We’re starting a new year and a lot of people are making their new year resolutions such as losing weight, eating healthier or making more money. Others strive for better relationships, less stress or more happiness. Still others, resolve to increase their spiritual practice in whatever form it might be, in order to attain to
In the course of our daily lives, we are constantly making judgements, evaluating our own actions and feelings as well as those of others. We are rewarded for our sound judgements and penalized for our bad judgements.Judgements are proactive when you decide how to act and what to say in certain situations based on your
by Rudra Shivananda Most spiritual practitioners soon discover that when they sit for meditation, their minds can go into overdrive and all sorts of thoughts – some ‘good’ and some ‘bad’ – make their appearance to disturb any sense of peace or tranquility. Even seasoned practitioners find themselves being distracted by negative thoughts after years
by Rudra Shivananda The worst enemies of a spiritual practitioner are boredom and doubt. Gone are the early heady days when you found your spiritual path and embarked on a set of practice that you were sure would lead you to your goal… you now find excuses to skip your meditation. To be sure, you
By Rudra Shivananda How often are we faced with a situation where we are called upon to decide between the lesser of two choices that both have negative consequences? We often wish that we can just stop and not to choose and do nothing at all. Sometimes the consequences are minor while other times, even
By Rudra Shivananda What are your hands doing when you are trying to meditate? When a seeker enters the stream and take a path of spiritual insight, he or she will pay a lot of attention to the sitting position and body posture. However, not much attention is paid initially to the position of the
By Rudra Shivananda A few days ago, we commemorated the life of a great leader for the freedom movement. Martin Luther King took up the mantle of Mahatma Gandhi and became a beacon of light not only for black Americans but for people all over the world. We need not discuss his heroic application of
By Rudra Shivananda Yoga is not a religion. It is an experiential movement towards higher states of consciousness. Yoga is more of a way of being and living than about beliefs or practices. Yoga is about personal experience and not about scriptures or the teachings of others. Yoga is not a philosophy. There are many
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