2020 was going to be my year. My year of travel, self-development, and spiritual growth. Well, sadly the travel part was not to be. I did however progress in my quest for spiritual growth and here I talk about my journey.
In January of 2020, I had resolved that I was going to focus more on myself. My children were no longer needing me as much as they did being 7 and 8. So, I was looking for a meditation course or retreat to help me along my journey of spiritual growth.
That same month my parents had met someone who had been healed of an auto-immune disease. He was an internet technician who had paid them a visit to fix a problem with their connection. Well, he was quite a friendly guy and they got to talking. He told my parents that he had been healed of an auto-immune disease and what did it was meditation. He told them that he had completed the Inner Engineering course created by Sadhguru a year prior and was meditating daily. He said he was a loyal follower of Sadhguru and listened to his teachings daily.
So my mother googled Sadhguru and really connected with his message. Both she and my dad were convinced that Sadhguru’s Inner Engineering course would help me. I was trying to heal from an auto-immune disease too. So I thought I would give it a try and I booked in for February 2020.
The Inner Engineering Course
February 2020 had come around in no time. It was the start of the pandemic but it hadn’t hit Australia yet, so the course went ahead. The course was intensive – Thursday afternoon, Friday afternoon, all day Saturday and Sunday.
First impressions. I walked up to the hall in excitement. I didn’t know too much about what was in store for me but I was open to the experience. I got to the door and were kindly instructed to remove our shoes and walk in. We were asked to bring a yoga mat or meditation cushion to prop us up during the meditations so I walked in, placed my bag at the back of the room and walked in with my yoga mat. I found a spot as did everyone else and we just sat in silence. There were about 50 people in the room.
Then it started. On the first night, we were welcomed, and it began. There was a lot of sitting down cross-legged on the floor but there were chairs/stools to the side for those who experienced pain sitting on the floor. There is a lot of standing and squatting so I would say if you have bad knees or can’t sit and squat on the floor, ask about alternatives before booking in.
Sadhguru was not there himself but we did watch a lot of videos presented by him that were part of the course. The course is run by volunteers and they were great, they were so welcoming and always on hand to check our moves and give us feedback for improvement. They also ran the sessions, cooked, facilitated the activities, and made it a great experience.
We had a couple of people present their testimonials on day 1. Their stories were moving as they had been very positively impacted by the Inner Engineering course. I actually saw myself in both of the ladies that presented, as I had a story similar to theirs. I was feeling empty, questioning what my life was about and what my purpose is. Seeking things that wouldn’t truly fulfill me in the end.
Saturday was a very full day of learning the steps to the Kriya meditation. We were fed a healthy vegetarian lunch that was delicious. Then it was back to the meditation. If I had been doing anything else for that long, I’d have been so tired but meditation rejuvenates the mind and provides the body with energy. Many others noted that they felt so energetic and flexible at the end of the course (due to the stretching exercises.
Sunday was the day we performed the Kriya from start to end. Up till then, we were learning the different parts. The first time I completed the Kriya, I cried. Not sure why, I didn’t have a particular thought in my head as you would when you cry. Tears were just streaming down my face and I didn’t know what the emotion was. Was it happiness? Sadness? I still don’t know. There was one particular volunteer who was wailing. Sadhguru did mention that we may cry during the Kriya. It may be the mind freeing itself of baggage. All I know is that it felt good when I got up. And I have cried many more times since then during the Kriya.
So how am I going now? Well we were told to perform the Kriya twice a day for 40 days, and then we could reduce it to once a day. I did exactly that. For many months I performed the Kriya, and then in September, I stopped. I have tried to resume the practice but have struggled and I’ll tell you why. Meditation requires discipline. I was disciplined because it was a top priority for me for many months following the course. I would go to bed early to wake up early and meditate. But since other priorities took over, I have not been sleeping early and therefore unable to wake up early enough to meditate. It takes me about 35-40 minutes to perform the Kriya from start to end.
The other thing is that you should do the Kriya on an empty stomach. That’s why morning is best. If you do it in the evening, right before dinner is another opportunity. So mornings haven’t been working for me and frankly, I feel I haven’t been loving myself enough to make the time for myself. Really the excuses I use like ‘I’ve got too much on to meditate before dinner’, or ‘I just can’t get to bed early enough’ are just that, excuses. But it was great for my health overall and I will make it a priority going forward.
Why do I want to continue?
I felt great peace during the period I meditated. At the start though, I was a little irritable and I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the release of baggage. But my auto-immune condition did go away for months with no medication. I really believe that it had a positive effect on my life and well-being.
Would I recommend the course?
Most definitely! If you have the opportunity, do it. See the free meditation below to get a taste of the course. This actual meditation is not taught in the course but it’s similar. The course involved a whole lot more.
What is Inner Engineering about?
Inner Engineering is about quietening the mind and learning to think differently about life. It imparts powerful tools from the ancient science of yoga, involving meditation, focus, physical yoga moves, and breathing techniques. You will also learn about foods. In Yogic tradition, food is alive with a prana of its own. So Inner Engineering teaches you Sadhguru’s form of Kriya Meditation as well as lessons on how to conduct yourself in your day-to-day life and how to eat well.
What is Kriya Meditation or Yoga?
Kriya means inner action. But not inner action with the mind, because Sadhguru says that the mind is external to you, as is the body. When you can act with your energy, then you are performing Kriya. On the flip side, external action is called karma, a word you have most likely heard before.
Kriya Yoga is an opportunity to reach higher states of consciousness by elevating your soul’s awareness levels and calming the mind which in turn positively affects the body.
A vital component of Kriya Yoga is the relationship between the breath and the mind. Breathing techniques are a big part of Kriya Yoga and it is believed that the mastery of breath is mastery of self.
Food and Prana
Sadhguru says the quality of the food you consume influences your body and mind. Sadhguru’s videos on food and the relationship it has to the body are played during the course. He believes that your consciousness is important in determining how a certain food behaves in your system. Sadhguru says “let us say two people are eating food with exactly the same levels of nourishment and their health and absorption rates are about equal. One person eats the food with joy while the other simply eats it as nourishment. The one who eats with Joy will need much less food and will get better nourishment than the other person.”
There are resources and pantry items available to purchase. I bought his book titled ‘A Taste of Well-Being’. It’s full of great recipes and includes Sadhguru’s insights into digestion, nourishment, classification of foods and more.
Free introductory guided meditation by Sadhguru
This meditation will give you an idea of what inner engineering is about. However, there’s a lot more involved with the Kriya taught in the Inner Engineering course.