Choosing life – part 2
In part 2 of this interview, THIERRY CASASNOVAS continues his advocacy for life. He shares his own journey with CELINE FRÉSARD, the stages of his rebirth after being left for...
February 2019, Focus / 01 Feb 2019
Tapping into infinity
ANITA MOORJANI explores synchronicity as a possibility – something that we allow in our lives rather than attract, from our infinite nature. Synchronicity and the idea of attraction have been given a lot of attention in recent years. The thought of things falling into place effortlessly because we’re attracting them, is alluring, but I prefer to think it is allowing rather than attracting. We’re one with the universe, our purpose is to be our magnificent selves, and the external world is only a reflection of what’s inside us. A breakdown came in my life when my focus was outward, due to the comparisons I made, and the competition this created. I used to feel that there wasn’t enough for everyone, which caused greed and competitiveness. I always felt the need to convince others to think the way I did, instead of embracing our uniqueness and differences. All these feelings came from the view that the universe is limited, when it’s actually infinite. It’s capable of growing and encompassing as much as we are. It’s up to us to expand and allow in as much as we want, but it has to be done from the inside out, not the other way around. Once I realized that there’s nothing outside my infinite self, I could begin to focus on viewing myself as an ongoing work of perfection – but in a way that’s dynamic not static. Like a kaleidoscope that turns from one exquisite image to the next, perfection is constantly in motion. Once I realized that there’s nothing outside my infinite self, I could begin to focus on viewing myself as an ongoing work of perfection – but in a way that’s dynamic not static. Like a kaleidoscope that turns from one exquisite image to the next, perfection is constantly…
February 2019, Interview / 31 Jan 2019
Tradition, liberalism & Lord Shiva
In this exclusive interview, AMISH TRIPATHI speaks with ELIZABETH DENLEY about what propelled him to write fiction. A self-professed liberal who at the same time loves the religious traditions of his native India, Amish has brought to life the mythology of Lord Shiva and the Ramayana for young readers, and has developed a pop culture celebrity status in the process. Q: Welcome Amish. Thank you. Q: Through your books it’s obvious that you love mythology and the ancient traditions of India. Where did this love come from? It’s my good fortune of birth. It’s not just the ancient traditions of India, but ancient traditions across the world. My grandfather was a pandit in Kashi, in Benaras, and he was a teacher as well at the Benaras Hindu University. So I learnt a lot from the family. We grew up learning our stories, our traditions, our philosophies. Both my parents are deeply religious, and one of the good things they poured into us is the respect and love for knowledge and an attitude of questioning everything. Nothing should be taken on blind faith. So one of the things I learnt early in life from my family was that in Vedic Sanskrit – the language of the ancient Indians – there was no word for ‘blasphemy’. Since the concept didn’t exist, the word didn’t exist. No one was beyond question – no one and nothing. And if you have that kind of attitude and yet you’re willing to learn philosophy, willing to explore faith, willing to explore spirituality, you can have a very rich life. It’s my good fortune that I learnt this from the family. We weren’t a very well-off family; we had a very humble beginning. But despite the constraints, there were always a lot of books at home. And…
Be inspired, February 2019 / 31 Jan 2019
Yogic psychology
Yoga includes the science of all the bodies, that is, the physical body, the subtle bodies and the soul. In other words, it covers the whole field of psychology. Through Yoga we explore consciousness, and what causes change in the field of consciousness. In this series of articles, DAAJI explains the fundamentals of yogic psychology, with its foundation in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. He enlightens us on Patanjali’s codification of the human mind and the various mental deviations that take us away from balance. He also gives us solutions to create mental well-being through yogic practices. In this second article of the series, he explores the third mental deviation described by Patanjali: vikalpa or imagination. Part 2 – Vikalpa VRITTIS We continue with the vrittis. Just to summarize, the vrittis are the five types of thought patterns or tendencies, the basic energy patterns we create in the field of our consciousness or chit. ‘Whirlpool’ is a literal translation of the word vritti, and the vrittis are the whirlpools, waves and ripples that form. These vrittis describe how we perceive and interact with the world around us. The original state of the field of consciousness is stillness, and the soul is happy when we regain that balanced state. In contrast, the interplay of senses, thoughts, feelings and tendencies draw us into the world of outer experience and activity, creating various energetic patterns in the field of consciousness. The soul is also happy with this movement, provided there is purity and lightness, and constant fluidity between underlying stillness and activity in the field. So in Yoga we do two things: 1. Turn the attention inwards to stillness, and 2. Refine the focus and type of outward activity so that our thoughts and activities are conducive to evolution, happiness and balance. We cannot stay…
