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

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

This month, we trace journeys to their origins. In this issue, Daaji explores how the inner journey transforms a seeker into a finder, offering a New Year’s invitation to move from effortful climbing to restful discovery. Dr. Ananthaneni Sreenath traces Sanjeevini, the mythical life-restoring herb, from epic poetry to rocky outcrops near Kanha Sarovar. Seven-year-old Mayanshi Parthasarathi offers her first published poem, a promise to protect trees—along with other stories and reflections.We are now accepting submissions for March 2026, themed Attention. Please send contributions by December 31st, 2025. If you have an idea, perspective, or story you want to share, email contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com.

December 2025 Edition

<h4>DAAJI explores how the inner journey transforms a seeker into a finder, offering a New Year’s call to turn inward and rediscover the infinite within.</h4>A mountain climber once told me something I have never forgotten. He said that the most dangerous moment on any peak is not when you are struggling upward, gasping for breath in thin air. It is when you stop, look back at how far you have come, and decide that is far enough.As we stand at the threshold of another new year, I want to share with you a different kind of journey. Not the familiar resolutions about fitness or finances, but an invitation to the most extraordinary adventure available to a human being: the journey inward toward your own center.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Starting Point</h4>Every journey begins somewhere. For most of us, that "somewhere" is a sense of restlessness, a feeling that there must be more to life than what we currently experience. Perhaps you have felt it during a moment of unexpected stillness, or in the gap between one thought and the next. This restlessness is not a problem to be solved; it is a call to be answered.My own Master, Babuji Maharaj, wrote beautifully about this. He said that the soul yearns to be free from bondage. What is this bondage? It is not chains or prison walls. It is the accumulation of coverings, layer upon layer, which have gathered over time around our innermost being. Some are pleasant coverings in which we have wrapped ourselves willingly. Others are dense and heavy, accumulated through hurt, disappointment, or the simple weight of unconscious living. Either way, they obscure the radiance within.The <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-spiritual-journey" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">inner journey</a> is a process of removing these coverings, one by one, until the soul shines through unobstructed.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Three Ways to Understand the Path</h4>Let me offer you three ways to understand this journey, each illuminating a different facet of the same truth.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Climb</h4>The first is the image of climbing. Imagine you live in a valley, surrounded by mountains. The valley is comfortable. You know every path, every tree, every stream. But sometimes, when the clouds part, you catch a glimpse of distant peaks bathed in light, and something stirs within you.The spiritual journey is like ascending from this valley toward those peaks. In Heartfulness, we speak of moving from the Heart Region through the Mind Region toward the Central Region. These are not physical places but states of consciousness, each more refined than the last. As you climb, something remarkable happens. The air grows thinner, yes, but also clearer. What appeared solid and defined in the valley reveals itself as mist. What you thought you knew gives way to actual experience.The climb requires effort, indeed. But more than effort, it requires a willingness to leave behind what no longer serves your noble purpose. You cannot carry all your valley possessions to the summit. Some things must be set down along the way.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_journey2_054fb28678.webp" alt="inner-journey2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Unfolding</h4>The second way to understand the journey is through the image of unfolding. Think of a flower that opens petal by petal to the morning sun. It does not struggle or strain. It simply responds to the light with its whole being, and in that response, it becomes what it was always meant to be.Within our spiritual anatomy, there are centers of energy, called chakras, that unfold in just this way. Each center has its own quality, its own gift. The first brings acceptance—the second, peace. Then love, courage, and clarity. As these centers open, we do not become someone different. We become more fully ourselves, expressing qualities that were always present but dormant, like seeds waiting for spring.This unfolding cannot be forced. But it is invited in through practice, stillness, and, most importantly, the catalytic presence of a guide who has walked the path before you.