Celebrating our first wedding anniversary, Ananda in the Himalayas, Rishikesh, October 2014
This post has been written for the theme “26 Places, 26 Memories” for the #AtoZChallenge.
R FOR RISHIKESH:
The holy city of Rishikesh is located on the foothills of the Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand. It’s best known for its temples, meditation and yoga retreats, Ganga Arti (ritual of prayer), and river-rafting. It’s easily accessible from Delhi, and makes for a great cultural experience.
In October 2014, my husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary in Rishikesh, at the luxury resort, Ananda in the Himalayas. The entire weekend was spent in the resort walking in sublime nature, eating delicious and healthy food, meditating, and spending loads of quality time together. The resort’s policy of having the guests wear only white cotton pyjama sets, enhanced the experience further. Though I loved every moment of our trip, here’s the memory that really stands out.
REGRESSING INTO PAST REALMS IN RISHIKESH:
Ananda markets itself as a wellness retreat. Guests can take part in numerous activities planned by the hotel, or simply relax. My husband and I avoided most scheduled events, yet I was intrigued by the past-life regression therapy they offered. The high price tag, and the idea of leaving him alone for a period of time, deterred me from signing up. My sweet husband, however, secretly booked me a session.
Dr. Roma Singh, a certified hypnotherapist and past-life regressionist, was very experienced, and her calm demeanour helped with my nervousness. I didn’t know what to expect, mistrusted the idea of hypnosis, and was unsure about opening a potential can of worms. Hence, I shivered with tension, through the entire session of 1.5 hours.
Past-life regression is unlike anything I’ve experienced. Traditionally, the subject apprises the therapist of any worries they have or problems they need help with. The therapist then guides the subject through a journey within their sub-conscience. The subject remains completely lucid through the process, envisioning incidents and people in their minds eye. Often, the subject can recognise a person from their present life in these visions. After therapy, the subject remembers everything they saw and experienced, clearly.
At this session, I was attempting to understand the reason for my mortal fear of water. The different lifetimes I purportedly visited, showed me potential causes. Dying in a terrible shipwreck, a lonely life as a princess, in a tower that looked onto a body of water, a life of poverty as an orphan in a seaside town; all showed up in my visions. I can’t say if these were past lives of mine, or images conjured by a healthy imagination; but I felt I recognised people from my present life, in very unexpected roles. Our relationship in past lives possibly explained their troubling behaviour toward me in my current life.
I walked out of the session quite spooked, but also very intrigued. Past-life regression may not have changed my world, but it definitely makes for an interesting anecdote. In case you’re wondering though, I’m still mortally afraid of water 😉
Come back tomorrow for the letter S and another story!
Book a stay in Ananda in the Himalayas by clicking here.
*Unless otherwise specified, the copyright in all pictures belongs to nooranandchawla.
**This is not a sponsored post, but it contains an affiliate link. If you book a stay using my link, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
A for Amritsar, B for Bhopal, C for Cambodia, D for Delhi, E for England, F for France, G for Gwalior, H for Hemkund Sahib, I for Italy, J for Jim Corbett National Park, K for Kamakhya Devi Temple, L for London, M for Munich, N for Naples, O for Odisha, P for Prague, Q for Qila Mehrangarh Jodhpur