This is the story of Todd's first experience in an ashram in India. Invited by his friend's family who has a house there, they got permission from the guru himself that I could come and stay there – something not usually done for outsiders.

What Todd found was beyond his wildest imagination. At this ashram – supposedly the largest one in India – devoted followers, a beloved leader, and an intoxicating atmosphere of joy and friendliness created an allure almost too strong to resist.

From 2.5 hours of daily meditation to hours and hours of unpaid, backbreaking, hand-blistering  work breaking bricks into smaller pieces with a hammer so they could fill out the concrete that was to be poured for a new construction project, Todd learned the value of selfless-service and strong community.

But lurking just beyond the shadows were secrets and deceptions that made this magical place a little too good to be true. Hear the story and learn the meditation practice he was taught there in this fascinating podcast on this fascinating ashram.

Follow @ToddPerel on social media and you can see more of his meditations on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJllZs2ALP_IRDmBclG4nlg/featured

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