In the heart of the Sahyadri Mountains, Dharana at Shillim is a sanctuary where clinical intelligence, sensory design and nature’s quiet power converge to create the conditions for inner clarity. This is a place where breathing, listening and slowing down become pathways to coherence. The forest is not just a backdrop but also an active presence, reorganising the senses and supporting emotional equilibrium. Here in this unspoilt valley of Maharashtra, wellbeing is understood as a structured, personalised and evidence-led journey rather than a set of treatments. Sustainability is the natural outcome of decades of stewardship, not a positioning. At Dharana, the valley becomes a refuge, yoga becomes an anchor and precision-guided healing becomes the route to conscious being.
An unspoilt valley in the heart of the Western Ghats
Spread across over one thousand hectares of protected land, Dharana at Shillim offers an intentional pause from the speed of modern life while remaining within easy reach of Mumbai and Pune. The landscape reflects rooted modernity, where nature and contemporary wellness design are in quiet dialogue. At dawn, soft light filters through ancient trees, and the rhythmic symphony of birdsong, crisp air and forest scent creates a grounding sensory canvas. Forested hills cascade towards the still waters of Lake Pawna, reinforcing the feeling that the land itself participates in the healing journey.
A story of vision and preservation
The journey of Dharana began in 1985 when brothers William and Denzil discovered the Shillim Valley and saw in it a place of immense potential for renewal. Their commitment to protecting the land led to a long-term regeneration of the valley’s ecosystems. Landscape designer Margie Ruddick and architect Steven Harris helped shape a philosophy of human-scale intervention and respectful restoration. Over sixty thousand indigenous trees were planted, forest fires were contained and neighbouring communities became integrated into the project’s evolution. In 2013, under the direction of William’s son Gavin, Dharana at Shillim emerged as a clinical wellness retreat built on clarity, precision and conscious living. Today, with over a million trees, the estate stands as a testament to the philosophy of nature and community that underpins Dharana’s purpose.
Luxurious villas in the middle of the forest
The villas at Dharana quietly dissolve the boundary between indoor comfort and the living forest. Constructed with natural stone and untreated wood, they embody silent luxury: elegance expressed through intention, restraint and sensory precision.
Each villa is a private cocoon with expansive views of mountains or canopy, accompanied by the calming sounds of the forest. King-size beds, handcrafted furnishings and spacious bathrooms with outdoor showers create an atmosphere of understated refinement.
The categories include :
- Villa Dharana: 95 square metres with contemporary, luminous interiors and sweeping forest views.
- Villa Forestière: 120 square metres perched above the valley with panoramic vistas and open-plan bathing.
- Villa with garden and pool: 205 square metres offering a private pool, study nook, dressing area and generous living spaces.
- Villa with Dharana Pool: 205 square metres combining stillness, spaciousness and seamless comfort.
- Grande Résidence: 550 square metres, an architectural residence with three bedrooms, a panoramic pool and an optional private butler.
Every accommodation invites guests to live in attunement with the forest, where luxury is defined by light, silence, tactility and atmospheric intelligence.
A holistic, clinically guided approach to well-being
The wellness center is the interpretive core of Dharana, where ancient intelligence, medical rigour and sensory design come together. Wellness here is not fragmented but coherent, driven by personalised pathways and an integrative medical approach. Each guest embarks on a progression that aligns with Dharana’s principles of healing journeys, where transformation becomes lived, measurable and enduring.
Wellness programs
Dharana offers short and long-stay programs including Detox and Cleanse, De Stress, Fitness and Weight Management and Specialized Focus pathways. Every journey begins with a comprehensive assessment: clinical diagnostics, Ayurvedic profiling, behavioural evaluation and naturopathic insight. This multi-layered assessment creates a precise map of the guest’s physical, emotional and cognitive landscape.
At the core of every program lie Dharana’s Five Pathways, a structured and clinically informed framework that transforms diagnostics into a coherent healing sequence. Each pathway represents a distinct dimension of wellbeing, building a personalised arc of transformation for every guest.
Physical Restoration
This pathway strengthens, rehabilitates and stabilises the body through targeted therapies, conscious movement, physiotherapy, hydrothermal treatments and sequenced routines designed to rebuild physical resilience and enhance functional vitality.
