My Experience as a Vanavasi

Vana is a refuge for all beings.

Harmony, nourishment and wellbeing are here for all on the Vana journey, and Vana advocates perceiving all beings, people, plants and animals as equal. From this philosophy arises a sentiment that Vana is a leveller, where material differences are left outside, and people connect to each other and nature without hindrance.

Not surprising then, that the confirmation of my stay mentioned that I pack light- that all I needed to carry was my workout gear and swimwear; the rest of what I required would be made available to me.

Vana truly believes that all those who enter the retreat so do as equals. One of the more visual ways of achieving this, therefore, is providing all retreat guests or Vanavasis as they are called with elegant off-white kurta pyjamas and standard retreat footwear. The other advantage of providing that, is of course that Vanavasis can then clear out that mind space that focusses on how to dress and instead focus on their wellbeing while at the retreat.

The retreat also requires its guests to avoid using their gadgets outside of their private spaces – so cell phones, laptops, tablets stay in the guest rooms and guests are free to connect with each other and with nature. Who doesn’t need a break from gadgets?

Spending time alone and also with others are both encouraged at Vana, as is varying the degree of social interaction during your Retreat. So guests can either choose to be by themselves or at times interact with the other Vanavasis especially at the communal dining table at meal times.

For shorts stays, where rest and restoration is the goal, the retreat tries to acquaint a guest with the range of offerings available. Some that are customised and private sessions, others that are on offer as per different days of the week and are group sessions available to all.

For my stay, on check-in, after the long journey, they thought it fitting to have me experience the Kai Uzhichil. Using medicated oils, this massage which starts off with a Sanskrit chant, has the aches and knots exit the body thanks to the expert handling by the therapist.

The doctor’s consultation which was scheduled for the next morning then took into account my expectations from the retreat and had the physician tailor-make a program for me. Since this was an exploratory stay for me, she ensured I would have a sampling of a Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, Ku Nye (Tibetan therapeutic massage), acupuncture, reflexology apart from encouraging me to join in on as many of the group sessions as possible. So armed with the schedule, I tried to maximise my time at Vana. My days would start before the crack of dawn, striding purposefully, down the mindful walking paths in the biting cold, with the macaques for company, breakfast followed by joint loosening at Madhyan Yoga, the body weight class at the gym, Yoga Nidra (sleep meditation) post lunch, aqua move session in the heated pool (my favourite session by far) one day,?Gom meditation in a purpose built cave on another, a mindful walking meditation which involved 6 of us walking behind the Master watching every step we took around the serene lawns, couple of evenings had me focus on my breathing at Sandhya Yoga; I even signed up to trek up the mountains. It is here, I think, that the true purpose of my retreat was revealed to me. Trying to scramble up on my hike, my guide kept asking me to slow down my pace and enjoy the sights and the sounds around me. When I finally confessed to him that I wanted to get back sooner to catch the aqua moves session, he responded with sage advice asking me to be in the moment and not lose the joy of the now in the pursuit of the next. That advice kept reverberating across other sessions too – acupuncture, reflexology, etc. Advice that gave me much food for thought.

I like the Vana style of subtle easing in of philosophy. How, when I was given a checklist of things I wanted for my trek, from a list of tempting options like honey lemon infusion, vegetable juice, fruit juice, nuts, granola bar, fruits, etc. on enquiring how many I could opt for, all I was told in response was, as many as I could carry on my back!!! You only have to have an experience returning from your trek with your backpack goodies only ? consumed to know that all you desire you don’t necessary need!!

Guests who want to try their hand at Vana cuisine, get the option of requesting for recipes to be mailed out to them – they can however only choose 5 recipes. Yet again, in my opinion, instilling that the heart need not always get all that it desires. And a tough choice it is, because the cuisine is absolutely phenomenal while being unerringly healthy and wholesome.

The cuisine at Vana, in fact, is the most exciting aspect of their offering especially to people with adventurous gastronomic tastes. The chef seems to go by the credo that healthy need not be boring, hence every meal is very creatively curated with a firm eye on ensuring that nothing unhealthy like refined sugar, grains or oils make their way into any offering. Having their own organic vegetable and herb gardens allows the team at Vana to create exciting meal experiences like salad bar lunches and winter afternoon barbecues where Vanavasis can be seen soaking in the gentle sun and their hot-off-the-grill range of shitakes, cottage cheese, river fish and mutton chops. The cuisine at Vana is varied, incorporates a range of Indian millets and a variety of nourishing soups, not to mention some very sumptuous desserts. Being conscious about ecology, they do not air freight any food.

Vana is not prescriptive about their guest’s diet unless it is essential for a Vanavasi’s retreat objective. The rest of the guests can either help themselves to the carefully chosen buffet lunches at Salana or customised to their body composition Ayurvedic Thali at Anayu. Dinners are ala carte and could also be accompanied with limited quantities of sake or wine.

The accommodation at Vana is luxurious, enveloped by the either the Sal forests or fruit orchards, the palette soothing to the eyes and all amenities suited to a retreat - tea bags that cater to a guest by Ayurvedic body composition, healthy nutritious snacks if a guest feels peckish or misses a meal, Tibetan incense sticks to soothe the soul. Some of the suites come equipped with a meditation room!!?

The other spaces are also very thoughtfully created, there are paths for mindful walking, gardens for meditation, reflection pond, a library of musical instruments – also their venue for Raag therapy, Sketchbook a space for meetings where gadgets are permissible if one chooses to stay connected with the world outside, acres and acres of spaces for long walks and to commune with nature.

Finally, the people who make Vana. The faculty at Vana is not just very skilled at what they do but also passionate about their craft. They are what makes Vana one of the most sought after wellness retreats in the country. The kitchen and the restaurant crew are warm, intuitive, in complete tune with Vana’s philosophy. So it’s not uncommon to hear them advising you on your meal choices, considering the team is also aligned with the Vana philosophy. Vana happens to be one of the few places in the world to offer Sowa Rigpa – Tibet’s traditional system of medicine which is governed by Men-Tsee-Khang, the Institute of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology. Be it the vivacious and extremely skilled acupuncturist, or the reflexologist with the magic fingers, the gently coaxing trek guide or the ever philosophical potter, you are always in capable hands at Vana.

When a Vanavasi leaves Vana, there are two very meaningful rituals that are performed. The Vanavasi ties a maroon string to the wishing board and leaves behind a personal prayer; the Vana team also knots a string around the guest’s wrist- this weaves together a Rudraksh bead and tiny silver bells. Much after you have left Vana, the bells keep tinkling softly as a reminder to keep walking the wellness journey and not make it just a holiday ritual.

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