Meet, Mingle & Meditate with Sadhguru in Milan has been a fundamental reminder that the fire of spirituality can touch everyone, without any cultural or social distinction, if only enough people commit themselves to make it happen.
Following Sadhguru’s vibrant call, around three hundred volunteers were activated from across Italy and Europe: like a swarm of perfectly coordinated bees that starts to buzz for the construction of a new hive, we began the preparations with a momentum of great enthusiasm, united and synchronized by the shared goal.
The weeks leading up to the event passed by very rapidly, filled with meetings, phone calls, and messages discussing where the event was to take place, how to give the best possible experience to the participants, what materials were needed and where to find them, and countless other details to be sorted out. This stage was intense and full of unexpected events for most of us: as Charlotte, a Hatha Yoga teacher who volunteered with us, said, “It felt surreal to see a puzzle of ideas, which seemed so chaotic, taking shape with so much grace.”
The buzz grew gradually, in unison, a few hours before the established date. When everyone went above and beyond themselves – giving all their energy to arrange the seats, prepare food, decorate the stage, fix the signages, and carry out many other activities – I felt that our visions had aligned: we were ready to act as one being.
The event was conceived as an insightful and stimulating introduction to the possibility of a conscious life, but Sadhguru’s presence did not only draw curious beings and novice meditators. On Sunday morning, a diverse mix of over four thousand two hundred participants lined up neatly outside the venue. This eclectic crowd, ranging from dedicated workers and eager seekers to Italian music and entertainment personalities, gradually filled the Allianz Cloud. These colorful characters were all welcomed by the radiant smiles and devoted gazes of the volunteers.
The check-in process went on like a symphony: some volunteers were holding signages and directing the queues, others were distributing wristbands and greeting the newcomers, while another set of volunteers was escorting participants to their seats. I was coordinating the whole process and, walking from one of the ten gates to the other, it really seemed like people were involved in an elegant and graceful dance under the warm sunlight, smiling and talking gently to each other; there was absolutely no friction in the air. After the check-in dance got over, we finally sat together around the same divine bonfire; anticipating what was going to happen.
The talent of the Sounds of Isha musicians and the elegance of the cultural performances by Project Samskriti dancers kicked off the event, coloring the atmosphere with a spectacular flavor of exuberance. Sadhguru initially sat in the front row, next to some participants, seemingly absorbed by the beauty that was manifesting itself in front of him. His daughter, Radhe, whirled on the stage with immeasurable grace, capturing everyone’s admiring eyes.
When the time came to go on stage, Sadhguru ascended the steps with an agile leap that stunned everyone present, sparking great joy. All of us could sense the tremendous possibility that was being unleashed for us right at that moment. As he started speaking, the energy of the place immediately became more acute and intense. Looking around, I saw faces filled with attention, ears perked up to listen, hearts open and eager to learn.
Sadhguru’s words were simple, understandable, logically appealing, yet at the same time, they were precious, powerful, and deep. Occasionally, his speech was interspersed with a joke, adding a touch of lightness. Each time, participants and volunteers burst out laughing and applauding with heartfelt emotion. I found it particularly touching when he reminded everyone that waking up in the morning and still being alive is more than a good reason to smile – it’s a real miracle! He then added, “What is moving here is not the clock. This is life ticking away. How wonderful a life we will become, what wonderful things we will do with ourselves and with lives around us; that’s all there is.”
As Sadhguru spoke in English, Cristina, one of the volunteers, took on the challenging task of bridging the language gap. She provided live translation, ensuring his profound insights were conveyed seamlessly to the Italian-speaking audience. While such a task is typically rotated every 30 minutes, Cristina committed to five continuous hours of translation.
