I healed postpartum with peacocks, yoga and massage at this retreat centre

It was one fine summer morning when I landed at this beautiful wellness centre nestled in the heart of a small town called Jhansi in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh with my one-year-old infant. Having joined back work after an extended maternity break, doubled in body weight from my regular size and with severe lack of confidence courtesy having stayed away from professional duties for close to a year, this break came in at just the right time.

With one short train ride from New Delhi to Jhansi and then a subsequent half-hour ride from the train station to the property, Shatam Jeeva welcomes you with smiling faces, courteous staff and a peaceful forest. Spread across acres of man-made forest land that has been preserved and bettered with utmost care to make way for a wholesome wellness retreat centre, Shatam Jeeva is an experience. I reached Shatam Jeeva in peak mango season so you can only imagine that I was surrounded by more than 50 varieties of mango trees, wood apple trees, and numerous herbal plants that you have only read as names of ingredients in ayurvedic products. 

Over the course of two days, my one-year-old infant and I experienced nature’s bliss. A premium wellness centre that delivers true to its promise, helped us both disconnect with the city life, soak in nature, and gorge on some homemade-style food that was not only healthy but curated with perfection to enjoy the best of season’s offerings and meditate our day away. 

As soon as we reached the Shatam Jeeva Ayurvedic Wellness Centre, we were welcomed with a detox drink and were guided to our room which was not only put in place tastefully but packed with modern luxury. Using only colours of wood, white and greys of marble, the room offered a sense of what you can expect from your stay: a unique sense of peace of mind.

There is in-room dining available if you feel the heat and the food comes in steel dabbas in insulated tiffin boxes, one that would remind you of school but as you open those, you’d be visibly surprised with how colourful they pack your lunches and dinners. Salads, millet and ragi-based rotis, at least two sabzi (vegetables prepared with turmeric and Indian spices), kheer (milk-based Indian dessert with rice and coconut), brown rice, dal, chutney with dollops of desi ghee atop most curries are what you can expect. Mind you, their milk and milk-based products come from a dairy they have inside the premises and you can pay the indigenous cows a visit too.

My daughter had the most fun interacting with the cows and she thought they were quite cool. Since it was the first time that my daughter and I were in each other's company alone without any additional family members, I must say, that this wellness centre treated us well. From checking into the centre to our well-planned itineraries, special food menu designed for me as well as for my baby, therapies and activities designed keeping in mind that I was still reeling with postpartum, people at Shatam Jeeva went two steps ahead in making sure that I was relaxed and my baby was entertained while we both soaked in nature, in its most virgin form. 

The only drawback I felt in the food department was that they don’t offer you tea or coffee or any additives at any time of the day. (So forget that morning and evening chai time but instead, they can offer you juice or milk or shake (in my case, mango shake). 

Moving on from the food at the retreat which is not just healthy but extremely therapeutic, what stood out for me was their focus on health, dedication to a disciplined life and staying true to their aim of reconnecting people with nature. We got up early the following day and indulged in an hour-long yoga and meditation that the practitioners helped us with while correcting our form and guiding us all the way.

They also treat you to a specially designed wellness package at the start of your trip that includes laying down the activities that you would get to participate in, places or experiences they would like you to make time for and massages and medicines (if any) that they prescribe you after checking your pulse through age-old ways that will help treat you with issues like diabetes, insomnia, acidity and other digestion-related issues, migraines and other types of headache, constipation, stress, anxiety and other mental health-related issues. I checked myself into a deep-tissue full-body massage that lasted an hour with various oils. Meanwhile, one masseuse kept my baby engaged so that I could enjoy my session stress-free.

People at Shatam Jeeva know what they are doing and have the utmost sense of responsibility for running a luxury wellness centre that is big on offering life-enriching experiences. 

Other daytime activities you can indulge in are tree-hugging, forest bathing, forest walking, painting, pottery, mantra chanting, and tree plantation among other things. There's a buggy ride available twice daily if you want to take a look at the forest spread and travel the length and breadth of the area but I'd suggest you walk it if you can because the experience will change you in ways I can't put to words. 

While mine was a short two-day trip to Shatam Jeeva, I recommend this to all those who are looking to unwind and break from monotony. I enjoyed the summers here, I am sure the retreat centre looks even more beautiful in the months leading to winter. Think bonfire, peacocks (yes, there are hundreds of peacocks at the property you can catch a glimpse of only as you step out of your room), that slightly chilly whiff in the air in October. I wish I could go back! 

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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