Vasco lives in Portugal. He works as a Human Flourishing Facilitator, inspiring change and transformation in organizations worldwide for a more human and compassionate world. With a toolbox of cutting-edge awareness-based technologies, and trained directly by some of the world’s greatest specialists in the fields of Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, neuroscience and Heartfulness, his dream is to co-create the future, something that he has been doing in different organizations, training people worldwide. He is now dedicated to merging different practices, like Mindfulness, Heartfulness and Presencing, into the service of a greater good: Human Flourishing. What really drives him is his love of nature and animals, being a positive activist for the protection of the planet.

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Vasco Gaspar

<h4>VASCO GASPAR is a Mindfulness consultant and Heartfulness trainer living in Portugal. Here he shares a simple effective practice to down-regulate emotions.</h4>We all sometimes feel stressed, anxious, fearful or angry. It’s part of the experience of being human to feel emotions, something we share with all other mammals to some extent. Actually the part of our brain that is involved in the processing of emotions is called the limbic brain or mammalian brain.Emotions have been helping us for thousands of years to deal with the environment and survive. For instance, if we’re crossing a busy road and a car is coming straight towards us, it is very good for us to feel fear. It will mobilize our physical resources to run away or jump back from the front of the car. And we don’t even think about it because most emotions are faster than our conscious mind. That is also an advantage from an evolutionary point of view. Taking the car example again, it would not be useful for us to think about whether it is a Mercedes or a Ford. That split second of reflection could cost us our lives.But that evolutionary advantage comes with a price. I had a teacher who used to joke that we are all descendants of the nervous monkeys. Why? Because all the relaxed ones didn’t made it. The ones that were the first to run were able to survive and reproduce. In fact most of us, by default, constantly keep scanning the environment for threats, and we react to them using the same mechanisms we used to fight lions or run away from other ferocious beasts.In our modern lives fortunately we don’t have as many physical threats as our ancestors, but we’re using the same brain mechanisms to deal with problems that are mostly conceptual, like the fear of losing a job, the anxiety of speaking in public etc.What can we do when we are in an emotional state that is not useful? For instance, imagine that you have to speak in public and feel so afraid that you lose the capacity to think clearly; or you had an argument with a colleague in a meeting and now you arrive at the next meeting still angry with him. Or even that you feel mad after spending an hour in the car on your way home after a frantic day at work and don’t want to take those toxic emotions to your small child waiting for you at home.Is there a simple practice we could do before stepping onto the stage, into the meeting, or arriving home?Something that would help us down-regulate the excessive emotional state and bring us to a balanced and coherent state. If you’re a Heartfulness practitioner my suggestion is to use the Cleaning process, which I find very useful.Another possibility is to do the following steps that take less than five minutes:Go to a place where you can be alone. It can be a room, your car or even the toilet.Breathe in deeply, filling your lungs, and then breathe out as if you were blowing a candle, until your lungs are completely empty.Repeat the process three times. That will help you bring oxygen to your system and balance your inner state.Allow your breath to come to a regular rhythm and put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest. Sense the hand you prefer on these parts of your body. Normally one combination will feel more familiar than the other.For one minute or so, notice how your hands move as you breathe. Is it the hand on your chest that moves more, or is it the one on your belly? Are they moving more or less the same way? Just follow the movement, with a sense of curiosity. Some people notice that just by doing this they feel calmer. Some scientists argue that it is related with our physical memory of a hug, especially when our parents held us when we were babies, when we were crying.Now just move the hand on your belly along with the breath. Do it as if you had a balloon in your belly: As you breathe in the ‘balloon’ fills and your hand moves away from your body. As you breathe out the ‘balloon’ empties and your hand moves closer to your body. Your breathing process will become more abdominal. Since the lungs are bigger at the bottom, you will bring more oxygen to your system, allowing you to be more awake, aware and able to self-regulate. Try to keep this abdominal breathing going for 30 to 60 seconds.Continuing abdominal breathing, now add some counting to the breathing process. Breathe in and count mentally up to four. Breathe out and count mentally up to six. Do it at your own pace. Breathe in counting to four; breathe out counting to six. Keep doing this for one minute, coming back to the process of counting if you are distracted.This will help your mind to keep focused on an object and not to think about what is stressing you. And by regulating the breathing process it will also impact your heart and circulatory system, bringing your whole system to a more coherent state.In the last minute of the exercise see if you can bring your mind to an image of someone you love and care about. It can be someone from your family, a friend, or even an animal. Just hold that image in your heart for a while.You can keep doing the breathing process if it is useful, or simply just rest in the image of a loved one. The rationale here is simple: the same way that you feel stressed when you think about something that stresses you, you feel calmer and more balanced when you think about someone who evokes positive emotions in you.That’s it. Very simple, right? Even my almost 90-year-old grandmother does it daily. And it takes less than 5 minutes.Just give it a try. The next time you feel that your emotional system is out of control, just stop and go through these simple steps. You can do them together or just do one or two. Notice which steps have a deeper impact in downregulating your emotional state and then use them whenever you need. After that, go into your day.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by VASCO GASPAR</h4><hr>

Bringing your system to balance

Practices for human flourishing

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VASCO GASPAR asks us to explore how we can become truly alive. Like Einstein, he invites us to remove the delusion of separateness and connect with the whole. He challenges us to move from “ego to eco,” and gives us the tools to manifest the world of the Heart.</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Becoming whole, connecting our essence with Life</h4>Life is a great mystery. Many times we wonder about our role and who we really are. I invite you to get in touch with the depths of your Heart and reflect on the following questions:What is the real goal or purpose of human life? What blocks us from manifesting that potential? Who can help us flourish into that higher possibility?I’m always inspired by a letter Einstein wrote to his daughter, where he said, “A human being is a part of the whole called by us Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and his feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”To me, that seems like an inspiring answer to the first question-that our real goal is to dissolve our boundaries and unite with the whole, unite with the Universe/Life/Source/God (use the term you prefer that resonates the most). That is what words like yoga and religion seem to point to in their origins.What is blocking the way to achieving that goal? What really stops us is our ego, with its fears, desires, and attachments. Also, the parts of us that, although trying to protect us, end up creating even more constriction and boundaries between ourselves, other people, and Life in general. As some say, the word ego can be an acronym for “edging God out,” which seems entirely aligned with what blocks us from flourishing.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Our real goal is to dissolve our boundaries and unite with the whole, unite with the Universe/Life/Source/God.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/connecting_with_life3_888adfccd5.webp" alt="connecting-with-life3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_connecting_with_life3_888adfccd5.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_connecting_with_life3_888adfccd5.webp 432w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/connecting_with_life3_888adfccd5.webp 432w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">From ego to eco</h4>How can we move from “ego to eco,” from the constriction of our small self to the infinite expansion of our being, our higher Self, connecting with the whole web of life? And who can help us achieve that?I believe the answer lies within, beyond the body and beyond the mind. It resides in the Heart, in the Heart of our Heart, the Self, that deeper healthy core inside, that inner divine Light that has always been shining. The Chandogya Upanishad pointed to it many centuries ago: “There is a light that shines beyond all things on Earth, beyond us all, beyond the heavens, beyond the highest, the very highest heavens. This is the light that shines in your heart.”As we connect with that divine presence within, we start getting guidance to attune to Life. We start “stepping out” of our own way and letting Life live through us. The words “surrender” and “service” become the beacons of our existence. We start surrendering to the guidance that Life is constantly sending us, receiving it with our Hearts, which in turn then guide us in the right direction. We manifest who we truly are in the world and how we can be of service to the larger existence we are part of, contributing to the greater good.Step by step, we become a walking prayer, as the Benedictine monk David Steindl-Rast says: “Prayer is not sending an order and expecting it to be fulfilled. Prayer is attuning yourself to the life of the world, to Love, the force that moves the sun and the moon and the stars.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/connecting_with_life4_76e48f35c8.webp" alt="connecting-with-life4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_connecting_with_life4_76e48f35c8.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_connecting_with_life4_76e48f35c8.webp 697w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/connecting_with_life4_76e48f35c8.webp 697w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Nurturing the connection</h4>I find many practices helpful to establish, attune, and nurture that connection with Source, but the main ones guiding my journey have been <a href="https://bit.ly/hfnmedit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heartfulness Meditation</a> and the <a href="https://bit.ly/hfnprayer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heartfulness Prayer</a>. Prayer helps to create an inner connection with that divine presence, and meditation strengthens it, allowing me to be in tune with Nature and evolve spiritually.We are all sparks of the Divine, walking each other home, back to the Source. What would happen if we could maintain that connection, that remembrance of the Divine within and without? To see ourselves and others beyond the masks. To see us all as one, part of the same Being. Imagine a world like that.Is it easy to do? No. Is it possible? Yes. It takes one step at a time, expanding our awareness to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness we share with each other and our environment. The more we expand, the more we include and transcend our boundaries and realize our full potential for goodness, compassion, and peace, while navigating through the challenges of Life.May we all find ways to become our divine essence and manifest it in the world for the benefit of all beings. May we all realize who we truly are, surrendering ourselves to the divine guidance that is always present. May our spirits blossom and flourish while we help others to flourish as well. May we, together, manifest the world our hearts know is possible.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr>

Connecting with life

Vedo’s roots are in India, and he now lives in the UK. An engineer by profession, he also enjoys the great outdoors and nature's beauty, and his personal practices of Heartfulness Meditation and restorative yoga.

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Vedo Chatterjee

Being present

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VEDO CHATTERJEE is on a journey to experience what it means to be truly present in the moment. He shares the pitfalls and triumphs along the way, and his current learnings as a “work in progress.”</h4>With an air of professional calm, the therapist asked Ed to pick out five things in the room. Nervously scanning the room, Ed identified the desk, a plant, the coffee machine, the computer, and a stuffed toy. Though the task seemed odd, he noticed the details of the room more than he had ever done before. He realized the purpose of this exercise was to pull him into the present moment, albeit in a dry and procedural manner.Halfway across the world, Maya was asked to close her eyes and remember a cherished moment. She picked a day when her mom had hugged her despite a colossal mess-up. The memory had assumed greater significance over time, and she always felt safe when she remembered that day. The act of recalling and revisiting the memory was meant to change her emotional state in the present, by accessing love and joy she had felt in the past.These accounts suggest a certain degree of complexity in the interplay of our emotions, motivations, and perception of time.And that raises a question: what does it truly mean to “be present”? The essence might lie in the directing of our attention. Attention exists in the present moment, even when it relates to past experiences or future thoughts. We focus our attention using the energy that is available to us at any given time. Then, perhaps energy is that fundamental irreducible aspect of our experience, which is truly rooted in the present moment.&nbsp;Imagine an ideal state where we’re energized and paying attention to matters that positively affect our life in the present, crafting a more desirable future. We all know that life is more complicated than that. Many of us feel stuck in the past, as it is still affecting us. Our attempts to regain control over an event we couldn’t control is what we classically know as “living in the past.” The complex emotions that develop from the lack of control that was experienced may be hard to navigate. And this can develop into an intense distrust and fear of being hurt again in the future. The difficult emotions, in order to protect us, can keep traveling to the past or running into the future, seeking closure. We continue with life as if being controlled by what we could not control.Control, despite its negative connotations, is an important aspect of our lives. Some amount of control is necessary to guide us toward our aspirations. It allows us to align with our dreams and goals. When we lose control, we lose the ability to steer our life in the direction we desire. It can send us off the rails, giving rise to emotional disturbance, opening the door for past regrets, future fears, and a general lack of energy, due to its dissipation in multiple directions.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">By understanding the importance of energy emotions, control, and the general sense of my life’s narrative I am able to enrich the issue and find helpful pathways along other dimensions.</h4><hr>Being present, in the way I want to be, has proven difficult many times in life. I can only suggest what might be valuable, based on my personal experiences. Limiting the idea to a temporal construct imposed upon the contents of the mind is restrictive. Being obsessed with the occupations of the mind only imprisons me in a vicious cycle of mental activity.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_present2_13d2f26762.jpg"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Positive emotions help me connect with my energy allowing me to find expression and meaning. I am slowly learning to give myself more readily to the present moment without being pulled in different directions.</h4><hr>By understanding the importance of energy, emotions, control, and the general sense of my life’s narrative, I am able to enrich the issue and find helpful pathways along other dimensions. By devoting my energy to the things that matter, and the people I love, I may experience positive emotions. By devoting my energy to the things that matter, and the people I love, I may experience positive emotions.Positive emotions help me connect with my energy, allowing me to find expression and meaning. I am slowly learning to give myself more readily to the present moment, without being pulled in different directions. The process can be painfully slow.Although my life’s journey has brought me to the present moment, being fully present in that moment is itself a journey!<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>

Veena Mishra is a software engineer and is currently working with Ernst & Young. Apart from technology, she is also passionate about  writing and loves to pen down her thoughts and ruminations. 

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Veena Mishra

<h4>VEENA MISHRA shares her experience of learning to listen to the voice of the heart through a meditation practice. She describes meditation as the way she learned to allow the heart to speak out – “that magical tool we are all unknowingly looking for.”</h4><hr>Everything has a tendency to age and decay with time. The outer glamor of this so-called “perfect world” continues to fade slowly but steadily with each passing day. What we often do not realize is that, amid all this pomp and show, our tiny hearts are trying to speak to us. The noise around us is so clamorous, however, that the heart’s voice is drowned even before it can surface.Our heart is the most beautiful creation. This inner heart of ours is not subject to any kind of disintegration. What it needs is nourishment. If the heart is properly nourished and taken care of, then over time, as the body shrivels, the heart continues to shine, radiate love and, most importantly, guide us through life.How do we nourish our hearts? I think that meditation is a very simple yet effective way of achieving this. Meditation is that magical tool we are all unknowingly looking for. It enables us to lend our ear to the voice within that is trying to speak to us. As we meditate, the outer cacophony begins to die out and that voice becomes prominent.<hr><hr><h5>Meditation is that magical tool&nbsp; we are all unknowingly looking for.&nbsp; It enables us to lend our ear to the voice within&nbsp; that is trying to speak to us.&nbsp; As we meditate, the outer cacophony begins to die out&nbsp; and that voice becomes prominent.&nbsp;</h5><hr><hr>We often wonder how to discriminate between the voice of the heart and the so-called voice of the mind. When I began meditation, I started to realize that there is only one voice, and it is that of the heart. When caught up in any kind of situation, this voice is always trying to tell me the right thing to do. Whether I am able to listen to it or not depends on how much I have been able to detune myself from the other unwanted noises, which are a culmination of desires and ego. Meditation helps to refine these and lessen their impact on my thinking, enabling me to know my heart’s wish.Whether we listen to it or not depends on us.<hr><hr><h4>Illustration by ARATI SHEDDE</h4><hr><hr>

Magic to open the heart

The Venerable is the Director, Tibet House, Cultural Center of H.H. the Dalai Lama, New Delhi. He is the former official translator to H.H., teacher of comparative studies of modern science and philosophy, author, and advocate for universal ethics as a solution to humanity's problems.

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Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The VENERABLE GESHE DORJI DAMDUL is the Director, Tibet House, Cultural Center of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, New Delhi. He advocates for universal ethics as a solution to humanity’s problems, and here explores the psychology of world peace, and some practical approaches we can all take to move in that direction.</h4>&nbsp;If we are to talk about world peace, we must first experience inner peace. In order to export gold, we should have gold ourselves. So, with this in mind, where do we go wrong? It’s primarily in failing to understand the psychology of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/finding-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inner peace</a>.&nbsp;Think of a moment in your life when you felt the greatest peace—the most beautiful moment. Imagine now extending it to all your family members, to everyone in your country, and to everyone in the world; this is world peace.&nbsp;For that matter, just imagine the most beautiful momentous event in your mind. Often times people talk about watching a sunset, but one thing most of us have experienced is the love of our mothers when we were aged two, three, four, five, six. If you can replicate this love and affection toward all beings, that is universal peace, universal compassion.Now, how to make it happen? We have to know the psychology, how the mind works. When we were born, we didn’t have love for our mothers. But within the span of a few years, we developed such intense love for them. What made this love develop was seeing our mothers as sources of benefit. In other words, we were dependent on her for our well-being.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Think of a moment in your life when you felt&nbsp; the greatest peace- the most beautiful moment.&nbsp; Imagine now extending it to all your family members,&nbsp; to everyone in your country, and to everyone in the world; this is world peace.&nbsp;</h4><hr>So, if there’s a way to feel our dependency on others—our neighbours, our countrymen and women, the world, and Nature—that is the key. It is the secret of our understanding that “I have to take care of Nature, I have to take care of my family members, and the world’s citizens.” It gives a sense of connectedness. This is known as universal peace.In this connection, I remember when His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, was traveling in India and abroad, one question would regularly come from the audience, particularly educationists and social activists: “Where are we going wrong? World peace is going down.” And without a second thought, His Holiness would answer, “Because of the limitation in our modern education system.” Our modern education system is designed in such a way that whoever can say “two plus five equals seven” is applauded. Whereas even if you have the potential to become the next Mahatma Gandhi, if you say, “two plus five equals seven-ish,” you fail. Nobody will count your heart. Nobody will count your courage and determination, and so forth.His Holiness says we need to supplement modern education, which is actually a remnant of the industrial revolution; it must be supplemented by the education of the heart. This is the message. If this is what we can do through the cognitive understanding of our interconnectedness with our fellow human beings and with Nature, then automatically our love for Nature, and our love for our fellow human beings will happen.From a talk given during the Global Spirituality Mahotsav at Kanha Shanti Vanam, March 14 to 17, 2024.

