Four decades & more
such a lofty vision:
Let Nature be our Healer
so nourishing the mission.
Come one, come all
rich-&-poor, doors wide open
at the Jindal Nature Institute
on Tumkur Main Rd, Bangalore.

So many shades of colors & greens:
Plants, trees, fruits, & organic veggies
so naturally clean.
Curved paved pathways, the cool air 
fills our lungs as we inhale
while brisk-walking 
on the kachha trail.

Flowers, gardens, & grass
fade into old & modern buildings:
Mud. Brick. Concrete. Structural glass.
Organic produce from a self sufficient farm.
Birds, animals, butterflies, flowers.
Our presence in this serenity
evaporates worries, creates such calm.

They welcome us with open hearts
& their warmest smiles,
their hospitality perfected
over 40 years of fine-tuning
each process & ritual finely curated.
“How are you mam, are you ok sir,
are you comfortable, how can I help you?”
The JNI staff, ufff ! Such skills & such finesse
coupled with utter humbleness.

The first BMI check, the doc prescribes the diet-plan,
“Here’s my card, what am I eating, Mam?”
Large chunks of fruit, raw veggies, sometimes cooked,
a solitary breadstick, never so appetizing looked.
A low carb intake, sprouts, & chutney’s so delicious,
ginger, turmeric, garlic, chillies, & butter-milk
varieties of hot soup amazingly nutritious.

Massage, press, knead, & rub
poke, spray, invigorate in a tub.
Puncture, pressure, push-&-pull,
stretch, relax, heat-&-cool.
Curl, stress, wash, & vibrate,
spray, slap, flatten, & abrade.

Hand, finger, knuckle, & elbow
to rub oil & salt, bring out our glow.
Needles, electrodes, & hot-stones,
endo-diathermy heats us till our bones.
Water-jet, mud, & yoga mats,
hot-&-cold treatments, regulated with thermostats.
Deep tissue, hydro-therapy to deep clean
years of indulges, crap we ain’t never seen.

As we drink-drink-drink, & walk-walk-walk,
o’er grass, pavement, pebble, & grey crushed rock,
our body & mind lighten, excesses melt away,
each fresh breath we take, a healthier spirit each new day.
The diet, treatments, & prescription work their magic,
a glowing self emerges, fades away the sad-&-tragic.
Our resolve, our commitment, our very dedication
along with JNI’s science, create the magical transformation.

We come from all walks of life, we come from such distances,
a common thread ties us, a desire to fix what is amiss.
We smile, laugh, sing, open-up, & talk,
forge ever-lasting bonds, over meal-&-walk.
We come to detox, we come to improve our health,
to shed away the past, for good health is the only wealth.
A retreat, an abode, for many of us a pilgrimage,
a health sanctuary to improve ourselves,
so we may ever so gracefully age.

Four decades & more
such a lofty vision:
Let Nature be our Healer
so nourishing the mission.
Come one, come all
rich-&-poor, doors wide open
at the Jindal Nature Institute
on Tumkur Main Rd, Bangalore.

Dedicated to the staff & friends at JNI, Dec 8-18, 2018. https://jindalnaturecure.in

Credits for the superb pictures: Shalini Garg, Taj Haslani, Shailaja Devi, Atul Gogna, Sanjay Bawa, Chandru Topandasani, & Cyrus Rastomjee. Thank you so much for the memories.