I started doing Yoga long back, I don’t exactly remember when; all I remember was doing it imperfectly, with no intention, no care whatsoever - because it was kinda forceful. Right, my parents often forced me to do yoga. It had helped them in their life so they wanted me to start early. Rough start. But guess what, I would brag about it at school. Which really means that I never really hated it, I just wasn’t very fond of doing it on Sunday Mornings when all I wanted to do was sleep in, or during summer vacations when all I wanted to do was play & watch TV.
As I grew up and began college, I came to realize that daily practice of Yoga could help me become a better version of myself. And so, I tried many times to incorporate it into my routine. Some days, I would attempt suryanamaskar, other days pranayam, and occasionally, I would simply do something stretching when running late. However, I struggled to form a routine & it never really came together.
Fast forward to 2023 - I’ve started earning & I decided that I could afford learning yoga from professionals. Now I could most definitely enrol in a local yoga class, but that didn’t hit the goal for me. Luckily for me, my parents surrounded me with people who know, teach & love yoga. So, while I was on my trip to Patal Bhuvneshwar, a friend of mine, Mehak who’s a certified yoga teacher suggested I do Yoga Vacation programme at Sivananda Ashram in Uttarkashi. It felt like I just needed this one final push & I booked a 10 day Yoga Vacation course that would not only help me learn yoga while staying at the ashram but also allow me to work remotely, intermittently.
I had no expectations from my 10 day trip, so it’s safe to say it turned out to be way better than I could have imagined!. It was a transformative & completely immersive experience, because not did it just change my perspective towards certain things, but also made me more self aware (mindful).
All yoga learners at the ashram needed to follow a certain routine everyday. But honestly it was up to each individual whether they wanted to follow the schedule or not. Waking up at 530 in the Morning wasn’t as difficult as it initially seemed to me. Our mornings would start with group meditation and chanting. The rhythm of the mantras, accompanied by the sound of the basic musical instruments, always created a magical atmosphere - swaying while chanting was my favourite part of the day. This is also where I learnt what these mantras meant, why we say them loudly & how that help us.
Yoga - The most important thing I learnt here was that I can do whatever I want to, if I remove mental constraints & stop letting my fears over power me. Everyday we did a total 4 hours of Yoga practice and it was the most relaxing time in the whole day! Every day, I would notice myself slowly mastering poses that once seemed daunting. I never thought that I could do a head stand (shirshasana) or the crow pose (kakasana). But just after a couple of days, I could, and you know why? Because here’s what my instructor said to me “Learn that the body is not you, you’re so much more than your body - you can feel the pain only if you decide to feel the pain.” And boom I realized I was balancing myself on my head! The journey was filled with gentle but persistent efforts, and it was satisfying to see my progress each day.
What if I told you that the food here is prepared with vegetables & minimal spices, yet it’s incredibly tasty!! What I appreciated most was its natural and gentle flavour. It had the right amount of spices, leaving no overpowering aftertaste. This is a characteristic of Sattvic food, which avoids ingredients like garlic, onion, and nuts that often linger on the palate long after you’ve finished your meal. As a result, you can focus on the meal itself, not its aftertaste. Also, less energy is spent in digesting the food, so it’s a win-win. Even long after my yoga vacation, I like to eat food prepared this way (of course not pure sattvic food, but close enough to replicate it).
Another fantastic aspect of the experience was the location. It was set in Uttarkashi, an incredibly beautiful town along the banks of the Ganga River. Twice a week, our instructors led morning walks along the riverbank. When we found a peaceful spot, we would sit together and sing joyfully. It was blissful.
And here’s the cherry on top of the cake - meeting people from extremely different backgrounds, countries & walks - all under one roof with one common goal - to seek peace through Yoga. It was heartwarming to meet people with similar beliefs & goals. Never thought I’d make such good friends in the span of mere 10 days. On off day - which was Friday, we would get a mini break from the routine to explore places around. With the friends I made, we explored beautiful offbeat places around Uttarkashi & did mini treks.
The tranquility of Uttarkashi and the disciplined routine of the ashram instilled a sense of calm and peace in me. The chants, the meditation sessions, the wholesome meals, everything was synchronized to help us connect with our inner selves.
I fell in love with all the things I hated before - getting up early, chanting loudly, eating bland food and stretching your body limits to extreme ends. And this changed me.
To anyone reading this and contemplating a yoga retreat, I can only say this: take the leap. You might just find what you’re looking for!
