Case study - Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu

Case study of Meditation space Isha Yoga Centre, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu

Isha Yoga Centre is dedicated to fostering inner transformation and creating an established state of wellbeing in individuals. The large residential facility houses an active international community of brahmacharis, full time volunteers and visitors.

Location - Velliangiri foothills, outskirts of Coimbatore, Tamilnadu Context - thick forests, Nilgiri biosphere reserve Climate - warm and humid Founder - Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Branches - Chennai INDIA, Tennessee USA Area

- upto 2,0463 sqm

The Centre offers 3 types of meditation methods: Yoga meditation

sound meditation

Ayurvedic treatments

Kriya(energy)

Nada Aradhana

Isha Rejuvenation

exercise

Gnana(knowledge)

blend of vocals, singing

Ayurvedic therapies,

brass bowls, drums and

spending time in

To train your mind for

various other instruments

consecrated spaces,

self-realization & to go

twice during the day from

nature walk, nutritious

beyond the thoughts & ego

11:50 am to 12:10 pm and

cuisine and dietary and

Karma(action)

from 5:50 pm to 6:10 pm

lifestyle recommendation

Selfless service towards

in Dhyanalinga.

others, unselfish action

Bhakti(devotion) Spiritual practice on devotion

Guidelines of the Centre • Consumption of liquor, tobacco, cigarettes, narcotic drugs and non-veg food on the side and around the Centre premises is strictly prohibited.

• As all may have some language and cultural differences, they requests to be patient and courteous to the residents who will assist with any queries.

• Avoid plucking flowers.

• Taking photographs of the Centre is prohibited.

• Walking in the forest is not allowed.

• Avoid holding hands and any display of physical affection at the Centre.

• Both men and women should wear clothing that covers shoulders, upper arms, midriff and covers legs up to ankles. Avoid tight, transparent clothes.

• Use of mobile and talking aloud especially after 10 pm is not allowed.

Circulation map

Teerthakunds In India there has been a tradition of getting whole body wet before entering any temple, so that we can easily absorb the energy of the temple.

There are 2 Teerthkunds : Suryakund is for men Chandrakund is for women The linga of of mercury is installed inside the both teerthkunds, which is called ‘Rasalinga’. You are supposed to go change the clothes and wear the clothes given there and take a shower in the washroom area then you supposed to go inside the kund slowly, touch the Rasalinga with both hands and take a dip. And then again have to take a shower. There are volunteers everywhere to guide you.

Suryakund (gents)

Chandrakund(ladies)

Sarva dharma stambha

there is a Sarva Dharma Stambha before the inner parikrama of temple.The symbols of 9 major religions of the world are inscribed on three sides of the stambha. It welcomes everyone beyond all religious variances. On the 4th side the 7 forms of lotuses are engraved, which represent the 7 chakras of the human body.

Devotees have to climb 3 steps to reach the open gate of inner parikrama.

The unusual height of steps forces the visitors to press their feet on the pebbled suface of these steps, it activate certain nerve centers in the body, apreperation to make person more receptive to the energies of the space.

Sculptures A large metal sculpture of a bull (Nandi), Adiyogi 112 ft high statue and many other stone sculptures which depict peace and seems they are meditating.

Inner parikrama After the main gate of inner parikrama, on the left is the statue of Maharshi Patanjali, regarded as the father of Yogic Science, on the right is the Vanashree Shrine (feminine deity) And the 6 sculptured granite panels cover the aisles of the verandah, illustrating the stories of 6 south Indian sages.

Dhyanalinga dome • At the end of inner parikrama, a vaulted tunnel that leads to the dome of Dhyanalinga. The volunteers allow people to go inside in batches, every 5 minutes after ringing the bell. You have to sit in the verandah and wait till the bell ring.

• The dome houses the 14 ft high Dhyanalinga. It’s a pillarless 250,000 bricks structure.

