It’s now Christmas time: the greatest, most holy time of year. We celebrate with so many traditions all over the world, including many other holy days and observances unrelated to the birth of Jesus Christ. But it is universally recognized as the sacred season where even the astronomical and astrological phenomenon align with an increase of light in the darkest … Read More
The pace of life is ours to make. Whether fast or slow on the outside, our attitude on the inside is ours to choose: anxious, unruffled or an adjective in between. Paramhansa Yogananda would remind his disciples to “make haste slowly.” In other words, strive to be “actively calm and calmly active,” and in a manner that is “even-minded and … Read More
Life is nothing if not an adventure. Each new day brings opportunities to explore the vast landscape of life. How we spend our time reveals much about who we are and where we’re going, and our attitudes and approach to life often determine the pace and rhythm at which we get there. Swami Kriyananda wrote “Life is a great adventure. … Read More
Last week on Rise in Freedom, Gita reflected on the covid pandemic and how to find our way through uncertain times. Continuing that theme, the pandemic and times like it may well have be times when, like the brilliant writer PG Wodehouse’s character Bertie Wooster once inquired: “There are moments, Jeeves, when one asks oneself, ‘Do trousers matter?’” to which his … Read More
I just finished a novel about the pandemic that brought back waves of memories from that time. It remains surreal to me that on March 11, 2020, the world simply stopped. One day to the next, schools closed, businesses shuttered, and airports emptied. We couldn’t find toilet paper and scrambled to buy dry goods, just in case. Remember the bidet … Read More
We recently celebrated a massive, beautiful week of Spiritual Renewal at Ananda Village with over 300 in attendance live, and at least that many tuning in online. The theme of the week resonated deeply with every heart: “The Battle of Life and How to Fight It”. Now is the time to keep our spiritual inspiration high, and to fight life’s … Read More
A friend who is prone to depression asked me a question that is difficult to answereasily. It’s a common question: How do we get through a difficult loss without becomingdepressed when depression is our conditioned response?The uneasy part of the answer is that no easy answer exists. In truth, it is going toinclude a dose of even more difficult news … Read More
There is a better way to live in this world, and we are helping to create and share that way together. People everywhere have had enough of selfishness, divisive politics, lack of right living and kindness and respect. While we cannot solve all the world’s complex and difficult problems, we can create a powerful momentum to help support the … Read More
Love is the cosmic glue which holds this universe together with its interplay of countless swirling celestial bodies, and multitudes of hearts and minds. Paramhansa Yogananda’s own guru Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri was a stern yoga master who yet knew this wisdom of love. He wrote that “The first and most essential thing on the spiritual path is to uncover … Read More
Have you noticed how often you fight with yourself? It’s usually over wanting to do what know that you shouldn’t, or should do and really don’t want to. If you step back and watch from a neutral corner, the battle that ensues can get pretty amusing. “I really want to do this.” “But you should be doing that other thing … Read More
