Surya yoga and the possibilities of our relationship with the sun

India is the land of Mystics and yogis. Their wisdom has flowed through the ages from teacher to disciple. Long back I got a rare chance to meet a surya yogi who knew how to draw energy from the rising and setting sun. Just as our digestive system converts food to energy measured in calories, surya yogis know how to convert sunlight into the same. This is not so far fetched given that modern technology is trying to capture solar energy and trying to apply it in convert it into electricity and use it in many ways. We are at the core, electromagnetic beings after all. So when I got an invitation from an well known organization of Delhi(India International Centre), to attended a class of a surya yogi, I was overjoyed. I have great faith and interest in acquiring such rare knowledge, so I did not want to miss that opportunity. On the scheduled date I reached there early morning when and found almost fifty people (mostly foreigners), sitting on a lawn facing towards the eastern sky. And the Surya yogi, a bare bodied lean and thin middle aged man was sitting on a platform facing us. In a short time, when the first rays of the rising sun began to touch our eyes, the Surya yogi instructed us to look at the soft rising sun calmly with even breath, and then gradually shift our attention to our Ajna chakra,(middle point of two eyebrows). He asked us to sense if there was a little vibration and warmth of morning sun at that point. When our breath became even, he instructed us to imagine drawing energy from the sun with inhalation and sending that to every part of the body through exhalation. The method seems to be simple. But to acquire that skill regular practice and deep concentration is needed. I found it extremely beneficial and increasingly so over the years of practice. Today's urban housing in multi storied buildings limits round the clock access to direct sun light which as never the case in traditional housing. It is established fact that the sun is the main source of vitamin D just as it is the life giving energy source of the planet. It also boosts up our moods and reduces stress reactions and helps us fight many diseases. In India , we are very lucky to have sun rays almost all through the year, and so we have fabulous plant diversity. As Charles Dickens noted, "Our life can be richer, if we know how to use sun rays wisely." The bright sun brings back not light alone, but new light and hope, and freshness to man."