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

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

In the last couple of years, words like goodness, love, compassion, intuition, and heart are quietly creeping into mainstream discussions in workplaces across all disciplines. In our November edition, we find the intrinsic goodness of the heart popping up in many places—with contributions by Daaji, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, J. Frederick Arment, Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey, Christianna Deichman, Ichak Adizes, Alain Desvigne, Sara Bubber, and Sravan Banda. There is something for everyone!&nbsp;We would love to hear from you, so please share your letters and stories with us at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com.

November 2024 Edition

<h2 style="text-align:center;">YES, YOU CAN DO IT!</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DAAJI shares some thoughts on heartfelt acceptance and all it has to offer. He says, “Therefore, all that can happen will always be for all of us.” Enjoy the activity he proposes to support the intrinsic goodness of our hearts!</h4>&nbsp;Dear friends,There is intrinsic goodness in all of us. We do not have to think about how to be good—it just happens. For example, when someone asks you your name, you don’t think, it spills out. Does it require effort or imagination to speak the truth? Only lies require effort. Goodness flows naturally from within.Allowing our innate goodness to manifest is effortless, it is the heart’s natural tendency. When the mind is at rest, the heart automatically responds to creation. Supporting a family is natural, and it is the heart that lovingly responds to this call. If the mind interferes, it can create layers of complexity. An evolved mind is naturally aligned with the heart. When the mind is a witness to a receptive heart, the two attain perfect synchronicity; our conscience remains clear and our goodness manifests naturally.In life, we carry many responsibilities—toward our family, society, and even the world. Our hearts are able to innately respond to each responsibility if we let them.At the same time, we must be responsive to our own needs—to prepare, refine, and sensitize our hearts and bring our minds to rest. This is achieved through sincere meditation. A meditative mind allows intuition to arise from within our hearts. The inspirations we receive guide us gently toward our transformation. Meditation fosters this transformation into better individuals. It is then that we are more responsive in our duties to ourselves and to others, and we discharge them with clarity and heartful intent.There is no need to compare our effectiveness or skill with others. That is not a healthy use of ego. When we look upon others, it can be for the sake of inspiration. The healthy way to channel the ego is through competition with ourselves, where we attempt to continuously improve by being better than we were before.Consequently, we set higher and higher goals for ourselves. Like peaceful warriors, we work with our own imperfections, performing each act with greater skill each time. As we manifest the heart’s intrinsic values, we naturally awaken to our responsibilities.Transformation deepens when we shift our understanding from “I belong to this world, what can it do for me?” to, “The world is mine! What can I do about it?” This may perhaps sound egotistic, but without the feeling of ownership, of belongingness, we will always short-change ourselves.With a sense of belonging, we build relationships. And without a sense of belonging, we break relationships. This sense of belonging is inclusive and accepts everyone and everything in the universe.Acknowledging and accepting the intrinsic goodness in everyone’s heart is also the beginning of forgiveness. This heartfelt acceptance allows us to surpass the need to tolerate or to surrender to anything. It is the intrinsic goodness of the heart that allows me to accept all that is, as mine. By the same token, it also allows me to become theirs. Therefore, all that happens will always be for all of us. Together we shape our shared destiny.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intrinsic_goodness2_44e11f79c6.jpg" alt="intrinsic-goodness2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intrinsic_goodness2_44e11f79c6.jpg 92w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intrinsic_goodness2_44e11f79c6.jpg 200w" sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">An evolved mind is naturally aligned with the heart.&nbsp;&nbsp; When the mind is a witness to a receptive heart,&nbsp;&nbsp; the two attain perfect synchronicity;&nbsp;&nbsp; our conscience remains clear and&nbsp;&nbsp; our goodness manifests naturally.</h4><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 1:</h4>Think over the phrase, “intrinsic goodness of the heart.” What does it mean to you? Write any insights in your journal.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 2:</h4>Meditate for a few minutes, thinking that everyone is being filled with love and devotion and that real faith is growing stronger in them. May this entire Earth be engulfed with peace, with love, with grace.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Activity 3:</h4>Starting today, practice seeing the intrinsic goodness in your heart and in the hearts of all you come in contact with:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">In the morning before you start your day, remind yourself of this intention and imagine practicing it in various situations. Expand it from yourself to your loved ones, to your community, to work colleagues, to staff in restaurants, grocery stores, your city, etc. Note the nature of any feelings that arise.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">If a situation arises where you are irritated or angered by someone, pause and place a thought that there is goodness in that person’s heart, even if you can’t see it straight away. End the pause with a prayer for that person—may they be free of negativity.&nbsp;</li><li style="text-align:justify;">During the day, pause and remind yourself of the intrinsic goodness in yourself and others as it radiates out from your heart.</li></ul>I wish you all the best in your onward journey,&nbsp; Daaji

