Everything in this material world changes. It doesn’t always change according to how we would like it to, but as a yogi we learn how to be steady and even joyful in the midst of upheaval. Happiness is our true nature, to be unhappy is to deny our true …
The Yellow Crane Tower “The yellow crane has long since gone away, All that here remains is yellow crane tower. The yellow crane once gone does not return, White clouds drift slowly for a thousand years. The river is clear in Hanyang by the trees, And …
A friend of mine who is an animal rights vegan activist asked me if I had any tips that might help her be able to be a better speaker on the subject. “Who will you be speaking to?” I asked. “Normal people, who know the typical ignorant small town Ameri …
Coronavirus is a zoonotic disease—meaning the virus jumped from animals to humans. The stress of confinement suffered by trapped and enslaved animals is known to bring about pathologies. We know this from past pandemics. Mutations allow diseases to jum …
As we embark on our spiritual journey, we might speculate on what is the final destination, if any, on our path? We have heard the accounts of the enlightenment of the Buddha. Perhaps we have read of the sudden satori of a Zen monk, or the ecstatic rap …
The mind must be trained to move slower than the slow and faster than the fast… If the mind can run faster than the speed of light, faster than the speed of electromagnetic waves, and slower than metabolic changes in cell physiology, only then can it n …
The first word in the yoga sutra is atha. Atha is considered an auspicious word, a good sign, a benediction that sets a musical tone; it means ‘‘now,’’ referring to not later and not before. Thus, for one to experience yoga one must put aside thoughts …
It was a chilly fall night as Shiva sat at the banks of the Ganges river, his long matted hair falling into and becoming the sacred river. In perfect tranquility, his skin covered with ash, his old friend the moon could hardly see him, because he blend …
It is estimated that the average person speaks 16,000 words per day.¹ Wow! That’s a lot of talking! How many of these words are spoken with intention, sincerity and compassion? What might our sadhana look like if we took a vow of silence from time t …
The reasons for holding a secret – a kept and unspoken memory or piece of knowledge – are many: to surprise a loved one, to not hurt someone’s feelings; we keep secrets out of fear, pride or embarrassment. Those are the conscious secrets, the ones we a …
Krishna who is known as the all attractive one, is an avatar of Lord Vishnu. An avatar is one who descends from the spiritual universe into the material universe by his own will. Lord Vishnu is the preserver of life and brings balance when the world is …
In an essay posted on audubon.com entitled ‘What Do Birds Do For Us’, Barry Yeoman writes about a tree in the American Northwest called the white bark pine, that both humans and other animals have come to rely on. Its large seeds feed grizzlies and bla …