to know about me after I am gone and to be inspired that a woman

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sumedha M. Khanna
• Release date: Oct 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798989008919

Sumedha M Khanna

Sumedha Khanna, MD, is an obstetrics/gynecology and public health physician, specialized in women's health programs, national family planning policies and programs, safe motherhood strategies, leadership training for public health, community health, women's health and well-being, and in advocating and teaching integrated well-being practices. Sumedha (Mona) worked for more than 25 years with the World Health Organization, consulting on Maternal and Child Health, and Public Health in over 60 countries of the world, including the Caribbean, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. She was the first woman appointed as head of a country office of the WHO and as the director of the Global Health-for-All Strategy and Leadership Development Initiative. Since her early retirement from WHO (1993), she moved to California with her husband. During 1993-2000, she served as a consultant to several non-profit and health- related agencies in California, including the Public Health Institute, Pacific Institute of Women's Health, and California Women's Health Leadership Program. In 1998, she founded the Healing Well in Gualala, a consulting and information center dedicated to healing and wellness of women in midlife and beyond, with emphasis on healing options and integrating body/mind/spirit practices in daily life.In 2015, she established the Saraswati Foundation to support higher education and classical dance for girls from low-income families, housing and skills-development for abandoned widows in India, and small relevant community projects in USA. Sumedha is currently leading an older women's group (age 60 and beyond), exploring lifestyles and choices that support us to remain vital and purposeful till the end of our lives.

Book preview

The Beginning

The Beginning

This is a collage/story of glimpses of my life’s journey as a woman, from the ancient Hindu civilization (India is now called a Third World country), to the western world; traversing many countries and regions (more than 60 countries) across cultures, civilizations, and economic and social development statuses.

Many people who meet me for the first time ask me: Where are you from?.

My answer:

I was born in India, I grew up in England, and I matured in the Caribbean. Later, I must have acquired some characteristics from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and North America.

So, I feel that I am a citizen of the world, and yes, still grounded in the values that I acquired from my Mother Country, India, land of the ancient civilization, culture, and Vedic wisdom.

My journey in this life began in Delhi, India in a small hospital in Old Delhi, the Victoria Zanana Hospital (women’s hospital endowed by Queen Victoria). Even though I was born a third daughter to my parents Din Diyal and Krishna Kumari Khanna, who had expected a second son, I was yet given a powerful message from my mother: She will be better than a thousand sons!. I inherited this powerful blessing from her arms that held me to her breast at birth.

Born in the Land of the Divine Feminine

Goddesses Yes! Daughters No!

I was born in Delhi, India. India is a land primarily of Hindu Religion, a religion that not only recognizes the power of the Goddesses and of the Divine Feminine, but also worships them. Their images adorn the temples and homes. There are special days in the year devoted specially to the worship of the Goddesses. Twice in a year there are nine-days festivals during which the Goddesses are worshiped. All the major Gods are accompanied by Goddesses and are worshiped together e.g., Vishnu and Lakshmi; Shiva and Parvati; Brahma and Saraswati; Ram and Sita; Krishna and Radha. There are special festivals dedicated to the worship of Goddesses. There are special days when married women fast all day for the long and healthy lives of their husbands. There are no special days when the husbands are expected to do the same for their