A Story of Names: A zigzag road to finding my own two feet by way of Mexico, India, England, Sweden, Italy and Iceland

Abstract

The Story of Names chapters are organized by the names I had during different periods of my life which serves as non-traditional timeline and provides the opportunity to reflect on naming, being named, taking new names, the transitions between names, and the politics of identity. In my life I have had several names. I was born Andrea Ann Amberg. My father decided on the triple A because he is Arthur Allen Amberg. I was called Annie from day one. At twenty-one, upon entering a religious order, I had a sequence of names: Anainjana, Ananda Mayii, Bramhacarinii Anandamayii and then, as a yogic nun, was named Didi Anandamayii Acarya (Elder Sister Full of Bliss).