‘If the universe is friendly, then it is indeed aware of us and works to help us. So there are no ‘unfortunate accidents’, and everything that happens is orchestrated in an elaborate and complicated manner to be of benefit to us’- Srikumar Rao
I’ve been fortunate enough to be born into a family with a spiritual bent of mind that are fascinated with energy work, yoga and the power of the mind over body. We are all particularly intrigued with the idea of reiki, alternative medicine, ayurveda, sound healing and more. As a health professional, I have been able to devote enough time to build a regular and regimented yoga and meditation practice but my trip to Shreyas retreat has changed that. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends and been toying with the idea of a yoga retreat for a long time now. I don’t get nearly enough sleep, I work late nights and write far too much for my own good. Naturally, when Shreyas retreat wrote in to me regarding a possible collaboration- I was over the moon.


I had visited a few spa resorts in Kerala last year, Como hotels in Bali and the four Seasons in January this year but this was my first trip to a yoga retreat and I was part nervous part excited. Shreyas is a private boutique retreat located about an hour away from Bangalore City. Highly sought after by yoginis, wellness practitioners and those looking to switch off and work on their yoga practice; Shreyas has been compared to some of the most exclusive spa resorts in the world. Spread across 25 sprawling acres with a farm, vegetable patches and 14 cottages along with the spa, dining areas, pool and staff housing. Needless to say, Shreyas is absolutely vegetarian and no smoking or alcohol of any kind is permitted on the premises. Now, as a paleolithe, going without meat for almost a week was definitely something I wasn’t comfortable with but you’d be surprised at how easy it was for me to give it up.


Our mornings would start with a hatha yoga group class from 630 -8 am in the yoga pavilion. The instructor  would make sure to provide individualised attention, props, strings and mosquito repellant to ward off the bugs. All you needed to bring with you was your yoga mat from your room to class and let the instructors do the rest. You could enjoy a leisurely breakfast with the other guests in the dining area. Breakfast would typically consist of tea, coffee, fresh juice or smoothie and either a traditional South Indian Preparation or lentil pancakes served with a tangy relish or tapenade to fuel digestion. The kitchen at Shreya’s is immaculate and the staff make you feel at home and take care of your cravings. I was on a no gluten, no sugar diet during the stay but the chefs kept whipping up incredible pancakes for breakfast and millet flatbreads with absolutely no wheat.


Shortly after breakfast, we would retreat towards the meditation hut for a sound meditation class- undoubtedly my favourite time of the day. Sound meditation is the process that enables you to connect with your inner self. Conducted by Mr Bala Iyer, the premise is to connect with your body on a deeper level and become more aware of yourself (physical, emotional and the energy body). It also allows you to facilitate healing and get rid of excess emotional baggage. We often experience dissonance between who we are and who we think we are and this helps bridge the gap and allow acceptance. The class would begin with some progressive relaxation and then followed up with a question answer session and we would pick a new topic to discuss daily. Attachment, self love, karma, suffering and gratitude were some of the topics we deliberated over. The session would conclude with chants of ‘hum sah soo hum’ to bring your awareness back to yourself and your breath and allow you to really relax.


We could spend the next few hours roaming the gardens, resting, reading or swimming in the outdoor pool until it was time for lunch. Mealtimes were absolutely delightful because you got to eat with the other guests even if you were travelling solo. The menu was light, refreshing and healthy with a soup (pineapple rasam was my favourite) and a salad and some lentil poppadams for digestion. The main course was typically either served with rice or gluten free rotis made from soybean flour or millets and two kinds of vegetables and a bowl of lentils and yoghurt. Dessert- for those of you who weren’t trying to stay off the sugar was a healthy rendition of your favourite dessert- vegan and healthy. I opted for the fresh fruit platter most times.

There would be a yogasana session from 4-5 pm in the outdoor yoga pavilion which most guests would make every effort to attend. The session would start with some progressive relaxation, restorative poses, sun salutations and then end with stretching, core exercises and shravasana. The sessions most often were Hatha yoga and the instructors took keen attention to make sure all the guests were performing the asanas correctly with perfect alignment and posture. What was particularly interesting to me that yoga was made mandatory for all the staff at Shreyas and they attended the evening classes with us. You could see why everyone was so fit here and they all embodied the philosophy that Shreyas was trying to convey on yoga and learning how to be still.

I opted to go in to rest in my room for a few moments before heading to the spa for a rejuvenation massage on the first day followed by a traditional ayurvedic massage on the third day followed by a few minutes in the steam room to unclog the pores and help detoxify the body further.