The intrinsic goodness of the heart

<h2 style="text-align:center;">&nbsp;A POLYNESIAN EXPLORER'S&nbsp; JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ELIZABETH KAPU’UWAILANI LINDSEY, the first Polynesian Explorer and female Fellow of the National Geographic Society, speaks with PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about her lifelong journey of cultural exploration and the profound lessons she has learned from Indigenous communities worldwide. Sharing insights from her encounters with Polynesian navigators, sea nomads, and spiritual leaders, Dr. Lindsey emphasizes the importance of heart-centered wisdom, storytelling, and inner exploration in navigating our rapidly changing world.&nbsp;</h4>&nbsp;Q: You are an anthropologist and National Geographic’s first woman Polynesian explorer. Please tell us about a pivotal moment in your life that sparked your passion for exploration and cultural understanding.EKL: Purnima, thank you so much for asking me to be a part of this interview. I appreciate it. The most pivotal moment was very early in my life. My parents were both educators at a nearby university and were very careful about the women who cared for my two younger sisters and me. These three old Hawaiian women were incredibly wise and spiritual. That was the beginning of what would become a lifelong journey for me. They were spiritual, and my parents were also the same. My father was a great leader in our community, and immensely humble. So that was the foundation upon which I was raised. Those early years instilled in me a deep love for people.When I was seven years old, the women who cared for me predicted that I would travel to many parts of the world. They said, “Someday the world will be in trouble, and it will take the wisdom from the far edges of the Earth to return to balance. You always have agency and choice, but we see that your life will involve great travel to keep the voices of these cultures alive because the world will need their wisdom.”And so began my journey.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/y_77403393fd.jpg" alt="y.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_y_77403393fd.jpg 108w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_y_77403393fd.jpg 346w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;I believe that children know the truth. It’s as if they can pierce a veil because they have not yet been acculturated into their societies. And so I learned early on what wisdom meant in terms of being with elders who not only taught me but lived a wise and compassionate life that was harmonious with both nature and the world around them. They did this in the humblest way because none had any social or economic advantages growing up. I grew up in a very simple home, but there was a deep and formative sense of purpose and meaning.Q: What has been the most surprising lesson you’ve learned from a culture that is vastly different from your own?EKL:&nbsp;My formative years were grounded in the understanding that we are all much more alike than we are different. My elders also taught me that India is our grandmother-land. And so when I first went to India in 2009 I felt like I had come home in many ways. While I didn’t understand what they were telling me as a child, when I arrived in India I recognized it immediately, especially in the south, where I spent time with farmers in Coimbatore and in Mysore. These farmers were planting the same way my elders did based on the moon cycles. The lunar cycle was sacred to them. My elders always prayed and blessed their land and the plants, and as a result their crops were always very abundant.That metaphor holds true for us today. If we look at the work we do, whether it’s writing or speaking or anthropology, if it is based on a deep love and compassion for others and for the world, our work will be richer and will better serve humanity. I don’t think I’ve ever really felt a surprise about being with other cultures. I’ve just felt like I belonged to a part of them, in a way that allowed relationships to be formed and connections to go very deep. From each culture I have been gifted with valuable lessons. Travel changes us, and when we return we are never quite the same, which is a beautiful thing. When we feel this way and when we know that we’re citizens of the world in the truest sense of the word, war and conflict seem utterly insane and futile.Q: You often emphasize the power of storytelling. Can you describe a specific story from your travels that profoundly impacted you?EKL:&nbsp;Yes, I traveled to a remote island in Micronesia called Sarawak. It was where my mentor lived. Many things happened on that trip. The island is so remote that no one else from National Geographic had ever been there. It’s very difficult to access. I needed to negotiate