The psychology of peace

<h3 style="text-align:center;">A Dialogue on Compassion, Wisdom, and Spiritual Unity</h3><h4>THE VENERABLE GESHE DORJI DAMDUL,&nbsp;in conversation with&nbsp;PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN,&nbsp;explores why compassion without wisdom remains incomplete—and how Buddhism's ancient wisdom and the Heartfulness tradition share a common aim of spiritual growth: dissolving the illusion of separation.</h4>&nbsp;Purnima Ramakrishnan: Namaste, Geshe La. Thank you for joining us for the consecration of the descendant of the Mahabodhi tree.1 We are very happy to welcome you back to Kanha Shanti Vanam. After the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, this must feel like a return.² How does it feel to be here again?Geshe Dorji Damdul: It is extremely healing and peaceful to be here. I learned that the space is close to 2,000 acres. It is like a huge town built with the blessings of Daaji. When you enter the campus, you feel you are in a very different world. The moment you come here, you sense oneness. There is an intense feeling of coming back home.PR: At the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, many traditions came together. You spoke there, and I sensed a deep resonance between Heartfulness and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-the-Buddha-brought-us-together" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buddhism</a>. How do you see that relationship?Geshe Dorji Damdul: In fact, if I am not too presumptuous, I would say that if someone fully understands Heartfulness and then encounters the Buddhist tradition, they may feel, “This is actually Heartfulness.” And someone from the Buddhist tradition who comes to Heartfulness and observes it—even just by looking at the demeanor of Daaji—they may feel, “This is Buddhism.”In a way, I would say that whatever tradition one follows, we must keep in mind that the goal and the means should not be mixed up. The goal and the means are not the same! For example, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahá’í, and Buddhism—all traditions—evolved in different locales and at different times. Each adopted its own means to reach the goal. But the goal is one.The goal is that there should be no fighting, no discrimination, no bullying. Everyone should feel joy, happiness, and peace. When someone is falling, others should be there to lift that person up. This is the goal of all religions.The problem is that when people go to extremes—fundamentalism or fanaticism—they begin to identify with the means itself. They see the religion as the ultimate end. They forget the goal, and then they fight.PR: So, religion is a means, not an end!Geshe Dorji Damdul: Yes. The goal of all religions is to create harmony and peace in the world. But that peace is sometimes disrupted in the name of religion. When you come here to Heartfulness, you see that anyone who follows Daaji embraces others—there is no pushing. That is something very precious.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The goal is that there should be no fighting,&nbsp; no discrimination, no bullying.&nbsp; Everyone should feel joy, happiness, and peace.&nbsp; When someone is falling, others should be there to&nbsp; lift that person up. This is the goal of all religions.</h4><hr>&nbsp;During the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, when I felt this ambiance of Heartfulness and listened to Daaji’s address—in the presence of four to six million people—I could see the beauty, warmth, and embracing nature in him.I spoke to the people who invited me and suggested that such great visionary leaders—driven by compassion—should come together. For example, if Mahatma Gandhi were alive today, I would work very hard to bring such great minds together—to strive for harmony and real peace, not just peace in words.What is the proof that it is possible? Just come to Heartfulness. Here, people feel oneness. When such great minds come together, no doubt the world will become very different.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness2_ec0614dd62.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;PR: You spoke about a shared goal across traditions. That brings to mind the Heart Sutra: “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.” In Heartfulness, Babuji Maharaj spoke of our journey toward nothingness. Do you see a connection there?Geshe Dorji Damdul: You picked up the heart—and then Heartfulness. Heart and Heartfulness.Let us think of two mothers. Both mothers have intense love for their child. The child wants to become a Nobel laureate in physics.One mother knows physics very well—relativity theory, quantum physics, quantum entanglement, all these concepts—thoroughly. The second mother loves the child just as much, but does not know physics at all. Although she loves the child deeply and wants the dream to come true, she is helpless. She does not have the wisdom to guide the child to the fulfillment of that aspiration.In the case of the first mother, the heart is supported by knowledge. Because she has both love and wisdom, the child reaches the culmination of the aspiration—perhaps even becoming a Nobel laureate.This is Heartfulness: when compassion is guided by wisdom, the heart becomes full.From that point of view, I see the Heart Sutra in it. When it says, “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. Form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form,” it is telling us how to make the heart full—how to guide the heart through wisdom.Babuji Maharaj said that everything goes into emptiness as a goal. This has deep meaning. The Heart Sutra says, “form is emptiness” and “emptiness is form,” like two sides of the same coin.Form here means dependent origination: how things arise depending mutually on one another. Nothing exists independently. “Empty” means empty of independent existence.Why do conflicts and fights happen? Because we feel independent from one another. We do not care about others because we think we are separate. This attitude is ignorance. It is the illusion that you are independent from me, and I am independent from you.Albert Einstein called this an optical delusion—the sense of division between “you” and “I.” He suggested that to overcome this delusion, we must expand the circle of compassion and recognize our interdependence.So again, compassion, when guided by wisdom, becomes whole. It embraces everyone. That is Heartfulness.COVID-19 taught us this very clearly. Even powerful nations and their rulers—kings, prime ministers, presidents—were not independent. If you close your borders entirely to protect yourself, your economy collapses. If you open them, the virus spreads. You cannot protect yourself unless you understand that we are interdependent. Protecting weaker countries protects you as well.This is the wisdom needed to make the heart full. It should not remain confined to a small circle. It must extend to all human beings, all animals, the environment, the whole world.So when the Heart Sutra says, “Form is emptiness,” it helps dissolve destructive emotions—craving, greed, anger—because we see there is no independent self.And when it says, “Emptiness is form,” we see that forms do exist—but in mutual dependence. From that understanding, empathy, affection, compassion, and joy arise.“Form is emptiness”: destructive emotions dissolve.&nbsp;“Emptiness is form”: constructive qualities grow.This is the essence of the Heart Sutra. Destructive emotions are reduced, and compassion expands to embrace all living beings on Earth—including the environment.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">From that point of view, I see the Heart Sutra in it. When it says, “Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.&nbsp; Form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form,”&nbsp; it is telling us how to make the heart full— how to guide the heart through wisdom. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;PR: When you spoke about compassion expanding, I was reminded of ripples—how one act touches another, and then another.That brought to mind the mantra om mani padme hum. I once heard it described as the “jewel in the lotus,” with compassion arising when the lotus of the heart blooms. In Heartfulness, we pray for the collective evolution of humanity—especially through our nightly prayer.There seems to be resonance here. Could you speak about this mantra and its meaning?Geshe Dorji Damdul: This is beautiful. Even the phrase “collective evolution of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-more-refined-humanity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">humanity</a>” is so powerful.Om mani padme hum is the mantra of the Buddha of Compassion—Avalokiteshvara. In Chinese tradition, this presence appears as the female Quan Yin. In Tibetan Buddhism, which descends from Nalanda in India, it manifests in male form as Avalokiteshvara.Om is shared across Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is composed of A-U-M, symbolizing body, speech, and mind.What is to be awakened? The evolution of body, speech, and mind—what some may call perfect consciousness.How do we evolve toward that? Through the jewel—mani.The jewel symbolizes compassion. Just as a wish-fulfilling gem answers aspirations, a good heart fulfills our deepest wish—to be happy and to help others be happy. Even physical and mental well-being are strengthened through compassion. This is mani.But compassion alone is not enough. It must be guided.Padme—from padma, the lotus. The lotus grows in mud but remains unstained. Wisdom arises in ordinary human beings, yet when directed properly by a qualified guide, it remains pure. Wisdom is what allows compassion to become full.And then hum—this signifies the inseparability of heart and wisdom. They must not operate in isolation. They must function together, individually and collectively.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Destructive emotions are reduced, and compassion expands to embrace all living beings on Earth—including the environment.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness3_5e6d3f0324.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;When compassion is limited to “my group,” it is incomplete. True Heartfulness must extend to the whole world.Daaji is also working in this way. This land, this 2,000 acres, is not for himself. It is for all who appreciate Heartfulness. That is something we must learn.PR: You spoke about leaders shaping people—not creating followers but shaping hearts. Could you elaborate?Geshe Dorji Damdul: One thing we must learn from great teachers—Daaji, Raji Ji, His Holiness—is this: when a leader has a truly good heart guided by intelligence, transformation happens.When I come to this ashram, I do not feel like an outsider. People embrace you with natural smiles. They are not forced. They are pure.How does this happen? They are not all born from one mother. It is because of the wisdom given by the guide—Daaji—and his two teachers. His Holiness is another extraordinary example.This is what is required: a leader with vision for the larger good and a heart of compassion. When those two are united, people change. The followers begin to reflect that same heart and vision.It becomes like a ripple effect—a chain reaction. It expands until there are no “others” or “enemies” left. Everyone becomes “us.”In many situations, anger leads to retaliation. “You hurt us; we will hurt you.” Hatred fuels more hatred. But under wise leadership, a different path is possible.His Holiness has often said that allowing anger to dominate is a failure. Instead, we must be practical. What can be done, we do. We go for the Middle Way—a win-win approach. Not, “We will punish you; we will kill you.” There should be no attitude like that.When I look at history, I see how one person can transform millions. One leader can reshape a society. Here, too, in Heartfulness, I see people smiling—and that influence comes from one person, Daaji Ji. World leaders should learn from figures like Daaji Ji and His Holiness: compassion guided by wisdom. If that combination governed nations, trillions of dollars spent on warfare could be redirected toward human flourishing.PR: When you spoke about how one person can influence many, I was reminded of something Babuji Maharaj once said: “I do not create disciples, I create masters.” Visionary leaders do not create followers—they awaken others to the same vision and heart.As we conclude, may I invite you to share your closing thoughts?Geshe Dorji Damdul: India is an amazing country. It has produced great masters from many traditions—Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism. Then, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave, and here we have Daaji. These are extraordinary figures.His Holiness the Dalai Lama often says that wherever he travels, he speaks of India as the land of ahimsa.3 He promotes India to the world for its profound spiritual heritage and the values it can offer humanity.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This is what is required: a leader with vision for the larger good and a heart of compassion.&nbsp; When those two are united, people change.&nbsp; The followers begin to reflect that same heart and vision. It becomes like a ripple effect—a chain reaction.&nbsp; It expands until there are no “others” or “enemies” left. Everyone becomes “us.”</h4><hr>&nbsp;The world today is deprived of these qualities. His Holiness serves as an ambassador of India in this sense.I remember him saying, “My body has survived on Indian rajma dal, and my brain has survived on Indian Nalanda philosophy—psychology, metaphysics, and logic.” In that way, he considers himself a son of India.So what I am saying is this: great leaders like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mahatma Gandhi, and Daaji are products of this land. People—both leaders and citizens—can learn from them.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/buddhism_heartfulness4_f6a34d4c6b.webp" alt="buddhism-heartfulness4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;PR: Thank you, Geshe La. It has been an honor speaking with you. We hope to welcome you again to Kanha Shanti Vanam!Geshe Dorji Damdul: Thank you. It is truly my honor to visit this center. It is a beautiful place. You enter—and you feel peace.I have been observing the smiles. One smile, two smiles—you can find that anywhere. But here, across this 2,000-acre campus, you see only smiles. They are contagious, very beautiful. It is amazing!<hr>1 The Mahabodhi tree refers to the sacred fig tree in Bodh Gaya under which Siddhartha Gautama is believed to have attained enlightenment. The tree at Kanha Shanti Vanam is a descendant of that original tree.2 The Global Spirituality Mahotsav was an international meeting of spiritual leaders and traditions held at Kanha Shanti Vanam in 2024.3 Ahimsa: A Sanskrit term meaning non-violence or non-harming—an ethical principle in Indian traditions that calls for compassion and refraining from harm in thought, word, and action.&nbsp;

Buddhism and Heartfulness

Venkata is a qualified hospitality professional, who has been both a chef in leading hotels and a trainer of aspiring chefs. He has been a Heartfulness practitioner and volunteer since 1985.

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Venkata Murthy

<h4>
 VENKAT MURTHY
 is a hospitality professional, chef, and an educator who trains aspiring
 student chefs in Sydney, Australia. This year, he will be sharing his
 favorite Indian recipes with Heartfulness Magazine.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves: 4

<h4 id="h-ingredients">
 Ingredients
</h4>

<h5>
 Rice – 500 g Water – 750 ml Oil – 2 tbs Cashew nuts – 30 g Coriander
 leaves, chopped – 2 tbs Mint, chopped – 2 tbs Cinnamon stick – 1 Cardamom
 pods – 2 Cloves – 2 Bay leaves – 2 Star anise – 1 Onion,
 sliced – 1 medium Green chillies, slit – 2 small Ginger and garlic
 paste – 1 tbs Chilli powder – 1 tbs Garam masala powder – 1 tsp Yoghurt
 – 1 tbs Tomatoes, chopped – 4 medium Mushrooms, halved or quartered
 – 200 g Green peas – 100 g Salt to taste Lemon juice – 1 tsp
</h5>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<figure class="block-image">
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="463" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mushroom_biryani2_700x463_296bccfad8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:16:44.747Z" />
</figure>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />


<h4>
 Method
</h4>


 Wash and soak the rice in cold water. You may soak it for as long as half an
 hour for a better result. Keep aside.&nbsp;



 Mix together the chopped coriander and mint and divide it in 5 portions. Set
 aside.&nbsp;



 Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed deep pan on a medium flame. Add cashew nuts
 and sauté until they are lightly brown. Remove.&nbsp;


Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and star anise. Stir.


 Add onion, slit green chillies and 1/5 of the chopped coriander and mint mix.
 Stir and sauté until the onion is lightly coloured.&nbsp;



 Add ginger and garlic paste, stir and sauté for a further 2 minutes, or until
 the raw flavour is removed.&nbsp;



 Add another 1/5 of the mint and coriander mix, chilli and garam masala powder.
 Stir and cook for a few seconds.&nbsp;



 Add yoghurt, stir, and simmer, on a low heat until the liquid evaporates.
 Follow this with tomatoes, another 1/5 of the mint and coriander, mix and cook
 until the tomatoes are well blended.&nbsp;



 Add mushrooms and peas and stir for a few minutes. Now add 750 ml or 1½ times
 that of rice water, another 1/5 portion of the mint coriander mix, and wait
 until water boils vigorously. Add salt.&nbsp;



 Drain the rice and add it to the boiling liquid. Simmer until water is
 absorbed.&nbsp;



 Add lemon juice, the fried nuts, and the last 1/5 of mint and coriander on top
 of the rice.&nbsp;Do not stir.



 Cover with a cloth and then a tight-fitting lid. Place it in a preheated oven
 at 200° C for 15 minutes.&nbsp;



 Remove and rest for 5 minutes.&nbsp;Open the lid, remove the cloth, and stir
 carefully so as not to break the rice.


Serve hot with raita.&nbsp;

<h4>
 Raita:
</h4>

<h5>
 Yoghurt – 250 ml Salt to taste Coriander leaves (chopped) – 1 tbs Cumin
 Powder – ½ tsp ½ a small green chili, slit (Optional)
</h5>

<h4>
 Method
</h4>


 Whisk yoghurt lightly. Add salt and ½ of the chopped coriander leaves and
 cumin powder and stir. Sprinkle green chili and the other coriander leaves on
 top. Serve chilled.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<figure class="block-image">
 <img decoding="async" width="700" alt="mushroom_biryani3" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mushroom_biryani3_700x463_cd533c6836.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:15:53.567Z" />
</figure>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 Variations:&nbsp;
</h4>


 Mint Raita: Replace fresh coriander by
 fresh mint.



 Onion Raita:
 Add chopped Spanish onion and stir carefully.



 Tomato Raita:
 Add chopped tomato and stir carefully.



 Cucumber Raita:
 Add chopped cucumber and stir carefully.



 Capsicum Raita:
 Chop capsicum, sauté until tender and add to yoghurt.



 Carrot Raita:
 Add grated carrots and stir carefully.


You can also make different combinations of vegetables.

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

Photography by CLAYTON HAIRS

<hr />

Mushroom biriyani

Véronique Brasselet and Emma Milesi

<h4>This is an excerpt of a workshop coordinated by VÉRONIQUE BRASSELET and EMMA MILESI during the Heartfulness days at the Cité Internationale in Lyon in January 2016.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The heart’s simplicity reduces stress</h4>Stress is everywhere in our daily lives. When it is positive (eustress), it is considered beneficial; when it is negative (distress), it inhibits our potential and prevents us from accomplishing our objectives.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What is stress?</h4>Stress is something that causes a state of strain or tension.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What hides behind stress?</h4>Our fears. Fear is part of daily life, and it is present everywhere. According to its intensity, stress will be more or less severe, uncomfortable, challenging or crippling.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Various sources of stress</h4><ol><li style="text-align:justify;">Daily worries, for example, missing the bus and arriving late, the inability to finish all that was planned for the day.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Undergoing fear, for example, speaking in public, a job interview, not reaching our parents’ expectations, required job performance.</li><li>Undergoing binding, sometimes crippling fear, for example, reliving an old wound that made us suffer. Examples include not being loved, being abandoned, failing, hurting others, the fear of being judged by others.</li><li>The growing pace of life, for example, fear of anything new, of change, not adapting.</li></ol>Fear/Stress is a film we create for ourselves, a mental scenario, which confines us to a narrow vision excluding reality. Our interpretation distorts reality into false beliefs about ourselves and others.Stress, in particular distress, reveals that something is not quite right, and allows us to question ourselves: “What is causing me to feel stressed or frightened?”<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Various reactions under stress</h4>Our survival instinct forces us to act in one of three ways: defend ourselves, flee, or stay dumbstruck on the spot!<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Stress acts specifically at different levels</h4><h5 style="text-align:justify;">1. The Brain</h5>Stress specifically targets the brain areas implicated in coordinating cognition and emotions:a) The cognitive functions coordinated by the prefrontal cortex, such as language, memory, the ability to reason, to plan and to organize. b) Adaptability – calmness, problem solving and decision-making. c) Emotions, such as aggression, fear and pleasure, controlled by the limbic system.According to the degree of stress, we more or less lose these faculties and this can lead to lack of spontaneity, depression and even psychomotor retardation.The limbic system is the seat of our impulses, fears and angers. It emotionally colors any information received and grades it as agreeable or disagreeable. Its main function is survival by suitable adaptation to the social environment. Under stress, it focuses on survival – fight or flight – and deprives us from thinking clearly, e.g. blank page syndrome.Consequently, with stress (distress), we lose our capacity for reflection and emotions take over. Take, for example, a job interview; some will have clammy hands while others will not turn up, the stress being too unbearable.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Free_yourself_from_stress2_f516b9445b.jpg" alt="Free-yourself-from-stress2"><h4 style="text-align:justify;">How does the brain treat information? &nbsp;</h4>Imagine your brain as a multistorey house.First of all, information goes to the reptilian brain, the instinctive brain. If the body is in survival mode, for example if you are hungry, the information will be slowed down, even completely blocked if the hunger is severe. If body survival is not threatened, the information moves to the second storey into the limbic system, the emotional brain.Here the information is classified as agreeable or disagreeable. If it is agreeable, it passes through to the cortex and then you may have an answer to your mathematics problem! If it is considered disagreeable, failure is guaranteed! In the worst of cases, the limbic system will not allow the information to pass to the cortex.How does the limbic system assess information? Like an arbitrator, it adds up the plusses and minuses.For each disagreeable thought it allocates a minus, and for each agreeable thought it allocates a plus. Say you have a maths problem. If you say, “I am hopeless at maths,” or “This teacher is poor,” or “My family has never been good at maths,” it is a minus. If on the other hand you are feeling positive, then you create a plus.To continue the metaphor of the multistorey house, let’s say there is a door to go from the limbic system to the cortex. The plusses try to open the door the minuses try to shut it. The team that has the most wins.What does a team coach do before a football match? He talks positively to the players saying, “We will win,” and “We are the best,” so the information passes directly to the cortex and the team can play at its best level.In fact when information is considered agreeable or very agreeable by the limbic system, the limbic system passes it to the cortex, and then the cortex deals with it as a priority.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Free_yourself_from_stress1_eef621a864.jpg" alt="Free-yourself-from-stress1"><h5 style="text-align:justify;">2. The Hormones</h5>The hormones adrenaline and noradrenalin are released in stressful situations, and they accelerate our heart rhythm and breathing to allow the organs linked to movement to increase their functions and thus to support defense or escape.<h5 style="text-align:justify;">3. Behavior and Emotions</h5>Stress leads to:Dependency, jealousy, withdrawal and even submission, Withdrawal due to fear of showing weaknesses and not meet expectations, Difficulty in saying no, tendency to avoid conflicts, Hinders all action and relations, Withdrawal due to sadness and despondency, Compensation, such as eating disorders, drinking and smoking.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity: How to liberate stress in 4 stages</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/free_yourself_from_stress_3_img_431e8b027f.jpg" alt="free-yourself-from-stress">Ask a friend to guide you through the steps.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Step 1: Observe it</h4>Put yourself at ease, breathe calmly and close your eyes. Observe any current stress that you feel.Identify the emotions that take place inside you when you are aware of that stress.Identify the physical symptoms that appear, such as sweating, breathing, clammy hands, etc.Identify how you react to this stress: do you run away, stand up to it, or become inert?Note the stress level on a scale from 1 to 10.Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, and breathe out through your mouth.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Step 2: Feel it</h4>Recognize it, expressing inwardly, “I feel stressed because …”Inhale slowly through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.Feel this stress as deeply as possible, so as to integrate it.Feel the emotions that surface. We are often afraid to feel these emotions because we think they are bad and we will become like that.Inhale slowly through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Step 3: Accept it</h4>Welcome your stress without judging and with benevolence, as it is part of you.Inhale slowly through your nose, and exhale through your mouth.Accept it. What feelings occur when you do? What physical changes do you observe?Welcome this new sensation, explore it, appreciate it, amplify it while breathing naturally, let it spread throughout your body, and feel the energy circulating.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Step 4: Integrate it</h4>Do you feel that something has changed or loosened?Be ready to listen to a new understanding.Bring your attention again to the same stress: how do you feel now with it? If there is no improvement, wait some time and if necessary try again.Note the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/unplugging-to-reconnect" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">stress</a> level that you feel now on a scale of 1 to 10.Thank yourself that you took care of yourself.When we take the time to welcome what happens inside us and acknowledge it, we digest it better. We give ourselves permission to live in the present. Then slowly we will accept it, integrate it, and then transcend it.This is our personal work.When we cut ourselves off from our feelings, we try to stand back and intellectualize, and then our emotions take over. To free ourselves from our stresses is a proof of maturity and wisdom.<hr><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article and activity by VÉRONIQUE BRASSELET and EMMA MILESI</h4><hr>

Free yourself from stress

Veronique is a Montessori teacher in international schools. Her focus now is to develop Brighter Minds programs in Europe to give children the opportunity to connect with their intuition and sense of observation, which are lacking in most modern education. She finds that the practice of Heartfulness has helped her bring harmony into the classroom and bring up her own children joyfully.

Veronique.jpg

Veronique Desvigne

<h4>VERONIQUE DESVIGNE has a passion for education and teaching. So she went&nbsp;with her family to one of the most inspiring schools on the planet, near Ubud on&nbsp;the island of Bali.</h4>&nbsp;One evening in December 2008, while&nbsp;living in Seoul and being tired of the&nbsp;mass media that only speaks about&nbsp;the economic crisis and world degradation, my&nbsp;husband Alain saw a TED talk, and there we were!&nbsp;John Hardy resonated with him. The school’s&nbsp;founder and his wife Cynthia had envisioned&nbsp;creating an environment in which students are&nbsp;enabled and inspired to be creative, innovative and&nbsp;tomorrow’s ‘green leaders’. This is how the Green&nbsp;School project was born.Alain works in the field of renewable energy while&nbsp;I am involved in Montessori education. Eager to&nbsp;pass on to our children a ‘vision of a colorful world’,&nbsp;we looked forward to visiting this Green School. In&nbsp;July 2016 this dream came true.It is nestled in a green landscape on the island of&nbsp;Bali near Ubud, between the rice paddy fields and&nbsp;the Ayung river. After walking across a suspension&nbsp;bridge with such elegant curves that it seemed to&nbsp;fly, an architecture of outstanding beauty came&nbsp;into sight. The focus of the campus is called the&nbsp;heart of the school. It is made of a natural resource&nbsp;that is a giant grass, is both local and renewable,&nbsp;grows to a height of a coconut tree within two&nbsp;months and is harvested three years later. Yes,&nbsp;bamboo!Green School aims to have the lowest carbon&nbsp;footprint possible, and to be the first model of&nbsp;a sustainable economy in the educational field.&nbsp;Meshing with the surrounding ecosystem, the&nbsp;campus blends into nature and strives to set the&nbsp;bar high by hoping to induce many schools in its&nbsp;wake.The bamboo columns set a framework for classes&nbsp;without walls.&nbsp;It is an ideal space to learn to think differently and&nbsp;without limits. Each class cultivates its own organic&nbsp;garden supplying the school canteen. Children in&nbsp;permanent contact with nature interact with the&nbsp;natural environment, and we observe the direct&nbsp;impact on their behavior. A symbiotic relationship&nbsp;is then created and a respectful attitude towards&nbsp;the world that surrounds them becomes obvious.&nbsp;The students are encouraged to be responsible&nbsp;from an early age to take care of the environment&nbsp;and play while devising environmental solutions.<h4>A sustainable and holistic education</h4>At Green School, desks are not aligned in squares or&nbsp;positioned in the same direction. Time schedules&nbsp;are flexible to leave room for creativity and more&nbsp;fluidity.Green School offers a ‘hands-on’ and ‘learn&nbsp;by doing’ approach to education, stimulating&nbsp;students to be conscious and discerning. By living&nbsp;with nature and observing its rhythms, students&nbsp;develop a satisfaction to learn that goes well&nbsp;beyond the class, resulting in creative, innovative&nbsp;and critical thinkers, who are confident and&nbsp;capable of developing a long-term vision.<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">Students are encouraged&nbsp;to take initiative from&nbsp;a very young age, as&nbsp;a part of the school’s&nbsp;commitment to create a&nbsp;new generation of green&nbsp;leaders.</h5><hr>The curriculum covers three topics: classical&nbsp;subjects, such as maths, English and science,&nbsp;green studies and the arts.These are all influenced by geographical and&nbsp;cultural fields. It offers a balanced approach to&nbsp;inspire young children to learn, and equips them&nbsp;with the appropriate and relevant tools to nurture&nbsp;their passion, preserving our planet at the same&nbsp;time.By studying rice, for example, children learn to&nbsp;have a global vision of the development of the&nbsp;seeds they plant. They also learn to appreciate the&nbsp;need for healthy nutrition while cooking the crops&nbsp;they have grown and serving them for meals.&nbsp;Habits change naturally when being conscious&nbsp;that our blue planet is not indestructible.Climate change and sustainable economy are&nbsp;essential subjects, which enrich the programs&nbsp;for older students. Applied physics is encouraged&nbsp;during engineering projects such as a bridge&nbsp;construction. Focusing on the natural environment,&nbsp;the students explore this project from A to Z and&nbsp;highlight all the physical elements and forces to&nbsp;be studied. Students are given the space and&nbsp;time to create a dynamic and interactive project,&nbsp;where everyone’s enriched contribution boosts&nbsp;confidence and stimulates entrepreneurial spirit.<h4>Read the complete article in Volume 2, Issue 1 &nbsp;</h4><h4><a href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article By&nbsp;VERONIQUE DESVIGNE</h4><hr>

Green School: an inspiring source

Véronique is a French pediatrician, meditation trainer, and Yoga instructor. She was a coordinator of the International Heartfulness Training Programs and a co-founder of the Heartfulness program for cancer patients. She is currently the Director of the Heartfulness Yoga Academy.

