My Visit to the abode of Adiyogi
Lately I had been reading a lot of articles posted by Sadhguru. Many of them made sense to me, many, uh, not so much. You see, he starts with logic which you cannot easily refute and an unbiased person would definitely make sense of it. But then towards the end he talks about something which would not make any sense to an intellectual mind. For instance, the things he talked about consecrated spaces.
He seemingly knows the process of a creating a physical space which is full of non-physical vibrant life energy, the same consciousness which run yours life and mine. He also claims that if you consistently visit such consecrated places, it changes your life process dramatically ( in a good way). Driven by curiosity, I kept on reading more and more articles about it and soon it made me visit one such place.
It was in December of 2018 when my family was away in India and I had the liberty to travel at my whim, that's when I decided to visit his Ashram in Tennessee, USA. I went there on my birthday. All by myself, looking forward to my silent visit to Isha's institute of inner sciences.
It was quite a quiet journey as I usually avoid talking with strangers. I took a flight to Charlotte, NC and drove from the airport to the Ashram. Man, that was a beautiful drive! I am a nature lover and it was full of it. Couple of hours drive on curvy roads alongside the cliff with a mixture of sunlight, clouds, fog and rain, it had got me all high. A high which I could never explain in words to anyone. It's like losing oneself in the bliss of being one with nature, what a time it was! I really wished I had someone with me who can appreciate it's beauty together.
The Ashram was way deep inside the woods, it's practically on the edge of a lush forest. My first meeting was with a manager who took care of guests, facilities, etc. He was an american guy. I asked him how he ended up there and why would he simply spend his life volunteering. He replied "I am just a Karma Yogi". What an answer! He had met Sadhguru around 2000 after being tricked by fake California gurus several times. He said he had a longing to find a guru to guide him through his journey of life. He ended doing several Yoga programs with Sadhguru. I asked him if he had any yogic experiences or any kind of realizations. He kept mum for a while and said - "I am just a karma yogi, I just want to do this". He also told me about a rich lady doctor who seemingly gave her wealth away and joined as a full-time volunteer. It always amuses me, what would it take for one to give up material/physical/mental/emotional bonds and yearn for a greater realization. We'd have read/heard many such stories. But I was looking at a living example of that. Will I ever get there? Definitely, not in near future. 😅
The accommodation was really basic, just like any student hostels you'd find in India. But I really loved the atmosphere. Again, surrounded by nothing but nature, lush green forest, with intermittent drizzling and sunlight. Ah, how peaceful it was. But then, after being addicted to internet and mobile phones for decades, it's not easy to let go of compulsions. Thankfully, there was wi-fi for losers like me!
It was afternoon and I had been traveling since five in the morning, it was quite tiring. So I took a bath and went straight to the consecrated space "The Abode of Adiyoga". It had a big huge dome like structure with an instrument centered in the hall. The hymns of Shiva were playing silently in the hall. They had few directions on how to absorb the energy of the the consecrated space, you had to walk on a laid path and prostrate and touch instrument. I didn't feel anything really. Or if there really was a non-physical energy, I wasn't equipped with such subtle senses to feel it, whichever, I didn't really feel anything.
Then I sat there for meditation. My lower back was hurting a little but I could withstand it. I had not meditated in years. The pain slowly increased but I didn't feel like getting up. I went on and on withstanding the pain. My mind was swirling with thoughts, like a tornado swirling up the debris on its way, slowly picking its pace, it went into an overdrive. It's not very counter-intuitive. Unless you meditate, you wouldn't realize what havoc your mind is carrying on you. It's like a hyper-active child, if you let it do what it wants to do, lot of funny things happen. And most of us have lived their life that way, with bare minimum control over your mind. And there I was, sitting for two hours, with intervals of mind's "tornado" activity and silence. It was quite agitating and peaceful at the same time. It was really weird. Never have I meditated for more than 30 minutes in my whole life but there I was for two hours. I really don't remember how the time went that fast, even with all the commotion going in my head!
At six, it was time for evening prayers. 99% of priests were young boys ( aged mostly between 16-23). I was amazed that clarity and confidence in their Sanskrit Sloka utterances. They were really pros and most of them were Americans! One could see the devotion in their eyes. The prayers werea really good as well. If you haven't tried, listen to Sounds of Isha album.
