Sometimes, it takes leaving a place to realise how much of it has quietly become a part of you.That’s exactly what happened to French yoga trainer Roxane after she returned to Europe from India. She had travelled to India to deepen her yoga practice and complete her certification, but somewhere along the way, she picked up little habits and experiences that stayed with her.Back in Europe, she realised she was missing them.Roxane, who teaches yoga and also practises kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial art, recently shared an Instagram video titled, “Things Europeans could learn from Indians”. She listed 11 things she loved about everyday life in India, from community and spirituality to chai, colourful clothes and simply sitting around doing nothing.After teaching yoga in France and Canada, Roxane said coming to India gave her a “very different approach” to yoga and everyday life.She was also quick to point out that she wasn’t trying to say India was perfect or that one culture was better than another.“I’m obviously not saying India is perfect or that one culture is better than the other. I just came back to Europe and realised how many little things had become part of my everyday life,” she said.Here are the 11 things she said Europe could learn from India.
1. The feeling of community
One of the biggest things Roxane noticed was how people seemed to be around one another.She said Europeans are often used to being highly independent, which can sometimes feel isolating. In India, she felt there was always someone around, whether it was family, neighbours, friends or even people she barely knew.“In Europe, we are so used to being independent and doing everything on our own. In India, I often felt like people were just there. Family, neighbours, friends, even people you barely knew,” she said.
2. Making spirituality part of everyday life
Roxane also loved how spirituality could exist openly in everyday life without people feeling awkward about it.She pointed to bhakti and the way devotion can be woven into ordinary routines, making spirituality feel less like something that has to be kept separate from daily life.
3. Simply sitting outside
For Roxane, some of the most charming moments in India were also the simplest.“Uncles sitting on plastic chairs, neighbours talking, chai in hand, just watching life happen,” she said.And perhaps that’s what stayed with her most. There was no big plan. People were simply sitting, chatting and being around each other.
4. Asking if someone has eaten
For Roxane, food wasn’t just about food. It was also a way of showing care.She loved the familiar Indian habit of asking someone if they had eaten rather than simply asking how they were.“It’s not ‘how are you?’ it’s ‘have you eaten?’” she said.“As someone who loves eating, I felt very understood.”
5. The sheer variety of Indian food
Then, of course, there was the food itself.Rice, dal, curd, paneer, dosa, vegetables, coconut and countless combinations of flavours made a big impression on her.“I genuinely had the best digestion of my life in India!” Roxane said.
6. Doing absolutely nothing
This one may be a little harder for a productivity-obsessed world to understand.Roxane said she loved the Indian habit of simply sitting, talking and doing nothing in particular.No productivity goal. No rushing off somewhere. Just time spent with other people.She felt Europeans had forgotten how nice that could be.
7. Bringing back some colour
Roxane also had something to say about European fashion and interiors, joking that the colour palette had slowly become very beige.Her solution? Take some inspiration from India.Bright clothes, colourful jewellery, flowers, sarees and bangles all add a little more life to the everyday landscape, she suggested.
8. Those unexpected smiles
Then there were the smiles.Roxane loved how people would sometimes smile at her for no particular reason.“And somehow, it never felt forced,” she said.It was one of those tiny interactions that can make an unfamiliar place suddenly feel warm.
9. Saying things directly
Roxane also appreciated what she saw as a more direct way of communicating.She said she liked not always having to go through “10 layers of politeness and small talk” before getting to what someone actually wanted to say.
10. Chai, again and again
Of course, chai had to make the list.Not just once a day, but multiple times.For Roxane, tea seemed to be much more than a drink. It was another reason to pause, sit down and spend a few minutes with someone.
11. And yes, water instead of only toilet paper
Her final point was perhaps the most amusing one.Roxane said Europe could take a cue from India when it comes to bathroom habits, suggesting that water should become part of the routine rather than relying only on toilet paper.“I said what I said,” she joked.‘Totally agree’Her post struck a chord with many social media users, with several people saying they recognised the same things from their own experiences of living in or visiting India.“Totally agree with every point, especially about fashion. The EU needs more colours in fashion,” one person wrote.Another said Roxane’s line about “just watching life happen” perfectly captured something about India.A third user, who had lived in India as an expat, said the point about sitting, talking and doing nothing particularly resonated with them.“I’ve lived in India as an expat too, and that was one of the biggest shifts for me, learning that not everything has to be productive,” they wrote.And perhaps that’s the sweetest part of Roxane’s list. She wasn’t talking about grand cultural lessons. She was talking about the tiny things that can sneak into your daily life without you even noticing, until you leave and suddenly find yourself missing them.