I'm a single mom who left the chaos of the city to raise my daughter in a yoga town in the Himalayas

Amrisha Agarwal moved to Rishikesh with her daughter, Lavenia, to escape the rat race of city life. Amrisha Agarwal

Amrisha Agarwal moved to Rishikesh, a town in the Himalayas, with her daughter in 2019.

She opened a café, where she serves dishes to a diverse clientele.

Agarwal said the peace and quality of life she found have been instrumental in her daughter's upbringing.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Amrisha Agarwal, a 36-year-old café owner in Rishikesh, India. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was born and raised in Kolkata, a populous city in India's far eastern state of West Bengal. I was married there, gave birth to my daughter there, and built a brand consultancy with my ex-husband.

But I've always dreamed of moving out of the city.…