Isha Yoga Problems, After Effects,Warnings !

Isha Yoga Problems, After Effects, Warnings !

By Swami Aniruddha

03-April-2011

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Problems Faced by Isha Yoga Participants:

Victim 1:

I'm just putting the original post alone here for the benefit of reading.

I want to thank you so much for this Blog. I did Inner Engineering over a year ago while I was a university student. I wasn't a "seeker", I was getting into spirituality (enjoyed Eckhart Tolle's and similar books) and my father had done the program so after listening to and liking some of Sadhguru's talks I decided to do Inner Engineering. I must say that the Shambavi itself seems to have had a slightly positive effect in that I've noticed synchronization in my life which I posted about a few days ago and don't feed into drama like I used to. However I moved back in with my parents a year ago and they can't understand what's happened to me. It's only been the last few weeks since reading this blog (again thank you) that I've been able to step back and realise what had become of me. I went from a happy, young (in my early twenties) person with lots of friends to ditching most of my friends who were "holding me back" and sitting in my room at night away from my family because I hated talking to them. I really did. Every time I would talk I would get a gut reaction to get away and not listening to their "nagging" (they were just trying to make conversation about my day or where I was going but I was getting paranoid and "seeing how they'd made a mess of their own lives and not wanted it to influence mine". My family are extremely loving people and we were always very tight-nit but I didn't want to be with them anymore, going out with them was a chore, I just wanted to be away from them and read spiritual books or watch funny comedies that would maintain my high and dropped everything for Satsang including university reunions and weekends away with friends.

My life was awful but I "knew it would be fine when I go onto do Bhava Spandana Program because everyone at Isha is so peaceful and balanced"... I had always intended on travelling but decided to save my money instead to go to the Isha ashrams and do more courses because I "knew that would make me happy". I started to cry when reading someone’s response because I too am so so so angry that this practice is offered to anyone who will pay money and I can't believe I'm only starting to see it now.

I certainly wasn't ready for this level of involvement, I just wanted something to keep a balance in life and be more peaceful and I know yoga can do that. Instead as soon as my life wasn't perfect anymore I just looked to Isha to maintain my high and "knew it would be alright in the end because I'll do the course and go to the ashram...". I had tried googling Isha for the past year or so and I've only recently stumbled across this Blog. There doesn't seem to be much else negative press out there about Isha (probably like people have said, because Ishaites have taken it down)... so thank you all so much for posting, some of the stuff has really hit home and made me come out of my Isha "daze".

Victim-2

I mentioned my father - he has done BSP - I can see him pulling away from my mother although as his daughter he wouldn't tell me, and I don't even think he's fully aware. BSP did seem to make him blissful but it lasted a week or so. Our family has been deeply affected by Isha, we don't see much of him and usually have to wait a long time for him to finish his practices before we can eat and he gets very frustrated when life (e.g. work, a long phone call, event) pushes back his practice. 

My siblings and mother obviously don't understand his compulsive need to do his practices and I was backing him up before, thinking they were just dragging him down. I can't believe I fell for all of this. It's seeing the responses by pro-Isha people in this Blog, their analogies and saying "don't worry", just focus on your practices..." that makes me realise how I was brainwashed.

But I don't know if it was the Shambhavi itself that made me act this way. I've cut it down in the past month to once every 2 weeks. I've noticed lots of positive things happening in my life such as lots of synchronistic events that have let me heal past hurts since starting. I think it was the mental brainwashing that made me compulsive and want to escape my family. I think I will cut it out until I feel I've recovered from my Isha-compulsiveness and maybe do it once in a while to enhance my life, until I find a different yoga

Victim-3

I had initially seen some warning signs with my husband after he came back from BSP where he became obsessed with doing the practices, regulating food and planning to go for Samyama. At that time I was foolish and actually felt happy for him thinking he has found his guru [I was even a little jealous]. Little did I know that it will lead to this level of disengagement? After Samyama, he became more distant and sensitive to any conversation related to Isha. Even my young kids have noticed the change in him. I hope like others in this Blog he realizes by himself what a mess this has become and comes out of it before it is too late. At this time there is nothing that I can say or do that will change his mind.

Victim-4

Please refer to this link:

"Hi all,

I would go straight into the issues I Face.

I learn the Isha Sakthi chalana kriya in 2004,I was doing that sincerely for two months .I experienced the following.

1) My Limbs where trembling and was always in a state of fear.

2) My intake of food became very less.

3) I had constant depression.

4) My legs and Limbs and the whole body became rigid and always tired

5) I lost Libidio

So I left the practice and started medication and after three years everything became normal. So I thought I will do it again and I'm doing it for a month and my experience has started again. Can anyone please tell me what should be done. When I asked an Isha volunteer he responded simply by saying Just continue your practices. Please help me in this regard?

