Simple practical weekly inspirations to improve various aspects of your thought patterns, emotions, habits and lifestyle.

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

In the March edition of Heartfulness Magazine, we invite you to consider: attention flourishes when it is welcomed, not imposed.Our attention scatters easily - in meetings, conversations, or across browser tabs. We usually respond by trying harder to eliminate distractions and enforce focus. If attention scatters, we believe stronger control is the solution.In this month’s edition of Heartfulness Magazine, our contributors reinforces the following ideas: attention develops naturally under supportive conditions and resists forced control. Instead of battling distraction, we should focus on removing what blocks natural focus, allowing attention to settle where it is needed.Ichak Adizes shows how linking bonuses to performance metrics shifts attention to safe targets, while separating them lets focus return to what matters. Jason Nutting realizes that meditation flows more naturally when we surrender effort and allow ourselves to be drawn inward. Daaji explains that alertness emerges on its own when inner obstacles are removed, rather than through mental effort. Alanda Greene discovers how journal writing created conditions for her singing voice to emerge, while pushing herself to perform only reinforced the block.And much more.We always welcome your submissions at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com

March 2026 Edition

<h4>DAAJI reflects on how alertness becomes the basis for right action in daily life.</h4>Every individual, in every profession—whether they are a carpenter, homemaker, teacher, or vice president—has a distinct capacity for focused work. Interestingly, this capacity has little to do with the work itself and everything to do with the individual’s awareness and alertness.A senior vice president of a multinational corporation may preside over a meeting with abundant data and authority yet remain unaware of what is unfolding around her. She may be missing emotional undercurrents, silent tensions, and emerging needs because her mind is distracted by other preoccupations. Conversely, you may see a nurse working in a crowded ER demonstrating a profound situational awareness. Fully present and deeply attuned, she senses subtle shifts: a patient’s breathing, a colleague’s hesitation, a change in tone, and instinctively responds with precision and care. The difference between these two is not intelligence, but awareness: the capacity to perceive, feel, and respond to reality as it unfolds.A common misunderstanding amongst <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/a-journey-beyond-the-concrete" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual practitioners</a> is that concentration is the means and meditation the goal. Many seekers tell me they have to strain to focus, assuming that effort will lead to meditative absorption, often reinforced by instructions such as “focus on your heart” or “don’t think about anything.” Yet, the truth is the opposite: concentration is the natural result of meditation, not its cause.True concentration arises when dharana (concentration) matures into dhyana (meditation), and dhyana into samadhi (absorption). Concentration cannot be forced; it appears spontaneously when the conditions are right.The same applies to alertness. Like <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-first-step-to-success" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">concentration</a>, it cannot be willed into being. Both are outcomes, not techniques, flowering naturally when obstacles to awareness are removed. All that’s needed is to try to create the right inner conditions that will allow them to arise on their own.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">True concentration arises when dharana (concentration)&nbsp; matures into dhyana (meditation), and&nbsp; dhyana into samadhi (absorption).&nbsp; Concentration cannot be forced;&nbsp; it appears spontaneously when the conditions are right.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Interest Precedes Attention</h4>When you are really interested in something, isn’t it easy to pay attention? There is hardly any effort involved. A sleep-deprived mother sleeps through thunderstorms but wakes when her baby cries softly. A musician can detect subtle nuances that the untrained listener would miss. There are also times when your alertness seems heightened. Imagine yourself all alone, walking in a forest at night. Your ears pick up the crunch of a twig on the ground, your eyes catch the tiniest movements through the trees. Out of natural self-preservation, you don’t miss a thing.We are effortlessly aware of whatever truly matters to us. So instead of wondering how to become more alert, the real question you should ask is: What am I really interested in? Attention Yields to Awareness.Awareness, on the other hand, is something that lives inside us. It is a passive, receptive state of being that arises when effort, striving, and interference fall away—not because interest disappears, but because interest is no longer expressed as grasping or control. Grasping seeks to produce an outcome or secure an experience; surrendered interest simply remains open, without reaching or demand. When the mind stops trying to manage or reach for experience, awareness naturally reveals itself, allowing thoughts, feelings, and sensations to arise and dissolve without resistance. In this openness, experience becomes clear on its own. If one’s heart is oriented toward the Divine, that clarity allows its presence to be felt within and its guidance to be perceived as subtle vibrations—arriving at the mental level as understanding. One committed to living in dharma remains sensitive, within this same clarity, to what their duty is at any given moment.This is why inner purification is essential. As samskaras dissolve, the heart becomes clearer, and the noise of competing desires quiets, revealing an innate and deeper interest that was previously obscured. With the many pulls of desire reduced, the insistent way of relating to experience naturally falls away. When that inner interest is clear, recognizing what truly deserves our awareness becomes effortless.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Alertness is our Dharma</h4>Dharma becomes clearly visible to an attentive heart—not through effortful focus, but through a wakeful, receptive awareness. Such awareness is free of prejudice, emotional reaction, selfish motives, or dullness. It perceives reality as it is, untouched by desire, fear, or conditioning. From such clarity, right action arises naturally and effortlessly.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/be_attentive_2_9a6672c461.webp" alt="be-attentive-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;A powerful example that comes to mind is from the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas, during their exile, encountered a forest lake guarded by the invisible Yaksha. The younger Pandava brothers ignored the unseen voice that demanded they answer questions before drinking, leading to their downfall. Only the eldest brother, Yudhisthira, paused and listened. He answered the voice’s questions regarding dharma, but his more significant response had already been expressed through his awareness and presence.True alertness is not forced vigilance but effortless awareness, arising from inner refinement. It is not abstract idealism; it is dharma in motion—seeing clearly and responding rightly. When inner obstacles dissolve, such alertness arises naturally. The other brothers did not fail from arrogance, but from inattention; they heard the warning but dismissed it.This ancient episode mirrors our present reality. How often do we ignore the subtle inner warning that happens from time to time? How often do our cravings—whether for pleasure, success, or comfort—drown out the call to pause and be aware?Alertness is what distinguishes true spiritual stillness from dull inertia. A meditator who is quiet but lethargic has merely exchanged one limitation for another. Yet alertness cannot be forced; excessive vigilance only creates tension, not clarity. Genuine alertness arises naturally when consciousness is relaxed and unstrained.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Dharma becomes clearly visible to an attentive heart— not through effortful focus, but through a wakeful, receptive awareness. Such awareness is free of prejudice, emotional reaction,&nbsp; selfish motives, or dullness. It perceives reality as it is, untouched by desire, fear, or conditioning.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Individual Expression of Alertness</h4>True alertness is simply the mind being fully awake, free from constant distraction. It is reflected in a mind that remains present without strain, allowing experience to unfold without distraction or resistance. It is a relaxed, open awareness, like a clear sky that is open to everything. Experiences are allowed to come and go freely, without being held on to or pushed away.Alertness by itself is like light spread everywhere. When it aligns with purpose, it becomes focused attention. Here lies the subtle truth: purpose shapes attention, and attention reveals dharma.But an important distinction follows: if alertness is the core of dharma and every human being is meant to carry out their dharma, does that mean everyone’s disposition must be identical? The answer is “no.” A student’s awareness differs from that of a teacher. A devotee’s search differs from a philosopher’s inquiry. A warrior’s presence carries a different quality than that of a healer. Each role and stage of life calls forth its own expression of alertness. This is not separate from dharma; it is dharma taking personal form—what tradition calls svadharma, one’s unique path.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Art of Availability</h4>From readiness, availability is born. Steadiness, or sthira, is the foundational quality. It is a living balance that enables calm engagement with life, allowing stability without rigidity. Patanjali’s phrase sthira sukham asanam, often taken in relation to physical posture, actually points to a way of being that is grounded yet relaxed and open to change. Such a state shapes the personality and is essential for receiving and integrating subtler experiences.Steadiness operates in both the mind and the emotions, each requiring its own clarity. Mental sthira is the ability to keep the stream of thought steady and undistracted, like a flame that does not waver. Genuine mental steadiness is not created by force but arises naturally when inner restlessness has been removed.Emotional sthira relates to bodily experience and deeply rooted reaction patterns that operate beyond the mind. It cannot be cultivated through mental effort, but through purification of the heart—clearing the samskaras that trigger excessive reactions and gradually replacing reactivity with conscious responsiveness. One may have a disciplined, focused mind yet remain emotionally unstable, as can be seen in many highly intelligent individuals. Conversely, emotional stability can exist even with a restless mind. True spiritual maturity requires harmony and steadiness in both, a balance that cannot be imposed but must unfold naturally.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/be_attentive_3_6d40970c8e.webp" alt="be-attentive-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">From the awareness that naturally blossoms as a result of sincere meditation, life becomes naturally and seamlessly integrated with one’s dharma.</h4><hr>&nbsp;In Heartfulness meditation, availability is the first requirement. Our role is not to strive for attainment, but to remain present with as much inner steadiness and openness as possible, allowing grace to accomplish what effort cannot. We simply sit with the gentle idea that divine light is in the heart—without force or concentration—aligning ourselves inwardly and remaining receptive. That receptive attitude is one of the most important qualities a seeker can have.From the awareness that naturally blossoms as a result of sincere meditation, life becomes naturally and seamlessly integrated with one’s dharma. Individuals, relationships, communities, and perhaps even the course of civilization itself are affected. The effort is personal, but its impact is universal. Everyone who undertakes this inner journey contributes not only to their own freedom but to the collective upliftment of humanity. By preparing the field and cultivating these qualities, we ready ourselves to receive a plethora of spiritual gifts, far beyond our imagination.&nbsp;

Be Attentive, Remain Aware

<h3 style="text-align:center;">Standing ground: How Women Interrupt Cycles of Violence</h3><h4>DR. SCILLA ELWORTHY discusses women’s role in stopping armed conflict and the grounding that enables speaking and acting for peace, in conversation with ANANYA PATEL.</h4>&nbsp;Ananya Patel: You’ve spent decades working in peacebuilding, and a central theme in your work is the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/love-in-a-time-of-hatred" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">role of women</a> in stopping armed conflict. Could you speak about your current research and what you see as essential for peacebuilding and governance today?Scilla Elworthy: Well, first of all, it’s a pleasure to be talking to you and to have the chance to really examine why women are so important in peacebuilding worldwide now, because, for one, women are not usually instigators of cycles of violence. They start from a different place, bringing less charged emotional baggage with them. They’re so much more concerned with picking up the wounds of war, the tragedies of war, that this makes them very energized to prevent war. They use their intuition to help parties engaged in war understand what’s needed at the moment and to go a bit deeper than the question of “How many weapons does everybody have?” And we know that the male need for revenge is often triggered by shame and feelings of humiliation, including frequently a failure to protect their families. So, they seek revenge to restore their pride, and, numerically, a balance of women on negotiating teams has been shown to help reach a peace deal that lasts longer. I find this particularly interesting—if you like statistics, the 182 signed peace agreements between 1989 and 2011 revealed that those involving women are thirty-five percent more likely to last at least fifteen years.In practice, I’ve worked in so many different countries where women are the ones who dare to stand up at a certain point and say, “Stop. This is enough.” You have to reexamine the chaos that is being caused by this war and this constant use of threats and weaponry. For example, in Northern Ireland, which is very close to me and where I’ve worked with those who have brought the two parties together to sit down and talk over the years. And secondly, in Liberia, as you know, there’s been a fourteen-year-long civil war until these two wonderful women, the peace activist Leymah Gbowee, for one, stepped in—they united Christian and Muslim women in an interfaith movement called the Women of Liberia Mass Action For Peace. They acted as intermediaries between the then-leader of the big army, Charles Taylor, and the rebel leaders. They even carried out sex strikes to stop the men from fighting. Their efforts laid the foundation for their leader, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, to become the first African female head of state. So, you know, real results come from women’s intervention.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/standing_ground_2_2232d8f354.webp" alt="standing-ground-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Here in the United Kingdom in 1981, the Greenham Common women’s peace camp was set up to protest against nuclear cruise missiles being stored in an RAF camp. And I was with 30,000 women joining hands around a military base. We managed to get enough women to circulate the base completely. It was called Embrace the Base. It hit the headlines back in 1983, and the media got inspired and started reporting on the women camping at the missile site, constantly refusing the idea of more missiles being stockpiled. It took them ten years, but they were very persistent, and in 1991, all the missiles had left the base.AP:&nbsp;These are such incredible stories. And the idea of including women in these seems very obvious and natural to me. But I imagine that, even with evidence and public support, this approach often meets resistance in governance. How have you worked to communicate the necessity of women’s inclusion at that level?SE: I was used to the attitudes of our Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs on these issues. And because I was reasonably well qualified, I was allowed into some of the meetings where they discussed strategy. I was in one such meeting in Whitehall, the headquarters of the military and the foreign affairs. It was a room full of, I think, 250 men, and I could count five women in the audience. It came to a point where what was being discussed and planned was so strikingly obvious, excluding women from any role in resolving some of the conflicts they were facing, that I couldn’t bear it; so, I put my hand up, got to my feet, and started to speak about the necessity of including women in conversations and agreements about peace. And the chairman went red in the face, and after I’d said about three sentences, he said, “Sit down, madam, what you have to say is of no interest here.” And I shuddered and sat down for a moment. And then I thought, No, this is not good. So I stood up again and said, “Thank you, Mr. Chairman, but I don’t think this is relevant or helpful to exclude the voice of the female in issues which concern all of us in this country.” He had to let me go on speaking, but my goodness, was I unnerved, and I had to summon up all my courage and my experience of the past: if you allow yourself to be silenced once, and it works, they think they can do it again. And so what we need as women is to draw on the experience of other women and their courage over the centuries, risking their lives, getting burned for it. We have to stand up in their memory and uplift the voices that can no longer be heard.AP:&nbsp;Is the transformation from pain and loss into taking a stand also something you actively work with and teach?SE: It’s a training, and we know that it’s not easy in many situations for women. It’s not acceptable in many cultures for women to stand up and say something about these issues. They can stand up and talk about nursery schools or nursing training, but not about war and the military. So we run training courses where we go through the skills we need to develop to take a stand. Taking a stand is key, and the course training helps develop the inner confidence that is necessary for us as women, as girls, at certain points and anywhere where things are being done and decided about a woman’s place that are deeply wounding and disenabling for women. So, what we teach people is to develop their presence. Now, that may sound odd, but you know that, as a public figure, sometimes you have to develop the habit of breathing deeply. That’s what I do. I breathe and count to ten no matter what’s happening, because unless I’m grounded, I can’t speak clearly. My voice will shake. I will betray my nervousness. Of course, we’re nervous. We haven’t been trained for this our whole lives, as many men have, so we have to develop our courage and the conviction that opening our mouths and speaking our truth, as best we can, is a service to all of humanity, and that it will spread.Since we’ve been training women all over the world to do this, the idea that it’s legitimate for women to stand up and have a clear opinion about what is needed, whether it’s about the army or whether it’s about the way our men are behaving on the front line, or whether it’s about the decisions that are being made in our governing bodies, we have to develop not just the determination, but the dignity to stand up and say, “It is my right and my duty to speak about this.”&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Taking a stand is key, and the course training helps develop the inner confidence that is necessary for us as women, as girls, at certain points and anywhere where things are being done and decided about a woman’s place that are deeply wounding and disenabling for women.