FINDING YOUR RHYTHM AT VILLA AMRITA

Many of us lead hectic lives. We work hard and have bosses who are seldom satisfied.  Family obligations can be overwhelming.  The 24-hour news cycle and social media can drown us in information.  We don’t think as clearly and as deeply as we would like and should. We sleep too little and not very well. The press and stress can lead us to make poor food choices and skip exercise.  This unfortunate rhythm is not sustainable.  We begin to break down, and so we need and deserve a real break. This is of course what vacations are all about. Sadly, most of us rarely get more than a few days away. That is why it is so important to make the best of your few precious days at Villa Amrita.  It can be hard to quickly and truly break from your daily habits and worries; to settle in to a calmer and more beautiful mental and physical space. But it is possible, here’s how.

First resolve to break completely from work. Do not let it follow you inside Villa Amrita! Don’t worry, it will all be waiting for you when you return. And if you return rested, invigorated andview from dhanya balcon happy, you will work better. Turn off the phone and work email. Do not take conference calls. Next, fully embrace your new environment. The sights, smells and sounds. You will see deeper greens, bluer blues, and brighter oranges and yellows than you are probably used to.  Draw the colors in deeply.  You will not hear sirens and helicopters and trains.  You will hear running water over rice terraces, crickets chirping, cicadas humming, frogs croaking, and birds calling. These are healing, soothing sounds. Embrace them.  You will breathe clean air, savor exquisite flowers and amazing aromas. Bananas actually smell like sweet, fragrant bananas. Complex curries tease and mesmerize your taste buds.  Freshly ground coffee caresses your taste buds. Let these smells and sounds inside and make them part of your recovery.

Sleep.  Turn off the TV and sleep early and sleep long. Do not use an alarm clock or phone. Instead, let yourself awaken to natural sunlight and birdsong.  Don’t be afraid to take a nap in the afternoon. Enjoy the lounge chairs next to the beautiful swimming pool, or retreat to your room for a gentle snooze.

Get a massage. Every day. Villa Amrita has an excellent professional massage table and skilled masseurs on call. Ask our staff to put the massage table on your balcony, draw the shades and melt into relaxation.  The sound of running water and birdsong are sure to help your mind and muscles find balance and calm.

family with babyEat joyfully and thoughtfully. Eat whenever you are hungry- there is no need to be too worried about precise meal times here. Take delight in every meal and each snack. Eat only real food- nothing taken from a plastic wrapper, a microwave, or a fast food restaurant. Savor in our naturally ripened fruits, fresh rice, spicy Sambal and food prepared by loving hands.

Exercise. If you are not accustomed to daily exercise at home, then start slowly. Take long, slow walks. Soak in in the sites, smells and warmth of the nearby villages. Avoid the hottest hours of the day, between 11-3 pm. Instead, take a morning walk or step out just an hour before sunset. Our staff can point you in the right direction for a lovely jaunt.  If you would like to be a little more vigorous, try walking to the bottom of the stairs to the valley below Villa Amrita. The springs and gentle creek below are filled with beautiful light beams casting through the forest canopy. Butterflies fly gently and take sips of water. If you go early in the morning or later in the afternoon, you will see villagers carrying large bottles of drinking water on their heads.  Make sure to give them plenty of space and always offer a friendly smile.signature cocktail passionfruit margie

Read that book you have been putting off for so long. Now is the time to set aside time to indulge in that favorite author or masterful collection. Immerse yourself and let your imagination and creativity flow. Set aside the time for your new rhythm. It is all yours.

Finally, hold hands with the ones you love. The energy and joy we receive from our most important relationships make all the difference. Whether you are sharing Villa Amrita with a spouse, a lover, your parents or children, make sure that you are connected and that your rhythm here strengthens those bonds. So make sure as you walk and enjoy Villa Amrita and surroundings, your hand is always in the hand of someone you love.

In a few days, you will return to home and work.  But until then, resolve to set a new healing, restful rhythm at Villa Amrita. Your memories of this special place will sustain you far into the future.