Inner Engineering

One of my favorite books that has significantly impacted my journey is “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy” by Sadhguru.

Sadhguru’s teachings and philosophy have inspired millions of people to seek inner growth and a deeper understanding of life.

Sadhguru has spoken at several prestigious institutions, including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, Harvard, Yale, Oxford, and Stanford.

To live a life of fulfillment, we must first engineer our inner world. We engineer the world around us constantly, but we often neglect to engineer our inner world.

Inner Engineering is the process of shaping our inner selves so that we can live in harmony with the world.

Designing and engineering our inner life is feasible, just as we engineer our outer world, but the journey must begin within.

Here are 7 of my favorite ideas from the book:

1. The Limitations of Intellect: Sadhguru teaches us that our intellect can prevent us from experiencing life to its fullest.
2. An ancient Greek myth involving the philosophers Aristotle and Heraclitus reminds us of our insignificance in the universe and that any thought we might have is even less significant.
3. “The philosopher Aristotle was walking on the beach. The sunset was beautiful, but Aristotle was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice it. Then, all of a sudden, he saw a man digging a hole in the sand with a small spoon. Aristotle asked the man what he was doing, and the man said he was digging a hole into which to empty the ocean.
4. Naturally, Aristotle laughed and asked, “How will you fit the entire ocean into this little hole?”
5. The man, who was actually the philosopher Heraclitus, answered, “You make fun of me for wanting to fit the ocean into this small hole, but you’re big-headed enough to believe you can fit all the secrets of the universe into your brain, which is also basically a small hole. So, which of us is crazier?”
6. To fully experience life, we must release our intellect and accept that reality is much larger than us.

2. Inner Fulfillment: Sadhguru reminds us that
3. “When your happiness is dependent upon what is happening outside of you, constantly you live as a slave to the external situation.
4. “By realizing that true happiness comes from within, not from external sources, you’ll be better equipped to support your children and create lasting contentment in your life.

3. Mastering Emotions: As Sadhguru states,
4. “The quality of your life is not determined by the clothes you wear, the educational qualifications you carry, or the bank balances you maintain. Rather, it is determined by how peaceful and joyous you are within yourself.”
5. Understand that your emotions are self-generated, and you possess the power to control them. Consciously shape your experiences by taking charge of your emotional responses, resulting in improved relationships and communication with your children and spouse.

4. Responding vs. Reacting:
5. “Whatever situation you may be in, you can either react or respond. Reaction is a compulsive state. Responding is a conscious action,” explains Sadhguru.
6. Learn to respond mindfully to life’s events instead of reacting compulsively. By practicing conscious awareness, you’ll be better equipped to guide your children through their challenges and find fulfillment in every aspect of life.

5. Personal Responsibility: Sadhguru encourages us to embrace the freedom that comes from taking responsibility for our choices and actions:
6. “When you take responsibility for your life, a different process, an inner engineering, begins to happen.”
7. By doing so, you’ll create a life that is truly your own and set a positive example for your children to follow.

6. Aligning Body, Mind, and Energy:
7. Achieve balance and harmony in your life by aligning your physical, mental, and emotional aspects through the practice of yoga.
8. Sadhguru shares that
9. “When body, mind, and energies are aligned, everything that is worth knowing can be known.” This holistic approach will help you navigate life’s challenges with grace and resilience.

7. Connection to the Cosmos: Acknowledge your connection to the earth and the cosmos, and understand your place in the intricate dance of life.
8. Sadhguru illustrates this point by saying,
9. “The planet is spinning on time, not a small event. All the galaxies are managing fine; the whole cosmos is doing great. But you have one nasty little thought crawling through your head and it is a bad day.”

As you become aware of this connection, you’ll find harmony with the rhythm of the universe, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.

I hope you’ll take the time to read “Inner Engineering” and let it serve as a catalyst for your own personal transformation as it did mine.

As the Harvard-Westlake academic year draws to a close, I would love to invite you to participate in the final May event this Friday, May 12th: Raising Resilient Teens Part 2 with Brian Shiers.

With love and light,