Maya Menon | Against the Current

The spider was struggling against the stream of water she threw at it. Maya stood still and watched it carefully. The tiny creature could have easily surrendered to the pressure pushing it downward. Instead, it chose to climb upward, step by step, refusing to give up.

For Maya, the moment was an epiphany. “It was my own Eureka moment”, she says with a broad smile that carries conviction. 

Life, she realised, had often pushed her backwards too. Illnesses, failures, loneliness, cultural shocks, financial stress, and self-doubt had repeatedly forced her to change direction. But every setback had also quietly prepared her for something bigger. Years later, this personal philosophy would become the foundation of Mind Empowered, the mental health organisation she co-founded in Kochi.

Born in Bhopal and raised in Delhi, Maya Menon grew up in a family where education and values were treasured. Her grandfather, MGK Menon, was a self-made journalist who believed daughters deserved education instead of dowry. His four daughters went on to become respected professionals, including Maya’s mother, a gynaecologist. “I’m grateful for being born in a stellar family,” Maya often says. 

Her childhood was warm and protected. Her parents rarely fought, and the family shared a close emotional bond. At the centre of Maya’s life was her younger sister, Sreela Menon, whom she describes as her soulmate. Though younger by a year, Sreela often acted as the more mature sibling. Maya remembers her teaching her simple things like tying shoelaces,  fastening buttons and lighting lamps.

As a child, Maya was frequently ill. Asthma, jaundice, chickenpox, and even a near-fatal dengue infection kept her away from school for long periods. During one such break, she began learning the Bhagavad Gita at home simply because she was bored.

Books filled the family home. When they once moved houses, they carried nearly twenty cartons of books with them. Reading became second nature to Maya. But despite the intellectual environment around her, she struggled with confidence. Teachers often compared her with her sister. Maya considered herself a slow learner who had to work twice as hard as others.

Her mother defended both daughters fiercely. Once, when a teacher compared the girls, her mother held up her five fingers and said, “Even fingers on the same hand are not identical. How can two separate individuals be the same, just because they are born from the same mother?”

Maya initially dreamed of becoming a doctor like her mother. But uncertainty and discouragement slowly pushed her away from that path. After Class 12, she faced one disappointment after another. Engineering entrance examinations were cancelled due to various issues. Plans fell apart repeatedly. She briefly joined a course in criminal psychology before finally receiving admission to CUSAT (Cochin University of Science and Technology) in Kerala.

Moving from Delhi to Kerala was difficult. She did not know Malayalam. She missed home terribly. The culture felt unfamiliar and restrictive. Wearing crop tops attracted attention. Girls talking freely to boys was frowned upon. Even food became a challenge, with coconut oil-heavy meals feeling completely alien to her.

Long-distance phone calls were expensive, so Maya wrote letters home instead. There were moments she wondered if she truly belonged there. Yet those difficult four years became one of the most important phases of her life. CUSAT taught her independence. It taught her how to survive discomfort and uncertainty.

Looking back today, Maya calls it a “recalibration” of her life’s direction.

She also discovered that marks did not define intelligence or worth. Her graduation was delayed by strikes, and she became one of the last students in her class to receive placement opportunities. But life, she would later realise, was quietly preparing her for something bigger.

Choosing Heart over Mind 

After graduation, Maya entered the workforce during a difficult time for the IT industry. Job offers were delayed. She eventually joined a demanding customer service role where “stress interviews” were very common. During one interview, she silently promised herself she would not cry, no matter how intimidating the panel became. She got the job.

Over time, Maya began noticing an important pattern in life. The mind often repeated fears loudly: “You cannot do this.” “You are not enough.” “You will fail.” But somewhere underneath those fears was a softer voice,  the voice of the heart. The heart, she says, always guided her toward courage, honesty, and growth. This philosophy became central to her life. “When the mind shouts, and the heart whispers, listen carefully to the whisper,” she tells students today.

Australia: Survival and Self-Discovery

An education fair at the Taj Hotel inspired Maya to pursue higher studies in Australia. She secured admission to Monash University in Melbourne with the help of a bank loan. Even before leaving India, she faced another obstacle. Because of her medical history, she had to undergo a fitness examination. Instead of hiding her illnesses, Maya spoke honestly to the doctor. The doctor was impressed by her truthfulness and approved her travel.

Australia was both exciting and brutal. To survive financially, Maya worked exhausting part-time jobs in call centres and telecommunications while studying full-time. Her days stretched endlessly: classes in the morning, work until late at night, then hours in the computer lab before returning home briefly to sleep.

She lived frugally, spending money mostly on calling cards to speak to her mother and sister every day. But those years transformed her confidence. She learned resilience. She learned discipline. She learned to stand independently in the world. Eventually, she completed her studies, cleared her debts, and secured a role as a network engineer at Telstra. 

Return to Kerala

After marriage and the birth of their first child, Maya and her husband Sudip decided to return to India so their children could grow up close to family and culture. The transition back to Kerala was not easy. For several years, Maya became a full-time homemaker. Slowly, self-doubt returned. But volunteering at her children’s school reopened a forgotten door.

She began teaching spoken English classes twice a week at her kid’s school. The classroom reignited her confidence. Soon, she returned to CUSAT as a guest faculty member, helping students improve communication skills and  confidence to attend interviews. Students connected deeply with her honesty and warmth. Some even petitioned the department to keep her as a regular teacher.

It was then that the COVID-19 hit. Students across the country began struggling emotionally. Anxiety, loneliness, fear, and uncertainty spread rapidly. Maya and her sister started conducting online counselling and spoken English sessions. On October 10, they organised a webinar, realising only much later that it was World Mental Health Day.

The Birth of Mind Empowered

What began as a small online initiative soon grew into a powerful support movement. Maya created opportunities for students who couldn’t find jobs during the pandemic. Weekly sessions expanded to include yoga, Zumba, counselling, and open conversations about emotional struggles.

In March 2021, the initiative officially became Mind Empowered. Today, Mind Empowered reaches thousands through support groups, awareness programmes, inclusion initiatives, and emotional wellness activities. For Maya, every setback in life now makes sense. The illnesses, loneliness, failures, delayed opportunities, and struggles were not punishments. They were redirections. Like the spider climbing against the stream, she kept moving upward. And in doing so, she became the voice of hope for many others still searching for their own way forward.