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VERONIQUE NICOLAI

<h4>DR VERONIQUE NICOLAI presents the Yoga programs now offered by internationally certified Heartfulness Yoga teachers. These programs integrate the meditative practices of Heartfulness with traditional Yoga postures, and a deep knowledge of the human system from Yoga, Ayurveda and medical science.</h4>“Can you come every day to do these sessions? It will help us to sit through the day.” This 32-year-old man from Switzerland is part of an Executive MBA program in a five-star hotel in Chennai. Like the rest of this group, he is fit and young, hitting the gym several times a week to stay in the competition that his professional life demands.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness2_6703100599.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:13:19.609Z" alt="hfnwellness1">Yet he, and the group in our Yoga session that morning, felt the effect of Transmission. He was sharp enough to understand that starting the day in this condition would help him get through the intense corporate training. So at the demand of the group, we came seven days in a row, teaching them all the tools of Heartfulness. It was our first attempt to integrate Heartfulness Meditation and Asanas.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness3_566db6be43.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:07:49.414Z" alt="hfnwellness3">Heartfulness is Raja Yoga for the modern world. The practice starts directly with the seventh step of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, Dhyana or meditation. It is a shortcut to human evolution. The possibility of evolution of consciousness is given in this pure and simple approach. There is nothing superfluous; maybe it seems too simple at first glance and therefore it is not attractive. But if you study deeply the philosophy behind Heartfulness, if you experience it genuinely, you will see that the practice encapsulates Ashtanga Yoga, with all the eight limbs concentrated in their purest form.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness4_fd7e52bd80.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:08:22.040Z" alt="hfnwellness4">The fast pace of our daily life is not conducive for all to sit quietly with eyes closed. Asana prepares the person to sit; through body movement the mind is quietened, and Asana allows a deep relaxation. Not many are attracted at first glance by meditation but many are interested in doing something good and holistic like Yoga; and meditation is part of a Yoga class. With the help of Yogic Transmission, there is no need for long hours or years of purification of the body and mind through Asana, Pranayama, and the Shatkarmas, as this is taken care of by the practices of Heartfulness.<h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness5_721430f196.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:09:08.800Z" alt="hfnwellness5"></h4>Since that first attempt to integrate ‘Yoga + Heartfulness’ in a five-star hotel, Heartfulness has developed many wellness programs. With a group of Yoga professionals and Ayurvedic experts, the Heartfulness Wellness and Yoga team offers preventive health weekends, daily Yoga classes, an introduction to Heartfulness Yoga, and a one-month certification program to become a Yoga teacher with international recognition.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">WHAT IS HEARTFULNESS YOGA?</h4>Heartfulness <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/health-happiness-and-harmony" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yoga offers</a> a series of simple Asanas, not only for the sake of exercise, but to improve health and posture. At the same time, these Asanas help us to calm the mental and sit comfortably for meditation. Heartfulness Yoga allows us to experience the fundamental elements of Heartfulness through movement. We discover our subtle structure and the three bodies, we open the heartspace and feel its immensity, introspect and note our inner condition, and witness its transformation through journaling. We start our spiritual journey or Yatra, connect to the Source and stay connected while being in action. We quieten the mind, enjoy meditation, and rejuvenate in order to start a balanced and happy day.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness6_e9d5a7825a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:09:48.300Z" alt="hfnwellness6">This practice also brings people together: as we refer to the heart throughout the class, and as all the hearts are connected, the group naturally and beautifully moves from ‘me to we’, removing the veils that keep us apart.For those who want to dive deeper, who are interested in the philosophy of Yoga, and who look for a full immersion, we offer the Heartfulness Yoga Teacher Training Course. This TTC is a transformative one-month program that takes us step-by-step through traditional Yoga, its philosophy, the modern schools of Yoga, all the eight limbs of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga, and the transformative effect of Transmission in the Heartfulness Way.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness7_349f4ae9b9.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:10:23.383Z" alt="hfnwellness7">Transmission is pure love and works at the deepest level. At the end of the month, a group of certified Yoga teachers graduate with the possibility to teach all over the world and pass on their experience. They also transform into new beings and witness the changes offered by Heartfulness, when it is practiced intensely for a short time.<h5><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/hfnwellness8_4553cd71e8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:10:59.946Z" alt="hfnwellness8"></h5>Heartfulness Yoga programs are open to all: people who already practice Heartfulness, new seekers, Yoga professionals and complete beginners. It is a different way to learn and live Yoga.https://heartfulness.org/education/yoga-trainers/ in.wellness@heartfulness.org<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by DR VERONIQUE NICOLAI</h4><hr>

Wellness & Yoga

<h4
 id="h-veronique-nicolai-is-the-director-of-the-heartfulness-yoga-academy-and-the-coordinator-of-the-yoga4unity-platform-as-a-pediatrician-she-is-also-passionate-about-mental-and-physical-well-being-for-all-ages-especially-children-here-she-is-interviewed-by-varsha-kushwaha-about-her-own-journey">
 VERONIQUE NICOLAI is the Director of the
 Heartfulness Yoga Academy and the coordinator of the Yoga4Unity platform. As a pediatrician, she is also
 passionate about mental and physical well-being for all ages, especially children. Here she is interviewed by
 VARSHA KUSHWAHA about her own journey.
</h4>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Q: Thanks for joining us Dr. Veronique. We wish to know where
 your journey started, and how is it you’re here today?&nbsp;



VN: Thank you for inviting me. To make it short, I
 started with Heartfulness Meditation, a modern form of Raja Yoga. I didn’t start with Asana and Pranayama but
 directly with meditation. It answered the need I had when young to understand myself better. That’s why I also
 became a doctor, to understand how we work.



Why Heartfulness? I was impressed with the people who were doing it. To be precise, they attracted me because they
 were joyful. I felt they were well established in their family, successful in their profession, fun and authentic. I
 could be who I wanted to be, and it was extremely relaxing. Maybe that’s the purpose of yoga, to feel relaxed. I
 wanted to know what made them like that, and made me feel that way in their presence. There was joy. Only much later
 I discovered that yoga is all about inner joy.



I didn’t stumble into yoga after a trauma or an event. I was having quite a nice life, but I did have a question from
 childhood onward: “Why are we here?” I would ask, “Why go to bed if I have to wake up in the morning?” I felt that
 deep search for the purpose of life.



By the age of 21, I had an apartment, I was studying to be a doctor, I had great relationships with friends, and I
 thought, “If this is life, then I’m done. It can’t just be this! What am I going to do for the rest of my life?” I
 needed to find something deeper. And when I met people who were meditating, I could see that they didn’t have the
 same insecurity.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">The Heartfulness way
 offers all the limbs of yoga, including asanas and pranayama. It encompasses the entire philosophy
 of yoga, based on the Vedas, Sankhya philosophy, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, all for modern
 life.</h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



Heartfulness did not give me immediate answers, but it showed me a path so I knew the answers would come. I think
 everyone has the same question at some stage in their life. One day it comes. Some suppress it, but it’s there in
 everyone.



For many years, I was part of a team coordinating an international scholarship program for Heartfulness, with people
 coming from many countries, especially those where we didn’t have trainers. They would spend a month with us and go
 back to their countries as trainers. We had amazing people from all walks of life, from Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka,
 South America, CIS countries, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, etc.



<hr class="vertical-space1">




<figure><img decoding="async" width="700" height="568" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_self_development3_700x568_365b5fcd38.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:40:05.225Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



Meditation with a trainer, with Pranahuti, is a catalyst for growth. You see the results quickly without
 much effort. It is like climbing a mountain; you can climb up on your own, or you hold onto a rope and go up much
 faster. Pranahuti is the rope that takes you up. You just make the effort to sit in meditation everyday. Of
 course, there is practice, there is continuity, and there is discipline. Once you have all three, you become
 effective in everything you do. You work faster, make better choices, and manage your time better. For me, time
 management equals meditation. When I am all over the place, and I’m not able to get to where I want to be, I first
 align myself by doing my practice well. I then become more efficient, to manage my life successfully and give back.
 I think we’re here for that.



Heartfulness Meditation is simple. You don’t need a mantra, chanting, or any preparation. It’s silent. You don’t need
 an education. Even if you cannot read and write, you will receive the same benefit when you meditate. There is no
 need to speak. That’s its strength. Heartfulness is for everyone.



Nowadays, the Heartfulness way offers all the limbs of Yoga, including asanas and pranayama. It encompasses the
 entire philosophy of yoga, based on the Vedas, Sankhya philosophy, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, all for modern life.
 It’s extremely practical. You cannot know by reading or by watching other people do it.



Heartfulness Meditation is supported by Pranahuti (from the word “prana,” which means energy). We call it
 Transmission in English. It is the subtlest energy that flows from the heart of the trainer to the heart of the
 practitioner, and it was the key for me. I will remember that first experience all my life. After I had my
 introductory sessions, I was walking home from the trainer’s place and I wanted to tell everyone, “This is so
 simple. This is available.” I wanted to wake up my entire city.



I was in France at that time. To this day, that has been my effort, the revelation was so strong. Many Heartfulness
 volunteers have a similar experience and dedication. We want to give time to train others, because it’s the best
 thing that has happened to us. Actually, for yoga teachers, the spirit of service is part of the fiber of our being.
 In Heartfulness, the trainers never charge for the practices.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<figure><img decoding="async" width="700" height="475" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_self_development4_700x475_ca8a9ad202.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:42:31.559Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



Q: When you say yoga, I only think of asanas. I think meditation
 comes later in life. So how do asanas, meditation, and all the other parts of yoga fit together?



VN: Heartfulness is known for meditation, but it has
 always been based on Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga philosophy.



What is asana? In Patanjali’s words, it means to be comfortable and stable in your posture so that you can sit for
 meditation.



Heartfulness starts with meditation, but there is still a need to take care of the body. Being a doctor, I know it’s
 very important to do something for the body. I used to do all kinds of sports, like anybody raised in the West. I
 came to yoga later. At the beginning, I didn’t like it much, because it was too slow for me, my mind was too fast;
 but asanas have definitely helped me. They are good preparation.



Even if you already meditate, asanas are a fantastic way to take care of your health. You can hit the gym, swim, and
 walk, but if you want to do something that is complete and aligned to your practice of meditation, then yoga is a
 great way to take care of your body.



The asanas evolved that way. In ancient times, when yogis meditated, they sat for hours. Their muscles, their
 strength, even their nervous system started withering away, because they were not using them. So they devised a way
 to take care of the body, too. Asanas support meditation. Start with meditation, then include pranayama, and then
 use asanas to prolong the condition that you have after meditation.



There’s another element that’s extremely important. In Heartfulness we meditate on the heart, reconnecting us to the
 heart. Children bring joy because they’re in touch with their hearts so completely and freely. In psychology, we
 know that children develop ego at the age of three. They start to say “I” when they speak. Before that, they live in
 the present and bring joy to the whole family.



Unfortunately, when we educate the brain, and the mind takes over, we start remembering and worrying, so we’re no
 longer in the present. Linking people back to the heart is the most important thing we can do. In Heartfulness,
 before we do any asanas, we sit on the mat and connect to the heart. Then, throughout the practice, we come back to
 the heart. Meditation connects us to the heart and nourishes the qualities of the heart.



<hr class="vertical-space1">



<hr>



<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Asanas are a fantastic
 way to take care of your health. You can hit the gym, swim, and walk, but if you want to do something that is complete and aligned to your practice of meditation, then yoga is a great way to
 take care of your body.</h4>



<hr>



<hr class="vertical-space1">



From the perspective of the chakras, the heart chakra is the middle one; it’s connected to all the other chakras. So
 we start with the heart chakra, nourish it, and clean it. Asanas and pranayama are also all about cleaning and
 preparing. We prepare the mind to be still. So, in Heartfulness, we start from inside with meditation, developing
 the qualities of the heart, and from outside we also shape the body.




<figure><img decoding="async" width="300" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga_self_development5_d99710cd56.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:43:48.871Z">
</figure>




<hr class="vertical-space1">



To be continued.



<hr class="vertical-space1">

Yoga for self-development

<h4>VERONIQUE NICOLAI is the Director of the Heartfulness Yoga Academy and the coordinator of the Yoga4Unity platform. As a pediatrician, she is also passionate about mental and physical well-being for all ages, especially children. Here, Veronique speaks about Yoga4Unity – 100 days of Yoga. What’s on offer and how can you join up?</h4><hr>In traditional Yoga, you have the Kriyas. There are proper cleaning practices, starting with Jal Neti, washing the nose, and the Kunjal Kriya, which are practices for the digestive system. Then you have the Asanas, which clean knots of energy in your shoulders, your hips, etc.Movement also allows energy or prana to flow without any hindrance. This is what we mean by cleaning. We let energy flow from the gross, the physical, to the more subtle with Pranayama, which cleans the nadis. The nadis are channels of vital energy flow. Prana flows through the nadis, and when we do Nadi-Shudhi (alternate nostril breathing) the nadis are cleansed.Beyond this, there are deeper, subtler layers that can be accessed with the inner practices of Heartfulness. We have an every-day cleaning practice that purifies the field of consciousness and the emotional load of the day.So, Heartfulness Yoga covers all the layers of your being – from the physical to the mind, and then to the core, the heart. It’s the only practice that allows a beginner to start working on all the layers from day one, rather than after many years of practice.That’s a revolution! Many other schools already teach Asanas and Pranayama. But Pranahuti (Transmission) and the Cleaning practice add depth to the practice of meditation, which in my experience is the need of the hour.Meditation enables the values that are intrinsic to a human being. We need people to genuinely feel that they don’t want to fight each other, and that comes from the heart. If we can clean the heart, which Heartfulness Cleaning does, if we can nourish the good qualities of the heart, which Transmission does, we grow naturally into confident, balanced human beings, and that will change the world.<hr><hr><h4>Meditation enables the&nbsp; values that are intrinsic to a human being.&nbsp; We need people to genuinely feel&nbsp; that they don’t want to fight each other, and that comes from the heart.</h4><hr><hr>We’re also running a project of unity. Unity is the meaning of the word Yoga. First, unite within yourself. Then, you grow by your neighbors also growing. There’s a need to take care of the entire population. We grow together, and that is the idea behind this program, Yoga4Unity – 100 Days of Yoga. The beauty is to recognize that we grow together. People have started practicing Yoga for that reason. They want to grow, they want to change. When they feel the change, the magic of yoga, they want to become Yoga teachers.You can start wherever you want in yoga. Start with Asanas if you want, or start with meditation. First know that there’s a science behind it, which is ancient and universal. It has nothing to do with religion. It starts with the Yamas and Niyamas, and moves toward Samadhi. We all agree on the same ancient texts, which are the base of the science of Yoga. It is being adapted and re-introduced in the present times, and this is not something we can do working in our own corners in isolation. We need to unite.Fortunately, when we invited some of the great mother Yoga schools of India to join us, such as Parmarth Niketan, Iyengar, Sivananda, Kaivalyadhama, Krishnamacharya, and the teachers abroad, they all said, “Yes, we will give our time.” In this second year, we’ve consciously built the program together and we have a 100-day curriculum for four different audiences. There are programs for the elderly, for children, for enthusiasts, and for Yoga teachers.<hr><h4>Unity is the meaning of the word Yoga.&nbsp; First, unite within yourself.&nbsp; Then, you grow by your neighbors also growing. There’s a need to take care of the entire population.</h4><hr><hr>The directors of all the schools have 30 to 40 years teaching experience. They offer what they can in these sessions. It’s an opportunity, it’s free, and it’s online. You can register whenever you want to. The content is put up, and you follow it at your own pace. It is a 100–day course culminating in June 21, the International Day of Yoga.The Heartfulness Yoga Academy is based in Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad, at the international headquarters of Heartfulness. It’s a super place. The Academy offers regular yoga classes and meditation training free of charge, both in situ and online. We have introductory Yoga programs, and short trainings for people who want to add to their meditation, for example, yoga on the chair and simple breathing practices.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/yoga4unity2_700x375_7f5c96d81c.jpg" alt="yoga-4-unity">International Headquarters of Heartfulness, Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad.<hr>The Academy also offers teacher-training programs, and other educational, paid programs, with the curricula and criteria needed for certification in India and abroad. You can become a certified international Yoga trainer or a yoga professional by taking one of these programs.The best time to practice is early in the morning, but simply start whenever you can. Just do it and things will fall into place. It will change your life. Let the magic of yoga happen.Nowadays, there’s a lot of lightness in the way I look at life and the way I handle difficulties. My yogic practice gives me a line of support, a lifeline to manage any situation I feel uncomfortable with. One of the enormous changes I feel is that I have learned to manage anger. I used to have a very angry side to myself, but I don’t have the energy to be angry anymore. It’s a waste of time. There are other ways to deal with disappointment. I’m sure other things have changed too. I feel that I have cultivated lightness and softness, but you would have to ask my husband and my children, and the team here at the Heartfulness Yoga Academy.&nbsp;Please join us! Thank you.<hr>

Yoga4unity

Vibe was one of the first people to start the Heartfulness practice in Europe. She has been a sincere practitioner for more than 50 years and has devoted most of her life in the service for humanity as a Heartfulness trainer. She is also a Danish architect, who travelled to India as often as she could, first with the Academy of Art in 1963. Later she became a frequent visitor to Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, and feels deeply connected to the Indian culture in her heart. 

Vibe.jpg

Vibe Erstad

<h4>VIBE ERSTAD has been a Heartfulness practitioner for 52 years, having started in Copenhagen in 1970. The journey that has unfolded throughout those years is one of heartache and joy, and of participating in something bigger than an individual journey – a collective evolution of humanity looking to the future for all the children of the world.</h4><hr>Relationships have been a source of sorrow in my life. I was 5 when my father ended his own life, and it left me with a deep feeling of not being able to truly count on the connection and love everyone looks for here on Earth. He was a very talented landscape architect, but a politician criticized him in a newspaper for a project he did in Copenhagen, and it was the trigger for him to take his own life. I can only begin to imagine how much pain a father is in, if he chooses to pass forward such a trauma to two little daughters.He did not believe in God, he believed in aesthetics. He took beautiful photos of my mother in our garden. His father(also a landscape architect) and my mother exchanged poetry, and she also had a plant education. There was much beauty on the outside and much nervous energy on the inside.I was gifted in drawing, and I drew portraits, starting in Italy where our family spent two months in our Volkswagen. They were happy days indeed. My mother had built up an artistic papercutting business that did very well, but then she died of cancer when we girls were 19 and 16, so my younger sister took over the business with our stepfather.I became an architect and worked for a town planning firm. I remember a fascination with small-scale houses in communities –places to live while being near the rest of the community. I was not into modern architecture, so square and often so “cold.” I liked the old houses in the countryside and villages, and classical buildings. Both my mother and my stepfather had friends who lived in manor houses, but nowhere did I find an environment that really appealed to my heart. Nice communities of modern design fascinated me in magazines, but they were always a disappointment. And politics and beer also did not interest me!Why do I relate all this? So that you understand how much it meant for me to find what I had come for!When I was 15, I was walking in nature when suddenly I was in another realm. Things did not look different, they were different! It was a spiritual awakening, and I remember saying to myself, “Whoever I marry, and whatever education I get, it is ‘water’ compared to THIS!” From then on, I started reading all Paul Brunton’s books on meditation. I found them on my mother’s shelves – she became interested while grieving the loss of her husband. I also read about mystics from all different religions. But I did not find a practice yet.Through my youth and adult life, I often felt a deep sense of loneliness. I didn’t fit in a modern and material world. Then I met Thomas, who had planned a trip to India with some friends. I left the Academy for a year and spent seven months in India with them, searching for spiritual guidance. Thomas became the father of our two children. Once Thomas heard inside himself, “Vibe has lived as a Brahmin.” On arriving back in Denmark, we found Heartfulness. It had come to our country while we were in India. We started in 1970, and soon we visited Babuji in Shahjahanpur.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Inner_Community2_700x496_70d2316cdf.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T10:13:53.801Z" alt=""><hr>I spent a lot of time with my spiritual Masters. Those were the most meaningful days in my life. We can’t all go and stay with Masters, but we can all connect deeply to the place inside that I connected to when I was with Babuji – a place of joy and bliss, unknown to me in any other circumstances in life.I brought the joy with me home to Denmark. Once, after a long stay in India with Babuji, I explained to my four-year-old son how the ashram in Shahjahanpur was created with curves on the sides, indicating the idea of a bowl open to receiving Grace (the opposite of a dome). My son replied, “You are like that now, mom.” I felt it was true. My inner condition was more like an empty vessel after those long trips to India, and there was less of me and more space for him. I was able to be more present around my son when I allowed myself to dive into my inner space and meditate.The practice became my sanctuary and my true place of rejuvenation. It has brought so much joy into my life, in a simple and very innocent way. It is not about doing something, but about being something. I feel a meaning in life that my father didn’t feel when he chose to take his own life. It prepared me to appreciate beyond measure the kind of love I found so pure and simple in Babuji, and in those souls who gave their hearts so fully to him that they became like him.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Inner_Community3_700x496_c44352e3c8.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T10:15:13.388Z" alt=""><hr>It is a role I was put here to play, going far beyond my ability to comprehend. When I assist other people with their meditation, I feel connected to them in a very profound way. It led me to devoting a large amount of time to working as a meditation trainer. I volunteered to leave the architect’s studio when they said they needed to cut their budget. I felt protected financially by the money my parents had left me, a house, and the social system in Denmark. I felt it correct to leave the job so others could keep their jobs, even though nobody in that studio could draw like I could.This allowed me to spend more time with my son and daughter, and I could say “Yes” every time someone asked me for a meditation session. It is a privilege for which I am truly grateful, because I can contribute to people’s lives when I meditate with them.My spiritual practice led me to live near the Heartfulness Meditation Center in the countryside of Denmark. Here I have used my skills in repairing and decorating, and have experienced wonderful moments of true community happiness, even while doing something so simple as washing dishes.I built my own wooden house with a mass oven and solar panels, close enough that I can bike home and meditate. When I do, I feel profoundly connected to the inner community, with a sense of togetherness, despite being alone there in my meditation chair.Offering meditation sessions, meeting and reuniting over the years with people from maybe 30 countries, is a heartwarming part of my life. At other times I am disappointed with myself, because I still suffer from difficulties around relationships. I feel that we humans tend to be so much in competition and irrelevant interaction. But that is life, also, and we learn.Maybe my life is not so much about experiencing community in a time-space reality. Maybe I have come to feel it as a vision, and to hold that vision so dear to me that it becomes contagious, what we call an “egregore,” a community of kindred spirits. Invisible but felt.<hr><hr><h4>My heart believes in communities&nbsp; where people live together&nbsp; in peace and love.</h4><hr><hr>I feel my path interwoven in the collective evolution of humanity, and I can only guess and wonder. My heart believes in communities where people live together in peace and love. When I designed housing in my youth, I felt so happy to draw kids and grown-ups of all ages, while I was going into the details of all the buzzing and happy activity taking place in the vision. My 52 years of spiritual practice have made me able to hold space for that hope, while feeling a deep-felt meaning in life.I hope my grandchildren, and all other children on Earth, will experience life in communities of peace and mutual respect. I hope my contribution of feeling and loving these communities will echo into eternity and leave an impact in the greater intelligence.Actually, the glimpses I have sometimes had, while polishing my windows in the quiet afternoon, is that they are already a reality on subtle levels of consciousness.<hr>

Inner community

Victor has been an avid practitioner of Heartfulness Meditation and a trainer for more than 30 years. As a career CFO he has been able to combine the benefits of meditation in the everyday management of his duties and responsibilities. He lives with his wife in Atlanta and has a daughter

victorkannan.jpg

Victor Kannan

<h5>VICTOR KANNAN challenges the widely-held notion that compassion fatigue is inevitable in a life of service,
 especially the noblest of professions like education and medicine. How does fatigue develop and how can we avoid it?
</h5>

Why do we talk about the idea of fatigue in compassion and empathy in professional life?
 It seems to evince a pendulum swing from recognition to caution; recognition of the need for these qualities instead
 of just having the materialistic instincts of profits and productivity, to caution about sustaining compassion and
 empathy.
Compassion and empathy are natural qualities of a human being. They are positive for
 community building and improving relationships. Why then do we talk about the need to develop them and guard against
 fatigue?