Dinner was served from 730-830 pm to allow your body enough time to digest before you head to bed. A lot of us would be pretty spent with the yoga sessions and early wake up calls. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the guests at dinner and sharing our experiences and stories. I am pretty pleased to admit that despite my short time there, I made some great friends and we intend to visit another yoga retreat together next year. The menu at dinner was different from lunch and lighter with a little less carbohydrate to aid digestion and ensure you feel lighter. I particularly enjoyed an amaranth pudding they served for dessert with fresh fruits. The ayurvedic doctor recommended that I try an ashwagandha tonic with milk to facilitate better sleep and to calm my nerves. I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical at first because I was really stressed out upon entering shreyas but the decoction worked beautifully. For other guests, there were other customized decoctions like triphala for digestion, tulsi for relaxation and milk and honey for restful sleep.

There was a cinema for those inclined to relax and watch a movie. You could choose from an eclectic variety of indian and foreign films but most of us would be too tired to attempt to sit through the movie so we would chat briefly and retreat to our rooms.

There were two kinds of cottages- poolside cottages that opened up to the glorious outdoor swimming pool and tented cottages overlooking lush, verdant landscaped gardens. Fitted with every possible amenity, everything was well thought out. The only complaint- which ended up being a blessing in disguise for the strength of the wifi. As a writer, I am always connected to the web on my phone and my laptop and when the internet just wouldn’t work- I thought it was a sign and decided to enjoy ‘switching off’ and enjoying a digital detox. I must admit that it was really hard at first because I would be worried about work and deadlines but eventually I grew calmer and watched my muscles and nerves relax and felt more relaxed than I had felt in years. I intend to do a digital detox once every month to recharge my batteries and really switch off from the virtual world.

The next morning post breakfast- I opted for Chakra cleansing and balancing because I was feeling out of sorts. Chakra balancing at Shreyas is performed differently from the kundalini school of yoga. Unlike, the conventional means of attaining chakra cleansing- the chakra balancing starts with body awareness and breath awareness followed by a rotation of consciousness. Once that is done, you visualize and try and concentrate on each chakra. You try and introspect and check to see if there are any blockages in any of the chakras. Only once your mind is turned inwards, you start feeling tensions, blocks, emotional outbursts like grief, anxiety, fear that are deep seated and often repressed. The idea is to embrace them and understand the connection the mind body connection. The premise is to act as a witness (with a still, quiet mind) and watch the emotions dissipate as it facilitates cleansing and clearing. The chakra balancing session was particularly overwhelming for me as I had deep-seated pain/wounds but started to feel progressively better as the day went on. I felt as if the weight had lifted of my shoulders and back and I felt a lot lighter afterwards. I highly recommend this session with Bala Iyer, particularly if you are looking for perspective and clarity on the personal or professional front. Issues from childhood, anger, resentment and personal and professional dissonance can often be sorted out with a few sessions. After the cleansing is over and you’ve come to terms to with the issues and blockages- you use positive affirmations to reinstate and forge a better relationship with yourself.

I would like to conclude by saying that I had my apprehensions about being vegetarian and going off coffee particularly because I avoid grains but I enjoyed the food at Shreyas a lot and came home and stayed vegetarian for another week. I left Shreyas with a renewed sense of purpose, a spring in my step and after forging a healthier, kinder relationship with my body and myself. I realized just how important it was to tune out and listen to your body and watch for signs of stress and burnout before its too late. It’s been over a month since I’ve been back but I’ve been extremely diligent with my yoga and meditation even on my travels in Europe. I can’t wait to be back at Shreyas – this time with a friend and for a week perhaps so that I can partake in everything this institution has to offer. I would like to pay a visit to the orphanage and spend time with the kids on my next visit. Special thanks to Rucha for taking me around and looking out for me, Shruti from Rare holidays for organizing the trip. The staff at the kitchen for whipping up something delightful, gluten free and healthy at every meal. Rita (my yoga teacher), Mr Bala for his sound meditation and chakra cleansing session. The three days I spent at Shreyas changed my life. I cant recommend this place enough.

Quick Notes-
You can pick from the following packages- silent retreat, ayurvedic rejuvenation, yoga retreat, joy of giving, wellness for the soul, weight management and lastly, the culinary package (with cooking demonstrations)
For reservations- reservations@shreyasretreat.com
Shreyas Retreat
A journey of Self Discovery
Santoshima Farm,
Near Gollahalli Gate,
Nelamangala,
Bangalore 562123
www.shreyasretreat.com
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