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Mana, the last Indian village before Tibet
Mana, the last Indian village before Tibet

the road to badrinath in Uttarakhand, Himalayas, india

The road to the Badrinath temple deep in the Himalayas, north India.

As I prepare for my 3rd visit to India this year I came across some photos I took three years ago when I visited the village of Mana in north India. Mana is often known as the last Indian village before the Tibetan border and it is the furthest north I’ve been in the Indian subcontinent. Inhabitants of the Mana village are the last generation of the Bhotia community of Mongolian tribes.

It’s at an altitude of about 3118 meters (10229 feet) and is located in the state of Uttarakhand. It’s also located a short distance away from Badrinath which is a famous pilgrimage place that sees vast number of Hindu pilgrims visiting each year during the summer months when the path to this mountain shrine is open. During the winter months the village is vacated and the Bhotia community move to a location that is about a 100kms away that has less extreme weather conditions.

It was definitely challenging getting up here and scary as well as the “road” conditions were not good at all. It took two days of long hours of driving (I didn’t drive) before I got to Badrinath and then made the short journey to Mana village. The village is crammed with small houses separated by narrow alley ways and is simply special to work around.


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The Alakananda river flows past the Mana village in the Himalayas

The Alakananda river flows past the Mana village in the Himalayas

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himalayas-views-uttarakhand-india

Spectacular views from Mana village of the Himalayan range all around

a boy living in Mana village in the Himalayas and part of the Bhotia community

A young resident of the Mana village

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Traditional Herbal Remedies of Central Java, Indonesia
Traditional Herbal Remedies of Central Java, Indonesia

We share more about our upcoming stay at MesaStila in Central Java, during our September Meditation and Wellness retreat in the islands of Indonesia. Today we look at the traditional herbal remedies called Jamu that is offered at this wellness resort. Courtesy of MesaStila – “Jamu ref...

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Would you like a biscuit?
Would you like a biscuit?

I came across this photo in my collection as I was preparing for an upcoming retreat in India at the end of this month and I thought I’d share it. It was taken in a mud hut outside the village of Luni in the outskirts of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, North India.

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MesaStila – a Healing Retreat in the Jungle
MesaStila – a Healing Retreat in the Jungle

During our upcoming 11-day Meditation and Wellness Retreat in the islands of Indonesia during our spiritual adventure in September of this year we’ve included for all participants 3-days of physical wellness. With a combination of gourmet healthy meals and daily massages plus Turkish Hammam...

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A Spiritual Collaboration with Wellness & Nature
A Spiritual Collaboration with Wellness & Nature

We are proud to add MesaStila as part of our 11-day Meditation and Wellness Retreat in the islands of Indonesia during our spiritual adventure in September of this year. The essence of the retreat is defined through the calming and powerful environment in which MesaStila sits – encircled by...

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Meditation and Wellness Retreat in Indonesia
Meditation and Wellness Retreat in Indonesia

Join our 11-day exploration of some of Indonesia’s most enchanting islands on our meditation and wellness spiritual adventure. This journey is all about discovering you while exploring this diverse and mesmerizing archipelago. Made up of over 15,000 islands, Indonesia is a living museum of ...

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Allowing Your Partner to Express Emotions
Allowing Your Partner to Express Emotions

Earlier tonight we had our monthly skype relationship class with a group in Eagle, Colorado, Organized by Kelly Western of Yoga Off Broadway, every last Friday of the month a small group of dedicated couples gather for a class on relationships with me. Due to me being away in Bahrain recently we ...

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