Besides being a yogi, mystic, and a New York Times bestselling author, Sadhguru is also quite known for his passion for golf and motorcycles. He has been on countless bike trips that go back decades. But after a 37-day adventure-packed journey, riding through 19 states, and covering a staggering 9477 miles, this was indeed a “journey like no other” for the founder of Isha Foundation.
Sadhguru and his convoy of 16 fellow travellers travelled across the United States to discover spiritual America in order to get a better understanding of the history, culture and traditions of Indigenous Peoples.
Millions of people had already inhabited the country before the arrival of European explorers and conquerors. More than 10 million Indigenous Peoples lived in the US at one time. But the people were subject to enslavement and subjugation for centuries. There are currently fewer than 3 million Indigenous Peoples living in the country, according to estimates.
For Sadhguru, this journey was about recognizing the contributions of the largely ignored cultures of Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the Americas for millennia.
“Not that anybody can fully experience native American culture in 37 days because at one point they were more than 500 Nations. But we can at least make them visible again in the world. While you can’t fix the past, you can carve out a way for the future. Our gratitude goes to the Native American people who interacted with us.”
From the scenic views of the Zion National Park in Utah and the Mississippi River in Missouri, to iconic monuments like the Mato Tipila in Wyoming and Crazy Horse in South Dakota, Sadhguru explored the picturesque landscapes and witnessed the profundity of the Native cultures. He also traversed through the majestic Meramec Caverns (Missouri), Old Faithful Geyser (Wyoming), Eternal Flame (Cherokee Nation) and other notable landmarks.
“For the last 40-45 years or so, I’ve continuously been travelling, but this has been a journey like no other. This particular trip was scheduled for 21 days, but it went on for 37 days. Our team of 16 people operated like one organism. What we’ve seen and experienced is very difficult to articulate. It’s the pain in the land, which brought me here,” says Sadhguru.
The spiritual leader also spent Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 12 in conversation with Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo, a rapper who is also of Mexican Native American origin. Sadhguru also met Hollywood star Will Smith at his home and met with his family. “Sadhguru is in town. I have been following him for a while. He wrote a wonderful book called ‘Inner Engineering.’ I want my family to meet spiritual people, to start interacting with people who are not hooked on the material world,” Will Smith said in a behind-the-scenes video shared by Sadhguru on Instagram.
Last week, Sadhguru interacted with legendary boxer Mike Tyson ahead of his much-anticipated return to boxing. Sadhguru is also featured in “Nas Talks”, hosted by Israeli vlogger Nuseir Yassin, who is popularly known for his Nas Daily vlogs.