☀️ Three Weeks in Lachipur

At Home in the Sunyoga Ashram

With grateful hearts, we have returned from three special weeks in the Sunyoga Ashram in Lachipur, about a three-hour drive from Kolkata. It was our first time in this ashram, and it quickly began to feel like a second home.

✧ Adjustment

The first days were all about settling in and simply being present with everything different: the warm, humid climate of thirty degrees, the music that was often audible day and night — sometimes intense, sometimes beautiful Indian singing.

The daily rhythm also asked for surrender: getting up at 3:30 a.m.

It became a valuable practice in saying “yes” to whatever arises. Once that clicked, we were able to fully immerse ourselves in the warmth of the ashram family and the blessings we received from Sunyogi.

The wedding on November 24 and 26 was a large, lively, and remarkable celebration to witness.

✧ A Warm Family

Sunyogi often repeats that we are one family and that the ashram belongs to all of us. During these three weeks, we experienced that deeply.

We felt embraced by a warm, caring community in which everyone looks after one another. The openness and involvement were palpable in everyone: from permanent residents to temporary visitors, and from the cook to the cleaning lady.

Although we didn’t speak Bengali and the “workers” didn’t speak English, many warm interactions arose nonetheless — gestures, shared laughter, and simplicity.

We were touched by how fully the residents welcomed us as family.

✧ Being with Swamiji

It was special to experience Sunyogi “at home” in his ashram. Anyone who has met him before knows his loving warmth and playful humour. In his presence, he is so natural and approachable that you almost forget he is an extraordinary, great saint.

The simple name “Sunyogi” doesn’t really do justice to this full title:

Shree Shree Swamiji Sunyogi Umasankar Ji Maharaj Ji.

At the same time, he feels like a father figure who watches over his family with gentle clarity. He sees what is going on in each person, and he also knows exactly how our spiritual growth is unfolding. His guidance is loving and clear; when needed, he speaks directly.

In the mornings, during the tea moment after the Puja, we saw how he sometimes gave casual yet always spot-on pointers — about blind spots, someone’s path, or mistakes that needed attention.

He also regularly shared profound teachings during Puja, such as his recent insights on boundaries and responsibility. You may have already seen parts of those on the app or on Facebook.

✧ Challenge and Sun

Practising Sunyoga in the bright sun at 28–30 degrees was at times a real challenge. But Sunyogi reminded us that it was mainly the mind protesting — the body was ready for it.

He encouraged us to extend the meditation to two hours.
That brought an unexpected sense of peace and spaciousness.

✧ Wedding and Pizzas

Besides practising Sunyoga, we had also travelled to India for the wedding ceremonies of Axel and Tiyasa. It was impressive to witness how carefully, precisely, and effortlessly this grand event unfolded — with around 600 guests at the reception!

Our task: baking pizzas.

With help from the “karate boys” (the teachers who give karate lessons to the village children in the ashram), we made about 200 mini pizzas.

We were briefly afraid the Indians might not like them…
but they disappeared within ten minutes!

✧ Fulfilled and Inspired

Now that we are home in the Netherlands again, we feel deeply fulfilled, yet we also struggle a bit to find our rhythm.

We think with warmth of all the lovely people we met, and of the way Swamiji creates a true family within the ashram. Our hearts are full.

Although leaving felt empty at first, we now notice that the energy, inspiration, and softness continue to work through in our daily lives.

Many thanks to Swamiji, Axel, Jonathan, Tiyasa, and everyone we were blessed to meet during our stay.

Froukje and Jeroen