At the end of February, a video in which a minimally dressed yogi quietly meditates in the middle of the mountains became extremely popular on Indian social networks.
Unfazed by the heavy wind, snow and frost, the yogi seemed to have been in deep meditation for an hour or possibly several hours, seemingly unconcerned about the accumulating snow on his head and clothing. Remarkably, despite the harsh conditions, his exposed hands indicated signs of life.
The yogi was reported to have meditated in the Himalayas in temperatures as low as minus 55 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 48 degrees Celsius).
While such frigid temperatures are a reality in the wintry Himalayas, questions arose as to how anyone could endure such extreme temperatures in light clothing without succumbing to the cold.
Predictably, the video sparked animated debate, with skepticism over its authenticity prevailing as some believed it was a product of neural networks or video editing. The debates intensified when reports of the miraculous yoga feat reached the newspapers.
Responding to the skepticism, Yogi Kaulantak Peeth, the leader of the spiritual community from Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, issued a statement. He identified the yogi in the video as Satyendra Nath, a longtime member of their organization who had been meditating in the Himalayas for more than two decades.
Yogi Kaulantak Peeth provided context, explaining that Nath and his disciples had embarked on a month-long spiritual retreat in the Seraj Mountain Valley.
On a day when the temperature was dropping and a snowstorm was approaching, the disciples sought out their teacher to advise him of the need to leave. To their surprise, they discovered him meditating deeply in the snowy landscape, almost completely shrouded in snow.
Talking about the discovery, Rahul, one of Nath’s students, said, “When we went to talk to Satyendra Nath, we found him in a state of deep meditation in the snow-capped mountains. That’s why we decided to videotape him.”
Savarninath, another yogi student, explained that Satyendra Nath follows the Himalayan yogic tradition and has been meditating in the snow-capped mountains for the past 22 years.
He added that the viral video made by Rahul is just one of the many footage made about Satyendra Nath in the past month. Although Satyendra Nath is not the pioneer yogi to meditate in extreme temperatures in the Himalayas, he may be the first to be captured on film in such a deep state.