with the Micronesian government to arrange a cargo ship for my crew and me to travel to Sarawak. While there, I learned that there were a few islanders from Sarawak on this cargo ship who needed to return home. The captain asked me if we could take them, and of course, I agreed. While on the ship, I was badly injured. No bones were broken, but I was in a lot of pain. I knew that the captain and his crew were feeding my crew, but no one else. The 20 islanders on board were not being fed and had to bring their own food.I happened to see an old man on the ship. I didn't know who he was, but I knew that he had no warm food, so I made a plate of hot rice and fish for him. When I came back he was gone. So I went through the ship to find him and put the plate down on his bedside. To make a very long story short, it turned out that this was the oldest living celestial navigator in the world, 104 years old. He returned my very small gesture of kindness of food manifold. He helped to heal my wound.The ship’s captain predicted 15-foot swells, which made it seem unlikely we would reach the island. There was a lot of effort and expense to get there; we had purchased 5,000 pounds of provisions, and the trip was a significant financial undertaking for me. Although we could see the island in the distance, the dangerous swells meant there was no safe place to anchor.Unbeknownst to me, this old man was a mystic and sage, and he chanted the 15-foot swells down to a flat ocean so that we could get across to the island. It was a very powerful lesson, one that I will always remember.The other story I’d like to share took place in India. I was on the outskirts of Udaipur some years ago, walking along a dusty road with a translator. Up ahead I saw a woman filling a pothole on the road with cow dung, and she was wearing a beautiful sari. I asked my translator, why would a woman dressed in a sari do this kind of work. He wasn’t sure. As we got close to her, he asked her the question in Hindi. Without hesitation, she put her hand on her heart and looked up to the sky; he translated for me that she was dressed for the Divine. That was another powerful lesson for me because, in the West, I’ve never met a woman who ever considered that we dress first for the Divine. That really changed my thinking.Q: What challenges have you faced in your fieldwork, and how have they shaped your approach to understanding human experiences?EKL:&nbsp;When I go into the field, I often first go alone and meet with elders, and in almost every case they take hours, sometimes days, sitting quietly without speaking to me. And I really love the process, because they’re reading me energetically, and I appreciate that, because the wisdom each of them has shared with me is so precious and their greatest treasure. I appreciate the fact that they don’t recklessly share deep wisdom with anyone, and instead spend time first knowing who they are. So my work requires weeks, if not longer, for me to spend time with an elder. For the longest while we sit without speaking. We may sit for three days and never speak. I love it because I know what they are doing. That’s the way for most explorers at National Geographic.For many people who do research and fieldwork, time is expensive, and they don’t give themselves the luxury. But for me, it is necessary to be with elders and earn their trust so they share with me the extremely important and sadly vanishing knowledge and wisdom.Q: Wow! Thank you. In your observations, what are some key elements that contribute to the resilience of a culture in the face of modern challenges?EKL:&nbsp;One key element is that people remember and value who they are and their wisdom and traditions, because that is what the world needs most. The modern world has lost its wisdom compass, and prizes everything that is fast and fast-moving. While there are great strides in technology, science, and medicine, I feel that the world is bloated with information yet starved for wisdom, and oftentimes doesn’t even know that it’s starving for wisdom. It’s more and more chaotic, overwhelming and exhausting. The most resilient cultures are those that still have their traditional practices and wisdom intact.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The most resilient cultures are those that still have&nbsp; their traditional practices and wisdom intact.</h4><hr>Q: Heartfulness is all about connecting with our true inner self, whose potential is the highest. Recently we conducted a Global Spirituality Conference where leaders from more than 100 spiritual traditions and thousands of practitioners from diverse cultural and spiritual faiths gathered under one roof and had dialogues about inner peace and how to move forward in unity and peace. How do you think we can nurture connection and vision amongst diverse cultures and continue to unite people?EKL: My Hawaiian name is Kapu'uwailani, which means the “heart of heaven.” Heart-centered wisdom and heart-based wisdom are most important to me. One of the things I learned from my mentor, who was a great navigator, is that we navigate by the longitude of our minds and the latitude of our hearts, and in that intersection of latitude and longitude, there is a still point. And that still point is the place where we can go in our meditations to always find our way.