Cristina shared, “No matter what a situation requires of me, I always say: ‘yes and yes’ – even if that means doing a live translation for five hours. I prepare myself to the best of my abilities; then I call on Sadhguru to please lift me up on his shoulders so that my words can be his words, and I can walk full strides with him, as long as it takes. I don’t know how this is possible, but a different dimension opens up then, which feels like being carried by something very powerful that makes impossible things possible and even effortless. It doesn’t make logical sense, but I’ve experienced this time and again. Everyone should have access to these simple yet life-transformative tools, and I’m fully committed towards this goal!”
Taking a moment for a bit of levity, Cristina recounted her personal encounter with Sadhguru: “I’m shyly walking a few steps behind Sadhguru in a corridor when he suddenly stops. I freeze on the spot, not wanting to come too close. Unexpectedly, he turns and sees me thunderstruck, like a raccoon in the headlights, which sets him off into one of his famous bouts of laughter.”
After the break, Sadhguru announced that he would soon guide us through a simple meditation, specifying that the impact of this process would depend on our level of openness and involvement: “Life happens only with involvement. Where there is no involvement, there is no life.” To bring more involvement, he asked us to close our eyes for 30 seconds, and imagine what kind of smile would appear on our face if we met the person that we love most on the street. After that, he said, “Just bring that smile to your face; let me see. Now look at whoever is next to you, and continue to smile.”
When I opened my eyes, I saw thousands of people smiling and glancing with genuine love at each other, for no particular reason. Some were even surprised by the wonderful smile that had emerged on their faces: they didn’t expect it to happen so simply and naturally, so they looked around joyfully confused, with their incredulous eyes wide open! When the meditative process began, I closed my eyes and immediately felt my body filled with rampant energy, an energy so exuberant that I struggled to contain it within me – it seemed like I would soon explode into a thousand pieces.
I’m sure the experience was very intimate and different for each one of us, but the intensity of what Sadhguru offered seemed clear to everyone. Not only I, but also many people around me couldn’t hold back their tears and sobs, overwhelmed by the power of something wonderful and unknown that was happening within us. When we opened our eyes, we saw the place filled with shining beings. Some were wiping away tears, visibly shaken by the intensity of the experience; others had their faces radiating with joy, peace, and relaxation.
Sadhguru was there on stage, still and smiling, but from then on – in my experience – it was as if he was just everywhere. I saw him in the faces of the people around me and heard him in every breath I took, feeling as if my body was no longer my boundary, as if everything was a part of me – of Him. What was given in that moment, for those who decided to open themselves fully to the process, still reverberates within us with full vitality; as it can be seen from one of the many, touching messages that the participants sent us the day after the event: “A beautiful experience! I keep smiling, like a teenager in love... this morning, looking at the lawn in front of the house, my eyes filled with tears: it’s beautiful!”
Deeply touched and smiling, we then had the precious opportunity to ask Sadhguru some questions. He stood up and began to move from one side of the stage to the other, answering in a clear, detailed, and often funny way: the energy of the room changed again; everything became more dynamic. Someone, probably worried about the volcanic geopolitical situation of our times, asked if we will ever see peace triumph on our planet. The answer Sadhguru gave was so lucid and on point that it sparked a long burst of applause: “Do you want a plan, or do you want a prediction? If we make a prediction, it means it doesn’t matter what the hell you do, that’s what’s going to happen. That is not the fact of life. Human destiny is very much in human hands. I have a plan.”
At the twilight of the event, Sadhguru walked into the crowd, accompanied by an amazing musical performance by Sounds of Isha: people gathered around him with great emotion; an impetuous atmosphere of celebration and intimacy had powerfully established itself everywhere around us. People danced in the stands, clapping their hands to the rhythm of “Alai Alai,” profoundly touched and transformed by his palpable compassion and immense presence.
There are no words to describe the great celebration of that moment, the exuberance that arose in everyone and that drew us to him, filling us with a vibrant sense of aliveness. The music went on for some time after Sadhguru left, and even when it ended, it continued to echo in the depths of my being, like an ecstatic spark of pure life that still vibrates today, as I write these words, stubbornly and obtusely trying to explain the inexplicable.
—Giorgio Trebbi, Isha volunteer, Italy
