Meet Matthew Jewers, an ex-Royal Air Force Pilot and 2022 Isha Hatha Yoga Teacher Training graduate, who left behind his rewarding career of flying the Boeing 777 around the globe to immerse himself in the inner experience of classical Hatha Yoga.
When I was 14, my father reluctantly took me to an Air Cadet meet. Little did I know that this would be a turning point in my life, enabling me to take the first step towards becoming a pilot and joining the United Kingdom’s air and space force, aka the Royal Air Force (RAF). During my stint in the RAF, I learned formation flying, aerobatics, low-level flying, weapons training, and camouflage skills, among other things.
With a childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot in the RAF, I thought life was made for me when I was in my early twenties and on the path of making that dream a reality. However, by a twist of fate, I found myself relocating to Hong Kong permanently, where I would fly the Boeing 777 for Cathay Pacific for the next nine years. My new career took me around the world in a way only few might have experienced.
Having a view of our planet that can only be beaten by astronauts is beyond words. When traveling to the United States from Hong Kong, we would often fly over the North Pole, which allowed us to enjoy hours-long sunsets (or sunrises) and also the scintillating Northern Lights. On other flights, sightings of volcanoes and snowy mountain peaks were not unusual.
I would love to fly for pleasure again someday, but for now, something far more significant is in my hands.
I had had my share of suffering in life, and I had been searching for a solution for some time. While it became clear to me that I was causing the suffering, I was still not able to stop it from happening. Then, on one fateful day in 2018, a close friend of mine shared a YouTube video of Sadhguru with me. It somehow got me intrigued. After watching a gamut of Sadhguru’s videos, the next step became quite obvious. The newly-opened Isha Yoga Center in Hong Kong was just five minutes away from my residence, and I felt this was not a coincidence. Interestingly, I completed Inner Engineering on 8–9 December 2018, and now, as I am writing this story four years later on 8 December 2022, I graduated from the Hatha Yoga Teacher Training (HYTT) program just a day ago. I could have never imagined the transformation one video could bring.
For some time, I kept my eyes open for new opportunities to explore various avenues of life and change my direction. Then, I happened to meet with Sadhguru during the Save Soil event in London, which was the deciding moment for me. I knew I needed to hang up my wings as a professional pilot so life could open another door for me. I took the leap of faith and applied for Sadhanapada as well as the HYTT, and then left the decision up to Sadhguru’s grace, knowing firmly within myself that I would be taken in the direction I was meant to be going.
I would often be asked if I was a Yoga teacher. I guess that is only natural if others find out that you spend an hour or two each day practicing Yoga. The truth is, the mere thought of teaching was unacceptable to my mind a few years ago. After being rejected by Sadhanapada, I was accepted by the Isha Hatha School of Yoga. I knew there was something for me in Hatha Yoga, but I did not know what it meant or what my future would look like. I left it all up to Sadhguru’s grace. When I arrived for the HYTT program on the first day and walked into the Adiyogi Alayam, I sank to my knees with tears rolling down my cheeks. It was like an epiphany that I was definitely meant to be there.
The HYTT program is like a roller-coaster ride – one in which you are wearing a blindfold. There are no heads-up; things just happen, and you have to be able to consciously respond as you go. All your plans go out of the window right at the beginning. Each time you think, “Oh, it’s fine. I can sort my laundry later,” that is when the class overruns by two hours, and the opportunity you thought you had is gone.
Initially, it felt like the program was just about learning practices; but over time, it became clear that, as with everything in Isha, HYTT, too, is a world of “carefully crafted chaos,” as Sadhguru says. The moment you feel you have grasped the rhythm and flow of things – boom! Everything flips, and you find yourself in a whole new situation. I realized that this is the time to pay attention and ask yourself, “What is it that I am suffering? Why do I experience it like this?”
Isha, I have been told, is like sandpaper. Wherever you are, it will find you and sand you down. It is only a question of how long it takes for you to become smooth. I definitely had my fair share of soreness along the way.
In my experience, the HYTT program is a living process. The feedback each individual receives and the extent to which they grow spiritually largely depends on their openness and involvement with the process. The biggest lesson the program has taught me is to “keep myself aside,” which essentially means to be in a state of devotion. Devotion was a huge part of the program. While initially, I had a hard time figuring out how to be devoted, gradually, I understood that devotion isn’t something I can do; I must become it.
A great opportunity to keep myself aside came in the form of Bhava Spandana Program volunteering, which I had been looking forward to for years. The opportunity came at the right time, giving me a break from the routine and allowing me to get fully involved in the program. Before the program began, we were told to put everything aside and just make it happen for the participants. I decided that I would give myself completely to whatever was needed and just say “yes” to everything.
Putting myself aside in this way was very powerful, and I performed a lot of activity as I knew that the program depended on us. The entire process made me feel more connected to everyone in the program and brought forth more compassion and love towards everyone.
Having no cultural understanding of the meaning behind the word “Guru” proved to be a blessing in my life, as I discovered that a Guru could be perceived in innumerable ways. It also allowed me to take the plunge into spirituality and do various Yoga programs. My first impression of Sadhguru? I was amazed by his clarity and humor. I wondered how someone could bring such deep wisdom into the world in this way.
As my involvement with Sadhguru grew, how I experienced him began to change – from man to Guru, from persona to the ultimate possibility. Lately, I have stopped trying to figure out what he is, as I know I will only be drawing the wrong conclusions. I just know he is way beyond and more inclusive than anything I have ever experienced.
So, how do I feel about being an Isha Hatha Yoga teacher? It is clear to me that I am not ready to teach Yoga at this point. The profundity of what has been offered by Sadhguru is way beyond me. All I know is that it is about being an offering and allowing Yoga to be transmitted through me so others can experience something profound, and ultimately be a part of Sadhguru’s offering of Yoga to the world. Let’s make his dream happen!