Emotional Balance
This pathway supports regulation of the nervous system and restoration of emotional clarity. Meditation, breath-based practices, behavioural therapies and sound-based modalities help reduce burnout patterns, encourage perspective and cultivate mental steadiness.
Healing Nutrition
Nutrition becomes a therapeutic tool through the integration of Ayurvedic intelligence, medical guidance and Dharana’s Four Kingdoms culinary philosophy. This pathway recalibrates metabolic rhythms, gut health, immunity and sustained vitality.
Inner Architecture
As Dharana’s core pathway, Inner Architecture enables guests to cultivate focus, cognitive spaciousness and self-awareness. Through meditation, mindful attention, guided introspection and sensory minimalism, guests learn to build a stable inner world that supports long-term resilience.
Lasting Wellbeing
This pathway ensures continuity beyond the retreat. Personalised rituals, movement sequences, reflective practices and structured guidance help embed transformation into daily rhythms, creating a bridge between the retreat experience and long-term sustainable wellbeing.
Under this framework, each day unfolds as a structured rhythm. Mornings begin with postural alignment and breath-led yoga, followed by consultations and therapies calibrated to the day’s pathway focus. Afternoons are dedicated to treatments, contemplative practices or creative stillness. Evenings close with the Dharana Aarti, reinforcing integration and intention. This daily arc expresses the transition from retreat to ritual.
Healing spaces
The healing spaces at Dharana support the cultivation of inner architecture. Designed with natural light, grounding materials and sensory quietness, these spaces invite presence and depth. The Yogshala, overlooking the valley, hosts Iyengar, Yoga Nidra and Sudhi Kriya sessions in the clarity of morning light. The Dhyana meditation grotto offers exceptional acoustic and spatial conditions for contemplative work.
The House of Healing provides integrative consultations across Ayurveda, naturopathy, nutrition and physiotherapy. The Jalayu pavilion brings together hydrothermal experiences including pool therapy, hammam, whirlpool and infrared therapy.
Independent treatment villas, surrounded by forest, create an intimate environment for therapeutic massages, energy rituals and integrative bodywork. Every space evokes stillness you can feel.
Ayurveda, the beating heart of Dharana
Preventive medicine sits at the foundation of Dharana’s clinical model. Each stay begins with a thorough assessment of dosha balance and physiological patterns. Integrating Ayurveda, naturopathy and Chinese medical principles, the approach supports vitality, emotional regulation and cognitive clarity. Movement, breathwork, meditation and sequenced therapies all reinforce the guest’s inner architecture and sense of conscious stability.
Guest practitioners and retreats
Dharana hosts distinguished guest practitioners who lead breath-led therapies, vibrational healing, meditative immersions and thematic journeys. Resident experts ensure continuity, offering guidance that helps the healing imprint extend well beyond the stay.
A philosophy from earth to plate
Nutrition at Dharana is a precise expression of grounded modernity. Inspired by Ayurvedic wisdom and supported by contemporary nutritional science, the cuisine is seasonal, refined and restorative. Produce from partner farms and the estate garden feed into the Four Kingdoms culinary philosophy, creating complete and balanced plates that nurture digestion, vitality and long-term wellbeing.
The Dharana tables
The Green Table offers refined vegetarian cuisine tailored to program-led requirements. Vyoma presents light, colourful preparations inspired by mindful movement and day rhythms. Ojas offers comforting local and global dishes throughout the day.
La Maison de thé et Apothicairerie serves handcrafted infusions, tonics and elixirs made from local botanicals and Ayurvedic herbs, often accompanied by contemplative conversations.
The Dharana Culinary Studio extends learning into practice through interactive sessions that bring mindful, health-led cooking into daily life.
A retreat for the soul and the planet
Dharana at Shillim is more than a retreat. It is a clinically guided, sensory and nature-supported environment designed to help guests rebuild their inner and outer worlds. Each stay becomes an exploration of clarity, intention and conscious being. The restored valley stands as a testament to decades of mindful stewardship, where personal wellbeing and respect for the land continue in quiet, harmonious alignment.
Book your stay at Dharana at Shillim
Rates : From approximately 600 USD per day.
Contact us using the form below to plan your wellness stay, or by telephone to discuss your stay project:
- from France on + 33 1 85 73 22 14
- from Switzerland: +41 22 501 75 16
- from the Emirates: +971 54 583 1623
- from the USA: +1 (646) 980 6652
- from the UK: +44 20 4577 3258