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Transformation</h4>The third way is perhaps the most personal: the journey from seeker to finder.This process begins with curiosity. You hear about meditation, or someone mentions Heartfulness. Something resonates, though you cannot say precisely why. You are a curious participant, testing the waters.Soon, you begin to notice changes: a greater sense of calm, a softening of old resentments, moments of unexpected joy. The practice is working. Now you are no longer merely curious but genuinely interested. You begin to recognize that these changes are not accidental. There is an intelligence behind them, an unseen hand at work. This recognition of the Guide, the spiritual alchemist behind your transformation, marks a turning point.From here, the journey deepens. Devotion naturally arises, not as an obligation but as gratitude. You find yourself drawn to practice, not because you “should,” but because you want to. The changes continue, becoming more subtle and profound, until one day you notice something extraordinary: you are no longer changing. You have arrived at a state that is changeless, stable, unshakeable.But even this is not the end. A master of real caliber will take you beyond this becoming, into territories where words fail and only experience speaks.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Resolution That Matters</h4>As we approach another <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/start-the-new-year-right" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new year</a>, I would like to suggest a resolution that is different from the usual ones. Most resolutions are about doing more or doing less. I invite you to resolve to go deeper.Not deeper into complexity, but deeper into simplicity. Not deeper into acquisition, but deeper into release. Not deeper into the noise of the world, but deeper into the stillness at your own center.This resolution does not require willpower or discipline in the way we usually think of them. It requires only willingness. Willingness to sit each morning in meditation. Willingness to cleanse each evening the impressions of the day. Willingness to connect, through prayer, with something greater than yourself.These simple practices, offered with sincerity, will carry you further than you can imagine. They are the starting push that sets the journey in motion.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Unfinished Symphony</h4>There is a curious truth about the inner journey: it is never finished, yet every moment can be complete. Each step is both a destination and a doorway. Each insight is both an answer and a new question.This is not frustrating but liberating. It means there is always more to discover, more to become, and more to experience. The journey itself is the joy. The climbing itself is the summit.So, as you set your intentions for the coming year, I ask you to consider: What if your resolution were not to achieve something, but to discover something? What if, instead of adding another task to your list, you committed to subtracting the coverings that obscure your true nature?What if, in this new year, you began the journey inward?&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">There is a curious truth about the inner journey:&nbsp; it is never finished, yet every moment can be complete.&nbsp; Each step is both a destination and a doorway.&nbsp; Each insight is both an answer and a new question.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">An Invitation</h4>The mountain is there. The path exists. Guides stand ready to help you find your way. All that remains is your first step.That first step might be as simple as sitting quietly for twenty minutes tomorrow morning, turning your attention gently toward your heart, and allowing yourself to be carried by meditation into the depths of your own being.Or it might be reaching out to learn more about Heartfulness practices and connecting with a trainer who can introduce you to transmission, that remarkable yogic principle that accelerates inner transformation in ways self-effort alone cannot.However you begin, begin. The journey awaits. And I promise you this: what lies within you, at the very center of your being, is worth every step of the climb.May this new year be the year you turn inward and discover the infinite within.With love, Daaji<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The journey awaits.&nbsp; And I promise you this: what lies within you,&nbsp; at the very center of your being,&nbsp; is worth every step of the climb.</h4><hr>&nbsp;

