ExpertDabbler

‘Join a yoga program’ was in my To-Do list along with ‘study well’ for a very long time. Needless to say, both never really happened. The last week, a STRONG reco from my friend made me enroll for the Isha yoga class happening nearby. I thought I should chronicle my thoughts as much for my own benefit as others later on.

Isha Yoga and Jaggi Vasudev seem to have really hit prime time. At least a good 20% of my circle (comprising friends and safe-distance relatives) seem to have undergone the basic course. Vikatan, Vijay TV, Youtube, and a growing array of celebrity endorsements right from Anuradha Ramanan to Ravi Venkatesan of Microsoft India have contributed in no small measure to Jaggi’s popularity.

In my experience, I do find the Yoga postures and breathing exercises very beneficial so far. I respect and appreciate the postures and breathing exercise and will have my gratitude to Jaggi Vasudev and his amazing volunteers for bringing it near me.

However, there are a few things deserve attention.
The economics angle of this program is mind boggling. They charge Rs.900 per person for the 7 day course. They handle a combined strength of 100 folks – morning+evening for the week’s class. The trainer who taught this program told me there are about 50-100 classes per month in Tamil Nadu alone. Isha does not pay anything for the volunteers. All the food and boarding expenses of the trainers are borne by the volunteers themselves. They charge about $250 USD in US for the same class (3-4 days duration). Anyone who does basic math will know that’s a lot of revenue and we get a receipt for donation, and not fees. Is that a way to avoid the tax man? So what happens with all this donation money? Enter programs like rural rejuvenation, Isha Vidya, etc.

I do not see the necessity for trusts like Isha Foundation get into activities like education, free medical programmes, tree plantations etc. Why can’t they just stick to what they do best? All these peripheral activities just makes the whole thing a big enterprise with a global brand. This is not their core competency. I am too cynical to believe in all this fancy social service themes of religious trusts. For now, thanks but no thanks.

One other USP of Jaggi Vasudev seems to be his way to address one’s logical, rational mind in his speeches. But as you get deeper into the course, he asks us to suspend our critical, rational thought process so that we can experience unlimited bliss in a totally different plane. Thanks but no thanks again. I think life has been undeservingly kind to me and I am very happy with my life. And this much maligned rational, cause and effect thinking is what has kept me live and kicking for the past 30 odd years.

The trainer resorts to statements like ‘It is our privilege to live in the times of Gurus like Sathguru’. Outsiders like me should say that I suppose. Self-proclaiming as Sathguru is like my neighborhood sweetshop calling himself ‘Original Nellai Lala’ sweets. There is also this in-class marketing of Jaggi’s books, Rudraksha etc. The more a guru talks or writes, the more likely he is to contradict himself is my general rule of thumb.

The reactions by hardcore Isha/Jaggi Vasudev volunteers and fans over anything even slightly negative on Jaggi and the foundation is something really worth thinking about too. It is important to have open, candid dialogues for any healthy organization to survive and evolve in the long run. It is only cults who discourage any form of criticisms and dialogue. I hope Isha is not just another cult.

Overall, I do like the basic course and would recommend it to any rational, mature individual. I respect Jaggi as a person who has designed the course.

However, it’s better for all concerned to retain their perspective and objectivity as much as possible and appreciate the course contents for what it is worth. There is an entire world going berserk at the very mention of Jaggi Vasudev and the ensuing bliss. I have nothing to add there.

‘What we learn from history is that we don’t learn from history’ is a Disraeli quote I always liked.