An Eco Yoga and Meditation Retreat
“Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam”, meaning yoga is a skill in action and expression. Yoga is the skill to live your life, manage your mind, deal with emotions, be with people, be in love, and not let that love turn into hatred.
“The purpose of yoga is to stop misery before it comes.” Whether it is greed, anger, jealousy, hatred, or frustration, all these negative emotions can be healed or re-oriented through yoga.
Meditation is the way to take deep rest and be alert and conscious at the same time! It is the skill to calm the mind and connect with your inner joy. It is essential to reduce stress levels and maintain mental hygiene. A traditional Japanese concept of Forest Bathing called as Shinrin Yoku is Practiced here. Meditation is food for the soul.
Forest Bathing / Shinrin-yoku
What it involves
Being calm: Sit or walk quietly in a forest
Observing: Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells around you
Breathing: Take deep breaths and let go of judgment
Benefits
Improved mood, Reduced stress, Better sleep, Increased focus, Lower blood pressure, and Improved energy.
How to try it
Keep aside your phone and avoid distractions
Try to let your mind go on autopilot and observe without judgmenthing- Shinrin Yoku
It involves using all five senses and letting nature enter through those senses. Exercises include:
- Listening to forest sounds, i.e. birds and insects.
- Touching the ground, the trees, and the leaves.
- Smelling the flowers and other essential oils of the plants and trees.
- Observing the surroundings and scenery
- Tasting the crispiness of the air while breathing
Reported Health Benefits
Immune system booster
Mental health and mood improvement
Decrease in blood pressure and stress
You can Pre book a Yoga Retreat Experience; we will assign an expert Guide for you during your stay with us. Inclusions- Home Stay, Forest Bathing, Yoga and Meditation Session, Home Grown Organic food.
We first began our goshala in 2021 when Jassu the Cow was donated to our Yogashram, by a local villager. She was a severely ill and bony cow with a malnutrient calf, both had skin infections and anxiety. we had been medically treating them and feeding them mixed food to grow back to normal life. Over a year they both recovered and now we have multiple cows, bulls and calf donated by nearby villagers who could take care of them and that was the beginning of our small goshala.
The presence of this cow shed purifies the whole atmosphere at Arogyam ! We have dedicated and planned more space for them accompanied by a social experiment while earning some livelihood for neighbouring villagers.
Taking care of cows is rewarding and fun. The indigenous cows are very affectionate, alert and friendly. They demand lots of love and attention, and love to be hugged and patted just like domestic pets! These cows will not give their milk until a close bond has been established with their caretaker. In the Gavopanishad the glories of the cow are stated as follows
gavo bhutam ca bhavyam ca
gavah pushtih sanatani
gavo lakshmas tatha mulam
gosu dattam na nasyati
“The cow is the past and future. She nourishes the health of all living entities, and she is the root of prosperity. The piety one achieves by feeding a cow in never destroyed.”
annam hy paramam gavo
devanam paramam havih
svahakara vasat karau
gosu nityam pratishthitau
“The cow is the cause of one’s accumulation of food grains. She awards the best sacrificial ingredients to the demigods. The sacrifice of the demigods and the sacrifice of Indra are both performed on the basis of the cow.”
gavo yajnasya hy phalam
gosu yajnah pratishthitah
gavo bhavishyam bhutam ca
gosu-yajnah pratishthitah
“It is the cow which awards the result of sacrifice. The performance of sacrifice is dependent upon her. She is the past and future. All sacrifices are based upon her.”
sayam pratasca satatam
homa kale mahadyute
gavo dadati vai homyam
rishibhyah purusharshabha
“O greatly powerful King, every morning and evening when the sages perform fire sacrifices, it is the cow who supplies them the essential ingredients, in the form of ghee, etc.”
yani kani ca durgani
dushkritani kritani ca
taranti caiva papmanam
dhenum ye dadati prabho
“My dear King, those who give milk-cows in charity become liberated from all types of danger, and also become free from all sinful reactions.”
na kirtayitva gaha supyat
tasam samsmritya cotpatet
sayam pratar namasye ca
gastatah pushtimapnuyat
“Do not go to bed at night without praising cows. Do not get up in the morning without remembering the cow. Offer respect to the cow daily, in the morning. By doing so, a human being achieves strength and nourishment.”
gavam mutra purisasya
nodvijeta kathancana
na casam mamsa masniyad
gavam pushtim tathapnuyat
“Do not hate cow urine and cow dung. Never eat cow meat. By following this advice, human beings can become prosperous.”
gasca sankirtaye nityam
nava manyeta tastatha
anishtam svapramalakshya
gam narah samprakirtayet
“Chant the name of the cow daily and never insult her. If one sees a bad dream, one should immediately remember the cow.”
ghritena juhuyadagni
ghritena svasti vacayet
ghritam dadyat ghritam prasod
gavam pushtim sadashnute
“Use ghee in fire sacrifices. Use ghee in all auspicious activities. Donate ghee and also use it for personal necessities. By doing this, the human beings will always support the cows and understand their value.
gavam drishtva namaskritya , kuryacciva pradakshinam
pradakishni krita tena, saptadvipa vasundhara
matarah sarva bhutanam, gavah sarva sukha pradah
vriddhim akamsata nityam, gavah karyah pradakshinah
“One should see, offer obeisance, and circumambulate the cow. By doing so, one is suppose to have circumambulated the entire earth, with its seven islands. The cow is the mother of all. She gives happiness to everyone. People who desire prosperity should daily circumambulate the cow.”