I saw the wonders of spirituality, seva and purity of heart at Baba Ramdev’s Yog Gram Ashram for myself. It was a great feeling to have achieved my goal of losing 7 kg here in only eight days. The reason I was able to succeed was because I had pure and honest intentions. I threw myself wholeheartedly into the routine of the ashram with a clear sense of surrender within me. By surrendering myself to the ashram, the therapies worked wonders for me. I believed in all the activities they asked me to go through.

Whether it was waking up at 4:00 am taking my enema or following a strict diet doing the therapies and massages, I was generally cheerful as I went on to these activities. The shank pachaaran was my favourite. In this therapy, one has to have 10 glasses of water and then we are made to do yoga that put pressure on our stomachs. The result was a pure cleansing of the intestines and the cleaning of the bowels. This gave me a sense of relief and made me feel light and pure.

The diet of juices and fruits made me lose weight and I also developed a taste for vegetables and fruits. I also lost weight because of the 8 to 9 km walks that I took every morning into the farm. This I did with dedication and a pure heart. I mingled well with the ashram administrators and the various people who were my co-patients. Keeping a positive attitude and then spreading it around also helped a lot. There was no sense of cynicism in me as I took my frustration of remaining on a liquid diet for 5 days in my stride.

The pleasing and dedicated staff helped me overcome my hurdles. They were helpful and empathetic yet strict and made sure that I adhered to my diet and schedule. They all performed their jobs admirably. I got instant results and kept me motivated in my weight loss program. I also got my blood test and took a dentist appointment to clean my teeth. Not smoking and drinking also helped immensely as I realised I could leave these habits at bay if a wished to.

The vibrations of the ashram coupled with its natural beauty only added to the sense of serenity and calmness that I felt within me. Each day I felt purposeful and each yoga session opened up all my muscles and joints making them supple and flexible. I was here to make a difference to my life and that is exactly what I did. With Desh Bhakti songs, lightings of the diya and spirituality sermons, this was one uplifting place and lifted my spirits too.

Spirituality works wonders which no amount of going to the gym did and now I can travel the world with twice the spirit. It was just the tonic I needed to recharge myself and usher in the new year.