Sadhguru

Jagadish Vasudev was born on 3 September 1957 in Mysuru (then Mysore State) into a Telugu-speaking family. He was the youngest of five children of B. V. Vasudev, an ophthalmologist at the Mysuru Railway Hospital, and Susheela Vasudev.

As a boy he was drawn to nature and spent long hours exploring forests and hills. Around the age of 13 he met Malladihalli Sri Raghavendra Swamiji, who taught him a set of simple yoga practices that he continued daily.

After a year away from formal study, he enrolled at the University of Mysore and earned a degree in English literature. Instead of postgraduate study, he went into business, first with a poultry farm and then with a construction company called Buildaids.

On 23 September 1982, aged 25, he rode up Chamundi Hill in Mysuru and sat on a rock, where he had an experience in which he felt no separation between himself and everything around him. A similar experience followed days later.

Within weeks he left his businesses and spent about a year travelling and meditating to understand what had happened. In 1983 he taught his first yoga class in Mysore.

He then travelled across Karnataka and Hyderabad on his motorcycle, teaching classes known as Sahaja Sthiti Yoga. He lived on rental income from his poultry farm and donated the fees he received from students.

In 1992 Sadhguru established the Isha Foundation as a platform for his spiritual, social and environmental work. As interest in his classes grew, he began looking for land for an ashram in 1993.

In 1994 he acquired land at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains, about 40 km from Coimbatore, and opened the Isha Yoga Center. The foundation, which he still heads, is run largely by volunteers.

In 1999 he consecrated the Dhyanalinga, a meditation space at the centre that is open to people of all faiths.

Over the following decades his work reached a growing international audience, with Isha centres abroad such as the Isha Institute of Inner Sciences near McMinnville, Tennessee, USA. He became a frequent speaker at global forums.

• 1999: Consecration of the Dhyanalinga at the Isha Yoga Center.
• 2000: Addressed the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations.
• 2004: Project GreenHands established as the foundation’s tree-planting initiative.
• 2007, 2017, 2020: Spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
• 2017: Received the Padma Vibhushan and unveiled the 34-metre Adiyogi bust in Coimbatore, recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest bust sculpture.

His books, including Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy and Karma, became New York Times bestsellers.

Sadhguru’s teaching starts from the idea that lasting change in society begins with the inner wellbeing of individuals. He stresses personal responsibility and direct experience over belief, and describes yoga as a technology for wellbeing rather than a religion.

His programmes, led by Inner Engineering, combine postures, breathing practices and meditation. His broader “Conscious Planet” vision links this inner work to collective action on ecological issues such as soil and water.

He encourages people to evaluate ideas and leaders on their merits, and has said he does not subscribe to any political party.

Much of the Isha Foundation’s public work is environmental and social. These campaigns rely heavily on volunteers and public participation.

• Project GreenHands (2004): Reforestation and agroforestry work, mainly in Tamil Nadu. The foundation reports more than 17 million saplings planted.
• Rally for Rivers (2017): A nationwide campaign to build support for reviving India’s rivers.
• Cauvery Calling (2019): Tree planting by farmers in the Kaveri river basin.
• Save Soil (2022): A 100-day motorcycle journey from London to India and an address at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on soil degradation.
• Isha Vidhya: English-medium, computer-aided schools for rural children in Tamil Nadu.

The Save Soil campaign received support from many governments, though some environmental commentators questioned its approach.

Sadhguru and the Isha Foundation have faced criticism on several fronts. Scientists have challenged some of his statements, including claims about solidifying mercury and the effects of lunar eclipses on the body. In 2019 he apologised after calling a Muslim student a “Taliban”.

The foundation’s construction near the Velliangiri foothills has been contested. The Comptroller and Auditor General reported that structures were built in a protected area between 1994 and 2008 with approval only from the local town panchayat, and activists raised concerns about an elephant corridor. The foundation maintains that its buildings are lawful.

In 2024 a father alleged that his two adult daughters were being held at the ashram. On 18 October 2024 the Supreme Court of India closed the case after both women said they lived there by choice, while noting that other police inquiries were not barred.

Sadhguru has become one of the most widely followed spiritual teachers of his time, with a large audience on YouTube and other platforms. He has presented yogic practice in plain, contemporary language that appeals to people outside traditional spiritual circles.

• Isha Foundation: An ashram near Coimbatore and international centres offering Isha Yoga programmes.
• Environmental campaigns: Project GreenHands, Rally for Rivers, Cauvery Calling and Save Soil.
• Books: More than thirty titles, including New York Times bestsellers.
• Public honours: The Padma Vibhushan in 2017.

His legacy remains debated, combining wide popularity with sustained questions from scientists, environmental groups and critics of the foundation.