February 2019, Taste of life, VOLUME 4 / 31 Jan 2019
Synchronicity – an art essay
In this series of paintings, ALEXANDER IVANOV unveils the invisible process of communication between the subconscious mind and the Universe. He is a contemporary artist and the creator of more than 150 abstract and photorealistic artworks. His art has received multiple international art awards, including more than 10 in Russia and China, and his work has touched the lives of numerous private collectors in the United States and Russia. He has also participated in 9 art shows since 2015 in different cities around the world. Alex currently resides in the suburbs of Moscow with his wife and daughter. “I truly believe art has an enormous impact on mankind – it cures our souls and makes us better people; it inspires us to commit noble deeds and prevents humanity from self-destructing.” —Alexander Ivanov ‘Synchronicity’ is the name of a series of artworks. Through every line and every color, I unveil the invisible process of communication between the subconscious mind and the Universe. I believe that our subconscious mind communicates with the Universe by sending and receiving information. We can feel this connection while meditating, praying, or even during our daily lives. If we increase our awareness, we can receive very important information from the Universe. Sometimes it can help us to make a crucial decision in our life or understand that we are going in the right direction, or attract some meaningful event to our life, or it may just inform us that something is likely to happen in the near future. It can be an insight, or a dream, or a series of coincidental occurrences of extraordinary events, that can happen during a day, a couple of days, or even a week, and this is called ‘synchronicity’. Even this series of artworks was created after some meaningful coincidences in my…
Be inspired, February 2019 / 31 Jan 2019
Gift ecology – part 2
NIPUN MEHTA is one of the founders of ServiceSpace, Karma Kitchen, DailyGood, KindSpring and other organizations that successfully work within the Gift Ecology. From a young age, he was inspired by the need to serve others. Early role models like J. Krishnamurti, Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Goenka further fuelled that urge so that it has blossomed into a life of joyful, cheerful service. He was the recipient of the Dalai Lama’s Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award in 2014, and appointed to President Barack Obama’s Council on Poverty and Inequality in 2015. Here Nipun continues to explain the principles underlying the Gift Ecology to ELIZABETH DENLEY. Q: What happens in that dynamic of trust in relationships when people’s innate tendencies and fears surface? And of course they will, because we’re all human. We’re all carrying baggage from the past – culture, family, whatever – and these things arise. How do we deal with it? That’s why relationships are complicated. Anyone who has been in any relationship will tell you that it’s not so simple. It’s not like I give you five bucks, you give me the food and that’s the end of it. If I’m actually engaging with you in a multidimensional way, that’s going to evoke something – it may trigger me in certain ways. It may be much simpler and more convenient for me to not have that relationship and just engage in a transaction. So then why engage in relationships when it requires so much of me? Q: This is the critical question, Nipun, because this is at the root of so much that needs to change in our societies globally today. Not just in the West. It’s the same in India, and it’s the same in China. This is the million dollar question. Yes indeed. Q: How…
February 2019, It changes everything, VOLUME 4 / 31 Jan 2019
Choosing life – part 2
