Annual Health Retreat… Jindal is an option you will love!

Those of us who are in business/profession, April is a time when we look back to review previous year’s performance and set some goals for the upcoming year. For many in our industry – January, February & March also happens to be busiest period of the year. Before you once again start running and chasing your life and career goals, you might want to consider going for a good health retreat to reward yourself for all the hard work in previous year and re-energize yourself for the coming year.

I have been doing this for the past 5 years now. Initially, I was going to Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute in Lonavala (Read my blog – The best gift you can give yourself – a weeklong yoga vacation). Before that, I had also been to Shivananda Ashram in Kerala. Last year, I tried the world famous Jindal Naturecure Institute in Bangalore. I liked it so much that I repeated it this year also. I just came back from a 10 Day “all-by-myself” health retreat (with due permission from Priti who has been kind enough to understand my need for a good break after our annual conferences).

And those of you who think it’s an expensive affair, please read on and be pleasantly surprised. In this article, I will share some of the details of the program and my experience at the beautiful Jindal Institute, which might help you to take a decision if you should try it and how to go about doing your bookings. I am also sharing some of the pictures I took during my stay, hope you will like them. So let’s start.

About Jindal Naturecure Insitute (JNI)

JNI was founded by the visionary S R Jindal whose main philosophy is “Nature is the best healer”. At around 90, he is still actively involved in running the Institute which speaks of what Naturopathy and Yoga can do to your body & soul. Spread across 100-acre campus, the 40-year-old institute is beautifully maintained and run by around a dedicated staff of 500. People from across India come and stay at the Institute to learn, get treatments to their ailments and also enjoy the benefits of good diet, good exercise and naturopathy treatments & massages. The huge campus is meticulously planned and very well maintained with greenery all around along with a big lake where one can enjoy the sunsets every evening.

Who should consider visiting?

The Institute allows people with any health ailments to take admission. Many people suffering from diabetes, joint pains, blood pressure, constipation, asthma, obesity etc take up the admission. However; if you don’t have any of these issues, you can seek admission for stress relief and detoxification. Minimum stay allowed is 10 nights and can go up to 2-3 weeks also. What is essential is to have a clear purpose of visit, so that the naturopathy doctor can guide you to achieve it with proper diet and treatments.

How much does it cost?

There is popular belief that Jindal Institute is very expensive, which is true to some extent. But there is also an economical option. JNI has various categories of rooms like the economy, executive, cottages, deluxe, suites and the fees varies widely based on which room type you choose. I found economy rooms to be good enough for a very comfortable stay, anyways most of the day you are out of room doing some or the other activity. A 10-day stay in Economy category would cost around just Rs. 25,000 which includes room charges, all meals, all naturopathy treatments/massages, use of all facilities in campus, attending yoga sessions and all other activities. That’s a great deal! However there is only one challenge with booking of Economy Rooms, you have to book this well in advance like 3-4 months or sometimes more. The next best option is Executive rooms where the cost can go up to Rs. 40,000 for a 10 Day stay all inclusive. Beyond Economy and Executive, its actually a very expensive affair.

How is a typical day spent at Jindal Institute?

The day starts at around 5.30 am and will go until 9.30 pm. Here are some of the things & activities which will keep you occupied through the day;

Walking/Jogging Track

The campus has a 2 kilometer beautifully landscaped walking/jogging track. The institute encourages everyone to walk/jog daily either in mornings or evenings. I used to go jogging every evening and end with watching the sunset over lake. The track runs through gardens, vegetable farms, guest houses, and lakeside. Once in a while, you can also spot many peacocks which are in the campus area.

Yoga Sessions

Every day there is meditation, kriyas, pranayama and general yoga sessions in the lake facing Amphitheatre in the pristine mornings. The one-hour yoga session cover many of the yoga postures which are taught along with its benefits to the body. Evening Special Yoga sessions in smaller groups are also held for people with specific ailments like diabetes, back pain, obesity etc.

Treatments & Massages

This activity forms the core part of your stay at the institute. JNI has excellently maintained and very well equipped naturopathy treatment & massage center. The naturopathy center is well managed with trained therapists and masseurs (one who specializes in giving body massages). Moreover, guests find them to be very courteous and welcoming although it’s not a typical hotel, spa or a resort. Different treatments like body massages, Jacuzzi, steam/sauna, digestive system cleansing, mud/herbal bath etc are given based on the doctor’s prescription.

Diet and Juices

The institute lays immense importance on offering a healthy diet. You get to eat only what and how much your doctor prescribes on a daily basis. There are 2 meals and 4 juices spread through the day. You will never go hungry unless your doctor prescribes fasting. Meals would usually consist of raw vegetables, fruits, soups, sprouts, soya butter-milk. Since you get only limited serving, there is a control on daily diet.  I absolutely loved the fresh fruits and vegetables diet, most of which is grown organically in the Institute farms. And there is a variety of serving of fruits, vegetables, and soups.

Range of Campus Facilities

The campus has lots of facilities to keep you engaged and work on your health. The clean and covered swimming pool was my favorite which I visited on all the days during my stay. Every day there is also a session on aquatic exercises in the swimming pool. One can also hit the well-equipped gymnasium, play badminton or do cycling in evenings by borrowing a cycle. There is also a physiotherapy and acupuncture center for those of you who need those treatments. Apart from all this, in case you find time, you can play carom, chess, table tennis or snooker in the recreation center.

Evening Sessions

Every day soon after the dinner, the institute arranges some lighter activity where you can relax before hitting the bed. For example; during my stay some of the activities organized were a magic show, orchestra, housie game, movie screening, health quiz, QnA with Institute doctors etc. These were relaxing sessions to end the day.

Book Reading

I finished reading 4 books during my stay mostly sitting the gardens. This is another option for those of you who love reading. I read books because I really don’t find time when I am in Mumbai due to work. There is also a well-stocked library where you can sit and read or borrow books from.

How to take admissions?

I strongly recommend you to consider visiting the Jindal Website and apply for admissions. Don’t think much about dates and possibility and other “ifs” and “buts”. Simply pay the initial deposit of Rs. 3000 and get the earliest dates available in Economy Rooms (which will anyways will be 3-5 months away). You can always request the change of dates later. Once you have dates in hand, figure out how your practice and family will survive without you. (One observation is that, world simply moves on even without us). In fact, you will learn the art of delegation and putting systems in place to ensure things run even in your absence.

With so much of consumerism and urbanization, many of us are living an adulterated life. Once in a while it’s good to get back to the roots of natural living and try to devote time for your health & body. I would like to end this article by sincerely thanking the visionary SR Jindal for doing such awesome work with so much of love & passion for the betterment of humanity.

If you need any more information or assistance with respect to visiting Jindal Institute feel free to comment below or reach out to me. By the way, don’t forget to explore the other option i.e. Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute in Lonavala

Don’t have time?

Here is what one of the boards in the Institute Campus reads “People lose health for getting wealth and then desperately lose their wealth for regaining health.” and another one reads “Those who do not find time for exercise now will have to find time for visiting hospitals later”

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