• There are 27 meditation cells on the side wall of dome. You can either sit inside the cell or in the open space for meditation. You can go outside after 5 mins or you can meditate longer. No one disturb your meditation. The volunteers don’t allow to speak anything after entering in inner parikrama.

All the seven chakras energized to the peak by Sadhguru. The concecration took over 3 years of very intense work. In Sanskrit, ‘Dhyana’ means meditation and ‘linga’ means the form.

Spatial quality of dome Building material - bricks, granite stone, earth concrete Wall finish

- earth plaster on outer surface of dome

Flooring

- cuddapah black limestone, white limestone

Furniture

- wooden tables only for disable and old persons

Electric fixtures - yellow halogen lights, ventilators Decor

- lotus flowers in water filled brass handi bowl, Jasmine, marigold flowers

Smell

- wet earthy smell, scent of sandalwood and jasmine flowers smell of burning diyas

sounds

- echo of dripping water on Dhyanalinga, ventilator machine, bell ring, music sounds during Nada Aradhana

Form

Schedule of a day

Outer parikrama (A circular path which runs around the main temple) Linga Bhairavi temple This is a temple in which a deity in the shape of a linga, represents the divine in its feminine manifestation. Located to the southwest of the Dhyanalinga dome.

Sadhana hall The two vaulted brick structures behind the Dhyanalinga temple, for residents guests and volunteers to serve as a space for morning sadhana practice.The empty space between the each of the 6 brick arches of the structure is covered with copper painted aluminium shields for natural lighting and ventilation. Basement space is for office. The large eye shaped openings covered with an iris of blue glass at the top end of the side walls.

Adiyogi Alayam this is the temporary structure of metal frame and insulation sheets. The hall supports the following programs : Hatha Yoga - 21 weeks program S Samaya - 8 day silence program

Spanda hall A dominating feature of the hall is a wall done with mural paintings depicting the life of shiva by using only vegetable dyes and earth extracts. The hall is made for Bhava Spandana Meditation program.

Places for eat

Bhiksha hall two time free meal offered in the hall, brunch at 10:30 am and dinner at 7:30 am. Everyone have to chant a Brahmarpanam mantra togather before start eating. They serves food in the brass utensils. The meals were very light and healthy. They serves 1 subji, roti, salad, pickle, 1 sweet dish, rice and 1 fruit. The quantity of salt, papper and oil was less but tasty. After completing meal everyone have to clean their dish by own. The kitchen and store room are on the ground floor and dining area is on the 1st floor.

Papper Vine Eatery Isha yoga centre has it’s own cafeteria. The food was cheap and tasty.

There are beams of granite stone with metal framed terracotta tiles roof and They surves snacks, south indian dishes and cakes.

Furniture material – granite stone , MS steel table & wood, MS benches

Spatial quality of the Centre

Building material - brick masonry and granite stone rubble masonry Wall finish

- white wash, earth plaster

Flooring

- limestone paving and flooring, cuddapah black limestone

Roof

- metal framed terracotta tiles (teerthakund,cafe) Insulation sheets with metal frame structure(Adiyogi alayam) Metal corrugated roofing sheets (spanda hall)

Furniture

- stone sittings, tables(granite+MS), benches(wood+MS) (cafe)

Smell

- scent of jasmine and sandal wood, fresh smell of grass and plants, wet earthy smell at evening due to sprikling water smell of cooking food around the cafe

Sound

- noice of aumkar chanting people, sound of falling water in teerthKunds, sounds of birds (sparrow, peacock), sound of winding trees

Electric fixtures

- yellow halogen lights, yellow garden lights, panel lights and fans in meditation halls

Landscape

- grass lone, jasmine vines, hurbs, varieties of flowers, coconut trees, bamboo grass, lilly ponds with lotus flowers

decor

- flowers in carved and water filled stone bowls, stone and metal sculptures, white rangoli

Nalanda Stay Cottages were designed by the Centre itself with simple interiors, rustic and cozy feel. The ambiance was meditative and relexing.