This one point - concealing the possible anti-effects - disturbs me a lot when I think about it.

Victim-5

I have attended some of the Isha programs and initially I was drawn to it and wanted to go all the way. I probably would have other than the fact that things changed. I asked my spouse to attend the initial IE session and thought it will be good for both of us to pursue spirituality (the same path - good for discussions etc etc). I really regret the day I said that!

My spouse was very loving and caring. We have had disagreements before (which married couple doesn't) but we always worked it out. This Isha stuff is however different. After the first course he was bitten by the bug! He went all the way to Samyama and things have never been the same. He just wants to keep doing every course that is offered or be in the presence of Sadhguru at every chance (in fact every course is advertised as "Once in a life time opportunity!" and he doesn't want to miss it). He is miserable if he is not doing any of this. He used to laugh a lot and we would do things together. Now he wants to spend his day talking to fellow Ishaites, volunteering or going to TN.

I was alarmed at the changes. So I tried to talk to him to take things a little slow. He is accusing me of not wanting him to be happy and doesn't even want any discussion. He doesn't even care how much he has changed and how it affects the family. I really don't know what to do! The more I show him blogs or talk to him about this the more he seems to clam up and not want anything to do with me. I'm really at my wits end on what would work so he just takes it a little easy.

There are several cases he has mentioned where spouses have divorced or they become indifferent to what the other spouse does just to stay in the marriage. I'm trying to avoid either of these situations.

Victim-6

Why I quit Isha Yoga (Inner Engineering) Practises. Dear Friends reading this article, I request you to spend a few valuable minutes in your life to read the below write-up fully. This is a summary of my bad experiences I went through practising Isha Yoga, which is not quite different from what has already been stated by many others in the forum. This forum might sound like a group of people who formed a team to bash and critic a well reputed organization, but that is not the intent. And this article is an honest expression of what I had gone through personally. I came to know about Sadhguru & Isha about a couple of years ago and from then on I was reading/listening only about 'Isha'. There was no looking back. I was like a secret lover of Sadhguru. Isha was running in my mind 24 x 7. I was so attracted to him & his 'clarity' of his speech and what not, as millions of others. But what turned me around was just the bad taste of the experiences out of the Isha Yoga practises and nothing else.

I got initiated personally by Jaggi Vasudev recently in one of the Inner Engineering programs he conducted, in Los Angeles - "Inner engineering Intensive" (So you can imagine the money I would have spent - more than $2000). I took the program & was thinking my life is going to turn beautiful through the practises but it actually turned opposite!

The first four weeks were literally horrible!! I went through peaks of anxiety and depression for NO GOOD REASON. Every morning I woke up, I was filled with such an outburst of anxiety, filled with irrational fears. I'm a family guy earning a decent living for myself & family living in the USA currently and there is absolutely no need for me to go crazy like this. My life was just normal - but suddenly after the starting the practises I had these sort of experiences for no reason. I was even wondering why I'm undergoing this!

During the program, Jaggi himself says not to "initiate" people in to Isha Yoga and someone did that and he went mentally broken and he had to be admitted in Isha for treatment. This introduced such a fear into me. "Oh what if I initiate with out my knowledge?" This thought tortured & tormented my mind like anything. He was clapping while he did the initiation. So I was even afraid to clap my hands even, after hearing this threat by Jaggi. Now tell me, is this kind of threat necessary. No one in the class knows what the hell the initiation is all about, except for the "volunteers" probably. Then why tell "Not to initiate... and if you initiate you will go crazy". You can tell this point in a million different soft ways. But Jaggi chose threat! This is completely unwarranted & unnecessary for the so called "Sad-Guru" to plant seeds of threat into "seekers" minds. He does not realize the implications of what this will do to people who are completely new to this.

So this just attributed just to the irrational fear I had. But the blobs & blobs of anxiety and the feeling of depression - I had no reason why I went through that - I have never ever experienced such a bad taste of my emotions in life. Other serious problem I went through is a strong sense of Apathy and disconnectedness in almost anything. Throughout the day I would not have any enthusiasm, not even a drive to do something. I was dropping my friend from work and this is what he used to ask me "Are you seriously thinking about something?"

I used to give some answers and cover my dull mood. At home my wife asked "why are you looking so tired? Do you need coffee now?" I used to say "No", to have my empty stomach for the Shambhavi! This was so obvious to the people around me. Another issue was emotional swings. A couple of times, I did feel blissful. But I feel I have those happy blissful feelings when I go for a drive in my car or even watching a movie. So I am not sure I can really attribute that to Isha Yoga. And that did not last long either - few hours may be. I found it so hard to reach even 40 days of practise and I decided not to do any of this crap further!!