</h4><hr>&nbsp;We have people from all over the world taking the course, and we make plenty of space for those who don’t feel they speak perfect English. Why should they? And often they speak in translation, because we want people who wouldn’t normally have access to training to be able to raise their voices on difficult issues, especially embarrassing ones. Sometimes it’s a question about women’s need for privacy during their period. Sometimes it’s about how women need special allowances in the military so that they can look after themselves. It’s all the things that women sort of shudder to say because we’re embarrassed, and we are embarrassed because we’ve been silenced for so long. And so, it does take a bit of training and a bit of courage, and it’s wonderful when you find your voice, isn’t it?AP:&nbsp;For sure. Through The Mighty Heart, you work with women on developing the ability to take a stand. And through my own experience with the Heartfulness Heartful Communication course, I’ve seen how challenging it can be to open up in that way. In your experience, how does this kind of training affect peacebuilding on the ground?SE: Well, I’m just so proud of the women that we work with all over the world, the stories they’ve led—and being able to talk about it is taking a stand. And we suggest that when people feel nervous, they stand up, feel the ground beneath their feet, and feel what generations of women have wanted to say but haven’t been able to say throughout the ages. Now we can say those things without getting killed for them. And this is a powerful legitimization for women, particularly in cultures where women haven’t historically raised their voices. There’s a wonderful example from Kenya. When a lot of violence had erupted in the eastern and western parts of Kenya, a wonderful woman called Dekha Ibrahim Abdi asked 60,000 members of a women’s organization to get on their cell phones and report what they saw. When they reported this information, it enabled the peace builders to plot the hot spots of the violence and the cold spots, so people knew where to run for protection. They developed strategies for each part, with the help of trusted local leaders. In less than six weeks, this led to a complete cessation of violence; they were able to bring this violence to an end by simply informing women on the spot that they could raise their voices, that they wouldn’t get killed for it, and that their voices counted.That kind of female intervention makes me really shiver with pride, because I know what it takes for women to drop their domestic needs and their responsibility to their families and actually get out there and stop the fighting that’s going on.AP:&nbsp;As violence and <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/activism" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">activism</a> increasingly move between physical and digital spaces, have you seen peacebuilding strategies shift in response to new forms of communication and connection?SE: That’s an excellent question, and I don’t feel I have sufficient global information to answer it coherently, but the advent of cell phones has actually changed the experience of women. I don’t have that information, but what I do know is that women’s ability to connect over long distances, to become aware through our websites and other websites of what women are doing not very far away, and being able to get in touch with women there, through the internet, through all the connections that we have now, is incredibly useful. We didn’t have that thirty years ago. Very few of us had cell phones, and we had no networks to call on. Now you can tap into a network of 1,000 women if your organization needs to mobilize quickly. We are far more capable than we have ever been.That capacity exerts real pressure on decision-makers—especially women leaders, who understand the importance of women’s voices being heard. Policymakers respond to volume: a flood of phone calls on a single issue. They also respond to visible, original messaging—such as women sending posters to hang in their offices.It’s a combination of old skills and new ones, and those tools are far more accessible now than they once were.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/standing_ground_3_2328226fe7.webp" alt="standing-ground-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">That kind of female intervention makes me really shiver with pride, because I know what it takes for women to drop their domestic needs and their responsibility to their families and actually get out there and stop the fighting that’s going on. &nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;AP:&nbsp;What feels most important for you to offer younger activists who are navigating today’s complex and interconnected challenges?There are many things I would want to say to them, but the most important is this: develop your presence. In an argument, we can sense, often intuitively, whether our opponent is nervous, artificially confident, or simply trying to bully. Part of the training I advocate is simple: practice daily planting your feet firmly on the ground. Stand, if you can, and feel the steadiness rising from the earth through your body—to the heart, the mind, and the voice. Even one minute of this, combined with deep breathing, can change how you speak. Breathing slows you down. You gabble less. People can understand you. The great advantage of breathing is that when words come out of our mouth, they are clear, they are strong, and they are rooted in our heart. And that’s where the heart comes in so strongly, because if we’re only talking from the mind, it becomes argumentative, about winning points and all that. In the end, when you talk to people after a conference or a meeting, and you ask them what they remember, they remember when somebody took a big, deep breath and said, “What I need you to know is this.” Then it comes out in two sentences, and that’s what they remember. And so, if you’re in a public meeting, or you need to stand up and say something, it’s always useful to keep it to a couple of sentences, three at the most. You get them very clear in your head, and the shorter, the better. I find that if I deliver a speech that I’ve prepared that’s two or three pages long, it doesn’t go down nearly as well as if I start with six points and I deliver the first two, and then I say, “Tell me what you would most like to hear—in what way can I meet your needs?”&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The great advantage of breathing is that when words come out of our mouth, they are clear, they are strong, and they are rooted in our heart. And that’s where the heart comes in so strongly, because if we’re only talking from the mind, it becomes argumentative, about winning points and all that.</h4><hr>&nbsp;AP:&nbsp;You’ve described grounding yourself physically—standing, breathing, and feeling the ground beneath you. I know gardening is important to you. How does that connection to the Earth support your work?SE: Thank you for that question, because it’s very close to my heart. I was brought up on a small farm. I learned to love the Earth, and had a very, very domineering father who shouted at me a lot and terrified everybody. And I had to learn to stand my ground. And I realized, standing my ground means standing on the ground. So what I learned to do—particularly if I have to speak somewhere nerve-wracking—is go to a patch of grass. It doesn’t matter where; you don’t need a garden. Go into a park, or wherever you can find some actual earth with grass on it, and stand on it. Really feel that the earth, that ground, is supporting you and wants to have its voice heard through you. And it’s your job to tell the truth as clearly as you can—get it down to a few words. That’s what people will remember. And I always try to drop my voice, because if I’m talking fast and in a higher pitch, it goes in and out of people’s minds, and they can’t really remember anything I said. So, I get my voice to steady itself with my heart and be really in tune with my heart. So, what hopefully comes out of my mouth is as true as I can make it; it’s the truth that I have learned and would like to pass on.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/standing_ground_4_ee1925e774.webp" alt="standing-ground-4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;AP:&nbsp;This has been very inspiring for me, and I know it will resonate with many people my age and beyond who are trying to navigate the complexities we’re all facing. It’s powerful to hear the research and experience behind your work, as well as the practical ways you’ve found to move through these challenges and take action. I’m very grateful to have had this conversation with you. Thank you, Scilla.<a href="scillaelworthy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">scillaelworthy.com</a> <a href="https://mightyheart.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mightyheart.co.uk</a> <a href="https://www.peacedirect.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">peacedirect.org</a> &nbsp;