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_our_way3_2_5ba18a1eee.jpg" alt="finding-our-way3 (2).jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_our_way3_2_5ba18a1eee.jpg 139w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_our_way3_2_5ba18a1eee.jpg 444w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Scientific research shows that all the information that comes into our physical bodies comes to our hearts first and then rapidly ascends to our brain. It comes through the heart, and I believe that our heart is our inner sanctum. It’s our holy of holies. It’s our most powerful sanctuary, and our compass is in that still point.I believe the practice of Heartfulness meditation can nurture connection and vision amongst cultures beyond geography and cultural uniqueness through our humanity. When we understand the deep essential truth that we are all the same, there is no separation between us, then when we meet together in Heartfulness meditation, all of our beautiful and rich uniqueness falls away.Q: Thank you, again. The world is rapidly changing. How do you envision the preservation of culture and ancient wisdom, and how to keep it relevant for today's humanity and for tomorrow's peoples?EKL:&nbsp;It’s critical because there’s so much wisdom that’s vanishing as our elders are passing away. If we document the stories within our lives, our families, our communities, and our surroundings, and keep them alive, we make a major contribution to the greater parts of our world. If we take care of ourselves and do our part, we will not rapidly lose the world’s wisdom; and more than ever humanity needs it. We’re incredibly fortunate to have technology and tools and devices that make it easy to record and share this knowledge and wisdom with the world as never before.Q: Thank you for all your wisdom, Elizabeth. Please share your closing thoughts.EKL:&nbsp;You have covered the breadth and scope of my work. One last thought is this: When I was growing up, I didn’t know what an anthropologist was. After decades of working in the field, I have borne witness to the world, which is incredibly gorgeous, despite the wars, conflicts, natural disasters, and strife that’s going on. We live in a magnificent world, and can choose to make it heaven on earth if we are conscious and intentional. So I would say that my definition of an anthropologist is this: One who bears witness to the world with a loving and compassionate heart. In that way, we can all be anthropologists.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The greatest exploration we will ever make is turning inward, and in that way, we are among the greatest explorers in the world.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/finding_our_way4_2abbea8e28_184851d454.jpg" alt="finding_our_way4_2abbea8e28.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_finding_our_way4_2abbea8e28_184851d454.jpg 108w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_finding_our_way4_2abbea8e28_184851d454.jpg 346w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Finally, we are all explorers. I’ve been fortunate that my travels have been rich and I’ve traveled to many places. I’ve gone around the world four times, but the greatest exploration I will ever make is the exploration of my heart and my spirituality. And it is a frontier that is vast and infinite. I will always be a student and will always be on this journey. It’s important that people understand that the exploration doesn’t need to be traveling to faraway places. The greatest exploration we will ever make is turning inward, and in that way, we are among the greatest explorers in the world.&nbsp;So thank you very much for this beautiful invitation.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>&nbsp;

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<h4 style="text-align:justify;">MELISSA CONNELLY is an author and therapist. Her recent novel, What Was Lost, explores trauma and redemption, risk taking and self-care, shame and acceptance. Here she shares her experience as a new writer and the importance of sharing story.</h4>&nbsp;My novel, What Was Lost, concerns two traumatic events in the main protagonist's life: Marti is disfigured by an accident when she’s seven years old, and at age fourteen her art teacher grooms and sexually abuses her, leading to a pregnancy. It’s a dark, disturbing journey for Marti as she confronts her history.I’ve worked as a child therapist, but I’m no expert on trauma, any more than anyone else is. As Marti says, “Everyone has their own trauma.” No one gets through life unscarred. Of course, there are degrees; some people suffer and survive inconceivable tragedies and heartbreaks repeatedly throughout their lives. Others seem beaten down by the smallest of occurrences. We sometimes call these people complainers. But there’s no reason to judge someone’s inability to get back up. Even if what’s upsetting them seems minor to us, it’s their reality; they feel what they feel. Some crumble whereas others rise. It could be because of a history of neglect, abuse, or early childhood trauma. Or it could be their chemical makeup. People can be blessed with resiliency, and others not so much. Feel lucky if you have grit; it's a kind of hell without it.One thing my own experiences have taught me is that just like we’re doomed to repeat history if we don’t learn from it, we’re doomed to live in trauma if we don’t confront it. It can be too much to deal with initially, and sometimes we’re given the grace of shock for a while. But eventually it needs to be faced or it will linger in some deep, musty corner of your core and come out and smack you when you least expect it.Marti tries to lessen her trauma’s impact by replicating the experience through dangerous choices she makes. This