So back to swings in emotion - so happy & energetic periods were very less. In the whole 40 days - say 8 hours in total! Is my life worth this, with this? Hell no. That’s why I stopped doing this. Not even 8 hours in 40 days!!!!! And I become back to normal that is my depression state. Yes, depression became my normalcy after taking Isha Yoga!

Other issue is I felt so much drained of my energies. Felt fatigued most part. Absolutely absent of any enthusiasm. As a whole there was some sort of "Inner Turmoil" that just stuck in me that would not go away. I could say I was just possessed by turmoil!!! I was always on edge, felt nervous, impatient, simple things could trigger my anger - so much mood swings!!!

I became so lazy. I slept almost a whole day on a Sunday. Did not even bother to help my wife on any house hold being a weekend. I felt so very bad for myself. I was just pathetic!!!

Guys - you think I am freak or something. No - I'm not & I'm just a regular healthy person in my late 20's, who took up this yoga in my life out of no where (even against the strong advice of my wife, not to go for it!) and I'm here in this Blog, again from no where, trying to share with you all - what I experienced - my horrible experience.

The peak was at the end of 4 weeks of my practise. I got an anxiety attack or in other words I got immersed in a wave of anxiety / depression and all I wanted (and all I did) was lay on my sofa, fearing about the big life ahead of me. Never had this kind of feeling towards my life. I'm usually an easy going person, fun loving, take it easy kind and here I was - fearing about my whole life lying down asking my wife to give some emotional boost. I don’t want to even think about these experiences after I finish this article.

Then the next I woke up & decided (it was definitely not easy as it sounds) - "OK to hell with Isha Yoga. Let me see what is going to happen to me. I care two hoods, whether this works or not. I'm going to live my life fully". If I had not made that mind set and woke up, I am sure I would have ended in some psycho clinic!!

This was not all - even my health took a mild set back. I started to have dizziness (I never had that in my life) for short periods of times. I face back pain (around my hip), again something I have never experienced. I practised Isha Yoga exactly as it was taught and this is what I went through. I could not even and did not want to complete the 40 days. I have happily stopped doing the practises. Never felt so liberated doing it!

And these are symptoms many of us here and quoting and mine was not new. I felt so emotionally relieved to see the forum that I was not the only person to under go these horrible experiences and it looks like common for quite a few people. Still I need to recover fully from above negativity completely from life so that I can move on - which is now my top priority now!

I'm not ridiculing Yoga. What I dislike is things taken for granted offering that. It should be done with utmost care and should be given to only qualified people and offered by qualified people. In Indian tradition & stories, people undergo years of training before starting even the practises. And in Isha it is just being thrown to whoever registers & whoever has money. So commercial - as if selling a bottle of bliss. Even for a simple medicine like pain killer, so much certification is done. It definitely would not suit every one in this world. Jaggi says he "mixes the right concoction of body mind emotion energy" as if they are chemicals and it would work for every person. Certainly it did not work for me and apparently for many others here. So would he / Isha take responsibility? If "Isha" had been a medicine company, it would have been sued & sealed by now!!!!

What really bothers me is - selling & marketing this stuff without caring about whether it will work for this person or not. Like without giving any disclaimer and not caring about people for whom this would not work. This is atrocity & just commercial promotion!!!

Victim-7

My Life @ Isha Yoga Center

I stayed at the Isha Yoga Center for a year as a full time volunteer. It has been an ordeal and mentally scarring. I have tried talking to some other monks there, especially the ones I knew while I was staying there but those talks have not been satisfactory, often they have disturbed me even more due to their responses.

I was refused bedding by Swami Suyagna (the HR monk). So for the initial almost 6 months I was staying without any pillow, bed sheet from the ashram. I slept on a straw mat, with a thin sheet I had got from home. In the winters I couldn't sleep because I kept shivering at night. I was alone in a room with tamilians many from villages. All English speaking volunteers had much better accommodations and facilities. At my work area (temple) I was insulted, ignored, pushed around and rudely made fun of in my face. Monks who were in silence they did not speak, would come to the lotus stand and tell my co-worker that I was crazy via sign language, for no reason I could fathom. So effectively there was no way for me to talk about my accommodation nightmares there. On numerous occasions Swami Suyagna, Swami Udhava, Swami Shwetaketu, Rajarathinam and many other prominent, administrative people of the ashram stressed on the fact that the ashram was a place to 'work'. Not once did anyone suggest I do more sadhana. To the extent that I was even explicitly told that my practices were expendable but work was not by these people, and that working would be better a sadhana for me than my practices.

