India, Aug. 1 -- It drifted across the Shivalik hills in soft sheets, tapped gently against floor-to-ceiling windows, and blurred the horizon into a sea of clouds. From my resort suite, the valley seemed to disappear and reappear by the minute, as if the mountains were breathing. Every view framed another layer of emerald green. Every pause was punctuated by the comforting rhythm of rain against glass.

Somewhere between watching the mist roll across the infinity pool and nursing my third cup of Garhwali chai overlooking the valley, I realised I hadn't thought about work for hours. Considering I'd arrived at The Westin Resort & Spa, Himalayas, barely a day earlier, carrying weeks of accumulated mental clutter, that felt like something of...