Tapestry of Transformation

On her second visit to Coimbatore, Aindrila Mitra finds out what makes the Isha Yoga Center in the foothills of the Velliangiri Hills a truly healing and transformative experience.

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THIS IS MY second visit to Coimbatore. Within a year. I check into the Isha Yoga Center (isha.sadhguru.org) located at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains to ring in the New Year. Not for spiritual enlightenment, but for some rejuvenation and relaxation after an excruciatingly busy year. Every pillar and nook of the retreat is imbued with the aura of its founder and visionary, Sadhguru. And although I am no spiritual seeker, I readily agree that this destination spanning over 200 acres is any wellness traveller's haven. The nourishing sattvic rainbow food served two times a day (10 am and 7 pm) add to the overall experience. Swami Nadija, who oversees one of the programmes at Isha, puts it aptly, "When you travel the world, you are going for experiences. Here [at the Isha Yoga Centre], the experiences are 10 times more and in fast forward-intense and very fulfilling."

After a hearty brunch of millets, beetroot salad, veg kanjee, green vegetables, rasam, khichdi, payasam, and a farm-grown banana, I sit with the in-charge of the Isha Health Solutions, Maa Vama, to understand how wellness percolates here. With all the programmes having wellbeing as the key, one doesn't leave the space without feeling better. "We follow a certain rhythm and it's the only rejuvenation centre in the world that combines Ayurveda, Siddha, yogic practices, and allopathy for treating [guests] at an elemental level," Maa says. I dig deeper. "We fall into a certain rhythm the power of going to bed early, waking early, following the cycles of the moon that have an impact on the body."