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

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

Since the beginning of the digital age, we have become increasingly information focused. But knowledge isn’t everything: Attitudes are generally more important in a purposeful and fulfilling life.This month, we explore some of the attitudes that define a good life. We hear from Daaji on life as an expression of attitudes, Joseph Howell on the soul, Rosalind Pearmain on softness, Ichak Adizes on building trust, and Negin Khorasani on wholeness. Ravi Venkatesan presents a framework for Heartful Listening, Aditi Saxena honors a mother’s role, and Mira Madhav shares a story on sustainable living and its surprising effects. We hear from the young and dynamic composer and musician Khatija Rahman, who is making waves in the film industry, enjoy one of Ramya Sriram’s inspiring cartoons, and celebrate World Book Daywith Sara Bubber.Next month, we’ll be focusing on remembrance. We always love to hear from you, so please share your letters, articles, and stories with us at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com.

April 2025 Edition

<h3 style="text-align:center;">SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES FOR MODERN LIVING</h3><h4 style="text-align:justify;">&nbsp;</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DAAJI has often said, “In real estate, 95% of everything is location, location, location, while in spirituality 95% of everything is attitude, attitude, attitude!” This month he expands upon why attitude matters so much, and how we can optimize our attitude toward our own growth.</h4>&nbsp;When you want self-transformation, meditation is not everything. Even the most effective method, combined with the most disciplined approach, can only account for about 5% of success. The other 95% is attitude. What you do is important, but it’s not as important as the attitude with which you do it.This doesn’t only apply to meditation. In any aspect of daily life, it’s our attitude that defines us and our attitude that determines its success. If you meditate in a negative mood it is completely counterproductive, because your negativity becomes the object of your meditation. Your eyes may be closed, you may look as if you’re in meditation, but actually you’re just brooding over your negative thoughts and feelings. That becomes your focus. And what happens if you meditate on your bad mood? It intensifies. Conversely, in spiritual practice, you will move to another dimension if you bring about regularity, cheerfulness, and restlessness to achieve the best.Imagine a worker on the farm, earning his daily wage doing strenuous physical labor, but feeling burdened and &nbsp;downtrodden by his work constantly. He may toil the whole day, but he won’t build the same muscle mass as another man who goes to the gym for less than an hour a day. It is all a matter of attitude.If your meditation practice is purely mechanical, if you think “Oh no! I have to wake up and meditate,” or if you are doing it to satisfy someone else, there is no need to do it at all because you’ll be wasting your time. Heartfulness provides a simple scientific approach to meditation, but what we need to experience it properly is interest, enthusiasm, and willingness. You will see for yourself how your entire life transforms when you approach everything with the proper attitude.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Meditating with joy</h4>Let us say you have made it a habit to do all four Heartfulness practices every day—Relaxation, Meditation, Cleaning, and Prayer. Even for the best of us, doing any set of practices day after day can become a repetitive process, be it swimming, playing an instrument, or meditating. The mechanics are always the same. So what makes it stay alive and maintain vibrancy? It is attitude and interest. I have found that the attitudes of love, humility, and prayerfulness have helped me a lot in my practice.The purpose of meditation is to enter into the finest states of consciousness. Will that be possible if you bring heaviness, discord, and torment along with you?There are also other attitudes that hinder us in subtler ways. Expectation is one of them. Many people approach meditation with the expectation of a certain result. Suppose that one day you have such a phenomenal experience in meditation that you want to relive it the next time you sit. In so doing, you apply a condition to your meditation, “I must feel peaceful today!” Something better might be waiting for you, yet you only want peace. So you miss out. Always be willing to go beyond, to go further.Also, it is better to avoid the opposite extreme, namely, impatience for the next stage to come. Just let the process unfold naturally, with total openness and without conditions. Don’t insist on anything and don’t demand anything. Meditation is best when you have no expectations, when you demand nothing. It is really a form of waiting, which works out for the best because everything happens in its own time. For example, you cannot cut open a butterfly’s cocoon before it’s fully matured—that would kill the butterfly. Similarly, don’t expect spiritual states to bloom before their time. They will come!Some days, there will be no depth, or your meditative experience will be too mundane for your liking. But every experience is ultimately good because each one has a purpose—even if you don’t understand what it is. Just take your experiences lightly and move on. This attitude is also in your hands.