Standing Ground

<h4>MAMATA SUBRAMANYAM examines the role of joy in healing, resilience, and care amid global grief.</h4>My favorite songwriters and authors often share a variation of the same sentiment: that much of their best work comes from moments of deep pain. Their heartbreak, anger, or case of the blues pen some of the greatest lyrics sung or the most profound scenes in a novel. It is those moments that history or the internet repeatedly revisit, analyze, or post as the caption of a melancholy photo carousel on Instagram (admit it, you’ve done this at least once).&nbsp;And while happiness is also the subject of great lyrics and book scenes, pain’s vulnerability often feels more relatable.I make no claims that anything I write is profound or memorable, but the sentiment of creating from hard experiences resonates with me.Looking back, anything I write almost always came from a place of despair. As a kid, many of the stories I would pencil into wide–ruled notebooks were dramatic, with a protagonist already immersed in some kind of intense personal turmoil before the story had even begun. Writings for college assignments were almost always narrated from a place of insecurity. And at the peak of some of my hardest moments came hundreds of iPhone notes filled with angry and bitter poetry and short essays underscoring the depths of my depression, the despair at being misunderstood, and the frustration at myself for not being able to overcome it. The pain was overwhelming, yet the writing is amongst some of my favorite things I have ever created.Much of the last few years has been dedicated to healing, resolving the roots of my mental health issues so that the feelings of pain are no longer as acutely felt. I am very different from the girl who felt those negativities so intensely, but I am still very close to her, often examining her with a more gentle, reflective lens rather than so much criticality.It is in those observational moments that one question always springs to mind: why didn’t I allow myself to feel joy?&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/feel_joy_2_1106a183ee.webp" alt="feel-joy-2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Pain and suffering are readily doled out, but in some ways, society has set a standard of joy and happiness that needs to be earned.“I got the good grade, but I can’t be satisfied until I’m at the top of my class.”“I got the promotion and the raise, but it’s not enough. I have to make more.”“I work out every day, but I still look good enough.”“I’ve pleased this person, so now I can be happy.”The ability to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-kids-are-going-crazy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reach joy</a> is shrouded by what I now understand to be guilt: guilt for not being enough, for not doing enough, and for not knowing how to define “enough.” The question becomes: how can I appreciate joy as a feeling of freedom to just be, rather than something that must be commodified?In these last few years of gradual healing, I have often reflected on the period in my life when I felt the most uninhibited joy: childhood. I put myself in the shoes of my five, six, or seven–year–old self, breathing in the clean smell of fresh air and warm sunshine while sitting in a field of dandelions in the empty lot next to my childhood home. I take myself back to late nights with a flashlight and my new favorite book, hidden under the flowered tent of my bedspread comfort as I sneaked in just one more page, just one more chapter. I feel myself standing with confidence on stage at my school’s talent show, singing a Shania Twain song while boldly dressed in a yellow churidar. I hear big belly laughs shared with my childhood best friends, unfettered by any need for decorum.I think about how simply everything flowed back then and how complicatedly wound up my life is now. I am untying the knotty threads of mental illness and resewing life with the more colorful strands from childhood that I have neglected along the way: being outside, breathing in fresh air, slow mornings that don’t immediately begin with my phone or an urge to work, singing loudly and without fear.Nowadays, I want to write about my slow rediscovery of joy. But when I open my laptop to a new Word document, I’m struck by a new kind of guilt, triggered by the collective grief, uncertainty, and despair worldwide. I start to type everything I want to say, but stop, wondering how another note on a healthy morning routine reads when nature is screaming for us to look, look, look! at the pain we are putting her through.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The question becomes:&nbsp; how can I appreciate joy&nbsp; as a feeling of freedom to just be,&nbsp; rather than something that must be commodified?</h4><hr>&nbsp;We are at war everywhere. The climate worsens. The internet leads us astray. Why should anyone care about anything else? What will we do? It feels frivolous to focus elsewhere, and though I know life continues despite world crises, I wonder how anyone can move forward when so much is not normal.Am I allowed to feel any kind of joy right now when so many of our brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing unacceptable levels of suffering? Is it self–serving to even be thinking his way? Yes? Maybe? I don’t think I’m trying to be, but I don’t know. I don’t know.In a recent podcast episode, a well–known public figure was asked how she is doing at this present moment. She paused, then said something along the lines of, “In my personal life, I’m good. And I am worried because of the state of the world.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/feel_joy_3_e2137eb61c.webp" alt="feel-joy-3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;In her answer, I somehow got my own. Life is filled with dualities, and when the more negative of those dualities is overwhelming, it becomes even more important to balance it with its opposite. Joy—especially now—is essential. If I am not actively trying to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/regenerationregenerative-business" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">create joy</a> in my own life, how am I supposed to help the people who need it the most find it? The more joy we can create and sustain, the more we will be able to remove despair. The more we can lead with it, the more we can heal. And the more we share it, the more we will remember that joy is not something to be earned, but rather to be lived. &nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The more joy we can create and sustain,&nbsp; the more we will be able to remove despair.&nbsp; The more we can lead with it,&nbsp; the more we can heal.&nbsp; And the more we share it,&nbsp; the more we will remember that joy&nbsp; is not something to be earned,&nbsp; but rather to be lived.</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Am I Allowed to Feel Joy?

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Nature’s Winged Messengers

We Belong to the Earth

Tears That Become Prayer

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Navigating Corporate Politics with Inner Stability and Strategic Awareness

