Where wanderers roum' free

Discover a quiet life in a Himalayan hideaway or escape the mayhem to New Zealand or even Japan to get your Zen moment in the midst of lush greens, streams, rushing meadows and lakes this summer. The trend of yoga holidays is on the rise in the city and international or local, the yoga student is making a vacation out of it. More and more holiday-goers are willingly trading in the sunbathing, binging and drinking with yoga sessions to kickstart their day on a healthy note. While a large group from Bengaluru is off to Ladakh to do yoga in the wilderness, another large group is off to Kasauni from namma city, to do yoga and camping in the mountains during these summer vacations. In the past too, there have been select groups that have travelled  to New Zealand and Japan to practice yoga and meditation. We explore this trend of wellness tourism trend that is the rage now.

“Sometimes one needs to get away from it all, to connect back with who you truly are. We are going in a big group to Kausani, a hill station in Uttarakhand for a week from May 1 to May 7 from Bengaluru. We will have yoga sessions alongside ayurvedic massages, sight seeing and overnight camping in the mountains,” shares Yoga Art’s acroyoga enthusiast Pradeep Mehta.

Bengalureans are seeking different ways to feel better and spiritual and wellness retreats are on the rise owing to the stressful times we live in. Neetu Singh who went to McLeod Ganj and Gokarna for one such escape from Bengaluru shares, “We go for Yoga retreats twice in a year, once in the summer and then during the winter break and pick between mountains and beaches. It gives us a wonderful break from our day to day life and one can connect to your inner self. As we say, it’s not about doing one hour of yoga class alone, you need to live in a yogic way with asanas, pranayam, mediation, food and sleep for a longer period to really know yourself completely.”

Going with a large group of yogis from the city is Manish Pole, who is all in favour of tailor-made healthy holidays. “We are going for Yomad (Yogi+Nomad) holiday in Ladakh. The trend of people who practice yoga regularly in studios in cities across the world are increasingly travelling to places like the Himalayas to experience yoga and meditation in its truest essence. Unlike previous generations, they’re not just looking at an ashram experience, but a holiday with yoga and meditation as the main attraction along with trekking and meeting
like-minded yogi buddies,” states Manish.