Out of Norm Travels - 2020 Yoga Retreat in Nepal

UPDATE: I did a video collation of the various timelapse taken during my Nepal trip: MagTY Video_We will Rise Again

Prayer Flags of Nepal 

For many, travelling is a sort of ala "Amazing Race" with the maximization of the limited time in a particular location by going from point A to point B. Well, for the first time in my life, I gave myself the luxury of time by signing up for a 4 days yoga retreat in Nepal in early March 2020. Mind you, I am neither flexible nor a yoga fanatic so I was definitely doing something that scared me.  

What is Yoga? 

For those unaware, Yoga is an ancient philosophy and practice of health and well being. The practice emphasizes the quality of health and life with diet, physical acts, posture, breath, mental, rest and meditation, In the modern world, it has somewhat gained momentum with emphasis on the physical aspects. 

Yoga retreat Booking

I booked my retreat via bookyogaretreats.com at Himalayan Yoga Academy, which was around 20-30 mins from the Thamel area of Kathmandu. A standard daily routine starts with morning 6am wake up followed by Jala Neti (Nasal Cleansing) then morning Yoga with chants and meditation. I would be free before or after lunch depending on the scheduling of the therapy session. I had the full body oil massage on day 2 and Shirodhara (oil treatment) on day 3. A round of evening yoga before dinner followed by Trataka (Concentrated Gaze) before lights out at 10pm. I will cover my experiences of the Jala Neti, Trataka and Shirodhara sessions as they were rather interesting and unique to me. 

Types of Services 

Jala Neti

Jala Neti means “water cleansing” and is an ancient Indian yoga technique that is done using a stainless steel Neti pot. 

• The pot is filled with warm salt water and the whole process starts with a gurgle of the warm water before squatting near a drain, tilting the head to commence the pouring of the warm salty liquid from one nostril the opposite side of the nostril. 
• The pouring is done by inserting the nozzle of the pot into one nostril with the liquid flowing in through one nostril and out through the other nostril. The mouth is open throughout the neti process to breathe. 
• After finishing half of the water of the Neti pot, put it down and clear your nostril. The same process applies to the other side. After finishing both nostrils, I was taught how to force exhalations from both the nostrils in all the directions i.e. left and right, top and bottom. 
• Jal Neti is a nasal cleansing yogic process used to remove the congestion and blockages of nasal as well as respiratory regions. Jal Neti is said to help to keep one free from many diseases and also facilitates smooth breathing exchange through nostril. 
• After Jal Neti, I felt myself lighter and breathing more easily than before. It could also be the cool mountain air helping with that process. 
• More info about Jal Neti can be found in this link: https://www.gyanunlimited.com/health/jal-neti-nasal-cleansing-yoga-steps-benefits-and-precautions/11716/

Trataka (Concentrated Gaze) 

According to Guru Dr. Subodh (Swami Yog Subodh), Trataka (Concentrated Gaze) is a method of meditation that involves staring at a single natural point like a candle flame or a flower. The candle is placed about 1m away with the flame level with the eyes. The body is kept relaxed with spine erect in wakeful state. My eyes soon watered after a few seconds of gazing after which I was advised to close them to see the flame in my mind before opening them when I am more comfortable. The process takes about 15-20 mins. I found myself very relaxed after Trataka as it kept my mind free from other thoughts other than the flame. I saw different colors such as gold, blue and purple on the 3 nights when this process was performed. In Sanskrit, Trataka is n. त्राटक Trāṭak: "look, gaze" is a yogic purification (a shatkarma) and a tantric mediation said to bring energy to the "third eye" (ājňā chakra) and promote various psychic abilities. More info about this and its benefits can be found at https://www.healthandyoga.com/html/news/meditation/trataka.aspx

Trataka (Concentrated Gaze) 

Shirodhara therapy

Last but not least is the Shirodhara therapy which is an ancient Ayurvedic therapy. Basically, I lied down on a bed with warm oil pouring down over my forehead in a continuous stream. The gentle pressure and soothing warmth of the oil allowed me a deep state of rest, similar to meditation. After the therapy, the entire hair will be covered with oil so I spent the rest of my day in deep 'zen' mode. It is said that the forehead or ‘ajna marma’ is an area where nerves are highly concentrated. The pressure of the oil onto the forehead creates a vibration and the oil saturates the forehead and scalp and penetrates into the nervous system. More info about this and its benefits can be found at http://ayurvedanextdoor.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-shirodhara/ 

Shirodhara - Oil Therapy 

I hope that you have found the above interesting and wish that this blog post made you consider having a more restful vacation the next time  you spend your holidays! 

Until then, onto the world and beyond!