<img class="has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/compassion2_45599d5e78.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-29T11:21:26.957Z" />


In this materialistic world, even the noblest professions of education, healthcare and
 spirituality are being sold, contrary to traditional values, which say there should never be any charge for them. They
 are not supposed to be the means to riches but are offered to enrich fellow beings. Those who offer these noble
 services have always been well respected by the community at large and their needs taken care of.
But in the modern era, this whole consciousness is lost. As a result, now there is a
 movement to bring back empathy, compassion and emotional intelligence (EI) into commercial, professional and
 marketplace dynamics. While this is good, commercialization usually cannot be avoided, except in those non-profit
 organizations that are exceptions to the general rule.
While there is a growing recognition of the need for emotional intelligence and social
 intelligence in the business world, the counter-theorists are quick to caution against compassion and empathy fatigue,
 and a number of studies are being conducted in this field.
Fatigue is different from tiredness. Tiredness can be corrected by rest and is a natural
 process of energy flow. Taking care of people can be tiring, but fatigue is like stress, it is chronic. It shows
 imbalance and an inability to cope. How is it that some people can go on longer and others can’t? Whether it is stress
 or fatigue, it is a question of stamina and resilience. Caregivers also need tools to improve their capacity and
 acquire the skill of being compassionate and empathetic for long periods, for it is proven that care with compassion
 and empathy cures better, makes everyone happier, and costs less.

<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">What we need is a new understanding of 
 how to give and receive; a compassionate culture of 
 giving and receiving to usher in 
 an era of total well-being.</h5>

<hr>
So here is what comes to mind: while cautioning people against fatigue, what is unspoken
 is the lack of understanding of how to naturally offer compassion and empathy unconditionally. It is not just an
 attitudinal adjustment. I do believe Heartfulness can help in the development of these qualities.
In his talks and book on emotional intelligence, Daniel Goleman narrates a story about a
 class of Divinity students at Princeton. They had to give a sermon on the parable of the Good Samaritan from The
 Bible, and neither those students preparing the sermon nor the control group showed any significant difference in
 their ability to notice and empathize with a homeless man who was positioned on the way to the Church.
So the first basic human act of noticing the man was not there, irrespective of the
 level of education and the preparation done for the sermon on the Good Samaritan. It is clearly not enough to know
 about empathy and compassion. What is critical in imbibing the qualities of empathy and compassion so that we can
 avoid fatigue?
As we begin to deliberately notice (observe), pay attention, and have positive
 intention, along with our meditation practices, these qualities develop naturally and a new habit is formed. Then
 fatigue will not occur. It will also not occur if there is a reward, and what is that reward? The reward is in the
 appreciation and gratitude felt by the patient or student or co-worker.
We also need to explore the cultural and social paradigms we live in. Our current
 paradigms have reduced most of our service professions to transactional relationships based on economics, whether it
 is in hospitals or hospitality. When we go to a restaurant, we pay for what we eat, but the waiter also expects a tip.
 This culture of tipping shows that what is provided to anyone is an exchange.
Our service professions require something more than a transactional value system. For
 highly paid medical professionals, it could be in the smile and joy of grateful patients. In the hospital industry,
 perhaps it is in the superior positive experience. In the hospitality industry it can be through tipping, which in
 some countries has become an expected part of job performance.
Everyone now knows that tips are part of the earnings of waiters, and hence most patrons
 tip generously. Unfortunately the owner of the business may pay the attendants less, knowing that they make money on
 tips. So, even this has now entered into economic calculations of businessmen.

<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Compassion and empathy are 
 natural qualities of a human being. 
 They are positive for community 
 building and improving relationships.</h5>

<hr>
When these types of expectations are normal and ubiquitous, how do we engender a culture
 of sensitivity in the community, one where the beneficiaries are generous in expressing their gratitude as much as the
 givers are generous in their caregiving or mentoring? Perhaps it has become necessary to educate the entire community
 of givers and receivers in how to express compassion and empathy. What we need is a new understanding of how to give
 and receive; a compassionate culture of giving and receiving to usher in an era of total wellbeing. We are all
 receivers and givers. When we recognize this, perhaps we will avoid fatigue altogether.
Heartfulness allows us to uncover the qualities of compassion and empathy so that they express in the most natural way.
Then we avoid fatigue. We can then experience a more meaningful way of giving and being.


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4>

<hr>

How can there be fatigue in compassion and empathy?

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN shares some insights on effective teamwork.</h4>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Alone we can do so little;
 together we can do so much.
 —Helen Keller</h5>

Have you ever wondered how some teams work effectively and some don’t? Why do some relationships flourish and others
not? Why do some morph over time into better or worse?

In a simple word, we can answer this with ‘compatibility’. The members of the team must be compatible.
The dictionary says,
Compatibility is a state in which two things are able to exist or occur
 together without problems or conflict.
Synonyms: like-mindedness, similarity, affinity, closeness, fellow feeling, harmony,
 rapport, empathy, sympathy.
Can we use these definitions to describe our teams and teamwork?
In their book The Discipline of Teams, Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith explain
 that not all groups are teams, and that “teams and good performance are inseparable.” We know teams that don’t perform
 do not exist for long.
Boards, committees and councils are not necessarily teams. Groups do not become teams
 just because they are in one boardroom and have similar titles.
Friends are not always brothers and brothers not always friends. If friends become
 brotherly and brothers become friendly, there is a resonance. In this resonance life flourishes, hearts are inspired,
 wars are won and kingdoms conquered.
Teamwork needs such resonance. There are organically formed teams with natural leaders
 who remain unmindful of their position; these teams thrive while enjoying the process of collaboration. In this sort
 of environment, a team is effective, adding value to what it produces, and there is a collaborative flow among the
 members. Because of this type of flow, the outcomes are good consistently. Good teams will develop direction, momentum
 and efficiency towards achieving their any goal. Teamwork, like work, brings joy and fulfillment when we love what we
 do, and learn how to do it better and better. Then we create a larger flow and we thrive in that environment.
 Productivity and prosperity abound. Our spirits flourish and joy expands.
In order for a group to function as a team, its formation is critical. Formation
 includes persons, values and mutual understanding. This produces a level of maturity, ease and synergy. Those teams
 that form naturally and those that are engineered can both be high-performance teams if we know and respect the
 elements of a good team.

<img class="has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/team2_a2b06a5be4.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-29T12:57:52.676Z" />

While most of this seems commonsensical, we often lament the lack of teamwork in most
 groups. Why? We need to study how good teams are formed, as individuals, managers and organizational leaders.
Katzenbach and Smith write, “Teamwork represents a set of values that encourage
 listening and responding constructively to views expressed by others, giving others the benefit of the doubt,
 providing support and recognizing the interests and achievements of others. Such values help teams to perform, and
 they also promote individual performance as well as the performance of an entire organization.”
Teams produce collective work and
 products. In teams, authority and accountability are shared. A team is not an environment of control, power,
 concentration and inequality. It does not include haves and have-nots. Individuals in teams possess complementary
 skills, and teams need this diversity. It is vital for their performance.
A good team flourishes when its members enjoy creative freedom, imbibe discipline of collaboration and coordination,
learn constantly and improve their skills continuously as they complement each other towards a united mission or
purpose. And a good team will fizzle out if this complementarity is devoid of freedom, skills development and continuous
improvement.

There are plenty of causes for which to work. There are plenty of teams that are needed to embrace those causes. So, if
we are not able to be part of such a team, it is more productive to sleep under a neem tree and enjoy life.

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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4>

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What is your team’s vibrational compatibility?

<h4><hr class="vertical-space1"></h4>
<h4>VICTOR KANNAN explores a vision for us collectively ushering in the next dimension of human existence, consciousness and bliss.</h4>
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The idea of giving, in its magnificence, is really the essence of spirituality, bringing forth unity, love and compassion. For some of us, it is even the purpose of existence. But do we all have the same understanding of the purpose of existence? According to Professor Lawrence Krauss, there is no purpose for existence itself.1
He says, “A universe without purpose should neither depress us nor suggest that our lives are purposeless. Through an awe-inspiring cosmic history we find ourselves on this remote planet in a remote corner of the universe, endowed with intelligence and self-awareness. We should not despair, but should humbly rejoice in making the most of these gifts, and celebrate our brief moment in the sun.”
In an LA Times editorial,2 he goes on to say, “Living in a strange and remarkable universe that is the way it is, independent of our desires and hopes, is far more satisfying for me than living in a fairytale universe invented to justify our existence.”
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">The traditional perspective of success and power 
 are now outdated from the point of view of 
 univervsal existence and the common good.</h5>

<hr>
How exciting! This point of view untethers us. It means there can be individual purpose. Instead of conforming to some imposed worldview, we can create our own mini-universes full of people and their aspirations, and together we can create a purpose for our societies. And these purposes will evolve as our collective experience teaches us how to live better and to aspire.
Society is the sum of individual thinking, and currently we are seeing individual thinking changing very fast. The traditional perspective of success and power are now outdated from the point of view of universal existence and the common good: “An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.” In this zero-sum game of economic progress, the polarization of haves and have-nots has been accelerating. Like the rubber band, it is a question of when, not if, it will break and hurt.
Such a polarization also exists in our overall mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, and so many of us have already moved away from the paradigm of success and power on the one hand to the ‘more meaningful’ on the other hand. This global shift is reflected in various fields of research. For example, the psychology of Emotional Intelligence and the science of neural exploration both reflect this movement towards the ‘more meaningful’ in humans all over the globe. Other examples include Theory U by Otto Scharmer,3 and the Big Theory of Everything by physicist Thomas Campbell. Many others are also contributing to this growing discussion. Whether it is the Dalai Lama, Daniel Goleman, Bruce Lipton, Oprah Winfrey or Arianna Huffington, they are assisting in gently increasing the volume on the drumbeat of the call of spirituality.
Anyone who practices true spirituality begets universal love, peace and harmony. Where there is love, it does not brook the suffering of others, let alone cause it. The kind of love we are talking about here is that ‘life-giving energy’, and is not limited to the stuff of romance and passion. Where there is true universal love there is peace. If not, the love is tinged with selfishness and the ignorance of separation.
Where there is love and peace, there is harmony, naturally. Even when the tiger eats a goat, that is part of nature sustaining itself. The tiger stops as soon as its stomach is full. No forest will be destroyed or atmosphere heated up if we feed ourselves only with what we need to survive and aspire – and no more.
<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Where there is love, peace and harmony, 
 there is total focus, productivity and teamwork of a different kind. 
 This, then, does not just produce more comfort on the material plane, 
 but produces evolution in a para-human context.</h5>
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Where there is love, peace and harmony, there is total focus, productivity and teamwork of a different kind. This, then, does not just produce more comfort on the material plane, but produces evolution in a para-human context.
It is said that every 100,000 years, life on Earth is ready for a jump in evolution. The last known evolutionary leap was to have come about 100,000 years ago, with the arrival of Homo sapiens on this planet.
Maybe we are on the verge of the next evolutionary jump. If it is not generated by peaceful means, it will be caused by destructive means. When there is no other cure, more of the same is the antidote. The current state of humanity will be cured by itself.
So, perhaps the best is to step aside, wait to participate in the silent and quiet movement of human flourishing, and be a conduit for the next jump in evolution when it is ready to happen. If we participate in that, we will enjoy the next dimension of existence. If not, do we perish?
The choice is ours. In this we embrace the age-old spiritual wisdom of the third metric of existence, as Arianna Huffington puts it in her book Thrive. That third metric includes our well-being, our ability to draw on our intuition and inner wisdom, our sense of wonder, and our capacity for compassion and giving. It is in this understanding and the acquisition of this well-being and, most importantly, it is by passing on this understanding and inspiration to others that we will collectively usher in the next dimension of human existence, consciousness and bliss – a new human species.
<h6>References:</h6>
<h6>1 http://genesis1.asu.edu/essay_Krauss.html 
2 http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/01/opinion/la-oe-krauss-cosmology-design-universe-20120401 
3 https://www.presencing.com/theoryu</h6>
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4>
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A new human species

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN shares some thoughts on being grateful, and the health benefits of this wonderful attitude, calling it an elite quality.</h4><hr>To be grateful is the greatest of all attitudes. It opens up so much peace, harmony and happiness and positively affects individuals, families, workplace and communities. Grateful people are more consistent in their behavior and hence approachable. They emanate a vibration and live in a frequency that propagates harmony in and around them. With this attitude, a person emanates a subtle loving and positive energy all the time.Though the niceties of gratitude are easily understood, there is also now enormous scientific evidence about the benefits of this attitude. Research shows that we sleep better, stress less, and undo negative effects on cardiovascular health and so on.Like anything we learn, imbibe and make part of our own being, the development of this attitude starts with recognition of the need to be grateful. Then we develop a pathway to cultivate this gratitude.<hr><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">A grateful heart is a well-cultivated heart.</h4><hr><hr>Where do we cultivate this attitude? Of course in our hearts. A grateful heart is a well-cultivated heart. A heart that is devoid of complexities and impurities, upon receiving impulses of love begins to blossom much more beautifully,&nbsp;similar to rose bushes well fertilized and fed.We are constantly faced with positives and negatives in life. We profit from hard work as much as with luck and serendipity. We lose in spite of hard and smart work. Whether these profits and losses are in material wealth or inner health or relationships, we can explore how to cultivate gratitude so it drowns the negative experiences in life, dissolves resulting impurities and complexities from the heart.Gratitude is such an elite quality in a human being.<hr><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by&nbsp;VICTOR KANNAN</h4><hr>

Being grateful

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN asks: How does the evolution of human consciousness reflect in the way we interact with each other and the world around us?</h4><h4>The River of Time</h4>From time immemorial, from all over the world and in all religions, one of the definitions of God is love. Why is this?Love creates. Hate destroys. It is easy to understand; we see this in everyday life.Love is the unifying and ennobling factor of all creation, manifestation, life and existence.Love is what gives meaning to life, and without meaning life is as good as dead.Love and meaning provide inspiration and intrinsic motivation to do good things and to even reach to the stars.Love is at the center of giving and sacrificing.Love exists when the lover does not.God has been the domain of religion, as religion is supposed to reconnect us with God. Spirituality develops the relationship with God in a more personal or intrinsic manner. This also means a more conscious lifestyle, adopting certain universal values of what is ethical and nourishing for the soul. We are not bound by dogma and are open-minded to scientifically explore the subtle, using physics to explore metaphysics. Generally it is oriented towards the principle of love and unity, while fully appreciating the diversity of existence.<h4>Unity in Diversity</h4>This is a powerful principle to fathom, and its proper appreciation results in engaging in a path of self-transformation while serving creation. In Turkish, to serve means to adore. When we learn to adore all of creation in its variety and multiplicity, we serve it. A self-transformed person never shuns the society they live in; they are forever grateful for the circumstances that made them.The idea of unity in diversity speaks to the interconnectedness of all life and its manifest journey. How can we participate and be part of this interconnectedness? How do we beget this sentiment of being interconnected? It is through our consciousness – through feeling, knowing and being. This is the crux of spiritual humanism.<h4>Interconnectedness</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/deeper_path_consciousness1_5944d19c5f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T11:52:05.090Z">The ancient Vedic prayer of Sarvam Bhavantu Sukhino (May all be happy) deeply reflects this awareness of the interconnectedness of all. Prayer for everyone and the well-being of everything was part of meditation during the Vedic times, 5,000–10,000 years ago, long before Lord Buddha.Lord Buddha exemplified the interconnectedness of life on a grand scale. He postulated the theory of reincarnation and the need to achieve eternal life called enlightenment or Nirvana, and at the same time he did not forget dharti1, the field of service. He was a model human being: the love and respect he had for all, including his patient waiting for enemies to transform, was the ultimate in compassion, kindness and universal love. While he educated people to live a life befitting acquisition of ascetic wealth and for the purpose of enlightenment, he also realized that this state had to be personally experienced, repeatedly, and that it is beyond faith and hallucination. It is a permanent state of being.<h4>Compassionate Inquiry</h4>The Buddha practiced compassionate inquiry. He questioned everything, but the basis of that inquiry was compassion. This is one of the most revealing and yet less spoken lessons from him. He was humble enough to seek gurus and fearless enough to change them. He was loyal enough to remember everyone gratefully who helped him and compassionate enough to wait for enemies to transform. His passion for finding the solution for human suffering was the most admirable aspect of his life, and his renouncing of his family has to be understood in the context of compassion and generosity for all humanity.<h4>Universal Love and Awakening</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/deeper_path_consciousness2_15fd75c1a5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T11:52:56.489Z">This sort of unconditional universal love arises from an awakening of a different order and a <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/finnegas-and-fionn" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deep knowledge</a> of the interconnectedness of life. It is the foundation of spirituality, with only human welfare at its heart. Universal love is the ultimate knowledge of an awakened being.Opposite to this sort of awakened existence of love and compassion is the awkward existence of ignorance. It may at best make one numb and insensitive to suffering. But as long as we have a mind, our conscience is dormant and waiting to confront us one day, and when that happens, awakening begins.Along with awakening comes pain and suffering, and with the right orientation this very suffering becomes the pathway of <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/sankalpa-and-the-power-of-subtlety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual evolution</a> – not for the sake of the awakened, but for the benefit of the entire humankind. This sort of noble suffering is possible only due to the thorough absorption of the knowledge of interconnectedness and the emanating feeling of universal love. Gratitude, generosity, fortitude and forbearance all come from this deep state of being in universal love for that which contains all.<h4>The Masters</h4>2000 years ago, Jesus exalted the need to embrace the same simple human values, like non-judgment, kindness, love, forgiveness and helping fellow humans, as Lord Buddha and others who came before him.Then in the first millennium after Jesus, Sufism seems to be the most predominant philosophy of this human approach to spirituality. The turning and returning, the rotating and swirling portrayed in the dance of the Sufis signify this aspect of awakening and journeying towards Oneness. The turning happens when an individual spirit is awakened to an alternate life. The path of selfishness and ignorance is shunned when suffering awakens the conscience. The turn is the starting point of returning, and this returning is full of suffering and demands cheerful acceptance. The only panacea for this suffering is divine love and longing for Oneness. This very suffering provides the material for transformation, while love for all and longing for Oneness provides the direction and speed to achieve that state of inter and inner connectedness.Another stalwart of spiritual humanism is Swami Vivekananda, who in his short span of 39 years made an incredible impact on humanity. His belief in the indomitable potential of a human being is unparalleled. He says, “What is the individuality of man? Not Tom Brown, but God in man. That is the [true] individuality. The more man has approached that, the more he has given up his false individuality. The more he tries to collect and gain everything [for himself], the less he is an individual. … We must first understand what is meant by individuality. It is attaining the ideal. You are man now, [or] you are woman. You will change all the time. Can you stop? Do you want to keep your minds as they are now — the angels, hatreds, jealousies, quarrels, all the thousand and one things in the mind? Do you mean to say that you will keep them? … You cannot stop anywhere… until perfect conquest has been achieved, until you are pure and you are perfect.”During the same era, we find numerous saints like Ramana Maharishi (1879-1950), Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886), Shri Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh (1873-1931), Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (1899-1983), Paramahansa Yoganananda (1893-1952), and Neem Karoli Baba (1900-1973). There have also been so many unknown teachers of caliber, some who could not travel or be discovered by international seekers, but they served the human community they lived and died in.The lives of these Masters are powerful examples of the two sides of existence, namely, personal evolution while contributing to universal well-being. This is, in a nutshell, the essence of spiritual humanism.<h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/deeper_path_consciousness3_4fe03494ca.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T11:53:45.402Z">Conscience to Conscious Action</h4>Spiritual humanism encompasses much more than philanthropy. Spiritual humanism embraces the personal and communal aspects of transformation, progress and evolution. Anyone who contributes to serving human beings to ultimately make them free, pure and perfect is a true servant of humanity. Mahatma Gandhi’s statement, “Be the change that you wish to see,” implores the personal aspect of this starting point.At times, service to humanity can be so intoxicating it might become the sole preoccupation. Then the danger of ego cannot be underestimated. But when we adopt a practice such as meditation to evolve our consciousness, then service to humanity becomes pure and all encompassing. It starts with one’s own self and extends to serving all humanity and beyond.<h4>Consciousness and Connectedness</h4>As long as there is consciousness there is connectedness, and through this connectedness we learn, grow, move, expand and evolve. A deep understanding of this connectedness makes us compassionate and empathetic, generous and kind.Thus, the content of this consciousness is our personality: we see ourselves in our thoughts and actions. The world is a mirror of our consciousness, and we can use that mirror to adjust, clean and stay well. Our interconnectedness is also seen through that mirror. What we do comes back to us, since the very nature of interconnectedness is circular. In the giving is receiving.Spiritual humanism is essentially the field of deep service and a deeper path of evolution of consciousness. They are two sides of the same coin.The noblest of services is to free people from bondage. In the words of Confucius, it is to teach people how to fish rather than feeding them fish. According to Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, the highest form of service is to inspire and help people expand their consciousness and attain freedom to solve their problem of life.This is the central theme of the lives of saints and Masters of high order in overall human welfare.1 The word dharti is the root of Dharma. Dharti has its origin in dhru, which means to uphold one’s duty.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4><hr>

A deeper path to consciousness

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<h4 style="text-align: center;">A PERSPECTIVE</h4>
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<h4>Knowing the self is a topic of great interest in psychology and also in philosophy. VICTOR KANNAN reflects on this question that has been intriguing us from time
 immemorial, and shares the insights he has gained from introspection.</h4>
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All aspects of existence – temporal and real – are included in this question, who am I?
 The idea of who I can be and who I ought to be are also part of this larger question. A simple 10-minute
 introspective exercise takes us through several answers that reveal our roles, temperaments, achievements and
 relationships, and eventually our potentiality.
Mel Schwartz, blogger of ‘A Shift of Mind’, writes in Psychology Today, “The
 universe purportedly exists in a state of flowing potential. And it is essential to understand that we are indeed
 part of that universe. The goal then is to access that potential, keeping the parts of our identity that continue to
 serve us well and shedding the old, habitual pieces that constrain us. This process is known as positive
 disintegration. This permits us to find balance between the extremes … and enter into a relationship with self that
 commits to our personal evolution.”1
Swami Brahmavidananda, in his expositions on the Bhagavad Gita, writes, “The search for
 identity is nothing new; it is as old as the human race. One recognizes instinctively that one is more than what one
 has believed oneself to be. ‘Who am I?’ is the most fundamental question. … If you understand that, everything in
 Vedanta is answered.”2


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">I am a
 manifestation of 
 where I put my attention, 
 which is supporting 
 my intention.
</h5>


<hr>
In the past I have explored God as a principle instead of a named entity: what is God
 rather than who is God? There have been several attempts to define God by various philosophers and saints from
 different cultures and eras in history. The Hindu philosophy accommodates a wide range of possibilities of defining
 who or what God is, and puts them all into two categories: gods with forms and attributes are in the category of
 akar, and the definitions of God without any form or attribute are clubbed into nirakar. ‘Who’
 bogs us down in the akar and ‘what’ leads us to nirakar.

‘Who’ gives God a form and name? It is we humans who identify God and assign it a name
 that is mangiven. Hence, to me God as a principle makes the most sense. It belongs to the nirakar 
 category, and the right question would be ‘What is God?’ not ‘Who is God?’ If there is any parallel for humans, then
 the question for us would also address what I am instead of who I am.
<h4>SO, WHAT AM I?</h4>
According to Schwartz, I am a potential. 
 Is this potential a driving force, and until I understand and achieve this potential do I keep changing? 
 In other words, does who I am keep changing until it is synonymous with what I am?
As I considered these questions, something in me expanded and a simple revelation emerged: I am a manifestation of
 where I put my attention, which is supporting my intention.
I AM is composed of Intention leading to
 Attention leading to Manifestation.

<img decoding="async" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_ami2_7843b5a57a.jpg" alt="who-am-i">
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<h4>HOW DO WE FORM INTENTIONS?</h4>
An intention is a mental state that represents a commitment to carrying out an action or
 actions in the future. An intention involves mental activity such as planning and forethought. An intention
 constantly evolves. It seems to emanate from some place deeper within our consciousness. This consciousness is a
 constantly transforming and evolving inner space and hence is dynamic. It is the result of our heart–brain– mind
 interaction with the environment and the way we process that interaction. The uniqueness with which each one of us
 processes this interaction is due to the particular signature we have on our consciousness at any moment in time.

An intention may be positive or negative, deliberately acquired in this moment or
 inherent to our nature. But in that deliberate, volitional space of our existence we can act to acquire positive or
 negative intentions. Life is a school; we can learn to change our intentions, as we learn from their past
 manifestations and their implications.
If we are not born with positive intentions we can acquire them. 
 If we are born with negative intentions we can change them.
Irrespective of whether our intentions are deliberate and conscious or autonomous and
 unconscious, we change constantly, so what we manifest also changes constantly. From that point of view, if we
 change constantly, who ‘I am’ also changes constantly. When this reaches a level of constancy, ‘I am what I ought to
 be’, that is, a unified individual fully integrated and balanced. Here both my inside and outside match. What I
 mean, what I say and how I act are all part of my integrated personality.
<h4>HOW CAN WE WORK WITH THE I AM
 EQUATION TO REACH OUR FULL POTENTIAL?</h4>
One thing we can do is to cultivate positive intentions. This brings us to the attention
 part of the equation. Attention is a cognitive process in which we notice, pause, learn, and then act to manifest
 the intention more effectively. It is a skill, and when we develop it into a habit, it becomes a continual and
 dynamic process of transformation. When we finally manifest our intention via attention and action, these
 manifestations then produce their own results in our life. These results, whatever they may be, good or bad, painful
 or desirable, form a part of the next reaction pattern influencing our consciousness. This then becomes a new basis
 for the next intention to surface.
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<img decoding="async" class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/who_ami3_84dd81cf09.jpg" alt="who-am-i">
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So intention, attention, manifestation, its consequences and our learning all contribute
 to our transformation of consciousness. Since intention arises from our consciousness, the purity of consciousness
 determines the type of intention we will have. The rest is a process of manifestation, and the level of purity of
 consciousness determines the nature of manifestation.
Thus, who I am is largely predicated by what I am as a level of
 consciousness.3
At times we are not able to achieve the self-development goal we had set out to achieve.
 There are hindrances, which are the manifestations of prior intentions and circumstances that we have created. The
 complex mixture of all our previous intentions, attentions and manifestations is the base we live in and must
 transcend. Each of us can make that leap by overcoming our old self, changing old circumstances, and creating new
 intentions that manifest through positive attention in a new self.


<hr>
<h5 style="text-align: center;">Attention is a cognitive process 
 in which we notice, pause, 
 learn, and then act to manifest 
 the intention more effectively. It 
 is a skill, and when we develop 
 it into a habit, it becomes a 
 continual and dynamic process 
 of transformation.
</h5>


<hr>
If we don’t like who we are, we can change, for our potential is nothing short of
 spectacular. This is the great transformation. When we evolve to a place of constancy and purity, then our
 intention, attention and manifestation become consistent with that constancy, which is the potentiality that
 Schwartz talks about in ‘A Shift of Mind’. When we reach and realize that state of mind and feeling, awareness and
 intuition, intellect and wisdom, confidence and humility, we reach a state of absolute balance. That potential is
 what I ought to be. When I reach there, then I can say “This I am,” or “That thou art.”.
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References: 
 1<a style="color: #333333;"
 href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/shift-mind/201006/who-am-i">
 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/shift-mind/201006/who-am-i</a> 
 2 <a style="color: #333333;"
 href="https://bhagavadgitablog1.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/chapter-2-sankhya-yogah-topic-of-knowledge/">https://bhagavadgitablog1.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/chapter-2-sankhya-yogah-topic-of-knowledge/</a> 
 3 The Evolution of Consciousness is a huge subject in itself, which is dealt with exhaustively by
 Daaji in his series <a style="color: #333333;"
 href="https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/evolution-of-consciousness/">https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/evolution-of-consciousness/</a>.

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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4>


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Who am I?

&nbsp;<h4>VICTOR KANNAN inspires us to cultivate our original state of purity and simplicity.</h4>I am intrigued to see new brands of clothing, nutrition and perfume called ‘Purity’ and ‘Pure’. Despite this trend, I feel that the idea of purity is repugnant to many people. It has a religious or moral connotation, and people cringe and their minds close. They withdraw and avoid the conversation, for they feel uncomfortable with any ritual or worship that focuses on purity. They don’t associate purity with the presence of love, forgiveness, empathy and compassion that could inspire them. Instead they feel judged because of their impurity, and dislike the self-righteousness of those who preach purity. Also, in many people’s minds the idea of purity is limited to fidelity in the conjugal relationship of marriage. Lack of purity in relationships creates separation, feelings of guilt, and other complications of insecurity, disappointment, anger and loss of discernment. No one is perfect, and yet the idea of cheerful acceptance of each other is farfetched.Adulteration of any kind causes impurity, not just in relationships or in the mind. Can we mix oil and water? Do we rear goats and lions in the same cage? When everything is in its own space and time, in character and content, we can say there is purity. In other words, when there is no adulteration there is purity.This leads us to explore the idea of simplicity. Simplicity is related to purity, while complexity is not. Everything in its own nature is pure and anything pretentious is not. Don’t we say ‘pure and simple’ all the time?Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur says, “Be simple to be identical with Nature.” Is Nature simple? It has so much variety and grandeur. Its origin is fascinating and its sustenance mind-boggling. Still we say that to be simple and in tune with Nature begets happiness and joy in living.Natural forces can be powerful and awe-inspiring. They may be simple, yet when unleashed they can create huge disasters and also sustain the creation on an enormous scale. The sun shines daily and sustains the life of trillions of life forms. It is a blind force. It is majestic and serene at the same time. What is this character in Nature that makes it simple in spite of being so majestic?In Nature there is predictability. The laws of nature operate inexorably. There are no double standards or pretention. In other words, there is no complexity. Nature is diverse and yet it has no complexity in its character. It is pure and simple.Looking at human beings through the same lens, we can say we are physiologically complex, with so many organs, connections and signals passing through us, with extraordinary interdependence, yet the human body works like Nature. Where we find the most complexity is in the mind.When we describe people as simple on one side and complex on the other, what is the characteristic that defines that spectrum? Let us look at it from the same standard of viewing Nature. Are we the same externally as we are internally? Do we exhibit trustable, predictable behavior?Think about the distinction between man-made versus natural. Even in shoes, the label distinguishes manmade materials from natural leather. So simplicity and complexity, too, may have to be understood from the point of view of what comes from nature and what is man-made.When the mind creates things for the sake of itself or its identification, it ends up complex. Such complexity is adulteration or impurity. It is not simple addition but complex accumulation that takes us away from our true nature of purity.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">When we become pure: We see the interconnectedness of being. We respect and cherish each other. We contribute to the communal and collective well-being. We begin to weave our destiny.</h4><hr>Our intuitive appreciation of purity drives us to value purity, while we also struggle with the tendencies that make us impure. It took time for us to become impure, so it’s reasonable to think that it will take time to become pure once more, when we are awakened to the possibility. If we have impure thoughts and actions, we need to examine them and reverse them, like rewinding a tape in forward motion, for the past is the past. A conscious process will take less time than the unconscious one that resulted in our current state.The true nature of our being is to be pure. As Nature is also pure, it becomes our ally once we undertake a conscious journey towards purity. Nature cooperates: when we head in the wrong direction, there are obstacles, pain and suffering. When we head in the right direction, we feel happy joyful and expansive, and that is also Nature cooperating. We can also augment our level of purity by acts of kindness and generosity.When we become pure: We see the interconnectedness of being. We respect and cherish each other. We contribute to the communal and collective well-being. We begin to weave our destiny.If we accept that purity weaves destiny, then our destiny is here awaiting us. We shape our existence so that our life is infused with purity – and this shaping is in the proper learning, doing and becoming. We weave it into our existence by becoming pure and simple as Nature intended us to be.&nbsp;

The principle of purity

<hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">A HEART-BASED APPROACH</h3><hr><h4>VICTOR KANNAN shares what heart-based leadership means and defines ten essential qualities for excellence in leadership.</h4><hr>“If you don’t understand that you are in service to the people below you, then you don’t know anything about leadership.”Dee Hawkes – writer, teacher, and football coach.<hr>The other day, out of curiosity, I searched for scholarly articles on “mind-based leadership” and “heart-based leadership.” This yielded more than 3.9 million searches for the former and 3.8 million for the latter. I felt very relieved to see such a return, and I was happy to note that a lot of work has already been done in this area. The search takes us to interesting reading on transactional <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/four-core-qualities-of-listening" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leadership</a> versus transformational leadership, profit versus purpose, and reward versus emotional investment in team members.&nbsp;But most modern-day leaders in corporations are held to account for short-term results and stock performance. Cut-throat practices are overtly and covertly encouraged due to competition and short-term orientation. This results in chronic stress for all those who are stuck on the Catherine wheel of corporate life.&nbsp;While we have higher standards of living today than in the past, our quality of life is still wrought with worrisome consequences. Stress, depression, sleeplessness and loneliness are on the rise. This is causing dissociation from family, friends, faith, and even facts.&nbsp;Though my search results indicate what people are looking for, it does not give us any indication of the prevailing culture in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-superpower-of-listening" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">leadership</a>. Historically, leadership in businesses is for profits and career promotions. In other words, it is based on quantitative aspects of a person’s corporate experience. For over half a century, however, we have come to realize that material success alone is not adding to our happiness and well-being. Also, society has pockets of material prosperity and better health, while an enormous number of people and the world are unaffected by this prosperity.&nbsp;This unfortunate trend is not limited to corporate life but has spread to other professions, from school teachers to factory workers. Chronic stress and helplessness create hopelessness and deeper mental issues. They also affect physical health adversely. As body, mind and spirit are connected, if we lose our mental health along with our physical health, where is the question of excellence?&nbsp;The statistics and trends are alarming, cutting to the very purpose of organizations, people, nations and our civilization. The industrialization, urbanization and materialism that we have adopted over the decades for GDP growth, personal success and the alleviation of disease, have become the essence of our current problems of mental illness and social inequity. The combination of these two is a fertile ground for personal and social unrest. And the lack of an holistic humanistic approach has resulted in the current situation. What are we doing about this?&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/excellence_leadership2_85429f8410.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T07:39:38.970Z" alt="excellence-leadership2">&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/excellence_leadership3_c745ad3a59.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T07:41:29.469Z" alt="excellence-leadership3"><hr>It is in this context that I am encouraged by the search results. An overwhelming number of people are doing research on <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/why-not-to-measure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heart-based leadership</a>, to help pull us out of the current and imminent danger of losing all the gains we have made as human beings.&nbsp;Heart-based leadership is a qualitative approach to engendering the lasting well-being of all those with whom we surround ourselves. It is servant leadership. It is interconnected and interdependent. Corporations that are successful in making a profit, are innovative so that they can adapt and thrive. Those lacking dynamism perish. They either flourish or perish based on how dynamic they are. So, what leadership qualities are needed for such an innovative and dynamic approach?&nbsp;The leadership of any corporation with a certain corporate culture can be identified by the priorities it has in its value system. The corporate vision, mission, values and goals are not just ritualistic statements – they are the compass providing direction and stability for the organization over time. The words must be lived through day-to-day actions and periodic reinforcements and corrections. They gradually become ingrained into the DNA of the corporate culture. Such a dynamic organization will continue to evolve to greater heights.Corporate culture is always top-down. It succeeds according to the authenticity of its leaders’ behavior and the transparent corrective action when the top falters.“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” Peter Drucker, authorThe order of many older organizations is hierarchical, top-heavy, and structural. The expectation of contribution from employees is limited to doing their jobs and making their bosses happy. The emphasis on “out of the box” thinking is not encouraged. As a result, the speed of innovation and competitiveness is also less. As a result, many older organizations are not as great as they used to be.&nbsp;In comparison, a heart-based organization is flat, productive, inclusive, innovative, and provides a porous ceiling for talents to move up in the organization quite easily.&nbsp;<h4>What is heart-based leadership?</h4>Stephanie McDilda, a motivational speaker and leadership coach, says, “Heart-based leadership is the ability of an individual to inspire loyalty and build powerful relationships by being kind, caring, and courageous – virtually by leading from the heart.”She goes on to say, “I’ve asked thousands of people to tell me about the best manager for whom they have ever worked. They say things like:She cared about me, He listened well, She was concerned about my development, and He appreciated me.“These are all heart-based traits that connect you with your team at the heart. Virtually no one has ever said:&nbsp;She was strategic, or He was good with numbers.“These are head-based traits. I cannot deny that these are important skills for a good manager, but they are not the qualities that inspire passion in your team. Remember that your goal is to manage resources, but lead people.1”&nbsp;It will not be out of place to mention the concept of servant leadership in this context. As Aristotle said, “He who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a good leader.” In a nutshell, this talks about leading by example. When Jesus said “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” it is leading by example. In a leader today we value the virtues of authenticity and empathy more than being an extrovert.&nbsp;“When you love your employees, they will love you back … and they will walk on hot coals to give you what you need,” says Stephanie.&nbsp;<h4>Changing the panorama of leadership&nbsp;</h4>Today’s leaders are more diverse, technically savvy, rationally minded, and independent. A recent survey by the MIT Sloan School of Management shows that younger managers prefer narrower, more technical approaches, while older ones tend to work through others and focus on the big picture. One way to interpret these results is to say that the mental frame of reference is uniquely different between the two age groups. The younger group has the potential to use the heart-based leadership values while the older group is more set in their ways. This is a generalization and not indicative of individuals or particular corporations.&nbsp;It is gratifying to note that “Managing yourself ” is the predominant characteristic of both younger and older leaders, followed by “Anticipating people’s emotional reactions during a change process.” Both these management techniques point to the need to improve the emotional intelligence of leaders.Emotional intelligence “is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.2” D r. Daniel Goleman popularized this term in 1995 via his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, where he lists an array of heart-based qualities such as attention, empathy, authenticity, and resilience that drive leadership performance.In Yoga, many practices are prescribed to improve mental acumen and purity of the heart. Both go hand in hand, along with a certain amount of physical agility and well-being. The eight steps of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga provide a road map for us to cultivate heart-based qualities and lead a balanced life, integrating physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual values and activities. A proper understanding and practice of these eight steps of Yoga results in well-being, which is essential for today’s leaders.&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/excellence_leadership4_54e81ebf18.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T07:41:59.151Z" alt="excellence-leadership4"><hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h5 style="text-align:center;">The eight steps of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga provide a road map for us to cultivate heart-based qualities and lead a balanced life, integrating physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual values and activities.&nbsp;</h5>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/excellence_leadership5_d4cedeba35.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T08:40:51.012Z" alt="excellence-leadership5"><hr>I consider the above 10 qualities to be essential for a heart-based leader.&nbsp;While working on the above, we may incorporate breathing and meditation practices to improve our physical and mental health and our awareness. In this way, we will remain dynamic, alert, emotionally intelligent, and able to manage change and lead people. This is the Heartfulness way, a heart-based leadership pathway.<hr>References: 1 https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-heart-based-leadership-stephanie-mcdilda/ 2&nbsp;Source: Wikipedia<hr>&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by VICTOR KANNAN</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Excellence in leadership

<h4 class="has-black-color has-text-color"
 id="h-victor-kannan-explores-the-components-of-our-mental-well-being-and-how-the-refinement-of-intellect-helps-our-consciousness-to-evolve">
 VICTOR
 KANNAN
 explores the
 components of our mental well-being, and how the
 refinement of intellect helps our consciousness to evolve.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 When we talk about consciousness, we are also indirectly including three
 other aspects of mental functioning – the mind, the intellect, and the ego.
 Why? Because these three play out within the canvas of our individual
 consciousness, and consciousness only evolves when these functions of mind,
 intellect, and ego evolve. Mind evolves from thinking to feeling, intellect
 evolves from instinct to wisdom, ego evolves from identifying with our
 individual self to identifying with the universal being, using the qualities
 of wonder and humility.1



 The idea of “intellect” is not explored much in faith traditions. A lot more
 emphasis is given to love, devotion, faith, and surrender. Many who are
 moved by faith and devotion seem to lead a life of irrationality and
 emotional excess, devoid of much self-awareness. They do not seem to take
 self-responsibility seriously. This leads the skeptics and the rational to
 deny the existence of mystery, esoterism, and the magical.



 When we observe the universe, we wonder at some phenomena, and we doubt
 others. Doubt is a poison, even for intellectual reasoning. Wonder is the
 best way to approach the things we don’t know about. There is so much that
 is majestic all around us. A healthy dose of skepticism, along with wonder,
 keeps the mind’s door open and observant for non-judgmental learning.



 This is more important when we take up a self-transformational journey
 through yoga, meditation, and spirituality. Spirituality is an art and
 science of exploring our true connection with nature, and our inner reality
 and ultimate potential. This is a process of transforming the self from who
 we are to who we can be. In this process, we transform from inside out. We
 start from the center of our being, and the transformation eventually appear
 sat the circumference. This naturally influences the environment and the
 community we live in.



 Spiritual self-transformation is also called the “evolution of
 consciousness.” Consciousness has been defined2 as the degree of
 awareness and unawareness, and the quality of our response to such
 awareness. As consciousness begins to unravel its potential, it evolves and
 expands. This results in an increase in our ability to perceive clearly and
 act with focus and purpose.



 Mind is a thinking instrument. Given a set of mental and emotional
 circumstances and backdrop, it finds new solutions. Thinking results in a
 new thought. This thought becomes a seed for future thinking. Intellect is a
 tool that helps us dissect, analyze, and understand. It is a tool of
 discernment. Ego is the part that gives us a sense of identity: what is I,
 me, mine, and ours. The identity is questioned when we feel threatened and
 constrained. The ego suffers. It triggers the other counterparts of
 intellect and mind to analyze a problem and think of a solution. When
 overcome, the new solution re-establishes our identity.&nbsp; All these
 three work together in a complex fashion; it is difficult to say where one
 ends and the other begins.



 Let us assume, for the sake of discussion, that the intellect is the
 connecting link between thinking and identification. Intellect is the
 discriminating or discerning faculty. It is like a knife, dissecting and
 analyzing the world around us, in the pursuit of meaning. It can cut off a
 lifeline or make things around us sharper for better use! It makes sense of
 our thinking. However, intellect has to be refined and evolve. How? By
 purifying, regulating, and focusing it. If the intellect is not pure, it can
 justify all evil acts.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">
 We start from the
 center of our being, and the transformation
 eventually appears at the circumference.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The spectrum of intellect stretches from instinct to wisdom, and eventually
 to direct perception. Though humans are supposed to be at the pinnacle of
 the evolution of species, all forms of life have a form of intellect called
 instinct. Research shows that trees, too, have a nervous system.3
 They communicate among themselves. Electrons pass from the external field to
 the central nervous system of a plant, and then a feedback loop creates an
 action. That action protects the plant, or preys on food, and helps the
 plant understand what is around it.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="text-center">
 <img alt=" the-role-of-the-intellect-2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/role_of_intellect2_44e37a7a9e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:20:18.384Z" />
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 So instinct is the first element of intellect. That instinct is necessary
 for survival. Many a time we ask, “What is your gut feeling?” Where is that
 gut feeling coming from? Research shows that the source of brain function is
 not only in the brain.4 For example, the vagus nerve from the
 heart stimulates the brain into certain action and not the other way
 round.5 The autonomic functions are shared between the brain, the
 gut, and the heart. They control both the sympathetic and parasympathetic
 responses, whether they are fight, flight, or freeze responses or post
 stress feelings of calm, peace, happiness, and joy. Our instinct is all over
 our body-mind complex. Neurons from the gut send signals to the brain, and
 the brain sends back a signal for response. This is all instinct. Instinct
 is directly related to brain function and hormones. It is our inheritance to
 protect and safeguard our lives. It is this instinct that protects the ego,
 and it draws from the resources of the memory bank and thinking of the mind.



 The second element of intellect is intuition. We know that some people are
 more intuitive than others. All of us have felt a sense of things and events
 before they happen. This is intuition. A feeling. A premonition. A
 forethought. A foresight. An aha moment. Intuition develops when we quieten
 our mind, observe, and witness.



 Meditation is an important way to develop intuition, as it helps us to open
 our minds to their subconscious and superconscious states.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">
 Meditation is an
 important way to develop intuition, as it helps us
 to open our minds to their subconscious and superconscious
 states.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="text-center">
 <img alt=" the-role-of-the-intellect-2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/role_of_intellect3_6af88e52fd.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:26:17.373Z" />
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The third element is intelligence. Intelligence is a variable, but all of us
 have it. Animals have it and plants have it. Intelligence can be improved by
 acquiring knowledge and knowing how to apply it, and most knowledge comes
 from experience and observation. This knowledge includes emotional
 intelligence, which is acquisition of emotional and mental soft skills such
 as listening, pausing, reflecting, focusing, and being attentive. The more
 emotionally intelligent a person is, the more successful and happier they
 can be. Yet once again, without the evolution of that intelligence by proper
 and pure intentions, it can be wasted on inhumane enterprises. The power of
 intention cannot be underestimated in the growth of our consciousness. Pure
 and generous intentions are the principles of an evolving mind, intellect,
 and ego. It is when it goes instead toward self-aggrandizement that the
 problems begin.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="text-center">
 <img alt=" the-role-of-the-intellect-2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/role_of_intellect4_6b2144a29a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:27:41.016Z" />
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The fourth element is wisdom. When does intellect evolve to become wisdom?
 By conscious effort to purify, regulate, and focus our intellect. The
 evolution of the mind and the ego also helps in the evolution of the
 intellect and vice versa. How does wisdom help us?&nbsp; When we are wise,
 we make better choices. Should I speak or not? What to say? How much to say?
 When to say? Whether to go here or there? As we become wiser, our choices
 become consistent with the goal we have taken up for our lives. We may not
 know how to define wisdom, but we definitely know when we see a wise person
 or hear words of wisdom.&nbsp;



 In a nutshell, the role of the intellect is a crucial one. Intellect also
 sheds light on faith. Faith is a state of mind. I struggled with the term
 “faith” for a long time. I didn’t understand it in the context of how it has
 been practiced – to get from the Almighty what we want, with faith
 increasing if expectations were met. This did not inspire me. In one of my
 meditations, it occurred to me that the role of faith is to beget hope; hope
 begets positive action, and positive action produces positive results. So,
 to my understanding, intellect actually embellishes the understanding of
 faith and puts it in its right place.



 One way to explain the evolution of consciousness is to say that it is a
 release from the limitations of the mind, the intellect, and the ego. It
 results from their continuous refinement so that they become feeling,
 wisdom, and appreciation of the world around us. It is an ever-growing
 subtle-fication of the body-mind-spirit complex, ever tending toward
 moderation and balance in all aspects of life. In this process, intellect
 plays a very big part. If the mind is not refined, the intellect is not
 refined, and the ego is not refined, then love, obedience, and surrender
 will remain misplaced, and will be counterproductive to our evolution.



 The 20th century spiritual teacher, Babuji (Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur),
 added the term “real” before love, life, and surrender, perhaps to indicate
 the importance of the pure form of these attitudes to guide us to the truth.
 Also, when all the elements of consciousness are purified, regulated, and
 focused, direct perception is enabled. This is what saints and spiritual
 scientists like the Buddha and Babuji are able to do. We also have the
 possibility to perceive directly when we embrace an evolutionary practice
 like Heartfulness.&nbsp;


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="text-center">
 <img alt=" the-role-of-the-intellect-2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/role_of_intellect5_d0dac36a18.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:28:51.311Z" />
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">
 When all the elements
 of consciousness are purified, regulated, and
 focused, direct perception is enabled.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 1
 <a href="https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/editions/december-2016/" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/editions/december-2016/</a>


2 By Daaji


 3
 <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/plants-communicate-distress-using-their-own-kind-nervous-system"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.science.org/content/article/plants-communicate-distress-using-their-own-kind-nervous-system</a>



 4
 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845678/" target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3845678/</a>



 5
 <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210624/Researchers-observe-brains-responses-to-vagus-nerve-stimulation-during-sleep-and-wakefulness.aspx"
 target="_blank"
 rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210624/Researchers-observe-brains-responses-to-vagus-nerve-stimulation-during-sleep-and-wakefulness.aspx</a>


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="text-center">Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4>

<hr />

The role of the intellect

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN shares some insights on how to cultivate a clear mind, something essential to a happy and healthy life. He presents 3 Gs as the way to achieve a clear mind – goal, generosity, and gratitude.</h4><hr>Clarity is an important mental quality. Clarity of mind and purity of heart make for a high level of discernment and proper decision-making. They both help in correct thinking and right understanding of the people and situations around us. Lack of clarity results in a downward spiral of confusion, fear, anger, restlessness, and lack of happiness. It makes things worse and causes harm to our near and dear ones.How to develop clarity, leading to correct thinking and right understanding? I contemplated this question for a few days and came to the conclusion that we need these 3 Gs.<h4>G1: Be Goal-Oriented</h4>Having a goal helps with clear thinking. Without a goal we are without direction, purpose, and meaning. When we are goal-oriented, we are not bothered by unnecessary things.Having multiple main goals is a problem. Multiple channels of attention scatters our focus, so we are not effective in the pursuit of any goal. It helps to set one overarching goal. Such a goal is generally big and aspirational. It holds deep meaning and profound purpose. Most of us have one main goal, like becoming the best version of ourselves, or realizing our ultimate potential.A big goal energizes us as we proceed in life. It continues to be more inspiring, and we become more enthusiastic as we march along. There is no fatigue when we set a goal of this nature. It is not limited. An unlimited goal keeps on going, and we keep asking, what’s next? That’s exciting. Every day, like a lotus flower that keeps coming up, anew, lovely conditions continue to emerge. Not all of them can be expressed, but we look forward to them. However subtle the flowering may be, we are able to feel it. It is tangible. That kind of goal keeps us excited and enthusiastic to keep going. It determines our orientation to the infinite.The goal determines the orientation, and the orientation decides the journey. When that happens, we adopt a conducive lifestyle. If we are serious and clear with our goal, we simplify our life and make sure that everything is conducive to this goal-oriented existence.The goal demands that we avoid unnecessary things. For example, many of us say “there’s nothing wrong with acquiring things; it is only attachment to them that is the problem,” but I’m not able to understand that completely. Why acquire things? It requires effort, and that effort can be applied to something more conducive for the goal. It is worthwhile to talk about balanced existence in this context. It doesn’t mean balancing every good activity with something questionable. Balanced existence is not balancing necessary things and unnecessary things. It is best to avoid unnecessary things.Right understanding is essential, and correct thinking precedes right understanding. To have correct thinking we need to clear out the inner cobwebs and simplify the inner environment. This is usually facilitated by Heartfulness rejuvenation practices and other practices to remain meditative. But for right understanding we need to have generosity.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/3gs_personal_growth2_4f7fe4f22d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:52:28.060Z" alt="3gs-personal-growth2"><hr><h4>G2: Be Generous</h4>How to ensure right understanding? To answer this, we may have to ask one more question: How to avoid mis-understanding and wrong understanding?Misunderstanding happens due to prejudice, jealousy, impatience, anger, fear, insecurity, etc. Wrong understanding is due to the conviction we have in our misunderstanding. This is because we are defensive, proud, and egoistic. All this colors our vision and perception.What is the antidote? Generosity. If we are generous towards ourselves, we have self-compassion. We are not hard on ourselves. If we made a mistake it’s okay. Pause, be self-compassionate, take the time to fix it.If we are generous, we listen to others, we’re empathetic toward others. This again gives us the necessary pause. When somebody says or does something, we can either misunderstand them or understand them correctly. Understanding them correctly doesn’t mean that they have said or done the right thing, only that we have given ourselves the possibility of not misunderstanding.Often, misunderstanding of others comes from jealousy, fear of failure, and insecurity. Jealousy arises mainly in close quarters, such as at work. The boss may praise somebody else for our work and we feel jealous. Jealousy can exist in the worst form between siblings. It is less talked about, like guilt, but it is extremely counterproductive to peace and progress.The antidote to jealousy is also generosity. Jealousy and generosity cannot go together. When we are generous with our hearts, our time, our space, our minds, and our thoughts, it facilitates right understanding.How to develop generosity? Generosity is fostered when we give and love giving – time, space, things, and the emotional space everyone needs to express themselves. Give and see. When you put a smile on people’s faces, help them feel safe and welcome, and reduce their pain and suffering, see how you feel in your heart. If you repeatedly do this from a heart full of love, an enormous good will await you.<hr><hr><h4>How to develop generosity? Generosity is fostered when we give&nbsp; and love giving – time, space, things,&nbsp; and the emotional space everyone needs&nbsp; to express themselves. Give and see.</h4><hr><hr>Another way to develop generosity is to develop contentment. It is difficult to be generous if you are not contented. If you think that what you have is not enough, how are you going to be generous? If you think you have enough, you will be generous.Generosity is mainly in the giving. However, without a proper attitude towards receiving, life’s day-to-day interaction of give and take is not complete.<h4>G3: Be Grateful</h4>Being grateful also sets our inner climate very nicely. Generosity and gratitude go together – we put others first when we are generous, and we put others first when we are grateful. We are not complete without the many things that others do for us in our lives. Remembering those givers and those moments help to promote mutual respect, appreciation, and harmony.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/3gs_personal_growth3_dd7317e656.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:52:57.428Z" alt="3gs-personal-growth3"><hr>Generosity in the giving and gratitude in the receiving completes the cycle of human interactions. If we develop generosity and gratitude, it takes care of the entire relationship cycle; giving and taking is what makes a relationship. We give time, we take time; we give things, we take things; we give knowledge, we receive knowledge; etc. We give generously and we receive with gratitude. It is a beautiful thing.Generosity and gratitude also foster authenticity and humility. With these qualities in the heart, there is no room for jealousy or competition, anger or hatred. There is only harmony and contentment. When generosity and gratitude moderate our reactions and responses to situations, we maintain our steadiness and remain centered. With this sort of a heartful condition and inner environment, we will have correct thinking and right understanding. This helps with purity of heart and clarity of mind, irrespective of the situations we grow out of, just like a lotus.&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

3Gs for personal growth

<hr><h4>VICTOR KANNAN explores the concept of carefreeness and what that means. He also offers us 4 simple steps to regaining lightness and carefree happiness.</h4><hr>The term carefree is generally used to characterize our lives as children, when we roam around without a care in the world. “Carefree” is a state of mind without worries. This may be true for children, but as we grow older we are beset with a ton of responsibilities, and worries pile up. Our energy flow is affected, and we lose freshness in our feelings. This grows into a debilitating situation, and we are drowned in a state of helplessness. How then can we be carefree as adults?Carefree does not mean indifferent, careless, or uncaring. We tell others, especially young ones, to pay attention and be careful as they go to school, play, bike, or participate in sports activities. We inspire partners and employees to be caring, and pin them for their uncaring attitude. We blame others for being careless when we damage a valuable item, such as a vase or a statue. Being uncaring, careless, and not paying attention are vastly different from being carefree.In the middle of it all is the idea of caring: “How much to care?” and “What to care for?” are the questions that surround the attitude of being carefree.Caring is a value, whereas being careful and uncaring are personality traits. Values are taught early in life and are part of our up bringing. Children catch these critical values from their parents, families, and the environment in which they grow up. Values form a foundation for life. Caring unfolds in how we treat people and do things. It shows in kindness, compassion, and generosity, and in the ability to pay attention to detail when doing things. Many of us go after knowledge, as it gives us power. But power is not easily sustained without a caring attitude. The American President Theodore Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.”What happens when we behave in an uncaring manner? Uncaring is selfish, and it lacks etiquette. It has a high concentration of ego, self-centricity, and uncouthness. Over time, this results in isolation and loneliness. Who will associate with someone who does not care for etiquette and relationships?&nbsp;Carelessness, on the other hand, is a lack of interest, pride, patience, faith, and passion. It shows in sloppy work, lack of progress, constant turmoil, and chaos in teams and relationships. Careless work results in unintended consequences. A careless person speaks without restraint and awareness. Carelessness means lack of attention to work and people, and also means not handling things properly. Carelessness is a state of ignorance. While an uncaring attitude is due to the ego, carelessness is due to the lack of development of our real intelligence.<hr><hr><h4>Caring unfolds in how we treat people and do things.&nbsp; It shows in kindness, compassion, and generosity, and&nbsp; in the ability to pay attention to detail when doing things.</h4><hr><hr>Amidst the caring, careful, uncaring, and careless people, we also come across people who are carefree. Carefree people exhibit a condition of flow, joy, and happiness. They don’t take up the gossip and curious inquiry of their friends, family members, or colleagues. When we are in their presence we feel expanded and safe. We don’t feel the need to be guarded. A person who is doing a spiritual practice for self-development will enjoy this condition of being carefree at times. And as they grow in spirituality, the carefree condition becomes more and more permanent.The carefree condition is a balanced condition of the mind, free of excitement or dejection. To develop such a condition takes practice – a practice that helps in the moderation of tendencies and reducing the swings of the mind.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/4steps_becoming_carefree2_89b486af48.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T09:30:56.490Z" alt="4-steps-to-becoming-carefree"><hr><hr><h4>The carefree condition is a balanced condition of the mind,&nbsp; free of excitement or dejection.</h4><hr><hr>The spiritual Guide, Lalaji (1873–1931), describes how we can reach the condition of carefree happiness: “The mind has the middle position where there is the mixed condition of happiness and sorrow. And when the mind rises above these two stages and reaches the spirit or the causal body, it gets peace, stability and carefree happiness.”1<hr><h2>Steps to Becoming Carefree</h2><h4>1. Moderate your tendencies</h4>Become aware of your excesses and accept them as a challenge to overcome. Then practice self-development to overcome these personality challenges and shortcomings. Try to get rid of your negative personality traits, which we formed due to the collection of impressions or samsakaras. Adopt practices such as Heartfulness Relaxation, Meditation, Cleaning, introspection, and visualization to reprogram your personality. Eventually you will gain control over your mind and behavior. You will start thinking correctly, which helps in processing future possibilities and choices in a more positive manner.<h4>2. Reduce your wants and needs</h4>This will help you develop a carefree state of mind, as there is less to worry about. The tendency of wanting more and more to be comfortable, or to have a sense of self or safety, can be moderated and refined. Otherwise, you won’t know the difference between wants and needs. You will be mentally captured by the things you accumulate. More things, more to worry about. More unnecessary things, more unnecessary worries. There is wisdom in simplifying your life. It will tremendously improve your carefree status.<h4>3. Clean as you go</h4>The micro-practice of “spot cleaning” in Heartfulness will help you to remove mental impressions as they are forming throughout the day. Otherwise, left untended they may trigger a samskaric engagement. Spot cleaning helps to develop a carefree state of mind.<h4>4. Have faith</h4>Have the faith that when you do your best, only the best possible outcome will follow. Faith also contains the attitude of total acceptance, and if the outcome is less than optimal, more effort will follow, without a doubt, or a trace of concern.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/4steps_becoming_carefree3_b8cbec7685.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T09:31:53.129Z" alt="4-steps-to-becoming-carefree"><hr>Finally, every now and again try to be carefree. Feel it and enjoy it.&nbsp; It does not mean being irresponsible. It is like resting before activity begins. You are fresh, light, creative, and productive. Adding wonder and gratitude to this carefree condition will take your whole being to a new dimension of existence. Only when you experience such a condition of being, will you appreciate it. It is worth striving for.<hr><hr>1Ram Chandra (Lalaji), 2018. Truth Eternal. Shri Ram Chandra Mission, India.

4 steps to becoming carefree

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN is a longtime Heartfulness practitioner and trainer from Atlanta, USA, who shows us how the universal lifestyle principles of yoga can reduce our carbon footprint.</h4><hr>With heightened awareness of global warming, many of us are looking to governments and corporations to change their policies and practices, and they are struggling to make the necessary changes. While it is easy to point the finger at them, what about us? What is our level of awareness of the carbon footprint we create? What are the changes we are willing to make in our consumption behavior? Rich or poor, we can all improve our awareness of the effects our actions have on the environment.Ask yourself, “Am I leading a life that will leave the Earth a better place than when I found it when I was born? How am I mitigating the risks and uncertainty of my own future and that of my children and grandchildren?”1“The average carbon footprint of a person in the US is 16 tons per year, one of the highest in the world. Globally, the average carbon footprint is around 4 tons. To have a chance of avoiding a 2˚Crise in global temperatures, the average global carbon footprint needs to drop to under 2 tons per year by 2050.”2Since nations like the US have a larger carbon footprint than others, those of us living in these nations have more responsibility to lower our carbon footprint.One way to reduce our footprint is to reduce food waste. The US Environmental Agency calculates that an average American wastes a total of 4.9 pounds of solid waste a day.3 Even a small reduction in this waste would help greatly. By eating less meat, taking fewer connecting flights, taking reusable bags to the shops, and reducing food waste, we can lower our individual carbon footprints from 16 tons per year to less than 14 tons.In the world today, there are still significant levels of childhood hunger and malnutrition stunting children’s growth. About 11 million children suffer food insecurity in the US alone, and according to World Vision, about 690 million children around the globe go to bed hungry.5 This is heart wrenching. A conscious lifestyle, reducing carbon footprint by reducing food waste, will help to mitigate hunger for others.<hr><hr><h4>A conscious lifestyle,&nbsp; reducing carbon footprint by reducing food waste,&nbsp; will help to mitigate hunger for others.</h4><hr><hr>Saving on food waste also has a multiplier effect. The less we purchase, the less refrigeration we need, both before and after cooking. Raw unprocessed food can be stored easily, and any excess can be given to food relief organizations. We can also urge manufacturers of food products to consider longer shelf lives, based on storage conditions at home. Many companies insert food expiration dates and best sell by dates as a way to increase their sales. WebMD states that dairy products are good for a week later than sell-by dates.6Arresting global warming is everyone’s responsibility. Compared with other excesses, those of our consumption-based lifestyles affect our future disproportionately. Spiritual teachers have always said, “Waste is immoral.” Waste happens because of ignorance. How can we flourish spiritually without dispelling our ignorance of over-consumption and waste?The Earth and its inhabitants have been constantly ravaged over time, because of the tumultuous nature of existence and the evolution of life. However, life in general is resilient. It regenerates after destruction. Chaos begets order. Order decays into chaos. Thus goes the cycle.As human beings, we are conscious of our actions, and suffer the consequences. We make choices every day. If we are ignorant in the choices we make, the pain and suffering that follow can become agents of self-knowledge and transformation. The demand for real self-transformation has never been greater.Heartfulness has ten guidelines for charting a good life. Three of these can specifically help us reduce our carbon footprint.They are:<ul><li>Simplify your life so as to be identical with Nature.</li><li>Be happy to eat in constant divine thought whatever you get, with due regard to honest and pious earnings.</li><li>Mold your behavior and way of living to such a high order as to rouse a feeling of love and piety in others.</li></ul><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/carbon_free3_700x233_6bbb044d8a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:13:22.949Z" alt=""><hr>Nature recycles and replenishes constantly. It gives as it takes. It keeps itself in balance. Nature is simple and purposeful in its working. Similarly, if we lead a simple life, we will only take what we need, and we will give back to Nature. When human-generated consumption and excess waste affect Nature, Nature will adjust and rebalance. This rebalancing of Nature creates havoc. An example of such an adjustment is what we call Climate Change. Similarly, when we as individuals consume much more than we need or can afford, our body also behaves like Nature. It starts aching and paining all over.The idea of being happy and content is consistent with simplifying life. Happiness is possible when we make the money we need by proper means. A life of contentment is a simple life, arousing a feeling of love and calmness in others. It does not evoke jealousy in others. It does not evoke competition or one-upmanship. These simple guidelines help in reducing our carbon footprint, while making us happy, content, and responsible global citizens.<hr><hr><h4>A life of contentment is a simple life,&nbsp; arousing a feeling of love and calmness in others</h4><hr><hr>As we simplify our life to live optimally, we contribute to the reversal of Climate Change – not only the Earth’s climate, but also the social and emotional climate of our family, friends, and neighbors. Gandhi spoke about simple living and high thinking. The above guidelines all help in high thinking and noble living, creating a positive climate at all levels.<hr><hr>References<ol><li><code>The Nature Conservancy. “How to help calculate your carbon footprint.” </code><a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/"><code>https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/</code></a></li><li><code>The Nature Conservancy. </code><a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/"><code>https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/</code></a></li><li><code>The Environment America.</code><a href="https://environmentamerica.org/reports/amc/trash-america"><code>https://environmentamerica.org/reports/amc/trash-america</code></a></li><li><code>United States Environmental Agency. “National Overview: Facts and Figures on Materials, Waste and Recycling. </code><a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials"><code>https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/national-overview-facts-and-figures-materials</code></a></li><li><code>World Vision. “5 world hunger facts you need to know.” </code><a href="https://www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/world-hunger-facts"><code>https://www.worldvision.org/hunger-news-stories/world-hunger-facts</code></a></li><li><a href="https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20210917/food-dating-labels-explained"><code>https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20210917/food-dating-labels-explained</code></a></li></ol><hr>

