Massages, Saatvik Meals, Beach Walks: How a Wellness Retreat in Goa Rejuvenated Me

Viji (Vijayalakshmi) and I are taking a half kilometer walk around the small lake at Veda5, the ayurvedic spa and wellness resort on the outskirts of the small north Goa village of Arambol. It is the first week of June; it is 6 am and still cool. It is also enjoyable listening to birdsong while we walk leisurely. I am surprised that both of us, with our arthritic knees, can actually do two rounds of the lake! Perhaps the climate or the company, or both?

I was hesitant to sign up for this trip when Silver Talkies announced the “Goa Rejuvenate” trip. Would I be able to walk much? How hot would it be? It had been over 20 years since I had last visited Goa. But I signed up, thinking, “After all, it is just four days.”

I found myself with nine other women, all members of Bangalore and all of us incidentally from Bangalore. Taking charge of our well-being and our plans was Rushika from Silver Talkies. Meeting the other members at the Bangalore airport was delightful as I was able to meet in person people whom I had seen only over Zoom. The delayed flight only enabled us to bond.

After a 30-km drive in a battery of four taxis, through humid forested areas dotted with small villages, temples and churches, we were welcomed at Veda5 with tilak and tulsi malas. I picked a book to read from the resort’s small library and we made our way to the cottages around the lake.

Memories are experiences telescoped into a pleasant recalling and at times expanded into a dream-like retreat back in time. Time flew by, and what remains are pleasant memories of experiences. In the mornings we stretched our bodies in the resort’s yoga hall, under the kind and understanding eye of Yash Paul, our youthful yoga master. He ran lithely around the hall setting out mats and cushions for us, and making accommodations for those of us who had challenges doing certain asanas.

Goa was hot, but the spacious and cool dining hall in Veda5 was not just where we had our saatvik meals, but also where we bonded over our life stories. We shared about the challenges in our professional lives—including solo travel as women which was a rare sight back then—as well as the joys of meeting people in other spaces and contributing to the work we were doing, whether it was teaching, marketing, social work, or business, while still taking care of our families. We shared about our children and grandchildren; we shared laughter.

One night, the dinner turned into an impromptu singing session; another night it was card games. For me—as it must have been for some others—sleep was pleasant and dreamless. There were no meals to plan, chores to be done, payments to be made, or people to be met: the luxury of a departure from the usual routine!

The luxury included a well-planned schedule; this included two hour-long Ayurvedic massages for each of us. We would go into the massage cottage, and return slightly woozy and relaxed. This was my first ever experience of receiving a massage; my body relaxed under the expert hands of my masseuse Anu while gentle music played in the background.

Rushika, who ensured that every detail was taken care of during our stay, was not only our guide, but also our kind, caring and helpful friend and support. One morning, a friendly doctor spoke to us on the details and benefits of a saatvik diet; and another morning, the Veda5 chef Pradip demonstrated the preparation of a vegetable dish based on the saatvik principles, and we were surprised how delicious it was, even without garlic, onion, ginger, chilli or any souring agent.

We would walk to the beach in Arambol, just half a kilometre from the resort. Signboards of shops along the way were in English, Hindi and Russian. We learnt that the earliest tourists in this part of Goa were from Russia who were seeking the warm weather and eventually settled in Goa. The beach in Arambol is still unspoilt and the small shacks that sell fried fish and snacks are confined to a small area of the beach. It was refreshing to be on the beach after years! The salt wind was invigorating. Our little group—Jayashree, Viji, Rushika and I—sat on the sands for a long time after dipping our toes in the warm sea. A foreigner—who had become a local—walked with her dog, whose name was Chimanlal! Talk of the marriage of cultures among pet parents!

The warm weather, the friendliness of the people, the laid-back pace of life: all of these have attracted people to Goa. In recent decades, Goa has become the hub of health resorts and spas like Veda5. There is even an Ayurvedic hospital on the way to the airport. Today, most tourists are from other states of India who visit Goa for its tourist-friendliness and safe environs, the cashews and bibinca, the wider range of wines as well as seafood. We too brought home kokum squash, pickles and masalas, aam papad, dry fruits and cashews from the little shop not far from our resort.

Every evening, our yoga master donned the hat of purohit and performed a puja before the array of deities in a nook of the reception hall. Some of us gathered with him to sing some of our favourite prayers in Hindi and Sanskrit, and perform arati for half an hour. This felt like a spiritual ending to each day. All too soon, it was time for us to leave. We bid farewell to the friendly and hospitable team of Veda5, promising to return. As our taxis made the return journey up the winding roads, past sleeping villages, temples and churches, I was so happy at the friendships I had deepened with the other women, and this break from the routine which has added to my collection of beautiful memories.