Isha Foundation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Isha Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Singanallur near Coimbatore, India. The foundation was set up by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in 1992 as a non-political, non-religious organization that does not promote any particular ideology, but with a mission to work towards the betterment of the individual, the society and the world. It has over 250,000 volunteers and works in tandem with international bodies like the UN through its various programmes and initiatives.

The foundation runs several social initiatives like Action for Rural Rejuvenation, Vanashree Eco-Center, Isha Home School, Inner Freedom for the Imprisoned, Isha Craft and a multitude of programmes for spiritual development like Isha Yoga Programme, Isha Rejuvenation and Sounds of Isha.

Isha Foundation's latest initiative Project Green Hands aims at planting an estimated 114 million samplings across the Tamil Nadu state in the next 10 years.

[edit] External links

• Isha Foundation
• Isha Yoga
• The Hindu news article on Isa
• NGO to start schools in Tamil Nadu
• Tourist Spots in Coimbatore

Presented as a 13-day, three-hours a day workshop, Sahaja Sthithi Yoga combines dynamic raja yoga practices, breathing techniques, and 'shoonya' meditation (an effortless process of conscious non-doing). It stimulates the release of physical, mental and emotional blocks and activates the spontaneous expression of vital energy. This workshop is offered through centers in over 50 cities and towns in Tamil Nadu. The Silent Revolution has also spread to parts of the USA.It was in 1992 that a small band of seekers guided by their master, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, came to these foothills searching for a space for their work. Here, the Sadhguru found the image that had haunted him since childhood.

The Isha Yoga Centre aims to help seekers transcend illusions of physical reality to reach ultimate awareness or enlightenment. To sow this seed of spiritual revolution in every individual, the Centre has designed several programs., with Sahaja Sthithi Yoga (attaining yoga through one's natural self) as the centerpiece. It is experiential and can be easily integrated into one's daily life. Presented as a 13-day, three-hours a day workshop, Sahaja Sthithi Yoga combines dynamic raja yoga practices, breathing techniques, and 'shoonya' meditation (an effortless process of conscious non-doing). It stimulates the release of physical, mental and emotional blocks and activates the spontaneous expression of vital energy. This workshop is offered through centers in over 50 cities and towns in Tamil Nadu. The Silent Revolution has also spread to parts of the USA.

Says Jaggi: "This life for me is an endeavor to help people experience and express their divinity. I wish to see those of you who have seen or experienced something beyond the limited offer the same possibility to everyone." Friendly and accessible, Jaggi can often be seen playing volleyball with the brahmacharis (monks) of the Centre in the evenings or listening to the Beatles or Balamurali Krishna.

Born in Mysore, Jaggi was drawn to yoga at the age of 12. But what changed the course of his life was a deep spiritual experience in the Chamundi hills. He recalls: "One day I went to the Chamundi hills in the afternoon and sat on a huge rock, my usual place. I sat with my eyes open and after a few minutes, I did not know where I was. I felt myself spread everywhere, no longer bound by my body. I was in the rocks, the trees, the earth. Everything was me. Tears flowed down my cheek in a torrent. I thought this had lasted for a few minutes. But when I came to, it was late in the evening. I wondered if I had hallucinated but in the days that followed, this experience recurred and each time it left me in a state of utter bliss.

"After each such episode, I would not sleep for the next three or four days, nor would I eat. Also, the urge to share that bliss with the world grew each time. The experience brought back memories of several lifetimes. It became clear to me that the single purpose of my life was to create the Dhyanalingam. Since 1982, I have worked to fulfill that purpose."

Completed in 1999, Dhyanalingam is a sacred shrine of divine energy. It is the largest lingam in the world, and the first of its kind in 2,000 years to be fully consecrated.

'The Dhyanalingam is not a place for worship or rituals; rather it is the powerhouse of primordial energy that radiates the different vibrations of the seven chakras to augment the spiritual potential of all who come here. In the metaphysical sense, it is a guru, an energy center of tremendous proportions and a space where the spiritual transformation can happen in an instant. The multi-faith temple housing it is built with traditional materials (no concrete or steel) and ancient techniques ensuring that it will last for at least 5,000 years. The temple is open daily to persons of all faiths. Apart from Sahaja Sthithi Yoga, the Centre conducts 'Bhava Spandana', a three-day residential program designed for personal exploration and transformation. It provides the opportunity to experience higher levels of consciousness, taking you beyond the limitations of body and mind into a world of limitless love and joy.The Sadhguru also conducts 'Samyama', a residential camp in which the participants spend seven days in complete silence, meditating for 16 to 18 hours every day. Samyama meditations provide the possibility to free one from the bonds of karma and purify the body and mind to awaken the kundalini. It presents the potential for the participants to reach deep levels of concentration and experience explosive states of samadhi in the presence of a master.

The Isha Yoga Centre is a well laid-out place. The triangular block houses the brahmacharis and brahmacharinis (nuns), who come from varied backgrounds, including the corporate world. The thatched meditation hall, where residential programs. are conducted, stands next to a large open ground. During Maha Shivaratri, the biggest event at the ashram, 50,000 people assemble here. Isha Fest is another annual event.

Silent revolutionaries are forging ahead quietly.