Exploring the Serenity of Sat Manav Yoga Ashram | By Laura Mills
Sat Manav Yoga Ashram is truly an oasis among us. Travel down quiet country roads with sparsely-placed and modest homes, take a few turns only directed by written notes, not available on GPS, until you feel the pavement turn to gravel. You are now miles off-grid at the over 100-acre property of Sat Manav Yoga Ashram in Industry, Maine, home to the most welcoming, accepting and loving people I have ever met.
The months leading up to my weekend at the ashram were nothing short of formative. I was grappling with the decision to let go of what doesn’t serve me in lieu of relationships, outside influences and where to direct my energy next. I had become a master of self-distraction and was admittedly feeling a bit lost. My thoughts felt loud and my connection to my inner calling was weak. As the days leading up to my time at the ashram continued to pass, I could feel that this experience was going to leave a lasting mark on my life — and boy, did it.
Welcomed with Open Arms

Photos Courtesy of Sat Manav Yoga Ashram
When you arrive at Sat Manav you will see beautifully adorned buildings set back from their private dirt road. As you marvel at the craftsmanship, keep in mind every building was constructed by hand by the incredibly talented makers that reside at the ashram. As I pulled into my parking spot, I was warmly greeted by Uma VaShi Devi Lescault (Uma). Uma is the head of retreats at the ashram, manages the ashram, serves as a leader for many and executes it all with grace and strength.
Uma directed me to The Kund, a two-story building that sits in front of one of the four temples on the property; this is where I would be staying for the weekend. All buildings are heated by wood, with water provided by hand pumps, featuring discrete composting toilets and electricity (to only use when needed) powered by solar. The walls of the main floor are lined with tall wooden bookshelves and at the center is a winding staircase. The main support of the staircase is the trunk of a tree that once stood on this plot of land, honoring its contribution to The Kund.
Later that evening we participated in the first ceremony of the weekend, the Pūjā, or “ceremony of becoming.”
“For a yogi, this ceremony is not a practice of external worship. It is an expression, focusing the attention and cultivating an internal experience,” Uma says.
At the center of these ceremonies is the Lingam Yoni which represents Shiva and Shakti, anthropomorphic representations of chit (consciousness) and pran (energy) or the “principle of movement” — the essence of life. The Pūjā ceremony feeds into all the senses with repetitive and powerful drumming, harmonious chanting and energetic exchange. It is the ideal sensory stimulation to prepare the mind for meditation, cultivating and “becoming” the essential realization that life is our most precious possession.
The immense care and diligence that the members of the ashram convey in the setting up and carrying out of the Pūjā and other daily ceremonies is truly incredible. Every element of the altar is placed meticulously, and every chant is sung with devoted intention. I truly believe if we all practiced this same level of care in the parts of our lives that mattered most to us, the world would be a better place.
Weekend Practices
Both Saturday and Sunday morning the retreat group met at the practice space on the property and learned the basics of Dirga Pranayama or the three-part breath. Bhagavan Das Shyam Lescault leads the introduction to this practice. The practice focuses on breathing into the three parts of your abdomen — the low belly, the rib cage and the low throat — to its fullest capacity from bottom to top and then releasing the air completely in the inverse.
An integral part of the practice is fully releasing stagnant air and completely replenishing the lungs with fresh air. I have always tried my best to have some kind of meditation practice but found that my busy mind left me feeling unfocused. With Dirga Pranayama, the focus on the distribution of breath helped connect my mind and body in a new way.
In these morning sessions, we were also guided through select yoga poses. These poses are not ones that you would regularly see in westernized yoga practice but rather poses that connect deeply to our breath put together in a sequence recommended by the gurus of Sat Manav.
Every afternoon we would gather for a delicious, vegan, communal meal in the main building prepared by Sunyata Shyam Lescault (Sunyata), the head chef, and her team, who happen to be her wonderful daughters. This was a time to further connect with the weekend guests, the residents of the ashram and to learn about each other. These shared meal times and a plethora of times in between each activity were filled with laughter, humor, splendor and forming lasting connections.
The Ceremony of Fire
After lunch came the ceremony that connected with me the most, the Dhuni fire ceremony. “[Dhuni] is translated in two ways: persevering; assiduous; resolute, having the quality of constant and steadfast pursuit of an aim. This speaks to Dhuni being a practice with a long-term aim. This ceremony is not done just for the sake of the moment but rather the collective product of repetition of the practice,” explained Uma. As I write this article, the yogis at Sat Manav are approaching if not have reached their 1,000th Dhuni ceremony.
