The Silent Revolution in Uganda. Isha practices changing the face of Uganda. A sharing by Isha Meditator, Lulu Sturdy.

10 Sep 2013

Amid the volcanic crater lakes near the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda, a new kind of wave is spreading out – a wave of meditation and bliss. Quite a few members of the community in around this breathtakingly beautiful region have been practicing Shambhavi Mahamudra and Isha Kriya for the past several months, and gradually, many more are now joining in. The epicenter of this wave is the Ndali farm owned by Lulu Sturdy, who inherited it 14 years ago and moved to Uganda from the UK. Here’s the story of the blossoming of this silent revolution of self-realization, in her own words.

Lulu Sturdy. The roof of her vanilla factory can be seen on the left.

 

All of life is here in our village in the microcosm, rubbing up against us in a way that I’d only have distant contact with through the media in the UK. The murderer, the thief, the possessed, the “sorcerer,” the child abuser, jealous lover, alcoholic, crooked politician… all I’ve come across just going about my daily (farming) business for the past 14 years.

But the flip side is here too: people bursting into song, smiling faces greeting you a hundred times in a day, people with absolutely not a penny to their names rushing to help a neighbour worse off than themselves, and sage council through community meetings helping to dissipate unnecessary feuds – the type that can fester for years in the West.

Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda

 

And then Nature herself with a capital “N”; I’m constantly amazed by our corner of Africa sharing such similarities with Tamil Nadu: the vegetation, the weather, the trees, the insects – I’ve seen identical spiders, identical trees, identical flowers. We even have our own range of mysterious mountains overshadowing the farm and straddling the equator: the Rwenzori Mountains, meaning “Rainmaker,” perpetually shadowed in clouds and mist.

This morning, when I opened the glass double doors to our house which looks out across the round turquoise-green crater lake called Necklace, and on down to our vanilla curing “factory” wedged into the forested valley, I was enveloped in waves of Sadhguru’s chanting voice, wafting up like mist from our factory across the lake. It was exactly 7.55am, the sun just kissing the frangipani in our garden.

Inner Engineering at Kampala, 2011

 

Perhaps I should give a little background as to what’s been going on, on Ndali farm where I live. Three years ago 16 local people – a combination of people working on our farm with very sparse English and others living locally – did the first ever Inner Engineering program with 51 others in Kampala. The following year, 2011, the Inner Engineering program was offered to 52 participants, 14 of whom were locals from Ndali or nearby.

For two years Glenn (my partner) and I have been offering Isha Kriya to Ndali farm workers and to any of their interested friends and relatives. We’ve been taking it slowly and cautiously, not least, I am ashamed to say, because we have often got sidetracked by our own work and our own self-involved issues.

Ndali Estate

 

Luckily for me though, other people know better. In July this year, just two weeks before I learnt that an Isha teacher was coming to Ndali for the first time, I received a written request from Ivan, one of our vanilla workers who practices Shambhavi – who is coping with rheumatic heart disease but doing perfectly well – that a group of them would like to practice Isha Kriya every morning in the factory, so could they be given a key to let themselves in?

When Praveen Atmakur, an Isha Yoga teacher from the UK arrived at Ndali – principally to prepare two beautiful Sannidhis – I decided it was an unmissable opportunity to do an introductory talk to Inner Engineering in the factory, especially geared towards local people with little or zero English. We found a wonderful Ugandan translator, Pat, who had not done Inner Engineering, but had started following Sadhguru on YouTube six weeks ago, and on whom Midnights with the Mystic had made an impression.
We gave all our workers (about 80 of them) the day off and invited any of those who wished to, to attend the talk upstairs at the factory, together with any friends or relatives. We also invited the ladies herbal medicine group we work with.

