A retreat in the mountains sounds exotic to most people. I too was enchanted by the idea and was awaiting a get away from life in the city. A forest amidst the Vellangiri Mountains ahead of Coimbatore had this short break in store for me. I didn’t expect to get much in a forest and was mentally prepared to simplify my lifestyle for the weekend.
Like a health conscious city-girl, I packed some dark chocolate goodies, just in case the famous sugar craving decided to pay me a visit in the middle of nowhere. When I reached the retreat center, I was surprised to be greeted with a strange looking red beverage (that I mistook as wine) and the best cinnamon rolls. In the middle of a forest, to get cinnamon rolls and cookies is truly law of attraction working at its best!!
Once everyone was settled into the retreat center, we were curious to know the schedule for the weekend. However, no one wanted to give us any agenda (we weren’t exactly at Harvard Business School, we realized). We would simply have to go with the flow and let things naturally unfold. What an uncomfortable idea, especially for those who plan everything big and small. This was the first important lesson I learnt, perhaps - to just go with the flow.
The next lesson came in the form of drums waking us up at 5 in the morning. I secretly hoped for a miracle manifested as Startbucks coffee at my doorstep. Instead of a caffeine kick, the urban grumpiness kicked in. As I strolled into the big yoga studio, I found tranquility. The sound of silence became music, and the aroma of dry leaves intertwined with fresh morning breeze relaxed the senses. Learning to be mentally flexible has its benefits, I soon realized.
When we headed for a trek in the forest, we had to be silent, so that wildlife wouldn’t get all worked up. Though hopping from rock to rock around a steep stream in the hot sun was not my idea of a perfect day, yet there was immense pride in being able to make it. This was a lesson in focus and endurance.
During this intensive weekend, there were several little lessons I learnt – whether it was patience, endurance, love or acceptance of oneself and others, all the learning was packaged differently. Experiential learning has a different charm. Playing, running around, sharing joy and connecting with people from all over the world was fantastic.
I did not have an epiphany while I was there nor did I feel any big transformation. What I did learn though was to look at things differently. Intelligent living is about being well balanced, happy and peacefully alert.
The weekend surely tested my “city-girl” way of life and challenged me to think beyond. It truly added value to my perspective and made me look at love, expression and acceptance differently. And the fun part was discovering a surprise gift in my room before I left the center. And there’s more… while flying back I got upgraded to first class. Life’s special gifts are well placed in our journey; we just need to show some more faith while travelling.
