Indica Events

Nilgiris Writing Retreat
2025-11-28 12:00 - 2025-11-30 12:00 (Asia/Kolkata) | Amani Villas, Bengram Road, TV Nagar, Huligal, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 643102, Coonoor, Tamilnadu, 643102, India
Nilgiris Writing Retreat
Come, Spend a weekend with words
INDICA presents the inaugural workshop of Nilgiris Writing Retreat, a unique fiction writing retreat designed for aspiring novelists and new authors. Set in a venue amidst the tranquil hills and verdant tea estates of Coonoor, this intensive workshop is your opportunity to escape the noise and immerse yourself in the craft of storytelling. Led by Nandini Sengupta, an award-winning author and journalist, the retreat is crafted to help you transform a novel idea into a polished manuscript.
This is a space for focused creation and personal breakthrough, where the serene beauty of the Nilgiris serves as the perfect muse for your narrative journey.
Program Curriculum
The two-day immersion will provide a comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of fiction writing, helping you to refine your idea and build a solid foundation for your novel.
Key areas covered will include:

Premise & Genre: Establishing the core idea of your story and understanding its place within a specific genre.
Plotting & Character: Structuring a compelling plot and developing multi-dimensional characters.
Dialogue & Scene Building: Crafting realistic dialogue and creating vivid, impactful scenes.
Writing Sprints: Dedicated time for putting theory into practice, with focused, timed writing sessions.

The Details

Dates: The retreat begins on the afternoon of Friday, November 28th, 2025, and concludes on the afternoon of Sunday, November 30th, 2025.
Venue: Amani Villas, H.No. 6/899M, Bengram Road, TV Nagar, Huligal, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu 643102
Fee: Rs. 36,000 per head.
Inclusions: The fee covers your accommodation and all meals for the duration of the retreat. Workshop materials will be provided on-site. Participants are required to bring their own laptops.
Accommodation: Single Occupancy Accommodation will be provided at Amani Villas.
Audience: This program is suitable for individuals aged 18 and above who are aspiring novelists or newly published authors with a novel idea.
Logistics: Participants are responsible for their own travel to and from the venue

Faculty
The retreat will be led by celebrated author and journalist Nandini Sengupta, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar.
Cohort size limited to 12 to ensure a focused and intimate experience. Register to secure your spot.

The Art of Alignment: Yoga For Healthy Spine
2025-11-30 07:00 - 08:30 | Tamilnadu
As human beings, we are far distinct from other living creatures. One of the reasons for our particular place in the ecosystem is bipedal locomotion and stereoscopic vision.
The bipedal locomotion makes us superior in many ways, giving us an advantage in terms of a broad visual span and freedom to use our forelimbs.
The bipedal locomotion is possible because of the erect spine, and we need to understand why this spine is erect, unlike other animals.
It is important to understand the importance of spine posture and understand why we have so many problems with our spines as we age.
Whenever we see a personality, physical characteristics are quite determining of how much we are impressed by a person.
Broad shoulders, erect spine and expanded chest, along with the slim abdomen and swift movement, are always reassuring of a great personality.
This workshop is being conducted by Dr Mayur V. Kaku, who is a Neurosurgeon by profession. He was fortunate to witness intense yoga sadhanas by his grandparents and parents, due to which he has continued on the path of yoga.
Key Features:

Blend of modern neuroscience + ancient yoga.
Hands-on posture correction and ergonomic training.
Relaxation, meditation, and energy practices.
Case studies on avoiding unnecessary surgeries.
Guidance on Satvik diet, hydration, and lifestyle.

Topics Covered:

Atha Yoganushasanam – Now Begins the Discipline of Yoga for the Spine
Spine: The Axis of Human Evolution
Psychosomatic Links: Stress, Emotions and Spine Health
Kundalini and the Neuroendocrine Axis
Ageing Spine and Self-Healing Potential
Case Studies and Healing without Surgery
Integrating Spine Care into Daily Life

Practical Sessions:

Brahma Muhurta Pranayama (Nadi Shuddhi, Kapalabhati)
Yoga for the Spine (Surya Namaskar variations + Asanas for flexibility & strength)
Mindful Walking Meditation
Posture Analysis & Ergonomics (Workstation, Sitting, Lifting)
Yogasanas for Neck, Back & Core Stability
Relaxation & Meditation on Erect Spine
Yoga Therapy (Shashankasana, Viparita Karani, Shavasana, Yoga Nidra)
Surya Arghya – Vedic Sun Worship Ritual
Closing Practical – Integrating Daily Practices (Ergonomics, Diet, Hydration, Sleep)

The Details of the Retreat are as follows:
*Suitable age group 18 years and above* Highly recommended for Yoga Practitioners, Yoga Therapists & Instructors, and even for a general group, no prior knowledge is required.
Session Dates: Nov : 02, 09, 16, 23, 30 (On Sundays only)
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 AM IST (Morning)
Via: Zoom
Workshop Contribution: Rs 5,000/- per person for Indian Participants and $65 per person for International Participants
Contact: namaste@indicayoga.com / +91 6363663313 / +91 8431570343

Tesla As A Metaphor For Dhyana Yoga | Modern Insights On Meditation
2025-11-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Tamilnadu
This talk begins with a simple observation: highly capable people often struggle with meditation, while others find that the mind turns inward with relative ease—even after long breaks. Reflecting on this contrast led Sundar back to his early exposure to contemplative practice, and eventually to a contemporary analogy that occurred to him while charging his Tesla. The autonomous nature of Dhyāna, where attention begins to move inward on its own, struck him as closely resembling a self-driving system that no longer requires constant manual control. In the same moment, the idea of “lifetime charging” echoed Grace and the inner goal or direction implanted early on—forces that continue to support the inward movement long after they were first received.
Against this backdrop, the talk explores why meditation is universally difficult, drawing on the Katha Upaniṣad’s insight that the senses are factory-set to face outward. It then takes up a seldom-asked question—even among long-time practitioners: Can meditation be measured? This leads to Sundar’s original A-P-B Framework—Absorption, Peace, and Bliss—and its expression in the Meditation Monitor, developed through collaboration with AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude. The session concludes with a striking fulfillment of the Tesla metaphor, grounded in Śaṅkarācārya’s commentary on the famous “two birds” mantra of the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad, where in two short sentences Śaṅkara draws the roadmap for the path of a Dhyāna Yogin.
