Jaggi Vasudev

Jaggi Vasudev married Vijaykumari in 1984 and has a daughter, Radhe. His wife died in 1996.

He was born as Jagadish Vasudev on 3 September 1957 in Mysore, Karnataka, to Susheela and Dr. Vasudev. He has one brother and two sisters. His father was an ophthalmologist with the Indian Railways and the family used to move frequently due to his father’s job.

He was an active, curious and intelligent child who developed an early love for nature and adventure. As a little boy he often used to venture into the nearby jungles and spend hours there, observing the wildlife and catching snakes.

He became acquainted with Malladihalli Sri Raghavendra Swamiji, a prominent yoga teacher, when he was 11 years old. Swamiji taught him a set of simple yoga asanas, which he regularly practiced without even a single day’s break.

After completing his schooling he enrolled at the University of Mysore, graduating with a bachelor's degree in English Literature. While in college he also became interested in motorcycles and travelled a lot with his friends.

After completing his college education Jaggi Vasudev embarked on a career as a businessman. Smart, intelligent and hard working, he soon opened several businesses, including a poultry farm, a brickworks and a construction business. He was a successful businessman by the time he was in his mid-twenties.

His life changed completely on the afternoon of September 23, 1982 when he had a spiritual experience that made him realize that he had to re-evaluate his life and priorities. He was sitting on a rock in Chamundi Hill when he had a very intense spiritual experience that lasted about four-and-a-half-hours.

Within weeks of this experience, he left his business to his friend and embarked on an extensive travel in order to gain insight into his mystical experience. After a period of about one year, the realization dawned on him that he should teach yoga to share his inner experience.

He started conducting yoga classes in Mysore in 1983; there were just seven participants in his first class. Over the course of time he began conducting yoga classes across Karnataka and Hyderabad. He refused payment for the classes and managed his expenses from the proceeds he received from his poultry farm.

In 1992, he founded Isha Foundation, a non-profit, spiritual organization for offering yoga programs under the name Isha Yoga. Founded near Coimbatore, the organization became very popular over the years and today offers yoga programs not only in India, but also in countries like United States, England, Lebanon, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, Uganda, China, Nepal and Australia.

He founded the Isha Foundation through which he conducts all his yoga related programs and establishes social and community initiatives. With over five million volunteers, the organization works in tandem with international bodies like the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and has its presence felt in several countries across the world.