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/your_life_expression2_5ca0715a0d.webp" alt="your-life-expression2.webp"><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Meditation is best when you have no expectations,&nbsp; when you demand nothing.&nbsp; It is really a form of waiting, which works out for the best because everything happens in its own time.</h4><hr>If your meditation practice is done solely for the sake of routine, think of this: Remember back to your teenage years, when you were in love, and you asked your beloved to go on a date with you to the cinema. You were so keen to meet them that you showed up early, with so much inner excitement that you felt restless until the moment they appeared. Do you have that level of impatience and enthusiasm for meditation? Do you feel so inspired to meet your inner Self? That is the attitude which brings life to meditation. Before you sleep, anticipate the morning’s meeting with your higher Self that is to come.So the key is to take interest in how you conduct your life, because that is what destiny is all about. When you meditate, do it with love, do it with interest. Poise, focus, and enthusiasm go a long way in creating the right vibratory field for you to design your destiny and change the trajectory of your life.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Acceptance in relationships</h4>If you ask most young people today about what is on their mind, relationships will feature highly. It’s probably the same for those of all ages, actually, although the nature of the relationships change. Yet how many of us know how to cultivate healthy, happy relationships? I have witnessed in my own life that respect and acceptance, even more than tolerance (which is not true acceptance from the heart), are two of the most crucial factors.Respect for others is actually the epitome of love for yourself. If you do not love yourself, this very fine quality will never develop within you. And respect for others can be expressed in many ways: for example, if you were invited to visit a dignitary, would you wear shorts and flip flops? No. Here, it is not that you want to look good, but that you want to make an extra effort because it is a common courtesy to show respect to a person of stature. When you wear a tie to the office because guests are visiting, you do it as a mark of respect for them. Similarly, the way we speak, the way we sit, and the way we hold our head conveys something about our attitudes to the people around us. If we slouch in front of guests, even if we don’t say a word, our behavior says it all. The same is true when we speak and act without sincerity or feeling.Actually, there is no such thing as grudging acceptance. You are either grudging or accepting, not both! The attitude with which you accept circumstances makes all the difference—you cannot force yourself to accept a situation that your heart is rejecting. Real acceptance is joyful. Even if the girl or boy you love says no, you are still happy. Love does not exist for the sake of receiving anything in return. Rather, it exists for its own sake. That is unconditional love, which is the only kind of love there truly is. Love demands nothing. In love, there is no place for expectation, only for gratitude. That is why love is the real pinnacle of human nobility.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Love demands nothing.&nbsp; In love, there is no place for expectation,&nbsp; only for gratitude. That is why love is the real pinnacle of human nobility.</h4><hr>But life throws us curveballs, and our relationships with our loved ones inevitably go through their share of upheavals. The question is, how do we handle such situations and how do we come out of them? If we go through difficulties peacefully, with a bold heart and a lot of courage, then we will emerge stronger, whereas if we don’t accept them, we will not learn anything. When we accept situations joyfully and cheerfully, we see the beauty emerge. Every situation is in our hands, and if we want to go further, we will understand that all acceptance is cheerful acceptance.And we can go beyond that—where there is no need to consciously accept with cheerfulness and gratitude, as we have already moved on, no response is needed. That is absolute acceptance, total surrender, and in that state of surrender we are always in the present. We are not expecting anything different from the reality. When we can accept what life throws at us, we happily move on.Our responses to life are very complex, and they become all the more obvious when we ask ourselves two questions: “How well do I accept my own faults?” and “How well do I accept the faults of others and the circumstances around me?” Take some time to deeply ponder over your responses, for if you are practicing acceptance out of habit, or in an enforced way, then you are performing another ritual. Instead, accept situations in life with full alertness and full awareness; not because someone else says so.