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    YOGA RETREAT IN CHITRAL

    Written by: Nida Qasim
    Posted on: June 26, 2013 |

    Doing the warrior pose at 13,000 feet above the ground!

    It wasn’t just beautiful. It was beyond that. The valley of Chitral welcomed me with such grace as I stepped out of the plane and out into its beautiful terrain. I found myself staring at tall mountains as far as I could see, and a cool breeze seemed intent on whisking my hair away. I believe at that very moment, Paradise seemed more real than it could have ever been.

    The three-dimensional valley of Chitral

    I had come across a brochure about a yoga retreat in Chitral and I thought, what better place for a getaway than in the heart of Northern Pakistan, where nature is at its very best. I had always had a ‘travel bug’ in me that came to life as I discovered this retreat. There was no way I was going to miss it! So I left for the flight to Chitral early morning on the scheduled day. I met a group of 10 people at the Islamabad airport and we started chatting away, bonding instantly. We tried guessing as to what was in store for us. Believe me, our conjectures were not even remotely close. That it would become such a memorable trip, I had not foreseen.

    It took us one hour and twenty minutes to reach Chitral. Nearing the city, the plane made a 90 degrees horizontal turn and dived down into the valley. As it did so, I saw Chitral in such a light that it left me mesmerised. A V-shaped valley, home to very tall mountains, dotted with streams and rivers, and clothed in verdure: this was my first impression.

    The conveyor belt at the Chitral airport

    As we entered the airport, we found our luggage moving on the smallest conveyor belt I had ever seen! We met the driver who took us to our hotel Hindukush Heights, and what a rickety journey it was! (All the more exciting for me) Hindukush Heights, run by Siraj ul Mulk, is an eco-friendly hotel that has been rated among the top hundred hotels of the world in Tattler magazine. After arriving there, we enjoyed a brilliant meal and then sat ourselves down in the lawn that afforded us a bird’s eye view of the valley. The constant cool breeze on my face and subtle tranquility of the place compelled my worries to remain in Islamabad.

    The next morning we woke up at 5 am and started with yoga, the class being conducted by our lovely instructor Aisha Chapra. In the following days, we had classes twice a day at different locations. While engaged in yoga, it was as if we had become one with nature, and I personally experienced such a bond as I have never felt before.  

    The Shandur Polo ground on top of the world
    From the hotel we went to Mastuj, a lush green valley about four hours north of Chitral. We resided in chalets in the Mastuj fort that was surrounded by lush green fields of wheat. Mastuj is a home to exotic birds: my own chalet was named “Mayon,” which in their local language means golden oriole birds. At Mastuj we used to start the day with an early morning walk through the green fields and would see rivers everywhere we walked. The gushing sound of water and the placidity it would provide us with was divine. There was a magnificent Chinar tree of seven trunks outside my chalet. Performing yoga under the tree of seven trunks was nothing short of spiritual.

    The highlight of our trip was the Shandur lake. It took us one and a half hours to reach there from Mastuj by jeep, and it was one of the most picturesque lakes I have ever come across. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and flanked by the world’s highest polo ground, this shining gem of a lake really was a sight for a yogi’s eyes. We hiked up to the base of the mountain at 13,000 feet and, to our utter joy, a light snowfall began. We saw this as an opportunity to have a snow fight. I also ate some snow (for the first time) and it actually tasted good, just like slush. We played in the snow like children, because we were completely stress-free, and enjoyed such serenity that we didn’t want to walk back down. In fact, doing the “Warrior Pose” at a height of 13,000 feet at Shandur was the most liberating moment of my life.

    A Kalash woman posing outside her shop                                                                     Yoga on the Charsu

    After Shandur, we made a short trip to Rambur, which is a village of the Kalash valley in Chitral. Numbering approximately 5000, this 'lost tribe' of Kalash with its own ethnicity, religion, and culture offers a different take on Pakistan. The guide who accompanied us from the hotel belonged to the area. One of the features of the Rambur village was that there were hundreds of steps that led to their dance floor, Charsu, which is known to host the seasonal Kalash dance festivals. Aisha invited some of the Kalashi girls to join us for yoga on the Charsu, and they were positively bemused by some of our yoga poses such as the “mountain pose” and the “tree pose.”

    The magnificent Chinar of seven trunks at Mastuj

    Back in Islamabad, I felt like I had left a part of my soul behind. I knew then that my bond with Chitral would always beckon me to come back again, again and again.

    Wandering out into nothingness

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    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021