With the highest standards of service,
luxurious accommodations, breathtaking
mountain views and innovative dining with
the finest of Ayurvedic, Asian and Western
cuisine based on the values of traditional
cooking, Ananda is an internationally
recognised oasis offering an enriching
experience designed to restore, renew and
revitalise. As a guest I immersed myself
in a complete rejuvenation experience
in the 21,000 square foot spa, with an
extensive selection of therapies in the 21
treatment. The Spa also features luxurious
hydrotherapy facilities, a Beauty Institute,
outdoor temperature-controlled swimming
pool, sauna, steam rooms, fully equipped
gymnasium. Experiencing the way of life
at Ananda I learned to embrace and honor
the standards by which I wish to live. To
design a life with meaning and material
success, there was still the lesson of being
free to be me that I was yet to conquer.
As in Israel, the women in India also find
it difficult to feel free to wear what they
want, to dress in a way that is comfortable
for them and not be ruled by the outdated
“laws” of modesty. The Hindu belief is that
modesty through appropriate dress has the
energy to transmit spirit and substance.
The Sari worn by Hindu women covers
her navel and legs in contrast to the dress
of Hindu deities and other symbolism
in Hindu temples and the art works of
Hinduism which is explicit, celebrating
eroticism and human sexuality. Modesty
laws vary in degrees from one culture to
another with each major religion having
developed their own set of moral codes
covering issues of sexuality, morality and
ethics. This outdated “law” was created by
man, not by a creator who made us beautiful
and sensual. What I’ve come to understand
is that modesty can mean many things and
that the lustful stares of men should not
have women running for cover and as Kurt
Cobain said “I’d rather be hated for who I
am, than loved for who I am not”. I believe
we all need to be true to ourselves, however
that may look and that not covering our
shoulders, wearing jeans or exposing our
knees, doesn’t need to mean that we are not
respectable women. What I discovered in
India was a gre at appreciation for myself,
my style and my soul and maybe we should
all stop following the modesty advice from
our Rabbi’s or Popes and listen to Marilyn
Monroe instead “Your clothes should be
tight enough to show you’re a woman, but
loose enough to show you’re a lady”.