Well, eek! I missed my Tuesday posting this week. I thought I had something scheduled to post and I did not. It works out well, however, as I had a little adventure on Monday to share.
The Invitation
I received an email in August from Isha Foundation, letting me know that Sadhguru would be at the Isha Institute of Inner-sciences in Tennessee on September 23, 2024. I was immediately excited because Tennessee isn’t terribly far and having an opportunity to see Sadhguru in person seemed like a special treat that I might not have access to very often. The email stated that they would send out information about registering when details were available.
I began thinking about going and how to make it work. I spoke to my husband and he thought it would be cool for me to go. We looked at the distance and how long it would take to get to the Isha Institute in TN.
I had two routes.
- One was an 8-hour drive that took me through Atlanta, GA. That wasn’t very appealing. (If you have ever driven in Atlanta traffic, you understand why.)
- The other route took me through NC—which just so happened to take me through Maggie Valley, where my sisters and I co-own a camper we inherited from our grandmother.
The route through NC would take nearly 8 hours as well, but I could easily break it in half by leaving the day before, resting overnight at the camper, and then leaving early the next morning. This not only seemed doable, but ideal. So, I just had to wait for registration to open.
In the meantime, I watched a vlog to get a feel for what to expect when I got there. It all looked awesome. The certainty of going was forming, but I was also busy with projects and attempting to meet my deadlines and such.
Doubt Creeps In
When I received the registration email, I began to question whether I had time to make the trip.
Was it really necessary to see Sadhguru in person? My husband and I would have to figure out dog care. I would be going by myself and I have a history of falling asleep at the wheel if I am too tired – and I might get to that point since the event would last until 8 PM CST and I would still have to drive the 4 hours back to the camper. On and on, the reasons came to make me question myself. I was really close to not going.
I talked to my husband about it and my concerns. He reminded me how excited I had been when I learned about the opportunity. We talked through various possibilities, including me flying out instead of driving, but that just seemed like an over-complication of things.
Thankfully, I eventually realized that the life I am creating for myself had the freedom to do things like go see Sadhguru.
I registered, paid for two meals to eat there since I would be spending the entire day at the event. Everything else fell into place. My mom would come over to take care of Ridley (her grand-pupper) in the afternoon.
I felt very relaxed and calm Sunday before I left around 3 PM. The drive to Maggie Valley, NC, was smooth. I listened to an awesome podcast all the way there and enjoyed the feel of freedom and possibility that was unfolding around me. Breaking out of my routine felt like it was opening me up.
Ideas were flowing and I was getting excited about getting back to work after the event and putting these ideas into practice.
Arriving at Isha: A Day of Stillness and Surprise
Monday morning I woke up at 4 AM, completed my Shambhavi Mahamudra, showered, ate a light snack for breakfast, tanked up the car, and drove the 4 hours to McMinnville, TN.
My Day at Isha Institute of Inner-sciences:
Entering the Abode
I entered the Abode and sat on an available cushion and meditated with the others there. You could come and go as you wished. The Abode was filled with light incense and rhythmic chanting/singing. As I sat there, cross-legged and eyes closed, I wondered if I really belonged there. I had the thought that everyone around me was probably more in tune with themselves and better meditators. I let that idea go and just committed myself to staying there and enjoying the experience. When I finally left, I felt a stillness that I hadn’t noticed when I was sitting but became apparent when I was back in a crowd of people.
Silent Brunch
When I left the Abode, it was time for brunch, the first meal that I had purchased for the day. They had sliced cucumbers, a delicious soup, an apple, and some sort of thick pudding that was sweet and spicy at the same time. The meal was eaten in silence. I loved it.
Bluff Views and Cozy Conversations
I had a lot of time before any other events were happening, so I went for a walk to the bluffs. It was a decent incline to get to the top, but not too bad. I did have on a light long-sleeved shirt, though, and I began to feel quite warm. When I came down from the bluffs (it was a very pretty view), I found a spot to sit in the shade.
I took out a notebook and pen I had brought and made some notes about ideas I had and plans to implement. I didn’t do this for very long, though, because I felt drawn to just be present where I was and not get pulled back into my normal thinking. I had a wonderful conversation with someone who sat near me.
We talked for quite a while about a variety of inner-beingness topics. I feel terrible that I talked to her for so long and did not even get her name. I was quite inspired by her joyous nature and what she shared with me of her journey.
The Wait for Sadhguru
I decided to leave the safety of the shade to claim a spot in the garden where Sadhguru would be speaking from 6PM-8PM. It was still only 3:30PM at that time and I was tired, so I spent this time in a mix of resting and chatting occasionally with the people around me.
Darshan: A Presence Felt
When Sadhguru showed up, the change in the energy of the crowd was palpable.
Truly, I was almost more transfixed on what was going on with them than on his arrival – which I had to watch on a screen because we were sitting on a grassy hill and the people in front of me were standing and he wasn’t visible to me otherwise.
Several people began crying.
As everything settled, we all sat in silence for a while before he spoke. We were then inspired by the words of Sadhguru for 2.5 hours and, afterwards, he walked around the crowd with palms together as if blessing us all – adding in an occasional dance.
Boiling the experience down to that sentence seems such a disservice, yet how to really capture it even with many, many words?
What I Came Away With
Something that came up in the conversation I had while sitting in the shade was that there are several people in India that have achieved Enlightenment. However, most of them don’t try to share that with the world – their focus is on their own journey. And that’s fine. What is remarkable about Sadhguru is not only has he shared that possibility with us all, but the extent of it is incredible.
What is being created in McMinnville, TN, is a conscious city. He has already created something similar in India. The intent is that the people there are actively working at living a full-fledge life – something that should probably be natural to us, but we are mired in distraction and illusion.
One of the things Sadhguru said was that it is important for people, especially the next generation, to know that this sort of place exists and is possible. I am grateful that the foundation he has created is doing this work. There is a different feel to a place when the people around you are engaging in their own inner work. I certainly experienced it during my day at the Institute of Inner-sciences.
It’s not perfect, but in that reaching for who we truly are there is less space to get entangled in what we are not.