My spiritual journey began when I was young with the thirst for the truth, but I never found the right path until I attended the Inner Engineering program offered by Isha Foundation. The first thing I noticed after the program was that my need for food and sleep dropped drastically and I now was able to function well with five hours of sleep.
Before I went to this program, I always found myself trying to enjoy life by experiencing the finer things in life. I had to sample the latest fine-dining venues, taste the wine I read about in Food and Wine magazine and take lavish vacations. I did all these compulsively, thinking that this is the way to happiness and bliss, but through this practice I became more aware of my habits. This awareness created a grateful attitude toward everything I have to sustain my life – from the water I drink to the air I breath. Naturally, I started cutting back on going out and buying items that I didn’t need, and everything in me became grateful for everything I have and don’t have.
As I contemplated this change in my perception of everything around me, the economic environment started to take a turn for the worse. My business as a consultant came to a halt. In the past, this situation would have made me nervous and would have created a lot of fear within me about what could be lost. Now, I simply see the situation for what it is and I am focused, calm and joyful by my own nature. The natural shift in my consumption was a blessing, because I didn’t need as much income to sustain my current lifestyle. This simple, yet powerful, practice has connected me to the abundance of joy that lives within all of us.
I do this practice daily for about 20-30 minutes, and I am able to deal with life however it plays out. This slow time in business is giving me an opportunity to offer my efforts toward the well-being of others – and my life is richer than ever. Now I live my life fully and know that nothing is lost that can’t be gained by the creator when you are in touch with that aspect of your being.
Elsa Kiflu lives in Eden Prairie, MN.
Last July I had the opportunity to attend a Yoga seminar, “Inner Engineering,†hosted by Isha Foundation. Little did I know at that time of the impending economic crisis we would all be facing and the subsequent loss of my job. What I learned in that seminar is very relevant for me today, because I use this practice to keep me peaceful and calm during this anxious time. This training also stirred my stagnated spiritual process, long overdue for some motivation. In my lifetime, I have only read about realized beings and their life, but never heard one speak. It was wonderful to hear Sadhguru, yogi of this foundation, speak and again put everything in prospective. I read someone say that he reminded them of Santa Claus. I could not agree more. You can tell the core of Sadhguru’s personality is pure joy, which he exudes with laughter. I listened to a talk show the other day that was addressing some of the issues people were facing during this economic hardship. They commented on the increased number of antidepressants being prescribed today. Consider this is a wonderful alternative!
Judy Smith lives in Maple Grove, MN.
Read Inner Well-being by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Read an interview with Sheela Rajdev, who works with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