Games on Ndali Estate before the Isha Kriya session

 

Over 60 people came, prompt at 8am, all dressed in their finest. The interaction and general “sparkiness” of the listeners was a joy to see. Even with my limited mastery of the local language I could see that Pat was giving a careful and well delivered translation. After the talk we all played games on the football pitch: frisbee, dodge ball and relay races – such immersion, determination and competition: I don’t think Praveen had ever seen bodies run so fast or shout so much. Puffing and in a good sweat, we all drank sodas and ate doughnuts made with amaranth flour, grown and pounded by the herbal ladies group. Then everyone returned to the vanilla factory to learn Isha Kriya.

Now every day, at exactly 7.45am, Magidu and Ivan, Shambhavi practitioners, lead the Isha Kriya at the factory for anyone who wants to attend, using Sadhguru’s voice support. There are 30 people in those sessions regularly, many unable to read or write, let alone speak English; some having to leave home at 6.30am and walk for one hour to reach the factory on time; all gradually becoming more meditative. It is the most precious thing in the world to be a part of.

Isha Kriya in the Vanilla factory, Ndali Estate

 

And now, as I’m just recovering from the beautiful shock of hearing Sadhguru’s voice every morning chanting out across the lake, Chris a 16-year-old schoolboy who attended Praveen’s Kriya training, has got together off his own bat, a group of 12 of his friends between 15 and 18 years old and taught them the Kriya himself. Everyday they are practicing as a group, at first on the grass under some trees at the edge of the lake, but now that the rain has set in, we’ve given them the dilapidated round hut at the end of the garden. We’ve also unearthed a mini ipod and small travelling speaker so that they too can practice with Sadhguru’s voice support, in a place with no power source.

Chris outside the hut he’s renovating for his 12 friends to do Isha Kriya 

 

Chris has thrown himself into renovating the hut: repairing the leaking thatch, levelling the floor, smearing cow dung on it, and white washing the walls. Now he tells me he wants to plant a hedge of evening rose because “the scent is good” he says. It is indeed: it is very heady, and very Isha, and Chris is headed in the right direction. “This seems to be important,” he said, the very first time after doing the Kriya, and made the unorthodox decision to miss school for one week to be able to attend the daily group sessions: that is, until he found his own, better, solution to be able to practice with the support of a group of his friends every evening, but still attend school one hour’s walk away.

Source Link :  http://blog.ishafoundation.org/inside-isha/happenings/uganda-yoga-meditation/

A sharing by Isha Meditator on her turnaround from diseased life

Vivianne Nantel is an artist, author, and Isha meditator. She shares:

On March 8, 2007, I was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer which had already metastasized in my body. I went through six intense months of chemotherapy, and almost died on my first treatment from a severe adverse reaction to the chemo. Two major surgeries and three months of daily radiation followed after that. Because of the physical stress, I greatly suffered from classical shingles, exhausting adrenal fatigue and many other ailments. To say the least my immune system was destroyed, and my adrenal glands burned out. I lingered in the abyss of recovery for almost five years with adrenal fatigue, a very weak immune system, and with minimal energy until Sadhguru unexpectedly embraced me into his arms and uplifted me.
     
After practicing the Shambhavi Maha Mudra for only one month and half, I felt guided by Sadhguru to take the Shoonya meditation program in Tennessee. Unexpectedly, a miracle took place there! Overnight I recovered from the adrenal fatigue which prevented me from going beyond. I went from sleeping 12 hours per night to only six, and getting up around 5.30 AM. to do my Sadhana instead of 9 or 10 AM. Not only I have been feeling blissful, content, and serene since I took the Inner Engineering program, I feel so energized and alive! My concentration, memory and “joie de vivre” are back! 

 "My heart is overflowing with love and gratitude for Sadhguru."

Source link : http://www.ishausa.org/blog/my-joie-de-vivre-sharing/

Tehelka Magazine's Editor experience of doing the Inner Engineering Program

ARE YOU stressed and searching for ways to alleviate health issues that doctors and prescriptions can’t fix? Do you want to reach your full potential, and experience the success you know you’re capable of creating? Are you ready to finally discover what’s been missing in your life? Inner Engineering is a technology that can help you take charge of your life… If you come to these Inner Engineering Programs open and willing, your life will change. Because Inner Engineering is not a teaching, it is a technology... it simply works.

