In Search of Eternal Bliss at Ananda in the Himalayas

Daisy Finer finds space to reflect and reset at Ananda in the Himalayas, one of the world’s most renowned holistic wellness retreats.

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Hotel Review: Ananda in the Himalayas

You’ve no doubt heard of India’s most long-standing spa hotel, known affectionately as simply ‘Ananda’. The last time I visited was in 2011. I was pregnant with my third child, anxious about whether I would be blessed with another healthy baby. The relentlessly bumpy car journey from Dehradun made me feel incredibly nauseous. Fast forward 12 years and the road surface is not the only thing that’s been polished to perfection. Every element of Ananda – which means ‘eternal bliss’ in Sanskrit – is running as smooth as Himalayan honey. Which is particularly impressive when you consider the plethora of offerings in the spa, what a jigsaw the timetabling must be, and the fact that there are, at least, nine customised food menus, each on a seven-day rotation and each changed seasonally to suit different programmes, personalities and doshas. 

Food is a central concept at Ananda. The ethos is explained as ‘to eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art’. Every guest follows a menu to suit their constitution or the intent of their programme. As part of my ‘Yoga Detox’ programme I was put on the nutrient-rich and balancing sattvic menu – plant-based, fresh, wholesome and palpably grounding. Despite the lack of any over-stimulating ingredients (including ginger and garlic), no meal was disappointing or felt like deprivation. Even on my one-day ‘yogic purification’, which involved drinking warm water with pink Himalayan salts and a series of asanas to encourage a cleansing of the gut, the after-care meal of kitchari, a delicious, homely combination of rice, lentils and turmeric, tasted deeply satisfying and nourishing. The cleanse itself was far gentler, kinder even, than those I have experienced in the medi-clinics of Europe. It left me feeling reconnected with my heart and body and truly lighter of spirit. But, instead of seeing Ananda as a place to lose weight, you’d do well to remember that the approach here is rooted in inspiring guests to find and integrate ‘a way of life’. Many of the kitchen ingredients are grown in the hotel’s own garden, home to everything from asparagus, clove, garlic, lemon balm and mint, to Ayurvedic superstars such as ashwagandha, said to relieve stress and increase energy, and peela bansa, to soothe coughs.

With views out across the Himalayas and down to the birthplace of yoga, Rishikesh, and the sacred waters of the Ganges, the air at Ananda tastes pristine and purifying. Within just a few hours, you feel as if your whole nervous system is being washed clean. At the same time, the foundation blocks of Eastern healing – yoga, Ayurveda and the study of the Vedas (ancient Indian teachings centred in self-realisation) – bring you back to yourself and the touchstones that really matter. No facet of your health is left untended. Every day starts with a delivery of hot ginger, lemon and honey bed tea. In the colder months, a hot water bottle is hidden in your bed at night. Here is a place where you are tenderly looked after but where you are also encouraged to look after yourself. In your bathroom are tools for oil pulling, tongue scraping and nightly foot massaging, and the minibars in the cocooning bedrooms (each with balcony and day bed) are stocked with coconut water and kombucha. 

Immersive programmes run from seven to 14 or 21 days and range from a traditional Ayurvedic Panchakarma to weight and stress focuses. Whichever programme you land on, complimentary add-ons include mountain treks, cooking classes, meditation, yoga rooted in the Bihar school. Why wouldn’t you want to stretch out your limbs every day like animals do? The point at Ananda is to take your time, breathe into the positions, fine tune them, remember the art of slow living. There is a genuine feeling of family between the staff, which lends a particular sweetness to proceedings. It is clear that each member is allowed to shine in their own orbit, together making up the whole.

Rather than high-tech diagnostics or medical advances, it is the interconnected and integrated approach to wellbeing that is progressive at Ananda. Traditional Chinese Medicine is incorporated alongside ancient healing modalities. While the majority of the therapies are Ayurvedic, there are also aromatherapy massages, facials, reflexology and in-house energy healers. The physiotherapist will give you tools to release the responsibilities carried in your posture, while emotional healing sessions can help resolve trauma-related behaviours or childhood baggage.

No longer just a standardised Ayurvedic spa, Ananda today is a destination wellbeing retreat up there with the best of them. Born of a harmonious heart with a spiritual pulse, when I returned home I felt every moment was ripe with potential. And that’s what Ananda can reignite in you. Inspiration. 

BOOK IT: From £7,288pp for seven nights based on two people. Includes internal flights, transfers, accommodation, consultations, and some treatments. greavesindia.co.uk