I wrote last week that we are much less in charge than we think we are. But while it is true that we need to rely on Spirit, that (unfortunately?) does not take us off the hook! Cooperating is essential for our lives to unfold in the best way, and in the way that is intended for us. A story I was recently reminded of makes this quite clear…

There’s a good American friend of mine who spent many years living in India, where he was a teacher of yoga philosophy. He has been a disciple of Yogananda for over 50 years, and is someone I have looked up to as a friend and mentor for many decades.

This is a slightly different angle on the the recent theme of “there’s more going on than we know or than we can actually affect”. The part of our lives that is our responsibility should receive 100% of our focus and energy, of course, but there is more going on beneath the surface than we are aware of…

I wrote about my brain tumor and surgery at 17 years old a few weeks ago. An amazing, painful, long-recovery experience. What I did not share was that it turned out to be one of the greatest episodes of my life.

Images are often quite useful when trying deeply to understand a subtle concept. I'd like to share an image that has always been helpful for me.

Last week we talked about intention vs. action. If you do your best and make an honest mistake, there is no karma involved. But it is actually a bit more subtle than that (…not all that surprising, right? :-) )

I wanted to address a somewhat subtle point this week: intention vs. action. It is easy to see someone's actions, and of course much harder to see intention.

I have written often about our desire to fill the hole in our hearts with material things, prestige, money, power, popularity, etc. Those things ultimately fail lifetime after lifetime, so we eventually turn to Spirit.

My spiritual teacher had a phrase he often used (even writing a book with this title). I'd like to share why this is an important phrase and how and why we sometimes get it wrong.

There is a core human belief that we have a very limited amount of energy, and that conserving it is a great idea. While there is of course some truth to this thought, it gets misapplied often and to our detriment.

This week's post will be somewhat personal but I have often been told it is fascinating, so felt to share it. I think it's going to be a while before the movie comes out. :-)

Just a brief note this week to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day ought not to be limited to women. It’s funny how people sometimes go back and forth about whether God ought to be referred to as “He” or “She” [Yogananda most often referred to God as Divine Mother]. But in reality, God is neither… and both.

Our minds tend to focus on what is. We see things as static. Much of the time this is okay, but it has serious disadvantages when dealing with people. That is because, when dealing with humans, direction matters more than a snapshot in time.

I had a very interesting conversation with a new friend recently. He has always been deeply affected by the dramatically premature loss of his brother many years ago. His brother was, to his telling, a wonderful person in every way: Warm, smart, energetic, serviceful, kind, etc.

I thought to share some thoughts about the true meaning behind Easter according to deeper mystical teachings. After all, it's not just about hidden eggs, bunnies, and chocolate. (It's better than that. I promise...!)

There are always two things going on: the circumstance and our feelings about the circumstance. Yogananda said, "Conditions are neutral; it is your reaction to conditions that make you sad or happy."

Have you ever made an error? No? Then this letter is not for you. For the small minority in our East West family who occasionally does something in a less-than-perfect way, read on...

Last week we talked about staying calm and centered while reading the news. Not easy these days, but well worth working at. After all, life tends to happen even when not on the front page, so working at staying more calm and peaceful amidst the storms of life will stand us in good stead even apart from the news.

Let's just say that for a large number of people, the news is hard to hear these days. I am afraid that there is nothing I can say or do to change what is happening in the world. But I may have some thoughts to share that may help us be less distressed by it.

I was talking with someone recently who is quite inspired to write a book. He was kind of stuck because it seemed like a huge intimidating project. I said to him, "But you can write ten pages at a time, right?" and a lightbulb seemed to go off for him.

I was speaking with someone a few days ago. He was a bit disappointed he had not made a bit more progress in his spiritual life. We chatted further and I found he had read about many different paths and practiced what he could from several. He was a sincere energetic fellow, so what was the impediment?