Shiva Bond

Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under No. TNENG/2013/53333
Those who stand still
are not always mannequins
There is a certain stillness to the Ancient
The Beyond is of a deeper Stillness too.
Volume - 2 / Issue - 2 `15
Annual Subscription `180 February 2014
S hiva Bond
Inspite of the venomous sting
The bee can only gather sweetness
Inspite of the deadly fangs
The cobra sits upon His brow
Inspite of the filth beneath
The lotus flower exudes fragrance
Inspite of limitless ignorance
I carry you as my crown
Can darkness extinguish light?
Can ignorance eclipse knowing?
In bonding with you
I have become boundless
Grace & Blessings
The right atmosphere and sadhana are two essential prerequisites for taking a leap into the mystical,
but not the only ones. In our Lead Article, Beyond the Comfort Zone, Sadhguru discusses what
else it takes to ready yourself for a different dimension of experience.
Whether it is in the context of simple self-help or ultimate self-realization, everyone talks about
the “self,” but how would you actually define it? In this month’s In Conversation with the Mystic
edition, The Self – Personality or Basis of Creation, Sadhguru clears the semantic fog around this
omnipresent but vague term.
Shuddering at the thought of starting your day with Neem and Turmeric instead of a nice cup of
tea or coffee? After reading the second part of our Isha Hata Yoga series, you may be inclined to
swallow the bitter balls and enjoy their many benefits.
In Life is a Game – Play It Well, Sadhguru narrates a story from the Kurukshetra war to illustrate
why involvement is the key in life, whether we already know the outcome or not.
Apart from recent event highlights, including volunteers running marathons in Chennai and Delhi
to raise funds for Isha Vidhya, the Sadhguruvudan Oru Naal program at the Isha Yoga Center,
and Sadhguru’s participation in the Business Today Mindrush 2013, we have a feature on an
extraordinary hata yoga teacher training program that is more of a life-transforming process than
a mere training to teach. Read the article To Impart Yoga, First Become Yoga to find out what all
the well-rounded syllabus offers, and get first-hand accounts by some of the newly minted teachers.
With this month’s recipe, Hummus-Stuffed Tomatoes, a light, easy-to-prepare appetizer, we invite
you to explore Middle-Eastern flavors.
Join us for an exuberant night with the Divine on 27 February, the 20th Mahashivarathri
celebration in Isha!
The Editorial Team
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ISHA FOREST FLOWER
Febuary 2014
Printed by: S. PRAKASH; at FINE DOTS, No.15, Boo Begum 3rd Street,
Anna Salai, Chennai – 600 042. Editor: K. SEKAR.
Our Musings article centers on the question why, at the Isha Yoga Center, sadhana happens
effortlessly, while back home, it tends to become a mechanical process for some. Just a question of
atmosphere, Sadhguru says, and points out what it takes to create A Home for Growth for yourself
and for those around you.
Published from 117/50, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004 and
Dear Readers,
Published by: B. RAJESH CHANDER and on behalf of ISHA FOUNDATION and
Editorial
CONTENTS
Lead Article
Beyond the Comfort Zone
Sadhguru on Leaving the Familiar to Explore the Mystical
4
Musings
A Home for Growth
Sadhguru on How to Create a Conducive Atmosphere
7
In Conversation with the Mystic
The Self – Personality or Basis of Creation?
Sadhguru in Conversation with Fashion Designer Tarun Tahiliani
8
Isha Hata Yoga
Sadhguru on How to Enhance Your Sadhana
Part 2: Neem and Turmeric 10
Life is a Game – Play It Well
12
Leela Series
The path of the playful – part LII:
News & Happenings
Isha Vidhya – Running for a Cause
Wipro Chennai Marathon 2013 / Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2013
To Impart Yoga, First Become Yoga
Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training 2013 Concludes
Sadhguruvudan Oru Naal
14
15
Sadhguru Initiates over 2000 Participants at the Isha Yoga Center
17
Sadhguru at Business Today Mindrush 2013
17
Sadhguru Spot A Joyful 2014!
18
Upcoming Programs and Events Mahashivarathri 2014
19
Isha Yoga – Program Highlights
20
Isha Recipes
This Month: Hummus-Stuffed Tomatoes
21
Zen Speaks: The Snake’s Two Heads
22
February 2014
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
3
SADHGURU
Beyond the Comfort Zone
Sadhguru on Leaving the Familiar to Explore the Mystical
The following is an excerpt from a sathsang with
Sadhguru at the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences,
McMinnville, Tennessee, USA, on 27 April 2013.
No two atoms are the same. Every one of them has a
unique signature.
The very nature of logic is such that it always
looks for the similar to associate and connect with.
This is an impediment for exploring the mystical
dimensions. The nature of creation is not to be
found in similarities, sameness, or the familiar.
Only on the utmost surface of creation, there is
similarity. If for example there are two people
with white skin or two people with dark skin, and
you look at those two only on the surface, you
may think they are of a kind. But if you go deeper,
are two people ever the same?
The familiar feeds the logical dimension of your
mind. The stronger your logic, the more you
remain on the surface. To delve into the depths of
the mystical nature of creation, you need to train
your mind in such a way that it does not seek the
familiar and consciously tread out of your comfort
zone. You are uncomfortable with the unfamiliar,
with that which is new to you. The unfamiliar could
be the Divine, but still, you would rather settle for
a known devil than an unknown angel. A known
devil is comfortable. The unknown may be an angel,
but who has the courage to explore the unknown?
In searching for the similar, logic naturally remains
on the surface of existence. If you go deeper, looking
for the similar will become bewildering. If you look
deep enough into anything – from your fingerprint
to your eyeball and your hair – everything is unique.
If you travel through the cosmos, you will not find
one single thing that is exactly the same as another.
