Strikeouts, spirituality, success: How Sadhguru helped fix White Sox ace Dylan Cease after 'burnt out' seasons

Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease recently opened up about being burned out while performing at the highest level.

Being a pitcher in the MLB can lead to burnout, which eventually impacts the individual's performance. However, the 27-year-old found help from an Indian spiritual leader, Sadhguru, who's also the founder of the Isha Foundation.

In a video posted by the Isha Foundation's Instagram handle, Cease discussed how the foundation helped him during a stressful phase in the last five years:

"My name is Dylan Cease, and I've been coming to Isha for probably like five years. I have done a bunch of programs, but I decided to do Inner Engineering again because I just felt pretty burnt out after my season. I just needed something to get me back going, and I came, like I said, a little burned out, and I feel very happy right now."

"It's very relaxing here, you know. I feel like I came here and just slowed down a little bit, whereas, you know, when I am at home, it's like, I need to constantly do something. I come here, and I feel like getting more clarity and just being more relaxed and happy."

Cease added that the program has given him a new and relaxed outlook on life. It has made him feel more relaxed, with clarity and happiness.

Sadhguru, also known as Jaggi Vasudev, is a 61-year-old Indian-born yogi with over two million followers.

One of his Isha Foundation's three main centers is in McMinnville, Tennessee, about a three-hour drive from Cease's hometown in suburban Atlanta, a journey Cease excitedly made twice this offseason after reading "all of his books."

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A look at Dylan Cease's MLB career

The Chicago Cubs drafted Cease in the sixth round of the 2014 MLB Draft. His best season came in 2022, when he finished second in the Cy Young voting, behind Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros.

He was 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA (2nd in the AL) in 32 starts (3rd), covering 184 innings (10th), and striking out 227 batters (2nd).

Ahead of the 2023 season in January, the pitcher signed a one-year, $5.7 million contract with the Chicago White Sox, avoiding salary arbitration. However, the 2023 season didn't go well for Dylan Cease and the White Sox, as he went 7-9 with an ERA of 4.58 and 214 strikeouts in 33 appearances.