It’s day two of the five-day Inner Engineering Program. Inner Engineering = practical wisdom that’s immediately relevant to your life + the powerful energy process, Shambhavi Mahamudra.

Wait, wait, wait for it. A 21-minute powerful internal energy process! Shambhavi Mahamudra has been passed down from antiquity to engineer deep self-transformation. It is a way to bring your entire system into alignment so that your mind, body, emotions and energy function in complete harmony. Never before has this process been available to the public.

Our course is in Sadhguru’s global HQ — Isha Yoga Center outside Coimbatore. We are 104 rich and almost rich Indians, NRIs and foreigners. Sadhguru conducts this course himself only twice a year here. You can also take his courses online — Put the kids to bed, turn the TV off, and settle in for an eyeopening, engaging evening of wit, humour, logic and clarity.

Or you could go to your local centre — 165 cities across the globe with trained swamis. But even if you take the course online, you must come to one of 10 centres for a final two days — to be initiated into the Mahamudra. Since you must not — can not — get virtual initiation. In person, must. Beirut youth are flying to London! Oklahoma is hopping to Isha Lane, McMinnville... in Tennessee! Gawdam!

And afterwards, you must not teach the mudra to others, since it requires... —it must not be bungled! — that’s the idea.

The Shambhavi Mahamudra programme. The Shambhavi Mahamudra process. The Shambhavi Mahamudra practice. A technology can have so many names.

What Isha Yoga has done to me ? An Isha Meditator shares his experience of doing Inner Enginnering and Bhava Spandana Program

"As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing, there is a whole science and technology for inner wellbeing. I call it Inner Engineering. " Sadhguru on Inner Engineering


A life of self imposed limitations, doubts and restrictions - that was my life until I decided to pursue the Isha yoga program in february this year (2011). Death of close people, sickness in family, chronic health issues, work stress, career confusions these are just common human experiences and yet as we experience these events, we are left clueless. I was one of those clueless folks at the time I signed up for Inner Engineering - Leadership Retreat held in February this year.


Till that date, I had listened to Sadhguru's talks on and off for the past 5 years. I first came to know of Sadhguru from my wife 5 years ago. She was introduced by a friend to attend an Intro talk and without much time, she got initiated into Shambavi Mahamudra. Since then, she had been doing Isha yoga regularly with such commitment that I feel so lucky now to have her as my wife. Despite seeing her energy levels and commitment to her duties on a daily basis, I have always resigned to my regular modes of solution - thinking prodigiously, analyzing despondently and deciding limitedly. With my limited mind, I only chose to look at her frailties and reason how the yoga has not helped her, when there is an abundance of positivity and stability she had brought to me on a daily basis. Yes! so limited I was with my understanding of my wife and my own self that I was functioning in a zombie mode of discontent. Chronic health issues and increased stress levels were making it worse. At that point, I would rather read books, acquire knowledge of theorems and proofs, programming models, indulge in business ideas, read about economics, buddhism, hinduism, history, biology, anything science and all sorts of nuances to cure or escape my discontent - than my own self and abilities to look at the root of my distress.


During the time, since I have heard of Sadhguru, I had listened to his talks in youtube but never ventured to start on the yoga. I somehow just did not feel that yoga was the right thing for me. I was so much engrossed into my own failed techniques of dealing with myself, that I had closed myself to other possibilities.
Though I had developed an admiration for the man's social and environmental work, his clear thinking and speaking ability, I had my doubts. Since childhood, I had developed certain expectations of how a guru should be and in some ways, Sadhguru was too wild to fit into that mould. Also, Just like the average - Joe, I had reservations and skepticism about anything that has a tag 'spirituality' to it. Having seen some of the popular gurus of India put to shame in public, I was your common skeptic. What I did not realise was that all my doubts and understanding are limited by my own experiences or those borrowed from my acquaintances. It is like discussing wine with others based on what is written on reviews and never having tasted it.


