Posted by on 29th June, 2016.
Forest spaces have been historically significant as symbols of seclusion and willpower. The Hindu principles about the ‘Four Phases of Life’ include a stage called ‘Vanaprashtha’, or a time when one is required to give up worldly belongings and retreat to jungles in order to meditate, worship and generally spend time on self-improvement. Though it seems far-fetched, this has been an ideal life for the spiritually conscious worshiper. One did not need to be a powerful Rishi to spend time alone in the forest; ordinary human beings who wanted to take their religious rituals to the next level also searched for their way amongst the woods. It was the best way of life for our ancestors.
Once upon a time, a royal also walked through a forest searching for enlightenment and true knowledge. Sitting continuously under a peepal tree for more than a month, Gautama Buddha found superior wisdom and became what he is known for: A great religious leader. The deep recesses of the forest are supposed to be particularly conducive to the betterment of our creativity, emotions and self-awareness.
Ecotherapy, so rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, is the name of the process in which nature endows us with the healing essential for our physical and emotional rejuvenation. Admittedly the bygone era advocated a forest retreat for a higher moral purpose, but modern life is constantly adapting to stresses that ancient times were not exposed to. The safari, therefore, is a retreat from city hustle into cleaner spaces for relaxation and unwinding. Moments of tranquillity spent with nature are food for the urban soul. Taking a simple walk through a grassy meadow is known to reduce depression and give a quick boost to your metabolism. Lacking the time to sit in quiet concentration for days on end, the weeklong getaway has replaced the more demanding spiritual efforts. What we cannot forget is that the forest awaits us all. There are huge spaces in the lap of Mother Nature that lie unexplored and untainted. Taking a whiff of this purity is one of the purposes of going on a jungle safari.