visit to sadhguru jaggi vasudev ashram

this post is not a recipe post. it is a more a food related post and about my experience of a beautiful and relaxing vacation i had recently.

after many years we took a small break from our busy lives and went to coimbatore at sadhguru jaggi vasudev’s ashram also known as isha yoga center.

i did not get a chance to visit coimbatore city. all the time we were at the ashram just meditating, relaxing and nourishing the body, mind and soul.

we did not do any courses or training there. simply coz we are already on the spiritual path for many years and we know which meditation method suits us. and exploring any new meditation technique in isha is a waste of time and money.

so we practiced our meditation method in the relaxed and free atmosphere provided in the ashram. and we are thankful to isha yoga center for this.

we had a comfortable stay at the ashram cottages. the silent sittings at the mystical dhyanlinga temple were profound and deep.

dhyanlinga temple – photo credit: http://www.ishafoundation.org/

the long walks facing the vellangiri mountains with clean, crisp, oxygenated air was a boost for our health.

not to mention the healthy and nutritious food that we had there. the food that is served at the ashram is pure vegetarian food without onion and garlic. 99% of the food is vegan.

plus it is all south indian food. the ashram serves free meals twice a day in their huge bhiksha hall. i must say the food is delicious and i wonder how they prepare food for 500 people everyday.

annadhanam – photo credit: http://blog.ishafoundation.org/

the food is served in thalis now and not on banana leaves as you can see in the pic above. there are 9-10 varieties of different dishes that are served in one thali. they also serve one fruit with the rest of the food. purely south indian food like dosa, idli, chutney, sambar, rice, masala rice, pulao, kadhi, thokkus, chutneys, salads…. all delicious and healthy too.

the food has to be eaten in silence remembering the divine in you as well as in the food with prayers being recited before the food is eaten. it is a spiritual experience to eat food with so many people and yet be silent and still from within.

dhyanlinga temple – photo credit: http://www.ishafoundation.org/

the food is eaten with your hands and since everyone eats together it creates a sangha (community) feeling. food is served by the ashram volunteers and it is unlimited. most probably you will be overstuffed as the food is so good

after the meals you have to wash your own plate and glass. thats it… after that go for a long walk or sit silently facing the green vellangiri hills enjoying the pure air in complete freedom. no one interferes there as everyone is focussed on their own work… inner or outer.

since photography is not allowed in the ashram i could not take photographs of the food being served or the place where they prepare it. also i was so relaxed there that even to carry the camera and shoot was a big big work for me.

i could take the photos of the area where the nandi – the bull’s statue was placed and the area outside the ashram.  some photos are mine whereas the rest i have taken from the isha blog and isha website.

the ashram has a relaxed environment. it has a feel of traditional yogic ashram where there are many rituals done like devi pooja, sarpdosha pooja (astrological remedy), kesh arpan (offering your hair to the devi) and many more. plus they also have many courses and therapies.

they also have a food shop from where i got really good stuff like herbal tea, ginger coffee, rice mix powders, pickles, ragi dosa mix, adai mix and other dosa mixes.

our stay which was only for four days was extended to 3 more days and the ashram cottage people dearly agreed for us to extend our stay.

i have been to a couple of ashrams in india and isha yoga center is a good ashram if you want to reconnect with yourself. everything there supports your well being… the cold water bath in the spriritual theerthakund, the meditations at the dhyanlinga temple, the food, the seekers, the cottages, the vellangiri mountains…. everything…..

dhyanlinga temple dome from outside

well shri sadhguru jaggi vasudev was not there when we were there. so i am not taking his name. i do not know how the ashram feels in his presence. all i know is that everything at the ashram is clean, green, silent and meditative.

road outside the isha yoga center facing vellangiri hills

also on a side note if you can read or understand tamil, then they do have a tamil cook book available at isha shoppe in their centers or online.

the english version is out of print. this book has recipes which are served at the ashram. so you can try them at home and also share them with the rest of the readers. also do let me know