 "A soothing retreat")
A ray of sun into our room woke me up at 6:30 am. Pulling back the curtains I had a few short moments to take in the breathtaking view of the lush green trees. Throwing on my crisp white organic cotton pyjamas and the beige woollen cape over my shoulders, I wandered down a verdant path to the sound of chirping birds to the Yoga Sala. I took a mat in the front with a wonderful view through of a mango orchard. Huffing and puffing my way through downward dogs and upward dogs and stretching parts of my body I didn't even know existed before, I was relieved an hour and a quarter later to collapse into the corpse position!
After it was over, I walked to the Salana - the gorgeous dining room in blond wood with natural fibre lighting. This was my next arduous task of the day: choosing breakfast from an extensive menu. I hemmed and hawed and finally settled for a fresh pomegranate juice, decaffeinated cappuccino, a lentil and rice crepe with chutney and sambhar. My mother tucked into her muesli, millet pancakes and French press coffee. We asked ourselves: could eating so much really be healthy? At the Vana Malsi estate near Dehradun, which opened about a year ago, apparently it is.
My mother had to rush off for her first ever abhyanga massage, while I had asked to have no treatment my first morning in order to test the outdoor infinity pool. A few lengths of the pool and a 15-minute soak in the hot jacuzzi and I collapsed on a sunbed to get a much needed natural shot of vitamin D. Exhausted with so much activity, I dozed off and woke up to my mother standing over me, tapping her watch. It was lunch time already.
Mum and I then took a walk around the beautiful grounds, walking through the mango orchard, around to the lychee orchard and up a slope back into the main shared space of the retreat, with its beautiful art and tasteful decor. I was delighted to spot brochures for a local charity, Aasraa, which provides shelter and education to slum and street children in Dehradun and is supported by Vana.
It was already time for our next activity, in my case a Tibetan Ku nye at the Tibetan Healing Centre. While a massage junkie, I had never had one of these before. The Ku nye turned out to be a deeply relaxing warm oil massage and my therapist Dolma lulled my body into a state of bliss. She then rubbed a powder of sorts to remove the oil and exfoliate the skin.
High tea followed before I looked at my watch and realised it was nearly time for the 6 pm yoga - the pranayama session. I emerged an hour later oxygenated and rejuvenated in a way I had not felt in years. Nishant, the handsome young manager of the estate, asked how I was coping with my first full day at Vana.
I showered and changed into another fresh crisp set of pyjamas left by housekeeping after tidying and turning down our room to a standard I have yet to experience even in other top hotels I have stayed in. Dinner was at a communal table so we sat down with a couple from Germany, another from Switzerland and the elegant Christina, the wellness director for Vana.
My choices were a delicately spiced lentil and coconut soup, followed by a melon seed and oats porcini mushroom risotto with foam worthy of a Michelin star and a chocolate and pistachio cake with almond ice cream - all accompanied by a stimulating discussion of everything, from purgative treatments in Ayurveda to property investing.
And, so this endless but most pleasurable schedule continued for three nights: indulgent eating, yoga, treatments from heaven, laps in the pool under the warm sun and walks among the fragrant queen of the night that dominated the gardens. But the best was yet to come. Standing on the scales and regretting our imminent departure, I could not believe my eyes: I had lost nearly a kilo and a half! I swore I would be back.
After it was over, I walked to the Salana - the gorgeous dining room in blond wood with natural fibre lighting. This was my next arduous task of the day: choosing breakfast from an extensive menu. I hemmed and hawed and finally settled for a fresh pomegranate juice, decaffeinated cappuccino, a lentil and rice crepe with chutney and sambhar. My mother tucked into her muesli, millet pancakes and French press coffee. We asked ourselves: could eating so much really be healthy? At the Vana Malsi estate near Dehradun, which opened about a year ago, apparently it is.
My mother had to rush off for her first ever abhyanga massage, while I had asked to have no treatment my first morning in order to test the outdoor infinity pool. A few lengths of the pool and a 15-minute soak in the hot jacuzzi and I collapsed on a sunbed to get a much needed natural shot of vitamin D. Exhausted with so much activity, I dozed off and woke up to my mother standing over me, tapping her watch. It was lunch time already.
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I grabbed a plate from the buffet and piled it up with soba noodles and sauteed lotus root and mushrooms. When I was also handed an a la carte menu, I felt compelled not to be rude and ordered the prawns in tamarind and coconut sauce and chilli idlis as well. The presentation of the main course took my breath away and it took all my willpower to remember the rules I had signed up to before entering this retreat that prohibited photography.
Mum and I then took a walk around the beautiful grounds, walking through the mango orchard, around to the lychee orchard and up a slope back into the main shared space of the retreat, with its beautiful art and tasteful decor. I was delighted to spot brochures for a local charity, Aasraa, which provides shelter and education to slum and street children in Dehradun and is supported by Vana.
It was already time for our next activity, in my case a Tibetan Ku nye at the Tibetan Healing Centre. While a massage junkie, I had never had one of these before. The Ku nye turned out to be a deeply relaxing warm oil massage and my therapist Dolma lulled my body into a state of bliss. She then rubbed a powder of sorts to remove the oil and exfoliate the skin.
High tea followed before I looked at my watch and realised it was nearly time for the 6 pm yoga - the pranayama session. I emerged an hour later oxygenated and rejuvenated in a way I had not felt in years. Nishant, the handsome young manager of the estate, asked how I was coping with my first full day at Vana.
I showered and changed into another fresh crisp set of pyjamas left by housekeeping after tidying and turning down our room to a standard I have yet to experience even in other top hotels I have stayed in. Dinner was at a communal table so we sat down with a couple from Germany, another from Switzerland and the elegant Christina, the wellness director for Vana.
My choices were a delicately spiced lentil and coconut soup, followed by a melon seed and oats porcini mushroom risotto with foam worthy of a Michelin star and a chocolate and pistachio cake with almond ice cream - all accompanied by a stimulating discussion of everything, from purgative treatments in Ayurveda to property investing.
And, so this endless but most pleasurable schedule continued for three nights: indulgent eating, yoga, treatments from heaven, laps in the pool under the warm sun and walks among the fragrant queen of the night that dominated the gardens. But the best was yet to come. Standing on the scales and regretting our imminent departure, I could not believe my eyes: I had lost nearly a kilo and a half! I swore I would be back.