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/your_life_expression3_cf10a6f9f8.webp" alt="your-life-expression3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Being aware</h4>And what happens when difficult emotions do surface and you do react to circumstances, for example, when you are angry? Ask yourself, “Am I alert to what is happening inside me, or am I simply reacting out of habit from subconscious patterns?” Often, the absence of awareness leads to a reactive response being triggered. Now, how can you develop awareness? Once again, through meditation. You will learn to expand your awareness, so that you are better able to manage reactions and emotional outbursts, like anger.When you do get angry, notice how it is flowing as energy through your whole system. The midbrain has evolved to produce survival responses in situations of threat or danger, so it all depends on how we perceive the world around us, and what our subconscious mind thinks is dangerous. Don’t repress it; let it be there without it getting out of hand, and become aware. The very act of noticing shines a light in the darkness so that peace can descend. The energy that fueled your anger will now fuel peace and problem-solving.It is impossible to get angry if you are centered. Inner peace dissolves the very impulses of violence. In a peaceful environment creativity finds true meaning, mothers can nurture their children, and you will enjoy happiness and so many wonderful things. Meditating will develop your ability to be aware and present, reducing the wait between an angry reaction and the U-turn of responding with empathy and serenity.Also, ask yourself why you want to curb your anger. Do you think it is sinful, or that it will create stress and damage your system? That approach may be a step higher than getting angry all the time, but it is only because of a desire to avoid negative consequences. Instead, can you imagine an attitude of genuine compassion? Remember, it is the attitude that will change your future. Do you want to avoid injuring others, or are you only interested to protect yourself? It is always better to opt for kindness and compassion.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">And we can go beyond that—where there is no need to consciously accept with cheerfulness and gratitude, as we have already moved on, no response is needed. That is absolute acceptance, total surrender, and in that state of surrender we are always in the present. We are not expecting anything different from the reality.&nbsp; When we can accept what life throws at us, we happily move on.</h4><hr>It is only when your heart become small that acceptance bids goodbye. It is easy to accept people and their idiosyncrasies when they are your own. When they are not your own, it’s a different matter. But spirituality gives us a new world of possibilities.So please think about this. Whenever any situation in your family, your work environment, or your social circles demands a certain level of acceptance, take it as a welcome challenge and see how far you can go.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Change your attitude to change your self</h4>As you progress, your outer nature will slowly evolve to match the changeless, innermost nature. And until you become identical with that changeless state, you will have to undergo constant change. You will move through so many conditions of being before reaching that state of stillness. All the while, you will have experiences that reflect the inner changes, and they can be tumultuous, because even though these changes are positive and reflect more overall balance in our personality, they still take some getting used to. A certain amount of restlessness will continue to remain within you until you reach the changeless state.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/your_life_expression4_73c836b1c3.webp" alt="your-life-expression4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Somewhere along the way, in the midst of all your experiences, you will stumble across the source of all these experiences, the inner cause of your transformation. That moment is important. Your heart will melt in gratitude; you are so moved. You will fall in love with the inner Being, and now your focus will shift. Experiences no longer matter. Peace, happiness, or any passing condition no longer matter. Why do you need peace when you can have the Peace-Giver? Transformation no longer matters either. Meditation is now an act of love, pure and simple. It’s not about getting anything or experiencing anything, only love.No one can be changed unwillingly—only willingly and joyfully. Ask yourself deep down: Do I really want to change? There must be a desire for it. It is our attitude toward working on ourselves that has the most effect, since we design our own destiny by regulating our thoughts, working on our patterns and fears, our desires and emotional reactions, our generosity of heart, and our strength of will.Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” That desire to change yourself can only come from creating the right attitude within. To change the world, you must change yourself first, and then expand your radius to include others. A day will surely come when together we will transform the direction humanity is taking.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">To change the world, you must change yourself first, and then expand your radius to include others. A day will surely come when together we will transform the direction humanity is taking.&nbsp;</h4><hr>

