“Alone but not lonely, the philosopher becomes attuned to her inner self and the world. In solitude, the soundless dialogue ‘which the soul holds with herself’ finally becomes audible.” – Plato
Weekend Getaways are the stuff that our weekday dreams are made of. Who hasn’t had their eyes glaze over at the computer on a Wednesday, fervently wishing there was a place to escape to come Friday evening? Yet most people, given their heavy workloads and light travel purses, find it almost impossible to find this fabled space where all one’s troubles melt away and where the body and mind are refreshed enough to go through another week of the same old routine.
Given the hectic lives that we lead, an inner voice cries out, “But I have responsibilities to my family, my workplace, my (please fill in the blank with whatever comes to mind), I don’t have time to delve so deep!” Thus we often spend our weekends glued to the couch, letting media from our televisions or laptops stream over our beings, or we party all night at the coolest night-spot, all the while telling ourselves that this is what we need to relax and unwind.
Why not shift this perspective with a Contemplative Weekend at Ritambhara?
When one is in solitude, nature speaks to the imagination, as she never does in company. In the midst of spectacular natural beauty, we offer you the chance to find a quiet space within yourself, from where you can truly nourish your being.
We encourage you to establish a healthy connection with your body through yoga and meditation, while sampling wholesome vegetarian cuisine. Evenings at Ritambhara offer you an all-natural widescreen HD view of the glorious Nilgiri mountains and Shola forests, and the possibility of sighting wildlife such as the Great Indian Hornbill.
Contemplative Weekends are not about distracting our minds and bodies through mindless consumerism. They are about spending those precious moments in discovering what can truly nourish us, and building a calm space within ourselves that we can retreat to anytime we need. To put it simply, a Contemplative Weekend is getting away to yourself.
If you would like to take part in a Contemplative Weekend, or arrange for a group to participate, we invite you to contact us at ashram@ritambhara.org.in.
Anoop is a student of Yoga, an entrepreneur, a coach and a father of two young boys. He has led successful leadership stints in both the corporate and non-for-profit sectors. On encountering the country’s water/farmer crises at close quarters, he decided to pause and examine the impact various ‘isms’ – capitalism, colonialism, etc., were having on us as individuals, families, the society and the environment at large. This quest led him to formally engage with traditional Indic knowledge systems while also learning from the latest advances in science – about our physical and mental wellbeing, importance of body and mind work in healing trauma and the urgent need for a conscious rebuilding of family / work / social structures if we have to thrive individually and collectively. Insights, frameworks and processes gleaned from these on-going studies, an anchorage in his own personal practice and his wide-ranging experiences is what Anoop brings to facilitation/coaching spaces in Ritambhara and his various professional engagements.
Priya is a Yoga therapist in the Krishnamacharya tradition. She adapts Reiki & energy work, Vedic chanting, life coaching & Ayurvedic practices in her healing spaces. She is committed to nurturing collectives that have the praxis of Yoga at their heart.
Anisha has been on an exploration to understand herself through yoga for the last 15years which led her to teaching yoga, yoga therapy and inner work through yoga.
Apoorva chanced upon Yoga in her early 20s. A spark was lit within and there was no turning back. Her exploration led her to the Krishnamacharya tradition more than a decade ago. Curious about human behaviour and what drives it, she was thrilled when her search ended (and also began) when she first came upon the Yoga Sutra, which illuminated a path towards answering many questions that had been held for a long time.
Anita is a yoga teacher and therapist in the tradition of Sri.T.Krishnamacarya and Sri T.K.V. Desikachar, a Reiki practitioner and a Life Coach. She is also the founder of Vishoka, a center for learning Indic and energy-based frameworks for living and healing. Her deep concern for human suffering and the problems of unsustainable living kept her on the path of seeking an integrated approach to looking at life, living, learning and healing.
Ankit is a seeker in the wisdom traditions of India. The core of his work includes creating dialogic spaces where people can look within and see the connection between their inner and outer lives. Inspired by the likes of Gandhi, Aurobindo, Vivekananda and Guru Gobind his experiments in service took him back to his roots in Punjab where he is creating a community-led model of higher education which is open, inclusive and accessible for all. Ritambhara for him is a space for engaging in a community which is committed to a DHramic life. He anchors his work of learning and leadership in the Antaranga Yoga Sadhana and the humanistic wisdom of Mahabharata.