People get stuck to familiar things. They want to
tread the same path every day. As they get older,
their circle of familiarity becomes smaller and
smaller, and after some time, the greatest adventure
for them is to go into the final box. Even when they
are dead, they do not get out of the box. When
seeking the familiar, you are making a U-turn, and
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ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
after that an elliptical movement. Those who seek
the familiar naturally go in circles – like every other
creature. Everything that is physical is in cycles –
from an atom to a solar system to the universe. If
you remain in cycles, the physicality will not release
you. It has a power of its own.
life – they can make your life most beautiful. In
the past few centuries, particularly in the West,
emotions have been banished. That is why people
are deprived of love. Everything is a calculation.
Before they get married, people make an agreement
about what is going to happen if they separate.
One important step that one needs to take to go
forward and explore is to develop a mind that does
not seek the familiar. This is the journey from
samsara to sanyas. Sanyas does not mean becoming
a monk – it means breaking the cycle. Samsara does
not mean family – it means repetitive cycles. When
you seek the familiar, you are always looking for
coincidences. That reminds me, Shankaran Pillai’s
son went to school. The teacher was giving words
and asking the students for the meanings. She
asked, “Who knows an example for ‘coincidence?’”
Shankaran Pillai’s son raised his hand and said, “My
father and my mother got married on the same day.”
With so much calculation, how can you enjoy
the beauty of emotion? Emotion needs a certain
unbridled-ness. With controlled emotion, you will
not know the joy of being flooded with love, to be
overwhelmed with love. You should be able to look
upon anything with love. This is about you, not
about someone else. If you are willing, you can be
loving with a dog, with a man or a woman, with a
stone – with just anything. Even with eyes closed,
you can sit here lovingly.
This little boy is missing the point. The reason why
he exists is because the parents got married – it is the
source of his creation. He misses the source of his
creation and instead looks for a date that matches.
Unfortunately, even in the physical sciences, they
are looking for coincidences to make connections.
That is one way of looking at things, but it will
remain on the surface. It will not explore the deeper
dimensions of existence. You will see everything
around, but you will miss the source of creation.
To consciously seek and tread unfamiliar terrain,
you need a very stable body and extraordinarily
stable emotions. “Stable” does not mean staid or
dead. “Stable emotions” does not mean there is
no love in you; there is no compassion in you.
Stability does not mean absence or dryness. If
that stability is not there, the mind will naturally
look for the familiar, and if you step into the
unfamiliar, your emotions will spill over.
You can hold a lot of juice only if you are stable.
If you are unstable, you will not dare to carry a
lot of juice in you. Just because someone has nasty
emotions does not mean emotions per se are a bad
thing. Emotions are the sweetest thing in human
February 2014
Marriage essentially means two individuals want
to make themselves into one in some way. If
there is a calculation, if you make a contract, it
may work initially as an arrangement, but then,
to share everything including your body, mind,
and emotions with someone about whom you
have doubts is going to be extremely torturous.
This is not about a particular society – this may
happen to the whole world after sometime. Why
are we driving ourselves in this direction? This is
not just about marriage. The real problem is, with
that kind of mind, you cannot explore mystical
dimensions of life.
To explore mystical dimensions of life, you need
a mind that is capable of handling a variety of
emotions. Your emotions need to be such that
they can flow at will and become stable at will.
If you do not have this emotional stability, you
will never seek the unfamiliar. If you do not seek
the unfamiliar, there will be safety, but you will
remain on the surface.
If we only trim the surface but do not attend to
the root, consequences will occur over a period
of time. An example for that are these senseless
killing sprees – people going out and shooting
others, just to kill. This goes particularly for the
male youth – you can give them anything that you
want, but if you do not give them a little leeway,
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
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they will either drug themselves or shoot someone.
They feel impelled to do that, because every day,
you have to drive on the right side, at 65 miles per
hour. Every day, you have to go to work. Every
month, you have to pay your insurance. This just
freaks them out.
The very nature of masculinity does not like
this. The more orderly we try to make a society,
the stronger the longing will become to destroy
something or someone or yourself. Too much order
will generate bad odor. The youth will want to do
something absolutely insane, self-destructive. If
that is not good enough, they will want to destroy
someone else or something else. This will probably
spread to the whole world at some point because we
do not understand the fundamentals of life. We are
trying to analyze the surface and fix everything in
life – this is not going to work.
These are social aspects that politicians have to
decide, not I. But if you want to explore deeper
dimensions of life, you need a mind that seeks the
unfamiliar. To seek the unfamiliar, first of all, you
have to stabilize the body and the emotions. And of
course, you have to strengthen the energy structure.
Without this stability, no one will ever dare to
explore the unfamiliar terrain of life. They will just
remain in the familiar. The familiar is comfortable,
but you will die of boredom. If you die of excitement,
it’s all right. Such a magnificent creation and you die
of boredom – that’s the worst crime.
YAKSH A 2014
A Celestial Feast of Music and Dance
20 – 26 February 2014
6:50 pm – 8:30 pm (Please be seated by 6:40 p.m.)
Isha Yoga Center
Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore
Malavika Sarukkai
(Dance – Bharatnatyam) 20 February
V.V. Subramaniam
(Violin – Carnatic) 21 February
Venkatesh Kumar
(Vocal – Carnatic) 22 February
N. Vijay Shiva
(Vocal – Carnatic) 23 February
Kushal Das
(Sitar – Hindustani) 24 February
Rakesh Chaurasia & Shashank Subramaniam
(Jugalbandhi – Flute – Carnatic & Hindustani) 25 February
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande
(Vocal – Hindustani) 26 February
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ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
A Home for Growth
Sadhguru on How to Create a Conducive Atmosphere
The following is an excerpt from a darshan with
Sadhguru at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore,
India, on 30 December 2013.
Questioner: Pranam, Sadhguru. My question is,
when I stay in the ashram, my practices happen so
effortlessly. But when I go home, after a while, it
becomes very mechanical. How to maintain this
effortlessness even at home?
Sadhguru: Essentially, a home is an arrangement
to live. People make arrangements according to
their means, and according to their needs – or
according to their neighbors’ needs. I hope your
home is according to your needs, and not according
to someone else’s idea as to how you should live.
You must make your home the way it works for you.
