Sadhguru at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse

On Oct 12^th 2016, University of Wisconsin – La Crosse hosted a special and rare event with internationally renowned yogi, mystic & visionary, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. This was Sadhguru’s first time speaking at La Crosse. The event attracted over 750 participants from diverse backgrounds, including students, professors, the local community and nearby cities. The hall filled up quickly, with participants eagerly waiting to experience Sadhguru’s wisdom and refreshing insights. The event started with a beautiful traditional Indian song played by ‘Sounds of Isha’, which instantly created a vibrant and lively atmosphere for the audience.

UW- La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow introduced Sadhguru to the audience and then welcomed him to the stage. This was Sadhguru’s 16^th stop in his US tour after the launch of his new book, entitled “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy.”  Various organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, Gundersen Health System, People’s Co-op, UWL Cultural Heritage Association of India (CHAI) and Multicultural Student Services helped in organizing and/or sponsoring the event.

Although the talk spanned two hours, it seemed like minutes as everyone listened intensely to Sadhguru’s words of wisdom. Sadhguru made it easy for the audience to focus as he provided deep insights interwoven with humorous stories carried by his joyful, loving and profound presence.

Sadhguru pointed out that only when there is no fear of suffering, a person will live life to its fullest. He further stated how our thoughts control us: “In the entire universe, no accidents. In the entire galaxy, no accidents. But you have a nasty thought crawling in your head and it’s a bad day… Your psychological drama has become bigger than the cosmic drama.” Sadhguru then stated that life is a chemical process and that inner engineering is a process of harnessing and activating inner energies so that the body and mind function at their peak. He introduced his new book as a tool to help accomplish this, to turn inward: “What the world throws at us is not all our choice, but what happens within you should happen one hundred percent your way…To be peaceful and joyful means there is no friction within you. You have aligned yourself well.” He reminded those present of what could happen: “If we don’t turn inward the world will move towards chemical solutions (drugs and alcohol)… There is a responsibility for us that the next generation be at least one notch better than us.”

Next, Sadhguru led the audience through a powerful meditation process. It was a deep and joyful experience. The talk concluded after the meditation, as the ‘Sounds of Isha’ played several beautiful melodies. Sadhguru then walked among the audience to meet everyone who stayed. Several people had been following Sadhguru on YouTube or social media and indicated how exciting it was to meet him for the first time, especially in such an intimate environment.

After Sadhguru returned to the stage, audience members came forward to have their books signed. The book signing continued long after the closing of the event, and even after ‘Sounds of Isha’ had gone off stage. However, Sadhguru patiently and enthusiastically signed every book. It was truly an honor and memorable experience for all those present to have been with Sadhguru on this day. But this is only the beginning, as stated in his book: “Joy is a rare visitor in most people’s lives. The intention of this book has been to make it your lifelong companion… There is a way out. And the way out is in. It is only by turning inward that we can truly create a world of love, light, and laughter. This book could be a doorway to that world. Let us make it happen.”

Experiences and Expressions:

“We just got done listening to Sadhguru for 2 ½ hours, and, honestly, it felt like about ten minutes. There wasn’t a moment when I was bored, he kept bringing in new ideas that related with my life, so for me it was a powerful experience, and I would definitely go see it again. –funny guy, yet a very sincere guy… everything seemed very pertinent. We learned that we have it all in us, that we should get it out and share it and express it.”

“We came all the way here from Madison to attend Guru Ji’s lecture, it was a really great experience, it got our minds on a lot of topics. We have seen a lot of his videos, but this was very special, very enlightening.”

“This is my first time here. I definitely felt the energy of ecstasy, the fluctuations of my mind, I went into a calm and grounded space. I’m a yoga teacher, and this has definitely added to my experience, to the bliss that I know.”

“This is my first time seeing Sadhguru, and it was truly lovely, he gives such beautiful, simple teachings, to live with joy… it was wonderful! I can’t wait to see him again.”

“We learned a lot about inner engineering, about life itself, how to stay joyful, to be happy… it was nice. Thank you.”

“I came this evening to learn, and I’m so happy to be reminded about what each of us is and what we have, so I thank Sadhguru so much.”

“I’m happy to be alive… and I plan on remembering that!”

“What I just experienced was so enlightening! If it wasn’t for my mom who brought me to this experience, I don’t think I would’ve ever found Sadhguru, and found the inner peace in myself… I’m so grateful for Sadhguru, I’m so thankful that he came to Wisconsin… I loved the meditation, I’ll be trying it every single day… and to be in the now, and be in own place. I’m so happy… I so appreciate it… I’m super-blessed… and thank you, Mom, and thank you, Sadhguru, for this amazing experience, and for this enlightenment… thank you so much!”