Inhale, Exhale, Repeat: My Four-Day Reset To Dharana At Shillim

I didn’t realise how badly I needed to pause until the Pawana hills stole my signal and my calendar in one sweep on my way to Dharana at Shillim. Four days later, deadlines had been swapped for Iyengar yoga, Earth-to-table food and the rare feeling of being completely present.

Here’s everything I learned (and loved) about this retreat that promises to realign your mind, body, and appetite.

The Art of Starting Over

A welcome ritual at the Gate House, peaceful and fragrant, set the tone for everything that followed. There’s something quietly comforting about being ushered into a space that isn’t trying too hard to be anything other than tranquil. My first lunch at The Green Table was, in true Dharana style, nourishing Earth-to-table food that was wholesome, natural and local.

After lunch, I met the doctors for a Wellbeing Consultation that included a Bio Energetic Analysis. As someone who spends far too much time hunched over a laptop, I braced myself for an unflinching report. Thankfully, the experience felt more like a gentle chat than an interrogation. The Physical Evaluation confirmed my suspicions: I needed to move more and stress less.

I kicked off the movement part with Pranayama and Meditation in the Dhyana space, a Meditation Cave that feels impossibly calm. In the afternoon, I tried my hand at Warli Art, which unlocked a surprising new appreciation for slow, deliberate creativity.

By evening, I was floating, figuratively, after a deeply relaxing Vanaushadi 60 treatment, and literally as I drifted towards dinner. The warm herbal oils worked their quiet alchemy on every knot and ache, leaving me in a blissful haze I wished I could bottle up and take home. My skin felt nourished, my mind unburdened, and for the first time in a long while, my breath came easily. I sat down to another vibrant meal at Ojas, feeling lighter than I had in months, as if something invisible had finally loosened its grip. Each bite tasted brighter, every moment a little softer around the edges.

A Day for Every Sense

When the 6.00 am alarm rang, I did not hit snooze. I wanted to be on the mat. Iyengar Yoga in the Yogshala turned out to be everything I didn’t know I needed: stretching, balancing, breathing, and the quiet satisfaction of feeling muscles I’d long forgotten.

Next came the Physical Restoration Studio, where an expert gently guided me into positions I was sure my body would resist. Instead, I left feeling lighter and almost brand new. A Sahyadri Massage melted away the last traces of office chair tension. By the afternoon, after a calming Pranayama session and a serene Ceramic Workshop, I felt more present than I had in months.

I ended the day at the GT Pond for the Dharana Arti Ritual. Flickering flames and the hush of twilight combined into a moment so peaceful that I realised I hadn’t thought about my overflowing inbox even once. Throughout it all, a menu had been carefully curated to suit exactly what my body needed, nourishing food that felt both purposeful and indulgent. Each meal seemed to restore me from the inside out.

Closing with Purpose

By Wednesday, Dharana already felt like an alternate reality where time slows and meals appear on cue. The highlight was the Abhyangam + Steam treatment, warm oil, fragrant herbs, and a lingering sense of bliss. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like an extremely pampered samosa, this is your moment.

Lunch at The Green Table was a farewell meal that made me question why I ever equated well-being cuisine with blandness. Post-lunch, I met the doctor for a Departure Consultation, a thoughtful closure to the experience. He armed me with realistic practices to integrate back home. In the afternoon, I joined the Conscious Culinary Experience with the Chef. We chopped, stirred, and tasted our way through recipes designed to nourish from the inside out.

On Thursday morning, one last Iyengar Yoga session and breakfast preceded my checkout. As I walked to the Gate House, suitcase in tow, I realised I was leaving lighter, in body, mind, and spirit.

When Life Gets Loud, Return to Stillness

Back in the city, I find myself slipping a little of Dharana into my day, breathing more deeply between meetings, savouring my meals, and occasionally rolling out a yoga mat instead of doom-scrolling.

If you are craving a place that blends nourishing menus, treatments rooted in tradition and a mountain backdrop that insists you exhale, consider this your sign. There are no flashy F&B outlets here, only spaces designed to feed body and mind. Sometimes the greatest luxury is not an extravagant escape; it is permission to be still.