I am from one of the poshest areas of Mumbai, having studied in one of the best colleges in India. Moreover I had come to the ashram after talking to Sadhguru and he having really encouraged me to come. I had informed this explicitly to Swami Suyagna, yet no bedding, no better accommodations and no reasons for denying the same.

Despite not being in the temple team, whenever I went to the temple after dinner, I was still expected to join the work. So much so that I have been asked to get up when meditating and made to work by Swami Adirupa many, many times. Even if I said no, I was forced. The work would usually include washing the Teerthakund Bathrooms. Effectively I was bullied into work for more than 10 hrs a day, 7 days a week for months. I barely had any time to sit in the temple, less yoga practices and no Silence break (I asked for silence but was refused by Swami Suyagna).

Things came to a hilt when I was eve-teased by a senior monk (sanyasi) there, when I was alone in the dining room. Many people there have complained that the monks flirt a lot, but as yet I had not come across such physical misbehaviour! What made this incident worse was not having anyone to speak to within the organization due to the above 'treatment'. The idea of complaining to my family back in Mumbai was something I did not think, partly due to shock and partly because I could not conceptualize such a thing. Definitely I have since then been wary of the safety of women in that place due to the monks. Finally it was only through Sadhguru's intervention (I wrote him a letter which got passed through to him), that I was given some respite. He told me to stop most of my work and spend loads of time meditating in the temple, doing practices etc... Despite this I was told by many monks and senior volunteers to 'disregard Sadhguru and keep working.'

He (Sadhguru) kept going out of his way to speak to me and make me feel at home there, even talking to me in Gujarati, however the admin was still a nightmare. This made me realize that being at the ashram seems to be more of a matter of garnering the administrations support rather than having Sadhguru's support. Moreover fighting and having an aggressive disposition seems essential because otherwise one just gets completely walked over by Monks!

Going to a globally known NGO to help them with their work has gotten me these extremely disturbing experiences. They have made me aware of discrimination, bullying and abuse being rampant and done by its admin in one of India's most respected spiritual organizations.

Jai Ho!

Priyanka Dalal

PS: The above can be read online in Priyanka Dalal's Blog . A number of people had posted comments that really bashed up Isha which were moderated and deleted by the Isha Web Watchers. This blogger used his own internet skills and unlocked those comments which can be downloaded from   

Victim-8

Jaggi often discusses his sense of urgency to spread his messages. As if time is running out and those that are smart better jump on his train. You might remember....a couple of years ago, he announced that he was intensifying, or 'amping up,' his energy to push forward his work to be done. Then he used this as an excuse as to why so many people were leaving Isha, not keeping up with their practices or not giving 100% to their sadhanas. That if someone dropped out of Isha, it's because that person couldn't 'handle' Jaggi's intense energy.

Please do not send your teenage daughters or sons to do the program. Parents need to understand that Sadhguru preys upon their children. He will seduce them. He will ever-so-subtly convince them that the only way for them to continue and progress is to surrender to Isha and to him. And he will encourage them to come and leave it all behind. Everything AND, he may likely seduce them physically. He will tell them that it is "necessary to lock their chakras." And they will believe him and they will let him.

The modus operandi goes somewhat like this, (at least for kids in the USA/West):

The child attends the initial program, nudged by the parents. The child just loves it, and the parents are elated. All of a sudden the child seems more in tune with Indian culture, food etc., is more 'respectable' to the parents. The parents can't believe their good fortune. Slowly the child starts spending inordinate amounts of time volunteering, doing sadhanas and other Isha related works. If the parents are entrenched cult members everything goes okay by them from this point on. That is, the child suddenly asks if she could go live in the ashram. Sadhguru says that she should first finish her college here in the USA and then he will see. The 'he will see' means nothing.At that point the child is as good as gotten a life membership to the ashram.Soon the child moves to the ashram. Volunteers are amazed at the dedication. The parents are thrilled. Soon Sadhguru makes a visit to theU.S. Word goes round that the child has been put on "silence" by Sadhguru for say a month or two for her spiritual development. Volunteers are very happy for the child and parents.

Nobody asks why a 19 year old needs to be put on a regimen closely resembling a communist interrogation technique. Nobody will ever know.The same parents, who would spend a sleepless night if a child stays with her girl friend for one night, will not mind that their daughter has changed forever and gone forever. They will actually be happy for her.

Now if the parents are not so entrenched and the child requests to go the ashram and they stand in the way. The child would anyway go to the ashram in due course. The parents rue the day that they introduced the child to Isha. And so it goes. To my knowledge nobody who has gone to the ashram had graduated by becoming enlightened. It is more or less a reservation into Hotel California.