is common among sexual abuse victims: “It’s okay. Didn’t affect me. See? I did it again!” She also tries to stay with her abuser. She does this because her shame is so great that she feels safe only with him. As contrary as this seems, it’s common among victims. It’s why sexual and physical abusers are often let off the hook. She stayed with him, so it couldn't be that bad.I’ve lived through traumatic events in my life and one of the ways I coped was to talk about the experience. The more I shared every single, perhaps hard-to-hear, little detail, the more my hurt dissipated. But Marti doesn’t have that luxury. She feels complicit in her abuse. Shame births the secret, and that secret shame is how perpetrators get away with their actions.Someone said to me, “Your memoir is coming out?” I corrected them, “No it's a novel.” They responded, “It’s autobiographical though, right? Aren’t all first novels?” I've received many comments like that, and have felt a strong urge to correct them. There are some parallels in my life to Marti’s—I left home and high school very young, just as Marti does. But her story isn’t mine; I wasn’t sexually abused by a teacher at fourteen.I wanted to correct this impression because I felt Marti’s shame. This realization made me sad and a little disappointed in myself. After all, I wrote the story to show there’s no shame in it. My discomfort gives me a small taste of what it’s like to walk in her shoes and now I feel a greater need to defend Marti.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Writing is cathartic even when it isn’t your story,&nbsp; because in some ways it always is.&nbsp; It's the human story.</h4><hr>My defense is both arrogant and unnecessary; Marti defends herself just fine. After burying her experiences for thirty long years, she faces them. She grows from victim to survivor. And now that Marti is launched in the world, I need to go on my own journey of acceptance, by allowing people to assume it’s my story. I wrote it and so I own it.&nbsp;I’m growing alongside Marti into a new understanding of the issues I wrote about—and of myself—as I advocate for the troubling, unsettling book I’ve written. Writing is cathartic even when it isn’t your story, because in some ways it always is. It's the human story.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/writer_transference2_51e2a259a4.jpg" alt="writer-transference2.jpg" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_writer_transference2_51e2a259a4.jpg 101w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_writer_transference2_51e2a259a4.jpg 323w," sizes="100vw"></figure>

writer-transference.jpg

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">The Master Yoga exhibition, held at UNESCO House in Paris from June 14 to 21, 2024, marked the 10th anniversary of International Day of Yoga proclaimed by the United Nations. Organized by the "Yoga for Unity" collective under the aegis of the Heartfulness Institute, the event brought together around twenty partner organizations and thirty renowned teachers. CLAIRE BIGAND was the exhibition coordinator, and here shares an overview of the week-long celebration.&nbsp;</h4>&nbsp;The visual exhibition covered an area of 600 square meters and attracted over 5,000 visitors. Visitors were able to explore the various philosophies, histories, and fundamental texts of yoga, reflecting the plurality of practices, through richly documented and illustrated panels.A full program of lectures, meditation workshops and yoga sessions, led by different schools, was on offer, and this varied approach gave the exhibition a creative, immersive, and educational dimension, captivating a large audience with a passion for the spiritual and physical disciplines of yoga.Interviews with top sportspeople explained how they practice yoga in their quest for performance, with testimonials from free diver, Alice Modolo; Anne Lejot, who works with players at Lens football club; and footballer Ada Hegerberg.A projection area also featured an interview with Daaji, spiritual guide and leader of the Heartfulness movement, an extract from the documentary film Respire by Stéphane Haskell, and a teaser for Brighter Minds, an innovative educational program aimed at developing children's cognitive and emotional capacities.These elements enriched visitors’ experience by offering a variety of perspectives on the impact of yoga in different areas and on different personalities.At the heart of the exhibition, a statue of the Great Master Babuji guided visitors into the meditation bubble built from recycled materials, including bed slats. This unique space welcomed passers-by with Heartfulness Relaxation sessions, offering a haven of peace and rejuvenation.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Babuji_8f74f392b3.webp" alt="Babuji.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Babuji_8f74f392b3.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Babuji_8f74f392b3.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Babuji_8f74f392b3.webp 2000w," sizes="100vw"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Meditation_space_7c01d646a1.webp" alt="Meditation space.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Meditation_space_7c01d646a1.webp 145w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Meditation_space_7c01d646a1.webp 1000w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Meditation_space_7c01d646a1.webp 2000w" sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;A wheel of postures was designed to inspire children to practice yoga by imitating different animals. This fun and accessible activity was a big hit with the youngest visitors and their parents.The 8 pillars of Ashtanga yoga according to Patanjali were presented in an educational and structured way in a thematic panel. The aim was to provide visitors with an in-depth understanding of the fundamental principles that guide this age-old discipline.