The Inner Journey from Seeker to Finder: A New Year’s Invitation

<h3 style="text-align:center;">Restoring Authentic Connection in Human Relationships</h3><h4>NEGIN M. KHORASANI reflects on accompanying her mother through illness to explore how presence, acceptance, and attentive relating can restore authenticity to our relationships.</h4>What follows springs from my own lived experience and ongoing contemplation as I accompany my mother through <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/disease" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">illness</a>—a journey that continues to deepen my understanding of what it means to be truly present with another.In our modern life, relationships are often reduced to transactions. Life moves quickly; we ask and respond, request and fulfill, act and react, and somewhere in this familiar rhythm, the quiet essence of connection can slip away. Relationships can so easily become transactional, shaped more by what we do for each other than by how we are with each other.This loss of presence becomes even more visible when we feel rushed: hurrying to get to work and missing the chance to say or receive "I love you"; leaving for a trip without pausing for a calm embrace, or, more painfully, in moments when life itself is hastened toward an ending—as we see in the growing acceptance of assisted dying. Sometimes, in that haste, there is not enough time for hearts to meet, to speak, to process and make sense of what is unfolding, or to part with peace.It is in such moments that we are reminded of the deeper meaning of connection; that our relationships are not just built on action but on presence. What nourishes us most is not what we give or receive, but the quality of being we bring to each encounter.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Authentic Relationship: Seeing Beyond Function</h4>An authentic relationship is not defined by the sum of tasks completed or roles performed. Rather, it is rooted in the recognition of the other as a full, living human being, with their own inner world, vulnerabilities, and dignity. As the philosopher Martin Buber famously observed in I and Thou, the distinction between the I–Thou and I–It relationship is foundational: in the former, the other is encountered as a presence, not an object to be managed.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">An authentic relationship is not defined by the sum of tasks completed or roles performed. Rather, it is rooted in the recognition of the other as a full, living human being, with their own inner world, vulnerabilities, and dignity.</h4><hr>&nbsp;In such relationships, the message is simple but profound:“You are seen for who you are, not just what you do.”Humanistic psychology echoes this sentiment. In On Becoming a Person, psychologist Carl Rogers describes the transformative power of unconditional positive regard, arguing that people flourish when they feel deeply accepted for their intrinsic worth rather than for their usefulness or conformity to expectation.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Acceptance: Connection Before Correction</h4>Acceptance is often misunderstood as passive tolerance. Yet authentic acceptance is an active stance of presence, not compliance. It begins with the decision to pause the impulse to correct or control, and instead to witness another’s experience with full attention, with openness to true connection.Interpersonal neurobiology—through the work of Daniel Siegel and Stephen Porges, among others—shows that co-regulation within relationships—the mutual attunement of nervous systems —is essential for emotional and relational well-being. Acceptance creates the safety that allows both parties to step out of habitual defense patterns and experience genuine contact.Acceptance is not the same as agreement. It does not require us to condone harmful behavior or to relinquish boundaries. Instead, it is an embodied acknowledgment of the other’s reality, creating fertile ground for empathy, understanding, and relational depth to flourish.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">From Transaction to Presence: Changing the Dynamics</h4>Many relationships, particularly in families, caregiving, and institutional contexts, have shifted toward functionality, where roles, tasks, and expectations dominate. To restore authenticity, we must intentionally interrupt these mechanistic patterns.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Shift the focus from doing to being.</h4>Before responding or acting, pause. Ask internally: Am I noticing this person as a human being, not a checklist?&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Acceptance is often misunderstood as passive tolerance.&nbsp; Yet authentic acceptance is an active stance of presence, not compliance.&nbsp; It begins with the decision to pause the impulse to correct or control, and instead to witness another’s experience with full attention,&nbsp; with openness to true connection.