Now this warning is not just for parents, but also for spouses who are not Isha-involved married to those becoming involved. He will eventually remove your spouse from the relationship and tell them it is for the benefit of both of you. Again, your spouse will believe him, because as you deal with the shock of their growing distant, you will be confused, upset, angry, despondent, and you may place very strong demands upon them for an explanation for their choice of actions, and they, in their Isha-induced false bliss will say to themselves that it's a good thing you are parting ways, because "you just don't or can't get it." Your spouse will feel justified...by the confusion, the sadness, the utter turmoil that their decision has caused, because they will feel above it all. And he, the Sadhguru, will support them in that delusion.

He will remove choice from their lives. He tells you to be Silent, you will be silent until he tells you, and you may speak again. Readers may not realize as what extent to which he uses this tool called "Silence" to keep people in line at the ashram? It's pathetic, because people buy into the punishment thinking they've been rewarded by the Sadhguru with a blessing. How wrong they are. They are just being controlled and manipulated in the worse way they think it's a gift. Now THAT is mind control!

Victim-9

"I was once a part of Isha and must add that it has completely reinforced my opinion on how erroneous that entire cult is. I say this with conviction because I have been an indirect victim of Isha for the last 3 years now. My husband got to hear about Isha from a few friends and went to attend Sadhguru's discourse in Mumbai. He then expressed his desire to go to the Isha Ashram at Coimbatore to do some yoga course and I really encouraged him as I felt it would do a great deal of good to his asthma. Little did I know that I was actually ruining my life forever? He came back a changed person. Lost interest in his Professional life and family. Over 3 years, he became more and more depressed - Isha 'yogis' convinced him that the way out of the depression (entirely created by them) was through following the practices and more practices.

He started spending close to 4-5 hours everyday for various Isha Activities. The first thing I see in the morning is my husband doing his Isha practices -what time in morning doesn’t matter – it could be 7am, 8am, 9am or even 11am. In the two hours that I get ready to leave for work he’s still doing his yoga. While I sweat it out at work the whole day, he sits at home doing his meditation, watching Isha videos, listening to Isha music, reading Isha books and browsing on Isha websites. Every time I try to call him from office, he never picks up as he’s doing his meditations or various other practices. I come back home late evening and the sight is exactly the same -he’s doing evening /night yoga practices – moving as if he’s in trance, making strange sounds. It’s been over 2 years and my life has been exactly the same. This is the growth that Isha promises. Let me share here that my husband used to be one of the most sought after media professionals in Mumbai before Isha came into our lives. The above is just a tip of the iceberg.

Isha has also taught him that a little violence, a little tension for the bigger mission of attaining Enlightenment and inner peace is absolutely alright. Thus my days are now replete with all forms of ‘justified’ violence – emotional, mental and even physical. If you are wondering why I am still holding on to this marriage – it’s only because unlike Isha philosophy I believe in valuing relationships. I think Isha is like cancer from which I need to save my husband – the man I loved and married. My earnest urge to all is not to fall into the Isha trap!

From any opposition from the family, he had a ready reply -"Sadhguru always says....family is the first one to come in the way of your spiritual journey. You have to be strong to not fall into the foolish trap. "

Over 3 years I saw my husband falling into an unfathomable abyss of depression, violence. My beautiful marriage with the man I had really loved became an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. I really tried not to be judgemental and decided to experience 'benefits' of Isha yoga myself before commenting. I did 2 courses, went to Isha ashram, became a volunteer for a few programs and have reached the conclusion that Sadhguru is a fabulous businessman who is using spiritual tourism to amass wealth and fan following. Isha Ashram is a 5 star resort complete with spas, restaurants, exotic handicraft stores, amusement places. It’s ridiculous how the man is playing with so many innocent lives. What absolutely baffled me was that there is just no place to share feedback. On one hand they encourage you to talk and in the same breath they stifle your voice completely.

Finally, they told my husband he should take a break from his wife and for getting clarity should go to ashram for a few months to find his true mission. My husband is gone. The organization is thriving. Sadhguru is up on every billboard / poster / banner possible. And I am left behind wondering what I should do now!

My husband has come back home after spending 3 months in the India Ashram with no communication to the family and it has reconfirmed my views about what a BIG FRAUD this Sadhguru is. I have realized, from hearing my Husband's experience that ISHA gradually makes you blind...first to your surroundings, then to your immediate environment, your family and finally your own self. It really teaches you how to completely disregard and disrespect your body. I was horror struck to see him - he looks sickly...a skeleton with some loose flesh hanging on his body... he seems dazed and disoriented most of the time....I am filled with disgust, revulsion, pity and finally a lot of compassion for him. How can such an organization are allowed to exist. While that Sadhguru looks healthy & fat. If I dare add....the others who go to his ashram seeking him...come back mal-nutritioned & under nourished....

