It’s nearly impossible to calm the waves of the mind completely, but we can learn to dive under them. You don’t have to make all the waves calm. The Bhagavad Gita says that the mind gets tossed like a boat on the surface of wavy water. It’s very hard to keep the mind quiet, so don’t fight it too much. Instead, become the observer, the inner witness. It is in meditation that you can learn to become a witness, an observer. In meditation you can observe your own happiness, unhappiness, frustrations, and joy. As a witness, you are putting yourself into a different level. You are not identifying with your thoughts or your mind. You are detaching yourself from the mind, and become an observer. This was the approach of sage Ramana Maharshi. Whatever the problem, whatever was asked of him, he would say, “Who is that asking?” When somebody comes and says, “Oh, I’m really unhappy, what am I to do?”, he will reply, “Oh, you are unhappy?” “Yes.” Then he will ask, “Who is that? How do you know you are unhappy?” The person who knows that they are unhappy must be different then the person who says, “I am unhappy.” Find out who is unhappy, who is hungry, who lost something, who gained something. Ask, “Who am I, who am I?” It’s a direct inquiry. This idea is explained in the Vedic scriptures. It says to inquire directly, like a bird shooting itself toward a fruit.  MORE

With Earth Day still in our minds and Mother’s Day approaching, we chose honoring the Divine Feminine as our practice for May. We embrace this intention in order to develop, express, and honor the female aspect of our spiritual nature. The Divine Feminine refers to the creative energies that bring Spirit into expression and all the manifestations of Spirit into form. Honoring it need not imply worshiping a Hindu goddess with 6 arms — it can be as simple as appreciating the natural beauty around us and as practical as recycling. On Earth Day, we honor Mother Nature and reaffirm the precious nature of our planet that supports us with all our basics needs for air, nourishment, and shelter. Working cooperatively with the earth, caring for the soil and sharing its abundance, is a beautiful way to honor Mother Earth. Likewise, we honor the earth by caring for our natural environment, preventing waste and pollution, and supporting green energy. Spending time in nature can be deeply healing. Being in contact with the earth, such as walking barefoot or lying in the grass, grounds us, relieves tension and alleviates stress. We often talk about being in nature as if we are separate from it.  MORE