From Hollywood to Holy Woods (Sadhvi-ji)

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati (sadhviji.org); Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Med), Wisdom Quarterly

From Hollywood to Holy Woods | Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati

(TEDxTalks, University of San Francisco, May 16, 2017) For most of us, a good education, financial prosperity, and a happy marriage are the keys to a successful life, but formerly-Jewish Californian Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati had all of that and left to become a Hindu nun in the Himalayas.

In this astonishing, inspiring, and marginally funny talk, Sadhvi shares the story of growing up in Hollywood, California, graduating from Stanford University, then having a spiritual awakening on the Ganges River while on a backpacking trip to India.

She provides the powerful insights and simple lessons that have transformed her life from pieces to peace. It's a talk to share.

Dr. Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is originally from Hollywood, California. At the age of 25, after graduating from Stanford and in the midst of getting her doctoral degree, she traveled to India with a backpack, on a short adventure. The unexpected spiritual awakening she had on the banks of the Ganges transformed her life. She has lived in Rishikesh, India, for the past 20 years and is a renowned spiritual leader, speaker, writer, and social activist. She is the president of the Divine Shakti Foundation, secretary-general of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, and director of the annual International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan Temple, Rishikesh, India.

• [Dr. Drew, what childhoold trauma locked her voice at this young age so she sounds like a child even at her age, growing up in the Los Angeles Jewish community like you did? We could probably listen to old episodes of Loveline or an assortment of podcasts by Drew and Adam to figure it out. It's quite off-putting, yet there's nothing we can do about it other than to try to understand.]

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx