Daily Practice

I want to share with you the details of my daily practice. These practices nourish me year after year and continue to be the source of my health and well-being. After I awaken, I log on to Insight Timer and begin my morning practice. I often listen to guided meditations to help me become centered and […]

What is a Hero?

What is a hero? Do you really know? Is it someone strong and vibrant who goes off and slays your enemies and upholds your friends? Or is it a football quarterback who wins the Super Bows in the last second with his “hail Mary” throw? Christoper McDougall doesn’t think it is any of these.   […]

Father Time

These words of wisdom about father time (the Time-God) were hand written in a letter from Swami Veda Bharati in December 2008. We are at the end of 2015 and it is a good time to think about this time in our lives, reviewing our past year and setting intentions for the new year. In […]

The Art of Mini-transitions

I just received an email from Jennifer Louden on the art of mini-transitions. I wrote the following to her: In 1971 I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Swami Rama of the Himalayas and his successor Dr. Arya, who became Swami Veda Bharati. The first discourse Dr. Arya taught was about celebrating […]

In Memory of Swami Veda Bharati

This article is in memory of Swami Veda Bharati, who passed away on July 14, 2015. When I met him in 1971, he was called Dr. Arya and he was the scholar in residence at the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy under the direction of Swami Rama in the suburbs of Chicago. As […]

How to Recover from Distractions in Meditation

These words of wisdom from Sharon Salzberg (again) teach us how to recover from distractions in meditation. I like the way she tells us to begin anew, as if we are beginning to meditation again for the first time. So, beginning again: your attention will go somewhere eventually, one breath, two breaths, ten breaths later. […]

Ambition and Spirituality

Ken Wilber teaches us how to reconcile ambition and spirituality in these words of wisdom in his essay on “Egolessness” from his book The Essential Ken Wilber: An Introductory Reader. I’ve been admiring his work for more than twenty years now and find his wisdom very palpable. I have listened to the audio recordings of […]

6 Steps Of Yoga Practice

Swami Veda Bharati, together with Swami Rama were my first yoga teachers in the early 1970’s. Swami Rama passed away in 1996 and Swami Veda Bharati is now the leader of the Himalayan Tradition of Yoga and Meditation in Rishikesh, India. Just over seven years ago, I re-established contact with Swami Veda Bharati through an […]

Energy Booster Guided Meditation

This energy booster guided meditation from Laura Silva is much better than coffee and way better for your health. It provides a holistic alternative to a cup of coffee and rejuvenates your soul. The energy booster guided meditation gives you access to your body’s natural ability to rejuvenate with this energizing technique designed to help […]

Voluntary Control Over Involuntary States

Swami Rama of the Himalayas came to the United States in 1969. I met him in the suburbs of Chicago in 1970. He was my first “root” teacher and his teachings have been with me since then. He was a genuine yogi with extraordinary yogic powers. Swami Rama was invited to the Menninger Foundation in 1970 […]