• By: Guest Contributor
• Apr 06, 2025
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Deer Park Institute in Bir: A Home for the Heart

This post is written by a guest contributor, Sameeksha Sharma.

Author’s Bio: Sameeksha is a slow traveller, nature enthusiast, and storyteller who finds magic in quiet moments and winding trails. With a pen in one hand and a backpack in the other, she captures life as she lives it. When she’s not out exploring, you’ll find her lost in books or catching up on long, dreamy naps.

How often do you visit a place simply as a traveller and leave with a piece of it etched into your soul, as if it were another home? For almost everyone, there’s a place they keep returning to – not just to explore but to find the lost pieces of themselves. For me, that place is not a town or a cafe but an institute. And though it follows a quiet rhythm like a school, with set timings for meals, hours of silence, and gates that close at dusk, it teaches you how to live more mindfully without announcing that change. 

Tucked into the serene Himachali town of Bir, also known as the world’s paragliding capital, Deer Park Institute offers more than panoramic views of the Dhauladhar range. It offers a way of life – simple, sustainable, and creative. 

Deer Park Institute in Bir: Where It All Began 

I stumbled upon Deer Park Institute during my first visit to Bir. I had no fixed plan; I just wished to roam around, soaking in joy and exploring Tibetan culture and monasteries. Wandering through the narrow-climbing streets of the Tibetan Colony and past a row of fierce-looking dogs, I came across the campus of Deer Park. A crisp breeze carried a strange calm that instantly shifted something within me. 

I walked through the campus, drawn to the quiet monastery-turned-institute. For over an hour, I explored its gardens, admired the open-air theatre, peeked at the vegetable farms, and met Tara, the institute’s beloved cat. 

Before leaving, I snapped a picture of a pamphlet about their website, WhatsApp group and upcoming events. Later, sitting at the paragliding site, I browsed the website, joined the community, and discovered a world that seemed to offer almost everything I’d been quietly searching for: a blend of science and spirituality, logic and emotion, nature and art. 

The range of retreats, from yoga and meditation to creative writing, storytelling, photography, Indian classical music, arts, filmmaking, and Buddhist philosophy, was truly impressive. Already under its peaceful vibe, I knew for sure I’d return.

Waking Up to the Rhythm of Nature 

Almost a year later, I finally returned, this time with the intention of staying on campus. After a few emails, I secured a dorm bed for five days and spent the time immersed in the institute’s life and rhythm. It wasn’t just a place of learning; it felt like a home that gently nurtures you, both inside and outside. 

I woke up each morning not to an alarm but to birdsong and fresh mountain air. Every day seemed to greet me with a new shade of weather, as if the institute itself wanted to surprise me. After a short walk across the quiet and green campus, I would sit for meditation in Buddha Hall, often accompanied by Tara, who curled beside me for a few nights, too. I guess we were comforted by each other’s company. 

My days breeze with a quiet ease – meals made from farm-fresh produce, hours spent reading in the library and journaling on the Buddha Hall stairs, and long, thoughtful stares into the trees and sky full of stars. 

There is something in the air of Deer Park that feels like an invitation to reconnect with myself, with the earth, and with the kinds of questions that often go unasked in the rush of everyday life. 

A Global Circle Of Stillness 

At breakfast, a simple ‘Good morning’ from someone across the globe often led to deep, unexpected conversations, even in our broken English. It also made me realise that not everyone in the world speaks fluent English. And here, no one judges. No one laughs at your vulnerabilities. You’ve heard, seen, and often understood, or at least acknowledged. Every question you were once scared to ask suddenly feels valid. 

The campus, the team that runs it, and the workshop facilitators gently remind you that nature isn’t just something outside of us – it exists within. When we start treating ourselves with kindness, we naturally extend that kindness to the world around us. 

One of Deer Park’s most beautiful aspects is its commitment to sustainability. In the dining area, a well-planned space with multiple bins encourages waste segregation and makes us conscious of our habits. Their zero-waste policy and its explanation through wall art not only help us understand the life cycle of different kinds of waste but also change our perspectives on how even the smallest actions affect the planet. 

Why I Keep Coming Back 

Those five days remained among the most powerful and peaceful moments of my life. Here, my thoughts began to clear, my heart felt cradled, and even my toes relished the gentle texture of the earth as I walked barefoot in the garden. Since then, I have returned several times, and my next visit is already planned. Deer Park has welcomed me each time the way a home should.

Deer Park has become a soulful anchor, a community where people from around the world gather not as an escape but to understand, listen, and be. It has deepened my connection with nature, helped me fall in love with this solitude, and reshaped my understanding of what truly living is.