India is a land of thousand festivals. There is not even a single dull month in the Indian calendar. In fact, some travelers come to India with a diary full of itinerary planned solely based on the various festivals taking place throughout the country. Some are celebrated nationwide while some are region specific. One of the most popular Indian festivals which is celebrated by the entire country and even fellow Indians living in others countries of the world is Diwali, also known as Deepawali.
Some of you of may recognize this festival as the Hindu festival of lights. This festival is celebrated every year in autumn. Amongst the most significant festivals in the country and in Hinduism, Diwali marks the victory of light over darkness, good over bad, hope over despair and knowledge over ignorance.
To celebrate this day, Indians decorate their homes with oil lamps, rangoli decorations, and distribute sweets and gifts to friends and family to show love and to keep up the spirit of festivity. Hence, there can’t be a better time than this to gift yourself the absolute present of a yoga and meditation retreat. Diwali, as per Indian culture, is not only a festival for celebrations and merry making; it is also a very auspicious time to indulge into something as powerful as the wisdom of yoga.
After spending a tiring 9-10 months of the year working, planning, studying, and travelling, this is the perfect time to visit India and spend a week or two in a yoga and meditation retreat. India is known for its diverse landscape. It is said that the surroundings here changes every 100 km and it is not an exaggeration. So, whether you are a mountain lover or a beach bum or just want to explore the intensity of the culture, India has it all.
Most of the popular retreats in India take place in cities like Rishikesh (also known as the yoga capital of the world), Kerala (famous for its magical Papanasam beach in Varkala), Goa (oh! the beaches of Goa), and Varanasi (one of the oldest cities in India). The list is not limited here and there is no scarcity of great ones. All you need is to say to yourself – Yes! I will do it for myself and I will take time off to cherish my own life and my own company. But, you don’t really have to do it on your own if you don’t want to. You can always take a friend or your partner along with you and spend some time connecting with each other.
Taking a vacation is always a great alternative but with that you will just be occupying yourself again in several types of itinerary planning and spending all your time exploring around. A yoga and meditation retreat, however, will allow you an insight into the wellness of this ancient science and may even influence into taking a more serious and committed teacher training course!
