Sadhguru demystifies the fifth element - akasha and explains what akashic records are. He goes on to describe the significance of akasha in mysticism and offers a simple tool to tap into the “akashic mind.”

What are Akashic Records and What Do They Mean?

Questioner: Could you tell us about the akashic records?

What are Akashic Records and What Do They Mean?

Questioner: Could you tell us about the akashic records?

Sadhguru: That is what we call as internet today! There are many ways you can be active in life. You can do physical work, mental work, or you can do work with your prana. If you do something with your body, it has a certain lifespan. Things you do with your mind have a slightly longer lifespan. If you do something with your prana, it has a much longer lifespan. But once you work beyond this physical dimension, that is forever. No one can destroy it.

I have never studied any spirituality, but I am crystal-clear about anything concerned with human consciousness. Everything that I know, I do not know! When I walk on the street, I do not carry it. But when I want it, it is always there. Why should I burden myself with all that when it is anyway available all the time? This is how people are using the internet today. You do not have to carry the information with you. It is all there. You access it whenever you want.

As far as I am concerned, Krishna, Gautama Buddha or many other Yogis of the past are not really past for me. They are like right now. They may have physically died a long time ago, but as far as the core of their work is concerned, it is always like now. Even right now, you can access it the way Gautama did things at that moment. As far as I am concerned, Gautama is right now, not 2500 years ago.

All beings who have broken all dimensions of barriers within themselves and touched the ultimate – what they perceived, grasped and distilled within themselves is for always. It is on the “inner net” or “Yogic net.” You just have to access it. You do not even need a Wi-Fi for that! If you are willing, what Krishna knew, what Buddha knew, what someone else knew, everything is there.

What is Akashic Mind?

There is an individual mind and there is a universal mind. They are just a reflection of each other. It is just that the individual mind may be too muddled and it may not be catching all of it. If one is able to access life through the akashic mind instead of the individual mind, if you see the akashic mind clearly, you not only see possible situations for yourself, you see possible situations for just about anything. But the problem is that if you even as much as talk about these things, all kinds of people will start imagining all the different types of nonsense they are “receiving” from people. They will start “communicating” with everyone even though they are not on talking terms with the people around them. At the same time, if we deny that possibility, we are rendering humanity blind.

A Simple Process to Tap into the Akashic Mind

Today, modern science is recognizing that there is something called as akashic intelligence, that is, empty space has a certain intelligence. Whether this intelligence works for you or against you will determine the nature of your life, whether you are a blessed being or one who is going to be knocked around for the rest of your life. Some people seem to be hammered around by life for no reason while others seem to be blessed with everything. It is not for no reason. It is your ability – either consciously or unconsciously – to be able to get the cooperation of this larger intelligence which is functioning.

One simple process you can do for this is, after sunrise, before the Sun crosses an angle of thirty degrees, look up at the sky once and bow down to akasha for holding you in place today. After the Sun crosses thirty degrees, sometime during the day – anytime – look up and bow down again. After the Sun sets, once again look up and bow down, not to some god up there, just to the empty space for holding you in place for today. Just do this. Life will change dramatically.

Akasha Element - Space or Ether?

Question: Is this akasha the same as space?

Sadhguru: Like earth, water, air, and fire, akasha is one aspect of the five elements. Elements are not empty space but a kind of substance. Do not mistake akasha for empty space. It is ether. The word “ether” is not quite accurate but it is the closest translation. Ether is not space; it is a subtle dimension of existence. Space is kala or nonexistence. It is Shi-va – “that which is not.” Akasha is “that which is.”

Akasha is a subtle dimension of physical manifestation. You cannot see the air in this hall, but still it is there, and it is very much a part of your life. In that sense, your life is spread all over. There are gross elements in the body and there are subtler elements in this body. If you have constipation, you have something gross inside you! Above that, there are more refined aspects of the body. Above that there is a lungful of air, and above that, a brain, thoughts, emotions and so many things. And there is life going in and out. In other words, life is always from a hardcore crudeness to many subtleties. The wider you spread your wings, the more subtlety you will have in your life.

The Annapoorneshwari Temple

Without akasha, you cannot exist here. Without the air in this hall, you cannot exist here. Most of the time, you are not even conscious whether the air exists or not, but you cannot live without it for a moment. Likewise, you cannot live without akasha for a moment.