A home is not just the building – it also includes all
your other arrangements – your wife or husband,
your children, maybe your parents, your neighbors,
and the neighborhood. The idea of living in a town
or city instead of living in the forest is to make our
lives easier, to have infrastructure and a community.
It may not work for you right now, but you chose
to live in the city so that life would be a little
more effortless. You choose an arrangement that is
convenient for whatever purpose you live for.
What makes an ashram an ashram is that everyone
is here because they want to be here – they are not
trapped here. You need to create such a situation
in your home too. Just see if anyone is feeling
trapped in this home. There may be people who feel
that way, and you don’t even know. They may be
speaking to the neighbors, not to you. They may
not feel entirely trapped, but maybe suffocated in
some way. If they are feeling suffocated, open larger
windows for them, or put them on the rooftop –
whatever is needed to make sure everyone is there
because they want to be there.
February 2014
Once you create this atmosphere, you will see,
suddenly home is a nice place to be. But if there is
even one person who does not want to be there, he
will create a certain atmosphere and a vibe that is
difficult to live with. First of all, check yourself – is
this the place you want to be? If it is not, see why.
If it is, see why. Engineer your home in such a way
that it feels like a wonderful place for you to do
your sadhana, to live well, to be peaceful, and to be
joyful. Let this not become a hellhole for you – it is
your home. It is an arrangement that you made – no
one shoved you into it. It must work the way you
want it to be.
Above all, clean yourself from all the stupid
competition and opinions that you have about
how you should live in the city. You do not
have to be in a particular way to achieve certain
things. You can be completely different, do
completely different things, and still get there.
In many ways, I am a living example of this,
regarding the spiritual process. Let’s say if you
turn your head briskly, people think you are
not spiritual. You must turn it slowly. And you
must speak gently. People have certain ideas how
someone who is spiritual is supposed to be. Set
patterns are destroying your life.
If you are a spiritual seeker, why can’t your home
be set up like an ashram? It would be great if all of
you were volunteers at home. Do not only volunteer
in the ashram – be a volunteer at home too. Many
people have shared with me, “Never in my life, I
ever thought cutting vegetables could be such a
fantastic experience.” I said, “Why? You never ate
vegetables in your life?” “Yes, but…” When they are
at home, they expect someone else to do it.
The fundamental thing is to make sure everyone
is there because they want to be there. Set an
atmosphere where your home is not a place to be
stuck in but a place to grow in. Your home should
be an arrangement for your growth.
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
7
The Self –
Personality or Basis of Creation?
Sadhguru in Conversation with Fashion Designer Tarun Tahiliani
In an edition of the “In Conversation with the
Mystic” series, Sadhguru met with noted fashion
designer Tarun Tahiliani on 5 August 2013 in
Delhi. Here is the fifth part of their conversation.
Tarun Tahiliani: I am trying to use the kriya as
a process of self-nurture to become self-aware.
Perhaps you can guide us in that respect?
Sadhguru: The self cannot be nurtured. It is so
absolute that it does not need nurture. It cannot
be transformed into something else, because what
you call the self is also the basis of creation.
If you are talking about your personality as a
“self,” your personality does not need nurture
either – it needs dissolution. In the East, the
goal has always been to dissolve the personality.
This is the fundamental difference between the
Eastern and the Western approach.
I am not against the West in any sense. My
point is just that you should not do anything
compulsively – whether it is from the East or West.
It must be by choice. For example, we have chosen
to speak English now, because we understand we
8
need to do what works for the wellbeing of the
individual and the society. If I spoke Tamil, you
would not be here now. But if I spoke English to
be superior to someone else, it would be pathetic.
If speaking English is a conscious choice, it is
okay. This also goes for everything else – it has
to be a conscious choice.
Going back to our topic, the self as the basis of
creation does not need any nurture. If you refer
to your personality as a “self,” this does not need
nurture either.
Tarun Tahiliani: I think everyone interprets the
word “self” differently.
Sadhguru: This is not a question of semantics. I am
particular about the terminology because it should
not leave any ambiguity. If you are interested in
fixing yourself, first of all, we must clarify one
thing – how many people are there in this body?
Tarun Tahiliani: One person, many selves.
Sadhguru: No. One person, many faces. For the
purpose of clarity, I am trying to take away the
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
ambiguity of language. How many people are living
in this body?
Tarun Tahiliani: It’s just one person.
Sadhguru: The fact of the matter is, there is only one
person, but this one person splits himself, according
to your convenience. If you do something really
worthwhile and fulfilling for yourself and people
around you, you say, “I, Tarun, did this.” Suppose
you do something nasty, you would say, “That was
my ego.” But Mr. Ego is nonexistent – that is why
you cannot fix him.
An individual is indivisible. Only if you realize that
you are an individual, that you cannot be further
divided, transformation is possible. You cannot fix
people who split into ten whenever it is convenient.
This is an ambiguity that people create in their
minds all the time to avoid change. The whole world
is into this trickery. That way, they don’t have to
take any step towards transformation – they can just
talk about it and leave it at that.
A personality is an artificial construction of bits
and pieces that you have gathered. Since it is an
artificial construction, if you don’t protect it, it will
crack and fall down. This is the whole purpose of
the spiritual process – everything that can crack
and fall down should fall down right now. There is
something within you that cannot crack, nor can it
fall. Ultimately, any significant transformation can
happen in your life or in anyone’s life only when
the intelligence of the Creator is at play.
Your personality is your making. Suppose you put
two children of the same parents through the same
school and the same culture, they will still not turn
out the same. That is why we say the way you are
right now is your karma – your doing. Input might
have come from outside, but what you have done
with it is your doing. The way you are right now
is made up by you, but you have forgotten that
you made it up. If you knew you made up this
personality, you could change it. Until now, I have
changed my personality dramatically three times.
Some time in near future, I may do it again. It will
be a shocker for everyone. [Laughs]
February 2014
If you had seen what kind of a person I was before
the consecration of Dhyanalinga – in every way,
not just in terms of clothes and appearance, I was
different. People barely ever saw me laughing. I was
burning with intensity because at that time, that
was what was needed for this purpose. Once that
was done, I said to people around me, “Now I am
going to change my personality. If you suddenly
think there is a new person here, don’t run away.”
