Today, Lilleoru is first and foremost an educational center for human development. It is the birthplace of the Practical Consciousness School and the home base of the international network.
In 1992 Ingvar Villido was teaching raja and buddhi yoga courses in the Estonian capital city, Tallinn and interest in his knowledge was remarkable right away. The formation of Lilleoru began in 1993 when Ingvar’s first students came to help him fix up the grounds of the farmstead he then owned. Common working days turned into inspirational practical lessons in conscious action and united the participants.
In the early years, knowledge of various spiritual traditions was taught and practiced here, including Buddhist, shamanic and indigenous wisdom. In 2001, contact was established with two yogic lineages from India – Babaji’s Kriya Yoga and the teachings of Haidakhan Babaji. The latter has remained central in Lilleoru to this day. To manage the growing activities, Lilleoru’s non-profit organization was founded the same year. When the site was given official status as an ashram, Ingvar handed the private lands over to the organization.
By 2008 Ingvar Villido had developed Practical Consciousness courses that have been attended by tens of thousands of students over a period of 14 years in Estonia and other countries. In 2021 he founded the Practical Consciousness Foundation to manage and develop all educational activities. In 2022 a groundbreaking book Practical Consciousness: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Addiction to Live a More Joyful Life was published in English.
You can find more information on the Practical Consciousness Foundation website.