3 ways to reduce your carbon footprint

<hr><h4>&nbsp;</h4>VICTOR KANNAN explores the nature of gentleness, and why it brings lightness in its wake.&nbsp;<hr>The other day I was wondering why the word “gentle” is used often in Heartfulness practices. “Please close your eyes very gently and very softly.” With these words begins the guided Relaxation practice. The guided Cleaning says, “Gently brush the impressions aside.” And many of the other practices guide us to gently do this and that.Adopting gentleness prevents scratches on the surface of action, whether we are cleaning the floor or a table, speaking with people, or cooking and cleaning.&nbsp;Gentleness in everything. Gentle people seem to have mastered the art of awareness, empathy, compassion, and grace.&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_gentle_light2_311dcc09c9.jpg" alt="Cbeing_gentle_light">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>Gentleness is not to be confused with lack of strength.&nbsp; It is like the strength of flexibility.&nbsp; Being gentle is not to be confused with lack of courage.&nbsp; It is like patience and courage itself.</h4><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_gentle_light3_ffa2dad52f.jpg" alt="Cbeing_gentle_light">&nbsp;<hr>Gentleness is not to be confused with lack of strength. It is like the strength of flexibility. Being gentle is not to be confused with lack of courage.&nbsp;It is like patience and courage itself. Mahatma Gandhi says, “Be truthful, gentle, and fearless.”&nbsp; Developing gentleness is an art of a skill in real being.&nbsp;“They say that at the last day there will be judgments, and that our dear Friend [God] will be in anger. But from pure goodness only goodness emanates. Be then without fear, for finally you will see that He is full of gentleness.” —Omar KhayyamLife can be beautiful, but living is challenging. If we live consciously, we make a chosen destiny. We can be strong or weak, we can be gentle. We may make mistakes, but we can become gentle by introspection. We may misspeak, which we can correct with gentleness. We can be gentle in our movement, conversation, communication, and consumption. Yes, consumption. Zero waste is impractical. But gentleness in consumption will minimize waste, save the planet, and feed the hungry.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/being_gentle_light4_0a1c29adcd.jpg" alt="Cbeing_gentle_light">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>Life can be beautiful, but living is challenging. If we live consciously, we make a chosen destiny.</h4><hr><hr>Gentle does not know hurry, it moves swiftly. Gentle does not rattle, it speaks clearly. Gentle does not fear or panic, it pauses. Gentle is not heavy, but light! Be gentle is to travel light in the journey of life.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4><hr><hr>

Being gentle is being light

<h4>Does the Unified Field Theory – the theory of everything – really explain everything? VICTOR KANNAN explores this question and examines the meeting point between scientific thinking on the subject and the observations of the great yogic scientists of the last century.</h4>&nbsp;There is a struggle in the scientific community to neatly tie together all the theories of physics: many scientists believe there is an inherent structure and order to the universe and it operates inexorably. All exceptions, like objects out of orbit colliding with each other, are still explained as the force of energy from the Big Bang carrying them through the unstable process, but eventually towards an equilibrium arising out of a collision with other planetary objects in motion, or finding an orbit around a planet or a moon with gravitational equilibrium.But this theory has again missed the world of metaphysics – a word clearly coined because of the inadequacies of physics alone to explain all things manifested in the universe. The word came about in the mid-16th century, the Latin metaphysica, based on the Greek ta meta ta phusika, ‘the things after physics’, referring to the sequence of Aristotle’s works. The title came to denote the branch of study treated in the books, later interpreted as meaning, ‘the science of things transcending what is physical or natural’.1So, what is beyond the physical? Of course it has to do with the mind, which is at the core of manifesting physical and philosophical things. Thoughts, feelings, moods and imagination form part of this mind. The mind is not an organ in the body, like the heart and the brain. The mind is a well-recognised metaphysical organ! Out of the mind comes consciousness – the field of action of the mind. But then the components of thinking and their association with the ego (one’s own self) and not the collective oneness of everything, limits its expansion.The other important core element of metaphysics is consciousness, which is said to be in all things living. Of course, metaphysicists talk about a range of consciousness, from the consciousness of a stone to that of angels.Now coming to the search for a unified theory of everything both physical and metaphysical, can there be such a theory? It may be possible only if we combine matter with energy, and both with consciousness.Pictorially, we can explain the components of the unified fields of the physical and the metaphysical as follows:<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/matter_energy_what_else1_img_7024acb6b4.png?updated_at=2023-04-03T06:33:59.375Z" alt="matter-energy-what-else1-img">The participants in the triangle at the base partake more of matter and energy. As they incorporate more of the life-giving force for consciousness, it becomes possible for them to move up the pyramid to an existence that is in the metaphysical world.We have the traditional view that matter produces energy and that the two are related. But I wonder if energy can be created without matter. For instance, today I was tired and did not want to exercise. I meditated and relaxed. Then I found some energy and went to exercise. As I went beyond 45 minutes, I felt a second wind and continued beyond what I had ever done. It was a physical breakthrough for me, and I came away wondering what gave me this energy. I had not eaten anything and had only relaxed and meditated. Where did this physical motivation and energy come from?So, a metaphysical act gave a boost to physical manifestation. Energy came out of an act of doing nothing – an act of nothing, or meditation, which perhaps worked on my thinking or conscious resting.Another equation that came to mind in this context isLq = Pc (m+e)The quality of life (Lq) is exponentially proportionate to the use of matter and energy (m+e) in the furtherance of purity of consciousness (Pc). If matter and energy are used for the furtherance of ME, the ego in me, then development of consciousness can be expressed asX = C / MEwhere X is the level of frequency of life.&nbsp;The higher the frequency, the more present is the being. Conversely, as ME approaches zero, than X tends towards infinity.So, as we reduce our ego towards zero, consciousness soars towards infinity, and joy, peace and universal love reign supreme.While these may be dismissed as clever imaginations, it was worth exploring the connection between matter, energy and its utilization for boosting one’s ego or for understanding its relationship to one’s consciousness.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">If consciousness can expand, then the question comes: what nurtures consciousness?</h4><hr>If consciousness can expand, then the question comes: what nurtures consciousness?In this context, it is necessary to recognize the saint from India named Ram Chandra (1899- 1983) who talks about a type of energy called Transmission that nurtures human consciousness. He defines transmission as the energy needed for the transformation of man. In his words, “Transmission works in the conversion of matter into energy, and energy into the Ultimate.”2The Big Bang is largely accepted as the theory that explains how the current universe came into existence from a singularity. From that singularity, massive energy was released, which in turn created matter and eventually life. If this expansionary process reversed itself, what would happen?In a paper published in ‘Physical Review Letters,’ physicists Nemanja Kaloper at the University of California, Davis, and Antonio Padilla at the University of Nottingham, have proposed the cosmological collapse mechanism and analysed its implications, which include an explanation of dark energy.3What Ram Chandra says may be a precursor to the possibility of a black hole absorbing all of the manifest universe into its singularity. So, this idea of transmission helping us make that journey back home is where physics and metaphysics meet. So with this, do we also have a unified theory?I leave it to scientists, with this axiom: What saints have intuitively known for a long time seems now for scientists to prove._________________1Google search of the meaning of the word ‘Metaphysics’ 2Ram Chandra, Complete Works of Ram Chandra, Volume 2,&nbsp;Shri Ram Chandra Mission, USA 3https://phys.org/news/2015-03-universe-brink-collapsecosmological-timescale.html#jCp

Matter, energy, and what else?

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VICTOR KANNAN recently visited the Inner Peace Museum at Kanha Shanti Vanam, and invites us inside its doors to feel the calmness that inner peace brings.</h4>&nbsp;In the heart’s core, A sacred calmness resides, Inner peace endures.Most peace museums around the world are dedicated to wars. Indeed, they are peace museums because they remind us of what passed, and that which should never come to pass again. However, in Kanha Shanti Vanam, on the outskirts of Hyderabad in India, there is a museum that is dedicated to a different kind of peace: peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul. It is first of all a humble tribute to the great souls of humanity who tread the path of unity and love, the path of spirituality, and of the Almighty. And it is also more than that. The Inner Peace Museum is unique in that it is an experiential museum. It proffers to the visitor an opportunity to soak in its lush, verdant surroundings, meditate in its atmosphere effused with subtle Divinity, be inspired by its art and installations, and feel inner peace.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum2_fc03401664.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum2_fc03401664.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum2_fc03401664.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum2_fc03401664.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum3_1d6d947b92.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum3_1d6d947b92.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum3_1d6d947b92.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum3_1d6d947b92.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;World peace is achievable once individual peace is at hand. And peace is already there. Our philosophy makes us understand that: peace is our fundamental nature. A meditative practice helps us arrive at a meditative state and constantly keeps fuelling peace within as well as with people we meet, wherever we go; we are in some way contributing to peace because of who we are.The intensity of your inner peace will be exposed the moment you drop all ideas of pride, ego, desires, etc. You will be unburdened so much that you will be surprised with your own nature which is full of peace. —Daaji&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum4_a0a8a6efda.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum4_a0a8a6efda.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum4_a0a8a6efda.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum4_a0a8a6efda.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The exhibits of the Inner Peace Museum reflect humanity’s quest for the highest through the ages, and the inner journey inspired by the world’s rich spiritual heritage, realized through meditation.The artists who contribute their original work for the museum come from around the world. Inspired by their stay and experiences in the pristine environment of Kanha Shanti Vanam, they create in the museum studio. These individual and collective works represent diverse faiths and schools of thought from around the world, ranging from the ancient forms of worship to modern scientific ideas, all united in the singular urge of all life to evolve to the Highest.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum5_fa710c0e26.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum5_fa710c0e26.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum5_fa710c0e26.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum5_fa710c0e26.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;The Inner Peace Museum inspires us to focus on true peace, the inner peace in our hearts, which if established will automatically lead to external peace. It also brings to light the universal concept of Unity, the fact that we are all united by that singular urge to evolve to the highest as human beings, whether through religious thought, science, philosophy, literature, art, music, spirituality, or simply by virtue of being human.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum6_42e42e7523.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum6_42e42e7523.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum6_42e42e7523.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum6_42e42e7523.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum7_36e143b71a.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum7_36e143b71a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum7_36e143b71a.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum7_36e143b71a.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum8_b68c0711e7.webp" alt="inner-peace-museum8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_peace_museum8_b68c0711e7.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_inner_peace_museum8_b68c0711e7.webp 600w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_peace_museum8_b68c0711e7.webp 600w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The Inner Peace Museum inspires us to focus on true peace, the inner peace in our hearts, which if established will automatically lead to external peace.</h4><hr>For more information, please contact us at ipm@heartfulness.org.

Inner peace museum

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VICTOR KANNAN explores the debate around whether AI has consciousness. He comes up with a very compelling logic for how it can easily be solved.</h4>&nbsp;There is a growing debate about whether AI has consciousness.I find this question amusing. The seriousness with which we debate this question seems to be misplaced. After all, we are not asking if an intelligent being is devoid of consciousness. If we are not asking that, why then are we asking if programs that are powered by <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/ai-spiritual-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">artificial intelligence</a> have a human type of consciousness.We seem to have understood intuitively what <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/human-intelligence-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">artificial intelligence</a> is and what consciousness is. Because the responses we get from our prompts to Gemini or Chat GPT seem to be personal and contextual, we are surprised, and we ask if AI is conscious.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ai2_f954cb4d42.webp" alt="Ai2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ai2_f954cb4d42.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ai2_f954cb4d42.webp 601w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ai2_f954cb4d42.webp 601w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">What is intelligence?</h4>According to the Oxford dictionary, “intelligence” is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. When this is done by programming a computer, it is artificial intelligence as opposed to natural intelligence, which is innate, such as found in living beings like plants, animals and humans. They use innate intelligence to respond to situations, while machines are programmed to respond.&nbsp;It is a different discussion to ask if we are not programmed or influenced by our past memories and present socio-economic conditions. This takes us to behavioral science and psychology. &nbsp;Let us, however, stay focused on this question of AI having consciousness.&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What is consciousness?</h4>According to the Cambridge dictionary, “consciousness” is “the state of being awake, thinking, and knowing what is happening around you.” Consciousness is the degree of awareness and unawareness, thinking and not thinking, knowing and not knowing. Somehow this definition is short on the sleep and dream states of consciousness.&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What does AI do when it is “sleeping”?</h4>We might say AI is learning while “sleeping” based on the previous set of interactions. This is machine learning. We might say this is similar to how the brain functions while a person is sleeping. Just as the brain consolidates and stores information obtained during the day, AI machines are continually indexing the knowledge obtained during the period of interaction for future use. This sounds like a valid argument.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ai3_85d442febf.webp" alt="Ai3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ai3_85d442febf.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ai3_85d442febf.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ai3_85d442febf.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Repetition and creativity</h4>The fundamental difference is the repetition of a machine versus the creativity of innate consciousness. We might ask the same question to AI repeatedly and it would keep on producing slightly different answers; hence, we can claim it to be creative or imaginative. The random number generator in a gaming device appears to produce unpredictable outcomes. Those who know the rule that the house always wins, know&nbsp; the sum of all outcomes is profitable for the house and not the sum of all players.Many lose so a few can win. The predictable outcome is that the house always wins, though individual outcomes are random. The fact that the house always wins means the aggregate outcomes are pre-programmed.Pre-programmed and uniqueness&nbsp;Similarly, AI machines are pre-programmed. They have artificial intelligence but not the consciousness to create the intelligence to begin with. Machine learning algorithms do not make them originally creative and unique, while human consciousness does. Consciousness is a composite of the ability to think, process, decide, and act in a unique manner based on circumstances and past learning. It all seems programmable. But two people respond totally differently to the same set of circumstances and this highlights the uniqueness in behavior.Knowing and how we know are aspects of consciousness. Intelligence is a means to know, and hence is part of consciousness. Knowing includes feeling, and feeling instigates thinking. Thinking results in understanding, and that helps in choices and decision making. All these are aspects of consciousness. Hence AI is an extension of human consciousness; it is not that AI has any consciousness of its own or even the possibility of having its own consciousness.Humans can behave in a mechanical way, but machines cannot behave like humans. Here lies the confusion and pathway for clarity! The best we can do is to define the existence of artificial consciousness as an explanation for the learning aspects of Artificial Intelligence engines. If we call it Artificial Consciousness would the debate end?&nbsp;

Why not artificial consciousness?

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VICTOR KANNAN explores the process of aging, with a focus on aging gracefully. How can you be at peace with yourself as old age approaches? How can you develop maturity in behavior and focus on life’s best interests?</h4>&nbsp;For a few months now I have been asking the question, “How to age gracefully?”I turned 65 a few months back. I don’t feel it, and I don’t know how it feels to be 65, since I have never been 65 until now. It is a good milestone, as perhaps two-thirds of the time on Earth is completed. There is a lot to be grateful for.The idea of aging gracefully is a great one. It is a very important threshold, especially in the 21st century. We say that 50 is the new 40, and so on, to improve the outlook on aging. It is true we are living longer and more actively. However, aging invariably calls for maturity in behavior and focus on life’s best interests.Maturity is possible when we process our life’s experiences like fruit ripening slowly to its full sweetness. Introspection is a tool for developing awareness. It promotes alertness and it helps us to keep up with positive associations of ideas, people, books, and more. Not only do we associate with the positive regenerative moments in life but also actively avoid unnecessary, harmful, or hurtful circumstances.&nbsp;Friction is needed for movement. Lack of resistance is needed for expansion. In the Heartfulness way of meditation, as we progress we shift our consciousness over time from movement to expansion, through the continuous process of contemplation. The daily <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/love-in-action" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">practices of meditation</a>, observation, introspection, and visualization help us understand how to adjust our thoughts and actions so we can be in line with the expectations that arise rightfully as we age.Would you accept a mango that looks ripe but is rotten inside? Can you imagine aging without maturity? Can you accept growing old without gracefulness? It is an insult to life itself. It is a colossal waste of time and effort. It is a misdirection of life and its blessings.The need for gracefulness challenges us to balance growth opportunities with our ability to respond to them. We choose our physical environment and develop forethought. We become more diligent, agile, and resilient in our mental and emotional responses.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The need for gracefulness challenges us to balance growth opportunities with our ability to respond to them. We choose our physical environment and develop forethought. We become more diligent, agile, and resilient in our mental and emotional responses.</h4><hr><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/aging_gracefully2_251944ba28.webp" alt="aging-gracefully2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_aging_gracefully2_251944ba28.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_aging_gracefully2_251944ba28.webp 810w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/aging_gracefully2_251944ba28.webp 810w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Have more time alone and with nature and grandchildren if possible. Associate with people without agenda. Listen and share with young people. Avoid the contact of peers who are focused on competition and comparison: some peer groups are riddled with jealousy and prejudice. Avoid being curious and most importantly transcend FOMO, the fear of missing out.Good luck aging. Time moves inexorably. It is a beautiful thing. It signifies the movement of nature. Day comes and the sun is shining. Seasons change, we celebrate; flowers and fragrance fill our homes. Life cycles through and wisdom is accumulated. Humanity is better off because of it.If we did not age and time stood still what would happen? I shudder to think. Look forward to aging more gracefully as time clicks on perfectly.There are three principles I love to follow: Love one who loves all. Love all who are loved by the one.&nbsp; Love all and hurt none—including plants and animals.Yes, we can take what plants and trees give us without hurting them. They happily give us seeds and fruits as they ripen. Similarly we hope to give our wisdom to the next generation to improve the lives of all.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Aging gracefully

<h2 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;</h2><h2 style="text-align:center;">CULTIVATING FOCUS BY&nbsp; DECLUTTERING OUR LIVES</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">VICTOR KANNAN reflects upon the connection among focus, silence, and space. The more we develop these attributes the more we understand ourselves and others at deeper and deeper levels. The deeper we go, the more our inner spiritual journey unfolds before us.</h4>In our modern, fast-paced world, the ability to focus has become a rare commodity. Distractions are ubiquitous, ranging from cluttered physical spaces and overloaded digital screens to jam-packed calendars and emotional entanglements. However, there is a direct connection among focus, silence, and the space we create within ourselves and our surroundings. By intentionally managing this space, we can cultivate clarity, efficiency, and a deeper <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/wild-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual awareness</a>.<h4>Silence and focus</h4>Silence is not merely the absence of noise; it is a state of being that allows us to access clarity and peace. When we reduce our involvement and interest in external distractions and random curiosities, we create a fertile ground for focused attention. Focus and attention are abilities that we naturally discover when we remove the intrusions that tend to stampede our minds.When we take the time to pause and introspect, we can identify what serves us, and what is just a distraction. We can consciously reduce the proliferation of these unwanted and unnecessary attractions of sensory objects, ideas, events; even people. Make a list of these distractions. You will find them mostly related to your tendencies, which express themselves in your behaviors. In all of us, such behaviors are protected by our defensiveness and our lack of acceptance of the need to change.<h4>Create space for silence &nbsp;</h4>Silence is inherently tied to the space we create, both externally and internally. Physically, an uncluttered environment fosters calmness and order. When our surroundings are chaotic, they mirror and amplify internal disarray. Organizing our spaces, whether our desks or digital devices, creates a sense of ease that enhances focus.Internally, creating space involves letting go of unnecessary emotional baggage, outdated beliefs, and endless mental chatter. Heartfulness and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/meditation-health-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mindfulness meditative techniques</a>, and journaling, are conducive ways of allowing us to observe our thoughts without attachment. The more internal space we cultivate, the more room we leave for silence and, in turn, for focus.Consider this: A room filled to the brim with clutter or odds and ends can feel tiresome to stay in. It exudes the vibrations that caused the clutter. Are we hiding things under the bed? Are we stashing away things we never use in corners, to simply gather dust? These things represent fear, confusion, chaos, and lack of focus. These thought vibrations, protected by the things we have kept there, affect our mind constantly when we occupy those spaces. The space in our mind is constantly encroached. A cluttered mind, like a cluttered room, is a cacophony of fragmented thoughts and unprocessed emotions, which in turn create noise, contaminating the inner space, jamming the signals, and diminishing our ability to see clearly. Lack of focus becomes our permanent condition and state of being.<h4>Avoid clutter: A holistic approach &nbsp;</h4>Clutter comes in many forms. Physical clutter, such as unused items or disorganized workspaces, distracts and drains energy. Digital clutter, like an overload of apps or notifications, fragments our attention. Similarly, an overcrowded calendar filled with commitments can leave little room for reflection or spontaneity.Emotional clutter—lingering resentment, unresolved conflicts, and excessive emotional involvement—also takes up valuable internal space. Mental clutter, such as the constant need to impress others, or to recall unnecessary details, or add ifs and buts to more thoroughly explain a situation that is quite plain for everyone else, inhibits our ability to live in the present.By avoiding clutter, we open pathways to silence, which enables focus. Minimalism, time management, and emotional detachment are not just practical strategies but transformative practices that create harmony in every facet of life.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Silence is not merely the absence of noise; it is a state of being that allows us to access clarity and peace. When we reduce our involvement and interest in external distractions and random curiosities, we create a fertile ground for focused attention.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">The spiritual connection &nbsp;</h4>As we declutter and simplify, we naturally shift from superficial distractions to a deeper understanding of ourselves.Our ability to focus is directly related to the silence we keep. Silence is directly related to the internal space we create in our hearts and minds, while space is directly related to the clutter we avoid by choosing a conscious lifestyle. The clutter we create and find ourselves in makes us wonder who let the dogs in but ourselves. &nbsp;This applies to physical spaces, digital apps on our screens, events on our calendars, emotional entanglements, the tendency to form impressions, etc. The more of these we are able to filter out of our lives, the smoother our journey to spiritual betterment.For more insight into these aspects, please read the chapter on “Less is More” in Daaji’s recent book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.in/Power-Paradox-Kamlesh-D-Patel/dp/0143459309" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Power of Paradox</a>.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/power_of_silence2_a18942ee06.webp" alt="power-of-silence2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