In spite of the warning, when I changed, a few
people dropped out, because this was not the person
they knew. For one kind of work, I made myself in
a certain way. For a different kind of work, I made
myself in a different way. What is the problem?
You can make your personality the way it is
suitable for what you wish to do. But right now,
the personality that you have created for yourself
has become a compulsive process. Unconsciously,
people create a personality for themselves. The
question is not which is better, which is worse. The
question is just – are you compulsively stuck to your
personality, or do you consciously keep it at a little
distance to yourself?
Tarun Tahiliani: We are compulsively stuck to
many things.
Sadhguru: Yes – that is what needs to change.
You don’t have to nurture your personality. You
must hold it at a little distance. Like for example,
when you wear loose clothes, you are always
conscious that these are your clothes, not a part
of yourself. Suppose you wore tight nylon clothes,
after some time, it would feel like your own
skin – you would lose the distinction between
your clothes and you. If you keep a distance
between your clothes and yourself, you do not
get stuck to them. Similarly, you must keep your
personality, your body, and your mind at a little
distance. That way, you will be able to use all of
them to their optimum, ultimate possibility, and
they will never cause any grief to you.
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
9
Isha Hata Yoga
Sadhguru on How to Enhance Your Sadhana
In this series, Sadhguru discusses various aspects through which you can to take your yogic
practice to a whole new level.
Part 2: Neem and Turmeric
Neem is a very unique tree. Neem leaves are the
most complex leaves on the planet, and they have
particular benefits in opening up the system. In
India, if you have psychological problems, they
“thrash” you with neem leaves. If you have a
toothache, we use a small neem stick. If you have a
bad infection, we put you on a bed of neem leaves.
To prevent cancer, we give you neem paste. Above
all, neem generates heat in the body.
Generation of heat in the body is supportive for
generating intense forms of energy within the
system. Different qualities can be predominant in
the body – two of these are sheeta and ushna, in
traditional terms. The closest word for “sheeta” in
English is “cold,” but that is not exactly what it is. If
your system moves towards sheeta, the mucus levels
in the body will go up. Excess mucus in the system
is linked to a variety of conditions, from a common
cold and sinusitis to many other issues.
For a hata yogi, neem is particularly important
because it keeps the body slightly oriented towards
ushna. Ushna means you are a little gassed up.
For a sadhaka who explores unknown terrain, it
is safer to carry an extra can of gas, just in case
your system needs that extra power. You want to
keep the fire slightly higher than generally needed.
When the body is in a condition of sheeta, you are
not capable of too much activity. If you keep your
body slightly on the ushna side, even if you travel,
eat outside, or whatever else you may be exposed
to, this extra fire in you will burn and handle these
external influences.
Neem is a big support in that direction, and it also
has various other benefits. The world is full of
bacteria. The body is full of bacteria. There are more
10
microorganisms living in you than you can imagine.
Without them, you cannot digest anything – in fact,
you cannot exist. Most bacteria are helpful, but some
of them can cause you trouble. Your body constantly
spends energy to manage bacteria. If excess levels
of bacteria occur, you will feel down because your
defense mechanism has to spend too much energy to
fight them. By using neem internally and externally,
you manage the bacteria in such a way that they will
not overgrow and you will not have to spend the
body’s energy on fighting them. If you consume
a certain amount of neem on a daily basis, it will
destroy the troublesome bacteria in the intestinal
region, and your colon will generally remain clean
and free of infection.
One thing to keep in mind is, when consumed
in excess, neem will kill sperm cells. In the first
four to five months of pregnancy, when the fetus
is developing, pregnant women should not have
neem. Neem does not cause any damage to the
ovaries – in fact, it is good for them – but it causes
excess heat. When a woman has just conceived
and there is too much heat in the body, she may
lose the fetus. If a woman is planning to conceive,
she should not consume neem because there will
be excess heat, and the system will treat the baby
like a foreign body.
If heat increases, certain changes will happen in
the system – women will notice this more than
men. In case this affects the normal process of the
body, we bring the heat down to some extent, but
we generally do not want to give up neem because
for people who do sadhana, some amount of heat
in the system is needed. After starting to have
neem on a daily basis, some of the ladies may find
that their menstrual cycles become shorter. In that
case, just drink more water. If having more water
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
alone is not sufficient to reduce the heat, add a
piece of lemon or the juice of half a lemon to the
water. If that is still not enough, have a glass of
ash gourd juice, which is very cooling. Another
option is castor oil. If you put some of it into your
navel, at your anahata, at the pit of the throat, and
behind the ears, it will instantly cool the system.
Neem has many incredible benefits, but one of
the most important things is, it kills cancerous
cells. Every one of our bodies has cancerous
cells, but normally, they are disorganized. If you
create certain situations in the body, they will get
organized. The shift from petty crime to organized
crime is a serious problem. As long as they are
loafing around by themselves, it is not an issue.
If they all gather in one place and hit it off, it
becomes a problem. If you consume neem every
day, it keeps the number of cancerous cells in the
body within a certain percentage, so that they will
not gang up against the system.
Having neem may also help prevent mosquito
bites. If there is a slight smell in certain areas
of the body, it means bacteria are a little more
active there. Almost everybody has some minor
skin issues. If you rub your body with neem paste
before bath, let it dry for some time, and then wash
it off with water, it will act as a good antibacterial
cleanser. Alternatively, you can soak a few neem
leaves in water overnight and have bath with this
water in the morning. If you wash your body with
neem, it will become clean and radiant.
