Wonder Days
Welcome to Wonder Days
by Amisha & Varshana
What are ‘Wonder Days’?
A gift for the soul. Press pause on the daily hustle and escape into nature for amazing creative workshops and experiences to help you discover the wonders of the world around you – and within you – at Casa de la Vida
Wonder is…
“A feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar.” – Oxford Dictionary
Wonder is one of our human superpowers. By experiencing the world with child-like awe, openness and curiosity, we can learn to live in the present moment and bring more inspiration, abundance and magic into our lives.
However, modern society, full of information, distraction, pressure and stress, can dampen our sense of wonder, tilting us out of balance.
That’s why, Amisha and Varshana, have lovingly curated these nourishingly creative days to help you to slow down and reconnect with yourself embraced by the power of Mother Nature.
As the poet Rumi says: ‘We seek outside, the wonders we carry inside us.’
Wonder Day #1:
20th April 2024
Discover the wonders of… aromatic scents on this crafty and culinary springtime escape in the Andalusian countryside.
Awaken your senses during a hands-on two-hour aromatic natural soap and balm making workshop before enjoying a lovingly prepared scrumptious Indian vegetarian lunch made with fragrant herbs and spices. Both will take place on a sun-dappled wooden table decorated with hand-picked springtime flowers with stunning countryside vistas. Oh, and there’s relaxing pool time, warming masala chai breaks, yummy sweet treats, nature ‘awe’ walks, take-home goodies and more…
Wonder Days are a creative gift for the soul.
At-a-glance schedule
10.30am:
Arrival and hello’s over coffee, chai, herbal infusions and morning treats
11.00am – 1.00pm:
Aromatic Soap & Balm Making Workshop with Varshie’s World. Refreshments & yummy bites served alongside to keep you nourished from the inside!
1.00pm – 2.00pm:
Refresh & relax with a dip in the sparkling pool or go for an ‘awe walk’ in the beautiful natural surroundings
2.00pm – 3.30pm:
Sit down to enjoy your deliciously fragrant Indian vegetarian lunch lovingly made by Amisha
3.30pm – 4.30pm:
‘Sobremesa’ with garden lemongrass tea
4.30pm:
Gifts & goodbyes
Melt & Pour Soap and Natural Balm Making With Varshie’s World
Varshana Kesharie is an art teacher, creator and co-owner of Casa de la Vida Malaga. She has a passion for creating and passing on this knowledge to others. Most think they are not creative, but she believes we all are. From creating contemporary art to baking bread, she sees the beauty of creativity in everything. With her workshops, she wants to show that everyone can be creative in a comfortable way. Her teaching style is step by step with some guidance… allowing the rest to come from you.
What will the workshop involve?
If you’re curious about making your own natural skin care, then this workshop is for you. Over two blissful hours, you will learn how to make your own beautiful ‘Melt & Pour’ soap as well as a healing ‘all purpose’ body balm using natural aromatic ingredients like beeswax and tea tree oil.
Varshana will share the fascinating history of soap, the benefits of homemade soap, the tools you need and how to use fragrance, colour and flowers to create your own unique designs.
Along the way, she’ll help identify troubleshooters and how to avoid them. There’ll be examples of more advanced soap methods too!
Complete your skincare kit by learning how to make your own natural ‘all purpose’ body balm. Perfect as an every day moisturiser as well as soothing irritated skin and dry lips.
The best bit is that there is no experience needed to do both workshops! Along with learning the basic steps, you’ll also be given a handy instruction sheet.
Remember to wear comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting dirty!
What you will take home:
- Four self made soaps
- Silicone soap mold
- Melt & Pour soap making instruction sheet
- Self made Tea tree Balm
- Balm making instruction sheet
Purchase a starter kit from Varshie’s World after the given workshop so you can continue the wonders of soap making at home.
Delicious Indian Vegetarian Feast lovingly made by Amisha
Storyteller, yogi, retreat host and passionate cook, Amisha Desai loves to nourish and nurture others through writing, movement, meditation and mouth-watering food! After spending three years creating magic at the award-winning Suryalila Retreat Centre in Cadiz where she rustled up a weekly Indian feast, Amisha is now based in Malaga and is excited to share her passion for mindful creative living with Casa de la Vida! Like co-owner Varshana, she sprinkles her creativity in everything that she does – and her cooking is no exception. From heart to plate, Amisha’s delicious Indian cuisine is art for the eyes and food for the soul. Weaving family recipes learned at her mother’s hip with her own intuitive flair, this delicious lunch will be unlike anything you have tasted in an Indian restaurant. Fresh, fragrant and bursting with authentic flavours, Amisha is looking forward to creating an unforgettable feast for your senses.
What will lunch include?
Picture this. You’ve spent an amazing morning learning how to make your own aromatic soaps and balms; taking a refreshing dip in the pool and having interesting conversations with new friends…
Feeling enlivened and inspired, you’re then invited to sit down to an Indian meal of dreams.
First, a refreshing drink, ‘nimu pani’ – a fresh Indian lemonade – then time to tuck into lunch. Colourful bowls filled with the likes of Punjabi Rajma with Makai and Methi (home-style red kidney bean, sweetcorn and fenugreek curry), fragrant basmati rice bejewelled with star anise, toasted cashew nuts and caramalised onions; delicious beetroot tikkis served with a vibrant coconut & coriander chutney; Zingy orange and radish salad spiked with kashmiri chilli, lemon juice & fresh mint and melt-in-the-mouth roasted aubergine topped with a garlicky yogurt raita and tempered whole spices.
Served with hand-made flatbreads – perfect for scooping up all those incredible flavours with your fingers!
And of course, let’s not forget dessert… perhaps an orange blossom chocolate mousse with toasted coconut enjoyed with a cup of aromatic chai or herbal infusion with fresh lemongrass from the garden.
During ‘sobremesa’ – a Spanish expression for relaxing over the dinner table – enjoy a moment to rest, digest, chat, connect, share, dream and simply ‘be’.
What you will take home:
- A happy belly and full heart
- Your own Chai spice mix
- Chai-making recipe sheet
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom’ ~ by Socrates