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ashtanga_Yoga_d269938b38.webp" alt="Ashtanga Yoga.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Ashtanga_Yoga_d269938b38.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Ashtanga_Yoga_d269938b38.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ashtanga_Yoga_d269938b38.webp 2000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Jocelyne Capuano from the Viniyoga Foundation said, “A wonderful tribute to yoga, presenting its very essence and its origins, which are little-known to most people, and above all giving it a place in the future for and by future generations.”June 14 saw the launch of Master Yoga at UNESCO House in Paris. It was a wonderful evening hosted by Guila Clara Kessous, UNESCO Artist for Peace, bringing together the partners, sponsors, presenters, and volunteers, without whom the exhibition would not have been possible.Among those who shared their thoughts with the guests were H.E. Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador of the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO; Gabriela Ramos, assistant Director-General for Social and Human Sciences; Vera El Khoury Lacoeuilhe, Chair of the Executive Board UNESCO; Alain Desvigne, President of the Heartfulness Institute; Paule Porruncini, President of Shri Ram Chandra Mission France; and Pierre Ravan, musician.Alain Desvigne said, “Yoga permeates every aspect and dimension of our lives when we commit ourselves to it wholeheartedly and with intensity. Everything we think, everything we do, everything we are and, ultimately, everything we become is yoga... Thanks to the daily practice of yoga, changes in consciousness occur, so that our perception of and interaction with the world around us change.“And where do these changes take us? Ultimately, they increase our desire to co-create a paradise here and now, rather than waiting for it or dreaming about it after we die. This is the main reason why we chose UNESCO for this unique experiential exhibition.”The afternoon of Saturday June 15 was dedicated to little yogis. Teachers from the Viniyoga Foundation, Research for Yoga in Education (RYE), and Heartfulness Institute offered seven workshops combining stories and postures, mandalas, relaxation and breathing, and preparation for the illustration and writing competition. Children aged 3 to 18, accompanied by their parents, happily discovered yoga in a fun and festive atmosphere. The day ended with the prize-giving ceremony for the competition, presided over by dignitaries including Natasha St. Pier, Stéphane Haskell, Guila Clara Kessous, and Catherine Dumesnil.The Brighter Minds method for children was presented in a film shown several times during the exhibition, enabling many people to discover it. A primary school at the Quai d'Orsay took part in a discovery workshop led by Brighter Minds teacher Alicia Fest Kindler, and the students and teachers greatly appreciated the demonstration.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Sports_round_table_888a9aef45.webp" alt="Sports round table.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Sports_round_table_888a9aef45.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Sports_round_table_888a9aef45.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Sports_round_table_888a9aef45.webp 2000w," sizes="100vw"></figure>On June 18, top sportspeople and mental trainers came together, including &nbsp;Ophélie David, Camille Bruyas, Anne Lejot, Jean-Yves Ogier, and Karine Fontbonne. All testified to the benefits of the diverse practices of yoga, which are sometimes atypical in circles like football. Bernadette de Gasquet also shared her valuable experience of working with Olympic champions.On June 19, the Yoga, Leadership and Governance Masterclass took place. The participants were invited on a journey to discover yoga as a path to true leadership, through the expertise, testimonies and practical experiences shared by an inspiring panel of business leaders, political leaders, leadership consultants, and yoga practitioners, in interaction with the audience. The participants will have the opportunity to continue their exploration through workshops at the Heartfulness Center in Paris in the coming months.Cine-meditation is a concept developed by Heartfulness over the last ten years: offering a free 20-minute relaxation-meditation session before or after an inspirational film. Heartfulness has had the great pleasure and privilege of working with Stéphane Haskell for several years. Stéphane generously presented his film Debout, which was screened on June 20, followed by a great question-and-answer session.June 21, International Day of Yoga, was marked by a formal session of inspiring and committed talks. Present were H.E. Madam Simona Mirela Miculescu, President of the General Conference, UNESCO; Madam Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education, UNESCO; H.E. Mister Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO; and Madam Fumiko Ohinata, Secretary of the 2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage, UNESCO.To finish the exhibition in style, in the evening, musician and DJ Pierre Ravan and musician Habib Meftha thrilled us with a mix of house music, traditional instruments, and a meditative pause that deeply moved a captivated and receptive audience. It was an authentic experience that will live long in the memory.See more at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SCNBdXaF_Q<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Music_and_dance_02d9fa510b.webp" alt="Music and dance.