The ceremony begins with chanting, sharing offerings to honor Shakti, or loosely translated to the “creative powers of the universe.” Some would call this power God, creator or mother, but the members of Sat Manav remind us that the particular title of this creative power is not necessary to understand that whatever created us is greater to honor that creative energy.
Guests are given the opportunity to make a personal offering of samittu (wood) to the daily Dhuni fire. This is a time to shed burdens into the flames, cast intentions for the future or become your highest self. No matter what your intention may be, the hope is to send goodness into the world.
For this ceremony and the ceremonies held throughout the weekend my mantra was this — “let go of the toxicity within that does not serve me to make space for the goodness to flow inward.” As the chanting and vibrations from the communal drumming brought a surge of energy within me, I always turned back to that mantra. As my mind wandered and became busy again, I redirected myself back to that mantra. Over and over, that mantra occupied my mind and helped me create a new reality for myself.
Satsang, The Gurus + Deep Conversation
Satsang is a sacred time, held on Saturday and every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. During Satsang the beloved Gurus Sri Bhagavan VaShi Baba and Sri Mirabai Ishwari are welcomed into the temple with jovial chanting, drumming, clapping and cheering in celebration of their devotion to the ashram and the guidance they provide. When staying at the ashram, you are welcomed in lovingly and they do their best to introduce their teachings in a way that is accessible to those of us who don’t usually practice traditional yoga.
As someone unfamiliar with Sanskrit and the pronunciation, though I tried my best, it made me feel honored and connected to the ashram that they would offer shortened versions of the gurus and ashram members’ names to help us. Sri Bhagavan VaShi Baba is lovingly and respectfully referred to as “Baba,” the same level of respect applies to Sri Mirabai Ishwari who is referred to as “Amma.”
It is crucial to note that the gurus are wholly devoted teachers to their disciples and are held to a high level of respect. Being able to refer to them in the same way as the people of the ashram do made me feel like I was never an outsider and warmly welcomed into their community.
During Satsang, Baba, with his fair skin, kind eyes and ginger hair wrapped up in a traditional Jata, gave a philosophical teaching with scientific reasoning and deep personal meaning. His demeanor is calm but confident, true and sturdy. Amma lovingly supports the teachings while radiating a level of peace and beauty I have truly never seen another being convey — the only way I can describe her is divinely feminine and equally as powerful. Their individual and combined energy is harmoniously dynamic and completely undeniable.
After Satsang, I remained seated in the temple as it started to empty, trying to absorb all I had just been opened to. I am someone who approaches life with question, curiosity and a bit of doubt. Still, the way that Baba gave his philosophical teaching I felt that my scientific and intellectual reasoning was satiated. Uma came over and sat with me for almost an hour answering my questions and reflecting on not only the teachings of the gurus but also the similarities in our lives. Uma is a woman of power, reasoning, diligence and intelligence and to hear her say she sees similarities within me was an honor.
Final Takeaways
On the last day of the weekend retreat, I was the last one to leave, trying to absorb every last bit of peace
that I could. I stayed for Sunday Satsang and tried to absorb every last bit of peace that I could. As I loaded up my car and made my way down the dirt road, I felt incredibly clear. I had been struggling to figure out how to let go of my relationship with cannabis, how to take the first steps in my goal to move to Colorado and how to be true to myself.
On that drive home I stopped at the first gas station I saw and reached out to my then roommate to let her know my move to Colorado was happening. My draw to cannabis never returned to the borderline addiction it was before and I felt like I had reconnected to myself in a way I had been deeply missing.
As I reflect on this experience six months later, sitting on my couch in my apartment in my newfound Colorado home, I wholeheartedly believe that I wouldn’t have come to the decisions that led me here as quickly and clearly as I did without my time at the ashram. The clarity, relaxation, disconnection from the internet, social media and negative outside forces was something my being craved. The love and devotion of the disciples of Sat Manav Yoga Ashram left me feeling empowered to seek out this same love in the rest of the world.
Though I do not see becoming a member of an ashram in my future, the lessons I learned here, the inherent and authentic love I was expressed, and the purity I observed are threads I will continue to sew into every part of my life. I look forward to the day I return to the ashram and reconnect with the beings who reside there.
Originally published in Summer + Fall 2024 issue of Well.
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