So whatever it was, in february, I was part of the group attending the Inner engineering leadership retreat at Los Angeles. Just sitting before Sadhguru, listening to his words of wisdom - not from bhagavad gita or upanishads or bible or quran or fountain head or marxism - but out of his own experiences opened me up. Not a single word was contrary to logic and yet mysteriously, these words had such a liberating experience. Difficult questions raised by the people around me about family, loved ones, all facets of life were all answered with such clear clarity that over time, I wanted to experience what he is experiencing. absorb everything he has to say and soak in the wisdom of it. In a period of 3 days, I had been able to gain a sense of awareness and peace inside me, I walked out of the program - a mind transformed and focussed more on shedding on my perceived limitations rather than dwelling on them. For the first time in my life I started paying such close attention to my breath or the food I am eating with a devotion that seemed perfectly natural. In a poetic way, I see Inner engineering and Shambavi mahamudra as to taking an inner shower that wipes of all the nonsense I have accumulated in my mind during my lifetime.


On coming back home after the retreat, just like any old habit, doubts still surfaced. Exposed to the same situations and environment, confusions still persisted. Just as anything new and strange brings a sense of doubt and fear, I was also intensely trying to comprehend the experience logically, revalidate the authenticity of Sadhguru's experience using my overactive mind. This even drove me nuts and created a certain level of anxiety in me. My sole support during this confusing times was to observe that what I am doing is only with myself and there cant be any more harm that I can do by sustaining this practice than what I had done before. Strangely as I stuck to the daily practice, my trust in the yoga and what I had experienced henceforth re-established the clarity. My trust levels changed from the state of distrust with a stranger to a child trusting his mother and to finally the state of trust we have on our own lungs to breathe or heart to beat. I see the same process of yoga inherent in the very own life process that is active in us every day. Since then, the experiential wisdom gained has been serving me well to establish the distance from thoughts of all colors and see these thoughts as they are - just thoughts nothing more or less. Just like a bee that first tasted honey, the few pleasant experiences made me more determined to pursue the yoga practice with a commitment that I normally struggle to have. Now I wanted to full experience the fruit of this yoga and do all that I can.


In May this year, I was fortunate enough to do the Bhava spandana program iwith Sadhguru. If Inner engineering is like a seed of wisdom, Bhava spandana is like drowning in truth. When drowned in truth, what is untrue cannot exist anymore. To keep it in simplistic terms, I do not see myself now as someone unsatisfied with my life anymore. I might not have had favorable or unfavorable outcomes towards the endeavors I have pursued or pursue in future, but I am free enough to see the truth behind life processes and the nature of the outcomes do not have any impact on my inner well being. Sounds philosophical when expressed but isn't that what we all need?. Everybody needs that ability to pursue on one's goals with freedom and never to be impacted by the outcomes of our efforts.


What I have shared here is not just my story. It can be yours too. It is yours, if you feel the pain I had experienced about being dissatisfied with your life situations in general. The characters in your story might be different. The environment might be different. The players might be different. But if you understand th underlying theme of discontent and want to change it, you should try Inner Engineering (Isha yoga). Religions, spiritual texts and science, can give a person counseling or mental supports to hold on. I have leaned on these all through my life and they have served their purpose. But none of these provide me with the ability to liberate myself from the need of a support, especially when things go contrary to my expectations. Inner Engineering provided that to me. Try it and see what it can do for you. This is my humble request and wish for every fellow human being who is suffering or discontented needlessly. I hope it reaches you as it reached me.
Now I would like to conclude this deeply personal post with this quote of Sadhguru.


