Note from president
Dear friends and families, A warm welcome to 2025! On behalf of the ICON Board, I extend my heartfelt wishes for a year filled with good health, happiness, and enriching experiences. We are truly grateful for your continued involvement and support in making ICON a thriving, vibrant community. As we begin this new chapter, our focus remains on promoting holistic well-being—balancing the body, mind, and spirit. In line with this vision, we are excited to offer a Mind and Breath Work Session to our members. This initiative is especially close to my heart, and I am delighted to have found facilitators within our very own community. A big thank you to Nikhil and Shruti—dedicated ICON members and experienced meditators—who have generously volunteered to guide this transformative session. This session is designed to help participants master simple yet powerful techniques to quiet mental clutter and restore calm during moments of stress. We encourage you to register and experience the profound benefits of mindful breathing and meditation providing inner peace. At ICON, we strive to be more than a cultural organization. We aim to foster a supportive, dynamic space where traditions meet wellness, creativity flourishes, and community bonds grow stronger. If you have ideas or suggestions that align with this mission, please reach out—we’d love to hear from you! raja.shaikh@iconeedham.org Wishing you warmth, health, and peace this winter season. Stay safe, stay connected, and let’s make 2025 a remarkable year for ICON! Warmly, Raja Shaikh President raja.shaikh@iconeedham.org
Featured article fromCommunication Co-Chair
Hello everyone! Hope you have all been enjoying our regular email updates as much as we have sharing our thoughts and 'behind-the-scenes' with you all! In this year we hope to expand our communication avenues to include more two-way channels to make it even more interactive and interesting! We are starting this initiative with launching a "Funny Caption Contest" on our social channels in the coming week - with lots of laughs guaranteed! Please stay tuned to our social media platforms for this! Instagram: @icon_needham Facebook: Indian Community of Needham In the meantime, we welcome your continued feedback and suggestions. Additionally, if you or anyone you know is intertested in joining the editorial team, please feel free to reach out to us at communications@iconeedham.org Vasundhara Sharma Communication Co-Chair, Indian Community of Needham (ICON)
Upcoming Event: ICON KnowledgeSeries Part II
We are happy to announce ICON's second event of the interactive Knowledge Series that we started in December 2024. Won't it be great to begin the New Year with a Calmer Mind and Rejuvenated Body!! Our fellow Needhamites, Shruti and Nikhil, 500h Certified Yoga teachers, are happy to devote their time and efforts in sharing their knowledge with us and run two sessions titled Body, Breath, and Mind. These are completely FREE and online sessions and will be organized through Zoom. We kindly invite you all to particpate in large numbers and take advantage of these sessions on two Wednesdays, January 15th and 29th. Event registration link and other information is on the flyer and below.
REGISTER HERE We’re planning future topics and if you’d like to present or know an inspiring speaker, we will soon seek those suggestions, and incorporate in our plans. Looking forward to your participation in these totally free but enriching sessions. Please register and join us! Event Update: ICON KnowledgeSeries Part I In December 2024, we introduced an interactive Knowledge Series, launching with the topic: The Role Human Microbiome in Human Health, by Dr. Govindan. The session was an enlightening one - highlighting the importance of micrbiome, eating right and managing our gut health. A big thanks to Dr. Govindan for educating us on the importance of the microbiome and its role in health and wellness. He shared how simple habits can prevent chronic conditions like autoimmune and neurological diseases Grateful to everyone who attended and engaged in an interesting discussion. ICON x Needham Public Library We are extremely happy to share that ICON partnered with the Needham Public Library to enhance its collection of books on Indian culture, festivals, and literature. As part of this collaboration, ICON has proudly contributed $500 to support this initiative. We also thankfully acknowledge the valuable books and cash donation that some of you made towards the ICON book drive early this year; that too contributed to this larger effort with the library. Our heartfelt gratitude to the Needham Library for embracing this project and for their acknowledgment of its importance. A special note of thanks to Vipul Bhushan for his invaluable efforts in making this long-awaited goal a reality. Thank you all for your continued support in promoting cultural awareness and education within our community.
Join ICON TownSquare: ICON'sWhatsApp group
In late November, we started an ICON WhatsApp Group for our members and prospects called
ICON TownSquare! This document below lays out its objectives and operational framework. You all are cordially invited to join it using the link in the document or here below.
JOIN ICON TownSquare
We thank our sponsors for their continued support! ICON silver-level sponsor: Leena Agnihotri leena.agnihotri@compass.com M: 617-331-2647