I had the opportunity to travel to picturesque Almora, in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand to attend a four-day Transcendental Meditation retreat, towards the end of the month of March this year.

This retreat was organized for the faculty members of the Maharishi University of Information Technology, Noida campus (which by the way also is home to one of the two official Transcendental Meditation centres in Noida). Family was invited too, so I got to go along with my daughter-in-law, who is the deputy dean of the School of Law at the Maharishi University of Information Technology.

I had a wonderful time during those four days, full of laughter, merriment, games fostering team building and spiritual understanding, Yogasanas, meditative experiences, and profoundly deep lectures on various aspects of life and meditation.

A Serene Himalayan Meditation Retreat

I fall short of words to describe how I felt during the meditation retreat. The whole day was structured to provide maximum joy. Apart from the activities discussed above, we had sumptuous buffet spreads every day, and even impromptu treks to the scenic locales nearby!

I had many moments where during a talk, being deeply absorbed in the serene silence of group meditation or while chatting up with a fellow participant, some deep understanding of some aspect of life would strike me, and it would enhance the depth to which I could glean some wisdom.

The balmy weather, the majestic summit of the Trishuli peeking head and shoulders above clouds that streamed off the snow in the distance, the open, expansive silence, the twittering of birds among the pine trees carpeting the slopes and the tasteful ambiance of the resort where we stayed, all added to magnifying the bliss and peace.

A Truly Scenic Getaway from the Humdrum of City Life

I have never before indulged in a getaway like this, where the mind, body and spirit together were able to experience rejuvenation at such a fundamental level.

I thank the MUIT management team for this wonderful initiative! Each of us got to know and connect with ourselves, something we seriously miss out on in the hectic pace of city life.

Their handling of the whole trip, from start to finish was top-notch, and we hardly faced any hassles during this absolutely blissful meditation retreat in the midst of the Himalayas, despite being a group of more than fifty men, women and children! I eagerly look forward to the next one.