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/sacred_necessity_presence2_896d1d5f59.webp" alt="sacred-necessity-presence2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Create relational micro-practices.</h4>Small, deliberate acts—a shared silence, a gaze that communicates recognition, a moment of listening without agenda—recalibrate the interaction from transactional to connective.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Cultivate presence within constraints.</h4>Even when caregiving is necessary or time is limited, the way actions are performed can convey dignity and acknowledgment. Folding presence into service transforms the action itself into relational nourishment.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Honor reciprocity in attention, not just tasks.</h4>Relationships are not truly balanced by who does what; they are balanced by the mutual acknowledgment of inner worlds.These strategies are informed by both contemplative traditions, which emphasize presence as a vehicle of transformation, and relational neuroscience, which highlights the biological importance of attuned connection.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Relationships are not truly balanced by who does what; they are balanced by the mutual acknowledgment of inner worlds.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Every Encounter is an Invitation to Connect in the Context of Illness</h4>Illness is a profound reminder of life’s finitude. In such circumstances, the relational stakes are clarified: we may not know how long we have together, and the quality of each encounter becomes far more significant than the quantity of time.When relationships are reduced to requests and tasks, we risk sacrificing the relational depth that matters most. Illness, paradoxically, offers an opportunity to reclaim what may have been lost; the heart of the relationship itself.Practical implications include:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">Conscious slowing: intentionally take time to truly see and listen, even amid pressing needs.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Shared presence over <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-heartful-innovator-part-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">problem-solving</a>: being together in stillness can be more restorative than completing a task.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Savoring moments: small gestures, shared laughter, or silent acknowledgment carry outsized relational impact when time is limited.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Elevating dialogue into connection: every conversation, however functional, can carry an undertone of recognition and respect.</li></ul>In other words, illness reframes relational priorities: presence becomes the most important gift we can offer. Even a single authentic interaction can be profoundly transformative when approached with intentionality and love.A Shift in Inner PostureThe radical shift begins within. It is not about changing the other but about changing how we are with them. A subtle inner posture might sound like:<ul><li>“Before I attempt to correct, I will first understand.”</li><li>“Before I respond, I will feel your presence.”</li><li>“Before I act, I will let attention precede agenda.”</li></ul>These shifts are not sentimental; they are evolutionary. As contemplative science and phenomenological philosophy converge, we recognize that the quality of attention is formative: it shapes both the relational field and the inner world of all involved.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">In this light, relationships become not just functional exchanges, but fields of mutual awakening, where illness, aging, and finite time sharpen the focus, revealing the enduring truth: presence is both the path and the gift.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Conclusion: Presence as the Highest Expression of Care</h4>When life is uncertain, illness looms, or time feels finite, the mechanistic and transactional patterns of human relationships are exposed for what they are: protective habits that obscure true connection. Reclaiming authenticity is not a luxury—it is an urgent act of love and wisdom.Restoring authentic connection is:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">To recognize the sacred in the mundane.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">To see the human being behind the request.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">To respond with care that honors both the inner world and practical reality.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">To cultivate relational presence as a form of lasting nourishment, even in fleeting time.</li></ul>As Parker Palmer reminds us in On the Brink of Everything, “Human presence is the most powerful force for transformation in the world.” In this light, relationships become not just functional exchanges, but fields of mutual awakening, where illness, aging, and finite time sharpen the focus, revealing the enduring truth: presence is both the path and the gift. &nbsp;

