Roots & Wings
Honouring the ones who seeded the movement.
Celebrating the ones who gave us flight.
Post 5 | Mala Bali
Some facilitators hold a process.
Some hold a space.
And then there are a rare few… who “hold people” – gently, courageously, and completely.
Mala Bali belongs to that rare few.
I still remember the very first IAF session I ever attended.
Uncertain. Curious. Slightly overwhelmed.
And there she was – sitting at my table.
As she spoke, wisdom didn’t arrive as theory.
It flowed – from lived experience, deep listening, and an unshakeable presence.
That day, without knowing it, I was witnessing the “Being of a Facilitator” in its purest form.
Aspen Fellow. Former CHRO. Executive Coach. Consultant.
Psychodrama Director…..
Yet none of these titles truly capture Mala !!
What defines her is ‘warmth’.
What distinguishes her is ‘depth’.
What stays with you long after the session ends… is how ‘SEEN’ you felt.
Through Psychodrama, Mala doesn’t just provoke thought –
She invites truth to step into the room.
Gently. Safely. Powerfully.
Beyond the formal spaces, Mala has been one of the finest hosts our community has known –
Opening her warm, cozy, beautiful home again and again.
Creating circles of belonging.
Turning conversations into connections.
And connections into community.
She is selfless, affectionate, quietly fierce.
A strong woman who has shaped IAF India not through position…
but “through presence.”
My Profound Learning from Mala:
“Transformation happens when people feel safe enough to be real.”
From Mala, I learned that facilitation isn’t about leading people forward –
It’s about walking with them, exactly where they are.
She reminds me – again and again –
That wisdom delivered with warmth has the power to heal, not just help.
Mala, I continue to look up to you.
For counsel. For clarity. For courage.
Thank you for the roots you’ve given this community – deep, nourishing, enduring.
And for the wings you’ve given so many of us – to show up whole.
Chander Sharma
Rooted in Gratitude. Soaring with Purpose.