As I started giving Jaggi Vasudev expensive gifts and making regular donations, I found myself drawn deeper into his inner circle. He encouraged us to visit their ashram at Tennessee frequently, and when COVID-19 struck, I decided to move with my wife and children there permanently. Coincidentally, a family living near the ashram wanted to sell their home barely a month after moving in. We purchased it at a heavily discounted price, unaware of the hidden trap we were stepping into.
The house was located within Isha Village, an area managed by Isha’s Homeowners Association (HOA). From the moment we moved in, we faced relentless control and restrictions. The HOA dictated every aspect of life-residents were discouraged from leaving, forbidden from speaking to outsiders, and even instructed to avoid contact with family members.
A formal document from the HOA justified these extreme rules under the guise of “spiritual growth.” We were encouraged to cut off from the outside world-no news, no personal connections. We were supposed to focus only on Yoga and meditation – the sole purpose of life. It was not a sanctuary, but a system of isolation—a carefully designed environment built to control, disconnect, and keep us trapped.
In the name of spirituality, we lost our freedom-until we dared to take it back.
