u/ludwickjohnson123

So I've been looking at a lot of the testimonies from ex-volunteers, and one of the most recurring problem that is brought up is manipulation. I've seen people talk about how the programs are LGATs, when they are meditating they are in suggestible states, or how dopamine levels are manipulated in the brain and the high they experience ends up being attributed (in a manufactured way) to IYC. I remember the whistling sound and clapping that Jaggi made, however when we were meditating I don't quite remember what exactly he was saying so I was just wondering as to the specifics of what he says while people are in suggestible states that manages to make them so brainwashed in their loyalty to IYC. I am also just wondering about specific aspects of IYC's programs that qualify them as being LGATs, the specifics of the manipulation that occurs (if people could give some examples - for instance one person talked about how during BSP when they get the high a photo of Sadhguru is instantly shown so they will mistakenly attribute the chemical high they got to Sadhguru's "mystical" energy.

So I just wanted to investigate the Exploitative Practices (specifically the labor practices) at IYC and hear from some ex-volunteers regarding what their testimonies are on this. For starters, what I know is that volunteers work for free, and the money generated goes to the overall revenue of IYC, as well as Sadhguru's/Jaggi's personal bank account (also provides marketing for Radhe Jaggi's business and money probably goes to her bank account as well). I've done some research on this and here are my arguments and evidence for Jaggi and IYC exploiting the labor of volunteers:

-They profit off of the free labor provided by volunteers/devotees, net assets in U.S. branch of IYC alone is like $191mil - their annual profit in '24 was $32mil if you take off operational expenses (lowered thanks to voluntary slave labor)

-Sadhguru has at least $30mil in his bank account that he can spend on his leisure (real estate, cars, etc etc) - devotees claim cars were given as gifts from wealthy people but they were probably also bought by Jaggi himself.

-Radhe's business has been marketed and promoted by IYC, clearly Sadhguru is using his business to promote his daughter's business

-According to BeScofield article, a former accountant for IYC (back in 2010 I believe) said that all the money in profits that IYC made was directly wired back into the bank accounts of Jaggi and Radhe.

-Keep in mind Jaggi himself has said he is not a fan of donating his money and sees donation as insignificant (giant money hoarder)

Feel free to add more arguments and evidence for Jaggi and IYC exploiting the labor of volunteers below in the comments.

I am interested in hearing from former Isha Yoga Center (IYC) volunteers regarding their views on the Dhyanalinga.

Specifically, IYC claims that the Dhyanalinga has all 7 chakras fully aligned and charged at maximum potential. As someone looking at this critically from a marketing and organizational perspective, I would love to know:

Did your views on these consecrated spaces change during or after your time volunteering?

How do you view these spiritual claims now?

My intent is to explore different viewpoints from people who were actually inside the ecosystem. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

So IYC claims that the Dhyanalinga has all 7 chakras aligned, charged at maximum potential, and all sorts of fantastical things like this. As ex-IYC volunteers, what really is the truth behind Dhyanalinga? Is it merely a stone, does it have some kind of demonic attraction energy to it? Also are his other so-called “consecrated spaces” just scams or filled with demonic energy or something?

Hello, I’m just curious about what some ex-sadhanapada and ex-ashramite experiences were with sleep deprivation while volunteering at IYC? I’ve heard that for Sadhanapada it is even worse than for ashramites but maybe it is the same level I don’t know. All I know so far is 5:30 mandatory guru pooja, densely packed communal rooms (50-60 although from what I’ve seen it’s for sadhanapada volunteers but maybe some ashramites as well) and long hours of work (7-14hrs).

Did IE back in Early '25 to handle some mental health issues I was dealing with (as well as to improve my physical health). Saw Sadhguru in a good light until recently when I found out just how much exploitation truly goes on in Isha Yoga center and how much of a cult it truly is (as well as how much of a grifter Sadhguru is). I was just wondering what ex-Isha yoga center volunteers would say are the most important reasons why someone should not become a volunteer at IYC.