Pause to ponder

Starting June 20,one can join Bharatanatyam exponent and yoga expert Navtej Johar’s retreat where,for seven weeks,one can practice meditation and asana in the serene locale of Sidhbari,a village seven kilometres away from Dharamshala. These retreats have now become an annual feature and attract guests from all over India and abroad. The seven-day regimen will include morning and evening asanas,lectures and guided practice of pranayama,study and chanting of the yoga sutras,meditation,daily journal writing,time for repose and a walk in the woods. “We always keep the number of participants to around 20 to ensure we can pay personal attention to each individual. The retreat is serious but also fun. The practice we follow is based on the philosophy of the yoga sutras,” explains Johar. This time,the focus of the retreat is on ‘memory’,and Johar plans to include a series of exercises and meditations based on recall and treatment of memory.

To be held at Jagori Training and Research Academy,the fee is Rs 20,000 for Indian nationals and will include boarding and lodging.

Banker Sumit Sehgal spends around five days every June in vipassana camps either in Dharamshala or Rishikesh. “Silence gives me the much-deserved peace and a chance to look inside. In life,we have time for everyone but ourselves and the silence helps to rejuvenate,” says Sehgal. He agrees that the process of remaining quiet is tiring to begin with,but in time you begin to enjoy it. Madhu,who attends Art of Living camps,agrees,as she gets ready to join Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Bangalore ashram for 15 days.

Nestled in the Himalayas,around 40 kilometres from Rishikesh,is Ananda,a spa that caters to travellers looking for a holiday beyond shopping and sightseeing. According to Neha here,each day has schedules that encompass yoga,meditation,vedanta,wellness programmes comprising contemporary international therapies that provide escape from the mundane to the spiritual. There are workshops and private sessions with teachers,therapists,healers,ayurvedic doctors — all targeted at a holistic concept of well-being. Fashion designer Kanchan Sharma’s getaway is in Auroville,Pondicherry,where every summer,as part of a meditative process,“you dance to the tune in your head,do pottery,gardening,yoga,cycling,and eat organic food”.

Set amidst pine forests,orchards and gurgling streams,Osho Nisarga near Dharamsala is spread over six-and-a-half acres,with yoga and healing rooms,cottages and meditation areas.This summer,Nisarga is offering meditation retreats,therapy groups,and rejuvenation cures and trainings,with the packages including full boarding and lodging and also trekking in the mountains and forest walks. “We also do organic farming and serve food here,” says Swami Keerti. Ma Prem Noorie will be conducting meditation here from June 3 to 6 and Swami Ravindra Bharti from June 10 to 13. Swami Vedant will be conducting Awareness Intensive from June 17 to 20. “All our courses revolve around meditation and individuals from India and abroad visit the ashram,” says Swami Keerti.