SJV, himself sadistically endorses the above! Please see this video  from 00:53:00 to 00:53:06 where he says to Sri Deepak Thinmaya, that, if you stay with him for six months, he will make you, in such a way, that nobody will be able to recognize you!

I feel this it's intellectual terrorism.... In today's society, where there is so much mistrust, suspicion, anger, stress around and people are longing for something to latch on to, SJV had found out an effective way of cashing in on this disillusionment! It's scary to do these Isha marathon mass sessions." This post is a plea to all those reading to free themselves of the fraudulent organization that Isha Foundation is.

Victim-10's Friend

I am amazed at your boldness and in-depth Blog! Never has anyone had the courage before to write such an article on Jaggi Vasudev fearing a Backlash from Him! I have been Reading this Blog since quite a long time now and appreciate you for such ongoing eye opening facts about the Isha Business and the Businessman Jaggi! I thought it was time for me to post my views and experience with regards to my communications with my friend's daughter who is a staunch Isha follower.

I wish to inform you about the plight of my friend's daughter who was caught up in the vice of this businessman. After attending the inner engineering course she became a blind follower of Jaggi. She went on to complete the entire remaining courses including Shoonya, Bhava Spandana and any other courses which I may not recollect. She became involved to such an extent that she went on to become a volunteer at the ashram much to the despair of her parents and at the age of just 22 years.

She went to the Coimbatore ashram with belief that she would be able to meditate and learn more from other seniors which would be beneficial. But soon she found out that volunteering meant hours and hours of labour work which left her very little time for her daily practices. Later when her parents met with senior administrative swamis, she was offered a job through Isha for their new business venture at Indira Gandhi International airport at New Delhi were Isha was starting up a shop for international travellers. Here she was trained to guide (lure) international visitors through the Isha programs and the shop had self guided kiosks for the same. They were also planning to build a teerthakund for these visitors, so that, they could enjoy the bliss of meditation. Of course on purchase would be Sadhguru's books CDs/DVDs and other Isha items. It also had a modern day spa for rejuvenation and relaxation this also of course for an exorbitant price.

Later she realized that this was only a sales job (though she received a very good salary), so she left the same.

Even though today also she is still very much in awe of Sadhguru but she has understood that Isha is a business organization more so when she was asked very high price (fees) to attend and sit in the inner circle during Maha Shivaratri celebration / ceremony. She still reasons that Isha needs this money for carrying out humanitarian activities.

The good thing is that she has realized that she needs a career to go ahead in life and just volunteering wont do any good. But again she is planning to work and earn Rs 200,000/- so that she could do the trip of Kailash Mansarovar with the company of her Sadhguru.

It’s difficult to believe that even after witnessing the money churning business of Isha first hand; she still is under the spell of fake Godman and further is still ready to give her hard earned money to him.

Well, will keep following up with you and also share further!

Peace & Joy!!

Victim-11

I attended the Inner Engineering program 2 weeks ago and been practicing the Shambhavi mostly everyday.. I do feel calmer and more peaceful but I'm also starting to realize some negative effects:

- I'm always sleepy, always have this immense need to rest.. no more energy.

- I eat more than I used to.

- I have sudden stomach cramps and a horrible back pain with cramps around the hips.

- I feel lazy every time I should practice the Shambhavi, and sometimes end up not practicing it (and eating instead haha!)..

-I can't imagine myself doing this for the rest of my life!

-Please if anyone suffered from the same side effects let me know. I just wanna be sure that this is caused by the practice and not by something else.

Testimonials from a Meditator who spent time in Isha Ashram in India:

I am reading this blog and I need to give my view and share my experience with all. I am in touch with many core ISHA meditators ( about 12 years) they say its good but stay out of Ashram and don’t fall for everything ...as long as u meditate and do yoga only, you may see the difference or may not see anything, no need to stay there in hope that it will add any benefits and get you enlightened.

I have done the inner engineering program last year and also did volunteering in the Ashram and did few other programs there. The first thing I noticed was that people/meditators are lying in full capacity which is just mind boggling.

I had a view that they will be more calm and intelligent beings after starting meditation, but looking at the ISHA meditators I realized nothing can change an idiot and if you are a better human being u will change anyway.So to become more aware you don’t have to be near Sadhguru just take few good words from him and carry on. These meditators have spent 5 to 6 years or more near Sadhguru actually very near to him and they don’t know how to react to a simple life situation, which simply seeing, just took a big toll on me and my view changed for them. Nothing can change an idiot not even Sadhguru their Master. You don’t see a drop of intelligence in them.

I saw everyone is talking the same language, "you experience it and its different for all and there is a change for sure I feel, I am a completely different person" I heard every one talking these words as if someone had fed them with these words....it was amazing and funny. Everyone is trying to keep u quite, please talk slowly... don’t laugh loudly as if we are in a hospital with sick people. My God everything you do is wrong. You have to constantly talk their language and do Pranams to everyone just because others are doing.