"Every human being is capable of living absolutely blissfully within himself. They have denied themselves this because they never looked at themselves. " - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.


Hope you will give it a try - Inner Engineering!


Source : Venkata VC, Isha Meditator

“What women SAY and what they really mean… - A Sharing from Isha Meditator

Have you seen the joke called “What women SAY and what they really mean…“? It goes something like this:
She says “We need”, it means “I want.” 
She says “It’s your decision”, it means “The correct decision should obviously by mine.” 
She says “Do what you want”, it means “You’ll pay for this later.” 
She says “We need to talk”, it means “I need to complain.” 
She says “Sure…go ahead”, it means “I don’t want you to.”
She says “I’m not emotional! AND I’m not overreacting!”, it means “I’m on my period.” 
She says “Yes”, it means “No”; she says “No”, it means “No”; She says “Maybe”, it means “No.”
And my favorite – when she says “I’m sorry”, it means “You’ll be sorry.”

The men are probably laughing uncontrollably by now. Women, like it or not, there is some truth to the joke. I have to say I am guilty of the above accusation. It is a chronic syndrome I’m afraid. I don’t say what I mean – especially when it matters to me the most.

The first time it happened as I can recall was fifteen years ago. Like most parents, mom and dad drove me to college with everything they can pack into a car. We were unloading and unpacking for hours. With tears in her eyes, mom slowly made my dorm bed. She carefully tucked in all the corners and made sure the top was smooth without wrinkles. Silently, dad tried to connect my new computer he had just purchased to the school eternet. I glanced over as I hang my new Albert Einstein poster behind the desk. It was painful for me to watch how sad they were, I  privately promised myself not make such a big deal when they leave. Finally dad announced everything was settled for me and it was time for them to hit the road. I can sense the heaviness in his tone. “Thank GOD! I’m finally FREE!” I cheerfully responded. From the corner of my eyes I saw a sharp painful look flashing over dad’s face. He quickly recovered and laughed out loud. They left. I cried.

That was fifteen years ago. Last week during my birthday dinner, dad casually mentioned to grandparents Bud and Jan that I was more than relieved when he dropped me off in San Diego. In his words, the day mom and dad dropped me off at college was the day I broke free. There was once again that flash of sharp pain on his face. Something inside of me cried out “I didn’t mean that!” What I really wanted to say fifteen years ago was “please don’t worry about me and DO NOT CRY in front of my college buddies.” My cold response then was a coverup to the sadness I felt inside. Instead of feeling that sadness, I pushed it down and used my words as a knife to cut into my parents’ hearts. I didn’t want to endure the pain of watching them in pain so I took out a knife and cut into them deeply so they won’t feel sad. In reverse they will be glad to let go such a thankless child. And of course if they didn’t hurt, I won’t hurt. So I thought.

Feelings are not logical. My logical plans to detour feelings have certainly failed. Fifteen years later I’m finally feeling the sadness I was meant to feel and all the added consequences that came with it.

Yesterday once again my chronic coverup might have injured a man I really care for. I happened to put my foot where my month is – this time by using humor as a detour. Covering up my feelings so I don’t have to face my vulnerability became an uncontrollable chronic syndrome. Instead of letting him feel my affection, I felt the need to push him away. The worst part was I had to witness the pain my heartless joke had caused. This time it is serious. I’m afraid if I don’t put an end to this chronic tumor now it might end up running my life forever! It is time to say goodbye to my enlarged coverup tumor and at the same time I wish to plead for your compassion.

Men, please understand me. I can be cruel. I can be heartless. I pushed you away. I laughed when you fall. I attacked you with words as daggers. All that is just an act, just an armor – to protect my vulnerable heart. Inside this armor I’m smaller than I look, I’m fragile, I’m trembling, I’m scared, I’m afraid… I’m afraid you will not accept me for who I really am, for my softness, for my explosive passion, for my yearning to express my love… The truth is I want to please you. I want to fulfill your every wish. I want to ignite your every breathe with my fiery kiss. Can you forgive the moments I put on my armor and covered myself in untruth? One untruth adding to another untruth can spin out of control. All I desire is your forgiveness. Let’s erase all the moments I lied in attempt to conceal my vulnerabilities. Believe me, once you are unlocking my heart there is only love for you and nothing else.