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ROSALIND PEARMAIN speaks of the attitude of softness, the world of the senses—of hard and soft, force and forcelessness, warmth and cold—and how we harken to a more profound and beautiful world at the core of our being through the heart.</h4>&nbsp;We are living in a time of hardening edges, of ever harsher decisions affecting millions of our fellow human beings.On the other hand, Babuji stressed from the very origins of Heartfulness that it was fundamentally based on a forceless force—on softness.Another Heartfulness Guide. Chariji, often reminded us of the strength of a tiny plant root in breaking up rocks:“What is this miracle, you see, that the softest thing can penetrate the deepest, hardest substance known? Whereas a hard thing can only up a hard thing. Can you break water by bashing it with a crowbar?“It was a tremendous risk that the Masters took, Lalaji and Babuji. Because it’s like building a house of butter and then asking the people who come in to have torches in their hands. The whole thing would melt. But they had this almost nonsensical stupid faith, that a soft thing can never be broken.“And we have also, in our fairy tales, that when the wind blew, all the hard trees which would not bend were just blown down, and the soft things which were willing to bend, bent almost to the Earth, recovered. It is the soft which wins the battle always. Not the hard, you see; the hard is broken. It survives until it meets something harder than itself. But the soft, nothing in the universe can break it. Nothing in the universe can destroy it.”<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Our journey in forceless force</h4>It seems that as human beings our souls choose to inhabit a specific existence in time and space as it unfolds on our planet and in relation to all creation.So we find ourselves inhabiting a field of feeling unique to each. Is it woven from DNA and patternings that have been transferred into this lifetime? This field of feeling has many layers and dimensions and knots that we perceive through different sensory gateways. They could be in terms of color or light, density and heaviness, warmth and cold, sound, or as qualities of touch. With the help of a being who is attuned to subtlest dimensions, we can harken to a more profound and beautiful world that is ours at the core, and long to return to this original part of creation.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_softness2_6da4490505.webp" alt="the-power-of-softness2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;The core of this sensibility is in the organ of the heart which integrates energetic information from the nervous system, from the organs, from viscera, from the brain, from soul. Furthermore our heart can be seen as a kind of organ of sensibility and perception whose intelligence can refine throughout life as it links with the capacity of the mind to focus <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/lack-of-awareness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">awareness</a> with the array of feeling at the most subtle levels.In this vein, then, our existence is a field of vibratory exchange with environment, with all sentient life forms, with human beings. This vibratory array is like a glimmering or a shimmering, sometimes soothing sometimes discordant, similar to the domain of music.It seems to me that the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/spirituality-in-daily-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual journey</a> can bring us closer and deeper to the source of all manifestation of life, as a sound of love resonating through all creation. It is potentially experienced by us in layers of a kind of infinite softness that absorbs and transforms and brings everything into a larger field of connectivity which can keep expanding and softening as it moves towards a steady flow of coherence that can integrate increasing complexities within evolving life.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/the_power_of_softness3_b5a40fe2a1.webp" alt="the-power-of-softness3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It seems to me that the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/i-am" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spiritual journey</a> can bring us closer and deeper to the source of all manifestation of life, as a sound of love resonating through all creation.</h4><hr>Heartfulness gives us a resource emanating from the most profound and subtle level of vibration; the very original stir, in which to be reminded through a silent soft intimation felt within the heart of our source. This awakens our dormant longing to be dissolved into this field, and resonate in harmony with a nameless and marvelous ultimate. It is in the service of coherence, beauty, truth, and infinite love that we feel our longings for this return to our origin. Our individual journey is shaped by our intrinsic uniqueness and the kinds of samskaras and tendencies that need to be dissolved and reconciled with this core longing.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

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The power of softness

Ravi Venkatesan and Mark Milton explore listening skills and empathy.

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The superpower of listening

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">This World Storytelling Day, March 20, we bring you a story by SARA BUBBER, based on a common folk template. May the stories within the story entertain you!</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Stories have been a tool in the passage of rites from one generation to the next since time immemorial. Entertainment, knowledge, wisdom, and education was passed down in the form of stories.