Meditation
In Human Parts. More on Medium.
This Is Us
Maybe we’re all a bit like my shelter dog Murphy — we’re just trying to protect ourselves
It’s noon, time for my daily meditation. I open the app on my phone and press play.
“Let go. Feel your seat.” My butt is already numb.
“Now gently close your eyes.” I open my eyes — a little kid watching the bad part of a movie — then close them again. Why is the refrigerator humming so loudly? Should I get that looked at?
“Allow your thoughts to pass. Notice them, like a fly on the wall.” Will the refrigerator explode in the middle of the night?
“Notice your breath.” I suck in a gust of air from my…
Humans 101
It may feel like the world is crumbling, but that just means it’s time to look inward
Now more than ever, we need to find our strength, courage, and fulfillment from within. Real contentment is not — and never has been — a result of other people, places, and things. It’s within us, and there are practical ways to experience it. It all starts by being curious — wanting to know your inner world, what makes you tick, what makes you conscious.
Being conscious means to be awake, to be aware of one’s inner and outer worlds. …
Planet Soul
Meditation isn’t an activity, it’s a state of awareness
“I am the looker, but the Universe is the See-er.
Every set of eyes in the world is witnessing on behalf of the Universe (Brahmān), witnessing its own existence in multiple forms, witnessing one slice of reality at a time (Bhāgya).”
On the morning of October 11, as the sun touched Berlin’s horizon from below, I heard my voice for the first time in 11 days. I chanted “Om” in a deep tone, vibrating the air around me and in all the hollow spaces of my body. …
Planet Soul
It’s not about religion. It’s about being honest with yourself.
It was Christmas Eve, but it sure didn’t feel like it.
The previous Christmas Eve, I’d watched a midnight Mass outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. I suppose it couldn’t get any more “Christmas” than that. But there had been snipers on the rooftops protecting the gathering from an ISIS threat — their eerie silhouettes surrounding Jesus’ supposed birthplace (which I’d recently learned was up for debate). And even without that added touch, the truth was that the Palestinians just didn’t celebrate Christmas like we did at Gramps’ condo in Sacramento.
But I was back with my family…
Humans 101
First, you must know yourself
Our lives are not what they used to be. The pressures on many of us continue to mount, and it’s more important than ever to take responsibility for managing our well-being.
In the face of these challenges, we need to find ways to live peacefully on our journey toward inner satisfaction, purpose, and meaning. Here are 10 practices that have helped me — and may help you — live a more peaceful and fulfilling life.
1. Find your inner strength
We all have routines, rituals, or practices that help us focus. The most important thing I’ve ever done is to find a practical way to…
Lived Through This
The road back to my Self was paved with sex, love, guns, and motorcycles
I never intended to join a cult when I was younger. But I did. Getting in that deep wasn’t my original intent — I simply wanted to understand more about a 16-year-old Indian boy I’d learned of. He was known at the time as “Guru Maharaji,” but now he’s known as Prem Rawat.
Young Rawat spoke of creating world peace one person at a time. He was charming and attracted thousands of young people drawn to him and the experience he described, so I learned how to practice his meditation.
He is the youngest son of a guru from Northern…
Planet Soul
Meditation can help you locate your truest self
There is nothing better than being in a loving, peaceful relationship with your spouse or partner — and nothing worse than being stuck in a relationship prone to tension and contempt. But to build a great relationship with someone else, you need to have a healthy relationship with yourself first.
Imagine you’ve just finished a wonderful meal and are relaxing by candlelight in your favorite spot, enjoying a piece of chocolate with your partner. It feels so good you almost don’t notice it. You experience an absence of wanting anything else. You feel whole without the need for more. …
Planet Soul
Easy steps to keep at it when the world gets in the way
I’ve been practicing techniques of raja yoga (royal union) meditation for a long time—48.5 years, to be exact. It’s an essential part of my life, and it’s helped me become more patient, kind, curious, happy, and fulfilled.
And every day, I realize I have more to learn. I often feel like I’m merrily stumbling my way along, tripping over what I thought I had already learned yesterday. I’ve come to accept this is the way the journey is—I’ll always be evolving, learning, and growing.
I practice meditation because I know there is inner fulfillment within me—the place described in every…
Planet Soul
One of the most amazing things about outer space is that we’re already there
Do you think about space as someplace out there? As something in the future, somewhere you will never go? One of the most amazing things about outer space is that we’re already there. In this guided meditation, I’d like to invite you to experience the interconnections of your everyday life with outer space, the interbeing of our lives in the cosmos.
You might want to start by getting comfortable, in a chair or on a cushion, anywhere you won’t be disturbed. You can sit in a meditation position with your back upright and shoulders relaxed, scanning through your body and…
Planet Soul
I’ve learned an incredible amount about myself and the world around me
In the fall of 1972, I was beginning my last year in college. The Watergate scandal was unfolding. The war in Vietnam was beginning to wind down, but unrest and turmoil still plagued college campuses across the country — and plenty of people were smoking weed and washing psychedelics down with cheap wine.
I was done with psychedelics and weed. I wanted to believe in something more but had no idea what that was or how to find it. …