I also found that maximum people there were those who had issues in their life and relations and so was I there or they had nothing to do so let’s go to ISHA MELA, where their families will allow them to stay and have fun as it is a Ashram where parents send their young child without hesitation. That’s why you see young girls and boys there. As they don’t get this chance other wise to stay out.I found only idiots in ISHA yoga talking same words again and again except a few intelligent who were actually trying to get along.

One more findings I had in the Ashram was that all the people in ashram and near Sadhguru are not very achieved personalities. I mean they are simple people without much or no achievement in life so for them to be there is a big dream.

If there are a few highly qualified people allowed in ashram they will turn the table upside down and than it will be difficult for Sadhguru to handle such minds going against him. An IAS officer who came to the Ashram and quit his job was upset after 2 years that he left Isha Ashram for the same reason as he was not allowed to be himself. So, no to, intelligent brain, and good strategy.

Someone also shared with me that it’s his strategy not to have questioning minds around him and he wrote also in his book that intelligent minds are dangerous and difficult to handle. Simple people are good listeners and they get enlightened easily as they do not question and listen to their guru like cattles ! Of course !

Also everyone who enters the Isha Ashram has a picture in mind of some very strong human personalities residing in there and you look for signs of enlightenment in everyone you meet but this is what you get to see.I appreciate Sadhguru for his intelligence and where he got it from but of course I know what enlightenment could be and it is not this. Its very powerful and pure and it is definitely not in search of people or power.

People who do good to others are indifferent to all. Its almost a brand promotion so if you stay out of ISHA mess and try to get few simple things I think you will benefit but if you fall for a man you will never reach anywhere than near him doing nothing.

I strongly know that enlightenment is not for all, its for a very few selected or few who struggled and stayed out of this worldly mess.These enlightened gurus promoted it in a silent way. This promotion of Sadhguru on the name of enlightenment to simple stressed out people is a big cake for the poor victims but at what cost, Where is it do you see in 20 years of his teaching no one is enlightened if there is one person get him on stage as ISHA's product.

I feel if you really want to fix your self please don’t become Ishaites else you will fall into trap from where there is no return. Just try to do pure simple yoga and meditation taught by Sadhguru.

Please don’t fall for it as life is short and you can’t do trial and error here.....there is nothing big on that side we all know but once caught there is no way out than to just convince yourself that you are right by staying there.....with no job or money.

Everyone is good for something and he should do that rather than giving up his life for some nonsense. The best and the strongest human being is one who lives life in full capacity and challenges and risk, and stands strong in all relations and aspects of life, that is where you need your enlightenment strategies not in a resort where u have nothing to worry no relations, no business, no money and no enlightenment...any donkey will like doing that and run from life and stress. People who always run will land there struggler and true spiritual people will always live in pain and survive and sacrifice not hide.

I don’t know if any GURU will work from me but I see that Sadhguru is working for so many of his followers and all are enlightened and will be enlightened hopefully. I don’t crave for such enlightenment as my soul knows the difference between these 2 enlightenments. Good luck to all.

I wrote so much as I want people to benefit from this. One we need to realize we need to be our self and always improve on ourselves. We cannot become Gautam Buddha so please don’t try it ….No hard feeling for anyone but one must learn Yoga.This is a western culture to live out people and just think for yourself and stay away and die alone.

Warnings by people who spent over 10 years doing Isha Yoga and with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

1. Just because a person has millions of followers by itself are no proof of the genuineness or greatness of the person. Hitler had tens of millions of German people who worshipped him was a Vegetarian, A celibate, Built great Auto-Bahns. Now the whole world knows him for the personification of evil that he was. Hence, mere numbers of followers is no indication of Jaggi's greatness. It speaks volumes about his skills of oratory and the excellent public relations machinery that he has employed though.

2. The marginal benefits that one derives from Jaggi's cult is far outweighed by the damage it does to an individual and his/her family. The sad thing is that the benefits can be derived just by undergoing yoga, pranayama training under a yoga teacher. He/she will not exploit your gullibility. It is the process itself that is beneficial. Not Jaggi. Jaggi is pernicious.

3. Regarding getting invited to the World Economic Forum, Australian Leadership Retreat. One does not realize the amount of PR work, lobbying and effort that goes into something like this by the poor trapped "volunteers"? Again it has nothing to do with Jaggi or his popularity with these organizations.

4. With regard to my practicing the program that I went through which will make me realize, trust me, I have done it for many years. Enslaving of ones mind by a cult guru is not realization.You do not have to believe anything that you read here. Just keep an open mind and be willing to accept the truth when it dawns on you. For it will. Use Jaggi's own advice to validate him. Do not just believe. Not us, not Jaggi.