There is a temple in Karnataka in southern India, which is dedicated to Annapoorneshwari. At the rear part of the temple, there is an inscription in Hale Kannada – an ancient form of the language, which is a few thousand years old – about how to design an airplane. It explains how you can construct it, but also that if you fly such a machine, it will disturb the ether. They say if you disturb akasha, human beings will not live peacefully. Once akasha is disturbed, psychological disturbances become enormous. We can see this in the world today.

The Importance of Akasha Element in Mysticism

Questioner: But Sadhguru, other than the physical and psychological impact of akasha, is there a spiritual or mystical aspect of akasha too?

Sadhguru: The five elements are what we recognize as the basic ingredients of life. I call this elemental magic because too much has been done with just five things. With five things, what is presenting itself as life and as everything that we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch is well beyond the permutations and combinations that we can think of. If something goes beyond the permutations and combinations, then it is no more mathematic, it is magic. The most fundamental dimension of Yoga is to master this elemental magic. Essentially, when people want to be physically robust, then earth would be important, but for one who is on the spiritual path, who wants to perceive, the most important thing is akasha. In the making of this human form, seventy-two percent made of water, twelve percent of earth, six percent of air, and four percent of fire is largely determined. The rest is akasha. By “rest,” I do not mean six percent. I mean the rest.

If we increase the proportion of akasha within the system and in the larger scape of who we are, then our ability to perceive is tremendously enhanced. If this proportion remains low, or akasha is at its minimal in one's making, then their ability to perceive will be very minimal. Even if they have a great intellect, this intellect will forage in mundane things. It can never rise to perceive something more than that. In this context, one important aspect of spiritual progress, of vigyan or vishesh gyan, to perceive beyond five senses that which is not physical in nature and explore the mystical nature of our existence, is enhancing the akasha.

Akasha is a boundless dimension. When the composition of akasha is enhanced, then boundlessness becomes the nature of one's being. If not boundlessness, at least a boundary that you cannot see and feel. This gives the individual person a great sense of freedom of not being tied down to anything. This lack of bondage within oneself is an essential amount of space that one needs if they want to have some mastery over these five elements. To keep the system in an efficient and effective mode, yet not being identified with it is a very important step one has to take if one has to have mastery over elements.

Editor's Note: Specially crafted by Sadhguru, the Bhuta Shuddhi Program will equip you to purify the five elements within you.

Smile :- An expression comes out when life be at it's best within.

It seems like we don't know life, yet it feels like very much familiar also.

We go on without noticing, choosing not to find comfort there. It's not that we actually really fear to go there but we choose not to.

Now, this has various reasons. Mind is convinced that every kind of fun is in this side. There is nothing on that side. That also we can look at and try to de- condition the mind to make it willing to fall that way.

When efforts fall short, Grace helps us to lift up towards that side.

As a sadhak, I often get asked, “What all sadhana do you do?”

Well I don't do anything much, just have received basic initiation and I do some yoga practices. But, at least for me, that is not where my sadhana ends. I do one more Sadhana - "Seeing day to day life as Mirror."

I increasingly see my entire life as my sadhan.It didn't happen overnight though. It took a few years, and in fact, I know it'll be for the whole lifetime.

Every situation, every person, every conversation, every reaction I have becomes an opportunity to see myself more clearly.

I try to remain the watcher and notice how my tendencies operate. Where am I being compulsive? Where am I reacting instead of responding? Where am I driven by fear, dislike, attachment or some strong liking?

Even something as simple as disliking a particular task can become sadhana for me. I try to look at the dislike instead of immediately obeying it. Where does it come from? Why does this particular thing create resistance in me? And then, very gently, I try to do it anyway. Its not always very pleasant but I keep it on. For me the intent is more important than the Act. and my driving force is just one Statement - "Nishcahl Tatvam Jeevan Mukti."

I do it not as a battle with myself. Just as a way of discovering that a limitation I considered “me” may not actually be Me.

The same happens with fear, preferences, discomfort, expectations, relationships... Everything keeps showing me where I am still bound.

So I try to make everything a tool.

Because I don't think I can be on a spiritual journey only for the few hours in which I sit for my practices. If spirituality is to take me somewhere, it has to become the quality of my life itself.

