This simple yet powerful quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin describes both - the human predicament as well as the solution that is in everyone's reach. The human predicament is to believe that we are human beings needing to strive to become spiritual. It implies that we are confined to a human form and the limited understanding of the mind, and that we somehow need to become something more or something better. The widespread affliction of feeling that we are "not good enough

One of the most impactful things my teacher told me when I first met him was: "You have never done anything wrong". Upon hearing these words, something in me released. A weight I didn't know I was carrying fell off my shoulders. "You have never done anything wrong" applies to all of us. But what is the Sage truly saying, and which aspect of our being is he addressing with these words? Our ego/mind will most likely have an immediate reaction to hearing them. It will refute the

In many traditions the cultivation of gratitude is considered a spiritual practice. It is easy to see why, when we study what happens as we practice gratitude. Our attention usually rests with the thoughts in our head. We know that thoughts come and go without our inviting them. They randomly pop in and out and they usually are focused on our needs and wants, or on how we can make the day unfold according to our preferences. When we practice gratitude, our attention shifts fr

In this unprecedented time, we are facing great challenges, collectively and individually. Wherever we turn, we are bombarded with

All relationships are subject to fluctuations. Be it family relations, friendships or intimate relationships, they go through cycles

Confidence or the lack thereof is an issue for many people. It is very common for someone to say "I don't have the confidence

Of all the obstacles to knowing the Self, Avidyaa is the one at the center. Avidyaa, or forgetfulness of the Self, is the root cause of a hu

As soon as we wake up in the morning the voice of the mind starts commenting and interpreting every situation that arises.

When the world is upside down, the knowledge of our True Nature as the Self becomes a precious sanctuary.

Our judgmental ego/mind has strong opinions about our ability to get things done. It is conditioned to make us believe that "if we just made a bit more of an effort", "if we were just a bit smarter, stronger or more efficient" then things would be better - we would be better... Mental scenarios like these run our lives and often go undetected. They keep us believing that we are somehow small or weak or not good enough. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Who we truly are

My teacher used to say: "you know that you are the Light of the Self, but you don't accept it". He was right of course. We accept that we

When we think of "me", or "my identity" as a human being, we think of our body. In most people, the sense of I is consisting of the physical form we see in the mirror and of the thoughts we have about it. We think of ourselves as being this or that; as small or tall, smart or stupid, beautiful or ugly. All these qualifications are messages from the surrounding environment that we have internalised and accepted as true. Our own thinking may have added to these definitions and

For a meditator, Vivek, the power to discriminate between the Unchanging and the ever-changing, is an absolute necessity. Without it s/he is eternally caught in the wheel of the mind that can only discriminate within the duality of its limited spectrum. The mind will know the difference between good and bad, black and white, right or wrong and especially between what it likes and doesn't like. In other words, the mind has the ability to discriminate within the dimension of th

Is it an exaggeration to say that the mind has the power to torture us? In a moment of stress, take 1 minute to sit and watch the content of your thoughts as they race through the mind. How much kindness and support are you seeing? Even the casual observation of everyday thinking reveals recurring patterns of self-judgment and doubts, of negative self-talk and the constant chatter of an insatiable inner critic. Becoming aware of the weighty messages we receive from our mind i

Many books have been written on the subject of Saadhana, a Sanskrit word that loosely translates as spiritual exercise. The term Saadhana is used to describe the variety of yogic practices that open the awareness of the Saadhak (the practitioner) to his True Nature, the Self. Most people are familiar with the practice of Aasana (physical postures) referred to as Yoga. They may also know about various exercises of relaxation and concentration that are the precursors of Meditat

Every time we sit down and close our eyes to meditate, we engage in a powerful process of transformation.

Santosh is the Superpower of Meditators. It gives one the ability to remain content under all circumstances, be they pleasant or unpleasant, challenging or not. Imagine a life where nothing and no one can shake you out of an unwavering sense of contentment and inner peace. Life still happens as it always has, but your inner power of Santosh is such that you remain unaffected by its ups and downs. You no longer react to life’s challenges by fighting to change them or bend them

Satsang is a Sanskrit word. It means to gather in the presence (sang) of the Truth (Sat). Satsang is a gift to yourself. It is the opportunity to consciously tune in to your ever-present inner Source or Self - to open yourself to it and to rest in it. Through Meditation, the chanting of Mantras and through discussion and dialogue, we realize that we are never separate from our eternal Source. In Satsang, accessing the space of Oneness is direct, simple and easy. Satsang with

Have you noticed how we can spend entire days or sleepless nights ruminating, thinking and trying to figure out the answer to a problem, without ever finding the solution? It seems that the more desperately we try, the more muddled the thinking becomes. When we eventually decide to set the problem aside, to go for a walk or take a shower - in other words, when we direct our attention away from the frantic thinking, onto something else - the answer often just pops into our hea

One of the many obstacles to Meditation concocted by our mind is the idea that we can’t meditate if we are in a noisy environment. We think of noise as a distraction to Meditation and an interruption of our attempts at concentration. Sometimes our mind will even use the noise it perceives as an excuse not to meditate... When we are overwhelmed by stimulation, agitation and sounds, we tend to crave stillness as a means to recover our inner calm. We believe that if the surround