- By Kashish Rai
- Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sadhguru Videos: Most individuals burden themselves with the negativity of their past experiences, leaving pain, regret and trauma hanging around in their heads. They relive past memories, ruminate over previous mistakes and tend to let their suffering shape who they are today. But, according to Sadhguru, the renowned spiritual master, yogi and founder of Isha Foundation, carrying the past around does not serve any practical purpose. In one of his viral videos posted by Sadhguru's official handle on instagram, he states that the past is only present in our memory, and if utilised efficiently, it can prove to be an instrument of development and not of misery.
Sadhguru begins by highlighting a common misconception about "letting go" of the past. He says, “When you say let go, what you're trying to do is to change it. You cannot change it.” The past is unchangeable. It is over. What remains is merely a memory, a mental imprint. He emphasises that there's nothing to come to terms with, because the past doesn’t exist anywhere outside one’s memory. It is not a living thing that follows a person, it only lives because the person chooses to keep it alive.
People often see their past as a kind of treasure, filled with both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. According to Sadhguru, the issue is not the content of the memory, but how we relate to it. Every person has a mental “bag” full of experiences – some beautiful, some painful, some even terrible. But these are just memories, not living realities. Sadhguru asserts that a person must know how to use their past experiences to make themselves a much bigger human being than they are right now. But, instead of using the past to empower ourselves, we often allow it to wound us again and again.
Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a renowned Yoga mystic, spiritual leader, motivational speaker and the founder of Isha Foundation and Yoga Centre at Coimbatore. (Image Source: Isha Foundation)
Sadhguru provides a simple but profound option: whenever something undesirable befalls us, we can choose to become wounded or wise. This option is at the core of emotional transformation. Even the most grievous memory can be a lesson, a stepping stone to a greater wisdom and strength. He says that people who have endured more suffering actually have the capacity to become wiser earlier if they can break away from identifying with the pain and begin learning from it.
In essence, Sadhguru teaches that our memories, even the darkest ones can be repurposed. They are tools for self-growth, not chains that bind us. The past is not here to torment you unless you permit it. The key is awareness, which means recognising that you are not your memory, but the one who holds the memory. By shifting your perspective, you can move beyond the past and step into a wiser, freer, and more conscious version of yourself.