SHE Travels: 8 spiritual destinations to slow down and reset the soul

Kangaroos are probably the best-known of all Australian animals. These have strong rear legs and large tails, and can be found across the Australian continent. Females raise their offspring, called joeys, in pouches, one of the distinctive features of marsupial reproduction. Several species of these ‘regal’ kangaroos, such as the red kangaroo and eastern grey are found only in Australia, where they have become national symbols for entire continent.

Traveling doesn't always have to be about crossing things off your bucket list. Sometimes it's just finding locations where you can breathe a little more easily, slowing down, and sitting in solitude. Regardless of one's religious inclination, there are places across India that offer just that, spaces where religion, nature, and the silence of the body both aspire toward and become a reflection of the divine. These locations feel more like gentle resets than pilgrimages for all those who are traveling alone or seeking solitude. Find out more here.

Set along the banks of the Ganga river, and cradled by Himalayan foothills, Rishikesh is without any second thought, one of India’s most favourable and easily reached spiritual getaways. Morning yoga, riverside meditation and evening Ganga aartis set the rhythm for mindfulness. The town’s ashrams and wellness centres are especially welcoming to women looking for structure without pressure.

These places serve as a peaceful refuge for all those who are seeking to learn greater meanings of life, and owes much of its tranquillity to Buddhist teachings. Prayer wheels, monasteries and leisurely mountain walks are some of the times to be engaged with. No wonder, you will find many travelers arriving here with not much to do at all—just to see, and to learn how to be.

Varanasi might come as a shock to the system for some, but it is like lifting a veil for all those who keep their eyes open and reap spiritual experience in abundance. And dawn boat rides on the Ganga river, chants filling a silent morning and quiet humans milling in the backways of ghats make it an evocative space for self-reflection. It's all a place where you come face to face with life and death and that which lies in between.

The idea behind Auroville is that of a universal township, which is spiritual and not religious. Points of interest is the golden Meditation Centre of the Matrimandir, which is open to the public for silent concentration. For women seeking a break from noise, both the external and internal kind, Auroville provides community, simplicity and room to reset mental patterns.

There is an inescapable silence at the spot where Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment. Around the Mahabodhi Temple, monasteries from many countries have come up turning it into an international place of worship. Such is the power of simply sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree that even just a short amount of time in its presence can feel grounding in ways that words find difficult to articulate.

The Golden Temple is a place where you experience quiet discipline, and understand what soothes your soul. Volunteers join together to cook, clean and serve in the langar; they become at one with humanity. Everything is very spiritual, it’s probably about equality and service more than sermons, which will make it particularly interesting for travellers who are into getting some emotional clarity.

At the base of Arunachala Hill, Tiruvannamalai is linked with self-enquiry and self-realisation. Many visitors come for Girivalam, the meditative walk around the hill. The town draws seekers rather than tourists and has a gritty, home-cut spiritual atmosphere that feels real, raw and intense.

Centered on a sacred lake, Pushkar manages to combine spirituality with soft energy. Mornings are peaceful and contemplative down by the ghats, while temples and quiet cafes provide a place to pause. The city is manageable and walkable to women travellers, and once all the day-trippers have gone, extremely healing.