The Isha Yoga Center, nestled in the foothills of the Velliangiri mountains in southern India, promotes itself as a “sacred place for self-transformation.” But now, the global spiritual empire led by Jaggi Vasudev — known to millions as Sadhguru — faces serious allegations of sexual abuse, cover-ups, and institutional failure.
As reported by The Times UK, three individuals have come forward with disturbing claims of sexual misconduct at Isha’s headquarters near Coimbatore. Their stories, spanning more than a decade, reveal allegations ranging from repeated child rape to inappropriate touching and systemic neglect — all allegedly dismissed or mishandled by the organization.
The most harrowing account comes from a young American woman who alleges she was raped multiple times between 2008 and 2010 by a teacher at Isha’s residential school. Sent to India by her devotee parents, she said she was isolated due to language barriers and then targeted by her abuser. “He would follow me and rape me again and again,” she told The Times. “During those days I wished I died.” Despite visible signs of distress and declining academic performance, she was accused by teachers of being a liar and a troublemaker.
Years later, during an Isha event in the United States, she said she confronted Sadhguru personally. According to her, he listened briefly, then told her to “leave it at my foot and it will be taken care of.” She claims she never heard back from him or anyone else in the organization. Sadhguru’s team denies this conversation ever happened, calling it “fabricated” and “defamatory.”
Another man, now in his twenties, alleges he was indecently assaulted by a fellow pupil at the same school in 2019. His family claims they were pressured by senior figures to stay quiet and were assured that Sadhguru would handle it privately. When they later went public, Isha filed a police complaint against the boy’s mother for “spreading misinformation.”
A third accuser, a volunteer yoga teacher, said he was touched inappropriately by a monk in 2016 and then received sexually explicit messages. Now living in Australia, he says the organization failed to act meaningfully on his complaint. Isha dismissed his claims and accused him of distorting facts.
Adding to the controversy, a doctor affiliated with the foundation was arrested in 2023 after multiple schoolgirls alleged inappropriate touching during a health inspection. Isha confirmed the doctor’s suspension and said police are investigating. However, the organization maintains that the broader allegations are “false, malicious, and motivated by vested interests.”
Despite the Foundation’s blanket denials, these claims have sparked legal battles and public press conferences. The American woman’s family has cut ties with Isha and become vocal critics. The Foundation responded with a defamation suit and highlighted past requests from the family for the woman to be readmitted to the school — a detail they argue undermines her credibility, but which she explains occurred before her parents knew the full extent of the abuse.
The Isha Foundation, founded in 1992, has become a global spiritual powerhouse with centers in India and the U.S. Its founder, Sadhguru, has cultivated an image of charisma and mysticism, admired by celebrities such as Will Smith, SZA, and Jonny Wilkinson. He is often seen riding motorcycles, speaking at global forums like Davos and COP climate summits, and even meeting with world leaders like Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Yet behind the glossy image lies a spiritual institution now accused of suppressing victims and protecting abusers. The accusers, some of whom say they were children at the time, describe a toxic culture where dissent was crushed, complaints ignored, and survivors shamed into silence.
For the American woman, now in her twenties, the trauma lingers. “I didn’t even know what was happening to me was wrong,” she said. “You respect your elders, you follow the rules — I didn’t know what to do. But I can’t let this happen to another child. That’s what keeps me going.”
The Isha Foundation maintains its stance: the allegations are entirely baseless and defamatory. But as more voices speak out, the foundation’s future — and the reputation of its enigmatic leader — hang in the balance.
