I woke up to see the sun shining, and my heart dropped. Normally, during a vacation, sun is a good thing. But when you’ve come all the way to India to experience the monsoon, all you want is rain.
On my first visit to India 23 years ago, I stayed at an Ayurvedic spa in the Himalayas. One of the things that the Ayurvedic doctor told me was that going to a spa is better during the annual monsoon. Something about the heavy rains helps calm the soul and allows the body to be most receptive to the benefits of treatments. I added it to my bucket list.
Finally, the time had come to experience India during the monsoon. My destination: Six Senses Vana, a wellness retreat set in the foothills of the Himalayas. My motivation: to take my mom on a mother-daughter trip of a lifetime to celebrate her 80th birthday. It was a remarkable milestone that held even more significance considering the recent passing of my father. In the wake of my dad’s death, my mother channeled her grief into a mission of transformation, focusing on improving her overall health and well-being. So bringing her on a bucket-list wellness journey seemed like the perfect way to celebrate 80 years on earth and help set her up for many more years fueled by health and well-being.
On a monsoon trip to Six Senses Vana, a wellness retreat in the foothills of the Himalayas.
We chose Six Senses Vana because the program has an array of activities designed to engage all the senses: yoga, meditation, fitness, sound therapy, wellness talks, the list goes on. I had heard from friends that it was truly transformative but not too radical for an 80-year-old. Included in the rate is a daily spa treatment that taps into healing modalities from around the world—from Ayurveda to Tibetan medicine to acupuncture—as well as healthy cuisine and clothing to wear during your stay. Plus, it’s not far from Rishikesh, which is one of the world’s holiest cities as well as the birthplace of yoga.
Getting here was quite an odyssey: We took connecting flights from New York through London to Delhi, then had a five-hour drive to Dehradun, where the property is located. We could have saved time if we had flown directly to Delhi and taken a connecting flight to the Rishikesh airport, but the flights through London were considerably cheaper (and an Indian friend of mine also advised that doing the connecting flight would help break up the long trip). I loved the drive—we were able to see the vastness of the Indian countryside and passed through vibrant small towns along the way.
Mother and daughter in the Kila, a shared central space.
The moment we arrived at Six Senses Vana, I felt an immediate sense of tranquility. Named after the surrounding forest, Vana offers not just physical nourishment and holistic rejuvenation but also a spiritual connection to nature. Taking refuge in the forest is an important part of Indian culture, and for many years, Vana had been a privately owned sanctuary for rebalancing and healing. In January 2023, the pioneering global wellness brand Six Senses took over the management, infusing their expertise into every aspect of the retreat.
The staff’s warm approach made us feel instantly at home. They explained the philosophy and the rules (no cellphones in any public spaces, for instance). We were given a blessing and presented with a wooden bracelet made from sandalwood, which is believed to bring emotional balance.
The modern design of Six Senses Vana.
In our room, we changed into loose-fitting white kurta pajamas that the property provides, along with an optional light-colored shawl and a sustainably produced linen tote. Every guest wears this outfit throughout the stay, and while I initially felt a bit awkward (I’m a New Yorker who always wears black), there was something calming about seeing all the other guests wearing the same clothing. It puts everyone on a level playing field and helps shift the focus inward. I was also surprised by how much I appreciated not having to decide what to wear every day.
Immediately, we were whisked off to the wellness center, where I had a Tibetan “ku nye” massage that uses an ancient blend of therapeutic oils. The aim: to reduce mental stress and ease lethargy. My mother had a Swedish massage that is said to improve circulation and soothe the nervous system. They were deeply relaxing—the perfect introduction to our journey.
A Tibetan treatment with natural stones.
At dinner that night at Salana restaurant, the dining team talked us through Vana’s approach to balanced eating. Meals are meticulously crafted to balance your doshas, but guests also have the freedom to choose—within limits. I wanted to order the chicken tikka with roasted pepper appetizer, followed by the stir-fried prawns with beans, carrots, bok choy and coriander. But this was discouraged: Mixing seafood and protein isn’t great for gut health. And while the property allows you to order wine, mom and I had decided to embrace healthy living and abstain. But the watermelon, mint and parsley juice? Cold drinks aren’t recommended in the evening. Instead, the staff suggested a glass of warm water to prepare for sleep.
“Our cuisine is an extension of wellness and the basic objective is to create balance and nourishment,” Rajesh Sharma, the executive chef, told us. “The menus stay with the season. We use hyper-local ingredients. And we cook from scratch—we even make our own apple cider vinegar.” According to Sharma, it’s rare that you’ll ever sample the same dish twice. Sharma and his team have created a vast library of more than 1,738 dishes, with vegetarian, vegan and meat-based options. The cuisine is mostly centered around Indian flavors but there are also influences and options from around the world, from China to Italy.
