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Inner Engineering

Sadhguru, founder of non-profit spiritual organisation Isha Foundation, explains the science and technology for inner wellbeing
Katie Hill - Editor-in-Chief, My Green Pod
Sadhguru

This article first appeared in our Health Revolution issue of My Green Pod Magazine, distributed with The Guardian on 24 July 2020. Click here to subscribe to our digital edition and get each issue delivered straight to your inbox

Human intellect is sparking like never before in the history of humanity.

Offering solutions that are not logically relevant and that are somewhere else in another life – including heavens and gods – will not work any more. People want solutions here, something they can logically perceive and implement in their life.

If there is a spiritual vacuum – if there is no scientific process for people to experience their inner nature and know life in a larger dimension than the physical things we all do – then I think 90% of humanity will move towards drink and drugs.

Though heavens may crumble, the human longing to experience something more will not dissipate. And it should not.

Transform your chemistry

As there is a science and technology for external wellbeing, there is an entire science and technology for inner wellbeing: this is what yoga means.

Inner Engineering is an effort to bring yoga’s potential to the world, to sweep humanity with a non-religious, non-denominational spiritual movement, delivered in a scientific manner. 

Recently, a group of scientists and doctors from Indiana University, University of Florida, Harvard Medical School, University of Southern California and others studied people who have been practising Inner Engineering.

One thing that determines the nature of your experience and your mental and emotional condition is BDNF – brain-derived neurotrophic factor. With these practices, there is a 300% increase in BDNF: emotional balance, sharpness of mind and pleasantness of experience should not be a problem.

There is another dimension to this. Today, marijuana is popular – but the millions of cannabis receptors in your brain and body are there because you are supposed to produce it, not smoke it.

The biomarkers clearly establish that with the Inner Engineering practices, your endocannabinoid production is significantly higher. That means you are stoned by yourself – you do not need outside help.

The impact of the endocannabinoids compared with the cannabinoids that come from outside is very different. You are intoxicated and super-alert at the same time. Additionally, approximately 230 genes, which are fundamentally responsible for one’s immune system, are highly enhanced. This is especially important in these challenging times.

In other words, by doing a few simple practices you can transform the chemistry of your system. If you make yourself into a blissful chemistry, that will be the nature of your experience. Once you are joyful you will have no issue of your own, and will deal with the issues of the world effortlessly.

On the climate crisis

There are many aspects to the climate crisis, but the fundamental problem is soil and water. We launched the Cauvery Calling campaign to revitalise Cauvery River in southern India by helping farmers plant 2.42 billion trees in the river basin, covering one-third of it with green cover.

This could serve as a model for other tropical nations, creating benefits of soil rejuvenation, river revitalisation, carbon sequestering and climate change mitigation while increasing farmer incomes.

Our estimates are that the 2.42 billion trees will sequester between nine and 12 trillion litres of water, which is close to 60% of the annual flow of the rapidly depleting Cauvery.

Furthermore, with agroforestry – or tree-based agriculture – farmer incomes can increase 300- 800% in five to seven years; this has been demonstrated by nearly 70,000 farmers, who we have helped to adopt agroforestry over the last decade.

With this approach we are marrying the traditionally opposite interests of economy and ecology and arriving at a solution that has proved to be a win–win for all stakeholders.

Recently I was part of the One Trillion Tree initiative at the World Economic Forum. Scientists made calculations that if we plant one trillion trees, in 15 years’ time the trees will absorb carbon from emissions over the last 50 years.

Getting ecology into politics

Did you know that if human beings disappeared from this planet, trees would break through concrete and grow through your house? Everything would thrive wonderfully.

They say if the world’s insects died tomorrow, within 25 years all life on this planet would end. But if you and I vanished, everything would flourish. That clearly shows where we stand in this world.

The only source of the ecological crisis is the human being. We are causing this damage by functioning in an unconscious and compulsive manner. Only when our societies move into a conscious mode can our activities be oriented towards a solution.

We are launching a movement called Conscious Planet, to bring more awareness to ecological issues by turning them into electoral issues.

There are 5.2 billion people living in countries with the ability to vote and elect their nation’s leadership. We want to make at least three billion of these people aware of at least five ecological aspects that must happen in their country, and two or three aspects that must not happen.

If we do this, ecology would become at least the number two issue in election manifestos.

Carrying a piece of the Earth

We know how to go to Mars – but we still do not know how to be on Earth. We use all our science and technology to threaten the very life on the planet, but still our wellbeing is not getting enhanced. Somewhere we have missed the ABC of life.

Modern education has brought much comfort and convenience but not joy, because it does not address the aspect of inclusion. It has only addressed empowerment. Empowerment without inclusiveness is a disaster. Inclusiveness has to be built in to education: when you live here in an inclusive way, the environment will be a natural part of your life.

Human lives have become fragmented, minds are broken and we are going crazy simply because we have become unaligned from the way nature works. We are suffocating all the ingredients that we need for the upkeep of this body and the wellbeing of this life. You carry a piece of Earth as your body, yet there is no connection with that Earth.

Click here to find out more about Inner Engineering and how to book a place on the course.

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