🌿 My Experience as a Student at Lachipur Ashram – Basic Sunyoga Course 

In Melbourne, sunlight is scarce. Only three to four months a year offer sufficient sunlight. Yet, when the morning sun streams through my window, I feel immense joy. I sit quietly in the garden or backyard, soaking in the sunlight. That sunlight has always brought me inner happiness. So the Sun has always held a personal significance for me.

The podcast mentioned that Suryayogi Umashankar teaches SUNYOGA in Lachipur, West Bengal. The information was minimal, but it stirred something in my heart:

“What is this? This is something I truly like.”

Swamiji teaches us in class.

Within a day or two, I searched online — Suryayogi Umashankar, Lachipur, West Bengal. Even though I live in Melbourne now, I was born in Konkan, Maharashtra. For me, West Bengal was almost like another country, as I had never been there.

I had doubts and fears. “Can I really go alone? Is this real?” — many questions ran through my mind. Convincing my family was even harder. My children are 25 and 23, and having grown up here, they have a single perception about the Sun — it’s dangerous, UV rays are harmful, and one must not go outside without sunscreen due to the risk of cancer.

I had accepted this too. For many years, I rarely went outdoors without sunscreen. But gradually, as I read the chemical lists on these products, questions arose in my mind. I wanted to understand the Sun scientifically and experientially, directly from a yogi who has lived this knowledge, rather than relying solely on podcasts or books.

It felt right to go, observe, listen, and learn in person. And I made the decision — I would go to Lachipur.

I landed in Kolkata and stayed a few days at Belur Math. The night before the course, I set out for Lachipur. On the way, the driver took a different route — a narrow, rough wooden bridge. At that moment, I felt intense fear. “Where exactly have I come?” I wondered.

Surprisingly, even the Kolkata driver did not know the exact location of Lachipur. There were no visible villages or houses around. Complete darkness surrounded us. My mind was filled with doubts, fear, and a hint of regret.

Then, suddenly —

as we neared the ashram, I heard the sound of the Aarti, , the sacred ‘ghan-ghan’ bells. In that darkness, the sound touched me deeply.

Morning Agnihotra.

I entered the ashram. The building was very simple, but inside, there was the fragrance of rituals, incense, and a serene environment. I was taken to my room. Seeing the room brought more questions — so simple! The bathroom and toilet looked basic, and I , “How will these four days go?”

A little later, I came downstairs. And the scene before me gave me courage. Many others, just like me — full of doubts, questions, and curiosity — had gathered. Some had come from Maharashtra, some from Pune or Nashik, some from Bengal, and others from the USA or Russia — people from all over the world had arrived.

At that moment, I realised — I am not alone.

Everyone had come here with the same inner calling, the same desire to learn, overcoming family resistance, fear, and doubts.

This was my first experience at the Lachipur Ashram. 

That night, we all gathered together. At that time, I was given a piece of paper outlining the daily schedule for the upcoming SUNYOGA Basic course. As I read it, my first thought was —

“Can I really manage this?”

The schedule began with waking up at 3:30 a.m., followed by back-to-back lectures by Swamiji, meditation, spiritual practices, and physical exercises — the entire day meticulously planned. Sessions continued until 8:30 p.m., followed by dinner. Looking at the schedule, I felt a momentary sense of fear.

“How will I wake up so early?” I wondered.

But immediately, another thought came — I had come all this way, so I needed to do it completely and sincerely.

And to my surprise, I woke up exactly at 3:30 a.m. with the beautiful Shivoham song as a wake-up call. After freshening up, I headed to the Aarti hall. My mind was searching for just one thing — where exactly were the SUNYOGI? I had travelled so far to see?

The Aarti and Agnihotra began. I sat a little distance away, but in that moment, I realised — something special is happening here. In the glow of Agnihotra, amidst the chanting and sacred atmosphere, I saw Umashankar Swamiji. His aura, calm walk, the way he spoke, and his entire presence felt completely different and unique.

At that moment, a clear thought came to my mind —

“I have come to the right place.”

After Agnihotra, Swamiji greeted everyone with a very calm and gentle voice. He introduced himself briefly to each of us, and the course officially began.

We do Sun Meditation together.

I will not go into the details of the course here, because SUNYOGA is not something to understand just by hearing or reading — it is something to experience and feel. The true knowledge and beauty of it will be revealed to you during your own course, directly from Swamiji. It is an experience you must have yourself.

What I want to share here is —

The changes I experienced after the course, and the insights I gained.

Those experiences are the true fruits of this SUNYOGA journey.

🌿 Post-Course Experiences – The Beginning of Transformation

The course ended. After bidding farewell to everyone, my husband came to pick me up. I had specifically asked him to join me — to spend a couple of days exploring Kolkata and to visit Jagannathpuri for darshan.

From the moment I saw him, I felt something entirely new. In his eyes, there was a different kind of respect, love, and tender emotion toward me — a feeling that had never surfaced in our marital life before.

I have always loved and respected my husband deeply, but this time, what I felt was different — a connection that came from within, silent yet profoundly felt. It is difficult to put into words, but it was incredibly deep. For me, this was a major positive shift in my marital life.

Lachipur Vilage, Ashram pond.

 I felt calm. A gentle, soft smile adorned my face. And this was not limited to my husband alone. In the realities of Kolkata, I noticed that I was interacting with people in a very beautiful way — whether it was an Uber driver, hotel reception staff, airline crew, or a restaurant waiter — every interaction was full of respect, love, and warmth.