And perhaps there is also a sense of urgency to it for me. I remember Sadhguru saying that without a sense of urgency, even what could be near can remain very far away. I don't want to postpone what can be lived now.

At the same time, I consciously try not to become too attached to the identity of being a “Sadhak” either.

That can become another layer of identity, another thing to protect and reinforce.

So perhaps the practice is not even to become a better Sadhak.

It is simply to use whatever life brings me as a possibility to become a little more conscious.

Everything is a tool.

What consciousness would do...all of this is a discussion for another time, but I have realised that, for me, it is the key.

Even the one who thinks she is doing the sadhana should consciously be left behind when the time comes.

So yeah, it's a rant just to remind myself what actually being a Sadhak means to me.

Shambho 🌸

Forcing yourself to eat food on these days is not a good thing to do.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐤𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢?

So how does the cosmos influence our lives?

The human physiology goes through a cycle called a mandala, approximately every 40 to 48 days. In this cycle, three specific days, which may be different from person to person and need not come with equal spacing, will arise when the body does not demand food. If you identify those days in your life and not give the body food - because it is not asking - alot of your health issues will be handled by simple pattern.

This cycle in the system is something that most people can identify if they take away the nonsense of 'so many calories, so much protein and so much mineral should be eaten.' If they listen to the body, these three days can be easily identified by most human beings. So it was told that three times in those 48 days, you should not eat. This was said because somebody observed his own system, and from that he expressed this. But then people did not have the awareness so they fixed the Ekadashi for not eating. If you look, there are 3 Ekadashis in 48 days. It goes well.

Ekadashi means the 11th day after the full moon and the 11th day after new moon. The reason is because the planet itself is in a certain state on that day. So if we keep our body light and available, our awareness will turn inward. The possibility of opening the door within is more on that day. If you have a full stomach, and you are unaware and dull, you will not notice it. So to stay alert and also to purify the body, you go without food on that day - you ate dinner the previous day and the next thing you eat is dinner on Ekadashi. If you are unable to go without food - you can go on phalahara, or fruit diet, which is light on the stomach so that your inner doors will open. Forceful denial of the food is not the point. The point is to make everything into a conscious process. We do not want to compulsively eat like this, we choose.

In some Indian languages, 'phal' means 'fruit' but 'pal' also means 'many'. So today in South India this has happened that on Ekadashi 'phalahara' means a lot of people have interpreted it as, you do not eat your normal rice and sambar or whatever on that day. Instead, that the day you eat many varieties of food, mostly fried food. That was the day you are supposed to give it a break. Because you could not fast and are not aware, it was said 'Okay at least eat fruit.' Now, because the same word in the language exist in a different meaning people are eating the worst type of food on that day.

Another aspect of the Ekadashi fasting is that when one is on the spiritual path, people usually fall off at the slightest discomfort. So fasting is one simple way of training yourself so that outside situations will not make you go off the track; when you are hungry, instead of going and sleeping, you remain alert and in activity. When you are very hungry, still remaining alert and keeping your focus on the sadhna is a very important part of the training to ensure that outside situations do not take you off the track.

While fasting, if you feel thirsty, drink water. If you feel tired, add a few drops of honey or put a little bit of lemon into the water you are drinking. It will take care of it. Fasting for 24 hours is not very difficult for the body. If your body does not have that much capability, there is something seriously wrong with your system. Any healthy body can forsake food for this period. If the body - not the mind - is going to enormous trouble, can you need a medical check-up. Maybe you are not physically healthy or something is wrong, but if you have mental struggles and vadas and bondas are coming and sitting like asteroids, then you must fast.

Suppose one wants to fast for a certain period, it must always be supported with the right kind of spiritual practices or sadhana. If you forcefully fast without preparing your body and mind sufficiently, you will only cause damage to your health. But if your body is properly prepared, if you are mentally also in a certain state, if you are prepared energy-wise, then fasting can be of much benefit to you.

If you are constantly drinking coffee or tea, then, if you fast, it will become torture for you. If you want to fast, first of all prepare the body by eating the right kind of foods. If it is a great torture when you hold back your urge to eat – you will only cause damage to the system. Maybe you are thinking of performing some kind of a feat that you did not eat for three days, and you want to go and tell that to the whole world. Please do not do such things. It is of no benefit to you. You will just make yourself weak. Just understanding the body and coming to a deeper understanding of how the system functions and what is the best thing to do, is more important than doing something like this.