Turmeric has similar effects. It purifies the blood
and brings translucence to your energies. Turmeric
not only works on the physiology, but also has a big
impact on your energy system. It purifies the blood,
body, and energy system. For external purification,
just take a small pinch of turmeric, put it into a
bucket of water and pour it over your body – you
will see, the body will be vibrant and glowing.
minimum. When we gauge whether your sadhana
is working or not by looking at how much you sleep
and how alert you are, we are checking how much
inertia you generate. The inertia levels will increase
if the body does not allow a certain amount of energy
to enter the cellular level. Neem and turmeric as a
combination dilate the cellular structure of the body
in such a way that it allows energy to enter and fill
up every crevice. Neem and turmeric are a physical
support towards that, but sadhana itself does it too.
You can generate enormous energy by means
other than sadhana, such as stimulants – like a
strong cup of coffee, nicotine, or cocaine – but it
will not dilate the cellular structure and allow the
energy to enter the system so it can be stored and
released over a long period of time. When instead
of being stored, energy finds expression right
there, it becomes destructive – not only for the
body, but also for the mind, for the activity that
you perform, and for the world around you. When
we generate energy in the body, it is important
that it does not simply burst out but that we are
able to hold it and release it by choice.
The consumption of neem and turmeric with tepid,
light honey water is a wonderful way of cleansing
and dilating the cellular structure in such a way that
it is able to absorb energy. When you do sadhana,
the dilation brings flexibility to the muscles. The
flexibility helps you to slowly build the system into
a more powerful possibility. You will feel it – as
you do your asanas, the body will crackle with a
different kind of energy.
Excerpted from talks by Sadhguru at the Isha
Hata School of Yoga.
www.ishahatayoga.org
Everything you borrow from the earth, including
your body, has a certain inertia. It is important to be
conscious of this and to keep the inertia levels at the
February 2014
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
11
Leela Series
The path of the playful –
Part LII
Life is a Game – Play It Well
The following is an excerpt from Leela, the path of the playful, a unique exploration with Sadhguru
into the mystical realm of Krishna, which took place at the Isha Yoga Center in September 2005.
Questioner: Sadhguru, it is said that Sage Vyasa
wrote Mahabaratha even before it happened, and
only then did all these events occur. It is also said
that someone told Kamsa that Krishna would come
and kill him. How can people know things before
they actually happen?
Sadhguru: That’s called a prophecy. Are some parts
of our lives predetermined, and if it is so, what is the
point of all this striving? I have to tell you a story.
During the Kurukshetra war, which was described
as the Dharma Yuddha, the mother of all battles,
no one could remain neutral. You had to be either
on the Kaurava side or the Pandava side. Hundreds
of kings started aligning themselves on either side.
Since Jarasandha of Magadha, who used to be a
major force, was dead, his grandsons had split up.
Most of the Magadhas joined the Kaurava side; a few
of them joined the Pandava side. Almost the whole
of Arya Varta 1 took sides. Only one chose to remain
neutral – the king of Udupi2.
This Udupi king said to Krishna, “Anyway, everyone
is going to fight. Those who fight a battle have to
eat. I will be the caterer for the Kurukshetra war.”
You know, the Udupi cuisine is quite popular.
Even today, a lot of the Udupi people are caterers.
Krishna said, “Fine. Someone has to cook and serve –
do it.” The Udupi king was serving food for both
sides. They say over 500,000 soldiers had gathered
for the battle. The battle lasted for 18 days. Every
day, thousands of people died. It was a challenge
to manage the catering. If you keep cooking for
500,000 people, a lot of food will go waste. If you
cook less and the soldiers do not have enough food,
it will not be good either. But the Udupi king served
well. Amazingly, every day when he cooked, the
food was enough for all the soldiers, and no food
was wasted. People were amazed how he managed
to cook the exact amount of food, because no one
knew how many people died on each day. By the
time they took accounts, it would have been too
late. Definitely, the caterer did not know how many
people died on that day, but every day, he cooked
exactly the amount of food that was necessary for
the remaining soldiers.
When someone asked the Udupi king how he
managed this, he said, “Every day in the night,
Krishna likes to eat boiled peanuts. I peel them and
keep them in a bowl. He eats just a few peanuts, and
after he is done, I count to see how many he has
eaten. If he has eaten 10 peanuts, I know tomorrow
10,000 will die, so I cook tomorrow’s food for 10,000
people less. Every day, I count these peanuts and
cook accordingly, so it turns out right.”
Life happens on many levels. There is a poem in
Eternal Echoes about knowing the beginning and
the end – it is called “Pranam.”
1
Literally “abode of the Aryans”; region between the Himalaya and the Vindhya ranges, from the eastern to the western Sea
2
Town in Karnataka
12
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
Pranam
My awareness knows yesterdays and tomorrows,
my love’s domain is only today
Knowing the beginning and the end,
still have to play the game in the middle
The joy of love was coupled
with life-taking venom,
the wondrous grace of the Guru
with heart-breaking sadhana
The fire of enlightenment
with ridicule and failure
the blissfulness of the being,
the rapture of fulfillment, enjoined
with the pain of the body
Is this a joke
Is this Shiva’s will
Is he compassion
Or cruel
O’ Shambho! Let me tell one and all:
I do not want it any other way,
I do not want it any other way!
Krishna’s predicament was the same – “Knowing the
beginning and the end, still have to play the game
in the middle.” People always want to know their
future. The reason why you should not know your
future is, if I tell you what will happen tomorrow,
you will not participate in today. If I tell you that
you are going to die tomorrow, you will say, “If I am
anyway going to die, why should I meditate? Why
should I go to work?” This is the state of mind you
are in. Krishna is not like that – he knows tomorrow,
but still, he totally participates in today.
there is no game, because the game is only in the
moment. Now you may ask, “Knowing tomorrow,
you are still making us play today?” You must play
today – even if you know tomorrow. Or you must
withdraw from all play, but you are not capable of
that. Anyway you play – so better play well. You
anyway have to perform action – why do it halfheartedly? Better to do it well.
Knowing the beginning and the end, you still
have to play the game in the middle. Otherwise,
February 2014
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
13
Isha Vidhya – Running for a Cause
Running a marathon to support Isha Vidhya’s
cause is something of a tradition among Isha
volunteers and well-wishers. In December,
hundreds of them participated in two major
marathons to raise funds for the education of
rural students.
