Sadhguru joins Nikki to discover the limitless exuberance of joy, uncover the ecstasy beneath mental suffering and tackle the problem of modern-day anxiety.
An internationally renowned speaker and author of the New York Times Bestseller Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide To Joy, Sadhguru has been an influential voice at major global forums including the United Nations and the World Economic Forum, addressing issues as diverse as socioeconomic development, leadership and spirituality. He has also been invited to speak at leading educational institutions, including Oxford, London Business School, IMD, Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton and MIT. Sadhguru was the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan Award by the Government of India, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service. More info: Sadhguru.org
Defining Joy: Limitless Exuberance
How can our definition of joy effect our relationship to it? Instead of seeing joy as an elusive spiritual goal to achieve, Sadhguru and Nikki help redefine joy as an innate, base, blissful exuberance in our lives. Viewing joy through this lens of subjective exuberance, it cannot be identified objectively as a practice, philosophy, ideology, or a Godsend; but rather an intrinsic backdrop to the human experience – an experience marked by the longing to expand beyond limits.
“If one is not identified with the limitations of one’s own physical self – one’s family, community, nationality, race, religion, caste, creed – if your identity is not a limit on your ability to expand, then life will be naturally exuberant. When it is exuberant, one form of it’s expression is joyfulness.” – Sadhguru
For more Nikki, discover the fullness of joy by learning to go beyond illusion to the place of oneness, by tuning into Ep. 4 of New Growth
Suffering & Ecstasy (18:48)
Exploring reasons behind self-inflicted human suffering, Sadhguru and Nikki discuss the ‘mental diarrhea’ that is a relatively constant flow in our untrained minds – that we are caught up being identified with things we are not. Relaying a peak meditation experience story from a hill in India, Sadhguru shares his realization that if he doesn’t mess with his mind, he’s ecstatic. This epiphany inspired him to share this ecstasy with the world to relieve human suffering.
“People are so invested in their miseries, that even if you show them the greatest possibility, they don’t want to leave what is familiar.” – Sadhguru
Move past identification with the self and relieve suffering by tuning your life into the yoga of service, on Ep. 142 of Ram Dass Here & Now
Dealing with Anxiety (26:16)
Tackling the contemporary hot topic of anxiety, Sadhguru and Nikki offer new perspectives to help alleviate mental stress and worry. Rather than viewing intelligence as the problem, Sadhguru invites us to use intelligence to fix the problem. Left to their own devices, our mental faculties can overrun us, but when well trained, those same mental faculties, such as intelligence, can do wonders for helping relieve the suffering of ourselves and others.
“Your thoughts, your emotions, are running away on their own. They’re not taking instruction from you. All your faculties should take instructions from you. Only then are they worthwhile faculties. Otherwise, they’re a big nuisance.” – Sadhguru
Uncover a proverbial treasure chest of stories and resources for overcoming anxiety and stress. Check out A Toolbox for Anxiety from our Awakened Heart Blog
Images via Isha