At 29 years old, I was quick to dismiss it as a wellness retreat solely catering to a health-conscious audience and as something suitable for an older generation. I always thought that if I had the time and resources to take a vacation, I would definitely exhaust myself to have the best time. However, when I had the opportunity to visit Sirim’s wellness retreat, Dalana, I realized that I had been quick to judge.
Let’s be honest: Living in a city already comes with health risks. From her ever-rising AQI to the stress of traffic, there’s never a dull moment. Our calendars are filled with work and social commitments from morning to morning (no, that’s not a typo), leaving us with little time to really take care of ourselves. But the Essence of Wellness weekend at Dalarna at Sirim made me realize how much my lifestyle was taking a toll on me. Because when I returned, I felt refreshed in a way I hadn’t felt since my early 20s.
It started with a simple welcome drink made with coconut water and some kind of spice. After getting off the Mumbai-Pune highway and spending what felt like an eternity on bumpy, metal-free roads, this concoction felt like nectar to my dry, sore throat. Thanks to the smog that seems to be constantly covering the city these days.
As the check-in process progressed and I sank into the sofa, I felt my anxiety subside. I enjoyed the sunset over the Sahyadri Hills, painting the sky with millions of orange hues. The lush greenery encouraged me to take deep breaths, and the table and sitar background score also helped.
Immediately, I was picked up by a Tata Nano (the unit responsible for the facility’s taxi service) and whisked off to Dharana’s reception, where a team of Ayurvedic experts awaited me. I was graciously welcomed with a traditional aarti. haldi kumkum and Mara It is made from Tulsi beads.
Then it was time for a private consultation with Ayurveda expert Dr. Abhi Jis Krishna. First, my body composition was analyzed, followed by a long and detailed questionnaire to establish my daily habits and lifestyle, and then another to determine which Ayurvedic dosha I fall under. I had to take a test.
According to Ayurvedic philosophy, there are three doshas: Vata, Kapha, and Pitta, and the ratio of each of these three elements determines your personality and health. Ayurveda and nutrition experts helped me understand what my results determined, identified my strengths and weaknesses, and created a roadmap to follow for the next few days.
After learning a lot and also asking myself a lot of questions, I was taken away to enjoy a welcome dinner at Green Table. I was served a thali filled with vegetarian dishes, carefully made with organic vegetables, high in protein and other essential nutrients, low in salt and oil, and including bajra bhakris and brown rice. . The fast-food, cola-drinking glutton in me had a hard time understanding this holiday menu, but as soon as I left the table, I realized for the first time in a long time that I wasn’t one of those people. I felt bloated, felt so bloated that I felt nauseous, and had to deal with issues with acidity and gas.
But any slight slump in motivation disappeared once we checked into our luxury villa in Dalarna. Set on over 330 acres, each accommodation at Wellness His Retreat offers complete privacy, tranquility and panoramic views, with careful and beautiful architecture and décor adding true ‘luxury’ to the experience. .
But Dalana Villas takes it up a notch. With a private pool at your disposal, this sustainable 1000 square foot haven features the most comfortable holstered bed, a personal deck to practice yoga or meditation, a stone bathtub, an outdoor shower, and even a lotus pond. Equipped with: After exploring the villa to my heart’s content and lying on every soft surface, I decided it was time to give in and call it a night, and for the first time in over 10 years, I slept before midnight.
Making the right decisions in my favor, I woke up at 5am and set out on my sunrise hike with little effort. There, I met Harsh Tonde, a young professional rock climber with Olympic dreams. Having grown up in the area, he took us on a tour of the protected forest surrounding the property and taught us about the flora and fauna that inhabit the area. We see everything from the hay used in slash-and-burn farming, which is common in the area, to the way the plants growing there are comically tilted to one side by wind currents. We talked about it.
At the end of our hike we were rewarded with a cool breeze, great views of the sunrise and the lake. And in that moment, I really realized how big this site was. It’s an eco-hideaway in the woods, and it’s located right in the middle of the woods. A bowl-shaped valley nestled between the majestic Sahyadri Hills.
I had a good appetite, so the descent was as quick as breakfast. And after a little refreshment, the next item on our itinerary was a Tibetan sound therapy session in a tranquil meditation cave with Mr. Rajan. In theory, I knew the sound was coming from a series of glass and metal bowls, but as the symphony and acoustics brought that magic to life, I couldn’t help but fall into a trance-like state. Emotions cannot be put into words, they can only be experienced.
Relieved of my morning fatigue, I headed to the cooking school. There, he taught three chefs how to make wholesome and wholesome meals, including a kale and pumpkin salad, a lentil soup, and a quinoa and sweet potato patty dish.
I admit that I eat more than I learn. So we decided to ditch the Nano and walk up to the villa and admire the beautifully landscaped and maintained grounds. However, the natural landscape of the valley has been preserved, and everything is far from each other, so the walk, although beautiful, was not easy.
So, the next stop on my itinerary was exactly what the doctor ordered: a spa. Deep tissue massage techniques and stress-reducing Ayurvedic oils transported me to a realm of relaxation and peace.
However, the jelly-like feeling in my limbs after the massage did little to help with the control of movement needed to successfully perform the last item: pottery. Thank you to my patient tutor Tejaswini. Tejaswini helped me make some really cute little souvenirs that would later arrive in the mail.
I then caught up with Mr. Rajan at sunset. Mr. Rajan had just finished his daily routine. pooja And we arranged to meet in time for an Iyengar yoga session the next morning.
At 7:30 a.m., I headed to a scenic yoga shala to participate in a new type of yoga that I wasn’t yet familiar with. As a beginner, I was able to succeed with the help of chairs, ropes and pillows. Asana Stretch the muscles that you don’t exercise often because you can’t do it otherwise.
After a final dip in the private pool, a delicious breakfast, and a final massage session, it was time to check out. It felt like I was being pampered one last time before stepping out into the big, bad world. Although my heart wanted to stay a little longer, I actually felt physically ready to take on the world for a change. And that in itself makes this the ultimate wellness experience that everyone deserves to experience.