In part 2 of this interview, THIERRY CASASNOVAS continues his advocacy for life. He shares his own journey with CELINE FRÉSARD, the stages of his rebirth after being left for dead by doctors, and the consciousness he has derived from this profound experience. He speaks about the role of food in our lives, and how to fill the void. It is the path of revelation and awakening. This revelation on the mental, physical and spiritual levels is essential. Once a person has experienced it, everything is possible. Q: At the end of part 1, you told us about the turning point, the trigger, a kind of explosive transformation that leads to never seeing the world the same way again. You were talking about revelation. I am someone who respects God, but I am not religious. Religion appropriates spirituality, by making people believe that there is no spirituality outside it, but if someone tells me that they have encountered life, I answer, “You have the same spiritual experience as I do.” Even if I use Christian terms to express it, we follow the same spiritual path of encounter and wonder towards life. Using a more Asiatic approach, it is the path of revelation and awakening. This revelation on the mental, physical and spiritual levels is essential. Once a person has experienced it, everything is possible. For example, after months and months in hospital, the only refuge I found was with my parents. I had nowhere else to go. After seeing several doctors march past, who could not do anything for me, they understood that I was dying, they took me in. You can imagine their panic seeing their child dying at 33. It was a disaster. The morning I was supposed to go to the hospital again, I knew I was…
February 2019, Thought in action / 31 Jan 2019
The heartful leader – part 1
Extraordinary outcomes through inspiration In this new series, RAVI VENKATESAN provides practical guidance on how to be a Heartful Leader. In an era where emotional intelligence is valued in leadership, the role of the heart has never been more important in the corporate and business sectors. There are many leadership models that have evolved over time. People talk about autocratic leaders, transformational leaders, servant leaders, situational leaders, consensus driven leaders … I can go on and on. Broadly, I have observed only two types of leaders: Those who need authority and control to do anything, and Those who are able to get things done through inspiration and influence. There are several paradigm shifts in leadership that that have occurred over the last few decades. Some of the key shifts are: In summary, contemporary leadership has shifted from an authority-based model to an influence-based model, however leaders still struggle to achieve great results without authority and direct control. The key to this puzzle is in understanding what creates ‘influence’ and soft power. This series of articles will outline a framework of leading from the heart so as to solve this puzzle. We will walk through how to manage behaviors, alter perceptions, build great relationships and generate exceptional outcomes through influence. The ideas and concepts behind Heartful Leadership are grounded in the best of eastern and western leadership philosophies. In practice, however, we will take the radically new approach of managing one’s inner condition – the state of heart and mind – and use it to create long term influence and consequently great outcomes. This figure shows ‘The Heartful Leader’ framework. Our inner condition results in outer behaviors, the perception of these behaviors results in good or bad relationships, as well as trust or mistrust. Relationships and trust result in a reputation over the…
February 2019, In the Field / 31 Jan 2019
Wellness & Yoga
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. “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. 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. 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. 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…
THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
Thought in action
Learning from Yoga
DR ICHAK K. ADIZES shares his thoughts on integrating opposites through Yoga, and how this has helped him in the corporate world. One can learn from anything and everything. Not...
Focus
Connecting the dots
Has something ever happened to you seemingly out of the blue? Are such random incidents related, if at all? KAREN O’ NEILL muses on our connection with each other and...
Be Inspired
Yogic psychology
Yoga includes the science of all the bodies, that is, the physical body, the subtle bodies and the soul. In other words, it covers the whole field of psychology. Through...
Taste of Life
Synchronicity – an art essay
In this series of paintings, ALEXANDER IVANOV unveils the invisible process of communication between the subconscious mind and the Universe. He is a contemporary artist and the creator of more...
Interview
Tradition, liberalism & Lord Shiva
In this exclusive interview, AMISH TRIPATHI speaks with ELIZABETH DENLEY about what propelled him to write fiction. A self-professed liberal who at the same time loves the religious traditions of...
Designing Destiny Book
COLLECTOR’S EDITION 2018
Subscriptions
Popular Articles
-
Energy flows where attention goes
36 Comments
-
Entropy in Human Relationships
22 Comments
-
Spirituality in daily life
19 Comments
-
The Evolution of Consciousness-Part 1
19 Comments
-
Transmission
16 Comments
-
Speak with love
16 Comments
HEARTFULNESS ON UDEMY
Collectors' edition 2018
Ashtanga Yoga | Karma, Jnana & Bhakti Yoga
December 2018 - Collectors' Edition
Ashtanga Yoga – Introduction
Kamlesh D. Patel / December 05, 2018