Wipro Chennai Marathon 2013
Chennai has always had a strong (and healthy!) base
of volunteers/marathon-maniacs who support Isha
Vidhya activities. On 1 December, 580 volunteers
including 140 women, 34 children, and 10 senior
citizens (above 60 years) ran the Wipro Chennai
Marathon 2013 in support of Isha Vidhya. This time,
four runners ran the full marathon (42.2 km), and
52 runners the half marathon (21.1 km).
Durai Murugan, a lawyer by profession and an
outdoor enthusiast by passion, who has so far run
four full marathons, shares his experience:
While running gives me absolute pleasure and
every time I hit the road or cross the 42.2-km mark,
I feel that I have achieved something significant
in life, there is another high, a far nobler and
meaningful purpose to my running. Right from
my first marathon I have made a mental sankalp
(resolution) to run for Isha Vidhya, expressing my
gratitude for their noble cause to educate rural
India. I feel there is no greater thing one can do in
Indian society than educating the masses of rural
14
India, since real empowerment for the poor and
the neglected lies in education.
Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2013
Two weeks later, on 15 December 2013, the
320 runners for Isha Vidhya made up the second
largest NGO group of the event. Thirty of the
runners were in the 21 km category, including the
oldest runner, Srinivasa Raghavan, aged 63, who
finished the race in 2 hours, 50 min. On the young
end of the spectrum, 35 school girls ran in support
of the education of rural children, sporting nifty
t-shirts to spread the message. The Isha volunteers
and runners had a blast, and a special message from
Sadhguru added fuel to the fire of enthusiasm:
Your every step is making a child’s life.
Your pain is easing the pain of another life.
Run joyfully – and make a life.
Love & Blessings,
This Isha Vidhya initiative was supported by a
number of corporate sponsors including SFAC,
Hitachi Metglas, Akhya Media, Mutual PR, Airports
Authority of India, and GAIL.
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
To Impart Yoga, First Become Yoga
Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training 2013 Concludes
The Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training Program
is an endeavor to bring back classical yoga in its
purest form and to train teachers who can impart
this phenomenally powerful science. The 21–week
program drew to a close in December, and 74
spirited aspirants blossomed into full-fledged Isha
Hata Yoga teachers. We reflect on what transpired
on this remarkable journey.
As they received their teaching certificates, they
were entrusted the privilege of bringing the yogic
science to the world. Sadhguru reminded them
that the only thing they would need to take care
of if they want to live well would be to never
compromise on the integrity and quality of what
they are doing. With so much accomplished
over these months, the participants were feeling
exultant at what they had received, bereft at the
idea of leaving the ashram, and yet excited about
the new possibilities that lie ahead.
The sets of yogic practices that the teacher
trainees learnt to impart included Upa Yoga,
which activates the joints, muscles, and energy
system, and Angamardhana, which aims at gaining
complete mastery over the limbs, organs, and
the rest of the body. They then moved on to the
phenomenal practice of Surya Kriya, which is as
a holistic process that activates the solar plexus
February 2014
and balances one’s energies to establish stability
of the body and stillness of the mind. Of course,
they also explored in depth different Yogasanas,
through which one can transform one’s body and
mind into a greater possibility.
The teacher trainees did not just learn the
technicalities, but literally imbibed the practices,
for their future teaching to happen precisely
and flow effortlessly. For this teacher training,
Sadhguru had revealed many details about Hata
Yoga that he had never spoken about before. The
participants also had the rare and special privilege
that Sadhguru initiated them into Bhuta Shuddhi,
a process to purify the elements.
From exploring the human body in the Anatomy &
Physiology sessions to insights of the impacts of
Food & Diet, or the fundamentals of the ancient
Siddha system of healing, the program lead the
teacher trainees on a journey of learning and
broadening their perspective. Thus empowered,
the future yoga teachers will be able to support
their students in depth.
As everywhere in Isha, however intense the
program was, there was always an element of
fun and celebration. The intense training at the
Adiyogi Alayam was dotted with a few excursions
to powerful South Indian temples and pristine
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
15
forests. From yoga practice to theory sessions,
from cramming to celebrating, from trekking to
meditating – this teacher training program had it all,
and the Hata Yogis participated in all of it with joy
and involvement.
The new graduates departed from the Isha Yoga
Center equipped with a profound experience of
the sacred tradition of yoga, the necessary skills
to teach it, the integrity to maintain its sanctity,
and the versatility to walk into any environment
and be able to present themselves accordingly. The
conclusion of the training marked the beginning
of an exciting journey for them – the endeavor to
spread the ancient science of yoga in its classical
form, as a way to enhance and transform human
lives across the globe.
A few of the participants, who emerged, scoured and
shining, from the Isha Hata Yoga Teacher Training,
share their experience:
“I wasn’t looking for just another teacher training –
I have enough teacher training certificates. I really
wanted to experience something different, and
thankfully I did. This training is not just to make
you a better teacher – it really helps you to become a
better human being, because once you learn to live to
your fullest and do your best, you can be anything –
you can be a teacher or whatever you want to
be. Every bit of this training has carved me into
something beyond what I expected. It’s amazing.”
- Kinnari Jivani, Yoga Instructor, Mumbai
“Coming from London for the training, leaving
everything behind, was both exciting and scary.
When I finished the course, I was left with just
the excitement, as I realized the possibilities that
lie ahead. From corporate Hata Yoga modules to
treatment programs for a variety of ailments, you
are given tools to meet people where they are. The
most profound gift of all is the opportunity to take
the yogic tradition to the world. We received a
teaching that started tens of thousands of years ago
and goes back to the Adiyogi. I have seen what it can
do, and now it is time to pass it on to as many people
as possible.”
- Subhan Nair,
Online Marketing Consultant, London
“The practices, the interaction with each other, every
little aspect of the program was so well structured
that it immensely transforms a human being in
a matter of 5 1/2 months. This transformation is
very much needed because, as Sadhguru says, you
have to be yoga before you impart yoga. It is like
Sadhguru put the flame of yoga into us and lit it.
