On 8th August 2019, experiencing a beautiful train journey through the mountains, our team reached Shimla - ‘the queen of the hills’. Puneeta Roy, Founder and Managing Trustee of the Yuva Ekta Foundation, was invited by the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, to conduct a seminar and workshop on ‘How to Increase Emotional Intelligence’. This session was a part of ‘Wellness week’ organized by the institute for its scholars, who hail from diverse parts of the country, and are part of the residency in the institute to dedicate their time to research and academics. We had a full house at the session venue, with our audience comprising of Mr. Makarand Paranjape, the Director of Indian Institute of Advanced Study, his family, the scholars from the institute, and also the community members of Shimla.  Our session began with a short presentation where Puneeta explained what ‘Emotional Intelligence’ is, and why is EQ as important as IQ. Once our audience was equipped with the basics, the session moved towards a story-building and painting exercise. Most of our audience members were working with colors after ages, and their excitement and enthusiasm were palpable. Puneeta made the participants go through a journey through colors and stories, and connect with their innermost desires and emotions. Once the individual exercise was completed, it was time to build connections with other participants. The session was facilitated in such a way that safe space was created for our participants to openly share their feelings, emotions, fears, and desires with each other. The feedback we received after the session was heartwarming! Our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Makarand Paranjape and the institute for this incredible experience and opportunity!