They say the spirit of time lives in the roots of a banyan tree.

In Kerala, we found one — older than memory, its canopy sheltering a hidden temple only known by word of mouth. Our guide, a local Ayurvedic healer, brought us here at dawn.

He asked us to sit and close our eyes.

We listened to the rustling leaves. Birds sang songs we didn’t know the names of. Somewhere far off, the temple bell rang once — and the air shifted. He spoke softly:
"The body heals when the spirit feels safe."

Then he handed us a warm cup of spiced herbal tea.
That moment, we didn’t need to be anywhere else.