“Why do you love Sadhguru so much?”

சத்குருவ நீங்க ஏன் இந்தஅளவுக்கு நேசிக்கிறீங்க?

A simple Google search was a life-saving experience and the beginning of a journey of self-discovery. Here’s Amod’s story.

"Why do you love Sadhguru so much?" teased my 18-year-old daughter. To my amazement, I couldn’t find any words to answer her. I was struck silent – rare for me! Memories started to churn in my mind as I recalled how it all began. Three years ago, I had been Googling for a long-lost friend. It turned out that my friend had written a very personal book on Sadhguru’s life called You. Her depiction of Sadhguru intrigued me and I wanted to find out more.

Mid-life Crisis and More

For a few years, I had been suffering from arthritic pain in my joints and had developed various food intolerances. It was so bad that I regularly consumed painkillers just to perform my everyday activities. Things were not going well at work either – I frequently found myself drawn into confrontations with my colleagues. I often felt stressed and anxious. I had no idea what would happen next. Though I had learnt to call it a mid-life crisis, I knew I wanted to get out of it somehow. Guided by a mentor at work, I started reading about emotional intelligence and later started practicing breathing techniques to relax. But these only had a temporary effect. I longed for more. And more came my way.

I heard about the benefits of Isha Kriya, a simple guided meditation offered by Sadhguru, and I decided to try it. Daily practice of Isha Kriya soon became the highlight of my day and with it came a sense of calmness. After over six months of practice, I did the Inner Engineering program.

I vividly remember my interstate trip in November 2014 to Sydney to attend the IE program. The journey gave me time to reflect upon where I was in my life and why I was taking this step. Though I did not know what to expect, it felt as if I was moving forward. I felt something extraordinary was about to happen.

Sadhguru Taught Me What No Leadership Program Ever Could

At the end of the program, I left the venue, armed with another kriya: Shambhavi Mahamudra. Despite my hectic travel schedule, I continued doing Shambhavi twice a day. And I began to notice small changes in the way I behaved and observed my surroundings. I naturally become calmer as well as more compassionate. A new sense of discipline set in as my journey of self-discovery deepened. I parted company with my companions from the past – stress and anxiety! A colleague even remarked that in stressful situations, I was coming up with solutions calmly.

Inspired and longing for more, I participated in more Isha programs in 2015: I enrolled in hatha yoga programs and the advanced meditation programs, Bhava Spandana and Shoonya Intensive. I visited the Isha Yoga Center near Coimbatore twice, and each time, I was fortunate to see Sadhguru and listen to him speak. Sadhguru gave me what no leadership program I had attended before had been able to. I have become more conscious and more alive. I have been able to find a balance between sheer logic and compassion, making me successful as a professional mechanical engineer, a leader and a workmate.

Lighting The Spark Of Isha In Brisbane

Becoming a volunteer with Isha Foundation was the next turning point in my life. After tasting the sweetness of yoga practices, I decided that the best way for me to deepen my inward journey would be to offer myself to others. But there were no Isha activities in Brisbane – a support system was missing. Wanting to make Sadhguru’s methods for self-transformation available to more people, I did not think twice before committing to become an Ishanga – a limb of Isha. With the help of other Isha centers, teachers and volunteers, we have slowly but steadily organized programs in Brisbane for over 800 people in the last two years. I would never have imagined being a part of something so much bigger than myself. I literally felt like a piece of Isha, however small! And therefore, in some way, of Sadhguru.

Fast forward to my daughter’s question:

Why do I love him so much? What words could I use to express my gratitude to Sadhguru? What he has done for me is incredible, even life-saving. I tried to explain this to her, but fell silent. This pretty much sums up my relationship with him. 

Amod Datar is a Reliability and Improvement Manager for Northern Australian Operations, Incitec Pivot, a leading manufacturer of fertiliser in Australia.

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