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Music_and_dance_02d9fa510b.webp 145w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Music_and_dance_02d9fa510b.webp 1000w, https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Music_and_dance_02d9fa510b.webp 2000w" sizes="100vw"></figure><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Music_f215f612ec.webp" alt="Music.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_Music_f215f612ec.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_Music_f215f612ec.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Music_f215f612ec.webp 2000w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs courtesy of HEARTFULNESS INSTITUTE</h4><hr>

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Master Yoga 2024, UNESCO Paris

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SWAMI MUKUNDANANDA shares his thoughts on the responsibility of each one of us to bring about change in the world, and the need to create a culture that is based on tolerance, inclusiveness, wisdom, and inner cultivation.</h4>&nbsp;All of us, as members of one human race inhabiting our planet Earth, have the combined responsibility of ensuring peace at the world level. Yet even though we realize this noble and cherished goal, it still remains elusive.In the last 5,000 years of recorded human history, at least 5,000 wars have been fought. The worst of these came to an end in 1945 when unitedly the world realized the need for world peace and established the United Nations. Yet, despite that, wars have continued.&nbsp;The world is not an indivisible entity; but it is constituted of individuals like you and me. World peace comes through peaceful pieces. When each piece is peaceful, it will ensure world peace.&nbsp;Is it possible to achieve a peace that is independent of externals—that will be retained despite adversities, that nobody can snatch away from us? It is possible, and it is what the ancient books of wisdom have taught us. They say peace has to be discovered inside, within your mind.This mind is bondage, and the cause of liberation. The mind is such a powerful thing: it can make heaven in hellish circumstances; and in the most celestial circumstances, you can experience the torments of hell. That is why this mind is the key to peace.There was once a businessman in Hyderabad who wanted to become detached, so he left his home and work to live in the Himalayas. He went to a monastery where he was given a hut, and there he started a spiritual practice. He&nbsp;had reached a reasonable level of proficiency when the monsoon came, and along with the rain came the sounds of nature—the frogs and the crickets were making merry. The man was disturbed while sitting in meditation, and when his tolerance was exhausted, he opened the window and screamed, “Silence!”Now, because his spiritual practice&nbsp;had reached such a level, Nature also listened when he spoke, and so the frogs and crickets became quiet. He went back to his meditation, but discovered that he was still not able to meditate. Another voice was disturbing him, and this time it was from inside him. The voice of his conscience was saying, “What I did, was it right?” No matter how much he tried, he was unable to silence it. So finally, he again opened the window and said, “Begin!” The frogs and the crickets all resumed making a racket. He went back to meditation and this time found perfect peace, the peace from within him.That peace is irrespective of externals, and that peace nobody can take away from us. So, the mind is such a powerful instrument. We need to purify it. The essence of spirituality is the purification of the mind. And how do you purify the mind? By attaching the mind to the all-pure, to the Supreme. When we were little children, we heard the phrase, “No God, no peace.” Where there is no God, there is no peace. And “Know God, know peace.” When you come to know God, you will come to know peace. So, when we attach our mind to the all-pure, we will achieve purity of mind. And that purity of mind will help us achieve true peace.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/crossroads_modernisation2_8cb26f570a.webp" alt="crossroads-modernisation2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_crossroads_modernisation2_8cb26f570a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_crossroads_modernisation2_8cb26f570a.webp 322w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/crossroads_modernisation2_8cb26f570a.webp 322w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">When we attach our mind to&nbsp;the all-pure,&nbsp; we will achieve purity of mind.&nbsp; And that purity of mind will help us achieve true peace.</h4><hr>Today, India is at a juncture, the crossroads of modernization. We are the fifth largest economy, soon to become the third largest. We are destined to take our place on the world stage. And, as a world leader, we will soon become a thought leader of the world as well.India has a heritage of tolerance, inclusiveness, wisdom, and inner cultivation. Two and a half thousand years ago, Jagadguru Shankaracharya, asked the question, “Jagat jitam kena?”, meaning, who shall conquer the world? And the answer he gave was, “Mano hi yena,” meaning, the person who conquers their own mind. So, if we wish to achieve peace, we need to declare war. Not a war fought on the outside, but a war fought within ourselves—the war against the demons lying within ourselves.Excerpt from a talk given at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav 2024