Men, you can laugh at a women’s vulnerable nakedness if you like. I understand if you still find us women mysterious, confusion, turbulent, emotional, unpredictable, etc… Nevertheless I plead for you to penetrate deeper into us. In the depth of us, we are passionate, expressive, intuitive, sensitive, caring and are consumed by our burning desire to merge into Truth with you.

A Sharing from the blog of Flo Li, A Isha Meditator

Sadhguru Sannidhi Pada Yantra

Sadhguru Sannidhi is a live temple, a certain atmosphere that throbs in one space. The establishment of Sannidhi creates a powerful energy space within one’s home. Particularly for those who have established spirituality as the priority in their lives, creating Sannidhi has a profound influence on one’s inner evolution. 

 Each Sannidhi is energized by a Sadhguru Sannidhi Pada Yantra, a sacred form, particularly designed by Sadhguru to generate a supportive energy situation for one’s inner growth. If maintained with a certain discipline, Sannidhi works wonders in terms of the internal and external wellbeing of all who come within its sphere, thus extending the spiritual possibility to those around us as well. 

How to respond to the suffering in the world

Questioner : As a capitalist society, here in the US and elsewhere, we tend to function out of our economic interests.  For me it is hard to be happy when I know that things that I buy involve exploiting people and that I am living in a society that in some way promotes violence around the world.  How am I supposed to focus on myself only and forget about the suffering of the world ?

Sadhguru : Oh, you are just on the way to becoming a human being! [All laughs]...  because a human does not land here as a human being, he has to become one, he has to evolve.  If a dog, a monkey or a tiger is born, it is already a dog, a monkey, a tiger.  If it eats well, it will become a good tiger.  A tiger is never sitting there, worrying itself out how to become a good tiger, "Will I end up has a house cat?" [All laugh]  There are no such struggles in it.  Food is all it has to take care of.  But you are born as a human.  To become a worthwhile human being you have to do many things.  What is human is so complex and so beautiful, you have to make it.  Your mother just deliver you as a raw material; it's your project to become a humanbeing.  How well you conduct this project is how wonderful a human being you become.  So, you are beginning to become a little sensitive to somebody else's suffering, that's good.  You are on the project. [Laughs] "It must happen, It must happen" something within you should cry.  Otherwise how is it supposed to happen ?

                                          Let's say half the world is miserable right now - it actually is.  Now if you make yourself also miserable, you are only adding to the problem.  They are miserable for one reason, you are miserable for another reason.  This doesn't solve the problem.  Only if you are joyful, only if you know what it means to live beautifully, you can create this for somebody else too.  How can you make it happen for someone when you don't know yourself what happiness is ?  You will think, "If I dump food there, it will be okay."  It will not be okay.  That's how the world has handled it.  They think if you throw some aid, it is going to be okay.  It is not going to be okay because you yourself don't know what it means to be okay.  So, if you are concerned about life around you, the first thing is you must be concerned about this life [referring to oneself].  If you do not know how to take care of this one [referring to oneself], how will you take care of that one [referring to other] ? Only if you know how to keep this one in the best possible state, you also know how to take care of that one.  Otherwise, just with good intentions, you will cause misery to everybody in the world.  More misery happened to this planet out of good intentions than out of bad intentions.

Questioner : I hear what you are saying but for me to focus on my own inner happiness is almost like a selfish thing to do ...