</h4>Once upon a time, the Earth was an open canvas. People lived a nomadic life. Traveling from one place to another for food, shelter, and clothing was a common sight. With no radio, television, and phones the only way to entertain each other was to tell stories. Stories about new roots, giant trees, and scary tigers. Travelers were given lodging in exchange for stories, work could also be done by telling stories.One such day, a group of friends were traveling. After a long day they were tired and were trying to decide who would fetch firewood and cook for the group. They tried many ways of deciding but then saw a young girl who was coming the same way. They thought they could get her to cook for them while they rested. They asked her where she was from and if she cared to listen to some stories.The young girl loved stories. She immediately agreed. The group of travelers asked if she wanted to make the story session interesting. They placed a little bet. The travelers would tell the girl a story that was absolutely impossible. If the girl said that the story was impossible, she would have to cook food. The bet also went the other way. The young girl would tell a story, and if the travelers would say that it was impossible, they would cook for her instead.The story session began.One of the travelers started: “My grandfather was a poor farmer who worked in a rich household. He was always called names for working as a slow and careless worker. He prayed to God every day. However much he tried, he couldn’t work faster and was scolded endlessly. One day, the God he prayed to appeared in front of him and when he woke he had great strength. The next day as he was scolded, the energy he had felt rushed through his veins, he grew in size, lifted the house, and took a big leap. The house shook, the cupboards fell, the beds flew out and the windows shattered. He kept flying high until his employer begged him to stop. His employer not only stopped calling him names but also gave him the place of a family member.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales2_7bab8dfbf1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“How was the story? Does someone disagree?” No one disagreed.Another traveler continued: “Once there was a famine in my grandfather’s land. My grandfather was a very weak person. One day, in a fight with his brother, he had to leave home. He thought of finding fame for himself. He walked into a forest and came across a man painting. He painted a deer and, as my grandfather continued watching, to his surprise the deer came alive. He thought it was such an amazing device, that he wanted to possess it. When he got the chance, he went ahead and painted a boat with the owner of the brush in it. He added winds on the lake and blew the owner away. Now he had full possession of the paintbrush. He took the brush back and painted clouds and grains which solved the problems of his village. He became the treasurer of the village and one day, he created a son from the paintbrush. He was so exceptional that there was no girl to match him. Then he created a fully grown young girl as a match for his son. And thus, I was born from parents who were painted. The brush is gone, but it seems like my smooth hair is a gift from the paintbrush. I use the best herbs from the best orchard that my grandfather painted.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales3_5c925060a1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“This is my story, do you agree?” “Yes we all do.”Now it was the little girl’s turn. She began her story. “My grandparents possessed many things. They were well respected in their community, and helped many people achieve greatness. They possessed hulk-like strength and various magical possessions. One day, in a civil strife, the servants of the house ran away with the chest of hulk strength and some of the magical possessions like a wish-granting paintbrush. My parents looked for it all their life, and today I set off in search. I have finally found all my family possessions with you. It seems you are the long lost servants of our family who have our possessions.&nbsp;“This is the end of my story. Do you agree?” “Yes we do.” The little girl continued, “That is wonderful news, now, give my possessions back.” “But… no we do not agree,” said the group. “Oh, then you must cook for me.” And the little girl, using her wit, rested as the team cooked for her.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales4_c3079e9217.webp" alt="tale-of-tales4.webp"></figure><hr><h3>Interesting facts about stories</h3><h4> &nbsp;Aesop’s Fables</h4>Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece. He wanted freedom more than anything else. He noticed the supervisor of slaves and began to tell stories every day. The supervisor was impressed and one day asked Aesop what he wanted. Aesop asked for food for all his fellow slaves. His selfless gesture made the supervisor give Aesop and his community the freedom they deserved. These tales were combined into the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/once-upon-a-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aesop’s Fables</a> that you have all loved growing up!<h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales</h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales is a German collection of fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published on December 20, 1812. It is considered the seminal work of Western children’s literature and is listed by <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/master-yoga-2024-unesco-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UNESCO</a> in its Memory of the World Registry.<h4>Panchatantra&nbsp;</h4>Panchatantra is a collection of stories from ancient India based on politics, behavior, communication, and economics. These stories are based on the Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and Mahabharata as a trove of wisdom. The princes of Amarasakti had no interest in pursuing their studies and thus a teacher, Vishnu Sharma, made a comprehensive manual for these princes to be taught in the form of stories. The Panchatantra started the story within a story form of learning, which delights young readers to this day. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales5_3adb201b5e.webp" alt="tale-of-tales5.webp"></figure><hr><h4>Activity 1</h4>Guess these popular stories from the details: 1. A young girl who loses her shoe that gives her the chance to marry a prince:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2. A boy who climbs a tall natural element that grows from magic beans and finds treasures in the clouds:&nbsp;…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. A prince who moves to the forest with his brother and wife to live for fourteen years. The wife is kidnapped and he goes to rescue her with an army of monkeys:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4. A little creature born into a family of ducks goes into the world alone to find his true form:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5. Two unusual friends who come together near a riverbank. The friendship ends when one large friend asks his tree-dwelling friend for his heart:&nbsp;……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………<hr><h4>Activity 2</h4>Write your own story here. It can involve animals, kings, kingdoms, humans, plants, or anything else that tells a story.Create a story with a beginning, some problems that come up, and a solution to end the story.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated images</h4><hr>