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The crossroads of modernization

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. JOSEPH HOWELL is the founder of The Institute for Conscious Being in the US. During his keynote address at the Global Spirituality Mahotsav, he guided the audience through an exercise to help them find spiritual connection by connecting to their inner child.&nbsp;</h4>&nbsp;For a moment, if you will do this for me:Gently close your eyes and picture in your mind’s eye the home, the dwelling, the apartment, the house in which you spent the earliest part of your life. &nbsp;Now, look at that dwelling. You were one year old, two years old, three years old, maybe four. And as you look at it, look at the windows and the doors, look at the colors.&nbsp;Now, look at where you played the most. Was it on the grass, was it in a playground, was it in your private garden, was it in the common area of an apartment building?&nbsp;As you picture this in your mind, look at the little being who is you, playing in those places. Look at that beautiful little child with expressive eyes, with excitement, with tenderness, with vulnerability, with awe, with surprise, and only two wishes: to love and to be loved. Hold me and let me hold you. This little child with those beautiful eyes is sitting in the playground or the yard or the garden, full of hope for what life is to be. And the child radiates that hope.&nbsp;Sadly, that little child—our soul child—has to go under a crust because the demands and harshness and woundings of this world will not allow that precious innocence to survive in all its purity. So, by age five or six, sometimes seven, we have put on a layer of protection, and it is called the ego. We must have an ego. It gives us a way to move through the world. It gives us protection from the wounds that our little vulnerable self could not bear.&nbsp;And as that child grows, the ego grows with it, with you and me. At one point, we became a defensive personality that said to the world, “You can’t hurt me because I’m powerful, or because I’m okay, or because I’m right, or because I’m giving.” We decided what our ego-strategy was going to be.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/reconnecting_innerchild2_7c736705a1.webp" alt="reconnecting-innerchild2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_reconnecting_innerchild2_7c736705a1.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_reconnecting_innerchild2_7c736705a1.webp 492w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/reconnecting_innerchild2_7c736705a1.webp 492w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Put your hearts together, and let them beat in coherence. Join with your soul so that your life can face any shock point, and do it with dignity and compassion, and holy strength and holy faith.</h4><hr>Then, by midlife, and for some of us sooner, there was a shock point. That shock point took us into a land of pain and suffering, because we realized that the ego never did have a way to successfully block the pain, suffering, shame, anger, and alienation.&nbsp;When we were teenagers, we were searching for an identity. Instead of going back to our soul child, we found our identity in groups. And now, so many are finding their identity in social media. What a false self we are presenting for our children to embrace.&nbsp;What is it that we can be if we are not the ego? Who is it that we can be that brings hope again, that brings love again, that brings light again? The answer is our soul. The soul now has a purpose, a meaning, and a way, with the ego’s help, to be protected, because the ego can now serve the purpose of the soul.&nbsp;So, I’d like to tell you how to find the qualities of your soul again. Well, in my tradition, the great teacher Jesus Christ said, “You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you become as a little child.”&nbsp;In my opinion, we have to return to our first identity, which is our true nature. That’s found in the little being you saw in that yard or playground just a few minutes ago.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/reconnecting_innerchild3_db4df0c3e8.webp" alt="reconnecting-innerchild3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_reconnecting_innerchild3_db4df0c3e8.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_reconnecting_innerchild3_db4df0c3e8.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/reconnecting_innerchild3_db4df0c3e8.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Close your eyes again. I’d like for you to picture that child one more time. Look into her or his eyes. See the purity, the beauty, the willingness to love and be loved. Now feel the heart of that child. And now, if you will go to that child and sit by them, and put your arms around that little being. Put your hearts together, and let them beat in coherence. Join with your soul so that your life can face any shock point, and do it with dignity and compassion, and holy strength and holy faith.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by LAKSHMI GADDAM</h4><hr>

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Reconnect with your inner child 