The Sacred Necessity of Presence

<h4>VICTOR KANNAN examines why those on a spiritual path may feel more stressed—and how that very turbulence can become a catalyst for peace and inner transformation.</h4>The universal pursuit of peace and happiness is a multifaceted drive with profound roots in both ancient wisdom and modern understanding. Scriptures across traditions mandate this search as a path to divine connection and righteous living, framing true peace not as the absence of struggle but as an inner state achieved through a deeper understanding of life and its purpose. It is rooted in faith, forgiveness, service to others, and adherence to a moral purpose.This spiritual perspective aligns remarkably with scientific findings, which identify specific reward systems and neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, involved in feelings of contentment and joy. Psychology further supports the scriptural emphasis on community and meaning, showing that strong social bonds, a sense of purpose, and practices such as gratitude and mindfulness are the most robust predictors of long-term well-being and emotional resilience.Whether viewed through the lens of spirituality or the science of evolutionary psychology, human flourishing seems dependent on transcending self-interest, fostering strong relationships, and cultivating a mindset that values inner tranquility and purpose over fleeting external pleasures. This combined understanding provides a comprehensive basis for humanity’s enduring quest for a more peaceful and fulfilling existence.Peace indeed is the characteristic of the soul, which longs for peace and rest. However, the soul is at the mercy of the mind, intellect, and ego. And they, in turn, are expressed through the faculties of the body and senses. So, all three aspects of life—body, mind, and soul—work together in an astonishing and wonderful manner.A spiritual seeker leads their life consciously, practicing a discipline to improve themselves every day. However, experience shows that they also appear to go through exalted levels of stress. Why is it so?First, the comparative state of mind that seeks peace gets more irritated by even small things in life, magnifying any experience of stress. This is especially common in the early days of spiritual practice and progress. For a spiritual seeker, a stress score of six on the PSS-10 (Perceived Stress Scale) could easily feel like an eight or a nine on the same scale. This is because they seek peace and expect peace around them. When they get stressed, they feel its effects in an exaggerated way. It’s like the sound of a pin dropping in a silent room—more striking than a loud clank in a crowded New York City subway station.Another aspect of this is that when we are on a path of self-improvement, especially through practices like mindfulness, Vipassana, or Heartfulness, our awareness increases, our sensibilities are refined, and our ego is challenged. Taken together, these three shifts form a spiritual trifecta that, I believe, is how Nature accelerates our progress. It is through the refinement of the ego that we advance more rapidly. &nbsp;Refinement of the ego results from both conscious practice and how elegantly we deal with our difficulties.In Heartfulness, our earlier Masters, Babuji and Chariji, often reminded us that “Nature always cooperates.” I heard this line many times when I began my practice about forty years ago, but I struggled to accept it. My mind went instead to other sayings, like the Tamil proverb “the toe that is hurt will be injured repeatedly,” or the Japanese proverb “the nail that sticks out shall be hammered down.” And although it isn’t literally true, we also hear people say that suffering comes in threes. If that were the case, I would say it is Nature’s mercy to get the job done quickly and efficiently when the ego is weak. When we suffer and ask, “Why me?”, it would seem that more suffering piles on us. When we learn to accept and cultivate the qualities of gratitude, love, and compassion, our ego transforms into humility, the final gate to complete spiritual emancipation. You see, from suffering we have the possibility of accelerated progress, and our self-transformation is assured, provided we have the right attitude.The true transformation of the self begins as our consciousness evolves. This evolution is an intimately lived process that touches every part of who we are. As consciousness grows and expands, the mind gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy. We experience these feelings with our deep presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different frequency, calming others around us.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">As consciousness grows and expands, the mind gradually gives way to the heart. Our thoughts start to carry the warmth of feeling and empathy. We experience these feelings with our deep presence and sensitivity. We vibrate at a different frequency, calming others around us.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spiritual_seekers_stress2_45402b01ef.webp" alt="spiritual-seekers-stress2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;In this state, we begin to detach from both material and emotional turbulence. Success and failure, praise and blame, pleasure and pain lose their power to shake us. The intellect becomes clear, guided by discernment and quiet wisdom. We start seeing life as it is, without the fog of emotional reaction or the pull of desire.Even the ego, often misunderstood as the enemy of spiritual growth, transforms. It no longer drives us toward control or recognition. Instead, it matures into courage, wonder, and humility: the courage to face the truth, the wonder to keep learning, and the humility to know that we are part of something larger.This inner shift is why spiritual seekers sometimes appear to struggle more. They are undergoing deep reconstruction. The old structures of mind and ego dissolve, making space for something more expansive, more luminous, and far more peaceful. This process is like a butterfly forcing its way out of the chrysalis: a long period of apparent stillness followed by intense effort and a new form of life.If you have chosen a spiritual path, why resist life’s gifts even if some of them are in the form of suffering, grief, and loss? As your awareness expands, the layers of resistance begin to dissolve. In time, what once felt like turmoil gives way to stillness. The struggle subsides, and in its place arises a constant connection to the divine and hence a lasting peace. In that peace, the soul is joyful, and the evolution of consciousness is in full swing. &nbsp;

Do Spiritual Seekers Experience More Stress?

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Ramayana to Reality: The Continuous Search for Sanjeevini

Breath of the Earth

A Lightning-fast Tongue and the Art of Camouflage

Attention Is Devotion

The Krishna Buttercup Tree

The Measure of Our Words

Virtual Intelligence - Part Two

Life Is Meeting

Meeting in Transformation

The Science of Sleep

Finding Peace

The Call to Give Yourself

Embracing the Value Within

Courage: From Relief to Presence

All Zen Now

One Day at a Time

The Divine Mechanics of Change

What the Hands See

The Heart of Creativity

Grace is the Creative Spark

Creations Start with Love

Gifts and Graces

The Inevitability of Change and Its Repercussions

It Begins with You

From Inner Stillness to Outer Agency

Back to Basics

The Main Thing

<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