At seven, it was time for dinner. The food was all vegan and plain. It didn' really taste great but yet quite fulfilling. I went back to my dorm to nap. There it started, the back pain due to prolonged sitting. It was really terrible, I just wished that the pain would vanish and it did! I had really sound sleep. You might think that I am writing all bull-crap fanatical stories, but trust me, it's my real experience.
Next morning, I woke up late and literally ran to the dining area to catch my breakfast ( if you knew me from college time, you'd know that about me LOL ). After that I went on a hike. It was couple of hours hike into a muddy forest trail where I found lot of beautiful waterfalls. Again, I enjoyed being with myself surrounded by the bounty of nature. Just the way I wanted my birthday to be. I came back and it was already 12. I just had couple of more hours before I had to pack and drive back to Charlotte. So I went back to the Abode of Adiyogi and meditated. Again the same thing happen, time passed quickly, same old thought tornadoes, restlessness and very little intervals of peacefulness. It was more like a movie playing in my head while I watch my mind go berserk! And in all this, I lost track of time. Thankfully, I just had needed time to get to the airport. I packed quickly and left.
Then one more weird thing happened. If you know me closely, I tend to forget things easily, like where I kept my keys, etc. But just before the takeoff, I felt like closing my eyes. When I did, my last two days played in a quick flashback, in vivid details. I really don't have that kind of memory. I was amazed about what all I could recall and to what detail, I really never saw that of side of my brain ever. I don't know why it happened, but it kinda freaked me out. Why would I have a flashback of my immediate past two days? And in such detail? What did it mean? I have no freaking idea!
Coming to the point of writing this blog, does such a consecrated place exist? Can it really change us over a period time? Is Sadhguru a fraud and all this is just hogwash? Can we really know? The answer is, I don't know. But I am not going to believe or disbelieve things. I would try to experience things. Just like these two days of my life. It didn't really change my life a lot but it definitely made me long to visit such a place again!
But here's my recommendation, the next time when you plan to go such places (or even temples), try this. Meditate at home and try the same in such a place and see if it makes a difference. See, if you can feel any difference at all. But for god's sake, don't go to such places as a tourist, rather go as an explorer with an intent to experience. May be you will ... all the best. 😁😁
Edit:
Few pictures from the trip.
He seemingly knows the process of a creating a physical space which is full of non-physical vibrant life energy, the same consciousness which run yours life and mine. He also claims that if you consistently visit such consecrated places, it changes your life process dramatically ( in a good way). Driven by curiosity, I kept on reading more and more articles about it and soon it made me visit one such place.
It was in December of 2018 when my family was away in India and I had the liberty to travel at my whim, that's when I decided to visit his Ashram in Tennessee, USA. I went there on my birthday. All by myself, looking forward to my silent visit to Isha's institute of inner sciences.
It was quite a quiet journey as I usually avoid talking with strangers. I took a flight to Charlotte, NC and drove from the airport to the Ashram. Man, that was a beautiful drive! I am a nature lover and it was full of it. Couple of hours drive on curvy roads alongside the cliff with a mixture of sunlight, clouds, fog and rain, it had got me all high. A high which I could never explain in words to anyone. It's like losing oneself in the bliss of being one with nature, what a time it was! I really wished I had someone with me who can appreciate it's beauty together.
The Ashram was way deep inside the woods, it's practically on the edge of a lush forest. My first meeting was with a manager who took care of guests, facilities, etc. He was an american guy. I asked him how he ended up there and why would he simply spend his life volunteering. He replied "I am just a Karma Yogi". What an answer! He had met Sadhguru around 2000 after being tricked by fake California gurus several times. He said he had a longing to find a guru to guide him through his journey of life. He ended doing several Yoga programs with Sadhguru. I asked him if he had any yogic experiences or any kind of realizations. He kept mum for a while and said - "I am just a karma yogi, I just want to do this". He also told me about a rich lady doctor who seemingly gave her wealth away and joined as a full-time volunteer. It always amuses me, what would it take for one to give up material/physical/mental/emotional bonds and yearn for a greater realization. We'd have read/heard many such stories. But I was looking at a living example of that. Will I ever get there? Definitely, not in near future. 😅
The accommodation was really basic, just like any student hostels you'd find in India. But I really loved the atmosphere. Again, surrounded by nothing but nature, lush green forest, with intermittent drizzling and sunlight. Ah, how peaceful it was. But then, after being addicted to internet and mobile phones for decades, it's not easy to let go of compulsions. Thankfully, there was wi-fi for losers like me!
