Knock on the door at 6:30 AM. Tea is served and yoga begins in just one half hour. Is this vacation? Is this slow travel? You can decide. Twice a day yoga at 7 AM and 4 PM, guided meditations, lessons in yoga philosophy and vedic chanting, and a cooking demo all comprise our very busy, yet very relaxing stay at Hinterland Yoga Retreat nestled in a green (in all senses of the word) estate near a very small village about and hour away from teeming Kochi (Cochin).
Somehow, despite all the activity, there is a sense of tranquility, an ability to commune with the abundant nature, and enjoy the varied and outstanding vegan cuisine. Unni, the creator and mastermind behind this wonderful retreat runs his operation seamlessly, making sure that guests are warmly received, and that all their needs are addressed. Aryuvedic consultation, massage, and way of life are ever present, and serve as a gentle backdrop to the yoga and meditation. If this is not your cup of tea, no worries. This is not a cult. There is no guru here. You are here to relax, to unwind, to enjoy, to learn, and meet new people from all over the world, savor new foods and experience the culture of Kerala. The weather is warm and humid, even sultry. After yoga our shirts are sweated through, and several showers a day and changes of clothing are de riguer. But somehow, this doesn’t seem to matter. There are fans everywhere, and in our bedroom, an excellent air conditioner that we use at night. We are comfortable.
This weather nurtures a lush, green environment replete with coconut, banana and papya trees, cashew and nutmeg trees, pineapples, jackfruit, mangosteen, and countless varieties of plants and trees that we have yet to identify. The colors are sharp and bright, the flowers abound. The purples, yellows, reds in every imaginable combination are a feast for the eyes and for the soul. How did God ever dream this all up?
Unni runs a resort with an emphasis on the ecosystem, water recycling, organic food, solar energy and an eye to reducing our carbon footprint. We share the nature with animals as well. Turkeys, chickens and ducks stroll freely through the grounds, and the four house dogs regularly pay visits to our front porch to say hello. Fish swim in the fish ponds and life is good.
While yoga isn’t my regular go-to exercise it has made an appearance over the years. In my yoga experience up until now, I regularly felt frustrated by my lack of flexibility and constantly compared my inadequacies to those flexible people around me. Yoga was more a practice of quieting my ego and competitive streak, and less a spiritual or physical practice. I usually ended a session feeling of frustrated. Here, somehow, things are different. Perhaps it is the small size of the class (sometimes it is just the two of us),perhaps it is the nurturing environment. Maybe it is the meditations that create a sense of stillness and acceptance for what is. Or maybe it is just the place we are in our lives. I bend in to the practice, enjoying what I can do, adapting, and marveling at those who can stand on their head, with no expectation that one day I will be doing the same. Clearly, I won’t. Each of the three yoga teachers who taught us has a unique style and manner, allowing us to understand that there isn’t one single way of approaching this body of work, or work of the body.
At Hinterland the sense of being cared for in all ways is profound. Unni, the man at the helm, is a slight man with a large heart. Paying attention to the needs of each of his guests, and each of his workers, treating all with a great deal of respect, listening, considering, responding, all with a gentle smile, Unni is a special man indeed. The Aryuvedic tradition courses strongly through his veins, and is ever present at the retreat. The foods we eat, the drinks we imbibe, the massages we are treated to, the mosquito repellant provided in each room, as well as the soap, are all aryuvedic. This has piqued my curiousity and I have begun to read about Aryuveda. I am not yet a convert, but I sure love those Aryuvedic massages.
And the food, oh the food. There was something lovely about being served beautiful, interesting, varied and healthy meals, without lifting a finger or even having to decide which dish to choose from on a daily basis, three times a day. Most of the vegetables here are home grown and organic, picked just that morning. You can taste the freshness in the food. Even the delicious rice which appears every day at lunch is homegrown. The green rice paddy where the rice is cultivated, stretches out just beyond the yoga shala and is a feast for the eyes, long before it becomes a feast for the stomach. The cuisine is 100% vegetarian, aside from butter and milk. Breakfast is often a rice pancake with a vegetable curry of some sort, and strange as that might be to the Western palate, I loved it. Dinner includes a delicious soup (have you ever had lemon coriander soup?), chappati (like a flat pit or lafah, just thinner) and once again two different vegetable combos. Spices abound: cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, tumeric, cumin, fenugreek, coriander, mustard, garlic are ever present. Chili powder, chili peppers and curry leaves are also an integral part of the cuisine as is coconut in all its forms, grated, milk, cream, paste, and oil. What can I say? In a word, delicious! Spending several hours in the kitchen cooking with Chef Manesh will hopefully allow me to bring a taste of India home.
As I said goodbye to Unni and all the staff at Hinterland Yoga Retreat after our twelve day stay, I felt that “end of camp” feeling, the bittersweet of ending, and moving on to something new. Pre-paying my deposit for my next visit helps with departure and I leave with a sense that I will be returning to Hinterland in the not too distant future.
