NEWS & EVENTS

In the Grace of Yoga With Sadhguru & Yaksha 2023

In the days leading up to Mahashivratri, some 2,800 people from around the world gathered at the Isha Yoga Center and over 10,000 more joined online for the In the Grace of Yoga program. Sadhguru guided participants through powerful processes and guided meditations to explore various aspects of Yoga. This experiential program was specially structured to help participants prepare for Mahashivratri, and was sure to bring insight and transformation to those who participated.

Day 1: An Invitation to Experience the Magic of Life

The program started on 15 February with a stirring talk by Sadhguru about what grace really means, and how it enables one to go beyond mundane logic and really experience the magic of life. Then he led the group through a transformative meditative process that left many in tears of joy and gratitude.

“I have been to Mahashivratri two times before, but this time, I decided to prepare myself by enrolling in this program. With Sadhguru personally guiding us, how could it be anything but awesome? Right from the first session, Sadhguru set the context perfectly, and took us through a meditation that left me drenched in bliss,” one of the participants shared.

Yaksha: Soaking in Bhakti Rasa With Hindustani Classical Vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi

An enchanting evening ensued with a concert by Hindustani classical vocalist Jayateerth Mevundi, which opened Yaksha 2023, an annual three-day celebration of classical music and dance leading up to Mahashivratri. After coming off stage, the artist shared, “I have been watching Sadhguru on YouTube. I had a dream to come here and serve Sadhguru, so I am very happy to have had the opportunity. The environment here is divine.”

Day 2: Elemental Cleansing and Equanimity

The second day started off with a powerful process of elemental cleansing, followed by a session with Sadhguru in which he talked about memory, Karma, and how your smartphone can help make you equanimous! He then ended the session with a guided meditation that saw a deeply involved participation from all.

Yaksha: Sublime Flute Play by Shashank Subramanyam

The evening was enriched by the sublime music of Carnatic flutist Shashank Subramanyam whose masterful renditions left everyone in awe. After the performance, he said, “This is my fourth time visiting Isha Yoga Center. It’s always an amazing experience to come and perform here, and to be with the community of such wonderful people who tirelessly work towards one shared inner goal of peace and tranquility.”

Day 3: Setting the Right Context

In the last session before Mahashivratri, Sadhguru prepared the participants for the event, explaining that it is not a religious festival but has planetary and astronomical significance, which leads to a natural upsurge of energy in the human system. He highlighted how one can make the most of this possibility for one’s wellbeing and spiritual growth.

Yaksha: Odissi at Its Finest With Madhavi Mudgal’s Dance Group

On the final evening of Yaksha, Madhavi Mudgal’s Dance Group left everyone in awe with an elegant, poetic performance of Odissi dance that depicts the story of Parvati’s devotion to Shiva, based on Kalidasa’s epic poem Kumarasambhavam.

“This is my first time in India. This rich culture really amazes me. The colors, the music, the dance – it looks like everything here has a spiritual element to it,” a participant from UK shared.

Day 4: The Exuberance of Mahashivratri

On Mahashivratri, the program participants got to attend a special Pancha Bhuta Kriya – a powerful process of elemental cleansing – with Sadhguru at Dhyanalinga. In many ways, this powerful process marked the apex of the program, which was themed “Exploring Elemental Magic.”

In the yogic system, purifying the five elements within is the most fundamental sadhana or spiritual process. The Pancha Bhuta Kriya stabilizes the body and mind, balances psychological instabilities, and strengthens weak constitutions.  

“I experienced the Pancha Bhuta Kriya as being so different than anything else I have done in Isha. Something powerful was happening in my spine during the whole process. Afterwards, I felt like I had been thoroughly cleaned from inside out,” a Grace of Yoga participant shared.

Thus prepared, the program participants were ready for an exuberant night in the presence of Adiyogi. One of them shared, “The midnight meditation was mind-blowing. I truly felt like I was in the grace of Yoga and Sadhguru.”