The cuisine at Salana restaurant.
But back to the monsoon—one of the major reasons we were here. When we woke up the next day, I was expecting to see rain, heavy rain—but there was the sun, peeking through the clouds and casting a shadow of doubt on my dream of experiencing the monsoon. We started the day with wellness consultations and screenings with Ayurvedic doctors, who mapped out each of our individual plans, combining detox, sleep, weight management and more, all customized to our needs.
During lunch at Anayu, the thali restaurant, we enjoyed a tasting meal tailored to our doshas. And then, the sky began to change. Dark clouds gathered, and the first raindrop hit the ground, followed by another and another. The monsoon had arrived, and as we stepped outside, the rain felt like a gentle embrace, almost as if nature herself was welcoming us.
A yoga session.
As the monsoon showers continued over the next few days, so did our transformational journey. Reflexology guided by a master practitioner left us feeling grounded and balanced. Sound therapy led by skilled musicians with bells and flutes transported us to a state of deep relaxation. The private spa treatments—from an Ayurvedic massage done with two masseuses to a facial infused with 24-karat gold—pampered us in ways we hadn’t imagined.
Every yoga session, meditation hour and cooking lesson felt like stepping stones toward renewal. As my mother and I participated in the retreat’s activities together, I could feel our spirits rekindling, our skin literally glowing with newfound vitality. On top of that, the raindrops from the monsoon seemed to cleanse not only the earth but also our souls, washing away the weight of grief and loss.
“The monsoon season at Six Senses Vana is a time of profound transformation—when your body is more receptive. It’s a time to clear out the old and bring in the new,” Dr. Jitendra Varshney, the wellness director, told me. He explained that during this season, herbs penetrate the body in a deeper way, purification improves and it’s more detoxifying. “You can achieve any health goal and feel more balanced.”
The outdoor pool (beautiful even during the monsoon rains).
We met other guests, each with their own unique stories. There was Preeti, a 60-year-old Indian woman from Delhi, who had embarked on her own journey of self-discovery—her first-ever solo trip. She shared how the monsoon was a time of personal renewal and how she had come here to find herself.
A father and son duo from Italy were back for their second trip to Six Senses Vana, and they spoke about the retreat as a place where generational bonds strengthened amid the monsoon’s healing embrace. “It’s good for the body—and the mind,” the dad told me.
A group of young women from Uzbekistan on a girlfriend getaway found solace in the shared experience of rejuvenation and self-care. They laughed (quietly), they meditated and they found a deeper connection with one another as they navigated their individual wellness journeys.
An Australian woman who lives in London was here to mend after the end of a long relationship. It was part of a bigger Eat, Pray, Love-style expedition; before coming to Vana, she had been in Bali.
Relaxing in the Bodhi Tree space space during Raag Therapy, a music-based relaxation session.
Six Senses Vana’s commitment to sustainability is also woven throughout the experience. This was the first retreat in India to be LEEDS certified back in 2015. On sustainability tours, guests can explore the property’s green initiatives, from water-saving technologies to waste reduction practices. Vana has planted more than 10,000 trees in the area. There are also upcycling workshops where guests can make paper out of recycled materials, for instance. It was inspiring to witness a wellness retreat so committed to preserving the natural beauty that surrounds it. “If you take care of nature, nature will take care of you,” explained Dr. Varshney.
The Forest Suite, one of the guest rooms, at Six Senses Vana.
Another highlight was visiting Rishikesh, where we had a puja (a blessing) with a Hindu priest along the shores of the sacred Ganges river. We lit candles and prayed and made offerings to the river and asked for a blessing over my mother in honor of her 80th birthday and the soul of my father. It was deeply moving. Later, we watched the nightly Aarti, a fire offering to the river that’s held at sunset. As monks from the local temple held up elaborate flaming candelabras and the crowd sang devotional songs, the rain came down in heavy sheets. We were soaked to the bone, but we didn’t mind at all—it was a beautiful experience.
A blessing with a Hindu priest alongside the Ganges river in Rishikesh.
When it came time to leave Six Senses Vana, the staff said their goodbyes and tied a red string around each of our wrists to symbolize long life. I reflected on the journey we had shared. The monsoon had done its magic, but the retreat had been the catalyst for something even more profound—a reconnection of body and spirit, a bond between a mother and daughter and a celebration of life’s precious moments. As we left the retreat, I knew that this experience would forever hold a special place in our hearts, a reminder of transformation and strength and the enduring power of love.
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