 Sadhguru : See, when you say "selfish", I want you to understand, the very basis of your existence here is the Self.  Everything is self-ish - put a hyphen.  [Laughs] It's all self-ish.  If you are concerned about the rest of the world, which everybody should be, either you are concerned about them as rest of the world, or you are concerned about them just the way you are concerned about yourself.

                            If you are concerned about that one just as you are concerned about this one, if you go to fix that one without fixing this one, what will that one tell you ?  That one will tell you, "First take care of yourself.  What nonsense are you going to do to me ?"

Questioner : It's hard for me to sit down and focus on yoga or something like that ..........

Sadhguru : That is because you have prejudiced ideas about yoga.

Questioner : If someone is getting slaughtered in Darfur, Africa right now with a machete, it is hard for me to go to the mall, hang out with my friends and enjoy myself.

Sadhguru : Going to the mall is different, doing yoga is different. [All laugh.]  Yoga does not mean that you have to sit and focus on yourself.  Whether you go to the Darfur or to the neighborhood, there are problems everywhere. If you reach out to the problem in the neighborhood or in Darfur, wherever you wish to, wherever you are capable of doing something, in what condition would you like to go there, both physically and mentally ?

                               We are working in Sierra Leone.  Let's say tomorrow morning I'll drop you in Sierra Leone.  I'll give you two years time to make a difference; let me see.  You will get lost in the problem.  I have dropped people there who have spent three, four, five years training themselves to do this.  Now they went there.  Just go and see the kind of difference they have made in three month's time because they know what to do with themselves and what to do with other people.  If you do not invest this time in yourself to enhance your capabilities, if you just go there with great emotion, you will get lost in the problem.  Just good intentions won't do.

                              If you want to make a difference, you need capability.  Otherwise you will sit in your house and crib about everything in the world, and nothing happens.  If you are interested in doing something, the first thing is how to enhance your capabilities, your own ability to deal with life.  Otherwise how are you going to reach out to anybody and do anything ?  In the remotest part of India, at every street corner, if you go and sit in the tea shop, right there revolutions happen; they change the world.  But the moment the tea is over, the revolution is over. [All Laugh]  Haven't you seen tea shop revolutions ? Right there everything is happening - they know how to run the country, they are advising the prime ministers, they can be the batting coaches for Tendulkar [great indian cricketer].  The only thing is they don't know how to make a good tea. [All Laugh]  Everything else they know.  So, just being concerned, just being emotionally charged about a problem is not a solution.  Solutions will come only when we empower ourselves.  If you do not take time to empower yourself there will be just not one Darfur, we will create a thousand Darfurs on this planet.

                              Out of good intentions people have done more horrible things than out of bad intentions.  So if you are concerned about humanity, please empower yourself, so that no matter what kind of situation you are placed in, you are not going to be broken and shattered by the situation, you will do the best you can do.  First empower yourself, is that a crime? That is yoga - a technology to empower yourself.

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   EXPERIENCES OF ISHA MEDITATORS WHO MADE A DIFFERENCE IN SIERRA LEONE

                  "After going there, I realized how advanced India is.  Sierra Leone is in such a bad state.  I had never imagined that even today, people are living in such conditions.  They don't have proper food to eat.  They don't have proper clothes to wear.  Not just for a particular community - the whole country is like that.  There is no proper education.  There is no culture.  There are no role models.  There is nobody to look up to.  It's just so painful to see that.  I could not believe that in today's world, there is a place like that.  While we are living this kind of life, there is another part of the world where people are living in such conditions - such unimaginably pathetic conditions.

                        Just the simple thing that there is somebody caring for them, there is somebody to be with them, not really offering any money or anything, but there is a human being standing next to them as a human being - it meant so much to them.  And it meant so much to us.

                    For all of us, these two month's in Sierra Leone have been one of the greatest experiences, one of the deepest experiences in our lives.

                                                                    Swami Rijuda

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                                          "I have been trying to write something about Africa for the last two months.  Usually words come so easy but now I find a lump in the throat and a tightness in my heart with the very thought of this people and this land.

