REDISCOVERING MYSELF WITH SHIVA WALKS

My wife was raised in a very religious family, and I am the complete opposite. This means that she often goes on pilgrimages with her parents, where I don’t accompany them. Thankfully, they have been understanding and have never forced me.

So, when a few months back, my wife suggested that we join the Shiva Walks at Jageshwar, I was a little surprised. She’s never asked me to accompany him before, and she knew I would not be interested in something like this at all. But she assured me that we’d get some sightseeing done as well, and frankly I hadn’t gotten out of the city in a long time so I agreed.

What I found was really surprising. The overall tone of the tour wasn’t very religious at all. In fact, I could say it was more spiritual, and more about connecting with your inner self, and the world, than a traditional religious pilgrimage or outing. 

Long and relaxing forest walks, short treks that may have tired our bodies, but worked wonders to clear the mind, and so on! We played in the streams, meditated in the beautiful and quiet deodar forests, and much more. The guided yoga sessions at Van Serai were extremely liberating, actually lightening the mind. 

I was even initially skeptical about Satvik food, but it was so delicious that I loved it all the same. The love and care that went into preparing the food could actually be tasted. And the fact that it was farm-fresh produce, prepared fresh and in a healthy manner made a world of difference.

I still may not be a very religious person, but I did come back from Jageshwar as a more spiritual person.