The power of silence

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">VICTOR KANNAN on going back to basics—a practical reset for leaders and seekers that renews intention and sharpens practice in work and life.</h4>Every so often, whether in business, leadership, or inner life, we need to go back to basics. This practice helps us review, reset, and recommit to our best intentions and to renew our best practices.Over time, even a healthy routine can become mechanical. As we age, the relevance of past good habits fades, and in the complexity of our lives, we lose sight of our primary goal. Gradually, we veer from our intended path. What began as a straight line toward our goal has slowly curved away from its target. Returning to fundamentals helps us straighten that curve and refocus on our true goals.For a leader, going back to basics might mean re-examining purpose and objectives, reviewing and renewing the vision and mission statement, or re-evaluating stakeholder alignment. To make corporate culture thrive, we must revisit the values that once defined its character before complexity set in. The same is true for anyone who is practicing self-improvement or talent development. For a seasoned Heartfulness meditator, going back to basics could mean sitting once again with a beginner’s mind, free from expectations of inner peace or joy. It could also mean returning to the fundamental practices of relaxation, meditation, cleaning [a practice for releasing emotional impressions], prayer, and introspection exercises—doing them deliberately and consciously, with every step fully and properly incorporated, without haste, hurry, or casualness.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Returning to fundamentals helps us straighten&nbsp; that curve and refocus on our true goals. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;Going back to basics is a smart strategy. It is about ensuring progress remains aligned and practices are followed correctly. A musician who has mastered their instrument still returns to scales. A top athlete revisits form. Likewise, every discipline, every craft, every life benefits from a deliberate pause—a reset that clears the accumulated noise and restores clarity. When we do this periodically, we rediscover something fresh, even if are supposedly adepts. We remember what truly matters and gain further clarity on what is important. Going back to basics also simplifies our lives and helps us stay focused on the important goals we set for ourselves.A periodic exercise or habit of going back to basics arrests the inevitable onslaught of entropy. This process redirects our energies and removes entropy, making fresh waves of progress possible. We realign our intention and our joy in doing what we do.In the corporate world, returning to basics has become a trend. Recently, under the new CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon has embarked on a large‐scale reset of its culture and operating model. He is returning Amazon essentially to what originally made it successful. According to recent reporting, Jassy has reinforced Amazon’s founding “Day 1” mindset and re-emphasized its original Leadership Principles, tying them directly to performance reviews and compensation. Similarly, when Nestle’s board selected insider Laurent Freixe as CEO in 2024, they noted a move “forward to basics” after years of acquisitions and diversification had left the company feeling adrift.Many attend <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/communication-and-diversity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">meditation retreats</a> for these going-back-to-basics renewals. Even corporate heavyweights attend Heartfulness or <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-power-of-observation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mindfulness meditation</a> retreats for periodic resets. Such retreats do more than any other back-to-basics exercise. They help us return to the center of our being and core of our principles before moving forward again with clarity, conviction, and confidence. We emerge from them with greater energy and enthusiasm.Try this out—whether on your own or as a leader in your company or community—and feel the difference. Even one day of deep introspection and recommitment will be sufficient. If you cannot spare a day, choose a short, intentional reset—a quiet walk, a few lines in a journal, or a single deliberate pause. It will end in the unmistakable joy of a homecoming.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/back_to_basics2_553e8a16bb.webp" alt="back-to-basics2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">A periodic exercise or habit of going back to basics&nbsp; arrests the inevitable onslaught of entropy.&nbsp; This process redirects our energies and removes entropy, making fresh waves of progress possible. We realign our intention and our joy in doing what we do. &nbsp;</h4><hr> &nbsp;

Back to Basics

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN examines why those on a spiritual path may feel more stressed—and how that very turbulence can become a catalyst for peace and inner transformation.</h4>The universal pursuit of peace and happiness is a multifaceted drive with profound roots in both ancient wisdom and modern understanding. Scriptures across traditions mandate this search as a path to divine connection and righteous living, framing true peace not as the absence of struggle but as an inner state achieved through a deeper understanding of life and its purpose. It is rooted in faith, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/reset-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">forgiveness</a>, service to others, and adherence to a moral purpose.This spiritual perspective aligns remarkably with scientific findings, which identify specific reward systems and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, involved in feelings of contentment and joy. Psychology further supports the scriptural emphasis on community and meaning, showing that strong social bonds, a sense of purpose, and practices such as gratitude and mindfulness are the most robust predictors of long-term well-being and emotional resilience.Whether viewed through the lens of spirituality or the science of evolutionary psychology, human flourishing seems dependent on transcending self-interest, fostering strong relationships, and cultivating a mindset that values inner tranquility and purpose over fleeting external pleasures. This combined understanding provides a comprehensive basis for humanity’s enduring quest for a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.Peace indeed is the characteristic of the soul, which longs for peace and rest. However, the soul is at the mercy of the mind, intellect, and ego. And they, in turn, are expressed through the faculties of the body and senses. So, all three aspects of life—body, mind, and soul—work together in an astonishing and wonderful manner.A spiritual seeker leads their life consciously, practicing a discipline to improve themselves every day. However, experience shows that they also appear to go through exalted levels of stress. Why is it so?First, the comparative state of mind that seeks peace gets more irritated by even small things in life, magnifying any experience of stress. This is especially common in the early days of spiritual practice and progress. For a spiritual seeker, a stress score of six on the PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) could easily feel like an eight or a nine on the same scale. This is because they seek peace and expect peace around them. When they get stressed, they feel its effects in an exaggerated way. It’s like the sound of a pin dropping in a silent room—more striking than a loud clank in a crowded New York City subway station.Another aspect of this is that when we are on a path of self-improvement, especially through practices like mindfulness, Vipassana, or Heartfulness, our awareness increases, our sensibilities are refined, and our ego is challenged. Taken together, these three shifts form a spiritual trifecta that, I believe, is how Nature accelerates our progress. It is through the refinement of the ego that we advance more rapidly. &nbsp;Refinement of the ego results from both conscious practice and how elegantly we deal with our difficulties.In Heartfulness, our earlier Masters, Babuji and Chariji, often reminded us that “Nature always cooperates.” I heard this line many times when I began my practice about forty years ago, but I struggled to accept it. My mind went instead to other sayings, like the Tamil proverb “the toe that is hurt will be injured repeatedly,” or the Japanese proverb “the nail that sticks out shall be hammered down.” And although it isn’t literally true, we also hear people say that suffering comes in threes. If that were the case, I would say it is Nature’s mercy to get the job done quickly and efficiently when the ego is weak. When we suffer and ask, “Why me?”, it would seem that more suffering piles on us. When we learn to accept and cultivate the qualities of gratitude, love, and compassion, our ego transforms into humility, the final gate to complete spiritual emancipation. You see, from suffering we have the possibility of accelerated progress, and our self-transformation is assured, provided we have the right attitude.The true transformation of the self begins as our consciousness evolves. This evolution is an intimately lived process that touches every part of who we are. As consciousness grows and expands, the mind gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy. We experience these feelings with our deep presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different frequency, calming others around us.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">As consciousness grows and expands, the mind gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy. We experience these feelings with our deep presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different frequency, calming others around us.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spiritual_seekers_stress2_45402b01ef.webp" alt="spiritual-seekers-stress2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;In this state, we begin to detach from both material and emotional turbulence. Success and failure, praise and blame, pleasure and pain lose their power to shake us. The intellect becomes clear, guided by discernment and quiet wisdom. We start seeing life as it is, without the fog of emotional reaction or the pull of desire.Even the ego, often misunderstood as the enemy of spiritual growth, transforms. It no longer drives us toward control or recognition. Instead, it matures into courage, wonder, and humility: the courage to face the truth, the wonder to keep learning, and the humility to know that we are part of something larger.This <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/resonating-with-the-being-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inner shift</a> is why spiritual seekers sometimes appear to struggle more. They are undergoing deep reconstruction. The old structures of mind and ego dissolve, making space for something more expansive, more luminous, and far more peaceful. This process is like a butterfly forcing its way out of the chrysalis: a long period of apparent stillness followed by intense effort and a new form of life.If you have chosen a spiritual path, why resist life’s gifts even if some of them are in the form of suffering, grief, and loss? As your awareness expands, the layers of resistance begin to dissolve. In time, what once felt like turmoil gives way to stillness. The struggle subsides, and in its place arises a constant connection to the divine and hence a lasting peace. In that peace, the soul is joyful, and the evolution of consciousness is in full swing. &nbsp;

Do Spiritual Seekers Experience More Stress?

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN on beauty, joy, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-flow-of-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual growth</a>, and the search for what endures.</h4>What is a thing of beauty? We experience beauty as something that gives joy. But beauty commonly fades. If that is so, can the joy it brings endure forever? And if our joy can endure, must there be a kind of beauty that does not fade? And would enduring joy remain unchanged, or deepen as our understanding deepens?We often take beauty to mean form, color, or expression. But these change, diminish, and disappear. That kind of beauty cannot sustain joy.I have heard it said that simple is beautiful, small is beautiful. There is something true in this—but not in the way we usually take it. Beauty is not decoration. It is not something added. There is something innate about beauty—original, natural, uncontrived, authentic. It is without pretension. It is true to itself, and for that reason, it is grounded in reality. What we recognize as beautiful has a certain quality: it does not depend on conditions to sustain it. It does not exhaust itself. It is this kind of beauty that gives rise to a joy that does not fade.In <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/make-a-difference-volunteer-and-serve" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a>, we seek reality. All our seeking—whether in love, relationship, work, or meaning—is for that reality. Even if we seem to seek in the wrong places, we are only seeking that. We do not knowingly seek in the wrong places; we do so unconsciously. As we grow in our seeking, we become pattern-bound, and those patterns are supported by unawareness.As our seeking evolves, we begin to experience joy—an inner condition that is subtler, steadier, and more satisfying. As awareness deepens, this inner condition begins to guide our seeking, becoming a key indicator that we are moving in the right direction and guiding our spiritual practice.Daaji talks about AEIOU—acquiring a spiritual condition, expanding it, imbibing it, becoming one with it, and uniting with it completely. It is a matter of receiving a condition and deepening it until we become that condition. In time, another condition arrives and settles upon it, and the process continues.Through such practice, we are transformed. Yet this transformation is not the creation of something new; we discover that what we have become is what we originally were. The condition we experience now is what we had when we were first created—innocent, pure, radiant. A thing of beauty.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Joy in Wisdom</h4>As Daaji explains in his book, The Power of Paradox, the innocence of a child is not sustainable as we grow into adulthood. We must develop wisdom. Wisdom in the adult is the equivalent of innocence in the child. Both arise from purity. Purity and wisdom are inseparable.We say that we are growing older and wiser. But aging does not guarantee wisdom. Wisdom brings the right perspective in life, and that perspective sustains the inner condition of joy. A joyful heart shows even in an aging face—settled through time, integrated with the evolution of life itself.What does this inner condition of joy consist of? We have many terms to describe it—happiness, pleasure, fun, feeling good. These are often used interchangeably, but they do not refer to the same thing. They describe how we feel at a given moment.Joy is often spoken of in this way. We say that when shared, it multiplies."Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow" is a well-known Swedish proverb that emphasizes the importance of community, companionship, and empathy in life's highs and lows. It means sharing positive news magnifies happiness, while sharing pain or grief with others lightens the emotional burden.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Joy in Service</h4>I read a Chinese saying when I was a very young boy: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.” This stayed with me. When you help someone in need, their heart fills with gratitude, and that feeling reflects back to you. You feel happy.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Wisdom in the adult is the equivalent of innocence in the child. Both arise from purity. Purity and wisdom are inseparable. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;Joy in service is the fulfillment that comes from giving time, energy, and love to others without expecting anything in return. It shifts our attention away from ourselves and gives meaning even to small acts. In this sense, service becomes a condition for the emergence and continuity of joy.“We cannot give what we do not have” is a truism. Not all of us have money, time, or energy to give. But love is not limited in this way. We can always give love, because it does not require anything else as a precondition. As Mother Teresa reminds us, it is not the scale of what we do, but the love with which we do it that matters.As I was leaving for the US in 1983, my Master Chariji advised me to serve unobtrusively. &nbsp;To serve in this way is to be attentive without drawing notice—anticipating what is needed, responding quietly, and creating ease for others without interrupting or placing oneself at the center. When love is present, it expresses itself naturally in this way—without effort, without display.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Joy in Greeting</h4>When joy exudes from the heart in a natural manner, one cannot help but greet others <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-art-of-aging" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">joyfully</a>. Joyful greetings go beyond simple pleasantries—they express warmth, care, and genuine interest.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thing_of_beauty2_d06a76c308.webp" alt="thing of-beauty2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Joyful greetings go beyond simple pleasantries—they express warmth, care, and genuine interest.</h4><hr>&nbsp;We see this most easily in the way we greet children, especially when they are young—“Good morning, sunshine.” When this becomes natural in us, it extends to others as well.When someone greets us with that same warmth—“It is wonderful to see you”—we respond in kind. Such greetings acknowledge the other person and create a natural connection.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Losing and Finding Joy in the Jungle of Life</h4>We know life is no bed of roses—even if they do come with thorns. Most of the time, it is because we take joy as being conditional. When joy depends on circumstances, it becomes unstable—rising and falling as those circumstances change. Recognizing and fostering unconditional love, happiness, and joy alone make them real.Babuji often placed the word “real” before qualities like love, happiness, and joy to emphasize that, when tied to material conditions, they are ephemeral. &nbsp;Pleasure is ephemeral. If pleasure becomes the basis of happiness, happiness becomes ephemeral. And if such happiness becomes the basis of joy, that joy cannot endure.The Katha Upanishad distinguishes between preyas and shreyas—the pleasant and the truly good. Pleasure appeals to the senses and gives immediate satisfaction. But when the conditions that gave rise to pleasure pass, sorrow follows. To avoid that sorrow, we seek the same pleasure again, and in doing so, become bound to the very action that produces it. Pleasure-seeking is therefore not wise. And where there is no wisdom, can there be room for joy?Whereas, if we recognize that inner joy is unconditional and can only be attained through the spiritual orientation of our being and our seeking, we attain freedom. Preyas brings about ignorance and bondage. Shreyas begets joy and freedom.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thing_of_beauty3_5ada865110.webp" alt="thing of-beauty3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;If material well-being becomes the basis on which we depend for love, happiness, joy, and even the fulfillment of our goals, then all of these remain uncertain and cannot endure. For even in the pursuit of material goals, if we seek something lasting in them, we are in fact reaching beyond the material to the real. Otherwise, the beauty and joy with which we were greeted at birth are lost in the jungle of life.The good news is that only in this jungle of existence can we find beauty, joy, and lasting reality. No amount of reading about it can convince us. It requires a change in orientation—a turning toward the divine, keeping it in view—and, above all, a direct, felt experience of that forceless force that carries life within it.Without existence, we cannot experience reality, nor can we experience bliss. Existence is given. We are in it. We are part of it. The real question is: how do we exist in such a way that this becomes a living reality?<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Joy in Spiritual Search and Finding</h4>The great saints and sages who came before us walked the earth like us. They toiled to find answers to the eternal question of why we are here and the purpose of creation. As we move through this search, cultivating joy becomes a companion. As we live our lives cultivating joy in all our expressions, we begin to attract grace. Even in the normal course of life, when we feel joy in our hearts, we act with patience. We greet people with warmth and concern. We open doors for others. We yield while driving. We understand when someone cuts us off. We do not react unnecessarily. We remain centered, connected, and in the flow of life.Babuji expressed this simply: “Joy attracts grace.” I take this to mean not only in the spiritual sense, but in all dimensions of life.&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">As we live our lives cultivating joy in all our expressions, we begin to attract grace. Even in the normal course of life, when we feel joy in our hearts, we act with patience.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;How can we separate spiritual life from daily life? How can we separate night from day? How can we separate ourselves from others? We are connected in many ways—not by a single fiber, but by many.Joy is one such fiber, along with love, humility, and authenticity. When life becomes well-connected in this way, it becomes a thing of beauty. So it is joyful. This is a certainty, not merely a hope. Get involved in life in a way that reveals the real beauty within. Then joy is no longer something we seek, but something that expresses itself naturally in all that we do.&nbsp;<hr>1 Chariji refers to Shri Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari (1927–2014), the third guide of the Heartfulness tradition.2 Babuji refers to Shri Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur (1899–1983), the second guide of the Heartfulness tradition. &nbsp;<hr>Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM<hr>&nbsp;

A Thing of Beauty:  On Joy That Endures

Vidhya S. Vijayan is a senior yoga teacher at Heartfulness Yoga Academy, rooted in the Krishnamacharya tradition, where her teaching emphasizes breath, awareness, and individualized practice. She conducts retreats, training, and wellness programs, and is passionate about making yoga a deeply experiential journey. She lives with her family at Kanha Shanti Vanam and is a mother to a young daughter.

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Vidhya S. Vijayan

<h4>A yoga teacher reflects on how asana practice deepens when the pursuit of progress gives way to breath awareness, embodied presence, steadiness, ease, and conscious living.</h4><h4>BY VIDHYA S. VIJAYAN</h4>When I first began asana practice, my body moved with ease. Flexibility was never a challenge for me. Most postures came naturally, and I found deep joy in exploring them. I would move from one asana to another with curiosity, trying, learning, and going deeper. There was excitement in discovering what the body could do, and over time, that naturally led me toward more advanced postures.This felt like growth—like progress—and in many ways, it was. Yet, without realizing it, my practice slowly became centered around activity: doing more, going deeper, reaching the next posture.Nothing in my body was hindering me. There was no discomfort forcing me to slow down. Everything felt perfectly smooth. Perhaps that is why I did not notice what my practice was lacking. I was moving through the asanas but not fully embodying them.At that time, I knew how to assume a posture, hold it, and transition out of it. But I had not yet learned how to live in a posture with awareness, sensitivity, and breath. My attention was often on where I was going next rather than on what was unfolding in the present.Looking back, I realize this pattern was not limited to yoga alone. Nor was I alone in this. Many of us live, moving from one task to another and from one achievement to the next, constantly progressing, but rarely allowing ourselves to fully inhabit the present moment. We become so focused on movement that we lose touch with presence.The shift in my journey began when my teacher introduced me to the Krishnamacharya tradition. To be honest, the transition was not comfortable. For a period of time, I felt as though I had lost something. The certainty with which I had previously approached my practice and my teaching was now shaken. I had never experienced such a lack of confidence.This new approach was asking me to unlearn what I thought I knew for sure. Not superficial things, but deeper assumptions and attitudes I had carried for years.Adding more knowledge is easy; learning to see differently is a challenge!I remained in that space of uncertainty for a long time. But gradually, instead of resisting it, I began to surrender. I allowed myself to become a student again. That is when the practice began to reveal its depth.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">“Many of us live, moving from one task to another and from one achievement to the next, constantly progressing, but rarely allowing ourselves to fully inhabit the present moment.”</h4><hr>&nbsp;I began to understand what it means to truly breathe in an asana, not as a separate technique, but as something inseparable from the movement itself. I began to recognize the importance of preparation: how we must prepare not only the body but also the mind as we enter any posture. I discovered the value of pauses—the silent spaces between the movements where observation deepens and awareness becomes clearer.Even the way I understood sequencing began to change. I learned how one posture prepares the body for the next, how counterposes restore balance, and how thoughtful progression creates steadiness and avoids strain.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/how_present_can_i_be2_c684d37a10.webp" alt="how-present-can-i-be2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;These were not mere technical learnings; they reflected a deeper intelligence intrinsic to the practice itself, supporting not only the body but also the mind and inner state.The moment I began understanding the essence of this approach, it no longer felt as though I had to choose between what I had learned before and what I was learning now. Integration happened naturally. What I had learned earlier did not lose its value. Rather, my flexibility, familiarity with postures, and experience of movement all found a deeper foundation through my new awareness.Gradually, Patanjali’s words, sthira sukham asanam [posture should be steady and comfortable], began revealing themselves to me in a new way.1&nbsp;For years, I had understood this sutra in its simplest sense: an asana should feel steady and comfortable. But through my new understanding, I began to sense that <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-mind-according-to-patanjali" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Patanjali</a> was pointing toward something far deeper than physical posture.How often do we move through life with neither steadiness nor comfort, always rushing, reaching for what’s coming next, and carrying tension, even in moments of rest?I began to understand that steadiness is not simply the ability to hold the body still. It is the ability to remain present within ourselves. I understood that comfort is not merely physical ease, but the sense of connection that arises when breath, attention, and awareness come together.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">"Awareness changes the quality of everything. A complex asana may look refined from the outside, but without attention, it remains superficial. At the same time, even the simplest movement can become deeply transformative when approached with presence."</h4><hr>&nbsp;Over time, I began to experience this balance when I wasn’t on the mat. I found it in the way I spoke, the way I listened, the way I responded to uncertainty, and even in the way I held silence. To move through life with both steadiness and ease is itself a practice. Perhaps this is what asana practice was trying to teach me all along.&nbsp;Awareness changes the quality of everything. A complex asana may look refined from the outside, but without attention, it remains superficial. At the same time, even the simplest movement can become deeply transformative when approached with presence.This understanding extends far beyond yoga. In many areas of life, we are taught to value progress, achievement, speed, and outward growth. Rarely are we taught how to pause, observe, and fully experience what is happening within us. Yet without that awareness, even success can begin to feel empty.Today, whether I practice a simple or an advanced posture, the question is no longer “How far can I go?” Instead, it is, “How present can I be here?”That question continues to change my relationship with practice and with life. It suggests that the real purpose of practice may not be mastery. Perhaps it is learning how to be fully present in our own experience—even in our failures.Asana practice is where this learning began, and I continue learning it each time I return to the mat, one breath at a time.&nbsp;<hr> FROM THE HEARTFULNESS YOGA ACADEMYHeartfulness Yoga Academy offers accredited, tradition-rooted programs that integrate asanas, pranayama, and Heartfulness <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/all-zen-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meditation</a> with Yogic Transmission for a holistic approach to yoga. yogaacademy.heartfulness.org1 Patanjali, Yoga Sutra 2.46, translation adapted by the author.&nbsp;<hr> &nbsp;

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