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The Innovation :

We are living in exciting times of growth and along with the excitement are a host of challenges. A bow shoots the straightest and fastest arrow when it is drawn back fully. In times when life moved at a more leisurely pace, one could develop a personal rhythm between action and reflection. Today, it has become difficult to find time for "drawing inwards" before one shoots at goals and targets!

SwaSwara offers you an innovative retreat, one that balances and harmonises rest and recuperation with reflection and renewal. One that helps you draw inwards and discover fresh resources.

The Beautiful Mind: The Vision of the offering

It is said in the Vaastu tradition that there are six ways of discovering the divine within oneself. The divine manifests itself endlessly through rhythm and order, man touches the divine when he discovers rhythm and order within himself.

• In the body thro' dance
• In words thro' poetry
• In sound thro' music
• In form thro' sculpture
• In space thro' architecture
• And in thought thro' mathematics 

A beautiful mind is one that discovers the order and rhythm of thought, feeling and action in all its endeavours.

The beautiful mind is one that :

• Is deeply aware and understanding

• Is capable of dialogue and insight

• Balances power with humanness

• Can balance all aspects of living - work, home and society

• Is growing inwardly and can foster others

• Does not waste any resources either human or material

The Programme Design
This programme is based on the philosophy that one's being can extend itself and begin to respond with joy to the world around only when conditioning and entrenchments are transformed.
Many of the philosophies and practices of the Indian tradition such as Yoga and Vedanta will be brought in to help the individual to deal with his/her existing reality, and take a step into new dimensions. In the current scenario, unless people can be assisted to take this step there is great danger of becoming frozen and stale. The methodology of the program will help the individual reflect and introspect on his/her life, learn techniques through which they can create alignment for themselves, and look at and improve role effectiveness.

The participant will have an opportunity to:

• Clear up the faculties and senses

• Learn philosophies of Yoga for self-alignment

• Reflect and review one's life

• Contemplate on the seminal ideas from the Bhagavad Gita

• Understand aesthetics as a path for the unfolding of the self

• Understand the relationship between self and environment

As a consequence the participant will acquire skills and learn to discharge responsibilities that are directly connected to the way a person holds his/her self-image.

The sense of anxiety and helplessness that are being generated through the rapid changes in the psychological environment can be countered only by re-examining the assumptions that the person lives by.

Multiple role demands can be encountered and handled with grace when the potential of the person is tapped, and the frontier of activity/effectiveness is constantly enlarged.

The Programme also envisages nature walks that will invigorate the senses and Ayurvedic massages that rejuvenate the body as part of the programme.

The beautiful mind is constantly renewing itself and regenerating its context. A beautiful mind inspires others to excel themselves.

A beautiful mind enquires deeply and pursues truth. A beautiful mind is self-aware and manages relationships with grace.

A beautiful mind is what all aspire for

The Place

Swa' is the Sanskrit prefix for the self. And 'Swara' refers to sound. We live unaware of the inner sound of our being, drowned out as it is by the din of daily life.

Only when everything else quiets down and we are at peace, can we hear it.

That's why we've made sure that the shouts of the modern world die down to whispers at SwaSwara.

Imagine a breeze-laden clifftop overlooking the legendary Om beach, not far from the ancient temple town of Gokarna.
(See map) Imagine too, 30 undulating acres of land, dotted with coconut groves and paddy fields.Yet, playing host to a mere 27 secluded villas, tucked away between lawns and flowering shrubs.

There is little at SwaSwara, apart from the rhythm of rolling waves and the meditative hum of birdsong, to disturb your inner explorations.

The Space

Om Beach is aptly named. This Sanskrit letter , echoed faithfully in the sweep of the rocks and sand below you, is referred to in the ancient Hindu texts at the original sound of creation.

Other visitors to the beach need to take a winding trail around the bluffs, but from SwaSwara, you can use our own private path opening into a peaceful section of waterfront.

Here, you can stretch a moment into a day, working on your tan, enjoying a dip (the curve of the Om makes a perfect swimming cove!) and watching the sun lower behind the hills. If you strain your ears, you can sometimes hear the faint temple bells of Gokarna, wafting in on the breeze.

A 20 minute boat ride from Om will also fetch you up at a number of other beaches. Some bear romantic names (Half-moon Beach, Paradise Beach), most are isolated and at some, you won't see a single soul at all.

The Accommodation

As we've said, there are just 27 villa style accommodations at SwaSwara. Each Villa, (and for that matter, the rest of the resort as well) is inspired by the traditional family estates that dot the Konkan coast, and if we've added aircon and modern fittings, they do little to disturb the authenticity of your experiences here. Natural materials are used throughout, most of them sourced locally from the artisans of the area.

The centerpiece of SwaSwara is the blue meditation dome, at the head of the swimming pool.Its circular form and blue tiles form a mandala ( or cosmic sphere ) of harmony, echoing the temple architecture of nearby Gokarna.

Yoga & Meditation

At Swaswara, you can expect personalized attention from Yoga experts belonging to several major schools.

If you're new to Yoga, you can just sample a bit of it all, practising as the mood takes you.

For more serious Yoga lovers, as also for people with specific ailments, SwaSwara offers a whole range of options. If you like, we'll create a therapy program just for you, complete with Yoga postures and Pranayama (breath excercises), meditations, diet and Ayurvedic massage.

The Cuisine

The food at Swaswara is in keeping with the natural spirit that inspires everything else here. The accent is on the fruits of the land and the sea. And the focus is on freshness, pure and simple.

We avoid meats, concentrating on the fresh catch of local shellfish and seafish.

Fresh produce from the farms surrounding Swaswara provides the accompaniment. Hard liquor is avoided. Instead, we serve up a selection of fine wines, both imported and local (we highly recommend you try a few of the latter, specially the reds).

Getting Here

The nearest airport is Goa's Dabolim Airport (fairly well-connected internationally), which is 3 to 3.5 hours away.

Mangalore Airport is 4.5 to 5 hours drive.

The nearest rail station is Kumta, on the Konkan railway, a scenic train ride linking Mumbai (Bombay) to the major cities of Kerala , including Cochin and Trivandrum.

... Room View ...

Daily in house activities & experiences open to all resident guests at no extra cost

• Daily group yoga sessions for both Wellness & Intermediate / Progressive levels

• Daily group sunrise meditations

• Daily group evening meditations- chakra/ tratak/ Mind Sound Resonance Technique/ chanting

• A daily special focus group Yoga session which could be on Yoga nidra/ Pranayama /Art yoga / Laughter yoga / Mandala meditation

• Guided art classes with our resident artist in the art studio

• Guided nature walks, village visits & bird watching trips accompanied by our resident naturalist or GRE

• One weekly 45 mins boat cruise to visit the other nearby beaches or use to go into town

• Daily interactive cooking sessions with the Chef & his team in the kitchen at 11.30hrs

• Guided visit to the Gokarna temple & town or to see the weekly farmers market on Thursdays accompanied by one of our staff (Transfers by tuk tuks at extra cost on direct payment)

• Karma Yoga - if you wish you can join the staff for a community based group exercise which could be helping on the farm, gardening or beach cleaning]