The soothing nature ensconced  rooms of Shreyas blend in well with the natural surrounds. The rooms are themed modern mid-century that open into gardens, with ample facilities and amenities, and the tented cottages have a view of a wide stretch of green. The plush tented cottages are most in-sync with nature, with large doors and windows to let plenty of fresh air in. They are furnished exactly like the rooms in modern minimal aesthetics. The other parts of the retreat also have a common accomplice at all times – nature. The bright big pool fringed by the frangipani trees is a visual pause for the eye.

The thatched roofed sprawling yoga and exercise pavilions are created to ensure that nature’s hand is close. The dining experience also melds with the green environs, with evening set-ups by the pool.

The poolside rooms and garden cottages, and a 3-bedroom cottage offer urban but earthy luxury, keeping furnishing and fixtures to a minimum. The rooms are definitely nature-plugged; whether it is open verandas of the garden cottages or the poolside ambience of the rooms. The 3-bedroom cottage also overlooks a bright green garden. Poolside rooms are non-smoking and are on ground level so there is easy access for wheelchairs. Each room is air-conditioned, has an overhead fan, tea and coffee making machines, though technology ends here as there is a ‘no TV’ policy throughout Shreyas. The large, ensuite bathrooms, airy and well-lit are a delight with signature bath and toilet amenities. There are showers rather than bathtubs and hair dryers and heaters are available on request.

Dining

Community dining is a deliberate part of the experience. Guests are encouraged to dine together in the central dining rooms or often served out in the garden or the poolside under starry skies amidst softly lit candles. Food preferences are carefully catered to different needs and therapies that a guest might have signed up for. Menus are carefully planned to fit in with the overall wellness programs, hence vegetarianism couple with a strict no-alcohol and no-smoking policy. Menus include Indian, Continental and limited Oriental cuisine using as much of local produce from the farm as possible.

A collection of Shreyas Yoga Retreat's organic, vegetarian menu – a mix of north and south Indian, Sri Lankan and oriental cuisines is compiled in a book called Soul Food, a popular take away of the guests who stay here. Personalized cooking sessions and the history of Indian cuisine with a focus on nutrition is one of the most popular 7 days packages of the retreat. A field trip to a local vegetable market and grocery shops is a veritable highlight.

Anaha, the spa at Shreyas is a mutli-facility spa with different rejuvenation massages and beauty treatments that align with holistic healing experiences. Much of the guests’ time is spent in Ayurveda and Naturopathy therapies after consultation with in-house specialists. You can also sign up for a silent retreat. A sprawling swimming pool lined with frangipani trees is a relaxing oasis (literally) for guests.

The Community Service Exercises at Shreyas allow one to embark on a journey of service by serving the local schools and villages that Shreyas has supported since its conception in mid-2001. The transformation of a humble orphanage, Kaveri Vanita Seveshrama (KVS), from being run from a shed to permanent building with many amenities is one of the brightest stories in the retreat’s many community service programmes.

A short temple trail around the retreat combines small but highly revered shrines of Vishnu, Anjaneya and Shani that can be visited. A longer temple trail in Nelamangala, the village where the retreat is located, includes Vishwa Shanti Ashram, a Hanuman temple and a Jain shrine. You can combine Karnataka and Tamil Nadu’s engaging destinations like Mysuru, Hampi, Coorg, Bandipur and Srirangapatna and others which lie in close proximity to Bengaluru. Bengaluru, of course, is the springboard and India’s answer to modern cities. This is not a typical retreat for children, but you will be surprised how absorbing the kids can be when taught the tenets of yoga and wellness.

Perfect For

Those looking for a transformational escape for the mind, body or the soul, willing to slip into complete harmony with themselves will find this ideal. Short and long-term therapies, weight loss management, specific medical treatments and rejuvenation practices are available for everyone – fit or unfit, old or young, supple or stiff. Yoga has an amazing effect on the body and mind energies allowing one to deal with life’s ups and downs with sense of equanimity.

Operational status
Shreyas Retreat is open all year.

The location of the village allows Shreyas Retreat to keep focus on community and impact, by employing staff from around the village. The vegetables and fruits, if not grown on the property, are sourced from in and around the village. The drinking water at Shreyas is purified on site and is provided in all bedrooms and is safe to drink. Refilling bottles is encouraged. Sustainable solutions best practices are in the DNA of Shreyas. Organic farming, waste water management and rain water harvesting are some of the practices followed at the retreat. Apart from these, the property encourages multi-use of plastic, safe garbage disposal and has an excellent human touch to the hospitality, ticking many of the sustainable tourism points for it to be a RARE property.

Shreyas is an eco-friendly, zero effluent discharge, chemical and plastic free property besides being vegetarian and, alcohol and tobacco free. Almost 50% of the guests are returning guests and are happy to see familiar faces as most of the staff have stayed with the Retreat for more than 10 years. The staff practice yoga and meditation as part of their daily routine. The Retreat grows their own organic vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, and have their own cows that provide milk. There is emphasis on living in harmony with nature, in being simple, staying grounded while not shying away from using technology to make life better. Shreyas is a wooded property and has a variety of flower and fruit bearing plants and trees, and water bodies that attract bees and butterflies and a variety of birds too. They have invested heavily in upgrading the soil quality, landscaping, tree plantation, rain water harvesting, organic sewage treatment, ozone and water purification plants to cater to the needs of the Retreat.

Staff are encouraged to upgrade their knowledge, skills  and are supported on their journey of achieving excellence through 'self-discovery' and 'self-transformation'. Majority of the staff are from the local community, and Shreyas has adopted a few villages, schools and an orphanage. The local youth are empowered with knowledge and skills with spoken English classes, science and computer education besides life skills lessons.