Join Sara Bubber’s adventure tale this World Storytelling Day.

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The tale of tales

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">LYNNE McTAGGART is one of the central authorities on the new science of consciousness, and the award-winning author of seven books, including the internationally bestselling The Intention Experiment, The Field, The Bond, and The Power of Eight. Here, Lynne is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about the transformative power of intention, the profound impact of group intention, and the potential for individuals to create significant change in their lives and the world.</h4>&nbsp;Q: Lynne, welcome. You are known for your pioneering work in the science of intention in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-journey-of-total-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">consciousness and healing</a>. You’ve explored this science behind intention so deeply. Can you share how you personally define the power of intention?&nbsp;LM: Okay, well, first of all, it’s important to understand that our thoughts aren’t locked inside our heads. They’re trespassers, and they can go out and affect other people and things. We’ve seen that from countless studies on everything from single-celled organisms to human beings. In my own work, I’ve seen that we can affect everything from making plants grow faster, to purifying water, to lowering violence in war-torn and violent areas, and even healing people of things like post-traumatic stress disorder. And I’ve seen it in big groups and small groups. Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.I see an intention as a focused thought. You and I are having about 80,000 thoughts a day, and most of them are undirected, most of them are negative. And they oftentimes undermine our life because we’re focusing on negative outcomes, instead of intending for what we want.So, I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.Q: During your intention experiments, have you encountered any surprising results? Are there poignant moments, epiphanies, which have made you stop and think? What has defined or redefined your expectations of these intention experiments?LM: I think many of the peace intention experiments really surprised me. I wasn’t at all sure they were going to work when we started in 2007. We started with simple things, trying to affect the light emissions of a leaf. And then we moved on to seeds, trying to make them grow faster. And then we moved on to water, trying to purify water, then trying to lower violence in areas.My first experience of something mind-blowing was the seed experiments. I did my very first seed experiment in 2007 when I was speaking in front of an audience in Sydney, Australia. I worked with the University of California’s Dr. Gary Schwartz, a noted psychologist who has a special laboratory with the Laboratory for Consciousness and Human Evolution. He prepared four sets of seeds, each set with 30 seeds, and had his team photograph them and send them to me. And I showed these to the audience and allowed them to select one of the four seeds to send an intention to. So we sent an intention to seed group A for ten minutes. After we were done, I called Dr. Schwartz and told him we were done, but I did not tell him which seeds we sent the intention to. I told him as that was the cue for him to plant the seeds.Five days later they measured the seeds. After they’d measured them, I unblinded the study and told them which seeds we’d sent an intention to. And lo and behold, those seeds grew taller than any others.We did this five more times in different locations with different-sized audiences. And every single time the seeds that were sent an intention grew taller than the controls. But here’s the fascinating part—I was with my audience in Sydney, Australia, and the seeds were back in Tucson, Arizona, 8,000 miles away. Plus, we weren’t sending an intention to the seeds themselves, only to a photograph of the seeds, a symbolic representation of the seeds. So I realized from that very early time that we essentially create a psychic-internet when we make an intention in a group scattered around the globe. That I could see over and over again with the other intention experiments.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.</h4><hr>Another one that blew my mind was a Sri Lanka peace intention experiment we ran in 2008, when Sri Lanka was in the midst of a 25-year civil war. We did a peace intention for 10 minutes a day over eight days with 15,000 people participating from around the globe. Now, during that week, to my alarm, violence went up rather than down. And I had a professor of statistics doing the analysis. It then plummeted after that. But a more interesting thing happened. The government won a few decisive battles during that week that turned around the entire course of the war. For some time, both sides had been at a stalemate. Then, within a few months, the government was able to take back the north, which was held by the rebel forces. And a few months later, that 25-year intractable war was over.Now, did we do this? Well, it turned out that during the week of our intention pivotal battles occurred, and that was cause for an extraordinary surprise. When you do one experiment like that, it means nothing. There are too many variables in a war. But when you keep doing it and keep getting results, as we’ve done with peace intention experiments, they start becoming interesting.For instance, in 2017, we ran an experiment to lower violence in St. Louis, Missouri, officially the most violent place in America. And we chose a neighborhood called Fairground that was the most violent of all. We had very accurate police data. I once again asked Dr. Jessica Utz from the University of California to analyze data from several years beforehand to six months afterward, to look at the effect of our intention. She found that violence had been going up in all areas of St. Louis, and continued to go up everywhere except the neighborhood we intended where violence went down by 43%. And so it’s happened over and over again.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp" alt="intention-revolution2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 110w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 353w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 529w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.</h4><hr>Perhaps the one that amazed me the most is an intention experiment I did that same year, at the end of 2017, with eight Arab cities and a large audience of Israeli Jews. I had special equipment so we could put cameras in eight different locations in Arab cities. Each different Arab city had an audience there. And the ninth camera was with an audience of Israeli Jews. I asked them all to make an intention to lower violence in an area of Jerusalem that was suffering from a high degree of violence.Before that, I had to broker the entire thing, as nobody was speaking to anyone else. They started talking, because I could call on the different places. They would talk to me, and then they would also communicate with the people in all the other locations. And they started sending love to each other, they started sending “Your God is my God,” talking about beautiful visions of people coming together from both sides. There was a big love fest. I found that every time I put together polarized and hated enemies, they seemed to come together after these intention experiments.Since 2008, I’ve run 41 intention experiments, and 37 have shown measurable significantly positive effects. I also surveyed the people involved, and for those who responded, about 40% have reported more peace in their own lives. They’re getting along better with estranged partners or parents or children. They’re getting along better with bosses and coworkers. They’re feeling more love for everybody, and around 50% consistently report they feel more love for everyone they meet.Essentially, they’re hugging strangers and peaceful things happen in their lives. Also, about one-third have reported an improvement in a health condition or a downright cure. So that is the biggest and most amazing effect, the mirror effect of these intentions: the people who are sending intentions are being healed as much as the targets.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">So that is the biggest and most amazing effect,&nbsp; the mirror effect of these intentions:&nbsp; the people who are sending intentions&nbsp; are being healed as much as the targets.</h4><hr>Q: I was blown away by the seed experiment. How has the scientific community embraced this, or conversely, what are the challenges you’ve faced to try to share this with them?&nbsp;LM: I'm not interested in the scientific community because they aren’t going to accept it. Scientists are supposed to be explorers and very few of them really are. There are a lot of reasons for that. People lose their positions at universities for stepping out of the accepted paradigm. So I don’t need to convince scientists. There are enough scientists who are true explorers, who are fascinated by my work, and who have helped to measure the work.I work with people at prestigious universities to run the intention experiments—Princeton, Penn State, University of California, University of Arizona, and others in Europe. I choose people who are open-minded enough to do decent research.There are skeptic organizations who attack my work, but they attack it in the flimsiest of ways. My book, The Field, had more than 400 solid scientific references. I had interviewed exhaustively—frontier physicists, biologists, etc.—and had them check every last fact in that book to make sure I had written it correctly. The skeptics have said the book was based on nothing more than Star Wars, which is just incorrect, close-minded, and ignorant.So, I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in getting this information out to people so they can understand that we have extraordinary capabilities waiting to be unleashed, and we are very different from what we are told in mainstream orthodox science.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp" alt="intention-revolution3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 214w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Orthodox science is only 300-plus years old, and new studies and discoveries are being found in universities, in little pockets of academia here and there, that are completely transforming the way we think about ourselves and our world. And we’re far greater than we’ve been told!Q: Thank you for that very candid response. For someone who’s intrigued by your work, who’s curious about your work, and who wants to start applying this <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-to-manifest-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">power of intention</a> in their own life, how can they begin?LM:&nbsp;They can join my community and my website. When they join, they receive some basic tools and information about how to do intention and how to form a group. They can also read my books. <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-intention-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Power of Eight</a>, the last book published on this topic, has basic descriptions of how to do intention in a group. For people who really want to learn more, I have a whole series of foundation courses.I also have a <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com/courses/intention-masterclass/the-power-of-eight-intention-masterclass-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">year-long masterclass</a>, my kingpin course, where I work with people live and interactively for a year. Participants start working in groups after six weeks, and each group meets once a week. Under my instruction, they use intention for relationships, for health and healing, for finances and career, and for life purpose. There’s specific information and instructions, and I coach them throughout the year.So there are all kinds of things at all kinds of price points, including free, and every intention experiment is free. I feel everybody should be able to participate.Recently, Gaia released a documentary about my work with large and small groups, The Power of Eight, plus the intention experiments. They interviewed the various scientists who’ve worked with me, and numerous people who have had extraordinary healings with The Power of Eight, too. And it will culminate in an intention on February 1, 2025. I’m going to have a live audience at Gaia’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, and we’re also going to livestream it around the world.It's an invitation. So everyone can take part by going to <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lynnemctaggart.com</a>, where there are instructions.Q: I am really looking forward to it.To be continued.

Explore Lynne McTaggart’s groundbreaking work on intention and its transformative power in healing.

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 Unleashing our extraordinary capabilities