By Rudra Shivananda Every year, most of us experience a day of remembrance called the birthday. Yet, as we celebrate surviving another year of life, we wonder if there is any deeper significance beyond the cake, laughter and champagne. It is wonderful to be surrounded by those who care about you. When you are young,
By Rudra Shivananda I was meeting with a student and her family last night and she was very concerned that her peers at the local university were undermining her belief in rebirth and therefore she was doubting the whole necessity for spiritual practice. In her mind, the two seemed to be linked. First off, these
By Rudra Shivananda Oftentimes, spiritual students are confused by their emotional nature and unable to come to terms with their intellectual understanding of the deeper aspects of life. It is then necessary to contemplate continuously on a truth in order to remove the emotional blockage. A mere reading or nodding acceptance is insufficient. A few
By Rudra Shivananda It may be useful for the spiritual seeker if we explore a model of consciousness that I use because it is closely correlated with yogic experience. This model differentiates between brain, mind and consciousness in a practical way for spiritual evolution. Scientists are still in the process of understanding the functions of
By Rudra Shivananda A poet, a writer, society spokesperson and fearless crusader are some of the images evoked by Maya Angelou, who recently passed away. I would also like to highlight her role as an evolved spiritual seeker who can give guidance to others seeking to rise above the waves of a turbulent life. Her
By Rudra Shivananda There is a close connection between the evolutionary yogic techniques of Kriya Yoga and the little known system of spiritual development called Nada Yoga. In the Kriya system, there are a series of techniques called Omkar Kriyas which involve listening to the sound vibrations of Om. Also, an advanced technique called Jyoti
By Rudra Shivananda When a spiritual practitioner’s subtle body becomes purified and there is a withdrawal of the senses from the external environment towards the internal center, she will experience various inner sounds. These should not be confused with the physical sounds of the body resulting from the rushing of blood or contraction of various
By Rudra Shivananda There is frequently a confusion among spiritual students about the role of the ego. Although there is an understanding that it is detrimental for spiritual growth, many believe that a strong ego is necessary to live successfully in this material world. They are therefore torn between the weakening of the ego from
By Rudra Shivananda In key spiritual texts, re-birth and liberation are explained in terms of the moon and the Sun, keeping in mind that we are not talking about the physical sun and moon but the existential planes they represent. If a person has done a lot of good deeds, such that the good exceeds
By Rudra Shivananda When we talk about sadhana or spiritual practice, most often we highlight the techniques and the progress in proficiency of practice. We might give tips on how to practice better or guidelines to overcome certain obstacles that will occur along the path. However, it may be instructive to examine the psychological stages