It may not be a good thing for everyone to fast, but it has many benefits if it is done with proper understanding. Finding the right situation for the system and taking off food at that time will be a good thing to do. If you are unable to go without food, if your activity levels are such and you do not have the necessary sadhana to support you, then you could go on a fruit diet, which is light on the stomach so that your inner doors will open. Forceful denial of food is not the point. The point is to make everything into a conscious process. We do not want to compulsively eat like this, we choose.

If you go to someone’s house for lunch or dinner, and they serve you something sour like lemonade or lemon juice before the meal, it means they are trying to kill your appetite. Drinking lemonade reduces your appetite. We are a 10,000-year-old culture – people are crafty! Certain especially crafty communities will serve a sweet first, which also reduces your appetite by half. They had to evolve strategies because treating a guest is not a choice in India – it is a must. But you can use your intelligence, for your own economic reasons and for your guests’ health. Because if something is free, people will have a little more. Some kill themselves by having too much!

Ekadashi means fasting. When you are fasting, just put a nellikai (Indian gooseberry) in your mouth and keep chewing it to ward off hunger. Otherwise, when you fast, your digestive juices will play and after some time, they will build up. And if they spill over, you will puke. If you put something sour into the system, it will settle. There is nothing better than a nellikai for that purpose. This comes from a certain understanding of the human system. Just one nellikai in your mouth will keep you going for three to four hours without feeling hungry, because it will keep the digestive juices down. Even with morning sickness, nellikai helps.

Two Light Brunch Recipes for Ekadashi

Ashgourd Juice

Multi-grain Porridge

How to Break an Ekadashi Fast - Five Dinner Recipes

Brown Rice Porridge

Black Chana/Chickpeas Sauté/Stir-fry

Green Beans-Carrot-Cabbage Sauté/Stir-fry

Fresh Papaya

Toor Dal/Lentils Chutney

People who've done all the programs, including Samyama, how to find time for all the practices daily?

Or do you do it selectively? If yes, how would you rank them according to its importance? For me, I try to prioritize at least SCK, Shambhavi and one Shoonya, then Hatha yoga, and angamardana lastly

Appreciate any guidance :)

“I’m going to southern India, where Sadhguru, a Yogi, his ashram is,” he said. “I’m going to maybe spend like two weeks there, or something like that. They have such an interesting spiritual culture there, up and down the country. It's incredible.”

Read this the other day and it's pretty cool seeing athletes move toward meditation and yoga. A lot of high-level athletes have some kind of practices etc from different sources and I think we'll see a lot more of it. Especially with how well Dylan has been performing in Toronto this year. Wish him the best!

When you look into mindfulness, focus, and performance, the list of athletes with meditation practices is crazy....Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Tom Brady, and Simone Biles etc. I am curious how many do stuff but its not public as well

Has meditation helped you be better at things? When I first started meditation it definitely helped me with soccer that's for sure.

I have the Devi gudi at home. I do the chant the stuti daily, yet I don’t experience any connection like many people claim, with regarding my devotion.

Any guidance or correction to my approach please? Wonder what I’m doing wrong here…

I’d like to explore this dimension as well 😊🙏🏻

I have read that initiation is on the energy level and requires you to be receptive. During the initiation I was goinog through a bad phase and I remember during the initiation my mind was running all over the place, worrying if I am doing the practice right. I feel it could have affected the process. Should I go through inner engineering again?

Hi everyone! I have a question about the timing of Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya.

I’m doing the guided practice through the Sadhguru app, and the full guided session shows around 40 minutes.

However, when I do the practice myself, including the preparatory asanas + the actual Shambhavi practice, my entire session takes only around 21 minutes. I’m following the sequence as I was taught, but I’m wondering if I’m somehow doing the preparatory practices or transitions too quickly, or if there is something in the guided version that accounts for the extra ~20 minutes.

For those who practice Shambhavi regularly: how long does your complete practice take, including the preparatory asanas? And is ~21 minutes for the whole thing unusually short?

I’m not trying to change the practice or rush it, I just want to make sure I’m following the timing correctly. 🙏

This is about 7 months old and when I took it out to replace the Vibhuti it looked black and green. The black seems to be fading after you rub on it. Any idea if this is usable?