I have always treated people with respect, but this time, there was an added warmth to it. And my husband clearly noticed this, too.

Before leaving for the airport, as we were getting out of the taxi, he said,

“Could you please talk to the driver? He has been very kind to us. Hearing your words will make him happy.”

I simply thanked him sincerely — no tip, nothing else. Yet, seeing the joy on the driver’s face, just from my words, was a completely new experience for me. That moment made me realise — when your inner state changes, the outside world responds differently.

28 January we did Parikrama around Lachipur villageg at Kalpataru Festival.

After the flight, we reached home, and the usual household routine resumed. With two grown-up children and parents abroad, you can imagine the state of the house. Cleaning, unpacking bags, arranging shopping and gifts — all of it had to be done.

Yet, one thing struck me — I had tremendous energy.

We had been travelling continuously for four to five days after the course. My sleep schedule was completely disrupted. Normally, in such situations, jet lag affects me badly. But this time — not at all.

I completed all household chores. There is no help available here; everything must be done personally. Yet, I did not feel tired or irritated. Instead, I worked with joy.

The next day, I began practising the sunrise ritual at home. Initially, I improvised with what was available — aromatic herbs and dried leaves — following Swamiji’s instructions at the first rays of sunrise.

Within a few days, I obtained the proper materials and began performing the ritual properly and regularly. From the course and the ashram’s routine, I understood the scientific reasoning, benefits, and discipline behind it. I was performing it knowingly, with understanding.

I started waking up early. Remarkably, even with early mornings, I did not feel tired. On the contrary, this became my recharge time.

The fragrance from the ritual pervading the house throughout the day is extremely sattvic, pure, and positive. No artificial room freshener or perfume comes even close. I was amazed that such positivity could fill the home at so little cost.

I sleep peacefully at night. My mind is free of clutter. My energy remains high throughout the day.

My eating habits and overall lifestyle began to change. I became aware of what I consume, what I watch, and what I put into my body. I started comparing my diet with the sattvic food served at the ashram. The desire for packaged food reduced. The habit of eating whatever was available slowly disappeared. I began enjoying fresh, home-cooked food prepared with love.

All these changes were gradual, yet profoundly deep.

Until now, the experiences I shared were more visible or surface-level — physical energy, calmness, sweetness in relationships, changes in diet and daily routines. But the true impact of the course revealed itself when life tested me.

Most of us often think that everything in life depends on money. If there’s money, life will flow smoothly. But just a few days after returning from the SUNYOGA course, I received a major shock.

Sunrise at UPC Ashram.

My husband informed me that our business was facing serious issues. Invoices had been pending for nearly a month, and expected payments had not arrived. Financially, it was a huge challenge for us.

But at that moment, my reaction surprised even me.

I did not panic.

I did not feel scared.

I did not complain.

My first thought was:

“Okay. That’s fine. Now, what can we do? This can be resolved.”

At that moment, I realised — I had become mentally very strong.

I was not denying the situation, but I was facing it calmly, positively, and with acceptance of reality.

I immediately started working on solutions —

Even though there was financial loss, I was able to make decisions with a clear mind. This was entirely new for me — I had never faced such a situation before.

The most remarkable thing was —

This major challenge hit exactly after I had completed the SUNYOGA course.

In fact, it was happening while I was still attending the course. But my husband had not told me earlier, so I could focus completely on my learning.

When I learned about the situation after returning, I accepted it as it was.

Rather than asking, “Why did this happen?” I asked myself,

“How can we improve it? How can we solve this?”

Meeting with a calf in UPC Ghosala.

My work involves interacting with people, not machines. I treat those I work with as part of my extended family. Even amidst financial uncertainty, I continued fulfilling my responsibilities with honesty and dedication. I had no idea what the future held or how things would unfold.

But one thing I consistently did —

I behaved as a human being, with integrity and care.

People around me observed —

how I handled the crisis, how I made decisions, how I conducted myself.

And here, the real transformation became evident.

The course had changed my way of thinking,

my reactions, and my ability to remain calm, clear, and compassionate under pressure.

As a result —

clients who had not given me work for many days,

clients who had judged me,

clients who had delayed decisions —

all of them came back during this challenging period.

Through my conduct, decision-making, and humane approach in difficult times, they saw the real me.

Contracts I had been hoping for, sometimes for years, finally came through during this period.

For me, SUNYOGA was not just about meditation, rituals, or routines.

It became a life-changing turning point —

one that reshaped my inner strength, clarity, and approach to life in an extremely positive way.

What I learned from Swamiji blew me away.

When I was leaving the ashram, Axel, a full-time volunteer and a truly kind soul, requested me to share my testimony. He wanted me to talk about my experience as a student, even though I had just completed the course. Initially, I thought I would wait six months before sharing my reflections. But I realised that I have already experienced the benefits within just ten to twelve days, so I wanted to share them now.

The essence is simple: taking this course and following it daily brings visible results very quickly. You don’t need to wait for months — positive changes start showing within just a few days.

I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to take this course. It has the power to transform your life in a truly positive way. You will see benefits in multiple areas — your relationships, inner peace, physical and mental health, and even financial well-being. Everything you need for personal growth is integrated into this one course.

It is a life-changing experience, and I strongly recommend it to anyone ready to embrace it.🌞💖🙏🏻