Offbeat places, where the world doesn’t move at breakneck speed, have a way of reframing how we move through life. Often in these pockets of slowness and simplicity, or a retreat where we disconnect from the din of the world is where we are invited to return to ourselves - reclaiming presence, staying present, and choosing to pause. In an era where the saturation of hustle culture has many of us burnt out, and the pressure to perform for social media perfect lives, there is a growing space for slow-living and intentional travel movement. Kyo Spaces founded by Meghna Kapoor is quietly but intentionally working to redefine what it means to rest, reconnect, and retreat.

In 2018, Meghna Kapoor founded Kyo Spaces, born not just out of professional experience, but from a deeply personal need for recalibration. After a decade of hustling across industries, she found herself burning out. She shared how despite being based out of Goa, a place typically synonymous with sunsets and stillness, she barely had time to look up from her laptop. “I couldn’t see the sunset despite living in Goa,” she shares. “I was in the office by 8 a.m. and constantly in go-mode.” It wasn’t until she began attending transformational retreats - across Thailand, Himachal, and beyond - that she found the calm her body and mind had needed. These moments of pause became the essence of Kyo Spaces.

Unlike many contemporary wellness brands operating with linear offerings and homogenous programming, Kyo Spaces moves more like a tried and tested permaculture framework — intentionally diverse, seasonally responsive, and regenerative by design. The brand draws deeply from permaculture principles — especially how it is rooted in the Earth Care, People Care, And Fair Share. Meghna, who completed a Permaculture Design Certificate, has applied its ethics into the crux of her venture: from the venues she chooses to the way she collaborates with retreat leaders and participants.

"Earth care shows up in the kind of properties we choose — off-the-grid, eco-conscious, or heritage-led. People care about holding space for participants with intention. And fair share is baked into the business model itself," she explains. In fact, this regenerative mindset even informs the structure of the brand. Each Kyo Spaces retreat is an amalgamation of community, nature, and intentional design. They're hosted in remote or under-the-radar locations where entire properties are taken over to create immersive experiences. From Ladakh to Calcutta and Goa, every edition is shaped by its location, teacher, and group dynamics — no two retreats are alike. While many associate wellness with yoga alone, Kyo expands the definition. Past retreats have spanned realms of yoga, acupuncture, art, writing, photography, fitness, and more.

Collaborating with writer Karuna Ezara Parikh, Kyo Spaces is doing their first city retreat in Calcutta titled, 'The Writer’s Room' with the intention of creating an inspiring, intimate, writing experience in early September. A fitness-led retreat with movement educator Zoe Modgill in South Goa after that is a women’s retreat focused on building strength, and according to them “not just in your body, but in your mind, your confidence, your connections. We’ll move, sweat, rest, and reconnect in one of the most magical settings I know.” Meghna has hosted a number of retreats in the past, and is constantly exploring newer formats rooted in creativity and slow travel.

Doing Less, But Doing it Well
As a solopreneur who once managed teams and startups, Meghna now consciously caps the number of retreats she organises — doing no more than 6–7 a year. This, she says, is not just about personal sustainability, but about being fully present in every offering. The Kyo Spaces model is intentionally anti-hustle. Mornings begin with hours of movement and mindful nourishment. Retreats are planned with care, often months in advance. Collaborations are slow-brewed and relationships with retreat leaders are nurtured over repeat experiences. Despite the digital nature of the job — managing multiple phones, emails, and social channels — Meghna sets strict boundaries. She doesn't chase scale, instead choosing to go deeper, not wider.

And this approach makes even more sense, when knowing that the name Kyo itself is drawn from Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, a chant rooted in Meghna’s Buddhist practice. Kyo loosely translates to ‘vibration’. She went on to share how every Kyo Spaces retreat is a different vibration that's shaped by who shows up, where we are, and what we're seeking. But that’s what makes Kyo Spaces quietly unique. It’s not wellness for Instagram. It’s not another luxury escape. It’s not spiritual bypassing. It’s slow and sincere. A place where hustle is switched out for harmony. Where 'doing' is traded in for simply being. As more of us begin to crave stillness and deeper connection in a world that rarely pauses, Kyo Spaces offers a necessary alternative: a return to rhythm, rest, and radical care.

You can follow them here.

If you enjoyed reading this, here's more from Homegrown:

Celebrate National Poetry Month With 6 Exceptional Homegrown Poets On Our Radar

How An Irish Woman Turned A Small Himachali Village Into A Beautiful Art Retreat

Get Out Of Your Creative Rut With A Homegrown Guide To Writing Retreats Across India