There was hardly an empty seat at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium in Benaroya Hall on the evening of Wednesday, October 5, 2016. The audience was buzzing with excitement around the prospect of being in the presence of Sadhguru; a man who many have called the contemporary guru of our time. Sadhguru is a visionary, mystic and yogi dedicated to elevating the physical and mental well-being of all. For countless people, he is a spiritual guide as well as a pragmatic social activist and campaigner for human rights, environmental protection, global peace, and well-being.

Through his non-profit organization, the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru has launched global campaigns dedicated to restoring the environment and cultivating human potential. The Inner Engineering program is one of many offered by his foundation. This program gives its participants the vision and tools needed to transform the self through yogic sciences and ideologies. While Sadhguru makes clear his departure from customs, rituals and religion, his promotion of scientific methods for direct and powerful self-transformation incorporates and presents yogic sciences in ways that are most valid for the contemporary life.

For the first time, Sadhguru has presented this program in literary form with his new book Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy. Seattle was one of the 17 cities in Sadhguru’s North America Meet, Mingle and Meditate tour. Upon entering the venue, you could feel their energy of the audience. As the classical band performed on stage, smiles were exchanged all around for people eager to meet the man responsible for transforming minds around the world. Many attendees had previously taken his Inner Engineering program, others found inspiration through his YouTube channel. Whatever the reason for being in attendance, all attendees were looking to hear his story and be guided by his teachings.

He began the evening with a hymn, the excited buzz from the audience silenced to awe. Upon breaking from hymn, the first request Sahdguru made to the audience was to be with him, a call to tune in to the moment and leave our devices aside. His engagement with the audience throughout the event spoke to his level of connection with his followers.

He recanted the story of his own awakening, from a boy to a young daredevil, to the moment of his enlightenment on a mountaintop in India, where time stood still and he emerged radically changed. He questioned our modern day methods of healthcare treatment, societal acceptance of avoidance, and our innate nature to confine ourselves to boundaries which limit happiness. Throughout however, he sprinkled in jokes, stories and anecdotes collected from travels. The connection between audience and speaker maintained present throughout the engagement.

Sadhguru finds a way to incorporate seemingly simple ideas into a world which has complicated itself. We live in abundant times, a time where humanity has seen more growth and development than ever, yet we are plagued with unhappiness.

“The only way out is in” he states. “In spirituality, one is a seeker – they have realized that they do not know and they are seeking to know. As human intellect begins to spark more, yoga will become the norm”. To this end, yoga is the path towards being boundless. It transforms and liberates human beings so that they can reach this unbounded state. To evolve as a human being is to become aware of one’s limitations; to strive, with intense passion, towards the transcendence for which we all have the potential. As the event came to a close, Sadhguru led the audience of over 1,500 attendees through a guided meditation. It was a powerful and emotional experience. He left the audience with the knowledge that we are all instilled the tools and capability to re-structure ourselves and lead a whole-hearted life.

If you attended the event in Seattle, what was the most valuable piece of information you received from meeting with Sadhguru? What are you going to do to take action after this meeting? We would love to hear any thoughts or ideas you have to share.

Below are images from the Meet, Mingle and Meditate with Sadhguru event in Seattle:

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