Since I am now addressing potential Isha recruits....I would like to add a few points of warning of the side effects from my experience with committed (brain washed) Isha followers. I have stayed away from this cult for this reason.

Please heed the following Advice:

1. If you are the breadwinner for the family there is a good chance that you will want to leave and join Isha full time. The initial high and the promise of enlightenment may sway you as it has done to many in the past. Consider the impact it will have on the people who depend on you.

2. If you are a spouse there is a stark choice - 'Kriyas or intimacy'. The other half of the relationship may appreciate your 'enlightenment' but will definitely suffer the consequences of forced celibacy.

3. Your friends will not want to be around you any more and vice versa. An Ishaite will mostly spew cult like rhetoric as is evidenced from the replies we have seen in this thread. There is only so much you can converse with a person who has only one thing on their mind.

4. Be fully prepared to suspend all rational thought even your intuitive observations would be killed.

5. You will have to spend at least 4 hours a day (or more - depending on special days) in meditation.

6. You will be constantly hounded for donations (voluntary of course) - this will be magnified if you earn in anything other than Indian Rupees. Without realizing it a large part of what you earned/saved will be gone.

7. If you take pride in your career or your job - be prepared to lose that as these are considered mundane.

Also, I agree with posts where people have stated that Isha should discuss both the potential positives and negatives that might happen. Even at Sathsangs there is an implicit agreement that only "good" experiences are shared. As I have volunteered for activities I know that people who come to share their experiences are given specific instructions on what type of information to share. Every bit of activity from location selection to who gets to share is well orchestrated to only highlight the positives (nothing is spoken of negatives except don't share what we do with anyone else). I pity the foolish volunteers who are basically good people who have been taken in by SJV's False Talk and are slaving it out night and day in building his empire by paying money for their own labour !

Closing Words by the Blogger :

This may not sound Logical or Rational ! Every living entity whether a Atheist Impersonalist, Personalist or Theist is under the illusionary force of the Supreme Called "Maya" or 3 modes of Material Nature i.e Mode of Ignorance, Mode of Passion, Mode of Goodness & the "Nirguna State" Mode of Pure Goodness or Lord Vasudeva State.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev [SJV] is a Psychopath who is only situated in the "Mode of Passion" like all other worldly people having the same evils of Lust, Envy, Anger, Greed, Desires, Ambitions that any average mediocre person has whose only Goal of Life is Expansion of his Cult using his hypnotic oratory skills and has immense greed for money, power, political connections, and so cannot be termed as enlightened.

SJV himself does not practice what he preaches & I challenge that he cannot demonstrate a single Surya Namaskaar or Shirshasana in Public as compared to his North Indian Based Yoga Competitors. 

The Isha foundation is in fact a cult and Jaggi is the cult leader. This was confirmed years ago by B K S Iyengar himself. If you are new to visiting this site, you will find many attempts by Isha followers to try and cover this up as directed by Jaggi. There are many stories here that come from true victims who were sucked into this cult by manipulation and hypnosis.

There are many victims who are still afraid to speak out because of fear that was programmed into them verbally and subliminally after being hypnotized. If you are in any form co-dependent or are a good subject for hypnosis, do not even attempt to go to one meeting or listen to one video of the Isha foundation. All recording have subliminal messages and some have hypnotic programming as directed by Jaggi. The victims here are sharing there experiences to help protect anyone from getting involved with Isha so they will not have to go through the physical and emotional trauma they have gone through. The victims are doing this out of love and have nothing to gain monetarily or do they wish to try and control others.

Jaggi does not want to lose control of his followers their free labour or their money and his followers will try to manipulate everyone possible, beginning with curiosity to get you to come to one meeting. Be strong and don't let anyone try to reprogram you to lose control of your true self. Everyone should remain independent and not follow anyone.

With Best Wishes To You All! Your Ever Well Wisher!

Swami Aniruddha !

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Suggested Reading to know about the characteristics of Psychopaths posing as Saints in the World and operating pure Mind Control Brain Washing Cults to extort Money & Free Labour from Gullible people by using Hypnotic Oratory Skills !

http://www.pdf-archive.com/2011/02/11/stripping-the-gurus-1/

http://www.pdf-archive.com/2011/05/24/traumatic-abuse-in-cults/

http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/my-favorite-narcissist-5572516.html

http://www.pdf-archive.com/2011/11/23/the-sociopath-next-door/

http://www.energygrid.com/spirit/ap-falsegurutest.html

http://dannyhaszard.com/captivehearts.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/z036112_sociopaths_cults_influence.html