                                          Africa broke my heart.  I was devastated, shattered, being there.  I had always wanted to work there, but the ideas I had about it were nothing compared to the reality of the whole situation.  My deepest pain is seeing human beings unable to reach their full potential, unable to even have a chance of knowing life deeper than just survival.  And all this was there; a diminished humanity, and the whole situation obscenely exaggerated by the efforts of so many people wanting to do something but incapable of really making a difference, and by those who are still seeking to exploit and exploit and exploit.

                                        Whether it was War, exploitation, slavery, greed, whatever the reason in the past, for ignoring and misusing an entire continent's plight, I cannot see any reason.  There is no justification for the fact that millions of people have to live in such conditions when the world is splurging in luxury.  Tears flood my eyes as I write this and all I can say is that after being there, I cannot eat as I did before.

                                        Every morsel of food that I put into my mouth reminds me of the six weeks we had there.  Six weeks where, for the first time in my life, I had to think whether I would spend 1 dollar to eat something to sate my hunger or not spend it.  It is not that food was not available, but it was not easily accessible because of the pace of work that was going on.

                                        And that itself made me realize just how much I take for granted.  These people, still dancing,  still celebrating life in spite of all the struggles, all the fight for survival, have made me more human and more willing."

                                                                                        Tina, Isha meditator.

Experience of a newly initiated Brahmachari -

I couldn’t believe it was finally happening, the moment I had been waiting for, for almost 3 years… It wasn’t the way I thought it would be, I wasn’t the way I thought I should be…but it was something else, something so much more, so much bigger than what I could ever have imagined.
Throughout our silence, I was in disbelief… "Is this really happening to me? I’m finally going to get initiated." I kept counting the days, "Okay, 14 days…hmmm – is it tomorrow? What will they do? Where will we go?" The suspense was killing. Many times, I couldn’t even focus on my sadhana … I just kept thinking, "What next?"
The sadhana, the silence was indescribable, it was as if every day something was being shed, something was being left behind, some cleansing was happening. I was emerging cleaner, stronger, more stable. More ready. But still my stupid mind was racing non-stop. If only it would have stop for a few seconds, maybe I could have savored this and been more sensitive to it.
The night before the initiation, it was so good to see Sadhguru and have Him talk to us. His vision of what this means, what this means to the future of humanity (and not just for myself) just reinforced what a big responsibility this is, and at the same time what a tremendous privilege to receive it, and that too from Him. And when He spoke about His vision for the whole of humanity, how He wants to offer a spiritual process which will touch as many people as possible, I was left in tears. What else is there to do but this, to offer myself to this?
When he said something along the lines that this could be the fire that could burn you up if you allow it to, I wanted that, I wished I would be in the best way to receive it. I couldn’t sleep much that night.
The day of the initiation was a mixture of total calm, nervousness, expectation, love, tremendous gratitude to all the beings who were working to make this happen. A sense of being part of a "family" – but not in the usual way… Everyone walked us through the whole process so patiently and lovingly.
There was no fear of going through with it, but just that "Will I be able to live up to it? Will I be able to put my nonsense aside and really be the way He wants us to be?" I had been struggling within myself with some attachments. Finally, in a moment of frustration, I just left it to Him, saying that this is how I am right now, I’m not going to pretend to be above it. And guess what – they disappeared!
I can never forget the day of the initiation. The setting, Sadhguru, the Brahmacharis, the Dhyanalinga, everything set to make me something more than what "I" am right now.
In many ways, I’m carrying this feeling like I’m a new born baby – no past baggage, a new name, a new sense of clarity and purpose, a new intensity – and my Master’s Grace coursing through me. This feeling that I’m no ordinary Brahmachari, but initiated by Him – what a big responsibility I have to live up to. Each day, each moment of my life, with each breath I take, I have to remind myself and live up to it.
– Maa Dakshina, Isha Brahmacharini