It was afternoon and I had been traveling since five in the morning, it was quite tiring. So I took a bath and went straight to the consecrated space "The Abode of Adiyoga". It had a big huge dome like structure with an instrument centered in the hall. The hymns of Shiva were playing silently in the hall. They had few directions on how to absorb the energy of the the consecrated space, you had to walk on a laid path and prostrate and touch instrument. I didn't feel anything really. Or if there really was a non-physical energy, I wasn't equipped with such subtle senses to feel it, whichever, I didn't really feel anything.
Then I sat there for meditation. My lower back was hurting a little but I could withstand it. I had not meditated in years. The pain slowly increased but I didn't feel like getting up. I went on and on withstanding the pain. My mind was swirling with thoughts, like a tornado swirling up the debris on its way, slowly picking its pace, it went into an overdrive. It's not very counter-intuitive. Unless you meditate, you wouldn't realize what havoc your mind is carrying on you. It's like a hyper-active child, if you let it do what it wants to do, lot of funny things happen. And most of us have lived their life that way, with bare minimum control over your mind. And there I was, sitting for two hours, with intervals of mind's "tornado" activity and silence. It was quite agitating and peaceful at the same time. It was really weird. Never have I meditated for more than 30 minutes in my whole life but there I was for two hours. I really don't remember how the time went that fast, even with all the commotion going in my head!
At six, it was time for evening prayers. 99% of priests were young boys ( aged mostly between 16-23). I was amazed that clarity and confidence in their Sanskrit Sloka utterances. They were really pros and most of them were Americans! One could see the devotion in their eyes. The prayers werea really good as well. If you haven't tried, listen to Sounds of Isha album.
At seven, it was time for dinner. The food was all vegan and plain. It didn' really taste great but yet quite fulfilling. I went back to my dorm to nap. There it started, the back pain due to prolonged sitting. It was really terrible, I just wished that the pain would vanish and it did! I had really sound sleep. You might think that I am writing all bull-crap fanatical stories, but trust me, it's my real experience.
Next morning, I woke up late and literally ran to the dining area to catch my breakfast ( if you knew me from college time, you'd know that about me LOL ). After that I went on a hike. It was couple of hours hike into a muddy forest trail where I found lot of beautiful waterfalls. Again, I enjoyed being with myself surrounded by the bounty of nature. Just the way I wanted my birthday to be. I came back and it was already 12. I just had couple of more hours before I had to pack and drive back to Charlotte. So I went back to the Abode of Adiyogi and meditated. Again the same thing happen, time passed quickly, same old thought tornadoes, restlessness and very little intervals of peacefulness. It was more like a movie playing in my head while I watch my mind go berserk! And in all this, I lost track of time. Thankfully, I just had needed time to get to the airport. I packed quickly and left.
Then one more weird thing happened. If you know me closely, I tend to forget things easily, like where I kept my keys, etc. But just before the takeoff, I felt like closing my eyes. When I did, my last two days played in a quick flashback, in vivid details. I really don't have that kind of memory. I was amazed about what all I could recall and to what detail, I really never saw that of side of my brain ever. I don't know why it happened, but it kinda freaked me out. Why would I have a flashback of my immediate past two days? And in such detail? What did it mean? I have no freaking idea!
Coming to the point of writing this blog, does such a consecrated place exist? Can it really change us over a period time? Is Sadhguru a fraud and all this is just hogwash? Can we really know? The answer is, I don't know. But I am not going to believe or disbelieve things. I would try to experience things. Just like these two days of my life. It didn't really change my life a lot but it definitely made me long to visit such a place again!
But here's my recommendation, the next time when you plan to go such places (or even temples), try this. Meditate at home and try the same in such a place and see if it makes a difference. See, if you can feel any difference at all. But for god's sake, don't go to such places as a tourist, rather go as an explorer with an intent to experience. May be you will ... all the best. 😁😁
Edit:
Few pictures from the trip.
Good one babai.. I allays enjoy your writings :). It inspiring and thoughtful .
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