Having it inside us so alive, the teaching will happen
effortlessly.
- Vasundhra Rao, Fashion Designer, Delhi
The next Isha Hata Yoga Teacher training
program will happen from 12 July to 6 December
2014. For more information please visit www.
ishahatayoga.com or send an email to info@
ishahatayoga.com.
Sadhguruvudan Oru Naal
Sadhguru Initiates over 2000 Participants at the Isha Yoga Center
On 4 December 2013, 2157 participants from all
over Tamil Nadu attended the “Sadhguruvudan
Oru Naal” Tamil program with Sadhguru at the
Isha Yoga Center. They got to spend one whole
day with the Master and were initiated by him
into AUMkar meditation, Nadi Shuddhi, and Yoga
Namaskar practice. The AUMkar meditation is a
simple process which, when practiced regularly,
helps strengthen one’s physical and mental balance
and wellbeing. Yoga Namaskar involves a series of
postures that nurtures the physical, psychological,
and energy dimensions of a human being. Nadi
shuddhi is a practice that cleanses the nadis or
channels through which the prana or vital energy
in the body flows. Keeping the nadis clean makes
the system vibrant and receptive.
Sadhguru gave discourses that left people’s eyes
shining with joy and inspiration to look at life on a
deeper level, “What is human is not an established
state – it is a possibility. To make use of this
possibility, we need to understand the mechanics of
how this life functions. The science and technology
for that is what we are referring to as yoga.” A
Q&A session gave them the opportunity to get their
burning questions about yoga, living joyfully, and
fulfilling one’s ambitions, answered by Sadhguru.
Sadhguru at Business Today Mindrush 2013
On 14 December 2013, Sadhguru spoke at Business
Today Mindrush, a two-day event in Gurgaon.
insights left the audience alternating between
laughter and thoughtful silence.
In a session titled “Ctrl-Alt-Detox” with TVTN
Network Executive Editor Koel Purie as moderator,
Sadhguru dove to the root cause of stress: “The
problem is that your mind and body are not taking
instructions from you.” He described the human
mechanism as the most sophisticated gadget. The
tragedy is that though we have a supercomputer in
our hands, we don’t know how to use it but instead
resort to “hammer-and-anvil technology.”
Other speakers at the event included: Bollywood
actress Neha Dhupia; Sampark Foundation Founder
& former HCL Technologies CEO Vineet Nayar;
Professor Madan Pillutla of London Business
School; Sasha Mirchandani, MD and founder of
KAE Capital; Sachin Bansal, CEO and co-founder
of Flipkart; Deep Kalra, Chairman and Group CEO
of Makemytrip.com; and Devdutt Pattanaik, Chief
Belief Officer, Future Group.
In the one-hour session, he covered topics ranging
from managing an organization, to the importance
of having perspective, sexual harassment, and worklife balance. Sadhguru’s quips and provocative
February 2014
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
17
Sadhguru Spot
Musings from the Master
A Joyful 2014!
Excerpted from Sadhguru Spot of
1 January 2014
“If you allow the source of creation within you to
find expression, joyful is the only way you can be.”
The Egyptian legend says that if one wants to enter
heaven, at the point of entry you will be asked two
questions. Unless you are one big “Yes” to these two
questions, there is no entry for you. The first question
is: Have you known joy in your life? And the second
question is: Have you given joy to those around you? If
your answer to these two questions is “Yes,” I must tell
you, you are already in heaven.
To become a joyful human being is the best thing that
you can do for yourself and all around you. Especially
when anger, hatred, and intolerance are rearing their
heads in hideous ways, joyful human beings are the
only insurance. Only those who know the value of
being pleasant will strive to create pleasantness all
around. May you know the fulfillment of making all
you touch joyful.
Let the New Year begin and prosper as an offering.
Keep yourself in a mode of offering, always seeing
what best you can do for all around you. It is in
this mode you will glow effortlessly. Beauty of life
lies not in what you get or have but in how you
are. May you become an offering that is worthy of
the Divine. In this you shall touch the Divine.
May you know the bliss of the Divine.
Love & Grace,
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
Mahashivarathri
2014
A rapturous night with the Divine
Discourse by Sadhguru
Questions & Answers
with the Master
Musical Performances:
Ashit Desai Singer
Rajasthan Roots
Folk Music Band
Experience the Grace and grandeur
of Mahashivarathri with Sadhguru at
the Isha Yoga Center.
Celebrating Mahashivarathri at
the Isha Yoga Center is free for
all. Seating and accommodation
packages are also available by
donation for those wishing to
experience the event in greater
comfort. Donations support Isha
in hosting this grand event and
contribute to maintaining and
enhancing the sacred space around
Dhyanalinga.
Seating and accommodation
packages:
& +91 83000 30555 or 83000 30333
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Seating passes only:
Thursday, 27 February 2014
From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. on the following day
Isha Yoga Center, Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore
Nightlong Sathsang
Guru Pooja
Powerful Meditations
Annadanam
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Nightlong telecast on Aastha TV and live
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ISHA FOREST FLOWER
19
Program Highlights
Date
Program
Place
Contact
5–8 Feb 2014
Shoonya Intensive
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
0422-2515300
5–11 Feb 2014
Inner Engineering
Gurgaon,
Delhi – India
98110 47489
delhi@ishayoga.org
5–11 Feb 2014
Inner Engineering
Vile Parle East,
Mumbai – India
99305 76725
mumbai@ishayoga.org
5–11 Feb 2014
Inner Engineering
Banaswadi, Bangalore
– India
95357 09940
bangalore@ishayoga.org
6–9 Feb 2014
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
12–19 Feb 2014
Samyama
Residential Program
conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
0422-2515300
13–16 Feb 2014
Inner Engineering
Retreat
Residential Program
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
0422-2515421
maa.karpoori@ishafoundation.org
20–24 Feb 2014
The Inner Way
Residential Program
conducted by Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
90040 57169
innerway@ishayoga.org
20–26 Feb 2014
Yaksha
A Celestial Feast of
Music and Dance
Evening concerts:
6:50 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
83000 83000
info@yaksha.info
27 Feb 2014
Pancha Bhuta Aradhana
In the Presence of
Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
94878 95878
pba@ishafoundation.org
27 Feb 2014
Mahashivarathri
In the Presence of
Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
83000 83000
mahashivararathri@
ishafoundation.org
27–30 Nov 2014
INSIGHT: The DNA
of Success
with Sadhguru
Isha Yoga Center,
Coimbatore – India
83000 84888
leadership@ishainsight.org
These programs are conducted in English, unless indicated otherwise. Current at the time of print, however subject to
change. For full program schedules and updates, please visit our website: www.ishafoundation.org.
