Educational programs at Upasana are wholesome experiences. It is important that participants stay in Auroville. All thinking, action, methods and materials used to understand Design stem from the context of Auroville and Upasana’s existence as India in Auroville through textiles.

Fashion, Recycling and Creativity
Auroville presents the participants with the possibilities of dreaming and living their dreams, here and now. Fashion, Recycling and Creativity is the braid that pleats all the workshops and other activities of Upasana together. It could be thinking of life without plastic or living day-to-day in a non-consumer way, with zero waste and recyclable garbage, or using Mother Nature’s resources judiciously and creatively with respect and gratitude, or simply remaining quiet allowing lessons to percolate without mental gymnastics, or feeling energized by nature walks breathing fresh unpolluted air, or understanding the dynamics between nature and humans.

Watching how people live and actually living with them, is an experience indelibly imprinted in the hearts, minds and bodies of the participants. Upasana is located in thick tropical vegetation, an achievement of Auroville, which grew a forest on lands where even a blade of grass was afraid to grow.

Upasana Team
Participants also refer to the library and interact with the Upasana team very freely. There is respect but no hierarchy, as design conscious members reflect their design in the way they live rather than just what they wear. They make no statements, just live according to a Design that they feel is integral to their existence and their role in this society.

Pulse of Every Educational Program
The pulse of every workshop is that everything you do matters, and it matters to the whole world. Fragmented lives lead to fragmented societies. Upasana feels societies should be whole and organic. Every moment is a moment to learn and evolve as a human being, more and more complete, inclusive, comprehensive and integral. Every human act, even an unconscious one, touches one’s mind, emotions, heart, spirit and body and this must therefore happen consciously, beautifully, smoothly and spontaneously.

Life Design is Social Design
At Upasana Life Design or conscious shaping of life towards perfection is congruent to Social Design, where design means consciously shaping human actions for positive ends.
We know this to be a real time experience because our participants often return to become members of Upasana. Some of their letters by way of feed- back are so touching and rewarding that these reinforce our conviction in the path we are following and we cherish the values that aspire us to be and to become, lighting up the flames in more hearts and tending those already lit!