Your life is an expression of your attitudes

<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 awareness 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 spiritual journey 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 spiritual journey 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>

The power of softness

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">KHATIJA RAHMAN is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about her musical journey, the creative process, and the power of silence in music. Drawing inspiration from diverse experiences and collaborations, Khatija shares her insights on the transformative power of music and the importance of finding stillness amidst the chaos.</h4>&nbsp;Q: Could you tell us about your journey into music? Was there a particular moment when you realized music was your calling?KR: When we were young, we were taught the classics in music classes. But it wasn’t until I took a break for seven years that I realized the true healing power of music. Before that, I didn’t understand its importance.As I grew older, I came to understand that art is what keeps us going. Amidst all the chaos, art keeps me sane. There isn’t one particular moment I can point to when I realized my calling. People often say, “This song healed me,” or “That song made a difference,” and in those moments, you feel your purpose is fulfilled. That’s how I found my calling.Q: How do you approach the creative process when working on a song or a musical composition? Is there a particular inspiration that drives you?KR: I’m just one movie old. The director’s vision, the visuals, and sometimes just looking at a face inspires me. There are various forms of inspiration. The film’s story can drive me, if it’s done with sincerity and made with vision and purpose. The story of the film itself will push me to create a melody.Q: You’ve worked on a variety of projects. What has been your most memorable collaborative composition or song so far, and why?KR: The performance at the Dubai Expo in 2021, in honor of World Children’s Day. That was a memorable moment. The support from all the women on the team made it even more special. I had stage fear, but they were incredibly supportive and really had my back. It felt like a sisterhood, and I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. It was my first performance with a live orchestra, so it was surreal.Q: What role do you believe music plays in bringing people together, especially now when the world feels so divided and polarized?KR: When I listen to qawwalis1, there’s a deep sense of spirituality. But it’s not just qawwalis; when I listen to certain bhajans and choirs from the church—anything that’s done with a devotional intent and spiritual vibes—it has a powerful impact. It’s the energy behind it, the prayer and devotion in the music. I truly believe music connects people.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">As I grew older, I came to understand that&nbsp; art is what keeps us going.&nbsp; Amidst all the chaos, art keeps me sane.</h4><hr>Music is a universal language. We can’t differentiate based on where we come from or our nationalities. It’s all about the work and the shared experience. Suddenly, we’re all in sync. It doesn’t matter where the person is from. Yet, even in this, there are forces trying to create divisions, which is quite sad.Q: You received the best debut music director of the year 2024 for Minmini. How was that? What has been the learning from that, and what can you share for inspiration, for the success of others?KR:&nbsp;It was my first time working as a composer on a film and I had a really great team. It was overwhelming, especially since there was a certain quality that had to be delivered. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the team and the director. That entire journey was very spiritual for me, and it was healing. I was going through some personal challenges, and the film itself was about healing, spirituality, and similar themes. While the characters in the film were healing and going through their own spiritual journeys, I was going through the same journey in parallel. That film, which was my first as a music composer, will always be memorable for me.&nbsp;<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/music_spiritual_experience2_7440f91c10.webp" alt="music-spiritual-experience2.webp">&nbsp;Q: Heartfulness talks about the power of silence, and the power of meditation. How do you perceive the relationship between silence and music, and how does silence play a role in your creative process?KR:&nbsp;Silence is very important in music as well. There should be spaces, gaps; it shouldn’t always be filled with music. From a professional standpoint, that’s the advice we receive from senior musicians. In film, a lot of the music is cut, and I’m actually happy about it, because it allows for breathing space. A track can’t have a constant background score, right?Similarly, in life, silence is essential. It’s the time you take for yourself, it’s important. In a world where we’re constantly hustling, quiet time matters. It is also what Heartfulness teaches. I believe 10 to 15 minutes of meditation every day is crucial. That silence gives me the space to be with myself, without distractions. It helps set the tone for the rest of the day. I’m constantly on the phone for work or with my music, so those few moments of silence and meditation are truly invigorating.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I believe 10 to 15 minutes of meditation every day is crucial. That silence gives me the space to be with myself, without distractions. It helps set the tone for the rest of the day. I’m constantly on the phone for work or with my music, so those few moments of silence and meditation are truly invigorating.</h4><hr>

Music is a spiritual experience

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The legacy of my mother

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Discover how Dr. Ichak Adizes defines love and its development.

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Learn how to love freely without expectations or attachment.

Holding close without holding on

Unfinished energy pattern

Remembering wholeness

The attitude you bring to life

Learn how to pause and shift from reaction to heart-led wisdom.

When the heart speaks

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<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.