Spatial quality of cottages Surroundings

- garden, pond, green grounds, farms of coconut trees, foothills

Building material - brick masonry Wall finish

- white, mustard yellow paint, stipple wall texture

Flooring

- cuddapah black limestone and white limestone flooring in bedrooms, granite stone flooring on passages

Furniture

- table(granite) and banch(granite+wood), bed , side table and chairs(plywood+laminate)

Electric fixtures

- fluorescent light, spot lights, wall lamps, fan, A.C.

Landscape

- grass lone, lilly ponds with lotus, jasmine vines

Smell

- cool fresh smell of grass, scent of jasmine flowers

Sound

- birds sound(sparrow, peacock), sound of winding trees

Sadhguru explores the nature of geometry and architecture, and explains the unique nature of the buildings at the Isha Yoga Center, especially the Dhyanalinga dome.

Sadhguru: Architecture is just a play of geometry. If you look at all the buildings at the Isha Yoga Center right now, they do not stand because of the strength of the material. They stand only because of perfectness of the geometry. That is the beauty of what we are doing here. If you use concrete, cement or steel, generally you can make the building any way you want because it’s the material that holds it together, not the geometry. At the Yoga Center, all we have used is brick, lime and mud. It is only the geometry that is makes the structures stand, similar to the way the globe is made.

Everything that you see around you, right from a tree to your own body is perfectly geometrical, isn’t it? If you look at it in a relaxed manner, is there any tension in this body? That means it is in perfect geometry. If the geometry is not proper, it would create tension. So if you know how to keep the body, it can exist here for a long time and very well too, because it is properly aligned and in proper geometry.

Right now, modern buildings being constructed today are like this; they are held together by tension, because the material is strong and it provides support. This is not the case at the Yoga Center, it’s just the geometry at play. So here the buildings are relaxed. They are meditating, you can say.

If you take a look at the Dhyanalinga at the Isha Yoga Center, the uniqueness of its dome is that there is no cement steel, or concrete in it. It is only made of brick and mud. The simple technology of this is that all the bricks are trying to fall down at the same time, and hence they never can. It’s like five people trying to get into a door at once - nobody will get in unless one has a little courtesy to step back. If none of them do, they will all just keep pushing. As long as they are pushing, they remain in place for as long as the planet is on.

My estimate is such that the Dhyanalinga should last a minimum of 5000 years because there is no tension in the building anywhere. It is standing because of the simple, perfect geometry of construction. https://isha.sadhguru.org/us/en/wisdom/article/architecture-and-spirituality

Inference • The Centre provides a supportive environment to meditate and shift to healthier lifestyle.

• Just sitting silently in the sphere of Dhyanalinga is enough to make anyone experience a state of deep meditativeness.

• The sculptures, statues, rangoli, stone garden bowls full of flowers, lotus, use of natural building materials, this in way represents the qualities needed to enjoy meditation.

• The volunteers and workers of the Centre were cleaning the each and every corner whenever they get free, you could’t see any disturbing element at a place, everything you see is blissful.

• Warm lighting is used at the whole space, it help to make you feel calm and the atmosphere look like really homey and cozy.

https://www.google.co.in/url?q=https://wikitravel.org/en/Isha_Yoga_Centre&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiZ5vrIjI7hAhUL s48KHe9TCasQFjANegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1OzNuRfEi1BnqD5WD9hjQE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOXucoatEi0&list=PLrbgnaF4IO_UTrCP6B0txcmre8181FNp&index=18&t=396s https://www.google.co.in/url?q=https://www.ishafoundation.org/component/option,com_newscomponent/Itemi d,242/act,view/id,2041/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwir76zJjY7hAhUH2o8KHVJ6ALkQFjAHegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw3ULXrY ca9JW-io3klMC7nd

https://www.liquidleds.com.au/blogs/news/how-to-light-your-meditation-area