 The Maharishi had arranged a simple lifestyle for his guests , which included stone cottages and vegetarian meals taken outdoors in a communal setting . The days were devoted to meditating and attending lectures by the Maharishi , who spoke from a flower @-@ bedecked platform in an auditorium . The Maharishi also gave private lessons to the individual Beatles , nominally due to their late arrival . The tranquil environment provided by the Maharishi – complete with meditation , relaxation , and away from the media throng – helped the band to relax . Harrison told Saltzman , " Like , we 're The Beatles after all , aren 't we ? We have all the money you could ever dream of . We have all the fame you could ever wish for . But , it isn 't love . It isn 't health . It isn 't peace inside , is it ? " Lennon was respectful of the Maharishi but not in awe of him . At their first meeting Donovan remembers that the Maharishi was " amiable but non @-@ talkative " , and during an awkward silence Lennon walked across the room and patted the Maharishi on the head , saying , " There 's a good little guru " while the room erupted in laughter . Maharishi cancelled the formal lectures for a time and told students to meditate for as long as possible . One student meditated for 42 straight hours , and Pattie Boyd once meditated for seven hours . Boyd 's sister Jenny meditated for long periods as well , but also suffered from dysentery ( misdiagnosed as tonsilitis ) ; she said Lennon also felt unwell , suffering from jet lag and insomnia . The lengthy meditation sessions left many students moody and oversensitive . Like the 60 other students at the ashram , the Beatles adopted native dress and the ashram had a tailor on the premises to make clothes for the students . The Beatles shopped in Rishikesh and the women bought saris for themselves and to be made into shirts and jackets for the men , which affected Western fashion when the Beatles wore them after going home . 