20
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
February 2014
Isha Recipes
For Healthy Living
Hummus-Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients 1 cup Chickpeas/Kabuli channa
2 teaspoons Lime juice
½ cup White sesame seeds
½ cup Vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoons Olive oil
½ tsp Jeera/cumin powder (optional)
4 Medium tomatoes
8 Basil or coriander leaves (optional)
Preparation Method
1. To make tahini (sesame paste), lightly roast half a cup of white sesame seeds for a few minutes
and remove them from the pan before the seeds start browning. Grind the sesame seeds in a
blender (after they are cool) with half a cup of vegetable oil to a smooth paste.
2. Wash the chickpeas/Kabuli channa and soak in water for 4 hours. Cook in a pressure cooker
with 2 cups of water until soft. Blend the cooked chickpeas in a mixer to a rough consistency
with a few tablespoons of water if needed. Add salt, tahini, lime juice, jeera powder, and olive
oil. Puree again until smooth.
3. Cut each tomato in 2 halves. Cut a very thin slice off the bottom of each tomato half so they will
not roll. Scoop out the cores and seeds with a spoon.
4. Spoon the hummus into the tomato halves.
5. Garnish each half with a small basil or coriander leaf.
Chickpeas are rich in protein. Chickpeas are known to be effective in preventing build-up of
cholesterol in the blood vessels. They also help in maintaining correct blood sugar levels. Tahini,
also high in protein, is a great source of calcium.
Olive oil helps regulate cholesterol and protect the heart from various diseases.
Lemon juice is filled with antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress in the body, improve immune
functions, and fight off bacteria and viruses.
Tomatoes contain three high-powered antioxidants: beta-carotene, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
When tomatoes are eaten along with healthier fats, like olive oil, the body’s absorption of the
carotenoid phytochemicals in tomatoes can increase by 2 to 15 times.
Flavonoids found in basil provide protection at the cellular level from both radiation and oxygen.
Essential oils found in its leaves have the ability to inhibit several species of pathogenic bacteria
that have become resistant to commonly used antibiotic drugs. Basil is anti-inflammatory and gives
relief to individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Cumin can stimulate the production of pancreatic enzymes and help digestion.
February 2014
ISHA FOREST FLOWER
21
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Editorial
Dear Readers,
Our Musings article centers on the question why, at the Isha Yoga Center, sadhana happens
effortlessly, while back home, it tends to become a mechanical process for some. Just a question of
atmosphere, Sadhguru says, and points out what it takes to create A Home for Growth for yourself
and for those around you.
The right atmosphere and sadhana are two essential prerequisites for taking a leap into the mystical,
but not the only ones. In our Lead Article, Beyond the Comfort Zone, Sadhguru discusses what
else it takes to ready yourself for a different dimension of experience.
Whether it is in the context of simple self-help or ultimate self-realization, everyone talks about
the “self,” but how would you actually define it? In this month’s In Conversation with the Mystic
edition, The Self – Personality or Basis of Creation, Sadhguru clears the semantic fog around this
omnipresent but vague term.
Shuddering at the thought of starting your day with Neem and Turmeric instead of a nice cup of
tea or coffee? After reading the second part of our Isha Hata Yoga series, you may be inclined to
swallow the bitter balls and enjoy their many benefits.
Published from 117/50, Luz Church Road, Mylapore, Chennai – 600 004 and
In Life is a Game – Play It Well, Sadhguru narrates a story from the Kurukshetra war to illustrate
why involvement is the key in life, whether we already know the outcome or not.
Apart from recent event highlights, including volunteers running marathons in Chennai and Delhi
to raise funds for Isha Vidhya, the Sadhguruvudan Oru Naal program at the Isha Yoga Center,
and Sadhguru’s participation in the Business Today Mindrush 2013, we have a feature on an
extraordinary hata yoga teacher training program that is more of a life-transforming process than
a mere training to teach. Read the article To Impart Yoga, First Become Yoga to find out what all
the well-rounded syllabus offers, and get first-hand accounts by some of the newly minted teachers.
With this month’s recipe, Hummus-Stuffed Tomatoes, a light, easy-to-prepare appetizer, we invite
you to explore Middle-Eastern flavors.
Join us for an exuberant night with the Divine on 27 February, the 20th Mahashivarathri
celebration in Isha!
The Editorial Team
Isha Forest Flower – ONLINE!
Febuary 2014
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ISHA FOREST FLOWER
Isha Forest Flower c/o Isha Yoga Center, Semmedu P.O., Velliangiri Foothills, Coimbatore – 641114
Editorial Team:
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Printed by: S. PRAKASH; at FINE DOTS, No.15, Boo Begum 3rd Street,
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Those who stand still
are not always mannequins
There is a certain stillness to the Ancient
The Beyond is of a deeper Stillness too.
Volume - 2 / Issue - 2 `15
Grace & Blessings
In bonding with you
I have become boundless
Can darkness extinguish light?
Can ignorance eclipse knowing?
Inspite of limitless ignorance
I carry you as my crown
Inspite of the filth beneath
The lotus flower exudes fragrance
Inspite of the deadly fangs
The cobra sits upon His brow
Inspite of the venomous sting
The bee can only gather sweetness
S hiva Bond
Annual Subscription `180 Fubruary 2014