Perhaps my biggest realisation of 2025 has been that city life just isn’t for me. Recently, I read an article about how Bryan Johnson walked out of an interview with Nikhil Kamath due to the poor air quality of Mumbai. It’s not lost on me how I live in the city and breathe polluted air every day feeling increasingly disconnected with myself.

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Recently, I found Swastik, a luxury wellbeing sanctuary located on the outskirts of Pune on the foothills of the Sahyadris. I decided to go for a three-day wellness journey without really knowing what I was getting into. However, it couldn’t have been any better.

My journey began with a gong vibration to open my chakras and lead to the inner journey. After that I was greeted with music and aarti, which made my soul feel respected and appreciated. Inspired by the nine planets, the backdrop made me realise I was a deep-seated part of the universe and I was at the retreat for a reason - to heal myself and align myself with the divine.

My mother had her journey to go through, we knew little about what we would experience together. As a doctor consulted us post arrival, they screened us individually for our health issues, doshas, and mental health. For each of us, they created a unique wellness journey we had to follow based on our health concerns.

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I was led to an infrared room, where I took a sauna for 10 minutes. With me were other women, including my mother, discussing everything from PCOS to menopause, from tanning to gaining weight, from mental health to divorce. Nothing was taboo in the sauna room and everyone bonded with empathy. There was a realisation that we are all there in solidarity and understanding that health can be discussed openly and should never be taken for granted.

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Post that, my therapist led me to the spa room where I tried a deep tissue massage. The spa room overlooked the Sahyadris and made me feel connected with myself. I was knocked off to sleep. I awoke in a trance and realised the spa had ended. My body felt healed. The steam room was a calming space where I lay and thought about everything life had to offer. My whole focus transformed into the present moment. Rather than pondering over the past or future, I could take a moment and live in the present moment. My mother, later revealed to me she felt bliss like she hadn’t in months.

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Every meal with my mother at Rasa began with a prayer of gratitude. We spent time together and talked to each other. It felt good to not be using our phones and actually spending time to understand each other. The meals are spectacularly curated by Chef Arvind - pure vegetarian, lacking too many masalas, designed with healthy alternatives and curated to be delicious. Unlike other retreats I have heard of, the food was delicious and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

More than anything else - I enjoyed my time in the rooms the most. Named guhas, meaning caves - the rooms at Swastik are designed without any edges and look like a cave. The shape and colour are intended to represent a mother’s womb since according to ayurveda, we are most complete when we are in the womb of our mother. That’s the only place where we don’t cry. And being there with my mother felt wholesome like this wellness journey was intended for both of us.

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While we woke in the mornings, an ancient agnihotra ritual took place near the sushuma stumbh - a space designed to create a universal connection. A havan to start the morning felt peaceful. Post havan, yoga was another element of bliss. We tried acro yoga together which got us laughing since we both aren’t into yoga specifically. But it felt wholesome to laugh together and bond together.

Halotherapy is a form of salt therapy which can help to clear out allergies and boost blood flow in the body. My mother and I tried halotherapy together. Surrounded by stunning natural green plants, the halotherapy room opened us to a view of butterflies, chameleons, bird sounds and all kinds of natural flowers. While in the room, my mother and I talked, laughed and rejoiced as we healed.

Perhaps attending the retreat with my mother was the best choice I made for both of us. Not only did we bond better and get a much-needed break, but we also healed together.