3 days at the Vrikshalaya Centre- a testimonial

Here is a testimonial from one of our recent visitors!

Content, Calm and Comforted
These are three words my two friends and I chose to describe how we felt after our 3-day retreat at The Vrikshalaya Center, the headquarters of the Foundation for Contemplation of Nature. I was amazed at how much we had learnt in only a few days, and I felt in awe at the immense power of yoga. I came away feeling both inspired and immensely grateful to Ajay for sharing his teachings with us.

The 3 of us are all Cambridge University undergraduates. We had been volunteering for 6 weeks with the Pan-Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation, an NGO in the neighbouring village. We decided to spend our last few days in the Himalayas with Ajay.

It was wonderful to stay in a beautiful cottage in the woods next to Ajay’s house, and next to the yoga hall where we took yoga classes and also learned the basics of meditation. After our classes and philosophical discussions, we went for amazing walks through the forest and had time left over to relax and read some of the yoga texts from Ajay’s library.

New tools for a healthy and happy body and mind.

Ajay has a deep knowledge of yoga and meditation and its effects on the body and mind. The lessons were really relaxing. We planned what we were going to do on the day and, and without feeling even the slightest bit disorganised, we found a perfect rhythm. I felt nourished and revived in my body and soul, and this was not just due to the delicious Kumaoni food that was cooked by Ajay’s lovely helper Mira!

I didn’t feel sad that we were leaving even though I could have happily spent weeks or even months there. I was just grateful that we had been able to have even such a meaningful experience in the short time that we had. Leaving the center, I felt confident that my yoga journey was only just beginning. I am still practicing the various yoga and meditation exercises Ajay taught us and I have no doubt that I shall continue to for a very long time to come; not only because they help me to destress, but because they make me happy.